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292 discussions from all categories
Damn it! / for crying out loud! — "porca miseria" is a strong but not vulgar exclamation of frustration. It pairs the adjective "porca" (filthy, from "porca" = …
Look! — imperative of "guardare" used to draw attention to something. Very common in spoken Italian.
Darn! / wow! / no way! (euphemism). The mild, family-friendly swear-word that stands in for "cazzo" — literally "cabbage", expressively "damn!".
Hmm / well... / I wonder / dubious — the thoughtful hesitation of Italian. A drawn-out "mah" signals doubt, skepticism, or reluctant consideration, lighter than…
See you tomorrow
Wow! / my! / goodness! An exclamation of surprise, admiration or emphasis — "caspita!" is the mild, family-friendly "wow!".
Never mind / leave it
How's it going? / How are things? — extremely common informal greeting asking how someone is doing.
Terrible / awful — adjective expressing something very bad, frightening, or intense.
Sure / certain / safe — adjective meaning 'sure', 'certain', or 'safe'. One of the most versatile Italian adjectives.
Come on! / up! / cheer up! A small urging word — "su!" rallies, encourages, or beckons; also means "up / on".
Really / truly / for real. Asks or confirms sincerity and surprise — "davvero?" is the incredulous "really?", and "davvero!" pins down "I mean it!".
Anyway / so much / after all. "Tanto" quantifies ("so much"), minimizes ("anyway, it doesn't matter"), and concludes ("besides / after all").
Darn it! / damn! / shoot! An exclamation of frustration, regret or disappointment — "mannaggia!" is the mild, very Italian curse-word.
You decide / it's up to you — informal phrase deferring a decision to the other person.
Please — "per favore" is the standard Italian expression for "please", used when making a polite request. Literally "for favor".
Gladly! / with pleasure! / willingly! The gracious acceptance-word — "volentieri!" is the warm "I'd love to!".
