Italian · Insults
Figlio di puttana!
FEEL-yo dee poot-TAH-nah · /ˈfiʎ.ʎo di putˈta.na/
Son of a bitch!
4/5 Fighting words
aimed at a person, will start something
Literally
"Son of a whore"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
The classic maternal insult — same weight as the English. Often shortened to "figlio di p." or the coy "figlio di buona donna" (son of a good woman) when someone's biting their tongue. It can also flip to grudging admiration ("quel figlio di puttana ce l'ha fatta" — the bastard actually pulled it off), pure tone.
Heard in the wild
Quel figlio di puttana mi ha fregato.
That son of a bitch cheated me.
Where it lands
Universal across Italy
Quick answers
- What does "Figlio di puttana!" mean?
- In Italian, "Figlio di puttana!" means "Son of a bitch!". Literally it's "Son of a whore". The classic maternal insult — same weight as the English. Often shortened to "figlio di p." or the coy "figlio di buona donna" (son of a good woman) when someone's biting their tongue. It can also flip to grudging admiration ("quel figlio di puttana ce l'ha fatta" — the bastard actually pulled it off), pure tone.
- Is "Figlio di puttana!" offensive?
- Yes — very. It rates 4/5 on the Punch-o-Meter (Fighting words). aimed at a person, will start something. Read the usage note before you even think about it.
- How do you pronounce "Figlio di puttana!"?
- Say it "FEEL-yo dee poot-TAH-nah" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ˈfiʎ.ʎo di putˈta.na.
Related in Italian
Vaffanculo! vah-fahn-KOO-lo Fuck off! / Go to hell! Stronzo! STRON-tso Asshole! / Bastard! Coglione! kol-YO-nay Idiot / dumbass / sucker Testa di cazzo! TESS-tah dee KAHT-tso Dickhead / stupid asshole Cornuto! kor-NOO-to Cuckold — your partner is cheating on you Pezzo di merda! PET-tso dee MEHR-dah Piece of shit
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "Screw you".
- French Enculé ! Motherf***er / bastard (one of the hardest personal insults)
- German Verpiss dich! Piss off! / Clear off (with force)!
- Greek άντε γαμήσου Go fuck yourself / get lost / piss off.
- Japanese クソ野郎 Piece of shit / shitty bastard
- Korean 개새끼 Son of a bitch / bastard — a real insult with no soft reading.
- Polish ty kurwo You whore / you bitch — the aimed kurwa, a different animal entirely.
- Portuguese Filho da puta Son of a bitch / bastard
- Russian Средний палец Screw you / the finger
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