affabile
/afˈfa.bi.le/
The English adjective affable is translated into Italian as affabile.
The word affabile is used to describe a person who is friendly, courteous, sociable.
Meaning: friendly, courteous, sociable (adj)
Which one should you use?
While affabile describes a person's sociable and easygoing nature, the word gentile is more commonly used to describe general kindness or politeness.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective affabile is invariable in gender, meaning it remains the same for both masculine and feminine subjects. The plural form of affabile is affabili, which is used for both masculine and feminine plural subjects.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /afˈfa.bi.le/. It has four syllables, and the stress is on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italian, if a person is described as poco affabile, it is often a polite euphemism. It suggests the person is not just unfriendly, but potentially arrogant or cold.
- An Italian speaker might use affabile to describe a face or a look, such as un volto affabile. This describes a physical appearance that instinctively puts others at ease.
- The word affabile shares its DNA with the Latin verb 'affari', which meant 'to speak to'.
Examples in context
- Lei è molto gentileYou are very affable
- Il tuo atteggiamento cortese è molto apprezzatoYour affable attitude is greatly appreciated
- Sei così simpatico/aYou are so affable/likable
- È una persona molto amichevoleHe/she is a very affable person
- È molto comunicativo e affabileHe/she is very talkative and affable
- Sara è una persona gentile e affabileSara is a kind and affable person
- Marco è così simpatico, riesce a mettere tutti a proprio agioMarco is so affable, he manages to put everyone at ease
- Il proprietario del negozio è molto cortese e accoglienteThe shop owner is very affable and welcoming
- È un uomo molto affabile.He is a very affable man.
- Il nuovo collega è davvero affabile.The new colleague is truly affable.
- Mi piace la sua natura affabile.I like his affable nature.
Example conversation
Chiara and Francesco are discussing a new colleague at work.
- ChiaraHai conosciuto il nuovo collega, Francesco?Have you met the new colleague, Francesco?
- FrancescoSì, mi sembra un uomo davvero affabile.Yes, he seems like a truly affable man.
- ChiaraConcordo, è stato molto gentile con me.I agree, he was very kind to me.
- FrancescoSarà facile lavorare insieme a lui.It will be easy to work with him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “affable” translations and entries affabile, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries affabile, CC BY-SA 4.0.
