Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| palle | feminine, plural | |
| balle | /ˈbal.le/ | feminine, plural |
| coglioni | /koʎˈʎo.ni/ | masculine, plural |
| testicoli | /tesˈti.ko.li/ | masculine, plural |
In Italian, terms for 'balls' range from clinical to highly vulgar. You can use palle as a common informal term for the anatomy or in various idioms. For example, the expression avere le palle is used colloquially to say someone has 'guts' or is brave. Additionally, the phrase Che palle! is used non-literally to express frustration, meaning 'What a pain!'
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends heavily on the level of intensity and politeness. testicoli is the proper anatomical term, while palle and coglioni are slang. coglioni is a colloquial term, but it is significantly more vulgar and aggressive than the common slang palle.
How does it change in a sentence?
The terms for the anatomy vary by gender and number: balle and palle are feminine plural nouns, while coglioni and testicoli are masculine plural nouns.
Did you know?
- The vulgar term coglioni comes from the verb cogliere, meaning 'to pick' or 'to gather'. It originally referred to the act of castrating animals for food or medicine.
- While palle refers to the anatomy, the word balle is used in the phrase dire balle to mean 'telling lies'.
- In Italian, the phrase rompere le palle literally means 'to break the balls' and is the standard way to say someone is annoying you.
Examples in context
- Tu hai due palle.You have two balls.This sentence shows the use of palle to describe physical possession.Tatoeba #4429145 by Guybrush88, translation #69063 by CM
- Le palle sono rotonde.Balls are round.This sentence uses palle to describe a physical characteristic.Tatoeba #653788 by Guybrush88, translation #33654 by CK
- Mi calciò nelle palle.She kicked me in the balls.This sentence uses palle to describe a physical impact.Tatoeba #1687547 by Guybrush88, translation #1683784 by Spamster
- 35 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco is bragging about his courage to Martina.
- FrancescoCi vuole un sacco di palle per farlo.It takes a lot of balls to do that.
- MartinaNon esagerare, Francesco.Don't exaggerate, Francesco.
- FrancescoDico sul serio, servono le palle!I'm serious, you need balls!
- MartinaSì, sì, sei un vero leone.Yes, yes, you're a real lion.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “balls” translations and entries palle, balle, coglioni, testicoli, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
