In Italian, latte simply means “milk.” It refers to the liquid that comes from cows, goats, or other animals, as well as plant-based alternatives like almond or soy milk. In Italy, when you order a latte, you are asking for plain milk, not the coffee-based drink known as a latte in many English-speaking countries.
The popular coffee drink, caffè latte, means “coffee with milk” in Italian. It consists of espresso mixed with steamed milk. Outside Italy, especially in places like the United States, the term latte is often used by itself to refer to this coffee beverage, but if you simply ask for a latte in Italy, you’ll likely just get a glass of milk.
For example:
Bevono il latte ogni mattina. – They drink milk every morning.
Vorrei un caffè latte, per favore. – I would like a coffee with milk, please.
In summary, latte means “milk” in Italian, and in Italy, if you want the coffee drink, you would need to order caffè latte.