FastItalian LearningSign in
A2🍕 Food

Italian word

maiale

pork / pig

Looks like

mail / male

mail is post; male is the masculine gender

⚠️ The trap

'Maiale' sounds vaguely like 'mail' or 'male' to English speakers. None of these are related. 'Maiale' comes from Latin 'majalis'. In Italian it is both the animal and the meat — unlike English which has 'pig' (animal) and 'pork' (meat).

To say "mail is post; male is the masculine gender" in Italian:

maiale (pig/pork)

"maiale" in English means:

pork / pig

Example

"La porchetta è un maiale intero arrostito."

"Porchetta is a whole roasted pig."

Test your Italian level

Find your level and start the right lessons for you.

Take the test →