If you want to learn Italian, then you must know it’s a language full of passion and love. That’s why you need to learn Italian terms of endearment. Show
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. Problemi in paradiso (“trouble in paradise”), Italians would say. But it’s not only that. For the most part, Italians are a warm community. They love to share their affection for family members and friends, and goodness is deeply rooted in their culture. 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. Lovers often aim to impress their other half with luxury treats. 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. But aside from using manicaretti (“delicious dish”) to share the love, Italians also have terms of endearment per tutti i gusti (“for all tastes”). There are many nomignoli (“nicknames”) for the people you appreciate or love. 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. I’m not only talking about the Italian pet names you probably already know about, like amore mio (“my love”) or tesoro (“treasure”). Enrich your vocabulary and spice up your interactions with Italian nicknames such as paperotto/a (“little duck”), gioia (“joy”), and piccolo/a (“little one”). Plus, stick around until the end, because I will show you how to create your own DIY Italian nicknames! Share Your Affection in ItalianSo, let’s look at the most common terms of endearment used for friends, family members, children, and lovers. I mentioned two ways that Italians share their affection: food and words. 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. “Terms of Endearment” in Italian: Termini AffettuosiThere are many ways to say “term of endearment” in Italian. The most literal translation is termino affettuoso, but soprannome, nomignolo, and vezzeggiativo are the most common ones. All 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. 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. It’s always a good idea to make sure that the person appreciates the nickname you have given them before you start using it. Now, andiamo al succo (“let’s get to the meat”). Italian Nicknames for FriendsEnglish speakers might call their friends “pal”, “buddy”, “mate” or “dude”, but these nicknames don’t really have Italian equivalents. 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”). But the first is rather obsolete and the second is old-fashioned. Instead, Italians prefer to address each other as if they were part of a big family. Frequently, you will hear close friends calling each other fratello (“brother”) and sorella (“sister”). Cugino (masculine version of “cousin”) and cugina (feminine version of “cousin”) are generally used with less intimate friends. Fun 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”). Other Italian nicknames for friends include bello/a, which means beautiful in Italian, mitico/a (“legendary”), and simply… surnames! You know how athletes have their last name stamped on the back of their t-shirts? Italians are big fans of soccer and sports in general, so they’ve taken the habit of calling their friends by their surnames like they do with sports players. Attributing nicknames to your friends based on their qualities or endearing flaws is also common in Italian. For example, you could call your smart best friend cervellone/a (“big brain”) or your chatty best friend chiacchierone/a (“chatterbox”). Be careful, though, because both could be offensive depending on your tone and the situation. I wasn’t joking when I said that Italian terms of endearment exist per tutti i gusti, they even exist per tutti i numeri (literally “for all numbers”)! Raga’ (“guys”) is both an interjection and a group nickname that is basically the abbreviation of ragazzi (“guys”). Italian Terms of Endearment for Family MembersEven if there’s less variety to choose from than in English, terms of endearment for family members are commonly used in Italian. When they’ve been caught with their hand in the bag – or rather with their fingers in the jam jar – bimbi (“kids”) will implore Mamma (“Mom”) not to get angry. If they don’t get away with it, they’ll turn to Papi (“Dad”) and will fare gli occhi da cucciolo (“give the puppy-dog eyes”). Note: Apart from being called mamma, una madre (“a mother”) can also be dubbed mammina (“mommy”) by a child usually under the age of 10 years old. The equivalent of mammina for un padre (“a father”) is papino (“daddy”). Mammina and papino can also be used as humorous nicknames by older children for their parents. If they still haven’t been forgiven for their gluttonous theft, the bimbi can resort to their secret weapon: i nonni (“the grandparents”)! Nonnina (“Granny”) and Nonnino (“Grandpa”) will let no one scold their nipotini (“grandchildren”), or figlioli (“sons/daughters” in old-fashioned Italian, but also used for grandchildren nowadays). Other members of the family also have their own terms of endearment. The zia (“aunt”) and zio (“uncle”) can be called zietta and zietto. Cugina (feminine for “cousin”) and cugino (masculine for “cousin”) become cuginetta and cuginetto, but this is usually reserved to cousins who are under the age of 10. Sometimes, elder women affectionately considered as aunts or grandmothers are dubbed tata (“nanny”) or tatina by little children. Pet names for siblings always tend to be more creative and humorous than any others. While there’s no “official” Italian term of endearment used among brothers and sisters, you have a few options: pulce (“flea”), puffo (“Smurf”) or puffetta (“Smurfette”), and batuffolo (“dumpling”). Unfortunately, there’s no Italian nicknames for mothers-in-law, but complimenting their cooking will always secure you a place in their good graces – and the best spot around the table, right next to the polpette (“meatballs”). Italian Pet Names for ChildrenChildren’s pet names are arguably the most common terms of endearment in Italian, and they can be divided into categories depending on their frequency and meaning. Terms of Endearment Used by EveryoneThere are a few very common nomignoli for children. These are appropriately used not only by family members and friends, but also by adults who might not know the child’s name, such as store clerks or nurses.
Apart from these, nicknames for children are usually reserved for family members and, occasionally, family friends. Animal-Inspired Terms of Endearment for ChildrenItalians love terms of endearment that are literally pet names. They use them regularly with their bimbi, and the most common are:
Food-Inspired Terms of Endearment for ChildrenIt’s funny for children to be nicknamed after their favorite food. The most used children pet names inspired by food in Italian include:
Other Cute Italian Nicknames for ChildrenIf none of the monikers above caught your attention, then try one of these ones:
Italian Sweet Names for LoversRomantic relationships are the perfect setting for what Italians humorously call parole sdolcinate (“sappy words”). (Let me tell you a secret: despite making fun of them, Italian secretly love these sappy nicknames.) Italian terms of endearment for lovers include some of those used for children – such as tesoro and piccolina – but many others are only used in a romantic and intimate context. How to Say “Lover” in Italian: Innamorato/InnamorataThe word lover covers two meanings in English: either someone who is in love or whom you are in love with, or, well… a lover in an intimate way. In Italian, innamorato/a describes the first type of lover, while amante stands for the second. To avoid getting confused and saying what you shouldn’t, you can refer to your significant other as your persona amata (“loved one”). Or you could simply name the stage of your relationship. “Boyfriend” in Italian and “Girlfriend” in Italian: Ragazzo and RagazzaThere are two main ways to say “girlfriend” and “boyfriend” in Italian: ragazzo/a or fidanzato/a. The former is used by young couples, usually when they are dating, while the latter is for serious relationships and also means fiance. “Husband” in Italian and “Wife” in Italian: Marito and MoglieIt’s between marito (“husband”) and moglie (“wife”) that terms of endearment get more refined and accurate – after a long time living together, you’re bound to know your other half better than anyone else. If you call your daughter principessa, you could think about completing the royal family by dubbing your husband re (“king”) or your wife regina (“queen”). “My Love” in Italian: Amore MioAmore is the Italian word for “love”, so “my love” is amore mio. There’s also another way to use amore and make it “cuter”, by adding the suffix -ino to it: amorino (“little love”). “My Heart” in Italian: Cuore MioThere are only a few more tender nicknames than calling your other half cuore mio (“my heart”), but perhaps none of them are as romantic. “My Beloved” in Italian: Mio Amato/Mia AmataWhat a wonderful thingto call someone your beloved! In Italian, you say mio amato for men and mia amata for women. When talking about your beloved with someone else, you can refer to them as il mio lui (literally “my him”) if he is a man, and la mia lei (literally “my her”) if she is a woman. This is a cute way to say that in the sea of other men and women, your partner is the only one who belongs with you. You could also call them la mia metà (“my other half”) or dolce metà (loosely translated as “significant other”, literally “sweet half”). “Darling” in Italian: TesoroIf Bruno Mars sang in Italian, then the title of one of his songs would actually mean “darling”. In fact, tesoro – literally translated as “treasure” in English – is the equivalent of “darling” in Italian. You could make the word even more sdolcinato by complementing it with the suffix -ino. Tesorino is a good equivalent for “sweetheart”, “honey”, or “cutie”. “Sweetheart” in ItalianHow do you say “sweetheart” in Italian? That is a very good question, mostly because there is no exact Italian word for “sweetheart”. You could say dolcezza, meaning “sweetness”, to a woman, or tesoro to a man. “Soulmate” in Italian: Anima GemellaNot everyone can find their anima gemella (“soulmate”, literally “twin soul”), but those who do sono molto fortunati (“are very lucky”). “Dear” in Italian: Caro/CaraThe Italian word for “dear” is caro/a. Funny enough, it also means “expensive”, but who wouldn’t consider their dear ones to be worth all the money in the world? By adding mio or mia after caro/a, you will get the Italian equivalent of “my dear”: caro mio/cara mia. “Cute” in Italian: Carino/CarinaFrom what we’ve seen so far, adding the suffix -ino/a acts as a diminutive in Italian. However, -ino/a is sometimes used to create brand new words. You see, carino/a does not mean “a little expensive”, but “cute”! “Gorgeous” in Italian: Bellissimo/BellissimaBello/a means beautiful in Italian, and bellissimo/a is the Italian word for “gorgeous”. It’s perfect pairedwith a blown kiss to your partner. “I Love You” in Italian: Ti Voglio BeneThere are two ways to say “I love you” in Italian: ti amo and ti voglio bene. Ti amo is rarely used, because it expresses the burning passion of intimate love and is appropriate only in certain moments of a romantic relationship. On the other hand, you will often hear ti voglio bene (literally “I wish you well”) sprinkled here and there. Ti voglio bene is the “I love you” for friends and family members – also regularly used in relationships – which expresses warmth, tenderness, and care. Using ti voglio bene does not mean that you love the person less than if you told them ti amo, it’s connotation is just more affectionate than romantic. “To Be Affectionate” in Italian: Essere Affettuoso/aAffetto is the Italian word for “affection”, affettuoso/a means “affectionate”, and the phrase “to be affectionate” is essere affettuoso/a. As essere affettuoso/a includes the verb essere (“to be”), the phrase changes depending on the subject:
Other Italian Terms of Endearment For Your PartnerPossibilities are endless when it comes to sweet names for your love. Some make no sense and are endearingly childish, like ciccino or pucci, and others are a bit eccentric. Here are some fun ones:
Italian Phrases to Share Your AffectionPet names are sweet, but you can impress everyone and upgrade your ability to share your affection in Italian by learning specific phrases. Here are a few of the most common ones:
DIY! Create Your Own Italian Terms of EndearmentIt’s nice to get a few ideas to get you started, but I think we can agree on this: nicknames are much better when they’re su misura (“tailor-made”)! If you feel like none of the terms of endearment mentioned in this post fit the people you care about, create a nomignoli yourself! When it comes to making a person you appreciate stand out, imagination has no boundaries. What Makes a Good Italian Term of Endearment?What makes a good term of endearment in any language? Inside jokes are a good starting point, and anything you might find in the candy and pastry aisles in the supermarket will do more than fine. To make up the best parole sdolcinate, make it a funny nickname that only you and the person it’s for will understand. Actually, any type of food could become a term of endearment: formaggino (“little cheese”) is an amusing nickname for a partner – but it’s quite cheesy, if you ask me. Any animal you haven’t seen in the lists above? No worries, if you add a suffix to the word, it’ll create the perfect new nickname. Example:
Italian Suffixes for Terms of EndearmentThe suffix -ino/a is the most common Italian diminutive suffix, but it is not the only one. You can try one of these as well:
What’s tricky with Italian diminutive suffixes isthere’s no set rule for when to use them. You just learn through practice and dedicated listening. Sometimes, all suffixes can be used with the same word. Other times, you’ll really want to be careful with how you use them. For example, another term of endearment for your nonna (“grandmother”) and nonno (“grandfather”) could be nonnetta and nonnetto, but it would depend on the region. In some places, nonnetto/a might come across as affectionate while in others it would mean “old man/woman”. As always with language learning, it is good to get the hang of the local sayings before throwing around words you’re not too sure of. Asking natives is always a wise choice if you want to improve your skills. Add “Mio/a” and “Caro/a”Words that already constitute terms of endearment can be strengthened if you complement them with mio/a (“my”) or caro/a (“dear”). Examples:
The Ultimate Italian Nickname: AbbreviationsItalians love to abbreviate names and words to create nicknames, of which raga’ is an example. As you know, last names are popular nickname material, and it’s common among youth to shorten them. Example:
Sometimes even nicknames can be abbreviated. Cioccolatino – which is perhaps too much of a mouthful to really be a nickname – can become cicchi. Be Exotic Almost EffortlesslyItalians truly appreciate culture, and they often turn to foreign languages to enrich their own. When it comes to nicknames, their favorite source is… English! They might shorten Michele to “Mike”, or Massimo to “Max”. Their tall friend whose name is Roberto might be their “big Robert”. They also might fish for monikers in Hollywood successes from the 50s and call their friend Francesca “Frenchie”, as a tribute to the movie Grease. You can take advantage of this to create nicknames that will be considered very cool! Be Affectionate in ItalianNow that you know a ton of Italian terms of endearment, how will you communicate your affection in Italian? Will you call your friend mitica or your child patatino? Or will you cook some manicaretti for your dolce metà? Benny LewisFounder, Fluent in 3 Months Fun-loving Irish guy, full-time globe trotter and international bestselling author. Benny believes the best approach to language learning is to speak from day one. What do fathers call their sons in Italy?Immediate family members in Italian. What do Italian parents call their child?Italian Terms of Endearment for Children
The first one that comes to mind is “piccolo” for a boy or “piccola” for a girl, which literally means “little”. “Mimmo” or “mimma” is another way to say “child” but it is more affectionate than “bambino” or “bambina”.
What do you call a boy in Italian?How to say "Boy" in Italian, "Ragazzo." Boy. Ragazzo.
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