bella bambina
/ˈbɛl.la bamˈbi.na/word by word
The English phrase 'beautiful little girl' is translated into Italian as bella bambina.
This phrase is used to describe a young female child who is pretty.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase bella bambina, both the adjective and the noun are in the feminine singular form to match the gender of the child being described.
How do you pronounce it?
The phrase consists of 4 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable: /ˈbɛl.la bamˈbi.na/.
Did you know?
- In Italy, calling a young girl bella can be a common way to express affection, but calling an adult woman bella in a public space can be seen as catcalling or inappropriate depending on the context.
- While bella bambina is a standard description, Italians often use the diminutive bambinuccia to add an extra layer of tenderness or to emphasize that the girl is very small.
- While bella bambina is grammatically correct, an Italian speaker is more likely to use the word carina to mean 'cute' or 'sweet' when describing a child.
Examples in context
- Che carina sei, splendida ragazzina! Sembri una principessa!How cute you are, stunning little girl! You look like a princess!
- Che bella bambina!What a beautiful little girl!
- È una bella bambina con gli occhi azzurri.She is a beautiful little girl with blue eyes.
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Giulia are looking at a photo of a niece.
- GiuliaGuarda la foto della mia nipote!Look at the photo of my niece!
- LorenzoChe bella bambina che è!What a beautiful little girl she is!
- GiuliaGrazie, Lorenzo, è molto dolce.Thank you, Lorenzo, she is very sweet.
- LorenzoSi vede che somiglia molto a te.It's clear she looks a lot like you.
