tizio
/ˈtit.t͡sjo/
The Italian word for bloke is tizio.
tizio is an informal noun used to refer to a man whose name is unknown or unimportant. You can use the phrase quel tizio to say 'that guy' or 'that bloke', which can sound slightly dismissive or neutral.
Meaning: (Britain, informal) fellow, man (noun)
Which one should you use?
While tizio is a general term for a bloke or fellow, other words like ragazzo specifically refer to a young man or guy and tipo is a colloquial way to describe or refer to someone in a casual manner.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
tizio is an informal term. For a more specific reference to a young man, you might use the informal ragazzo or use the colloquial tipo for casual descriptions.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of tizio is tizi, meaning 'guys' or 'fellows'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtit.tsjo/. The word has two syllables and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- When Italians want to describe a hypothetical group of people, they use a sequence of names starting with Tizio, Caio and Sempronio.
- The word tizio comes from the ancient Roman name Titius, which was used as a placeholder in legal texts and stories.
- If you want to sound even more dismissive than using tizio, you might use the term individuo, which sounds much colder and more impersonal.
Examples in context
- Ieri ho incontrato un ragazzo simpatico al parco.Yesterday, I met a friendly bloke at the park.
- Quel tipo sembrava davvero divertente.That bloke seemed really funny.
- Non conosco quel tizio.I don't know that bloke.
- Chi è quel tizio lì?Who is that bloke over there?
- È un tizio simpatissimo.He is a really nice bloke.
Example conversation
Alessandro and Giulia are watching people in a park.
- AlessandroGuarda quel tizio con la giacca rossa.Look at that bloke in the red jacket.
- GiuliaSì, sembra un tipo strano.Yes, he looks like a strange guy.
- AlessandroForse è un amico di Marco.Maybe he is a friend of Marco's.
- GiuliaNon ne sono sicura.I am not sure about that.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tizio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tizio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
