bell'uomo
The Italian phrase for "beautiful man" is bell'uomo.
bell'uomo is used to describe a man who is physically attractive.
Which one should you use?
While bell'uomo is a common way to describe a man, you can also say un uomo bello. Placing the adjective after the noun as un uomo bello is grammatically correct but can slightly shift the emphasis toward the quality of beauty itself. If you want to say a man is "very beautiful", you can use the form bellissimo uomo.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Naples region, the expression bell'omm' may be used. In Sicily, some residents may use omu beddu to express the same sentiment.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form bell'uomo uses elision, where the final vowel of bello is dropped and replaced by an apostrophe before the word uomo. When using the indefinite article un with bell'uomo, the article remains un rather than changing to uno.
Did you know?
- In Sicily, the phrase omu beddu is used, which reflects the influence of the Sicilian language, a tongue distinct enough from standard Italian to be considered a separate language.
- If you use the word bello with a sarcastic or ironic tone, you are not complimenting him, but rather mocking him for being arrogant or acting too grand.
- Using the word carino to describe a man shifts the meaning to 'cute' or 'pretty', which some Italian men may perceive as less masculine than bello.
Examples in context
- Tom è un bell'uomo.Tom is a beautiful man.Tatoeba #2611928 by Guybrush88, translation #12467568 by Miktsoanit
- È da anni ora che ho una bella cotta per quel bell'uomo.I've had a big crush on that beautiful man for years now.Tatoeba #9536107 by Valdast, translation #9065251 by rafaeldejesus8199
- L'avvocato è un bell'uomo con un aspetto impeccabile.The lawyer is a beautiful man with an impeccable appearance.
- Quel bell'uomo è molto gentile.That beautiful man is very kind.
Example conversation
Giulia and Matteo are looking at a photo in a magazine.
- MatteoGuarda questo bell'uomo in foto!Look at this beautiful man in the photo!
- GiuliaSì, è davvero affascinante.Yes, he is truly charming.
- MatteoSecondo te è un attore?Do you think he is an actor?
- GiuliaForse, ha un aspetto molto elegante.Maybe, he has a very elegant look.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
