![]() Cugino (masculine version of “cousin”) and cugina (feminine version of “cousin”) are generally used with less intimate friends.įun fact: Italians have dubbed the French people i cugini francesi (“our cousins, the French”), a friendlier version of i vicini Francesi (“our neighbors, the French”). Instead, Italians prefer to address each other as if they were part of a big family.įrequently, you will hear close friends calling each other fratello (“brother”) and sorella (“sister”). ![]() But the first is rather obsolete and the second is old-fashioned. If you dig into the Italian language, you might learnabout compa, which is short for compagno and can be translated as “buddy”, and compare (“homie”). ![]() Italian Nicknames for FriendsĮnglish speakers might call their friends “pal”, “buddy”, “mate” or “dude”, but these nicknames don’t really have Italian equivalents. Now, andiamo al succo (“let’s get to the meat”). It’s always a good idea to make sure that the person appreciates the nickname you have given them before you start using it. Just like in English, the tone, setting, and person who use the nickname all determine whether the term is used genuinely, as mockery, or, say, as an unpleasant catcall. The most literal translation is termino affettuoso, but soprannome, nomignolo, and vezzeggiativo are the most common ones.Īll three words mean “nickname”, but soprannome is the most formal one and usually refers to abbreviated names, nomignolo would be “pet name”, and vezzeggiativo often describe diminutive nicknames. There are many ways to say “term of endearment” in Italian. “Terms of Endearment” in Italian: Termini Affettuosi Now, I’m not going to deep-dive into the art of baking love into every Italian dish - that’s not my speciality! But, I can teach you food-related nicknames and how to communicate your love in Italian through language. I mentioned two ways that Italians share their affection: food and words. So, let’s look at the most common terms of endearment used for friends, family members, children, and lovers. Plus, stick around until the end, because I will show you how to create your own DIY Italian nicknames! Enrich your vocabulary and spice up your interactions with Italian nicknames such as paperotto/a (“little duck”), gioia (“joy”), and piccolo/a (“little one”). I’m not only talking about the Italian pet names you probably already know about, like amore mio (“my love”) or tesoro (“treasure”). ![]() From the quirky food references – which never fail to come up in Italian conversations – to adding diminutives to first names, there are plenty of funny oddities. There are many nomignoli (“nicknames”) for the people you appreciate or love. The nonne (“grandmothers”) are famous for always having something at hand to offer unexpected guests, and do their best to make them feel like family.īut aside from using manicaretti (“delicious dish”) to share the love, Italians also have terms of endearment per tutti i gusti (“for all tastes”). Lovers often aim to impress their other half with luxury treats. Italians communicate their affection in great part through food, so large social gatherings around the table are quite common and aren’t only for special holidays. They love to share their affection for family members and friends, and goodness is deeply rooted in their culture. For the most part, Italians are a warm community. Problemi in paradiso (“trouble in paradise”), Italians would say.īut it’s not only that. Think about it: how strange would it be if you and your loved ones only called each other by your names and never used nicknames or pet names? Usually, that isn’t a good sign. That’s why you need to learn Italian terms of endearment. If you want to learn Italian, then you must know it’s a language full of passion and love. Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
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