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Italian · At the Bar

Sono un po' brillo

SO-no oon paw BREEL-lo · /ˈso.no un pɔ ˈbril.lo/

I'm a little tipsy.

1/5 Grandma-safe

mild, playful; fine on daytime TV

Literally

"I'm a bit sparkling/tipsy"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

The gentle, tipsy end of the scale — merry, loosened, not gone. "Brillo" (literally 'shiny') is affectionate and self-deprecating, the perfect thing to admit at aperitivo. Feminine "brilla." One rung up is "alticcio," then "sbronzo," then the full "ubriaco fradicio."

Heard in the wild

Basta vino, sono già brillo.

No more wine, I'm already tipsy.

Where it lands

Universal across Italy

Quick answers

What does "Sono un po' brillo" mean?
In Italian, "Sono un po' brillo" means "I'm a little tipsy.". Literally it's "I'm a bit sparkling/tipsy". The gentle, tipsy end of the scale — merry, loosened, not gone. "Brillo" (literally 'shiny') is affectionate and self-deprecating, the perfect thing to admit at aperitivo. Feminine "brilla." One rung up is "alticcio," then "sbronzo," then the full "ubriaco fradicio."
Is "Sono un po' brillo" offensive?
It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
How do you pronounce "Sono un po' brillo"?
Say it "SO-no oon paw BREEL-lo" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ˈso.no un pɔ ˈbril.lo.

Related in Italian

Cin cin! chin chin Cheers! Salute! sah-LOO-tay Cheers! / To your health! (also: bless you) Ubriaco fradicio oo-BRYAH-ko FRAH-dee-cho Wasted / blackout drunk Che sbronza! kay ZBRON-tsah What a bender! / What a hangover! Offro io! OF-fro EE-oh This round's on me! / My treat! Ci facciamo un goccio? chee faht-CHAH-mo oon GOT-cho Shall we grab a drink?

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "Hungover".

how to say "Hungover" →

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