The everyday way to say delicious in Italian is buonissimo (bwoh-NEES-see-moh), very good: È buonissimo! It agrees with the food: buonissima for la pizza, buonissimi for gli gnocchi. Delizioso and squisito also mean delicious and sound a little more refined. The quick reaction at the table is Che buono!
- It's delicious
- È buonissimo!
- So good!
- Che buono!
- Exquisite
- squisito
- Compliments to the chef
- Complimenti al cuoco!
- Level
- A1
Buonissimo, delizioso or squisito?
All are correct; they differ in how often you hear them. Italians praise food constantly, and buono with its forms does most of the work.
| Italian | English | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Che buono! | So good! | The instant reaction; che buona for a feminine dish |
| È buonissimo! | It's delicious! | Everyday, at home or eating out |
| È ottimo. | It's excellent. | Polite, a little measured |
| È delizioso. | It's delicious. | Slightly formal; menus and reviews |
| È squisito. | It's exquisite. | Refined; praising a host's cooking |
| È saporito. | It's full of flavour. | Well seasoned |
| Una delizia! | A delight! | Warm and enthusiastic |
The ending follows the noun: la pasta è buonissima, i biscotti sono buonissimi, le lasagne sono buonissime. In Italy lasagne is normally plural, so it takes the plural ending.
How do you compliment the cook?
At someone's home, praising the food is part of the meal. Use tu or Lei to match how you speak to the host.
Complimenti al cuoco!
My compliments to the chef!
alla cuoca if the cook is a woman
Era tutto buonissimo, grazie.
Everything was delicious, thank you.
Signora, era tutto squisito.
Everything was delicious.
To an older host you call Lei
Hai cucinato benissimo!
You cooked brilliantly!
tu
Posso avere la ricetta?
Could I have the recipe?
Ne prendo ancora un po', grazie.
I'll have a little more, thanks.
Before anyone eats, someone says Buon appetito! (enjoy your meal), and the reply is Grazie, altrettanto! (thanks, you too). For the toast that may follow, see how to say cheers in Italian.
What mistakes do learners make with food words?
- Il cibo è bene. Food is buono, not bene. Bene is an adverb: sto bene (I'm well), hai cucinato bene (you cooked well).
- Il cuoco è buono. For skill, use bravo: il cuoco è bravo, sei bravissima in cucina. Buono about a person means good-hearted.
- Molto buonissimo. The -issimo already means very; say molto buono or buonissimo.
- Profumo means perfume. It does, but it also means any lovely smell: che profumo! is "that smells wonderful".
Profumo in that sense turns up as a young baker in Bologna starts work before dawn in a Contos A2 mystery:
La piccola strada di Bologna è ancora scura, ma in cucina il profumo di pane caldo è già forte.From The Secret Recipe Book of Bakers' Street, chapter 1 (A2)
To say what something tastes of, use sa di: sa di limone, it tastes of lemon.
Read The Secret Recipe Book of Bakers' Street, an A2 Italian mystery in a Bologna bakery, free in your browser.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce buonissimo?
"bwoh-NEES-see-moh". The uo glides together into one syllable, the stress falls on NEES, and the double s is held slightly longer than a single one.
How do you say it was delicious?
Era buonissimo, or era tutto buonissimo (everything was delicious) at the end of a meal. Use buonissima if you mean a feminine dish, such as la torta.
Is delizioso used in everyday Italian?
Yes, but less than buonissimo. Delizioso sounds a touch more formal and turns up on menus and in reviews; at the table most people say che buono or è buonissimo.
What does buon appetito mean?
Enjoy your meal, literally "good appetite". It is said just before eating, at home or at work. Reply with grazie, altrettanto (thanks, the same to you).