Italian · Romance & Rejection
Che figa!
kay FEE-gah · /ke ˈfi.ɡa/
What a babe! (crude, objectifying — of a woman)
3/5 Watch your audience
genuinely rude; friends only, never at work
Literally
"(vulgar for vulva)"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
Here the rude root that "figo/figata" launders is fully live: "figa" is a raw word for female genitals, and "che figa" said of a woman is crass locker-room talk that will (rightly) land badly said aloud near her. Understand it, especially since it looks identical to the harmless "figo" family. Best left in the comprehension file.
Heard in the wild
Hai visto quella? Che figa.
Did you see her? What a babe. (crude)
Where it lands
Universal across Italy
Quick answers
- What does "Che figa!" mean?
- In Italian, "Che figa!" means "What a babe! (crude, objectifying — of a woman)". Literally it's "(vulgar for vulva)". Here the rude root that "figo/figata" launders is fully live: "figa" is a raw word for female genitals, and "che figa" said of a woman is crass locker-room talk that will (rightly) land badly said aloud near her. Understand it, especially since it looks identical to the harmless "figo" family. Best left in the comprehension file.
- Is "Che figa!" offensive?
- It's genuinely rude — a 3/5 (Watch your audience) on the Punch-o-Meter. Fine among friends, never at work or with people you've just met.
- How do you pronounce "Che figa!"?
- Say it "kay FEE-gah" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ke ˈfi.ɡa.
Related in Italian
Sei 'na bona! say nah BAW-nah You're hot / a hottie 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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