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ITALIAN LANGUAGE

What’s the one Italian word that English speakers find alarming?

The Italian language may sound like music to the ears of those who don't speak it - but there's one Italian word that doesn't sound so pleasant.

Published: 26 January 2024 12:57 CET
What's the one Italian word that English speakers find alarming?
This is one word Italian speakers won't want to shout too loudly when in English-speaking countries. Photo by Antonio Lapa on Unsplash

The Italian language doesn’t have all that many words that sound rude or shocking to Anglophone ears (unlike, say, Danish and other Germanic languages, which have no shortage of words which sound either comical or potentially offensive.)

But there is one Italian word in particular that readers say has earned them some funny looks when they’ve used it outside of Italy.

When we asked readers on our Facebook page which Italian words sound wrong to them in English, the one that came up again and again was dai.

“Bilingual kids going “daddy dai!” in the park!” said Laura Jayne Farminer.

Michelle Heron wrote: “I’m constantly having to tell my husband who’s Italian to stop shouting dai when we’re out walking our dogs.”

Innocently enough, dai means ‘come on’ in English, but with the pronunciation being so similar to ‘die’ it’s no wonder readers reported some horrified reactions.

And when combined with other, equally innocent Italian words, it can sound even more alarming.

“True story: Italian mom yelling “Dai, basta” in Italian at her kids running in a US store to stop running,” commented Linda D’Alessandro.

Sara Rovetto said: “Dai Giù! I’ve said that so many times to the dog or the kids before realising that ooooooops the bad looks were not directed to them but me.”

“Half my family is Jewish so that’s the very last thing I would shout on a bus or… anywhere.”

In Italy, dai is a word you’ll hear used very frequently by Italians, and it has a few possible uses.

But no matter how good your Italian is, as these examples show, it’s one word you might not want to use when you’re out and about in an English-speaking country…

Do you know any other Italian words that sound shocking to non-Italian speakers? Let us know in the comments below.

Member comments

  1. I was never comfortable when my children had an ‘interrogazione’ at school. It sounds far scarier than just being asked questions about a subject!

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LEARNING ITALIAN

Boh, mah, eh: Five strange noises Italians make and what they mean

Fancy vocab isn't the only way to impress your friends in Italy - these quirky interjections could actually be the key to sounding like a local.

Published: 2 May 2024 14:19 CEST
Boh, mah, eh: Five strange noises Italians make and what they mean

For most Italian-language learners, it’s a familiar scenario: you kick off your learning journey with textbooks and courses to familiarise yourself with all the tricky grammar and vocabulary, but as soon as you start talking to a native speaker, you hear words you’ve never come across before, as well as some slightly confusing noises.

These funny sounds, which are usually referred to as interjections by language experts, can be used to express anything from exhaustion to anger to surprise, or even to check whether the person you’re talking to is listening.

Whether your ultimate goal is to sound like a native or simply add some natural flair to your Italian, it’s worth getting familiar with the most popular interjections and trying to incorporate them in your everyday conversations.

Boh

If you live in Italy, chances are there are a few things that you find slightly puzzling about the country and for which you may have no immediate explanation. 

For instance, why are Italians always so late? Or why are they so obsessed with cleaning? 

Your answer to both of the above questions may be boh.

READ ALSO: Etto, ino, ello: How to make Italian words smaller

Boh is a common way to say ‘I don’t know’ in informal situations, with Italians often underlining their point by thrusting their chin forward and pulling down their lips.

Remember: boh doesn’t rhyme with ‘oh’ or ‘so’ in English; it sounds more like a ‘buh’. Hear the correct pronunciation here.  

Beh

One vowel can make all the difference in the world in Italian, so be careful not to confuse the above-mentioned boh with beh. 

Beh (pronunciation available here) is actually a short version of bene, which is the Italian equivalent of the English ‘well’ and can, in most cases, be translated as such.

For instance:

Beh, potrebbe andare peggio. Potrebbe piovere.

Well, it could be worse. It could be raining.

Beh, e’ molto piu’ veloce di quanto pensassi.

Well, he’s way quicker than I thought.

You’ll often find beh followed by senti (‘well, listen…’) or insomma (‘well, not really…’).

Eh

Eh might not be the most beautiful word in the Italian language, but it’s certainly one of the most versatile as it can be used to express a huge variety of emotions – from astonishment to irritation to regret – depending on the tone of voice you use.

Unlike the English ‘eh’, the Italian eh doesn’t rhyme with ‘may’: it’s a short vowel sound, like the one in ‘meh’ (hear its pronunciation here). 

As for how to translate it, eh can be anything from ‘yeah’ to ‘right’ to ‘what?’ .

M’ha chiuso la porta in faccia!

Eh?!

He shut the door in my face!

What?!

Lo conosci?

Eh, e quindi?

Do you know him?

Yeah, so what? 

You can also use it to ask questions, either because you expect someone to agree with you or because you haven’t heard what they said.

Bella giornata, eh?

Nice day, right?

Uffa

If you ever find yourself irritated or annoyed by something in Italy (and you probably will at some point), uffa is one of the best ways to express it in everyday speech.

It means the same as ‘ugh’ or ‘geez’ in English, and is pronounced ‘ooh-fah’, with a very strong emphasis on the ‘f’.

READ ALSO: ‘I’m not Onassis’: Seven things Italian dads say and what they mean

It is very informal, but it isn’t vulgar and you’ll hear people of all ages use it. 

Uffa, ho dimenticato di comprare il sapone.

Ugh, I forgot to buy the soap.

Mah

Mah (hear it pronounced here) is one of the most popular ways to express doubt or uncertainty about something that may or may not happen in the future. Think of it as a short version of chi lo sa? (‘who knows?’). 

Come pensi andra’ a finire?

Mah…Non ho una palla di cristallo purtroppo.

How do you think it will pan out?

Who knows…I don’t have a crystal ball unfortunately.

You can also use it to tease someone.

Mi stai preparando una sorpresa per l’anniversario di matrimonio?

Mah! Vedremo…

Are you preparing a surprise for our wedding anniversary?

Who knows! We’ll see…

Mah can sometimes be used interchangeably with boh, though boh is more commonly used with things that the speaker doesn’t know about but other people may, whereas mah generally applies to situations or outcomes that no one can possibly know about as they haven’t happened yet.

Do you have another favourite Italian interjection that’s not on this list? Let us know in the comments section below.

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