As of 2026, the only European nations where it remains legal for parents to dare uno schiaffo (smack) their children are England, Northern Ireland, Belgium, Slovakia, and – you guessed it – Italy. (In Wales, where I live, a complete legislative ban was enacted independently from the rest of the UK in 2022 – and rightly so!)
schiaffo
smack / slap
Schiaffo is a noun that means slap or smack, and according to the Treccani Online Vocabulary, it is likely onomatopoeic in origin, having evolved from a natural sound imitation of the physical impact of an open hand striking a cheek. The related verbs schiaffare (to chuck / throw / fling) and schiaffeggiare (to slap) share this same onomatopoeic root. Note that schiaffare is a regional term and not very common.
Schiaffo is a masculine noun and the plural is schiaffi. It takes the following articles:
- lo schiaffo
- uno schiaffo
- gli schiaffi
- degli schiaffi
There are quite a few verbs you will see used with schiaffo to describe the act of giving and receiving slaps.
- dare uno schiaffo a qualcuno = to slap someone
- ricevere uno schiaffo da qualcuno = to be slapped by someone
- prendersi uno schiaffo = to get slapped
- prendere qualcuno a schiaffi = to slap someone around
Gli diede uno schiaffo in faccia.
She gave him a slap in the face.
Schiaffo is also used in a number of idiomatic expressions. For example, someone who has una faccia da schiaffi (literally “a face of slaps”) is a person with an impudent look about them, whereas a person who is sotto schiaffo di qualcuno (literally “under slap of someone”) is under someone’s thumb.
In English, we might say that we received a “slap in the face” if someone says or does something that offends, shocks or disappoints us, especially if their actions show a clear lack of respect or consideration. In Italian, there is a similar expression but it replaces “face” with the word morale (moral) – uno schiaffo morale.
Parlare della ripresa economica è uno schiaffo morale ai milioni di disoccupati.
Talking about an economic recovery is a slap in the face to millions of unemployed people.
If you are looking for synonyms for schiaffo and other closely related terms, there are plenty to choose between:
- sberla = slap / spank / smack (on the face or buttocks) – similar to schiaffo
- ceffone = a heavier face slap
- scappellotto = rap on the back of the head or neck / clip round the ear
- scapaccione = slap / smack
- pacca = friendly pat on the back
Finally, a tiro di schiaffo is what is known as a bank shot in the game of pool.
Did you know that…?
…there is a game in Italy called schiaffo del soldato. The rules are simple: one player covers their eyes, turns their back to the group, and holds one hand palm-up behind their back. Another player then gives a light schiaffo to the first player’s hand. The first player must turn around and guess which person hit them.
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.
