Italian Compliments

La Maestra Maldestra

The beauty of blogging with WordPress is that it lets you see the words that people have searched to get to your blog. Do you know how many times someone has searched “how to compliment a girl in Italian” and has ended up here? Many.  Tante. Many.

Today I figured I may as well give them what they’re asking for, right? Here’s a list of Italian compliments, praises and terms of endearment complete with when and how to use them.

Although it’s fallen out of usage a bit in English, just saying the word “complimenti” in Italian is expressing your compliments to someone on something nice they have or sometimes for a job well done. Show around a picture of your good-looking boyfriend and people might offer you their “complimenti!” However, Italians like to heap on the well done praise saying things like “brava” and “bravissima” to a girl or “bravo” and “bravissimo” to a guy. Although the “brava” is the way an Italian might show their approval of something you’ve done, it also relates to the person you are. “Alessandra? È una brava ragazza.” Alessandra? She’s a good girl.

When it comes to birthdays or general well-wishing, Italians pull out the “auguri“, which I talked about a bit in my birthday post here. People will also say “auguri” (congratulations) for things like your onomastico (your saint’s name day), your graduation or any other congratulation-worthy event, including birthdays. “Congratulazioni“, although a tongue twister for some English speakers, is a common congratulatory term as well. The correct response to all this is “grazie” “grazie mille” or “grazie tante“.

“Tesoro” (treasure), “caro” and “cara” are all very common ways to call someone dear. It’s not uncommon even for men to even say to one another, “Ciao, caro!” and for friends to call eachother “tesoro“.  ”Amore“, meaning simply love can be what you call your significant other or someone you care about (e.g. child), and is often used with “mio” to make “amore mio” or my love.  ”Bella” and “bello” are other famous ones. Yes, in Italy “Ciao bella!” really does still ring out in the streets. ”Sei bella” or “sei bellissima” are great ways to tell a girl that she’s beautiful. Another good one is “sei unica“, which means you’re unique, one-in-a-million.  If you just change the a to an o, you’ve got the same compliment for a guy.

Mamma’s love, there’s only you!

“Ciccia“, although it means fat or meat in Tuscany, can also be a term of endearment for a girl. Don’t ask me why. I was quite taken aback the first time someone greeted me with a hearty “Ciao, ciccia!”  (Disclaimer: I don’t know how widely used this is outside of Tuscany). A guy might call a girl little or his little one, as in, “Ciao, piccola”, but it has nothing to do with size or stature. It’s simply a term of endearment.

If someone is “in gamba” it means they’re on the ball, and if they’re “ingambatissimo/a” it means they’re really on the ball. They’re cute and/or nice if they’re “carino/a” and they’re “gentile” if they’re kind. Someone who is “simpatico/a” is kind or friendly, and someone who is “sexy” is, well, sexy. “Sincero/a” is also a compliment, as Italians seem to prize sincerity, and this can also be shown by calling someone “semplice” or simple. (For a little anecdote about the first time I encountered that one, click here).

Someone who is “affascinante” is attractive, and someone who is “intelligente” is smart. Hopefully this is the same someone. Add “molto” to the front of just about anything and you’ve amplified your compliment right there.

Another descriptor or compliment that had me puzzled when I first heard it was “acqua e sapone” or water and soap. As in, “sei una ragazza aqua e sapone“. You’re a water and soap kind of girl. Not quite what you’d expect an enamoured suitor to say, eh? In my experience it refers to a girl who is (pleasingly) natural, who doesn’t wear a lot of makeup. The girl-next door.

So, next time you’re looking to compliment an Italian or just to show off your Italian skills by complimenting someone who doesn’t speak Italian in Italian, look no further than this little post here.

Dolcetto o Scherzetto? Halloween, Italian Style

La Maestra Maldestra

 

Halloween (L’halloween, my Italian friends called it, pronounced lahl-oh-ween) is not a very Italian festa (holiday) at all, but that has not stopped gli italiani (the Italians) from jumping on the Jack-o-Lantern bandwagon in the last few years and celebrating in style. The famous phrase, “trick or treat?” has even been translated to “dolcetto o scherzetto?“ in Italian to help the holiday along.

Last year, I spent Halloween in Italy. If you’re a regular reader/follower/subscriber to this blog, you’ll know that during my time living in Siena, I hung out a lot at one particular little osteria and got to be good friends with all the staff there. As Halloween approached, they approached me and asked for ideas for the Festa dell’Halloween (Halloween party) they wanted to throw at the osteria.

I suggested that they order proper orange pumpkins from their fruit and veg supplier (there was nary an orange pumpkin to be found in Siena’s supermercati, just very un-festive yellow ones) and I buzzed around town looking for some goulish decorations to spruce the place up a bit. I helped get the Halloween posters printed so that the fantasma (ghost) came out just right, and spent time trying to get the wording right in both English and Italian for the ads we put up. “Gradita la prezenza in maschera“, for those of you who speak Italian, is how we translated “costumes welcome.“

On Halloween afternoon, the boys closed the place early to set up for the big festa. After they assured me that they could certainly carve two pumpkins (something they’d never done before) without loosing any fingers or blood in the process, I left them alone to put the finishing touches on the party preparations and worried about how the pumpkins would look when I got back. When I swung back by later, I was greeted by these two lovely “Giacomo-Lanterns“ (the Italian version of Jack-o-Lanterns, apparently) which drew crowds to the festa all night:

I like to think they were the only two carved pumpkins in all of Siena last year! The festa was a huge success (went on till 4 a.m., they tell me) and all night people could be seen taking pictures with our unique pumpkins. Please note the Italian touches of vino rosso (red wine) and castagne (chestnuts) alongside our Giacomo Lanterns!

Happy Halloween to all!

Word of the Day – “Ringraziamento”

La Maestra Maldestra

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to all! Buon Giorno di Ringraziamento a tutti!

(Ok, so I might be a couple days early with the Thanksgiving thing, but just go with it!)

That’s right! You guessed it! “Ringraziamento” in Italian means “thanksgiving” in English. And in my books there’s no better word to learn on Thanksgiving weekend, apart from maybe tacchino - turkey.

This time last year I was running around Siena, helping  my friend look for orange pumpkins (harder to find than you might think) and a turkey (also harder to find than you might think). And while I savoured the last month of my dwindling time in Italy, I was also quietly missing this beautiful time of the year in Canada, and the family celebrations I wouldn’t get to be a part of for the first time ever. Fortunately for me, it’s also a very beautiful time of the year in Tuscany as well, but it wasn’t home and it wasn’t quite the same. Equally beautiful, but different. This year, I’m back in Canada, happy to be celebrating with my family and sad to be missing this beautiful time of the year in Italy. Go figure!

But, contradictory feelings aside, please let me take a paragraph or two to ringraziare (give thanks for) a few wonderful things in my life.

I’m thankful to have been born in raised in Canada and for all the opportunities this has afforded me. I always wave my Canadian flag proudly wherever I go, and am conscious of the fact that my Canadian passport unlocks many doors for me. In the words of my dear friend and fellow Canadian Christie Bates, “I never knew I was so obnoxiously patriotic until I left Canada for awhile!” Grazie Canada, for being so wonderful!

I’m thankful to have had the chance to make Italy my second home. I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to study, live and work there, and to have become so comfortable living in another country and another language. I’m also thankful to have found in Italy and all things Italian, something that I am passionate about and that brings an instant smile to my face.

Last but not least, being thankful for my large group of famiglia and amici (family and friends) almost goes without saying. Without the support of my family and friends I might not have been able to accomplish many of the things I’ve done in my life, and I’m sure the same holds true for many of you readers out there. Am I right or am I right? My family and friends have always encouraged me to go after what I want and to give it my all. They’ve been there when my all wasn’t quite good enough, and have helped me with life’s little setbacks. They’ve always been the first ones to help me achieve my goals and celebrate my successes, and for that I am truly grateful.

So in the days surrounding a holiday that, for many people, is quite food-centric, let’s take a minute to focus not so much on what’s on the table, but who’s on the chairs.