Italian · Everyday Verbs

"to hug" in Italian: abbracciare

abbracciare

Say it: ahb-brah-CHAH-rehverb/ab.bratˈtʃa.re/

To hug in Italian is abbracciare (ahb-brah-CHAH-reh). Everyday: ti abbraccio, abbraccia, abbracciamo. Prefer ti abbraccio or abbraccia so it is clearly the verb—not only the noun un abbraccio.

Airport reunion

Vieni qui—ti abbraccio forte.
Come here—I'm hugging you tight.
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How to pronounce abbracciare

Say it

ahb-brah-CHAH-reh

/ab.bratˈtʃa.re/

Abbracciare: ahb-brah-CHAH-reh. Double b; soft ci like ch. Stress CHAH. Ti abbraccio: tee ahb-BRAH-choh.

"to hug" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
abbracciareto hug / to embrace

Dictionary form.

ti abbraccioI hug you

Clear first-person verb; also a warm sign-off.

abbracciahe/she hugs; hug! (tu)

Present or imperative.

abbracciarsito hug each other

Reciprocal.

How to use abbracciare in real life

  1. 1Airport reunion

    Vieni qui—ti abbraccio forte.

    Come here—I'm hugging you tight.

    Ti abbraccio.

  2. 2Comforting a friend

    Lui la abbraccia senza dire niente.

    He hugs her without saying anything.

    La abbraccia.

  3. 3Leaving a party

    Prima di andare ci abbracciamo tutti.

    Before leaving we all hug.

    Ci abbracciamo.

Mistakes English speakers make with abbracciare

Incorrect: Io abbracciare te.

Correct: Ti abbraccio.

Conjugate with ti: ti abbraccio.

Incorrect: Un abbraccio alone as the verb drill.

Correct: Ti abbraccio. / Ci abbracciamo.

Un abbraccio is the noun; use a clear verb form.

Good to know

Ti abbraccio closes messages like a warm hug. Real-life abbracci among friends are common in the center-north; some contexts stay with handshakes—watch the other person. The noun un abbraccio is everywhere on cards.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Meeting after a long time

  1. ChatPal

    Finalmente! Ti abbraccio.

    Finally! I'm hugging you.

  2. You

    Anche io ti abbraccio—che bello rivederti.

    I'm hugging you too—so good to see you.

  3. ChatPal

    Andiamo a prendere un caffè?

    Shall we grab a coffee?

  4. You

    Subito, racconta tutto.

    Right away—tell me everything.

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"to hug" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "to hug" in Italian

How do you say to hug?

Abbracciare.

I hug you?

Ti abbraccio.

Noun vs verb?

Un abbraccio is the noun; use ti abbraccio for the verb.

In a message?

Ti abbraccio works as a warm closing.

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