Italian Slang Dictionary: intro A B C D E F G I L M N O P Q R S T U V X Z
Introduction to Italian Slang
If you’re planning to live or travel in Italy, you might find it helpful to know what people are saying – much of which is not in polite phrasebooks! And sometimes it helps to be able to fire a few juicy phrases of your own. Select a letter above to go to the page of Italian swearwords starting with that letter.
- Subject to revision whenever the mood strikes me. If you have something you’d like to add or suggest or comment on, go here (where you can also see what others have suggested).
- Most of this useage is not for polite company. For milder slang and idiom, see this page.
- I live in northern Italy, so the useage described here may be specific to northern Italy, particularly Milan and Lombardy, unless otherwise noted. Your mileage may vary.
- Here’s a video of some common Italian hand gestures (many of them rude, along with pronunciation of some of the phrases below).
A Note on Blasphemy
Some of these words and phrases fall into the category of bestemmie (blasphemy): taking the Lord’s (or Jesus’ or Mary’s) name in vain. Be aware that these may be considered particularly offensive by some people.
Other rude words are simply called parolacce – “bad words.”
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Bravissimo!
Non so mai queste parole.
ok so if fungoo is like the degenerate American way of saying “fuck you” then wow do born in italy Italians say it???
It’s vaffanculo – see http://www.beginningwithi.com/italy/lang/itslangv.html
Hello there,
Can anyone help me out and post a link on
Correct pronunciation of Italian words…
At times i make mistake in saying the words,
as one reads it in english and say it incorrectly.
mona is venetian. as noun is “pussy” as adjective is ” stupid”
“ciao” is the only italian word coming from venetian
” Sciao vostro” was common greating in Venice (meaning your slave, at your service”
“sciao” get too difficult pronounce for non_venetics so other italian say simply ” ciao”
Viado in Brazil, we call to the Gays or ou can call Bichona (Bi-xo-na)…..
Só in italian… have…
Stronzo: Asshole
Cazzo: Dick
Figli di una puta madre: Son of a Bitch
Porca Puttana: Porca= Pig Puttana= Bitch so look like that! haha
Here’s another bad word: INCULARE, from “culo”. It means “to fuck someone in the ass”, but also “steal” or “cheat”. “Non me lo/la inculo” – “i don’t fuck him/her in the ass” means “i don’t care about him/her”.
“Lercio”: “extremely dirty”, or “extremely stingy”.
And also:
“Raspone”: male masturbation
“Rutto”: belch
“Rompere il culo” “ti rompo il culo”: “to break the ass” – “i break your ass”, means to beat somebody down.
“ti sfondo il culo”: “i smash your ass”, the same of “rompere il culo”
“sfaccimme”: napoli’s word for sperm. “omm e sfaccimme” means “man of sperm”, a very bad guy.
“bocce” – “pere” – “zizze”: tits
“inzuppare il biscotto”: “to soak the biscuit” – to have sex
now some words for dick: cazzo – pesce (fish) – varra – mazza (club)- pisello, pisellino, pisellone (pea, little pea for children penis, big pea) – uccello (bird) – verga (rod)- cella (south italy: cell. in other regions it means “cunt” ) – serpente (snake)- randello (bludgeon) – fava (broad bean) – minchia.
And for cunt: passera (female sparrow) – patata, patatina (potato, little potato) – farfallina (little butterfly) – pescia, pesciotta (female fish)- gnocca (female dumpling) – fregna – fessa (in very very correct italian “fessa” means “broken” or “cracked”, but no one uses that word in that meaning anymore)- bernarda – buco (hole) – mona – topa (female mouse)- tana (lair)- patonza -sorca (female mouse in dialect)- pelo, pilu (hair, “pilu” is used in calabria) – pucchiacca – boschetto (little wood)- vulva
anyone know the word “gavone”
il folio di putanna-son of a bitch
cazone amercano-american dickhead
you say litrally WAY TO MUCH it annoys me so yea just thought id let you no
ROTFL. I am using “literally” in its original sense:
1. in the literal or strict sense: What does the word mean literally?
2. in a literal manner; word for word: to translate literally.
…because these pages attempt to translate slang, where it is useful to give both a literal translation (which often sounds more silly than rude) and a translation of the sense of a word or phrase.
for 38 scostumato is southern, means rude.
for 24 sfaccimme is neapolitan and literally means sperm
for 48 pucchiacca, neapolitan dialect for pussy
for 11 everytime you want to point out size you add x-ona to the word ex bambinona, in the same way you can say bambinetta, or casetta for a small bambina or casa, its called a diminutive in this case.
Hi, a question about meaning if you please….someone wrote the following on a picture of our students (studying English) but there is some disagreement about the meaning (one student thinks it could be crude?) The sentence was : un bacione a quella signora sulla destra.. Can anyone help??
Thanks!
No, it’s not crude. it means “A big kiss to that lady on the right”.
Im trying to find out a phrase my Uncle used to use: It sounds something like “Ben ne ga” And it he would yell it to me to come over to him. any ideas? thanks all
i have some italian students at my school this is what these words mean:
Cazzo – dick
Figa – Vagina
Fottiti – F**k it
Vaffanculo – F**k you
Stronzo – Asshole
F**k in ass – Inculato
Coglione / Pene – Penis
Puttana – Bitch
Frocio / Richione – Gay
Succhiami il cazzo – Suck my cock
Merda – sh*t
Recently my dog had several teeth removed, and my mother-in-law, whose family was from the Naples area, jokingly called him “scugnamill’”(sounds like skoon-yah-MEEL). I would like to know the literal translation of this idiom, and if possible, the correct spelling.
Also, when I was a child, my grandfather from Campobasso and grandmother from Roccamandolfi and Avelino used to say two little nursery rhymes: one was sung to the tune of Brahms’ lullaby, and began “Ninanonn’” (NEEN-ah-NAWN); the other was a little poem about a cat:
Mooshey Moosheel
Ce mangiate caschille?
Ce ne data me?
No? Froosa-froos’ a la casa tuo.
I’d like to know the “real” words, spellings, etc. I believe the translation was something like:
Kitty kitty,
Did you eat all the cashille?
Did you save me some?
No? Then run back to your own house!
Thanks!
Oh and for 60, I believe the correct spelling is cavone. I had been told that it means “pig” and generally refers to uncultured, lowlife types.
for #67: it sounds like he’s saying, “vieni qua” – “come here” although he’s probably slurring the phrase, or using a sort of regional language.
i have a question i am not sure how to spell the word. But my grandmother and my father have always said it. I will spell it how it sounds will you please tell me what it means and the correct spelling for it?
the word is ….. GAGoots
@67 I’m positive it stays for “bene ca” which is a southern dialect for “vieni qua” which means “come here”.
It’s spelled with a “b”, instead than a “v”, because of the spanish influence in the south, in which language they often pronounce the b almost like a v.
@68 Ninna nanna has a general meaning of “lullaby”, AND is also very often the refrain and beginning lines of most of them. For more precise informations, you can browse through this page that hosts meny ninna nanne http://www.filastrocche.it/menu.asp?idCategory=21 , maybe you’ll find the exact one the used to sing to you, I hope so
@69 the correct spelling is cafone, with an f, not cavone, with a v. It means, as you said, a peasant, an ineducated rural person from a small village.
I love this. There is a lot of naples dialect and slang too. Sfacimma= bitch, but also can be used with kids “sfaccimm’, vene cca”…Finochio becomes Finucc’ (fin-ook..and that is plural (In naples to make something plural instead of using the “i” at the end of the word, the turn “o” into “u” and “e” into an “i” in the middle of the word). Cucuzza= squash and it can mean idiot or again be used as a joke. Others include:
Scemo/Scema= Idiot
Strunz= Stonzo
Scaccia Banc’ =piece of junk car
Scugnizzo= trouble maker/brat
Pucchiaca= cunt
Sticchio= ” ”
Fessa/fissa= ” ”
Maro’ = maronna = madonna
Zoccola= sewer rat/whore very bad offence
Testa Minc’ = dick head
Minchia= dick
Cazz’ =balls
Cogliune=” ”
Cafone/Ccafune= scum bag, ive also heard it meant as a show off…but only heard that in calabria.
Chiattone= Fatty/fat girl
Cazzimma = same as sfaccimma
number 68 mooshey moosheel i think would be Musci’ musciella. musciella in neapolitan means cry baby..and musci’ would be like muscia =mooshey, slow, kinda blah…mooshy cry baby. That was my grandmothers nickname as a baby…musciella…pron. as MOO-SJEEL-uh…because she cried a lot lol.
The song my grandmother used to sing to me was ” Ninna nanna baby…comme vene papa…e tu portu candy…ninna nanna baby” and of course “Spat’ ‘i mane cca vene papa, E port’o zucchero a tu mamma” which goes to the tune of clap hands clap hands til daddy comes home.
Oh yeah…another one…
‘O Mariuollo= A thief.
Guaglió=kid, boy
Guaglione=kids
Guaglionce’/guaglionciella=girl
Guappo= mafioso (which is interesting because the napulitano word for arrogance is “guapparia”)
Ricchione=fag
Sciminito=dummy
caruso= young man
bagascia= whore
Some sicilian ones i know are Picciriddu=little boy, puttaneddu, Arussu=fag, and minchioni..which they often say as “minghioni” maybe it is “mingghiuni?”
my ex’s sister in law was from catania and she used to say “baesha” or “baescia” (bai-ei-scia) or (BUY-EY-SHA) for whore.
someone was asking about the word tony soprano used to hit…was it schiaffite?(to punch or hit) or most likely amazz’ ? (to punish.) Schiatto is another one, to damage, break, crush…sciacca/struppiato=hurt, and the other one i know would be “a spazz’ ” meaning to crush, damage, etc. “Ti spazz’ a cuscietiell’ “(ill break your legs) tony soprano usually said “ill give him amazz’ “
Billy, thanks for all the great additions! I’ll work them into the text eventually, but I’m afraid that won’t be soon…
I remember as a child growing up in Baia, a term when some one got “annoyed”, something like “Ohh-FA or UWE-FA” Is this a real Italian word, and what is the real spelling and meaning? Thanks.
It’s spelled uffa and is pronounced ooffa. It’s a general sound of disgust and irritation and can be drawn out to ooofffffaaaaa if you’r really annoyed.
Can anyone give me an interpretation of the Italian expression: Oh, Madrone! or Oh, Madrona Mia! This expression is used when someone says something and it comes as a surprise or something that comes across as negative. My Italian parents, grandparents and Italian old timers used it a lot.
anyone the italian equivalent of “cut off your nose to spite your face”
Bill, “Oh, Madonna” is the phrase. It is kinda like “dear God!” or “Oh, Lord!”, except using Mary.
What a splendid, informative website ! And evocative, too: the slang-and-swearwords pages send me hurtling back to my youth, spent in the bosom of a huge extended family of Abruzzese and Neapolitan elders, all of whom [ even . . . no, ESPECIALLY . . . the women ! ] had vocabularies rich in vulgarity and obscenity.
Please keep the site alive and up to date, Deirdre.
“STUNADE” sounds like this: STOO NOD. Is there an italian idiom that sounds like this emeaning stupid, dopey, thick, obtuse, lamebrain? “What are you, Stunade?!?!?!?
Regarding “cucuzza”. In my family it referred to zucchini. One of my favorites was cucuzza and egg sangwitch. Slice the zucchini real thin and add them to a frying pan with oil. When they start to soften add a scramble egg mixture with a little parmesan add. After the eggs are cooked you make your sangwitch either hot or cold from the fridge, I like mine with sliced tomatoes. You can substitute bell peppers for the zucchini.
very funny….
‘pirla’ it means stupid as well as dick and also it means to turn in Milano….’pelanda’ means lazy but also slut
‘sfaccim’ in Neaples is a smart guys as well as sperm. In sicily ‘arruso’ is faggot, in sardinia ‘coddare’ means to fuck…and so on…every 50 km language changes
An Italian friend of mine always calls my 8 month old “faccine” I do not know how to spell it I am only sounding it out according to how she says this. Can anyone tell me correct spelling and what it means?
Thanks
They might be saying faccino, which means “little face”.
These are words my grandmother says, I have NO idea how to spell them, and since she heard them from her mother (slang words) she doesn’t know either and thinks most are words for silly things, that she used as a child to mean other things. I will spell them as they sound to me:
Fa-cha-brute
Flay-get-it-gatz
Pee-sha-leek
Ma-don-a-me
stu-gatz
Pasta-fazul
she also says Cavone, Fungool, etc.
anyone recognize any of these?
@Alicia
Pee-sha-leek could be “piscialletto”, which literally refers to someone who pisses in bed, but it’s used to say that you don’t have the guts, you’re a coward, you’re a pussy.
Stu-gutz is “stucazz!”, a slang of “stocazzo!” or “‘sto cazzo!”. literally translated is “this dick”, but it is used when you’re surprised of something and it means something like “wow! amazing! incredible! Can’t believe it!” and so on.
Pasta-fazul could be “pasta e fasö” (in Milanese slang) or “pasta e fagioli” in Italian and means “pasta with beans”.
Cavone could be “cafone” and refers to a man (“cafona” is the female) who thinks to be best in the world and wants you to know it, showing you his “smartness” and his “amazing” abilities.
Fungool is “fangul”, a slang of “fanculo, vaffanculo” (which I think you know what means…)
hope I’ve helped you
ciao!
My Grandmother used to say words that I can say but not spell nor know the meaning of. Can you help?
“A Fanabla” Pronounced A-FAH-NAH-BLAH (I think it means “go take a hike” or “go to Naples”?)
“Ongoda” Pronounced
ON (like turn “on”)-GO-DAH
“La Fitanda” Pronouced LAH-FI-TANDA (She used to call me that when I was a brat!)
“sporcaccione” Pronouced SPOR-KA-CHONE (I think it means “pig” or “dirty”)
“Minga!” I have no idea…
“Manga” which I think we all know means EAT!
Does or has anyone heard the syaing “Stas a Sitz?” There was an Italian bar owner in Pittsburgh who used to yell this all the time to certain people. I porbably destroyed the spelling
thank you
Jonathon
It’s probably stai zitto which means “shut up!”
It means ‘shut up’, my ex used to shout it! X
The word gavone (GAV-OWN) is an anglicized “americanized” pronounciation of the Italian word Cafone (CAH-PHONE-AY) stressing the vowel at the end. Among second and third generation Italian Americans when saying someone is a gavone they usually are expressing that the indidual has no class. In proper Italian grammar the word Cafone simply means that a peson is a stupid jerk. In American colloquilism the phrase “ba fongool” (as seen hollered by Talia Shire in the first Godfather movie” is often obviously mistaken for the “F word” in english and again is an anglicized pronounciation of what someone posted earlier va fan culo (VAH FAHN-COOL-OH) With the closest translation being “go stick it up your ass”.
It is important to remember that there is no J, K, X, W, or Y in the traditional Italian alphabet. They have what they call foreign letters that are similar to Greek symbols-but normally they are not used. The Italian American slang term GOOM-BAH once again is a pronounciation of the Italian word compare (KUM-PAR-AY) really meaning fellow country man, friend, buddy, comrade. In the U.S. “goomba” could be a term of endearment or it could be sarcastic/offensive depending on who’s saying it, who there saying it to, and the intended context-how someone sounds when there saying along with what they’re refering to. The feminine form of this in the U.S. “GOO-MAHD” or “GOO-MANEE” 99.999% of the time is refering to a woman being someones mistress and when it is, it it obviously always offensive
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