Meaning & use
aperitivo
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A light alcoholic drink, often bitter or herbal, taken before a meal to stir the appetite, usually served with small snacks.
Grammar: Count it for single drinks: two aperitivos; the plural is often aperitivi in Italian-flavored writing.
Patterns
- have an aperitivo
- an aperitivo of something
We ordered an aperitivo on the terrace while the waiter brought olives.
A bitter orange aperitivo is a classic way to start dinner in northern Italy.
He poured each guest an aperitivo before they sat down at the table.
noununcountable
The relaxed early-evening custom of meeting friends for drinks and snacks before dinner, especially in Italy.
Grammar: Used without an or the when talking about the habit in general: we went for aperitivo.
Patterns
- go for aperitivo
- at aperitivo
After work, the whole office goes for aperitivo at the bar on the corner.
Aperitivo in Milan often includes a free buffet with your drink.
We met at six for aperitivo and ended up staying through dinner.
Word forms
| plural | aperitivos |
|---|
Common combinations
- go for aperitivo
- Let's go for aperitivo before the concert.
- order an aperitivo
- She ordered an aperitivo and a plate of nuts.
- aperitivo hour
- Aperitivo hour starts at six and the square fills quickly.
- bitter aperitivo
- The bitter aperitivo was a deep red and tasted of orange peel.
- aperitivo bar
- We found a tiny aperitivo bar near the canal.
Synonyms and how they differ
- aperitif
- Aperitif is the older, more widely used English word for the drink itself, while aperitivo more strongly suggests the Italian style and the social ritual.
- cocktail
- A cocktail is any mixed drink at any time of day, whereas an aperitivo is defined by when it is drunk and its role before a meal.
- appetizer
- An appetizer is a small dish of food, not a drink, although an aperitivo is often served alongside snacks.
Opposites
Word family
- aperitif noun
- the French-derived English word for a pre-meal drink
- digestivo noun
- a strong drink taken after a meal to help digestion
- apéro noun
- the French informal word for pre-dinner drinks
Commonly confused: aperitivo or aperitif?
aperitivo vs aperitif
Aperitif is the standard English spelling for the drink. Aperitivo is the Italian form and tends to be used when talking about Italian culture or the evening ritual.
Practice
In Italy, friends often meet in a bar around six o'clock for ___ and a few snacks before dinner.
Choose one answer.
Aperitivo is the pre-dinner drink and social custom. A digestivo comes after a meal, so it does not fit an early-evening meeting before dinner.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “aperitivo”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.