bellissimo ragazzo
The English phrase beautiful boy is translated into Italian as bellissimo ragazzo.
This phrase is used to describe a young man who is physically attractive.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of bellissimo, which is the superlative form of bello meaning very beautiful or extremely handsome and ragazzo, which means boy.
Which one should you use?
While bellissimo ragazzo emphasizes extreme beauty, the form bel ragazzo is a more common and standard way to say handsome boy.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because ragazzo is a masculine singular noun, the adjective bellissimo must also be in the masculine singular form.
Did you know?
- Another theory suggests ragazzo comes from the Ancient Greek rhákos, meaning 'rag' or 'tatter', referring to the poor quality of children's clothing in the past.
- While 'handsome' is the typical English word for men, Italians use bello and bellissimo for both genders, as these words simply mean 'beautiful'.
- In Italian, ragazzo can refer to a child, a teenager or a man in his twenties, meaning bellissimo ragazzo could describe someone far older than a 'boy' in English.
Examples in context
- Ho incontrato un bellissimo ragazzo italiano al bar. Era così affascinante!I met a beautiful Italian boy at the bar. He was so charming!
- Era un ragazzo affascinante con gli occhi verdi.He was a captivating boy with green eyes.
- È un bellissimo ragazzo.He is a beautiful boy.
- Quel bellissimo ragazzo è mio fratello.That beautiful boy is my brother.
- Hai visto quel bellissimo ragazzo in piazza?Did you see that beautiful boy in the square?
Example conversation
Sofia and Matteo are talking about a boy they saw at a cafe.
- SofiaMatteo, hai visto quel bellissimo ragazzo?Matteo, did you see that beautiful boy?
- MatteoSì, è davvero un bellissimo ragazzo.Yes, he is a truly beautiful boy.
- SofiaSembra molto gentile, non trovi?He seems very kind, don't you think?
- MatteoSì, sembra proprio una brava persona.Yes, he really seems like a good person.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bellissimo, ragazzo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
