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Still More Charming Italian Words that I Love

Italian words are music to my ears. There are so many words in the Italian language that I love. These words keep me close to Italy and by learning them, I feel encouraged to talk even if that means making mistakes and learning each day. Continuing the series, here are still some more of my favorite Italian words!

Still More Charming Italian Words I Love

  1. Sinistra: the direction Left
  2. Altrettanto: love the sound of it. It means likewise
  3. Truccarsi: To put make up ;
  4. Ecco: Here is, here are, there is, there are.
  5. Fazzoletto: Handkerchief. Never has a word been prettier
  6. Garbuglio: Just like it’s name it means muddle.
  7. Zerbino: Doormat. Very cute isn’t it?
  8. Smeraldo: It means the jewel Emerald. Quite easy and lovely.
  9. Bacio: A peck of kiss <3 need I say more??
  10. Ciccione: Fat and chubby 😀 Haha!
  11. Bugiardo: A little liar 😉
  12. Azzurro: The color Blue.
  13. Abbastanza: Sufficient.
  14. Pezzetto: Pieces.
  15. Leggermente: Somewhat, lightly.

When this post on “Charming Italian Words” was started, I had no idea it would be so popular. So grazie Mille a tutti! Thank YOU very much everyone!

My favorites from the list are ciccone, leggermente and fazzoletto 🙂 And yours??

Further Reading:

Read my experience of Learning Italian

Learn Italian by Watching Movies

Check out Lucrezia Oddone’s YouTube channel

Learning a language is a lifelong journey. Ready to take the plunge??

61 Comments

  • […] Still More Charming Italian Words that I Love […]

    Reply
  • II LOVE – Ghid in Natura
    March 14, 2017 at 2:47 pm

    […] via Still More Charming Italian Words that I Love — Italophilia […]

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 14, 2017 at 4:54 pm

      Thanks so much

      Reply
  • fkasara
    October 4, 2016 at 5:02 pm

    Lovely blog, congrats! 😊It’s always interesting for me to see how foreign people perceive my country and I love to read about favourite words!
    “Doppie” are always tricky for non-Italians, so it’s very brave of you to choose these words! Just pay attention to “altrettanto” and “azzurro” which need respectively double t and double r.
    Speaking of “garbuglio”, I have to say that it’s not a really common word in the spoken language ( I guess it is used only in Tuscany); “ciccione” is surely a word with a lovely sound to it, but it’s quite rude to say ciccione to someone! 😅
    Great work!
    Sara

    Reply
    • Ishita
      October 4, 2016 at 5:47 pm

      Thank you Sara for your beautiful words and perspectives. I’m sure I’d feel the same way about someone if they were crazy for Hindi. Yes the spellings are tricky and over all Italian isn’t an easy language. I’m trying though 🙁 🙂

      Reply
      • fkasara
        October 4, 2016 at 5:51 pm

        You’re really good, don’t worry! 😀

        Reply
  • Vino Travels
    August 27, 2016 at 1:53 pm

    Good luck in your language learning journey. I’ve been studying it for years. Let me know if you’ve ready or suggest any good easy reading Italian books.

    Reply
    • Ishita
      August 27, 2016 at 1:57 pm

      Grazie cara. I’m just trying to cope with my course book. I do have a basic Italian book with exercises of past, present and future. It’s called certificato di Lingua italiana by Carlo Buldrini.

      Reply
    • Ishita
      August 27, 2016 at 1:58 pm

      How well do you speak?

      Reply
      • Vino Travels
        August 27, 2016 at 2:01 pm

        I made it to the upper intermediate class. I can do pretty well but am not means fluent. I think that takes living there honestly or immersion at home which is hard to do

        Reply
        • Ishita
          August 27, 2016 at 2:05 pm

          Immersion at home is toughest. I agree. We end up speaking Hindi n English most of the time in class. Someday I really want to go there for a few weeks and learn Italian..

          Reply
          • Vino Travels
            August 27, 2016 at 2:09 pm

            I’ve always wanted to do an immersion there. Maybe one day…..I was using the Italki weekly to talk with natives. Now that the little one has come I haven’t had a chance but I’m teaching him and got him some children’s books so that’s fun.

            Reply
            • Ishita
              August 27, 2016 at 2:18 pm

              One day. We can plan something together. Heard there are great schools in and around toscana region and in bologna. Aww must be fun!

              Reply
              • Vino Travels
                August 27, 2016 at 5:45 pm

                That would be great! What level are you at?

              • Ishita
                August 27, 2016 at 5:46 pm

                I will start the intermediate. Which is level B I guess? Completed level A last week.

  • L. M. B.
    August 26, 2016 at 12:00 pm

    Innamorato … the most feeling word ever ! 😉

    Reply
    • Ishita
      August 26, 2016 at 12:33 pm

      Oh totally <3

      Reply
  • JohnFlynnTravel
    August 23, 2016 at 7:06 pm

    In my experience “Il piccolo coso è rotto” is one of the most useful sentences in Italian.

    Reply
    • Ishita
      August 24, 2016 at 2:51 pm

      What does it mean fully? Grazie

      Reply
      • JohnFlynnTravel
        August 24, 2016 at 3:03 pm

        The little thingamajig is broken.
        Very useful in any damage/repair situation, I’ve found.

        Reply
  • lindaravello
    August 23, 2016 at 2:07 pm

    Ciao Ishitia, I am in my last day in Italy, and have not had goos internet access, so I am way behind reading your post and beginning from the most recent going back…….Me too, I LOVE the word ‘sinister’
    I am off to read some more – Lindy x

    Reply
    • Ishita
      October 10, 2016 at 12:44 pm

      Come stai, Linda? I hope you are well and in marital bliss 😉

      Reply
      • lindaravello
        October 15, 2016 at 3:18 pm

        Molte bene grazie Ishita, e tu come sta?
        We are hoping to buy a house in the Bourgogne, so really busy, not much time to blog…….nothing definite yet, but will keep you posted. Bisous

        Reply
        • Ishita
          October 16, 2016 at 8:45 pm

          Bene grazie 🙂 Lovely! Complimenti 🙂 I hope you settle soon.

          Reply
  • HelsinkiBudapest
    August 22, 2016 at 9:41 pm

    Mum’s the word. Promise! 😄

    Reply
  • HelsinkiBudapest
    August 22, 2016 at 6:29 pm

    Wait until you get into swearing and other expressions. Have to admit, always had a fascination with how swear words tie in with sacred concepts. I used to speak Italian, but forgot almost everything. It comes back though. My favorite is sinistra. Like someone said above, interesting to note the connections to the devil et al.

    Reply
    • Ishita
      August 22, 2016 at 8:06 pm

      I know quite a few swearing words but shhhhhhh 😉 I hope you can get back to learning it and speaking it again. Love sinistra too. Xo

      Reply
  • Tanja
    August 22, 2016 at 2:15 pm

    🙂 did you try the chocolate pralines Baci?:)

    Reply
    • Ishita
      August 22, 2016 at 8:05 pm

      yes when I was in Perugia that was all I ate 😉

      Reply
  • littleredroaminglass
    August 22, 2016 at 8:36 am

    Grazie!
    I’ve been teaching myself Italian for about a year now, and spent 3 weeks there this past Spring. I miss it dearly and following your blog gives me a small taste of it until I can get back there. Lovely post! I think I shall find a way to use Fazzoletto this week. =)

    Reply
    • Ishita
      August 22, 2016 at 10:55 am

      We have a similar story. I went again in spring too this year. Learning since a year too 🙂 I’m happy I could help. Keep coming more!

      Reply
  • Stacy di Anna
    August 21, 2016 at 6:34 pm

    All such fantastic words, it’s hard to pick a favorite! Fazzoleto has a special memory for me, Iearned it years ago from my little 5-year-old cousin while driving around in Puglia, and I have never forgotten it! Un bacio a te!

    Reply
    • Ishita
      August 21, 2016 at 7:20 pm

      How cute. Nice 🙂 un grande abbraccio!

      Reply
  • afarawayhome
    August 21, 2016 at 2:44 pm

    bugiardo sounds like someone who can’t be trusted 🙂

    Reply
  • Lyn
    August 21, 2016 at 6:56 am

    Many of these words are new to me. My favourite in this list is Abbastanza.

    Reply
    • Ishita
      August 21, 2016 at 9:16 am

      I love it too 🙂 learning the language I come up with new words on n off.

      Reply
  • kiki1469
    August 21, 2016 at 4:33 am

    Nice list! I like smeralda, because I long to go to the Costa Smeralda in Sardegna. One day….

    Reply
    • Ishita
      August 21, 2016 at 9:15 am

      Ahh💜 a story along helps to learn the word easily. Lovely!

      Reply
  • fromdreamtoplan
    August 21, 2016 at 1:54 am

    Again, as an italian, it’s so interesting to see how “normal” words for me are actually unusual for others or sound strange, great post!! 🙂
    Lisa | http://www.fromdreamtoplan.net/

    Reply
    • Ishita
      August 21, 2016 at 9:14 am

      Thanks for dropping in your blog cara. Any favorites from thus list?

      Reply
  • Weekend Adventures
    August 21, 2016 at 12:12 am

    The most beautiful language!

    Reply
    • Ishita
      August 21, 2016 at 9:14 am

      I absolutely agree on that 🙂

      Reply
  • mygirlspot
    August 20, 2016 at 8:28 pm

    I always love the greeting “Salve.” There is something really wonderful about a greeting attributed to Cesare.

    Reply
    • Ishita
      August 20, 2016 at 9:30 pm

      I love it too. Thank you for stopping by 🙂

      Reply
  • Valorie Grace Hallinan
    August 20, 2016 at 6:27 pm

    I’m left handed, so I know the word sinistra. Which in the Latin means sinister or of the devil, which is how left-handed people were once viewed!

    Reply
    • Ishita
      August 20, 2016 at 7:03 pm

      I had no idea about its origin..thank you 😃

      Reply
  • Ruma Dak
    August 20, 2016 at 4:28 pm

    Truccarci!!

    Reply
  • travelrat
    August 20, 2016 at 2:31 pm

    Ciccione means ‘fat’? Isn’t that Madonna’s last name? I wonder if she knows? 😀

    Reply
    • Ishita
      August 20, 2016 at 4:18 pm

      Haha. It means chubby n fat .. that’s what I know 😉 lol!

      Reply
  • Manja Mexi Movie
    August 20, 2016 at 2:25 pm

    “Altretanto” (mind single last ‘t’), “abbastanza” and “pezzetto” all roll off the tongue in a truly lovely way and I notice they are much used by the natives in Roma. There are some here I didn’t know before, such as “zerbino”, “truccarsi” and “garbuglio”. The one I most often use myself is “eccolo”, “eccoli”, “eccomi”, and “eccoci”. Let me teach you the longest and most useless word in Italian (if you don’t know it yet): “Precipitevolissimevolmente”.

    Reply
    • Ishita
      August 20, 2016 at 4:19 pm

      Omg! That last word. I need to see how to pronounce. Thank you. Keep sharing. noted the single t 😉 glad I could teach you a few!

      Reply
    • Ishita
      August 20, 2016 at 4:22 pm

      What does it mean?

      Reply
      • Manja Mexi Movie
        August 20, 2016 at 4:27 pm

        I just asked amore and he said: “Fast. Or quickly.” Hahhahah. To pronounce it imagine that it is made of these words: precipite (stress on first i) + volissime (stress on first i) + volmente (stress on first e).

        Reply
        • Ishita
          August 20, 2016 at 4:31 pm

          I’d rather use something else 😂😂 any other word instead of this 😉

          Reply
  • sunnydaysinseattle
    August 20, 2016 at 1:20 pm

    Learning Italian with you. Thank you ❤️

    Reply
    • Ishita
      August 20, 2016 at 1:22 pm

      I’m so glad I can help. Thank you <3

      Reply

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