What language is really spoken in Italy?
Regardless of how well you speak Italian, you should add these 10 Italian slang expressions to your vocabulary if you want to improve your comprehension and have more fun when talking to your friends.
No books, just Italian streets.
10 Famous Italian Slang Expressions
These top 10 most common and useful Italian slang words and phrases will turn your Italian language skills upside down!
Most of this slang is idiomatic. These expressions have meanings that are figurative, so you should not take them literally.
For each expression, I will give you an explanation and an example of the idiom in context.
Boh…
We can not really translate this Italian slang word, but it means “I do not know.
People also use it when they are particularly disinterested in a conversation.
“How is American coffee made?” “Boh…”
Dai!
“Dai” simply means “Come on!” but we can also use it to say, “Please, do me this favor”.
Use it to urge someone to do something: “Another arancino, dai!”. Or if someone refuses, “Let’s dance the tarantella“, “No”, “Dai!“.
Figurati…
Means “Do not worry!” or “It’s nothing!” in Italian.
You can use it when you really mean it, “Thank you for the gift!” “Figurati!”
Or to be nice when you really do not mean it:
“I am sorry I spilled black coffee on your new white 3000€ couch.” “…Figurati!”
Che schifo!
Means “how disgusting!” and we can use “che schifo” in many different situations.
Imagine the guy sitting next to you on the bus eating a sandwich and staining his clothes with mayonnaise, “Che schifo!“.
A kid trying to pet you with a hand-stained with dog poop: “Che schifo!“.
Che palle!
Literally, it means “What balls!” and it’s short for “What a pain in the ass!”.
Emphasize how bored you are: “Che palle! I am going for a walk” or let your friends know that you do not feel like doing exercises at home: “Che palle this homework!”.
Magari!
“I wish!”, “I hope!” and “Maybe!” translated into one word!
If someone asks you if you plan to return to Italy, marry an Italian, and live in a country house in Tuscany or on the beach in Sicily, you can answer “Magari!” (because, of course, you want to).
“Magari” is also great for holding back on your date: “Will we ever see each other again?” “Magari!”
Che figata!
It only takes one well-crafted Italian trip to use this phrase every second: “What a cool thing!”. We can translate it into Italian as “Cool!”.
“I tasted the best pasta carbonara of my life!” “Che figata!“. “We watched the sunset in a small village on top of a green hill!” “Che figata!“.
“It’s official. I am going to buy a Ferrari!” “Che figata!”
Basta!
“Basta!” means “Enough!” or “That’s it!”.
Add it in conversation with the waiter when you are finalizing your order at the restaurant, “Una pizza e basta“.
Use it to stop the butcher from cutting five more steaks than you asked for: “Basta, basta!“.
Or shout it at your neighbors who are playing loud music at 4 a.m.: “BASTA!”
Mi fa cagare!
Literally, “I have to poop”. You can express your discontent on a whole new level with this very expressive Italian slang.
“This bar? Mi fa cagare!“. “His red hat? Mi fa cagare!“. “Pizza with pineapple? Mi fa cagare!”
Meno male!
Used like “Thank God!” and literally means “less bad”.
So you can say, “AC Milan won the game? Meno male!” or “I finally got my driver’s license! Meno male!“.
You can also say “Grazie a Dio!” which literally means “Thank God!”.
Learn more Italian vocabulary
I am sure you enjoyed this list. So why not learn more Italian slang expressions?
Believe me; there are hundreds of them.
If you learn these Italian slang phrases, you will be able to have more meaningful conversations with your Italian friends and enjoy Italian cinema because Italian movies often contain a lot of slang, idioms, and dialect.
And other types of native-language content, like Italian podcasts, will be more accessible thanks to these informal languages.
Che figata this Italian slang!
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One Response
Thanks for sharing this! Learning slang expressions is a fun way to immerse oneself in the language and culture. Can’t wait to try these out in my next Italian conversation!