A word that can feel particularly satisfying to say in Italian is baffi (hear it pronounced here): a moustache, or, on an animal, whiskers.
It takes the plural form in Italian, as it's referring to the two halves of a moustache.
In fact, English used to do the same – moustache (which comes from the archaic Italian mostaccio) was originally used in the plural, but was standardised as singular in the 19th century.
Ha dei baffi enormi.
He has an enormous moustache.
You don't need impressive facial hair to talk about baffi though, as the word also features in common everyday expressions.
Leccarsi i baffi is 'to lick your chops'. If something is delicious or mouthwatering, it's da leccarsi i baffi.
Ha preparato una cena da leccarsi i baffi.
He's made a mouthwatering dinner.
And ridere sotto i baffi (literally, 'to laugh under your moustache') is to laugh or snicker under your breath.
Ti ho visto ridere sotto i baffi.
I saw you snickering.
Smettetela di ridere sotto i baffi!
Stop snickering!
The next time you want to express appreciation for a well-cooked meal or tell someone off for sniggering, you'll know what just to say.
Do you have an Italian word you’d like us to feature? If so, please email us with your suggestion.
Make sure you don't miss any of our Italian words and expressions of the day by downloading our new app (available on Apple and Android) and then selecting the Italian Word of the Day in your Notification options via the User button.
Comments