Common Italian swear words to keep your hands away

We keep saying that learning a language goes beyond mastering grammar rules and conjugation, if only someone would listen… 🤌

We continue our tradition of shouting into the void with this article on Italian swearing as we’re topical and have our finger on the pulse.

Are you in the process of learning Italian? Want to spice it up a little, like the proverbial spicy meatballs of American clichés? You should.

Italians are passionate about many things: generous portions of food, hand gestures and colorful language including insults and curse words. Much like French curse words and Spanish insults, or the many ways of using “fuck” in English, Italian parolacce can convey a wide range of emotions, from surprise to anger, frustration to disappointment, feelings that you’re likely experiencing while reading this article.

Without further ado, here’s a non-exhaustive list of Italian parolacce in Italian from the little black book we always keep hidden from Nonna. Keep it from your boss too, because this post is entirely NSFW (not safe for work)!

Colorful Italian curse words to swear loudly and proudly 

1. Sti cazzi 

If you’ve started your day on the wrong foot, and your Italian coworker has pushed you over the edge with their fake tales of San Severo, this first entry should help. Your coworker has unknowingly given you the opportunity to slip in a sti cazzi – a way of saying “so what?”,“who cares” or “I don’t give a damn” in Italian.

Example: “Sapevi che avevo vinto un viaggio a Parigi?”
– E sti cazzi.

Translation: “Did you know that I won a trip to Paris?”
– Who gives a damn?

2. Vaffanculo

Dirty, famous and satisfying, like this article, vaffanculo is a timeless classic. Surely someone will yell this at you while you’re traveling through Puglia, Calabria or Lazio, and frankly, how can you blame them? Translated as “fuck you”, “screw you” or “go fuck yourself”, it’s the Maserati of swear words. Do they still make those?

Throw in a hand gesture or two for good measure if you’re going to try this one at home.

Example: “Lasagna sono troppo cotte.“
– Vaffanculo!

Translation: “Your lasagna is way overcooked.”
– Fuck you!

3. Stronzo

Someone not respecting your personal space? Your boss continually thwarts your attempts at union organization? Perhaps you’re dealing with a stronzo. This colorful term translates as “asshole” or “jerk” in English and can be used in just about any situation.

The word is actually of Germanic origin and borrowed from the Lombardic term strunz which means “dung”.

Pro tip: make sure you use the masculine “o”  ending or feminine “a” ending depending on whom you want to insult.

Example: Hai dimenticato di nuovo il mio compleanno, sei veramente uno stronzo.

Translation: You forgot my birthday again, you really are an asshole.

4. Pezzo di merda 

Although pezzo di merda may sound like a fun food dish. the insult literally translates as “a piece of shit” in English – not so appetizing.

Next time someone crosses you, just call them out for what they are: a pezzo di merda.

Example: Ero sulla bici e quel pezzo di merda mi ha quasi investito!

Translation: I was riding my bike and that piece of shit almost ran me over!

5. Cazzo

This word comes from the Latin capitium (which means “little head”) and refers to the male genitalia. In English, the curse word cazzo is slang for “pecker” or “prick.” Use it to express your anger or disapproval – as you would when using “shit”, “damn it”, or “fuck” in English.

When talking to or about somebody, feel free to use the expression testa di cazzo when you have really strong feelings about somebody. This insult literally means “dickhead”, but can also mean “cocksucker”. 

Use it with che to form che cazzo! for an equivalent to “what the fuck”?

Example : Cazzo ho dimenticato di nuovo di fare la lezione d’italiano online di Saga Baldoria!

Translation: Damn it, I forgot to complete my online Italian lesson again!

6. Minchia

With the same meaning as cazzo but mostly feminine, the cuss word minchia comes from the Sicilian language and is now common anywhere in Italy.

Descending from the Latin mentula, it mostly means “dickhead” but can also be used as exclamation of surprise or appreciation. 

Example: Minchia! L’ultimo posto sull’aereo è stato appena venduto mentre lo stavo comprando!

Translation: Damn! The last seat on the plane has just been sold while I was buying it!

7. Merda 

Along the same line as the English swear word “shit”, this one might be the easiest yet. This insult charges its roots with its cousins, mierda in Spanish or merde in French. 

Example: Merda, sono già in ritardo e non riesco a trovare le chiavi.

Translation: Shit, I’m already late, and I can’t find my keys

8. Puttana 

While puttana may sound like a pretty poetic word, we recommend you remain cautious when using it, bearing in mind that it means “prostitute” and “whore”. Even stronger and more vulgar, puttana can be transformed into porca puttana which literally means “pig whore” and is used to express a really strong anger. 

The delicious spaghetti alla puttanesca pasta dish is derived from the word puttana. The more you know…

Example: Ma porca puttana, mi si è rotta la macchina!

Translation: For fuck’s sake, my car broke down!

9. Porca and its many variants

Italian people love pig-related words. Porca is the female pig (as opposed to porco).

Using the word porca gives a lot of flexibility to the language and creates new interjections to express different things. They are usually milder than their most obscene counterparts (such as merda), but as cute as pigs can be, these words are still dirty.

Here are a few pig-related swear words:

• porca miseria: literally “pig misery”, used to express annoyance
• porca puttana: literally “pig whore”, used to express anger
• porco Giuda: literally “pig Judas”, used to express the sentiment of betrayal
• porca vacca: literally “pig cow”, yes, pig cow — meaning “damn” or “shit!” in a more polite way

10. Li mortacci tua!

This one is probably the rudest on our list, so use… actually, don’t use, but it’s good to know if someone uses it. For learning purposes, yes.

Note that it’s not common Italian – it’s a dialect used in Roma (Romanesco), but the whole country will understand these words. After all, saying li mortacci tua! is an insult for someone’s dead relatives, but it can also mean “go fuck yourself” or “fucking hell” depending on the context.

It might be shortened to tacci tua at some other times, or just tacci. Better keep it short here.

11. Che palle!

Literally “what balls” – and what balls! No, this isn’t some kind of obscure compliment. Che palle is used to express annoyance, disappointment or boredom:

• The weather’s ruining your weekend? Che palle!
• You flipped the pizza upside down when taking it out from the oven? Che palle!
• This list of swear words is coming to an end? Che palle!

Bonus : Rompicoglioni

This last curse word is a variation of the Italian swear word rompiscatole which literally translates to “box breaker” but actually means “pain in the neck”. Rompicoglioni, on the other hand, is a step-up for those irritating people you may cross paths with and translates as “pain in the ass.”

Example: Ti lamenti sempre, sei davvero un rompicoglioni!

Translation: You are always complaining, you are a real pain in the ass! 
 

Can’t get enough of these colorful insults and swear words? We can’t fucking blame you. Check out our online Italian lessons Saga Baldoria. Try for free for 7 days today.

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