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Italian · The Basics

Cavolo!

KAH-vo-lo · /ˈka.vo.lo/

Darn! / Shoot! / The clean stand-in for cazzo.

1/5 Grandma-safe

mild, playful; fine on daytime TV

Literally

"Cabbage"

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

How to use it

The polite minced version of "cazzo," swapped in the way English trades "fuck" for "fudge." Fully family-safe: "che cavolo vuoi?" (what the heck do you want), "un cavolo" (jack squat). If you want to sound Italian without offending your host's mother, this is your intensifier.

Heard in the wild

Non ci capisco un cavolo.

I don't understand a damn thing.

Where it lands

Universal across Italy

Quick answers

What does "Cavolo!" mean?
In Italian, "Cavolo!" means "Darn! / Shoot! / The clean stand-in for cazzo.". Literally it's "Cabbage". The polite minced version of "cazzo," swapped in the way English trades "fuck" for "fudge." Fully family-safe: "che cavolo vuoi?" (what the heck do you want), "un cavolo" (jack squat). If you want to sound Italian without offending your host's mother, this is your intensifier.
Is "Cavolo!" 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 "Cavolo!"?
Say it "KAH-vo-lo" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ˈka.vo.lo.

Related in Italian

Cazzo! KAHT-tso Fuck! / Damn! / The all-purpose Italian curse. Merda! MEHR-dah Shit! / Damn it! Che palle! kay PAHL-lay What a pain in the ass! / So annoying! Porca miseria! POR-kah mee-ZEH-ryah Dammit! / For heaven's sake! Minchia! MEEN-kyah Holy shit! / Wow! / Damn! Mamma mia! MAHM-mah MEE-ah Oh my! / Good heavens! / Wow!

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "Damn".

how to say "Damn" →

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