grand'uomo
The Italian phrase for 'big man' is grand'uomo.
grand'uomo is used to describe a person who is highly respected due to their great achievements or noble character. In a different context, if you want to colloquially describe someone who is large in physical size or presence, you would use tipo grosso.
Which one should you use?
grand'uomo refers to a person of great character or importance, whereas the colloquialism tipo grosso refers to a person who is substantial in physical size.
Did you know?
- To describe a 'big man' in the sense of a powerful business mogul or 'big shot', Italians use the phrase pezzo grosso, which literally means 'thick piece'.
- In modern Italian conversation, grand'uomo is frequently used ironically to mock someone who has an inflated sense of their own importance.
- In Italian, the word 'grande' can be placed after a noun to mean 'old' or 'elderly' in certain regional dialects, though it usually means 'big' or 'great' before the noun.
Examples in context
- Guarda quel tipo grosso là!Look at that big guy over there!
- Quel ragazzo grosso ha vinto la gara di sollevamento pesi.That big boy won the weightlifting competition.
- È stato un grand'uomo.He was a great man.
- Lo considero un grand'uomo.I consider him a great man.
- Il nonno era un grand'uomo.Grandfather was a great man.
Example conversation
Matteo and Martina are visiting a museum dedicated to a famous leader.
- MatteoGuarda questo ritratto, era un grand'uomo.Look at this portrait, he was a great man.
- MartinaSì, ha aiutato moltissime persone.Yes, he helped many people.
- MatteoIl suo coraggio era ammirevole.His courage was admirable.
- MartinaÈ un esempio per tutti noi.He is an example for all of us.
