Assaggio il gelato al pistacchio.

I taste the pistachio ice cream.

Breakdown of Assaggio il gelato al pistacchio.

• io: I
• assaggiare: to taste
• a: to
• il gelato: the ice cream
• il pistacchio: the pistachio

Questions & Answers about Assaggio il gelato al pistacchio.

What part of speech is assaggio in this sentence, and what does it mean?

Here assaggio is the first-person singular present indicative of the verb assaggiare (to taste). So in English it means I taste or I try (when referring to food).

Why isn’t the subject pronoun io included before assaggio?

In Italian you normally drop subject pronouns because the verb ending already tells you the subject. The -o ending of assaggio makes it clear you’re talking about I (io). Adding io is possible for emphasis (e.g. Io assaggio…), but it isn’t required.

What is the function of al in gelato al pistacchio, and how is it formed?

Al is the contraction of the preposition a + the definite article il. When talking about flavors of gelato, al means “with” or “flavored with.” Thus gelato al pistacchio literally means “ice cream with pistachio.” The form changes depending on gender/number:

• a + la = alla (e.g. gelato alla fragola)
• a + i = ai (for plural)
• a + gli = agli

Why is il used before gelato rather than a partitive like del?

Italian often uses the definite article with food and drinks to refer to the item in general or a specific instance already understood. Il gelato here is just “the ice cream,” not “some ice cream.” If you wanted to emphasize a portion, you could say assaggio del gelato al pistacchio (“I taste some of the pistachio ice cream”), but it isn’t necessary in the basic sentence.

Could you say gelato di pistacchio instead of gelato al pistacchio?

Native speakers almost always use al + article to express gelato flavors. While di pistacchio would be understood (“of pistachio”), it’s not idiomatic. Stick with gelato al pistacchio, gelato al cioccolato, gelato alla vaniglia, and so on.

What’s the nuance between assaggiare, mangiare, provare, and gustare?

• Assaggiare means to taste a small amount in order to try the flavor.
• Mangiare means to eat or consume, usually a full portion.
• Provare is more general (“to try”) and can apply to anything, not just food.
• Gustare or assaporare implies savoring or enjoying the flavor, more than merely sampling it.

How is assaggiare conjugated in the present tense?

It’s a regular ‑are verb (note the hard gg stem). Present tense: io assaggio
tu assaggi
lui/lei assaggia
noi assaggiamo
voi assaggiate
loro assaggiano

If I want to say “I tried the pistachio ice cream” in the past, how would I form it?

Use the passato prossimo with avere + past participle. For example: Ho assaggiato il gelato al pistacchio. Here ho is the present of avere, and assaggiato is the past participle of assaggiare.