19 ADVANCED Italian Words: Only Native Speakers Use These — Do You? [FREE PDF Cheat-Sheet📚]

Think you know Italian? Let’s test your vocabulary! You might have nailed the grammar and memorized basic phrases, but then you hear Italians chatting and it’s like they’re using a completely different language. So, there you are, smiling and nodding, pretending you totally understand, but inside you’re totally lost. Why does your friend Maria keep saying inciucio when talking about her cousin’s secret fling? Isn’t relazione the word you studied for “relationship”? And then everyone keeps repeating tipo…suddenly they’re all talking about “types”?

Here’s the thing: real Italians don’t speak like your textbook. They use slang words, idioms, and regional expressions that make their speech sound effortless and natural. And if you want to keep up (or at least not feel excluded), you’ll need to learn them.

That’s exactly what we’ll tackle in this guide! I’ll walk you through 19 essential slang words and expressions that Italians use everyday, so next time you’re in a conversation, you’ll understand tutto (everything). Make sure to stick around until the end for a fun quiz to test how much you’ve learned! Pronti? Andiamo! (Ready? Let’s go!).

Table to Contents

Here’s what we’ll cover in this guide. Click on any title to jump to each section.

Why learning Italian slang words is so important
Boh!
Tipo
Avere un chiodo fisso
Che figata!
Pisolino
Scialla
Menomale
Fregarsene
Tizio, Caio e Sempronio
Inciucio
Mai una gioia!
Che sbatti!
Alla buona
Un botto
A bizzeffe
Ci sta
Bastian contrario
Cazzeggiare
In culonia
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Why learning Italian slang words is so important

In Italy, slang is everywhere, even in business settings where you’d expect nothing but polished, formal language. Italians love using slang because it’s quick, punchy, and adds personality to the conversation. Using the right slang words instantly makes you sound more authentic and helps you connect with native speakers on a deeper level.

That’s why learning slang should be included as part of your Italian learning journey. There’s a lot to unpack—like when to use it, how to use it, and even when not to use it—which is what my Intrepid Italian 30-Day Slang Challenge is all about: helping you unlock and master over 150 everyday Italian slang words with daily lessons and quizzes.

But for now? Let’s start small and learn a few expressions that will make you feel right at home in an Italian conversation.

1. Boh! (I don’t know!)

Italian Slang Words - Boh

If there’s one word that will instantly make you sound more Italian, it’s Boh! It’s an expression you can use when you have no clue about something. And it comes with its own body language: a casual shrug of the shoulders, maybe a little tilt of the head. Here’s an example:

A: Cosa fai a Capodanno? — What are you doing for New Year’s?
B: Boh, non ho ancora deciso. — I don’t know, I haven’t decided yet.

Some believe that boh is an onomatopoeic word, meaning it mimics the sound you might unconsciously make when expressing uncertainty, like a vocal shrug. Over time, it has become a casual element of everyday conversations, and now, you can’t have a true Italian moment without it.

But as much as Italians love their boh, this word can sometimes come across as a bit blunt. So, keep it casual with close friends and family. If a stranger asks you for directions and you respond with a boh, you may sound rude. In those situations, it’s better to go for a polite Non lo so (I don’t know) instead.

Boh can also be used as a way to say “that’s enough” in a super informal way. For example, if your nonna is filling your plate with a mountain of spaghetti and you’ve reached your pasta limit, you can say boh! to let her know she can stop. But again, use it with people you know well—your waiter might not appreciate a boh! mid-pour!

2. Tipo… (Like…)

If you spend even five minutes around Italians, you’ll hear tipo in almost every sentence. It’s one of those versatile words that pop up in all sorts of situations Here’s how Italians typically use tipo:

To give an example
Instead of the standard word esempio (example), Italians say tipo to make their sentences feel more casual:

A: Dai, dimmi un tuo difetto!—Come on, tell me one of your flaws!
B: Sono molto timido. Tipo, quando devo parlare in pubblico, mi blocco.—I’m really shy. Like, when I have to speak in public, I freeze up.

To talk about a type out category of thing

When you want to ask about a type of thing or category, tipo is your go-to word to keep things simple and casual:

Che tipo di pizza preferisci?—What kind of pizza do you prefer?

To refer to a random person

When you want to talk about “some guy” or “that person” without getting specific, either because you forget names or just want to keep things vague.

Ieri ho rivisto il tipo della palestra.—Yesterday, I went out with that guy from the gym again.

To guess numbers

If you’re not sure about the exact number of something but want to give a ballpark figure, tipo is perfect for tossing out an estimate.

Saranno passate tipo 1000 persone al nostro stand!—Like, about 1,000 people passed by our booth!

3. Avere un chiodo fisso (To be obsessed with something)

Have you ever had something stuck in your head that you just can’t shake off? Well, this is the perfect Italian expression to describe that feeling. Literally, it translates to “to have a fixed nail,” and it conveys the idea of being obsessed with something, as if it’s been nailed into your brain.

Ultimamente Serena ha un chiodo fisso per il riciclo, non butta via niente.—Lately, Serena has been obsessed with recycling; she doesn’t throw anything away.

You can also hear this expression in variations like diventare un chiodo fisso (to become an obsession) or essere un chiodo fisso (to be an obsession), for example:

Imparare a suonare la chitarra è diventato un chiodo fisso per Cesare.—Learning to play the guitar has become an obsession for Cesare.
Vai in palestra anche oggi? Ma allora è proprio un chiodo fisso!—You’re going to the gym again today? That’s really an obsession!

4. Che figata! (That’s so cool!)

Italian Slang Words - Che figata

When you hear an Italian say Che figata!, you know something amazing just happened. This is an exclamation you can use to show your excitement for something super cool or totally awesome, like a fun event, a great idea, or just something really impressive. You’ll hear it a lot from younger folks, but even adults use it in casual settings. For example:

A: Quest’estate ci sarà un mega festival di musica elettronica vicino a Roma.—This summer there will be a huge electronic music festival near Rome
B: Che figata! Ci andiamo?—How cool! Shall we go?

Italians also use the variations Che figo! / Che fico! or Troppo figo! / Troppo fico!, which equally mean that something is amazing and can be used both for things, situations or even attractive people. However, While it’s all fun and casual when talking about things, be careful when you’re talking about people, especially women. For example, saying Quanto è figa Jane Fonda? (How cool is Jane Fonda?) is a playful comment you might share with friends to say that, despite her age, she’s still got it. But saying Hai visto che fica quella tipa? (Have you seen how hot that girl is?) Could easily come across as vulgar.

5. Pisolino (Nap)

When Italians have a post-meal abbiocco (that blissful after-meal sleepiness), they often take a pisolino (nap). This cute little word comes from the Tuscan dialect, where pisolo and the verb pisolare refer to a short, light sleep. Interestingly, pisolare is linked to the old Italian word pesolo, meaning “pendulum,” referring to the fact that the back-and-forth motion of our head as we drift off to sleep is just like a swinging pendulum! And here’s a fun bonus: Pisolo is the name of the sleepy dwarf in Biancaneve (Snow White)!

Italians commonly say fare un pisolino (literally, “to make a nap”), but they also often use the expression schiacciare un pisolino, which literally means “to squash a nap.” Sounds odd, doesn’t it? No one really knows why, but one theory traces it back to Renaissance-era Florence, where goldsmiths would take a quick nap while waiting for metal to cool. Since the cooling process was called stiacciata (which sounds a lot like schiacciare), they ended up using that verb to refer to taking a nap!

Vieni in spiaggia con noi?— Do you come to the beach with us?
Schiaccio un pisolino e vi raggiungo più tardi.—I’m going to take a nap and join you later.

6. Scialla (Take it easy)

Italian Slang Words - Scialla

Scialla is one of those cool Roman dialect words that have become a must-know in the vocabulary of Italian teens. It’s their way of saying “chill out,” “calm down,” or “take it easy” when someone is getting a little too worked up over something that doesn’t need to be a big deal.

The origins of this word are a bit of a mystery. Some people say it comes from the dialectal verb scialare, which means to enjoy yourself. Others think it’s an Italian twist on the Arabic Inshallah, (literally, “if Allah wants”) which translates to “God willing.” Either way, the sentiment is the same: keeping things cool and relaxed. For example:

A: Hai studiato per il compito di storia?—Did you study for the history test?
B: Oh mamma, scialla, studio stasera. —Oh my gosh, mum, relax, I’ll study tonight.

This expression gained popularity thanks to the movie Scialla by Francesco Bruni, which follows a Roman teenager who adopts scialla as his life motto. While it’s a fun slang word to know, especially if you’re hanging out with Italian teens, I’d recommend leaving it out of your own conversations unless you’re ready for some giggles, since it has a very youthful vibe.

7. Menomale (Luckily, thank goodness)

Menomale (or meno male, written separately) is the typical expression of relief in Italian, used in those moments when disaster almost strikes but then it doesn’t. It combines the words meno (less) and male (bad), which, when you think about it, makes sense: less bad is good!

You’ll often hear it as a simple, stand-alone exclamation of relief, for instance:

A: Carlo è caduto dalla moto, ma non si è fatto niente.—Carlo fell off his motorbike, but he’s fine.
B: Menomale! — Thank goodness!

But it can also be followed by the conjunction che (that) and a verb in the indicative to explain why you’re relieved:

Sta iniziando a piovere, menomale che abbiamo gli ombrelli! — It’s starting to rain, thank goodness we have umbrellas!

Additionally, Italians love to use menomale with a little sarcasm when someone’s actions don’t quite match their words. For example:

Menomale che non ti piaceva la mia torta, ne hai mangiata mezza! — Thank goodness you didn’t like my cake, you only ate half of it!

8. Fregarsene (Not care)

Fregarsene is the ultimate verb for expressing complete indifference in Italian. It’s a pronominal verb that comes from the verb fregare (to scrub or to steal), which changes meaning when paired with the pronoun si (which turns se when followed by another pronoun, like in this case) and the particle ne.

To conjugate it:

Start with the reflexive pronoun se, which changes depending on the subject
Then, add ne, which always stays the same
Finally, conjugate the verb fregare to match the subject.

For example me ne frego (I don’t care), te ne freghi (you don’t care), etc. To practice, check out the song “Me ne frego” by Achille Lauro, a catchy tune to add to your Italian playlist!

You’ll often hear Italians say E chi se ne frega when they want to show just how little they care about something, similar to “Who cares?” in English.

A: Ho sentito che c’è ancora tempo per iscriversi a quel corso.—I heard there’s still time to sign up for that course.
B: E chi se ne frega, io non voglio più studiare!—Who cares? I don’t want to study anymore!

While fregarsene is very common in Italian, it’s not the most polite thing to say. If you want a softer and more neutral way to express the same idea, use importare (to care) instead. Compare these two sentences:

Me ne frego della vostra opinione, io vado avanti per la mia strada!—I don’t care about your opinion, I’m going my own way! (Strong, perhaps a little aggressive).
Non mi importa della vostra opinione, io vado avanti per la mia strada! —I don’t care about your opinion, I’m going my own way! (Much gentler).

9. Tizio, Caio e Sempronio (Tom, Dick, and Harry)

Italian Slang Words - Tizio, Caio e Sempronio

Need to talk about some random people? In Italy, you won’t hear Tom, Dick, and Harry like in English; instead, you’ll meet Tizio, Caio e Sempronio, the magic trio for hypothetical nobodies in conversations.

Smettila di raccontare i fatti miei a Tizio, Caio e Sempronio!—Stop telling my business to every Tom, Dick, and Harry!

But these aren’t just random names. Back in medieval Bologna, a legal scholar named Irnerio (one of the founders of modern law) used Tizio, Caio, and Sempronio in his legal examples because they were super common names at the time, kind of like Marco and Maria today.

10. Inciucio (Sneaky deals / Secret romance)

Think of inciucio as the Italian way of describing anything that’s a little hush-hush, whether it’s politics or romance. If something’s happening behind closed doors and people are whispering about it, chances are, it’s an inciucio. When talking about politics, this word refers to the classic under-the-table agreements where politicians suddenly become best friends for convenience, for example:

Questa legge è il risultato dell’ennesimo inciucio tra i partiti politici.—This law is the result of yet another shady deal between political parties.

Instead, when talking about love, inciucio refers to that situation are definitely involved but acting like nothing’s going on, as in:

Quei due hanno un inciucio, te lo dico io!—Those two have something going on, I’m telling you!

11. Mai una gioia! (Life sucks!)

You know those times when nothing ever seems to go right and all you can think of is that it sucks? Well, Italians have the perfect expression for that: Mai una gioia! Literally meaning “never a joy,” this expression is used both by teenagers and adults when life throws one inconvenience too many their way. It’s sarcastic, a bit dramatic, and totally relatable! Like it’s Friday night, you stop by the store to grab your favorite bottle of wine only to find it’s sold out. Mai una gioia! Or you finally plan that dream weekend in Venice, only to find out there’s a train strike. Mai una gioia, oh!

Finalmente ho lavato la macchina e dopo un’ora ha iniziato a piovere… Mai una gioia! —I finally washed my car, and an hour later it started raining… Never a joy!

12. Che sbatti! (What a hassle!)

Che batti is a Milanese slang expression that’s typically used when you’re faced with something tedious, annoying, or just completely unnecessary. It’s short for che sbattimento, and the fact that it’s already an abbreviation tells you everything, as if saying the full word feels like too much effort! Here’s an example:

Il capo può fare la riunione solo alle 7 di sera, che sbatti!—The boss can only have the meeting at 7 PM, what a hassle!

You might also hear che sbatta and che sbattone: they are just variations, but the meaning stays the same.

13. Alla buona (Simple / Easygoing)

If you’ve ever heard Italians talking about something alla buona, you’re probably in for a treat. This phrase is all about keeping things simple, casual, and unpretentious and is often used when talking about food to refer to a no-fuss, homey meal, often enjoyed in a cozy, informal setting:

Stasera ti porto in un ristorante in collina. È un posto alla buona, ma si mangia da Dio! — Tonight, I’ll take you to a restaurant in the hills. It’s a simple place, but the food is amazing!

You can also use alla buona to describe someone who is easygoing and down-to-earth. For instance, when Italians mention gente alla buona, they’re talking about genuine, kind people who keep things relaxed and straightforward.

When you use alla buona with a verb, the expression changes its meaning, referring to doing something quickly, casually or even a bit sloppily, for instance:

Ho sistemato lo strappo alla buona visto che sei di fretta, ma poi dovrai portare la giacca alla sarta!—I stitched up the tear quickly since you’re in a rush, but you’ll need to take the jacket to the tailor later!

14. Un botto (A lot, tons)

Botto literally means “bang” or “blow”, but when used in the slang expression un botto, it becomes a casual way of saying “a lot” or “tons.” It’s mostly used to emphasize just how much of something you have, be it things, feelings, or time.

Ieri abbiamo camminato un botto per arrivare allo stadio, tutte le strade erano bloccate.—Yesterday we walked a ton to get to the stadium, all the roads were blocked.

Here are a few common ways you’ll hear it used in everyday conversations:

Ho speso un botto —I spent a ton of money
Ho un botto di cose da fare — I’ve got a ton of things to do
Mi piace un botto — I like it a lot

15. A bizzeffe (A lot, tons)

Italian Slang Words - A bizzeffe

A bizzeffe is another casual expression to describe a large amount of something in Italian. It’s believed to come from the Arabic word bizzāf (meaning “a lot”), which makes sense given the long history of contact between Italians and Arabs, particularly evident in the Sicilian language, where Arabic influence remains alive.

Another intriguing theory suggests that bizzeffe comes from the Latin expression bis effe (“twofold eff”) used by ancient Roman magistrates when writing the word fiat (“so be it”) twice to grant absolute and unconditional pardon. Here’s an example:

Ieri siamo usciti a cena con Sandro e abbiamo mangiato a bizzeffe.—Yesterday we went out for dinner with Sandro and ate tons.

16. Ci sta (I’m down for that / It’s acceptable)

Ci sta is a casual way to say ok in Italian: not an overly enthusiastic “Yes, let’s do it!”, but more like a relaxed “yeah, sounds good”. For example:

A: Regaliamo un buono a tua sorella?—Should we give your sister a gift card?
B: Ci sta.—Sounds good.

It’s also used to say that something is fine, but not necessarily amazing. Imagine you’re shopping with your friends, and you ask if they like a skirt you’re trying on:

A: Ragazze, vi piace questa gonna?—Guys, do you like it?
B: Ci sta.—It’s alright.

Technically, ci sta comes from the verb starci, which has different meanings, so context is important. Apart from agreement and acceptance, it can also mean “to fit” or “to be interested” (romantically), for instance:

Ci sta questa borsa nel bagagliaio?—Does this bag fit in the trunk?
Stefano è pazzo di Anna, ma lei non ci sta. — Stefano is crazy about Anna, but she’s not into him.

17. Bastian contrario (To disagree with everything)

If you meet someone who just always takes the opposite side of everyone else, whether it’s to prove a point or just for the fun of it, that’s a bastian contrario for Italians! You know the type: if you say “Let’s have pizza,” they’ll automatically counter with “Nah, pasta’s better.”

You can use bastian contrario with both the verbs essere (to be) and fare (to do), like this:

La smetti di fare il bastian contrario?— Can you stop disagreeing with everything?
Mio figlio è un bastian contrario, non so da chi ha preso!—My son disagrees with everything, I have no idea where he got it from!

But bastian contrario isn’t just a random phrase; it comes from a real person! In the 19th century, there was this Piedmontese nobleman, the Count of San Sebastiano, who fought alongside the Savoys army. During a battle, when everyone else was ordered to retreat, he held his position and his stubbornness ended up leading to victory. His name soon became a symbol for anyone who defied orders, and over time, people started to use bastian (a shortened form for Sebastiano) with contrario (meaning “contrary”) to describe anyone who loves to disagree with everything.

18. Cazzeggiare (To fool around)

Cazzeggiare is a wonderfully expressive Italian verb that means to fool around, waste time, or engage in completely pointless activities while ignoring responsibilities. Think of it as the fine art of procrastination, Italian style. It’s informal and quite vulgar, as it comes from cazzo (the not-so-polite Italian term for the male genitals), you’ll want to save it for casual chats with friends or laid-back colleagues. Here’s an example:

Dai ragazzi, non è il momento di cazzeggiare sui social, dobbiamo finire questa presentazione—Come on, guys, this is no time to fool around on social media, we need to finish this presentation!

From cazzeggiare, we also get cazzeggio, a noun that describes the blissful state of doing absolutely nothing productive:

Il mio coinquilino è un maestro del cazzeggio, non fa niente dalla mattina alla sera.—My housemate is a master of goofing around, he does nothing all day.

19. in culonia (Very far away)

Italian Slang Words - In culonia

Why settle for a plain molto lontano (very far away) when you can use something way more colourful? In culonia literally translates to “in ass-land,” and is a wonderfully expressive phrase Italians use when they’re describing a place that’s absurdly far away or just a total nightmare to get to.

There are a few other equally vivid variations to say the same thing: in culandia (another take on “ass-land”), in culo al mondo (“in the ass of the world”), and in culo ai lupi (“in the ass of the wolves”).

But before you start dropping these in every conversation to complain about how far your Italian friends are dragging you, a quick note: while these expressions are not offensive, they’re definitely on the vulgar side. So, best to save them for very informal chats with close friends. Here are a couple of examples:

Hai parcheggiato in culonia e adesso dobbiamo fare i chilometri! — You parked in the middle of nowhere, and now we have to walk for miles!
Mi hanno parlato bene di quel ristorante, ma è in culo al mondo! — I’ve heard good things about that restaurant, but it’s in the middle of nowhere

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