In Italy, friendship and love are two sides of the same coin. Italians deeply value human connection, which shows in the language. In fact, amico (friend) stems from the Latin word “amicus,” which in turn comes from the Latin “amor,” meaning “love.”
While amico is a well-known word for “friend” in Italian, it refers to male friends only. Italian words change according to gender and number, so there are a few more words to keep in mind as you talk about friendship. There’s also a wide range of regional variations and slang for friends in Italian that are just as important to know. Let’s explore these beautiful Italian words together!
Table of Contents
Amico/amica
To say “friend” in Italian, the right words are amico (male friend) and amica (female friend).
- L’amico di Marco è molto simpatico. = Marco’s friend is very nice.
- La donna incontra l’amica al ristorante. = The woman is meeting her friend at the restaurant.
If you want to say “my friend” in Italian, add the possessive adjectives between the article and the word “friend”:
- Questo è il mio amico. = This is my friend.
- Questa è la mia amica. = This is my friend.
Plural forms of ‘friends’ in Italian
When referring to more than one friend, the plural forms are gli amici (male friends or a mixed-gender group) and le amiche (female friends).
- Il ragazzo nuota con gli amici. = The boy is swimming with his friends.
- Incontrano le amiche al museo. = They are meeting their friends at the museum.
With the Italian possessive adjectives:
- Conosci i miei amici? = Have you met my friends?
- Amo passare del tempo con le mie amiche. = I enjoy spending time with my friends.
Migliore amico/amica
While it might sound like something teenagers say, if you want to make a friend feel special, nothing beats saying:
- Sei il mio migliore amico/Sei la mia migliore amica. = You are my best friend. (m/f)
In Italy, referring to someone or introducing them as your best friend is quite common, even among adults.
Amichetto/amichetta
Amichetto/amichetta (little friend) are diminutives used to refer to young children’s friends in Italian.
- Mio figlio gioca con i suoi amichetti dell’asilo. = My son plays with his little friends from preschool.
However, when used for adults, the tone shifts and it can carry a negative or ironic meaning, often referring to a casual fling or someone involved in an affair.
Amicone
Amicone (big friend) is a friend with a warm or generous personality. However, it can also refer negatively to someone overly friendly or acting like a friend.
- Fa tanto l’amicone, invece… = He acts like a big friend, but…
How do you say ‘friend’ in Italian slang?
Italian slang has always played a key role in how Italians refer to their friends. Here are a few more ways Italians talk about or address their friends, plus some regional variations.
Raga
The slang word raga is short for ragazzi/ragazze (boys/girls). You can use raga when directly addressing a group of friends. Otherwise, when talking about your friends, stick to ragazzi/ragazze.
- Ciao raga! = Hey friends!
- Esco con i ragazzi. = I’m going out with my friends.
These three words mean “friends” in Italian only in the plural form. In singular, il mio ragazzo/la mia ragazza is slang for “my boyfriend”/“my girlfriend.”
Bro and fra
Just like in English, teens and young Italians have adopted words like bro or fra, short for fratello (brother) as an alternative of friend. Less common, but still part of slang is sore (sis).
- Grande, fra! = Awesome, bro!
Zio/zia
Two more Italian nouns for family members have taken on a slang meaning: zio/zia. They mean “uncle”/“aunt”; but in slang, they are a way to address a friend.
- Oh, zio, che combini? = Dude, what are you up to?
Socio/socia
Literally meaning “business partner,” socio/socia is slang for a close friend, like saying your “buddy” or “partner in crime.”
- Vado con il socio alla festa. = I go to the party with my buddy.
Compare/cumpà
Of course, we can’t forget to mention the influence of Italian dialects. Compare is a popular word to call friends in Central and Southern Italy. It loosely translates to “comrade” in English.
You might hear it in different forms depending on the region, like compare, compà, cumpà, ‘mpare, or ‘mbare.
- Ué, compà! Come stai? = Hey bro! How are you?
Paisano/paisà
The word “paisan” crossed the ocean thanks to the Italian-American community. This term comes from paisano, which means “fellow countryman” or “someone from the same village” in Southern Italian dialects.
It spread during the liberation of Italy in World War II, as Italian-American soldiers used it to refer to Italian civilians and allied soldiers. Its popularity is also partly due to Roberto Rossellini’s 1946 film Paisà, which helped bring the word into mainstream use.
Today, you can still hear it as paisà or paesà in South Italy when people bump into a friend from the same area, like a neighbor during a passeggiata (walk).
Practice Italian with Rosetta Stone
Wondering how to speak Italian when you don’t have Italian-speaking friends to practice with? Join Rosetta Stone’s Italian online tutoring sessions!
These interactive small-group sessions are a great way to improve your speaking skills, as you can discuss what you’ve learned with a tutor and fellow students. Each session aligns with a core Rosetta Stone lesson, so you can keep track of your learning journey and put what you’ve learned to the test in real conversations.
0 Commentaires