Something we all harbour, whether we want to admit it or not, are secrets – some fairly innocent, others more nefarious! In Italian, the word for secret is, quite simply, segreto.
segreto
Segreto is a masculine noun that takes the following definite and indefinite articles:
- il segreto = the secret
- un segreto = a secret
- i segreti = the secrets
- dei secreti = some secrets
Luckily for us, segreto and secret are used almost identically. Primarily, it refers to a hidden fact, something intentionally kept from others out of shame, fear, or simply because you don’t want the other person to find out just yet – think of a surprise birthday party!
Here are some verbs you might see used with segreto:
- mantenere / tenere un segreto = to keep a secret
- custodire un segreto = to keep a secret
- svelare / rivelare un segreto = to reveal a secret
- raccontare un segreto = to tell a secret
- scoprire un segreto = to discover a secret
- confidare un segreto = to trust someone with a secret
Promettimi di mantenere il segreto.
Promise me you’ll keep the secret!
Just as in English, segreto can also be used as an adjective, in which case the ending changes in accordance with the gender and number of the subject:
- un passaggio segreto = a secret passage
- una società segreta = a secret society
- appuntamenti segreti = secret meetings
- informazioni segrete = secret information
Non possiamo rivelare informazioni segrete.
We cannot reveal secret information.
Sometimes you may see confidential or classified used as a translation for segreto, as in documentazione segreta (classified documents) or archivio segreto (classified file).
Even secret service and secret agents can be translated word-for-word – servizi segreti and agenti segreti.
L’agente segreto lavora per i servizi segreti.
The secret agent works for the secret service.
One common translation that often catches people off guard is trick, technique, or strategy. For instance, i segreti del mestiere is best rendered as the tricks of the trade.
If a secret becomes public knowledge, we might simply say that it is an “open secret” in English. In Italian, on the other hand, they have a rather evocative expression – il segreto di Pulcinella or Pulcinella’s secret. It is often used to describe a situation where a secret has been revealed, yet everyone involved pretends not to know about it. While the exact origin of this expression is unknown, it clearly has links to the figure of Pulcinella, a Neapolitan mask originating in Commedia dell’Arte, known for his naivety and tendency to reveal segreti.
Before we bring this article to a close, here are a few other common “secret” terms you’ll certainly encounter in Italian:
- giardino segreto = secret garden
- codice segreto = secret code
- segreto di stato = state secret
- il segreto del successo = the secret to success
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.
