On the search for some of the most commonly used Italian insults, have you heard someone say Cagacazzo (dumb)? In today’s post, we will walk you through each of the popular ones and explain what it means and when it should only be used. You see, saying curse words has become part of many people’s habits, but it does not necessarily mean that they try to offend someone. So here, we will only focus on the common ones and not discuss the rude ones meant to hurt others.
Italian swear words are on a level of their own with their strong accent and longer forms. In addition, their culture shows that to curse like a real Italian properly, you should use the correct tone, intonation, and gestures to emphasize what you are referring to. But why exactly do we say these powerful yet vulgar words, right? Do we really mean to harm the feelings of others, or are we simply saying it just because?
Here’s what science says:
Swear words and expressions play a huge role in our everyday conversations. More often than not, our main reason for saying such is to express an intense emotional state or signal frustration. However, based on research, swearing using any language you are most comfortable with can help us ease pain, convey our feelings authentically, and relieve ourselves from some emotional tension. So we utter them in almost everything we do.
Italian Swear Words
As you probably noticed, there are also instances wherein the insulting expressions do not directly make use of “bad” words. In cases like this, humans show signs of trying their best not to sound offensive or unpleasant by using euphemisms. According to one research, there are practically nine categories of swear words which we usually use on a daily basis:
- Animal names (ex: monkey, snake, or bitch)
- Ethnic-racial-gender slurs (ex: nigger or ching chong)
- Psychological deviations (ex: moron, hoe, or whore)
- Ancestral allusions (ex: bastard or son of a bitch)
- Sexual references (sexual parts or acts)
- Profanity (blasphemous words related to religious beings)
- Disgusting things (ex: shit, crap, or piss)
- Vulgar terms (ex: fart face)
- Offensive slang (ex: suck or fag)
Commonly Used Italian Insults
Below are some of the translations for Italian bad words that you have to watch out for:
- Porca puttana – Bloody hell, damn
- Vattela a pigliare in culo – Take it up your ass
- Levati dai coglioni – Get off my balls
- Attaccati a sto cazzo – Cling to this cock
- Vai a morire ammazzato – Go die murdered
- Va’ a farti fottere – Go get fucked
- Sei una sfigata / Sfigato – Loser
- Vai a quel paese – He is a jerk
- Sei un deficiente / Deficiente – You are a moron
- Sei un rompicoglioni – You are a pain in the ass
- Sei un cretino / Mammalucco – You are a fool
- Sei uno stronzo – You are an asshole
- Sei stupido(a) / Sei scemo(a) / Sei un idiota – You are stupid
- Pezzo di merda – Piece of shit
- Porca troia – Whore
- Vaffanculo – Fuck you
- Vai a cagare – Fuck off
- Va’ in malora – Go toward ruin
Now that we already know the Italian insults and their direct translations in English, it’s time that we lighten up the insults a bit. In the next part of this post, we will walk you through 10 animals used to call someone out to be behaving as such.
Funny Italian Curses And What It Means
Did you know that there are extra insulting Italian expressions that use animals? Check out the cultural meaning below to find out what it means when someone compares you to one.
Ready To Learn The Italian Language?
So, which of these Italian swears have you heard before, or are you planning to use them with your close friends? Remember, do not use these Italian Insults with people you just met or when you are traveling, as some of these can be very rude.
As we reach this part of the post, we hope that you were able to learn about the insulting Italian expressions used in real life. If you enjoyed this post, then check out our other language tips related to this language, such as Italian greetings and love phrases. However, if you are more interested in learning the Italian language, then we’ve got something perfect for you: the Ling app.
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