Chapter 17 – Useful Vocabulary:
Dating, Sex, and Love

Now that you have gotten your fill of the sights, sounds, and tastes that Italy has to offer, you might want to turn your attention into finding love and companionship. Here are some key terms and phrases that might prove useful for you later on:

• Flirting

Italians are known for being naturally sociable, especially when they find someone attractive. Here are some key phrases and expressions that they use whenever they flirt with another person:

• “Posso unirmi a te?”
  • Pronunciation: pohs -soh ooh-neehr -mee ah teh
  • Translation: “May I join you?”
• “Come stai?”
  • Pronunciation: koh -meh stah -ee
  • Translation: “How are you?”
• “Posso offrirti qualcosa?”
  • Pronunciation: pohs -soh ohf-freehr -tee kwahl -koh-sah
  • Translation: “May I buy you a drink?”

Here are other Italian terms related to the art of flirting:

• “abbordare” (ahb-bohr -dah-reh) – “to approach”
• “accompagnarsi (ahk-kohm -pah-nyahr-see) – “to accompany”
• “buttarsi” (booht-tahr -see) – “to go and try”
• “corteggiare” (kohr-tehj -jah-reh) – “to court”
• “fare il prezioso/la preziosa” (fah -reh eel prehts-tsoh -soh/lah prehts-tsoh -sah) – “to play hard to get”
• “farsi delle storie” (fahr -see dehl -leh stoh -ree) – “to see each other”
• “rimorchiare” (ree-mohr -kyah-reh) – “to pick someone up”
• “un cascamorto” (oohn kahs-kah-mohr -toh) – “dramatic swooning”
• “una civetta” (ooh -na chee-veht -tah) – “flirty woman”
• “un donnaiolo” (oohn dohn-nah -ee-oh-loh) – “flirty man”

• Dating

Italians enjoy doing various types of activities when they are out for a date. This includes:

• “andare al cinema” (ahn-dah -reh ahl chee-neh -mah) – “going to the cinema”
• “cucinare insieme” (kooh-chee -nah-reh een-sheh -meh) – “cooking something together”
• “fare una passeggiata (fah -reh ooh -na pahs-sehj -jah-tah) – “taking a walk”

Here is a list of helpful vocabularies that you might encounter or use when you are dating another person that is fluent in Italian:

• “dare buca a qualcuno” (dah -reh booh -kah a kwahl -kooh-noh) – “to stand up one’s date”
• “reggere la candela” (rehg-geh -reh lah kahn-deh -lah) – “to be the third wheel”
• “pagare alla romana” (pah-gah -reh ahl -lah roh-mah -nah) – “to split the bill in equal parts”
• “un appuntamento al buio” (oohn ahp-poohn -tah-mehn-toh)– “blind date”

• Hugs and Kisses

If the date went well, then you may expect to get a hug or kiss from your date at the end of your time with him or her. Below is a list of Italian terms that are used to describe gestures of affection between two people who are attracted with one another:

• “abbracciare” (ahb-brah -kyah-reh)– “to hug”
• “accarezzare” (ahk-kah-rehts -tsyah-reh) – “to caress”
• “andare e braccetto” (ahn-dah -reh eh brahk-keht -toh) – “to walk side-by-side with entwined arms”
• “baciare” (bah-kyah -reh) – “to kiss”
• “baciare con la lingua” (bah-kyah -reh kohn lah leehn -gwah) – “to kiss using tongue”
• “coccolare” (kohk-koh -lah-reh) – “to cuddle”
• “palpeggiare” (pahl-pehj -jah-reh) – “to fondle”
• “sbaciucchiarsi” (sbah-chooh -kyahr-see) – “to make out”

• Sex

As the relationship becomes deeper, you might engage in sex with the person you are seeing. Here are some of the common Italian terms related to this activity:

• “fare l’amore” (fah -reh lah-moh -reh) – “to make love”
• “fare sesso” (fah -reh sehs -soh) – “to have sex”
• “farsi una sveltina” (fahr -see ooh -nah svehl-tee -nah) – “to have a quickie”
• “una botta e via” (ooh -nah boht -tah e vee -ah) – “a one-night stand”

• Love

Falling in love with the person you are dating could be expressed using the following sentences:

• “Mi piace qualcuno.”
  • Pronunciation: mee pyah -che kwahl -koo-noh
  • Translation: “I like someone.”

• “Mi piaci.”
  • Pronunciation: mee pyah -chee
  • Translation: “I like you.”

• “Mi sono presa una cotta per qualcuno.”
  • Pronunciation: mee soh -noh preh -sah ooh -nah koht -tah pehr kwahl -kooh-noh
  • Translation: “I have a crush on someone.”
• “Mi sono innamorato/innamorata di qualcuno.”
  • Pronunciation: mee soh -noh een-nah -moh-rahr-toh/een-nah -moh-rahr-tah
  • Translation: “I am in love with someone.” or “I have fallen in love with someone.”
• “Ti adoro.”
  • Pronunciation: tee ah-doh -roh
  • Translation: “I adore you.”
• “Ti amo.”
  • Pronunciation: tee ah -moh
  • Translation: “I love you.”
• “Ti voglio bene.”
  • Pronunciation: tee voh -lyoh beh -neh
  • Translation: “I like you a lot.”
• “Ti piaccio.”
  • Pronunciation: tee pyah -chee
  • Translation: “You like me.”

It is normal for couples to use pet names to address one another. The following terms are the most popular ones among Italian couples:

• “amore” (ah-moh -reh) – “love”
• “cucciolotto” (kooh-choh -loht-toh) – “little puppy”
• “patatina” (pah-tah -tee-nah) – “little potato”
• “tesoro" (teh-soh -roh) – “treasure”

Exercise

Translate into English the following Italian terms and expressions of love:

1. Mi piaci
2. una civetta
3. baciare
4. un appuntamento al buio
5. fare l’amore

Answer Key:

1. I like you.
2. flirty woman
3. to kiss
4. blind date
5. to make love