Italian · Romance & Rejection
Sei 'na bona!
say nah BAW-nah · /sei na ˈbɔ.na/
You're hot / a hottie
2/5 Bar-safe
coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances
Literally
"You're a good (one)"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
Roman-flavored "you're gorgeous" — "bono" (m) / "bona" (f), literally "tasty/good." Flirty and appreciative but still catcall-adjacent, so it depends entirely on who's saying it to whom; among friends it's a compliment, from a stranger on the street it's unwelcome. "Che schianto" (a knockout) is the gallant version.
Heard in the wild
Madonna quanto sei bona!
God, you're gorgeous!
Where it lands
Rome/central; understood nationally
Quick answers
- What does "Sei 'na bona!" mean?
- In Italian, "Sei 'na bona!" means "You're hot / a hottie". Literally it's "You're a good (one)". Roman-flavored "you're gorgeous" — "bono" (m) / "bona" (f), literally "tasty/good." Flirty and appreciative but still catcall-adjacent, so it depends entirely on who's saying it to whom; among friends it's a compliment, from a stranger on the street it's unwelcome. "Che schianto" (a knockout) is the gallant version.
- Is "Sei 'na bona!" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 2/5 (Bar-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances.
- How do you pronounce "Sei 'na bona!"?
- Say it "say nah BAW-nah" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: sei na ˈbɔ.na.
Related in Italian
Che figa! kay FEE-gah What a babe! (crude, objectifying — of a woman) Limonare lee-mo-NAH-ray To make out / snog Ci prova con tutte chee PRAW-vah kon TOOT-tay He hits on everyone / makes a move on anyone Dare il due di picche DAH-ray eel DOO-ay dee PEEK-kay To reject / shoot someone down È un cesso eh oon CHESS-so They're butt-ugly / a real minger Figo! FEE-go Cool! / Awesome! / Sick!
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