Italian Terms of Endearment and Affection
In this article, you'll be introduced to useful phrases and expressions that will help you navigate through the complex world of dating, love, and relationships. We’ll also teach you all the key words, phrases, and terms of endearment you need to express love and affection to friends, family and pets. The Italian language makes fundamental distinctions between romantic and family love.
Knowing some key phrases about love and affection will also help you fully understand the conversations that you may hear in Italian movies, TV series, songs, classical operas, and theater shows.
The most common Italian terms of endearment
Before we proceed to talking about declaring love, flirting and complimenting someone in Italian, let’s learn what the different people involved in a romantic relationship are called in Italian.
| Italian word | translation |
|---|---|
| ragazza | girlfriend |
| ragazzo | boyfriend |
| fidanzato | in a steady, serious relationship |
| fidanzata | in a steady, serious relationship |
| compagno | partner |
| compagna | partner |
| marito | husband |
| moglie | wife |
Have a look at the following table, and get ready to expand your vocabulary with Italian “nomignoli” (nicknames) you can use with your Italian partner and loves ones.
| Italian term of endearment | translation |
|---|---|
| amore | love |
| amore mio | my love |
| tesoro | sweetheart (literally, treasure) |
| tesoro mio | sweetheart (literally, my treasure) |
| gioia | sweetheart (literally, joy) |
| angelo | angel |
| mio angelo | my angel |
| piccolo, piccola | little one |
| caro | dear |
| caro mio | my dear |
| cara | darling |
| mia cara | my darling |
| principessa | princess |
| principe | prince |
| mio amato, mia amata | my beloved |
| cucciolo, cucciola | honey (literally, puppy) |
| stella | honey (literally, star) |
| stellina | honey (literally, little star) |
| bellissimo, bellissima | beautiful |
| cuore mio | my heart |
| vita mia | my life |
| baby | baby |
| bambolina | little doll |
| zuccherino | sugar |
| polpetta | meatball |
| topolino, topolina | little mouse |
| paperino | gander |
| paperina | little duck |
| passerotto | sparrow |
| orsacchiotto | teddy bear |
| patatino, patatina | little potato |
Italian nicknames for friends
English speakers usually call their friends “buddy,” “bro,” “mate,” “dude,” or “pal.” Let’s learn the Italian equivalents and other terms of endearment and affection that don’t involve a romantic interest or attraction.
| Italian nickname for friends | translation |
|---|---|
| fratello | brother |
| fra | bro |
| sorella | sister |
| sorè | sis |
| zio | mate (literally, uncle) |
| zia | mate (literally, aunt) |
| compa (short for compagno) | buddy |
| bello | handsome |
| bella | beautiful |
| grande | dude (literally, great) |
| bomber | buddy (literally, goalscorer) |
| ciccio, ciccia | buddy (literally, chubby) |
| campione | buddy (literally, champion) |
| carissimo, carissima | dear |
| raga | guys |
Royal terms like “principessa” (princess), and “principino” (little prince) are frequently used as terms of endearment and sweet nicknames for children.
Italian phrases to tell someone you like or love them
Now, let’s learn the most common ways to express love and affection in Italian to your significant other. Before we proceed, it’s crucial to know that there are different degrees of affection, and appropriate expressions for each.
There are two different ways to say “I love you” in Italian, and they are not interchangeable.
1 Ti voglio bene(I love you)
The phrase “ti voglio bene” is used to express love to family members, and close friends. You can also use it in uncommitted relationships, with someone you are just dating casually, or when the relationship has just started.
2 Ti amo(I love you)
“Ti voglio bene” is much less serious than “ti amo,” which is very strong and means that you love someone romantically.
Let’s have a look at other phrases to tell someone you like or love them, ranked in order of romanticness.
3 Mi piaci(I like you)
Saying “mi piaci” to someone means that you find them nice.
4 Ti adoro(I adore you)
“Ti adoro” is considered a very sweet thing to say to someone you like.
5 Sei speciale e importante per me(You are special and important to me)
If you are dating someone who is becoming more and more important to you, tell them “sei speciale e importante per me.”
6 Ho bisogno di te(I need you)
If you want to tell someone that you need them, use this sweet sentence.
7 Sei tutto per me(You are everything to me)
When you love someone dearly, use this sentence to express very deep feelings towards them.
Other very romantic phrases are:
8 Non posso vivere senza di te(I can't live without you) 9 Sono pazzo di te, sono pazza di te
(I’m crazy about you) 10 Ti amo immensamente
(I love you immensely) 11 Sei la persona a cui tengo di più
(You are the person I care about most) 12 Sei il mio universo
(You are my universe) 13 Sei il mio tutto
(You are my everything) 14 Sei la cosa più bella che mi sia mai capitata
(You are the best thing that ever happened to me) 15 Senza di te, la vita non ha significato
(Without you, life has no meaning) 16 Sei la mia vita
(You are my life) 17 Senza di te, non sono niente
(Without you, I'm nothing) 18 Sei il grande amore della mia vita
(You are the love of my life)
Italian phrases to express love and affection to friends and family
Here we have collected useful phrases that you can use to express love and affection to a close friend, family member, and even pet animal.
| Italian phrase | translation |
|---|---|
| ti voglio bene, mamma | i love you, mom |
| ti voglio bene, papà | i love you, dad |
| ti voglio bene, nonna | i love you, grandma |
| ti voglio bene, nonno | i love you, grandpa |
| vi voglio bene | i love you all |
| ti voglio bene, amico mio | i love you, my friend |
| ti voglio bene, amica mia | i love you, my friend |
The phrase “ti voglio bene” literally means “I want you well” in Italian. In this case, the little word “ti” is an indirect object pronoun.
Flirting in Italian
Here are some phrases and questions that you can use to start flirting with someone in Italian.
1 Ti ha mai detto nessuno che hai degli occhi bellissimi?(Has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful eyes?) 2 Posso offrirti qualcosa da bere?
(May I buy you a drink?) 3 Sei single?
(Are you single?) 4 Vuoi uscire con me?
(Do you want to go on a date with me?) 5 Posso invitarti a cena?
(Can I invite you to dinner?) 6 Posso avere il tuo numero di telefono?
(Could I get your number?) 7 Mi piacerebbe rivederti
(I'd love to meet up again) 8 È stato bello conoscerti
(It's been nice knowing you) 9 Mi è piaciuto molto parlare con te
(I really enjoyed talking to you)
How to compliment someone in Italian
Here are various phrases that you can use if you want to romantically compliment someone you are interested in and have a strong attraction to.
1 Sei bellissimo, sei bellissima(You look beautiful) 2 Sei stupendo, sei stupenda
(You look gorgeous) 3 Sei una meraviglia
(You are marvelous) 4 Sei uno spettacolo
(You are a sight to behold. Literally, you are a spectacle) 5 Sei uno splendore
(You are such a beauty) 6 Sei molto carino, sei molto carina
(You are so cute) 7 Sei una bella persona, dentro e fuori
(You are a beautiful person, inside and out) 8 Stai benissimo
(You are really good looking) 9 Ti trovo in gran forma
(You look great) 10 Ti trovo bene
(You look good) 11 Questo abito ti sta d'incanto
(This dress looks great on you) Conclusion
This article was meant to get you comfortable with complimenting, flirting, and expressing your feelings to someone in Italian with confidence. You’re now ready to spread some love, affection, and happiness around you like a true Italian!
