mozzarella

See also: Mozzarella and mozzarellą

English

Mozzarella cheese

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian mozzarella, from mozzare (“to cut off”), from Latin mutilare.
The meaning of money derives from the early Bay Area hip-hop scene since early and is found for various food terms, including cheddar and cheese.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /mɒt.səˈɹɛl.ə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /mɑt.səˈɹɛl.ə/; (less commonly) /mʌt.səˈɹɛl.ə/, /mut.səˈɹɛl.ə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛlə

Usage notes

The /mu/-initial pronunciation is borrowed from Neapolitan muzzarella.

Noun

mozzarella (countable and uncountable, plural mozzarellas or mozzarelle)

2. Soft Italian or Italian-style cheese made from cow's or buffalo's milk and commonly used as a pizza topping and in salads etc.

   Hypernyms: cheese < dairy product < food

4. (uncountable, slang, African-American Vernacular) Money.

   Synonyms: cheese, cheddar; see also Thesaurus:money

   • 2017 November 16, KirbLaGoop, “I Can’t Feel My Face”, in Trapped in Da 100:

     Ooh, yeah, stack that mozzarella, check a big bag / Smack it for an hour, off a thirty, let a bitch bad

   • 2018 November 25, “Bank Teller”, Lil Uzi Vert (lyrics), Lil Uzi Vert, Smokepurpp, and Lil Pump (music)‎^[1]:

     Me no rat, I get hella cheddar, I get mozzarella / Take two hundred thousand out the bank ’cause I fucked the teller

   • 2018 November 25, “Bank Teller”, Smokepurpp (lyrics), Lil Uzi Vert, Smokepurpp, and Lil Pump (music)‎^[2]:

     Tell a bank teller / This Louis my sweater / Came through with a Baretta / Stack my cheese, that mozzarella

   • 2019 September 13, “Diamond Tester”, in ChaseTheMoney (lyrics), K$upreme & ChaseTheMoney (music), Caught Fire‎^[3]:

     I need the cheese, mozzarella / Rainin outside, I got a Louis umbrella / She ate up my dick like Nutella / I used to be four-fourin at the bank

Derived terms

• mozzarella stick
• cheddarella

Translations

soft Italian cheese

• Arabic: مُوزَارِيلَا f (mūzārīlā)

  Egyptian Arabic: موتزاريلا f (motzarélla)

• Belarusian: мацарэ́ла f (macaréla)
• Burmese: မိုးဇက် (mui:jak)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 水牛芝士

  Mandarin: 馬蘇里拉 / 马苏里拉 (zh) (mǎsūlǐlā)

• Czech: mozzarella (cs) f
• Dutch: mozzarella (nl) m
• Esperanto: mocarelo
• Finnish: mozzarella (fi)
• French: mozzarelle (fr) f, mozzarella (fr) f
• German: Mozzarella (de) m
• Greek: μοτσαρέλα (el) f (motsaréla)
• Italian: mozzarella (it) f
• Japanese: モッツァレラ (mottsarera), モツァレラ (motsarera), モザレラ (mozarera), モッツァレッラ (mottsarerra)
• Korean: 모차렐라 (mocharella), 모짜렐라 (mojjarella)
• Macedonian: моцаре́ла (mk) f du (mocaréla)
• Maltese: mozzarella f
• Marathi: मोजारेला (mojārelā)
• Neapolitan: muzzarella f
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: mozzarella m

• Polish: mozzarella (pl) f
• Portuguese: muçarela (pt) f, mozarela (pt) f
• Russian: моцаре́лла (ru) f (mocarɛ́lla)
• Spanish: mozzarella f, musarela (es) f (Argentina), muzarela (es) f (Uruguay), muzarella f (Uruguay), muzzarella f (Rioplatense)
• Swedish: mozzarella (sv) c
• Tajik: моззарелла (mozzarella)

food-related slang term for money

• Finnish: hillo (fi)
• Polish: kapucha (pl) f

Czech

Alternative forms

• mozarela

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmozarɛla]

Noun

mozzarella f

1. mozzarella (soft Italian cheese)

Declension

Declension of mozzarella (hard feminine reducible)

	singular	plural
nominative	mozzarella	mozzarelly
genitive	mozzarelly	mozzarelel
dative	mozzarelle	mozzarellám
accusative	mozzarellu	mozzarelly
vocative	mozzarello	mozzarelly
locative	mozzarelle	mozzarellách
instrumental	mozzarellou	mozzarellami

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian mozzarella.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɔtsɑˈrɛlaː/, /mɔdzɑˈrɛlaː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: moz‧za‧rel‧la
• Rhymes: -ɛlaː

Noun

mozzarella m (uncountable, no diminutive)

1. mozzarella (soft Italian or Italian-style cheese made from cow's or buffalo's milk and commonly used as a pizza topping and in salads etc.)

Derived terms

• buffelmozzarella

References

• van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “mozzarella”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute

Further reading

• mozzarella on the Dutch Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^nl

Finnish

Etymology

Italian mozzarella

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmotsɑrelːɑ/, [ˈmo̞ts̠ɑ̝ˌre̞lːɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -elːɑ
• Syllabification^(key): moz‧za‧rel‧la
• Hyphenation^(key): moz‧za‧rel‧la

Noun

mozzarella

1. mozzarella (type of cheese)

Declension

Inflection of mozzarella (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		mozzarella	mozzarellat
genitive		mozzarellan	mozzarellojen
partitive		mozzarellaa	mozzarelloja
illative		mozzarellaan	mozzarelloihin
		singular	plural
nominative		mozzarella	mozzarellat
accusative	nom.	mozzarella	mozzarellat
	gen.	mozzarellan
genitive		mozzarellan	mozzarellojen mozzarellain rare
partitive		mozzarellaa	mozzarelloja
inessive		mozzarellassa	mozzarelloissa
elative		mozzarellasta	mozzarelloista
illative		mozzarellaan	mozzarelloihin
adessive		mozzarellalla	mozzarelloilla
ablative		mozzarellalta	mozzarelloilta
allative		mozzarellalle	mozzarelloille
essive		mozzarellana	mozzarelloina
translative		mozzarellaksi	mozzarelloiksi
abessive		mozzarellatta	mozzarelloitta
instructive		—	mozzarelloin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of mozzarella (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative mozzarellani mozzarellani accusative nom. mozzarellani mozzarellani gen. mozzarellani genitive mozzarellani mozzarellojeni mozzarellaini rare partitive mozzarellaani mozzarellojani inessive mozzarellassani mozzarelloissani elative mozzarellastani mozzarelloistani illative mozzarellaani mozzarelloihini adessive mozzarellallani mozzarelloillani ablative mozzarellaltani mozzarelloiltani allative mozzarellalleni mozzarelloilleni essive mozzarellanani mozzarelloinani translative mozzarellakseni mozzarelloikseni abessive mozzarellattani mozzarelloittani instructive — — comitative — mozzarelloineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative mozzarellasi mozzarellasi accusative nom. mozzarellasi mozzarellasi gen. mozzarellasi genitive mozzarellasi mozzarellojesi mozzarellaisi rare partitive mozzarellaasi mozzarellojasi inessive mozzarellassasi mozzarelloissasi elative mozzarellastasi mozzarelloistasi illative mozzarellaasi mozzarelloihisi adessive mozzarellallasi mozzarelloillasi ablative mozzarellaltasi mozzarelloiltasi allative mozzarellallesi mozzarelloillesi essive mozzarellanasi mozzarelloinasi translative mozzarellaksesi mozzarelloiksesi abessive mozzarellattasi mozzarelloittasi instructive — — comitative — mozzarelloinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative mozzarellamme mozzarellamme accusative nom. mozzarellamme mozzarellamme gen. mozzarellamme genitive mozzarellamme mozzarellojemme mozzarellaimme rare partitive mozzarellaamme mozzarellojamme inessive mozzarellassamme mozzarelloissamme elative mozzarellastamme mozzarelloistamme illative mozzarellaamme mozzarelloihimme adessive mozzarellallamme mozzarelloillamme ablative mozzarellaltamme mozzarelloiltamme allative mozzarellallemme mozzarelloillemme essive mozzarellanamme mozzarelloinamme translative mozzarellaksemme mozzarelloiksemme abessive mozzarellattamme mozzarelloittamme instructive — — comitative — mozzarelloinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative mozzarellanne mozzarellanne accusative nom. mozzarellanne mozzarellanne gen. mozzarellanne genitive mozzarellanne mozzarellojenne mozzarellainne rare partitive mozzarellaanne mozzarellojanne inessive mozzarellassanne mozzarelloissanne elative mozzarellastanne mozzarelloistanne illative mozzarellaanne mozzarelloihinne adessive mozzarellallanne mozzarelloillanne ablative mozzarellaltanne mozzarelloiltanne allative mozzarellallenne mozzarelloillenne essive mozzarellananne mozzarelloinanne translative mozzarellaksenne mozzarelloiksenne abessive mozzarellattanne mozzarelloittanne instructive — — comitative — mozzarelloinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative mozzarellansa mozzarellansa accusative nom. mozzarellansa mozzarellansa gen. mozzarellansa genitive mozzarellansa mozzarellojensa mozzarellainsa rare partitive mozzarellaansa mozzarellojaan mozzarellojansa inessive mozzarellassaan mozzarellassansa mozzarelloissaan mozzarelloissansa elative mozzarellastaan mozzarellastansa mozzarelloistaan mozzarelloistansa illative mozzarellaansa mozzarelloihinsa adessive mozzarellallaan mozzarellallansa mozzarelloillaan mozzarelloillansa ablative mozzarellaltaan mozzarellaltansa mozzarelloiltaan mozzarelloiltansa allative mozzarellalleen mozzarellallensa mozzarelloilleen mozzarelloillensa essive mozzarellanaan mozzarellanansa mozzarelloinaan mozzarelloinansa translative mozzarellakseen mozzarellaksensa mozzarelloikseen mozzarelloiksensa abessive mozzarellattaan mozzarellattansa mozzarelloittaan mozzarelloittansa instructive — — comitative — mozzarelloineen mozzarelloinensa

Derived terms

compounds

• mozzarellatikku

Further reading

• “mozzarella”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[4] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 14 May 2026

Italian

Etymology

Diminutive of mozza (“a type of cheese”), related to the verb mozzare. Originally of southern Italian origin. Compare Neapolitan muzzarella.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mot.t͡saˈrɛl.la/
• Rhymes: -ɛlla
• Hyphenation: moz‧za‧rèl‧la

Noun

mozzarella f (plural mozzarelle)

1. mozzarella (soft Italian cheese)

Related terms

• mozzarella di bufala
• mozzarella in carrozza

Descendants

• → Dutch: mozzarella

See also

• burrata

Polish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *mut-?

Latin mutilus

Vulgar Latin *mutius

Italian mozzo

Italian mozza

Italian mozzarellaubor.

Polish mozzarella

Unadapted borrowing from Italian mozzarella.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɔ.t͡saˈrɛl.la/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛlla
• Syllabification: mo‧zza‧rel‧la

Noun

mozzarella f

1. mozzarella (soft Italian cheese)

Declension

Declension of mozzarella

	singular	plural
nominative	mozzarella	mozzarelle
genitive	mozzarelli	mozzarelli
dative	mozzarelli	mozzarellom
accusative	mozzarellę	mozzarelle
instrumental	mozzarellą	mozzarellami
locative	mozzarelli	mozzarellach
vocative	mozzarello	mozzarelle

Further reading

• “mozzarella”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[5] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “mozzarella”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[6] (in Polish)

Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *mut-?

Latin mutilus

Vulgar Latin *mutius

Italian mozzo

Italian mozza

Italian mozzarellaubor.

Portuguese mozzarella

Unadapted borrowing from Italian mozzarella.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /mot.saˈɾɛ.lɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mu.zɐˈɾɛ.lɐ/, /mɔ.zaˈɾɛ.lɐ/, /mo.zaˈɾɛ.lɐ/

• Rhymes: -ɛlɐ

Noun

mozzarella f (countable and uncountable, plural mozzarellas)

1. alternative form of mozarela

Further reading

• “mozzarella”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN
• “mozzarella”, in Dicionário Infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “mozzarella”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *mut-?

Latin mutilus

Vulgar Latin *mutius

Italian mozzo

Italian mozza

Italian mozzarellaubor.

Romanian mozzarella

Unadapted borrowing from Italian mozzarella.

Noun

mozzarella f (uncountable)

1. mozzarella (soft Italian cheese)

Declension

singular only	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	mozzarella	mozzarella
genitive-dative	mozzarelle	mozzarellei
vocative	—

Spanish

Alternative forms

• muzzarella, muzzarela, musarela (Argentina)

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *mut-?

Latin mutilus

Vulgar Latin *mutius

Italian mozzo

Italian mozza

Italian mozzarellaubor.

Spanish mozzarella

Unadapted borrowing from Italian mozzarella.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /motsaˈɾela/ [mot̪.saˈɾe.la]
• Rhymes: -ela
• Syllabification: moz‧za‧re‧lla

Noun

mozzarella f (plural mozzarellas)

1. mozzarella (soft Italian cheese)

Usage notes

According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

Further reading

• “mozzarella”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Swedish

mozzarella

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mʊsːarɛlːa/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

mozzarella c

1. mozzarella

   Synonym: mozzarellaost

Declension

Declension of mozzarella

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	mozzarella	mozzarellas
	definite	mozzarellan	mozzarellans
plural	indefinite	—	—
	definite	—	—

References

• “mozzarella”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “mozzarella”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)