If you want to talk about older boys and young men in Italian, there is no better word than ragazzo. Let’s discover it now!
ragazzo
boy / guy / young man / boyfriend
Ragazzo comes from the Arabic word raqqāṣ (رقّاص), which originally meant something like messenger, courier, or errand boy. This Arabic word was then borrowed into Medieval Latin as ragatius, and from there, it evolved into the Italian ragazzo.
As you’d expect, it is a masculine noun and takes the following definite and indefinite articles:
- il ragazzo
- i ragazzi
- un ragazzo
- dei ragazzi
Ragazzo can refer to a fairly wide age range, from young boys to men who still have a youthful appearance. However, in a more precise or technical sense, it is best used to describe older boys and young men, typically in the 14-20 age range.
Il ragazzo sta per cominciare il liceo.
The young man is about to start high school.
In its plural form, ragazzi, it also becomes an almost perfect synonym of the English word guys.
Ragazzi, è ora di andare!
Guys, it’s time to go!
By extension, you will hear ragazzo used as a translation for boyfriend. Once the relationship becomes more serious, or you decide to get engaged, fidanzato becomes the go-to term. Slip the ring on your beloved’s finger and he becomes your marito (husband). Keep in mind that an unmarried mature adult probably wouldn’t use ragazzo to refer to their other half, no matter how long they’ve been together – they’d use compagno (partner) instead.
Ragazzo’s meaning can also extend to the parent–child relationship, where it may be used as a synonym for figlio (son). For instance, you could say ho due ragazzi and that would be taken to mean that you have two sons, not two boyfriends!
More informally, ragazzo may be used to refer to a young assistant, helper or apprentice but this meaning isn’t nearly as diffused.
Ti presento i miei tre ragazzi. Assomigliano alla madre, non è vero?
Let me introduce you to my three boys. They look like their mother, don’t they?
If you make ragazzo diminutive by adding the -ino ending, it works as a substitute for bambino (boy) when referring to older children in the 8-13 year old range.
Quel ragazzino è proprio in gamba!
That boy is very capable!
Another possible diminutive is -uolo. The difference between ragazzuolo and ragazzino is that the former has a much more playful tone, implying a bit more camaraderie and closeness between the interlocutors. For example, a young man might say on a night out with his friends Allora, ragazzuoli, che si fa? (So, guys, what are we doing?), or if my son is playing up, I might call out Ehi, ragazzuolo, vieni qui! (Hey, young man, come here!)
Up until now, I’ve avoided talking about the feminine equivalent ragazza, but that’s only because all the rules that pertain to boys and young men also apply to girls and young women. A ragazza can be defined as a girl between the ages of 14 and 20, and a ragazzina is a younger girl between 8 and 13. Ragazza can also mean girlfriend, or daughter, depending on the context. Here are the definite and indefinite articles:
- la ragazza
- le ragazze
- una ragazza
- delle ragazze
La ragazza stava studiando con i suoi compagni di liceo.
The girl was studying with her high school classmates.
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.
