We recently conducted a survey in our area Facebook group Discover the most popular Italian words among our readers, with over 900 people responding!Although some results, e.g. nail (You’re welcome) and ice cream (ice cream), which was expected, others proved to be quite surprising.
Here are the top 20 words that you, our readers, unanimously voted for. Additionally, we’ve listed five of our favorite words that have been mentioned several times, but not enough to make the final list. enjoy!
champion
1.Amore
this is not shocking Amore, Italian words like, became the clear winner.This not only means like, but it is also a very common term of endearment in Italian and can be used for both adults and children. I think love can really conquer everything!


runner up
2.Let’s go
let’s go is the first person plural form go (go), meaning “let us go” or “let us go”. We believe this term is popular because it is familiar to our Italian-American readers from childhood.


3. Let’s eat/let’s eat
eat is an imperative instruction, translated as “eat!” on the other hand, “let’s eat” method”let’s eat” or”we eat”. Many of our readers likely heard these words as children, evoking nostalgic memories of family dinners.


Honorable Mention
4. So
It’s hard to say why thenwhich is a filler word equivalent to the English so / Excellent / Then / OK, so popular. Tourists may often notice this when listening to Italian tour guides. Additionally, its pleasant sound, double L’s, and rich vowels also contribute to its appeal. Additionally, I suspect that for many Italian immigrants to the United States, it was a challenging word to remove from their speech, which may have resulted in their children learning the word as well.
5.beautiful+beautiful
bello (male) and bella (Female) are both translated as “beautiful”.when you join -Isimo/a In the end, you will become “very beautiful.” Considering their meaning, it’s no wonder they are so popular. and, Bello and bella Also all Intimate terms in Italian. Those who think these words are their favorite are likely to have been called them as children.
6. happiness
pleasure method”pleasure,” but it can also be used as the equivalent of “Nice to meet you”. Its frequent use in conversation, plus the fact that it’s one of the first words learners learn, makes it an obvious favorite!
7. Towels
Never in a million years did I think this word would make the top ten. towel method towel, which, according to our readers, has a fun and enjoyable sound. I also strongly suspect that the children of Italian-American immigrants grew up hearing the word a lot.
8. tablespoon/teaspoon
Another shocker is the word table spoon (spoon) and its abbreviations teaspoon (teaspoon). As I have mentioned time and time again, this is probably a term that Italian-American immigrants continued to use at home even after moving to the United States. As such, it evokes vivid memories of a long-gone childhood.
9. Tesoro
Now let’s get back to the types of words you’d like to see in your favorites list. Tesoro method”treasure” In Italian, it is often used as a word of endearment, as in this Honey in English.
10. Just
this is only method”stop” or”enough”, is a phrase parents often yell at their children when they misbehave. Perhaps our readers will look back on these tense family moments with rose-tinted glasses? 😃
11. Bat
I can’t think of a logical reason bat (“this word”bat“) is my favorite, except it sounds so cute!
12. Amazing
This word often becomes a favorite, not primarily because of its pronunciation, but because of its English translation: thrilling.
14. Talkative
This is an interesting word in Italian method”Chatterbox”. I think it’s popular not only because it sounds cute, but also because it’s a common nickname for chatty kids.The corresponding word for female is Chatty.
15. Ice cream
Ah, how is this possible? Delicious Italian treat Not on our readers’ list of favorite Italian words? In fact, I’m surprised it’s not higher!
16. Butterfly
Butterflymeaning is Butterflyis also a fairly predictable candidate – it sounds beautiful, and it refers to something beautiful!
17. Storm
Yes The longest word in Italian Also one of your favorites. It consists of 26 letters and 13 syllables and was composed by Francesco Moneti (1635-1712), a monk, astronomer and satirist from Cortona. Why not listen to the audio a few times and try pronunciation?
18. Poch
From the longest word, we transition to one of the shortest – Poch. This simple word means “I have no idea” and can be compared to a verbal shrug. By the way, Boh is one of our favorites too!
19. Stamps
stamp is a word stamp in Italian. As one of our readers commented: “It’s such a mouthful to say for such a small thing.,” I do think that’s part of its charm. The repetition of the “o” also gives it a playful sound.
20. Awesome
The last sentence on this list is indeed a worthy candidate.This is an adjective meaning wonderfulalthough the Italian word is used far more than its English counterpart.
Our top picks
While we thank our readers for all of their word choices, there are a few that we personally particularly like, even though they didn’t make the top 20.
Turtle(#25)
Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love turtles?
Squirrel(#34)
The same goes for squirrels!
Apricot(#35)
Apricots have a cute name in Italian, and they’re delicious too.
Afternoon (#40)
this sounds better than good afternoon,Do not you think so?
Puppy(#48)
cub (cub) is what I call my three-year-old son, so I can’t help but have a soft spot for the word.
Does your favorite Italian word make this list? Let us know in the comments section below!
Heather Broster is a graduate with honors in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, fluent in English and Italian, as well as varying degrees of fluency in Japanese, Welsh and French. Originally from Toronto, Heather has lived in several countries, notably Italy for six years. Her main research areas are language acquisition, education and bilingual teaching.
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