How do you say bitter in Italian?
Amaro
Use amaro to say bitter in Italian. Amaro can also mean “sour” and “tonic liquor”.
| Origin | From the Latin word amarum, “bitter liquor” |
| Pronunciation | /aˈmaːro/ |
Amaro
Bitter
Bitter in Italian: Different forms
Like all other adjectives in Italian, amaro needs to match the gender (masculine or feminine) and the number (singular or plural) of the noun.
| Singular | Plural | |
| Masculine | Amaro | Amari |
| Feminine | Amara | Amare |
Bitter in Italian: Examples
Il caffè senza zucchero è molto amaro.
Coffee without sugar is very bitter.
Questi limoni sono amari.
These lemons are bitter.
La cioccolata fondente è spesso amara.
Dark chocolate is often bitter.
La sconfitta ha lasciato un sapore amaro.
The defeat left a bitter taste.
Bitter in Italian: Related words
From amaro you get amarezza, meaning “bitterness”.
La fine dell’estate portava con sé un senso di amarezza.
The end of summer brought with it a sense of bitterness.
You can also find cacao amaro, meaning “unsweetened cocoa”.
Il cacao amaro è caro.
Unsweetened cocoa is expensive.
Bitter in Italian: Expressions
There are some idiomatic expressions with the word for bitter in Italian. Examples:
Amaro come il fiele
As bitter as bile
Rimanere con l’amaro in bocca
To be left with a sour taste in your mouth
Farsi il sangue amaro
To make yourself ill over
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