Ciao ragazzi!
Everyone knows the Italian language is considered one of the languages of love. It's melodic and beautiful and Italian culture is full of affection in general. It's no wonder why it makes English speakers swoon!
If one of your goals in learning how to speak Italian (or any other new language you might be learning) is to express your romantic feelings, then sit tight! We'll be joining Riley and his Maestra once again so you can learn Italian words for love and be on your way to sounding like you're truly one of the native speakers!
Flirting in Italian isn't much different than flirting in English. You can be witty, funny, complimentary, etc. The most important thing is that you don't make the person you're flirting with uncomfortable. You also want to make sure you're being authentic. People can tell if you're faking your personality!
- Buonogiorno, Riley, how are you on this bella giornata?
- Eh... Not great, Maestra.
- Oh no! Why not?
-Well, I met this Italian girl... and she's really pretty, and smart, and funny. And she likes me!
- That sounds... off... Why are you so sad then?
- Well, I flirted with her, like I saw in that article you sent me about flirting in Italian.
- E???
- It worked, I guess! But now I don't know what else to say in Italian! I want to impress her!
- Ohhh. Riley! How cute! So you want to learn some Italian love phrases?
- Well... yeah!
- Perfect! We'll make that today's lesson.
- Really?!
- Certo! If you think it will help! I'm just excited you're so determined to really start learning Italian! Maybe you'll actually pay attention and do your homework!
- Just wait, Maestra, I'll be a pro at romantic Italian phrases in no time!
- Would be nice if you were to become a pro in the whole language, but that's a start! Cominciamo subito.
Italian girls aren't too different from girls around the world when it comes to showing they like someone. While everyone is a little different, there are a few general signs to look for. If you make her smile a lot, she laughs at your jokes (even the less funny ones), and wants to spend time with you, then she probably likes you!
- Okay, Riley, let's start simple. Do you want this girl you're trying to "woo" to be your girlfriend?
- Duh!
- Then you'll want to know the Italian word for that, right?
- Huh... I guess... I didn't think about that!
- Because you've got una destinazione love on the brain!
- I do not! ...Okay, maybe a little.
- That's okay, Riley! Just pay attention while I'm actually teaching, deal?
- Deal!
- So, depending on where you are in Italy, there are two main words you might hear when talking about boyfriends and girlfriends. However, most people will understand both.
- Don't those words usually mean something else?
- You have to let me explain, Riley! Ragazza and ragazzo do mean "girl" and "guy", respectively. However, it's pretty easy to tell when someone is talking about someone in a romantic way! Here are a few examples:
- So when you have a possessive pronoun in front of the word, that's when it becomes boyfriend or girlfriend?
- That's exactly right, Riley! I'm impressed! No matter if you're talking about teenagers in a relationship or a man and a woman!
- Full disclosure, Maestra, I was not expecting to be right about that!
- The language learning classes are finally paying off!
You can also use the words:
It's important to know, however, that while these terms can be used to mean just a regular boyfriend/girlfriend relationship, they can also sometimes be used for a more serious relationship.
Like, if you hear someone say "Mi vuoi sposare?" and that answer gets a "Sì!" then for some people, that will usually change their labels from ragazzo e ragazza into fidanzato e fidanzata until the wedding is set. This applies to most Italians all over the country.
- Hey, I just want her to be my girlfriend, I don't want to get married for il resto della mia vita, for the rest of my life, just yet! Let's stick with ragazza for now!
- Okay, Riley. Now we're ready to start getting into ways of expressing love in Italian!
- Finally!
- The easiest and most common way to say "I love you" is simply to say Ti amo.
- Now, you should also know how to conjugate the verb amare. That way, if you hear someone say "mi ami", you'll know what they're saying!
Amare is an example of a regular verb. If you remember our lesson on verb conjugations, then you should notice a familiar pattern.
| Io | amo | I love. |
| Tu | ami | You love. |
| Lui/Lei | ama | He/She loves. |
| Noi | amiamo | We love. |
| Voi | amate | You love. |
| Loro | amano | They love. |
- Does that mean the other tense and mood conjugations follow the same pattern?
- That's right, Riley!
You just have to remember to use the object pronouns: mi, ti, lo/la, ci, vi, li to reference who you love!
- You can also say you love someone romantically without saying it outright!
- Like... sneakily?
- Cosa? No, Riley, don't be silly! If you're shy or nervous about saying you love someone, or if you just want to express yourself in different ways, there are various romantic Italian love phrases you can use!
- Oh... That makes more sense...
- Let's look at a few examples!
Here are a few clip examples you can also use for inspiration. In each one, the speaker is saying they love someone, without using the word love!
- Hey, I know that movie! It's "The Notepad", right?
- So close, Riley! It's "The Notebook", and it's just as popular in Italy as it is in America! But look at this next one!
- You also want to make sure that, if you want to say you love someone without using the word amare, you don't sound like you're reading something from a book of lines! Here, look at this clip for an example.
- Asking someone to dance means you love them!?
- Not generally, but to some people, it can! It all depends on your history together!
- Like inside jokes and stuff?
- That can be part of it! It's important you make your declaration feel personal!
- I know you wanted to learn a romantic Italian phrase or two in order to impress this girl you like, but while we're at it, why don't we also cover how you can tell other people in your life that you love them!
Since ti amo is a typically romantic phrase, you don't traditionally use it to say "I love you" to family members. While no one will think it's too strange if you do use ti amo, using ti voglio bene will generally be more appropriate.
- Okay, I see your eyes starting to glaze over, Riley. Are you starting to get tired?
- A little bit! I wasn't expecting this much learning! I thought this was finally something that would be short and easy!
- Mi dispiace, Riley. Anything worth having in the world takes hard work...including love and language learning! However, I'll try to make the rest of the lesson go by a little quicker, sound good?
- Better than nothing, I s'pose...!
- Okay! So, the first ways you can show you love someone in Italian is to build off of what we just learned... because they don't actually use any words for love! The difference is that these are phrases you can use with people you love in non-romantic ways as well!
- So I could still use them with that Italian girl?
- Mhm! But you could also use them for your brother, aunt, or best friend!
Both of those phrases show that you care about someone and will definitely make someone feel loved!
- That's good to know, Maestra!
- If you're looking for more expressions you can use, check out this video by LearnAmo.
- If you want to actually tell your friends and family that you love them, then there's a simple phrase to learn.
- Like... actually simple?
- Oh mio dio... Yes, Riley! It's just three words! All you have to remember is:
Ti (or any of the other object pronouns) voglio bene. This is an English translation of "I want you well". You can use it for any occasion when you want to say you love someone but saying ti amo is a little too intense.
- Umm... so I could maybe use that with this girl I like first?
- Considering you're not even her ragazzo yet? Yeah, that's probably a good idea.
- Got it. Duly noted, Maestra!
- There you go, Riley. You're all set to start wooing your new love in Italian! And if you want more practice, check out the videos on Flying Languages for more help!
- Thanks, Maestra, I'll make sure to do a lot of practicing!
Italians are affectionate. They'll kiss and cuddle or give hugs to people they love to express their feelings!
