Italian · Emotions & Descriptions

"Ugly" in Italian: brutto/a

brutto/a

Say it: BROOT-tohadjective/ˈbrut.to/

Ugly in Italian is brutto for masculine and brutta for feminine (BROOT-toh / BROOT-tah). Che brutto! can mean how ugly or how awful about news or weather. Soften looks talk with non molto bello when needed.

Honest fashion take

Quel colore è un po' brutto su di me.
That color is a bit ugly on me.
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How to pronounce brutto/a

Say it

BROOT-toh

/ˈbrut.to/

Brutto stresses BROOT: BROOT-toh. Hold the double t.

"Ugly" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
brutto / bruttaugly (m / f)

Gendered adjective.

che brutto!how ugly! / how awful!

Reaction.

brutto temponasty weather

Not about looks.

brutti / brutteugly (plural)

Agreement.

How to use brutto/a in real life

  1. 1Honest fashion take

    Quel colore è un po' brutto su di me.

    That color is a bit ugly on me.

    Brutto soft self-critique.

  2. 2Weather text

    Che brutto tempo oggi!

    What ugly weather today!

    Che brutto tempo.

  3. 3Design chat

    La font è brutta su quel sito.

    The font is ugly on that site.

    Brutta with feminine noun.

Mistakes English speakers make with brutto/a

Incorrect: La casa è brutto.

Correct: La casa è brutta.

Match gender.

Incorrect: Fa ugly fuori.

Correct: Fa brutto. / C'è brutto tempo.

Use brutto for nasty weather.

Good to know

Brutto is blunt; Italians also use it for bad luck (che brutta giornata) without talking about faces. Calling a person brutto outright is harsh—friends tease, strangers don't. Weather and news absorb most everyday brutto.

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Reacting to a failed haircut selfie

  1. ChatPal

    Secondo te è brutto questo taglio?

    Do you think this haircut is ugly?

  2. You

    Non è brutto: è solo corto.

    It's not ugly: it's just short.

  3. ChatPal

    Grazie. Il colore invece è un po' brutto.

    Thanks. The color though is a bit ugly.

  4. You

    Lo sistemiamo: niente di brutto permanente.

    We'll fix it: nothing permanently ugly.

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"Ugly" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Ugly" in Italian

Brutto only for looks?

No—also weather, luck, situations.

Gender forms?

Brutto/brutta; brutti/brutte.

Politer than brutto?

Non molto bello / non il massimo.

Che brutto!

Can mean how awful, not only how ugly.

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