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cursing.in curse like a local

Italian · 19 phrases

Exclamations

Dropped your phone, saw the bill, got the good news — this is the noise you make. Italy's exclamations cluster around two families: the innocent "porca ___" minced oaths (miseria, vacca, paletta) and the invocations ("mamma mia," "madonna"). Both sound dramatic; only some are safe. We tell you which.

Accidenti! aht-chee-DEN-tee Darn! / Wow! / Good grief! Cavolo! KAH-vo-lo Darn! / Shoot! / The clean stand-in for cazzo. Che schifo! kay SKEE-fo How gross! / Yuck! Dai! DYE Come on! / Come off it! / Please! Mamma mia! MAHM-mah MEE-ah Oh my! / Good heavens! / Wow! Mannaggia! mahn-NAH-jah Damn it! / Curse it!
Oddio! od-DEE-oh Oh God! / Oh no! Porca miseria! POR-kah mee-ZEH-ryah Dammit! / For heaven's sake! Porca paletta! POR-kah pah-LET-tah Darn it! / Dang! Uffa! OOF-fah Ugh! / Come on! / Enough! Che figata! kay fee-GAH-tah How awesome! / So cool! Madonna! mah-DON-nah Oh my god! / Jeez! Merda! MEHR-dah Shit! / Damn it! Minchia! MEEN-kyah Holy shit! / Wow! / Damn! Porca vacca! POR-kah VAHK-kah Holy cow! / Darn! Cazzo! KAHT-tso Fuck! / Damn! / The all-purpose Italian curse. Che cazzo?! kay KAHT-tso What the fuck?! Porca puttana! POR-kah poot-TAH-nah Holy shit! / Goddammit! Porca troia! POR-kah TROY-ah Fucking hell! / Goddammit!