Italian word of the day
Pasticcio refers to a mess or a mishmash. It can be used to describe a situation, a task, or something disorganized and chaotic. Pasticcio is also a kind of savory pie or casserole. It’s very common in the expression che pasticcio!, “what a mess”.
| Pronunciation | |
| English translation | Mess, mishmash |
| Origin | From the Italian word pasta; until a few centuries ago, it used to refer to a kind of beef meat pie |
Different forms of pasticcio
Like most nouns in Italian, pasticcio has two articles (definite or indefinite articles) and two numbers (singular or plural).
Un pasticcio
A mess
Dei pasticci
Some mess
Il pasticcio
The mess
I pasticci
The mess
Examples
| Enrico si è cacciato nei pasticci con una gang di teppisti. | Enrico got into trouble with a gang of thugs. |
| Leonardo combina spesso pasticci. | Leonardo often messes up. |
| Chi ha combinato quel pasticcio in cucina? | Who made that mess in the kitchen? |
Related words
Pasticciare as a verb means “to mess up”, “to handle something clumsily”.
| A mio figlio piace pasticciare la tavola con gli spaghetti. | My son likes to mess the table with noodles. |
You can also find the word pasticcione, used to describe someone messy, clumsy, or prone to making mistakes.
| Quel pasticcione di mio cugino ha rovinato il forno cercando di ripararlo da solo. | My messy cousin ruined the oven trying to fix it himself. |
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