mucca

cow

noun MOOK-kah Rare

Usage Note

Mucca is the common word for a domestic cow; the more formal/technical term is vacca. The breed mucca pazza ('mad cow') entered common usage during the BSE crisis. The masculine equivalent is toro (bull); a young cow is vitella and a calf is vitello (which is also the word for veal).

Examples

"La mucca pascola nel prato."

Natural Translation

The cow grazes in the meadow.

Free starter pack

Building your Italian vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Italian words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Italian by topic

ItalianNow

Essere vs Avere: Italian Past Tense Made Simple

In the passato prossimo, use avere for most verbs and essere for movement, change, and reflexives — plus the agreement trap English speakers always miss.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Diminutives: -ino, -etto, -one Explained

Italian diminutives like -ino, -etto, and -one signal size, affection, or contempt. Learn to read the feeling, dodge gender flips, and spot false diminutives.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Noun Gender: Rules, Endings & Exceptions

Italian noun gender decoded: -o is usually masculine, -a feminine, but -zione and -tà are feminine, -ore and -ma masculine. Plus the trap words to memorize.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Tu vs Lei: Formal & Informal "You" in Italian

When in doubt, use Lei. Here's exactly when to use tu vs Lei in Italian — the who-to-use-with map, the verb and possessive shifts, and how to switch politely.

June 5, 2026 6 min read