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PhrasesAt the PizzeriaUna pizza margherita, per favore.
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Una pizza margherita, per favore.

A margherita pizza, please.

Pronunciation

mar-ghe-RI-ta — four syllables, stress on third. The 'gh' is hard, like 'g' in 'get'.

When to use it

When ordering the classic Neapolitan pizza — tomato, fior di latte mozzarella, and fresh basil. The benchmark of any pizzeria.

What it means

The margherita is the most iconic Italian pizza, invented in Naples in 1889. Ordering it is a way to judge the quality of any pizzeria — the fewer ingredients, the more the dough and tomato must speak for themselves.

Variations

Una margherita con doppia mozzarella.

A margherita with double mozzarella.

Popular upgrade — more cheese, richer result

Una margherita DOP.

A DOP margherita.

'DOP' = protected designation of origin — buffalo mozzarella and San Marzano tomato

Una marinara, per favore.

A marinara, please.

Even simpler — tomato, garlic, oregano, no cheese. The oldest Neapolitan pizza.

Mini Dialogue

— Una pizza margherita, per favore. — Forno a legna o elettrico — lo sa che il nostro è a legna? — Meglio ancora! La margherita. — Perfetta scelta per cominciare.

— A margherita pizza, please. — Wood-fired or electric — did you know ours is wood-fired? — Even better! The margherita. — Perfect choice to start with.

Cultural Note

The Neapolitan pizza is protected by an EU certification (STG — Specialità Tradizionale Garantita) and by the AVPN association. True Neapolitan pizza must be cooked at 485°C in a wood-fired oven for 60–90 seconds. Any longer means the fire is too low.