Italian · Emotions & Descriptions
"Beautiful" in Italian: bello/a
bello/a
Italians say bello (BEL-loh) for masculine nouns and bella for feminine ones: il mare è bello, la città è bella. Bello is wider than English "beautiful": it also means nice, lovely, or great, as in che bello! (how nice!).
Admiring the view
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How to pronounce bello/a
Say it
BEL-loh
/ˈbɛl.lo/
BEL-loh puts the weight on the first syllable, and the double l needs a little extra time. The e is open, like the e in "bell". A short single l (BEH-loh) sounds wrong to Italian ears.
"Beautiful" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| bello | beautiful, handsome (m) After a masculine noun or on its own: il mare è bello. | After a masculine noun or on its own: il mare è bello. |
| bella | beautiful (f) For feminine nouns: una bella casa, la città è bella. | For feminine nouns: una bella casa, la città è bella. |
| bel | beautiful (m, before a noun) Before most masculine nouns that start with a consonant: un bel posto. | Before most masculine nouns that start with a consonant: un bel posto. |
| bellissimo/a | gorgeous, really beautiful Very common in speech when bello is not enough. | Very common in speech when bello is not enough. |
| che bello! | how nice! great! A reaction to good news or a fun plan. | A reaction to good news or a fun plan. |
How to use bello/a in real life
- 1Admiring the view
Che bella vista sul lago!
What a beautiful view of the lake!
Che + adjective + noun is the classic way to react: che bella vista, che bel panorama.
- 2Complimenting a friend's photo
Sei bellissima in questa foto!
You look gorgeous in this photo!
Italians give this compliment easily between friends. To a man, say sei bellissimo.
- 3Talking about the weather
Oggi è proprio una bella giornata, andiamo al mare?
It's a really lovely day today, shall we go to the beach?
Una bella giornata is the standard way to say it's a nice day. Here bella means nice, not beautiful.
Mistakes English speakers make with bello/a
Incorrect: Un bello ragazzo
Correct: Un bel ragazzo
Before a masculine noun, bello changes like the article: bel before most consonants, bello before s + consonant or z (un bello zaino), and bell' before a vowel (un bell'uomo).
Incorrect: La casa è bello.
Correct: La casa è bella.
The adjective matches the noun even after è. Casa is feminine, so the ending is -a.
Good to know
Bello comes up constantly in everyday Italian, and it's not only about looks. A good movie is un bel film, nice weather is bel tempo, and good news gets a quick che bello! You will also hear bello and bella as friendly nicknames, as in ciao bella, which is warm between friends but can feel too familiar from a stranger.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Telling a friend in Milan about your weekend at the lake
ChatPal
Allora, com'è andato il weekend sul lago di Como?
So, how did the weekend on Lake Como go?
You
Benissimo! Il lago è bellissimo e il tempo era perfetto.
Great! The lake is beautiful and the weather was perfect.
ChatPal
Che bello! Hai fatto qualche bella foto?
How nice! Did you take any nice photos?
You
Sì, tantissime. La più bella è quella del tramonto su Bellagio.
Yes, loads. The most beautiful one is of the sunset over Bellagio.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Beautiful" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Beautiful" in Italian
What is the difference between bello and bella?
Bello is masculine and bella is feminine, so pick the one that matches the noun: il vestito è bello, la gonna è bella. The plurals are belli and belle.
Why do Italians sometimes say bel instead of bello?
In front of a noun, bello changes its ending the same way il and lo do: un bel libro, un bello specchio, un bell'albero. The plural works the same way: dei bei fiori, dei begli occhi, delle belle case.
Can I call a man bello?
Yes. Bello is the normal word for a handsome man: è un bel ragazzo. Everyday Italian doesn't have a separate word like English "handsome".
Is bello the same as buono?
No. Bello is about how something looks or feels, and buono is about taste or quality. Una torta bella looks great, while una torta buona tastes great.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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