Easy Things to Say in Italian Lookin Italian

Italian is considered the most seductively beautiful language in the world, and its beauty lies in its words. All of those elongated vowels and melodically rolling "r" make even the simplest of words sound elegant, emotional, and sweet.

There are over 450,000 words in the Italian language. I've always been fascinated with words. They're more than just strings of letters. Words are powerful. Words define the shape of our understanding. Words inspire, motivate, comfort, challenge, move, touch, hurt, intrigue, and entice us. As a writer and translator, I'm so happy to have built a career around words.

In this article, you'll find a list of the most awesome sounding words in the Italian language, plus cool words and phrases, beautiful Italian sayings, fun-to-say words, unique expressions with no English equivalent, and more!

Man relaxing on his boat enjoying the beautiful scenery.

Beautiful Italian vocab

The Italian language is known for its fascinating history, richness of expressions, and beautiful-sounding words.

Make the most of the communicative power of the most beautiful words that the Italian language has to offer. A large vocabulary helps open our minds, improves our powers of expression and comprehension, and is essential to describe feelings and comment on the beauty of the world we live in.

Want to add idillio, aurora, evanescenza, and the most powerful, beautiful Italian words to your vocabulary? We're here to help! Let's get going with these aesthetically pleasing words, from the genuinely beautiful to the beautifully quirky.

Beautiful Italian words and meanings

The Italian language boasts a massive variety of words. It was no easy task to pick out the most beautiful Italian words out of an estimated total of 450,000, but we like challenging missions that require extra effort. Here are some words we think deserve the designation "beautiful."

What makes a word beautiful? I personally think a harmonious blend of sound and meaning is what makes a word pleasant to hear and say. We've put together what we consider the most beautiful Italian words with deep meaning and an elegant, unique sound. Some are just so poetic and fascinatingly expressive, while others sound so lovely they could be repeated over and over again for your daily dose of ASMR.

Italian English IPA Pronunciation
Nuvola Cloud [nˈuvola] noo-voh-lah
Aurora Dawn [aʊrˈɔra] ah-oo-roh-rah
Incantevole Enchanting [inkantˈevole] een-kahn-teh-voh-leh
Rugiada Dew [rʊd͡ʒˈada] roo-jee-ah-dah
Aria Air [ˈaria] ah-ree-ah
Idillio Idyll [iˈdilljo] ee-dee-lee-oh
Evanescenza Evanescence [evaneʃˈɛnt͡sa] eh-vah-neh-shen-tsah
Allegria Cheerfulness [alleɡrˈia] ahl-leh-gree-ah
Enigmatico / enigmatica Enigmatic [eniɡmˈatiko] [eniɡmˈatika] eh-neeg-mah-tee-koh / eh-neeg-mah-tee-kah
Profeta Prophet [profˈɛta] pro-pheh-tah
Magnetico / magnetica Magnetic [maɲˈɛtiko] [maɲˈɛtika] mahn-yeh-tee-koh / mahn-yeh-tee-kah
Visibilio Rapture [vizibˈilio] vee-zee-bee-lee-oh
Quintessenza Quintessence [kwintes͡sˈɛnt͡sa] queen-teh-sehn-tsaa
Azzurro / azzurra Light blue [ad͡zːˈurɾo] [ad͡zːˈurɾa] ah-tsoo-roh / ah-tsoo-rah
Farfalla Butterfly [farfˈalla] phar-phal-lah
Meraviglia Marvel [meravˈiʎa] meh-rah-vee-wlhee-ah
Euforia Euphoria [eʊforˈia] eh-oo-pho-ree-ah
Luminescenza Luminescence [lʊmineʃˈɛnt͡sa] loo-mee-neh-shen-tsah
Etereo / eterea Ethereal [etˈɛreo] [eterˈɛa] eh-teh-reh-oh / eh-teh-reh-ah
Iridescenza Iridescence [irideʃˈɛnt͡sa] ee-ree-deh-shen-tsah
Squisito / squisita Exquisite, delicious [skwizˈito] [skwizˈita] skoo-ee-zee-toh / skoo-ee-zee-tah
Perenne Everlasting [perˈɛnne] peh-reh-neh
Fiammifero Match, matchstick [fjammˈifero] phee-ahm-mee-pheh-roh
Ineffabile Ineffable, impossible to describe [ineffˈabile] ee-neh-pha-bee-leh

Beautiful Italian phrases, sayings and idioms

One of the most important parts of Italian learning is mastering common sayings and idioms. There are a huge number of beautiful Italian sayings, phrases, idioms and expressions that are worth knowing.

Learning them will not only enrich your vocabulary, it'll also make you sound less like a textbook, and make you truly understand real Italian as it's actually spoken by native speakers.

Italian IPA Pronunciation Literal Meaning Actual Meaning
In bocca al lupo [ˈiːn bˈokːa ˈal lˈupo] een boh-kah al loo-poh In the mouth of the wolf Good luck
Essere al settimo cielo [ˈɛs͡sere ˈal sˈɛtːimo t͡ʃˈɛlo] es-eh-reh al seh-tee-moh che-loh To be in seventh heaven To be extremely happy, joyful and elated
Non stare più nella pelle [nˈon stˈare pjˈu nˈɛlla pˈɛlle] non stah-reh pee-uh neh-lah peh-leh To not stay in the skin any more To look forward to something
Mangiare la foglia [mand͡ʒˈare lˈa fˈɔʎa] mahn-jee-ah-reh lah phoh-wlhee-ah To eat the leaf To understand that something strange is going on
Andare nel pallone [andˈare nˈɛl pallˈone] ahn-dah-reh nel pah-loh-neh To go in the big ball To feel so embarrassed, confused, and self-conscious that you can't think straight
Calzare a pennello [kalt͡sˈare ˈaː pennˈɛllo] kahl-tsah-reh ah peh-nehl-oh To put on at the paintbrush To fit perfectly
Arrampicarsi sugli specchi [arɾampikˈarsɪ sˈuʎɪ spˈɛkːɪ] ah-rahm-pee-kahr-see soo-wlhee speh-kee To climb on mirrors To try to prove that black is white
Saltare di palo in frasca [saltˈare dˈi pˈalo ˈiːn frˈaska] sahl-tah-reh dee pah-loh een phrah-skah To jump from pole to branch To hop from one subject to another
Avere la coda di paglia [avˈere lˈa kˈoda dˈi pˈaʎa] ah-veh-reh lah ko-dah dee pah-wlhee-ah To have the tail of straw To have something to hide
Prendere qualcuno a pesci in faccia [prˈɛndere kwalkˈuno ˈaː pˈeʃɪ ˈiːn fˈat͡ʃːa] prehn-deh-reh koo-ahl-koo-noh ah peh-shee een fah-cha To slap someone in the face with a fish To treat somebody like dirt, to mistreat
Essere a cavallo [ˈɛs͡sere ˈaː kavˈallo] eh-seh-reh ah kah-vah-loh To ride on a horseback To have a good chance to obtain good results
Far ridere i polli [fˈar rˈidere ˈi pˈollɪ] fahr ree-deh-reh ee poh-lee To make chickens laugh To be utterly ridiculous
Cascarci come una pera cotta [kaskˈart͡ʃɪ kˈome ˈuna pˈɛra kˈɔtːa] kahs-kahr-chee koh-meh uh-nah peh-rah koht-tah To fall like a cooked pear To be easily fooled
Sputare il rospo [spʊtˈare ˈiːl rˈɔspo] spoo-tah-reh eel roh-spoh To spit the toad To get something off one's chest
Tagliare la corda [taʎˈare lˈa kˈɔrda] tah-wlhee-ah-reh lah kohr-dah To cut the rope To sneak away
Sbarcare il lunario [zbarkˈare ˈiːl lʊnˈario] sbahr-kah-reh eel loo-nah-ree-oh To unboat the moonriver To get by financially
Far venire il latte alle ginocchia [fˈar venˈire ˈiːl lˈatːe ˈalle d͡ʒinˈokːia] fahr veh-nee-reh eel lah-teh ah-leh jee-noh-kee-ah To make milk come to the knees To be extremely boring
Avere le braccine corte [avˈere lˈe brˈat͡ʃːine kˈorte] ah-veh-reh leh brah-chee-neh kohr-teh To have short arms To be stingy
Avere una cotta [avˈere ˈuna kˈɔtːa] ah-veh-reh uh-nah koht-tah To have a cooked To have a crush on someone
Stare con le mani in mano [stˈare kˈon lˈe mˈanɪ ˈiːn mˈano] stah-reh kohn leh mah-nee een mah-noh To stay with your hands in your hand To be idle

Other cool Italian words

Do you want to really sound like a native Italian speaker? If so, it's time for you to learn cool Italian words and phrases. If you're looking for something more colloquial, expand your vocabulary with the following Italian slang words.

But for now, let's see which of these expressions you already know, and which ones are new to you.

Woman taking photos during a holiday in Italy, where the scenery and beautiful Italian words are captivating.

Italian English IPA Pronunciation
Figo Cool [fˈiɡo] phee-goh
Figata! Sweet! [fiɡˈata] phee-gah-tah
Spessore! Sweet! [spes͡sˈore] speh-soh-reh
Fantastico! Epic! [fantˈastiko] phan-tah-stee-koh
Forte! Cool! [fˈɔrte] phor-teh
Adoro! Love it! [adˈɔro] ah-doh-roh
Evvai! Hurray! [evvˈaj] eh-vahy
Togo! Cool! [tˈɔɡo] toh-goh
Ganzo! Cool! [ɡˈand͡zo] gahn-soh
Bella lì! Sweet! [bˈɛlla lˈi] beh-lah lee
Bella storia! Way to go! [bˈɛlla stˈɔria] beh-lah stoh-ree-ah
Da urlo Epic [dˈa ˈurlo] dah oor-loh
Mitico Cool, mind-blowing [mˈitiko] mee-tee-koh

English words that are actually Italian

It's no secret that the Italian language has enriched English. There are many, many English words that are actually Italian. Here are some of the most common ones. Note that, in some cases, there may be some differences in spelling and pronunciation.

Italian English IPA Pronunciation
Stiletto Stiletto [stilˈetːo] stee-leh-toh
Barista Barista, server in a coffee shop [barˈista] bah-ree-stah
Villa Villa [vˈilla] veel-lah
Belvedere Belvedere [belvedˈere] behl-veh-deh-reh
Veranda Verandah [verˈanda] veh-rahn-dah
Riviera Riviera [riviˈɛra] ree-vee-eh-rah
Gelato Gelato [d͡ʒelˈato] jeh-lah-toh
Opera Opera [ˈopera] oh-peh-rah
Piano Piano [pjˈano] pee-ah-noh
Loggia Loggia [lˈɔd͡ʒːa] loh-jah
Propaganda Propaganda [propaɡˈanda] proh-pah-gahn-dah
Manifesto Manifesto [manifˈɛsto] mah-nee-pheh-stoh
Arcipelago Archipelago [art͡ʃipˈɛlaɡo] ahr-chee-peh-lah-goh
Laguna Lagoon [laɡˈuna] lah-goo-nah
Grotta Grotto [ɡrˈɔtːa] groht-tah
Panorama Panorama [panorˈama] pah-noh-rah-mah
Bravo Bravo [brˈavo] brah-voh
Scenario Scenario [ʃeˈnarjo] sheh-nah-ree-oh
Cupola Cupola [kˈupola] koo-poh-lah
Pistacchio Pistachio [pistˈakːio] pee-stahk-kee-oh
Al fresco Al fresco, outside [ˈal frˈesko] ahl phreh-skoh
Ballerina Ballerina, female ballet dancer [ballerˈina] bahl-leh-ree-nah
Diva Diva [dˈiva] dee-vah
Falsetto Falsetto [falsˈetːo] phal-seht-toh
Cappuccino Cappuccino, Italian coffee beverage [kapːʊt͡ʃːˈino] kahp-poo-chee-noh
A cappella A cappella [ˈaː kapːˈɛlla] ah kap-pehl-lah
Maestro Maestro, Master [maˈɛstro] mah-eh-stroh
Organza Organza, sheer silk fabric [orɡˈant͡sa] ohr-gahn-tsah
Dilemma Dilemma [dilˈɛmma] dee-lehm-mah
Lido Lido [lˈido] lee-doh
Vista Vista, view [vˈista] vee-stah
Motto Motto [mˈɔtːo] moht-toh
Lava Lava [lˈava] lah-vah
Paparazzo Paparazzi, press photographer [papaɾˈat͡sːo] pah-pah-rah-tsoh
Ghetto Ghetto [ɡˈetːo] ghet-toh
Marina Marina, port for small boats [marˈina] mah-ree-nah

And even more unique Italian words with no exact English equivalents

Below is a list of unique Italian words, phrases and expressions, most of which don't have a direct match in English. Prepare for some really interesting ones.

Man laying in a hammock reading a book full of beautiful words in Italian.

Italian IPA Pronunciation Literal Meaning Actual Meaning
Ammazzacaffè [ammat͡sːakaffˈɛ] ah-mah-tsah-kah-feh Coffee killer A small glass of liqueur usually consumed after coffee
Pantofolaio [pantofolˈaio] pahn-toh-pho-lahee-oh Maker/seller of slippers Someone who loves sitting around all day
Caschetto [kaskˈetːo] kah-skeht-toh Little helmet Bob haircut
Abbiocco [abːjˈɔkːo] ah-bee-oh-koh Food coma The drowsiness that follows eating a full Italian meal
Mamma mia! [mˈamma mˈia] mah-mah mee-ah My mom! My goodness!
Menefreghista [menefreɡˈista] meh-neh-phreh-ghee-stah I-don't-care-ist Someone who is indifferent, apathetic, and just doesn't care
Menefreghismo [menefreɡˈizmo] meh-neh-phreh-ghees-moh I-don't-give-a-damn-ism Couldn't-care-less attitude
Apericena [aperit͡ʃˈɛna] ah-pehr-ee-che-nah Aperitif + buffet-like, finger-food meal Pre-dinner drinks accompanied by food
Gattara [ɡatːˈaɾa] gaht-tah-rah Cat lady An (elderly) lady that cares for stray cats
Inchiodare [inkjodˈare] een-kee-oh-dah-reh To nail To slam on the brakes
Beccare [bekːˈare] behk-kah-reh To peck To catch, to surprise
Stirare [stirˈare] stee-rah-reh To iron To run over with a car
Fare la scarpetta [fˈare lˈa skarpˈetːa] fah-reh lah skahr-peht-tah To make cleat To mop up your plate with bread
Culaccino [kʊlat͡ʃːˈino] koo-lah-chee-noh The round mark left on the table by an ice-filled, wet glass or a hot cup The annoying ring left on a wooden surface by a glass or cup
Fare una filippica [fˈare ˈuna filˈipːika] fah-reh uh-nah phee-leep-pee-kah To make a philippic To launch into a tirade
Boh! [bˈo] boh No clue! I don't know. Who knows?

Parole, parole, parole…

Did you know that there's an Italian song called "Parole, parole" (Words, words)? Released in 1972, it's a duet song performed by Italian singer Mina, one of the most prominent icons of Italian music, and veteran actor Alberto Lupo, best known to American audiences as Dr. Levin in the 1960 Italian horror film Atom Age Vampire.

Listen to this intriguing dialogue of Mina's singing and Lupo's deep and seductive voice, and read the lyrics and English translation.

I personally prefer the version that came out in 2010. It's a very intense duet between Mina and Italian singer-songwriter Niccolò Fabi, who created a completely revised version of one of the most famous songs in the history of Italian music.

What makes things even more moving and touching is that this version was dedicated to Fabi's prematurely deceased 2-year-old daughter, Olivia, who had a special liking for this great Italian masterpiece. It's so heartwarming and profound I can't believe anyone not liking it. That cello gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it.

There you go!

Good job! You've just learned a whole load of new stuff. With some practice, all these beautiful Italian sayings, phrases, words and expressions will begin to come naturally, I give you my word of honor!

The more Italian you read, listen and speak, the more it'll become a part of you! Enjoy this post? Then don't forget to check out our Italian blog for more articles like this! Till next time!

christiethemores82.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.berlitz.com/blog/beautiful-italian-words

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