riso

rice

noun REE-zoh Less Common

Origin: from Latin 'oryza' (rice) / 'risus' (laughter)

Also means

laughter

Usage Note

Riso is a tricky double: as 'rice' it comes from oryza, but as 'laughter' it is the noun from ridere. The laughter sense has the unusual feminine plural le risa, while rice stays uncountable.

Examples

"Cucino il riso per cena."

Natural Translation

I'm cooking rice for dinner.

Literal Translation

I-cook the rice for dinner.

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

Ti Amo vs Ti Voglio Bene: I Love You in Italian

Ti amo is romantic love; ti voglio bene is tender affection for family and close friends. Here's exactly who to say each phrase to in Italian.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Mi Piace vs Mi Piacciono: How to Say 'I Like'

Use mi piace for one thing and mi piacciono for many — because in Italian the thing you like is the subject. The full rule, pronouns, and past tense.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Prepositions: A, In, Di, Da, Su Made Simple

Cities take a, countries take in, origin is di, agents are da. Master the five Italian prepositions a, in, di, da, su and their contractions fast.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Dialects vs Standard Italian: A Guide

Standard Italian works everywhere, so relax: this three-layer guide to Italian dialects vs standard Italian shows what to ignore and what to notice.

June 9, 2026 6 min read