Italian Phrase
La crème brûlée è un classico.
Meaning
The sentence states that crème brûlée, the caramelized custard dessert, is considered a classic. It conveys admiration and suggests the dish is timeless and widely appreciated.
When to use
Use this phrase when talking about desserts on a menu, recommending a dish to a friend, or describing a favorite sweet in a culinary conversation.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Lacrèmebrûléeèunclassico
Definite article (La)
In Italian, 'la' is the feminine singular definite article, used here because the borrowed French noun 'crème brûlée' is treated as feminine.
Verb 'essere' (è)
The third‑person singular present of 'essere' (to be) is 'è', used to link the subject with its description.
Indefinite article (un)
Because 'classico' is masculine singular, the correct indefinite article is 'un' (not 'una').
Adjective agreement (classico)
Adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify; here 'classico' matches the implied masculine noun 'dessert' (il dessert).
🗨In Conversation
La crème brûlée è un classico.
Crème brûlée is a classic.
Sì, la sua crosta caramellata è irresistibile!
Yes, its caramelized crust is irresistible!
✕Common Mistakes
La crème brûlée è una classico.
Use 'un' because 'classico' is masculine; 'una' would be wrong gender agreement.
La crème brûlée è una classico.
The adjective must agree with the implied noun 'dessert' (masculine), so it should be 'un classico'.
La crème brûlée è un classico.
Pronounce the French part with an Italian accent: avoid saying 'brûlée' as in French; Italians say /bruˈle/.
↔Alternatives
La crème brûlée è un dessert tradizionale.
Crème brûlée is a traditional dessert.
La crème brûlée è un must della pasticceria.
Crème brûlée is a must‑have in pastry.
La crème brûlée è un classico intramontabile.
Crème brûlée is an evergreen classic.
Cultural Tip
In Italy, French desserts like crème brûlée are often served in upscale ristoranti and gelaterie. While the name stays French, Italians treat it as a 'dolce' (dessert) and use the feminine article 'la' because the word ends in a vowel, mirroring the French gender. Knowing this borrowing helps you sound natural when mixing culinary vocabularies.

