fra
/fra/
The Italian word for bro is fra.
fra refers to a male comrade, friend or someone who shares one's ideals. It functions as a direct way to address a friend or as an interjection to add emphasis to a statement.
Meaning: male comrade or friend, one who shares one’s ideals (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
fra is an informal, colloquial shortening used primarily among young people and peers.
How do you pronounce it?
/fra/
Did you know?
- Although fra means 'bro', the preposition fra also means 'between' or 'among' in standard Italian.
- While fra is now used for 'bro', it is also the traditional title for a friar in the Catholic Church, short for frate.
- Using fra with an older person or a superior in Italy would be considered highly disrespectful rather than friendly.
Examples in context
- Ti amo, fratello.I love you, bro.This sentence shows how to use fra when expressing affection.Tatoeba #13298099 by Guybrush88, translation #10231729 by Amastan
- Bella storia, fratello.Cool story, bro.This sentence demonstrates using fra to react to a story.Tatoeba #3534420 by Guybrush88, translation #843581 by Ooneykcall
- Bella canzone, fratello.Cool song, bro.This sentence shows how to use fra when complimenting a song.Tatoeba #11730569 by Guybrush88, translation #6616514 by Eccles17
- Ciao, fratello! Come stai?Hi, bro! How are you?
- Ehi, amico! Ci vediamo stasera?Hey, bro! Shall we meet tonight?
Example conversation
Alessandro and Chiara are chatting about a mutual friend.
- AlessandroHai visto Luca, fra?Have you seen Luca, bro?
- ChiaraSì, è appena uscito.Yes, he just left.
- AlessandroOk, lo chiamo subito, fra.Okay, I'll call him right away, bro.
- ChiaraFai pure, Alessandro.Go ahead, Alessandro.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry fra, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
