If there is one thing Italy is known for, besides its amazing food and rich cultural heritage of course, it is the language. Melodic and tuneful, this Latin-based tongue is currently the fourth most studied in the world and continues to rise in popularity.
While many Italian words are similar to their English equivalents in terms of both pronunciation and spelling, there are also many fascinating words that are uniquely Italian. Here is just a handful of the most unique and unusual Italian words that you’d be hard pushed to find in your typical Italian language textbook.
1. Fuffa
Meaning: fluff, something of little substance or value
Fuffa is a regional word from Lombardy which, despite being a very commonly used term in the north of Italy, isn’t mentioned in many Italian dictionaries. It has no direct English translation, but it usually refers to cheap goods or things or very little to no value, or conversations and descriptions without any real substance, foundation or meaning.
Questo discorso è tutta fuffa!
This talk is all fluff and no substance!
2. Battibecco
Meaning: squabble, quarrel, spat (literally battere “to hit” + becco “beak”)
As Italian words go, this one is pretty evocative! It calls to mind two birds, probably a pair of hens or roosters, going beak-to-beak in a squabble for supremacy.
Ho avuto un battibecco con il cassiere perché non mi ha dato il resto.
I had a spat with the cashier because he didn’t give me my change.
3. Bellino
Meaning: somewhat nice / pretty
Bellino may be the diminutive of bello (beautiful) but it is actually used to describe something that is nice, but far from extraordinary. What’s interesting about this word is that it can also be used ironically or humorously to mean the exact opposite of the traditionally accepted meaning. In other words, it is a gentler way of saying bruttino (“kind of ugly”)!
Cosa ne dici di questa lampada per la tua stanza? – Sì dai, è bellina, prendiamola.
How about this lamp for your room? – Yeah, it’s nice, let’s go for it.
4. Poltrona
Meaning: armchair / couch potato / lazybones
The literal meaning of poltrona is actually armchair, which you probably will come across in your Italian textbook at some point, but did you know that it can also be used figuratively to describe someone who is lazy or inactive? In that case, the word comes from the verb poltrire (to laze about). So if you see your dear old mum lazing around in her armchair all day, feel free to call her a poltrona (or as we’d say in English, “couch potato”)! If you want to say the same thing to your dad, use the masculine poltrone.
Quella poltrona non fa altro che dormire tutto il giorno!
That lazybones does nothing but sleep all day!
5. Sballo
If you want to talk about “having fun” in Italian, the default terms you will find in your textbook are divertirsi (to have fun) or divertimento (fun / amusement). But in spoken Italian, you can expect to encounter the word sballo in colloquial contexts in reference to something that provokes excitement or wonder. It’s kind of similar to the English words hoot or laugh.
Fidati, sarà un vero sballo!
Trust me, this is going to be fun / a hoot / a laugh.
The original meaning of sballo, which is still used by the way, is trip or high, as in the hallucinatory state one experiences after taking drugs.
6. Strabico
I first encountered this word while reading one of my favourite book series, the Neapolitan Novels, whose main character, Elena, describes her mother as being strabica (cross-eyed / cockeyed). Granted, it isn’t the most useful Italian word in the dictionary, but you will certainly impress your Italian friends if you find the chance to use it!
Mia madre è strabica dalla nascita.
My mother has been cross-eyed from birth.
7. Cascamorto
Cascamorto is literally the combination of the verb cascare (to fall) and morto (dead), so in other words, it means cascare come morto (“to fall as if dead“). No, this word has nothing to do with heart attacks or clumsiness. Rather it describes the behaviour of a shameless man who plays the lovesick puppy in order to court a woman, not because he’s lovesick but because he is looking for some action. Expect to see it in phrase fare il cascamorto con qualcuno which means “to flirt with someone in a nauseating way”.
Fa il cascamorto con la mia amica, ma lei non ne vuole sapere.
He’s trying it on with my friend, but she isn’t in the least bit interested.
8. Schiappa
There are so many colourful ways we could translate the funny-sounding Italian word schiappa – dud, hack, washout, loser…the list is endless! In short, it is a noun used to describe a person with absolutely no talent. Although it is frequently heard in a sporting context, it can also be used more generally to refer to anyone perceived as a loser. In fact, it was chosen as the translation for “wimpy kid” in the book series Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Diario di una Schiappa in Italian).
Giorgio è una schiappa, non solo a tennis ma in tutti gli sport.
Giorgio is a loser, not only at tennis but all other sports as well.
9. Sfizio
Sfizio is actually a very difficult word to translate into English. On one hand, it can refer to a whim or fancy, or something one does on an impulse just for the fun of it or to satisfy one’s need, desire or curiosity. On the other, it can mean treat, as in the phrase “to treat oneself to something”, especially when food in question.
Ho deciso di preparare un curry vegano, solo per togliermi lo sfizio di mangiarne uno senza carne.
I decided to prepare a vegan curry on a whim, just to see what it was like to eat one without meat.
Dopo la pizza ci siamo concessi uno sfizio: un tiramisù!
After the pizza we treated ourselves to a tiramisu.
No matter the definition, it is very unlikely you will see this word in your standard Italian textbook!
10. Rogna
The first definition you will encounter for rogna in the dictionary is scabies or scab (ew!). On the surface, it may not seem like an overly useful word, but in its figurative sense of bother or nuisance, Italians use it all the time!
Questo compito è proprio una rogna.
This assignment is a real pain in the butt!
Granted, there are many more unique Italian words we could cover in this article, but hopefully we’ve given you a taster the rich and diverse vocabulary you can expect to encounter as you dive ever deeper into the world of Italian. Which one is your favourite?
Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
