Italy About Italy

Italian Swear Words - Jessica’s 8 Favorites

When you’re learning a new language, one of the most fun parts is learning how to swear. Of course, Italian swear words always sound prettier to my non-Italian ear than their English equivalents, but just because they sound prettier doesn’t mean their meaning is! When I was teaching Italian, one of the most common questions I’d get from students - always after class, in hushed tones - was stuff like, “How do you say ’shit’ in Italian?” With that in mind, here are my 8 favorite Italian swear words.

Update: Now you can hear sample pronunciations for some of these words - wherever you see a blue arrow underneath the word, click on it and you’ll hear exactly how to say it!

And be sure to check out the second installment, Italian swear words part 2 - readers’ choice!

8. Accidenti! (ah-chee-DEN-tee)

Let’s start with something G-rated, shall we? This is the less-questionable version of “merda” (see #6) - when you want to say a euphemism like “crap” instead of swearing and saying “shit,” you’d say “accidenti.” It looks so much more innocent, doesn’t it? Almost like, “Oh, what a horrible accident that I almost said a bad word” or something. Anyway, this is the one to internalize so that you don’t let loose with any of the really bad ones in front of passing nuns.

7. Madonna! (mah-DOHN-nah)
While many Italian stereotypes turn out to be less true on the ground in Italy than you might have expected them to be, the one about Italians using “mamma mia!” as an exclamation of surprise or annoyance holds water - they actually do use it. But personally, I prefer the equally common “Madonna!” if for no other reason than it amuses me in this predominantly Catholic country. You can even pair this one with “porca” (see #1) for more emphatic (and less polite) uses.

6. Merda! (MEHR-dah)
Now, because I’d often get the “How do you say ’shit’ in Italian?” question from students, I’ve learned this one - but I’ve honestly not heard it as much in Italy as I have some of the other swear words on this page. This is, however, how you say “shit” in Italian, and it’s used in exactly the same way we use it in English. It also is incorporated into other phrases for more colorful meanings as well.

Date: April 14th, 2008 | 34 comments

Milan Makes the List for the Most Beautiful Locals

It’s official, folks. Milan has been declared one of the “12 places to see really good-looking locals.” Allow me to gloat, while I also quote from the article:

The financial and fashion capital of Italy combines the country’s famous ethic of always dressing to impress with an urban-European sophistication that isn’t present once you get south of the shin in the boot.

It’s true, there’s something about the people who rush to and fro on Milan’s streets every day - an awfully high percentage of them are either knockouts or dressed to the nines… And more often than not, they’re both. I remain baffled at how the Milanese women manage to wear the stiletto heels many of them favor without breaking a heel or (even worse) an ankle on the cobbles and uneven paving of some of central Milan’s streets, but that’s beside the point. The point is that they wear great-looking clothes and shoes that often seem completely impractical, and they pull it off.

And while it’s easy to focus on the women in Milan, the men are nothing to sneeze at. These guys know how to dress, I’m telling you - whether it’s the businessmen hurrying through Duomo Square in their tailored suits or the young guys with their designer jeans, these are men who know what clothes make them look good. It doesn’t seem to matter whether they’re clean-shaven or not, either, they always look put-together.

Date: March 30th, 2008 | 2 comments

Stop the Madness: Decoding City Addresses in Italy

This article was written and submitted for publication on the Italy Logue by Chris Bright.

As any traveler to Italy can attest to, finding one’s way around can be a confusing and frustrating experience. The anxiety only rises when seeking out a specific address, such as a hotel when first arriving. Many of us from the New World are at a distinct disadvantage because all the rules we’ve grown up with are thrown out the window. We are accustomed to grid layouts, typically aligning to the points of the compass, and long avenues where each block resets to the next 100. It all makes perfect sense, right? Well, those cities weren’t built two thousand years ago, now were they? So that’s the trade-off.

This article will provide some simple tips that should help you when faced with finding your hotel or restaurant in cities and towns throughout Italy.

City Layout: Start at the Center

The challenge of navigating Italian cities starts in the same place that draws most of us to Italy, namely the countless centuries of history. For the most part, the layout of the cities are defined by their historic growth going back centuries. When looking at a map, they often grow in concentric circles outward from the center, much like the rings of a tree. The center is occupied by a cathedral or central piazza and is often the epicenter for most visitors. When arriving, locate this area and it will become the North Star for your navigation in this locale.

Date: March 14th, 2008 | 1 comment

Italian Men Told to Keep Their Hands off Genitals - Their Own

It’s Sunday night in Italy and I’ve just spent the day in Torino (which I’ll write about later), but I couldn’t let the day pass without popping in here momentarily to share a news story I saw the other day. It’s short, so you won’t be wasting too much of your day if you go read the whole thing, but here’s the gist:

Whatever their reason might be, a passing hearse or simple discomfort, Italy’s highest court ruled that men may not touch their genitals in public.

Apparently a man in Como was convicted in …

Date: March 2nd, 2008 | 1 comment

My Favorite Bag Lady* in Milan

This is from yesterday night before my head hit the pillow, heavily:

Well, we’re here. We’re in Milan. It’s been a helluva long day, with some downright lows (neither of the husband’s bags made it here because of a too-short connection in London, so we’re just hoping they appear mysteriously in the night), but I had a couple nice moments that just made my day. The final one is what I wanted to share with you.

Because we’re here for six weeks, and because I’m not the best packer under normal circumstances, I had with me today two carry-on bags and two checked bags. Wheeling these through an airport is not a big deal, but getting from Malpensa Airport to our hotel required no less than three train changes (two of them being on the Milan Metro) and lots of stairs. By the time I emerged from the last Metro stop to begin the trek down Viale Umbria toward the hotel, my arms were already screaming ENOUGH at me.

I took lots of breaks, stopping alongside the sidewalk to rest my arms and catch my breath, and (uncharacteristically for me) not caring what I looked like to anyone else. I am quite sure I looked like a sweaty and dissheveled tourist with too much luggage, but I can’t get too annoyed at that - because that’s precisely what I was.

Date: February 20th, 2008 | 1 comment