Italian Youth Slang: Phrases and Words
The Italian language is a beautiful and colorful one. However, it can be difficult for foreigners to understand the different dialects that are spoken in Italy. This blog post will focus on some of the most popular expressions used by Italians between 18-35 years old. These phrases and words may seem odd at first, but they’re pretty standard in everyday speech among this age group, and you don’t need an Italian tutor to learn them! We’ll cover some of the most commonly used slang terms that will help you better understand them when they come up in conversation or text messages with someone from Italy. Keep reading if you want to understand better what Italians are talking about!
Trescare
Have an affair or romantic relationship with a person who you are not married to.
This term has only one meaning in the language of young people – “to have a non-binding romance.” The younger generation (non-millennials), commonly known as flirting, would instead be called “muddied.”
Camomillarsi
“Calm Down, Stay Calm” – an exclamation that is commonly used by Italian youth today.
Chamomile tea, by definition, has beneficial properties. Who hasn’t taken it in times of stress to try and sleep? Of course, young people also did this, and from the name of this drink came the word that they use every time they want to tell someone to calm down.
Citofonarsi
You can use this word to call someone formally by their last name.
Be prepared to reconsider your view of things if at the first impression you associate the term with an intercom and every time you press its button to ask someone to come down. It seems that the term “citofonarsi” is used by young people as “to call someone by their last name.”
Allucinante
Drop-dead or fall.
The word has nothing to do with its original one but can be applied to any subject to highlight its outstanding qualities. It has several synonyms with different shades, such as bestiale (excellent), mega (mega), o pazzesco (excellent).
Alzare
You can use this word instead of borrow (most often about money or something precious)
This verb and all its derivatives, in this case, mean “borrow” or “lend” something to someone or someone. Most likely, while sitting at a table in a bar, you heard a young man or girl say, “Borrow me 5 euros, please.”
Sciabbarabba
Mental clouding or feeling dizzy.
It is not a magic spell. This term is used in youth jargon when referring to mental clouding or feeling like a person will faint.
Bella!
The word is usually used instead of “Hello.”
No, this time, it’s not about a compliment. Do not doubt that young people in their jargon very rarely began to use this word to compliment a virgin. The youngsters will use “Bella” rather than say hello to each other. It is not a word that will get you from basics to fluency in Italian, but anyways.
Limone
This word describes the guy who surrounds himself with ugly girls. It is not a perfect word to use toward someone, but when you hear the term referring to you, it means the time to get offended!
Scialla
How many times have you heard “Stai sciallo”? This term dates back to Roman jargon, it is an exclamation and an appeal to someone to calm down and not be nervous. It is why every time you hear this word referred to you – calm down!
Final Thoughts
It might not be easy to learn, but Italian slang will give you a better understanding of how Italians think and communicate once you get the hang of it. These words will become second nature with some practice! We’ve given you a list of common phrases that are used in Italy on a day-to-day basis here, so now you can make use of it.
Learn them well and start speaking with your new friends in their language today! You never know what they could tell you about life back home or share with you about themselves. Have fun practicing until fluency is within reach and enjoy yourself while learning something new at the same time. Which one was your favorite?
