Winter is here, and what better time to learn all the ways to say “cold” in Italian? Sure, Italy’s known for its sun-soaked beaches and breezy Mediterranean vibes, but don’t let that fool you – winter in parts of Italy, especially in the north or those frosty mountains, can be icy in ways that make you reconsider that cozy sweater you thought was enough.
So, let’s explore all the key ways to say “cold” in Italian, along with some common expressions and idioms – perfect for talking about the weather, your mood, or even something a bit more metaphorical!
Basic terms to say “cold in Italian
1. Freddo/a
Freddo is the easiest word for “cold” in Italian. It’s the most common and versatile way to describe anything that’s chilly or cool.
Stiamo a casa stasera, fa freddo!
Let’s stay home tonight, it’s cold!
You can pair freddo with both the verb essere (to be) and fare (to do), but there’s a difference in meaning:
- Fa freddo is what you’ll use for weather-related cold. A popular phrase you’ll hear a lot is Ma che freddo fa! (What cold weather!) – which is also the title of a catchy 60s song by Nada, “Ma che freddo fa!
- È freddo, on the other hand, is used to describe something cold, like a drink, a room, or even a person. For example: Questo cappuccino è freddo (This cappuccino is cold) — yes, it’s just as disappointing as it sounds!
If you want to get even more specific about the coldness level, you can use the variations of freddo: freddino (a little chilly), freddolino (even cuter!), fredduccio (a bit cold), or freddaccio (super cold)!
2. Gelido/a
Gelido is a step beyond freddo in terms of coldness, perfect when it comes to describing that cold that grabs you by the bones. It’s like saying “freezing” or “icy” in English.
Chiudi la finestra, entra un vento gelido!
Close the window, a freezing wind is coming in!
But gelido isn’t just for the weather. It can also describe things so cold they could make your teeth chatter:
Dai, non si può fare il bagno qui, l’acqua è gelida!
Come on, you can’t swim here, the water is freezing!
And if someone seems distant or aloof? They might just have a gelido demeanor! Yes, gelido can also describe a person’s frosty attitude, whether it’s through uno sguardo gelido (an icy gaze) or una risposta gelida (an icy response).
Fun fact: we’ve got another catchy tune to help you remember! Check out ““Gelido” by Alex Britti!
3. Frizzante
You’ve probably bumped into the word frizzante when ordering sparkling water or wine in Italy, where it means “bubbly” or “sparkling.” But did you know that frizzante is also used when talking about cold weather? It’s the word for a crisp, fresh cold, the kind that makes you feel like you’re being poked by a thousand tiny little needles — sharp but invigorating!
Imagine stepping outside on a brisk morning and inhaling that fresh, cool air. You might say:
Che aria frizzante stamattina!
What chilly air this morning!
Frizzante has a diminutive form—frizzantino/a—that gives it a playful, light-hearted tone.
Oggi l’aria è proprio frizzantina!
Today the air is really quite crisp!
4. Pungente
Pungente comes from pungere (to sting or prick), capturing that sharp chill that makes you want to run inside and warm up quickly. For example:
Nonostante il vento pungente, abbiamo festeggiato fuori in piazza.
Despite the biting wind, we celebrated outside in the square.
In addition to describing the cold in Italian, pungente can also be used figuratively to talk about anything sharp and intense, such as un odore pungente (a strong odour) or una battuta pungente (a biting remark).
5. Fresco/a
Fresco is a nice adjective to describe a pleasantly cool temperature, the kind that makes you sigh with relief on a warm day — like a gentle mountain breeze or a refreshing sip of lemonade! For example:
La sera in montagna fa sempre fresco.
It’s always cool in the evening in the mountains.
Beyond temperatures, fresco is also about feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, as in:
Dopo una bella dormita mi sento fresco come una rosa.
After a good sleep, I feel fresh as a daisy.
Finally, there are two common Italian words that originate from the adjective fresco:
Freschino – A little cool. It can be used both as a noun and an adjective:
Con questo freschino, meglio portare una giacca.
With this chilly weather, it’s better to bring a jacket.
Frescura – Coolness or freshness, often used to describe the soothing relief of a cool breeze:
Senti che bella frescura dopo il temporale!
How lovely and refreshing it is after the storm!
Expressions with “cold” in Italian related to weather
6. Fa un freddo cane
When it’s really cold, the first animals that usually come to mind are generally penguins and polar bears, right? Well, in Italy, it’s dogs! Yes, the expression fa un freddo cane literally means “to make a dog cold”, but it’s used to say “It’s freezing!”
Why dogs? The origin of this odd phrase goes way back to when dogs weren’t the spoiled companions they are today. Instead, they were left outside to brave all kind of weather. So, saying fa un freddo cane conveys the image of a poor dog shivering in the biting cold.
Fa un freddo cane, mettiti la sciarpa!
It’s freezing! Put on your scarf!
7. Fa un freddo boia
If you prefer not to evoke shivering dogs, we have an equally intense alternative to describe bone-chilling cold: fa un freddo boia, which literally means “to be as cold as an executioner.” Odd? Absolutely, but there’s an explanation!
The connection comes from the historical figure of the executioner, a job that was anything but pleasant. So, when we say fa un freddo boia, we’re basically comparing the cold to something equally intense!
For example, stepping outside into a frosty wind might make us exclaim:
Mamma mia, fa un freddo boia!
Wow, it’s freezing outside!
Just as it’s used for bone-chilling cold, boia can also to describe extreme heat. So we would say fa un caldo boia to capture the same oppressive intensity — but on the other end of the thermometer!
8. Fa un freddo ladro
When it comes to describing extreme cold, we also bring thieves into the mix! The phrase fa un freddo ladro translates to “it’s thief-cold” and it comes from the idea that thieves keep up their shady business, cold or not.
Fa un freddo ladro, non sento più le mani!
It’s freezing, I can’t feel my hands anymore!
9. Si muore di freddo
If the cold feels unbearable, we don’t hold back in turning up the drama! The phrase si muore di freddo translates to “one dies from the cold,” and while no one is actually dying from the chill, it perfectly captures just how freezing it feels.
Oggi si muore di freddo, neanche il sole scalda!
It’s freezing today, not even the sun is warming things up!
Figurative uses of “cold” in Italian
10. Essere un ghiacciolo
Depending on the context, essere un ghiacciolo (literally, “to be an ice lolly”) can describe either physical or emotional coldness.
When you’re so cold you feel like you’ve turned into an ice lolly, you could say:
Sono stato fuori tutto il giorno, sono un ghiacciolo!
I’ve been outside all day, I’m like an ice lolly!
And if someone is acting like the’ve got an iceberg where their heart should be, you can say:
Luca non sorride mai quando parla, è proprio un ghiacciolo!
Luca never smiles when he talks, he’s such an ice lolly!
11. Rimanere di ghiaccio
We use the expression rimanere di ghiaccio (literally, “to remain frozen”) when we’re so shocked, surprised, or emotionally detached that we literally freeze in place.
Imagine this: you run into your ex and your best friend, together. Like, really together. Your mind goes completely blank. What do you say?
Quando li ho visti, sono rimasta di ghiaccio!
When I saw them, I remained frozen!
12. Stare freschi
While stare freschi literally means “to stay fresh,” its actual use is dripping with sarcasm. It’s what we say when something is hopelessly unlikely to happen or just plain frustrating. Think of it as the Italian equivalent of “you’re dreaming!” or “fat chance!”
Se pensi che arriveremo in orario con questo traffico, stai fresco!
If you think we’ll arrive on time with this traffic, you’re dreaming!
Interestingly, the origins of this expression trace back to Dante’s Divine Comedy, where sinners in the ninth circle of Hell were condemned to be trapped in a frozen lake—quite literally “staying fresh” for all eternity! Over time, the phrase changed to its modern, sarcastic tone.
14. Non fare né caldo né freddo
We use the idiom non fare né caldo né freddo (literally, “to be neither hot nor cold”) to express indifference toward something that would normally spark a reaction. It’s a bit like saying “I don’t care” or “It makes no difference to me” in English.
For example, if you’ve moved on from someone and they no longer have an effect on you, you might say:
Ho risentito Giulia, ma non mi fa più né caldo né freddo.
I’ve heard from Giulia again, but I don’t feel anything anymore.
As you can see from the example, the phrase uses an indirect object pronoun to specify the person who’s indifferent:
non mi fa più né caldo né freddo —> non fa più né caldo né freddo a me
15. A freddo
The expression a freddo has both literal and figurative meanings.
Literally, a freddo means “at a low temperature” and is used when talking about things like washing clothes or storing food. For example:
Queste magliette colorate vanno lavate a freddo.
These colorful t-shirts need to be washed in cold water.
Figuratively, a freddo is about handling things calmly and thinking things through without letting your emotions take over. It’s kind of like saying “with a cool head” in English.
Ho preferito rispondere al messaggio a freddo per evitare di dire cose di cui mi sarei pentito.
I preferred to reply to the message with a clear head to avoid saying something I’d regret.
You’ll also find a freddo in the expression chiamate a freddo (cold calls) — you know, those totally random calls to potential customers that come out of nowhere.
16. A mente fredda
Like a freddo, the phrase a mente fredda means to cool off and tackle situations with calm, collected thinking — cool heads, better decisions! It’s the Italian equivalent of the English saying, “once the heat of the moment has passed.”
For instance, during a heated business meeting, you might say:
Ragioniamoci a mente fredda e domani decidiamo cosa fare.
Let’s think it through calmly, and tomorrow we’ll decide what to do.
17. Sudare freddo
When someone suda freddo (sweats cold), it’s rarely a good sign. This phrase perfectly conveys that feeling of sheer panic or anxiety—those moments when your heart races, your palms are clammy, and you’re somehow both sweating and shivering at the same time!
Ho sudato freddo quando hanno annunciato la cancellazione di tutti i treni per Milano!
I broke out in a cold sweat when they announced the cancellation of all trains to Milan!
18. Una doccia fredda
In Italy, when we receive unpleasant news, we often describe it as una doccia fredda — literally, “a cold shower.” Much like the unpleasant sensation of being hit with icy water, this phrase captures the discomfort and and sudden disappointment that such news brings. For example:
La notizia del loro licenziamento è stata una doccia fredda per tutti noi.
The news of their layoffs has been a cold shower for all of us.
19. Calma e sangue freddo
Whether it’s a full-blown crisis, a surprise challenge, or just the daily drama of missing the bus to work, we frequently resort to calma e sangue freddo as the ultimate mantra for keeping our cool. It combines the idea of keeping calm (calma) with the importance of of emotional control (sangue freddo – “cold blood”).
Picture this: your colleague is about to lose their mind over a looming deadline. That’s when you can drop some wisdom by saying:
Calma e sangue freddo, non farti prendere dall’ansia!
Keep calm, don’t let anxiety take the wheel!
Valentina Nicastro is a travel writer in love with her home country, Italy. Having travelled widely around the globe, she realised there was more to explore closer to home and decided to put the passport aside for a while. When she is not immersed in documenting Italy, you’ll find her donning her communication consultant hat, weaving words as a content writer and bridging linguistic divides as a translator.
