Italian · Body & Health

"Mouth" in Italian: bocca

la bocca

Say it: BOHK-kahfeminine · la boccanoun/ˈbok.ka/

Mouth in Italian is la bocca (BOHK-kah), a feminine noun. Doctors and dentists ask you to aprire la bocca. Everyday idioms include a bocca aperta (amazed) and chiudi la bocca (be quiet).

At the dentist

Apri la bocca, per favore.
Open your mouth, please.
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How to pronounce bocca

Say it

BOHK-kah

/ˈbok.ka/

Bocca stresses BOHK: BOHK-kah. Double c is a hard kk. Final a is light.

"Mouth" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
la boccathe mouth

Body noun with the article.

aprire la boccato open one's mouth

Dentist, doctor, or literal request.

a bocca apertaopen-mouthed; amazed

Surprise idiom.

chiudi la boccashut your mouth

Blunt; soft contexts prefer silenzio.

How to use bocca in real life

  1. 1At the dentist

    Apri la bocca, per favore.

    Open your mouth, please.

    Standard clinical request.

  2. 2Spicy food

    Mi brucia la bocca!

    My mouth is burning!

    Mi marks the experiencer.

  3. 3Watching a show

    Sono rimasto a bocca aperta.

    I was left open-mouthed.

    Idiom for amazement.

Mistakes English speakers make with bocca

Incorrect: Il bocca è piccola.

Correct: La bocca è piccola.

Bocca is feminine: la bocca.

Incorrect: Apri il mouth.

Correct: Apri la bocca.

Use bocca, not English mouth.

Good to know

Bocca shows up in food praise too: buona a bocca for something tasty, and water alla bocca when you crave a dish. Keep the body sense and the idioms separate when you listen.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Trying hot peppers at dinner

  1. ChatPal

    Attento, brucia la bocca.

    Careful, it burns the mouth.

  2. You

    Troppo tardi. Mi brucia già la bocca!

    Too late. My mouth is already burning!

  3. ChatPal

    Bevi acqua. Non aprire troppo la bocca.

    Drink water. Don't open your mouth too wide.

  4. You

    Ok. La bocca ringrazia in anticipo.

    Ok. My mouth thanks you in advance.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Mouth" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Mouth" in Italian

Is bocca feminine?

Yes: la bocca, una bocca, le bocche.

What does a bocca aperta mean?

Literally open-mouthed; used for amazement.

How do dentists say open wide?

Apri la bocca, often with per favore.

How do I pronounce bocca?

BOHK-kah, with a hard double c.

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