One of the sweetest words in the Italian language is coccola (feminine), which is how you’d say cuddle or snuggle. An interesting fact about this word is that it usually appears in its plural form coccole.
Coccola is a feminine noun that takes the following definite and indefinite articles:
- la coccola = the cuddle
- una coccola = a cuddle
- le coccole = the cuddles
- delle coccole = some cuddles
It comes from the verb coccolare, which means to cuddle or pamper. The verb itself is derived from coccolo, a term of endearment used to describe a chubby child or the favourite child in a family.
Ai bambini piccoli piacciono molto le coccole.
Young children really like cuddles.
When not referring to a sweet embrace, it can also denote a special item or event that gives great pleasure or comfort. Some possible English translations include treat, a little something or indulgence.
Ho voglia di una coccola. Mi vai a prendere un gelato?
I want a treat. Can you go and get me an ice cream?
The verb to cuddle (or to give / have a cuddle) in Italian is coccolare. It can also be expressed by adding the verb fare (to do / to make) in front of the plural le coccole.
Micio è un gatto tranquillo. Ama ricevere le coccole, ma gli piace anche farne!
Micio is a quiet cat. He loves receiving cuddles, but he also likes giving them!
Note that when coccolare is used in a pejorative sense, it translates as to coddle, to pamper or to spoil.
The reflexive verb coccolarsi, along with the synonymous expression farsi una coccola, means to spoil oneself / to treat oneself in a positive sense or to console oneself / to wallow in a negative sense.
La sera mi faccio sempre una coccola mangiando un pezzo di cioccolato e guardando un film.
In the evening, I always spoil myself by eating a piece of chocolate and watching a movie.
By adding the prefix a- to the front of coccolare, we get the related reflexive verb accoccolarsi which means to snuggle or to crouch down.
A person who is a coccolone (masculine) or coccolona (feminine) loves giving and receiving cuddles. Rather curiously, coccolone is also an informal synonym for ictus (a stroke) or spavento (big scare).
Finally, coccole and coccolone are also the name for the berries of the juniper tree.
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.
