Italian · Emotions & Descriptions
"Cute" in Italian: carino/a
carino/a
Cute in Italian is carino for masculine and carina for feminine (kah-REE-noh / kah-REE-nah). Che carino! praises a puppy, a baby, or a sweet gesture. Plural forms are carini and carine.
Seeing a puppy
Quel cucciolo è troppo carino!Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce carino/a
Say it
kah-REE-noh
/kaˈri.no/
Carino stresses REE: kah-REE-noh. The r is tapped. Carina ends with a clear nah.
"Cute" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| carino / carina | cute (m / f) Matches the noun gender. | Matches the noun gender. |
| che carino! | how cute! Quick reaction. | Quick reaction. |
| carini / carine | cute (plural) For groups or pairs. | For groups or pairs. |
| troppo carino | too cute Warm exaggeration. | Warm exaggeration. |
How to use carino/a in real life
- 1Seeing a puppy
Quel cucciolo è troppo carino!
That puppy is too cute!
Carino for a male animal or general praise.
- 2Baby gift
La tutina rosa è carina.
The pink onesie is cute.
Carina matches tutina.
- 3Friend's apartment
Hai fatto un angolo davvero carino.
You made a really cute corner.
Carino for style, not only faces.
Mistakes English speakers make with carino/a
Incorrect: La borsa è carino.
Correct: La borsa è carina.
Match gender: borsa is feminine → carina.
Incorrect: Quei bambini sono carina.
Correct: Quei bambini sono carini.
Plural masculine takes carini.
Good to know
Che carino! is soft praise Italians give freely to pets, babies, and thoughtful gifts. With adults it can sound flirtatious or teasing, so tone and relationship matter. For strong beauty compliments, bello/bella is more common than carino.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Looking at a friend's new kitten photos
ChatPal
Guarda: è carino questo gattino?
Look: is this kitten cute?
You
Sì, è carinissimo! Come si chiama?
Yes, it's super cute! What's its name?
ChatPal
Milo. Ha una faccia troppo carina.
Milo. He has such a cute face.
You
Anche il collare rosso è carino.
The red collar is cute too.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Cute" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Cute" in Italian
Carino or bello?
Carino is cute/sweet; bello is beautiful/handsome or nice.
How do gender endings work?
Carino (m), carina (f), carini (m pl), carine (f pl).
Can I say che carina to a woman?
Yes among friends; from a stranger it can feel too familiar.
What about carinissimo?
A stronger form: really cute.
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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