Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| sfacciato | /sfatˈt͡ʃa.to/ | |
| impertinente | /im.per.tiˈnɛn.te/ | |
| sfrontato | /sfronˈta.to/ | masculine |
| impudente | /im.puˈdɛn.te/ | masculine |
While sfacciato, sfrontato and impudente focus on impudence or impertinence, birichino and monello provide a much more informal and playful way to describe someone as cheeky or a rascal.
Which one should you use?
Sfacciato and sfrontato imply a certain boldness or a lack of shame. In contrast, impertinente focuses more specifically on a lack of manners or being disrespectful and rude. For a lighthearted or playful context, you might use the informal terms birichino or monello.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Sfacciato is a colloquial term that carries a stronger sense of shamelessness. In contrast, impudente is a more formal way to express being cheeky or impudent. For informal and playful situations, you can use birichino or monello.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adjectives like sfacciato must agree in gender with the person being described. For example, you would use sfacciata when describing a female.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of sfacciato is /sfatˈtʃa.to/, with the stress on the second of the three syllables.
Did you know?
- Similar to sfacciato, the word sfrontato is built from the word fronte, meaning 'forehead'.
- In Italian, the concept of being 'cheeky' can shift from a compliment to an insult simply by choosing birichino over sfacciato.
Examples in context
- Mio fratello è diventato sfacciato.My brother got cheeky.This sentence is useful for showing how to use sfacciato to describe a person's change in behavior.Tatoeba #2727457 by Guybrush88, translation #1336423 by Eldad
- Mio fratello è diventato impudente.My brother became cheeky.This sentence is useful for showing how to use impudente to describe a person's change in behavior.Tatoeba #2727458 by Guybrush88, translation #1336465 by Eldad
- Che ragazza impertinente!What a cheeky girl!This sentence is useful for showing how to use impertinente to describe a girl.Tatoeba #14035698 by Guybrush88, translation #12105971 by CK
- Maria ha risposto in modo sfacciato alla domanda del professore.Maria cheekily answered the professor's question.
- Marco ha fatto una battuta impertinente durante la riunione.Marco made a cheeky remark during the meeting.
- Giovanni è un po' birichino, sempre pronto a giocare un brutto scherzo agli amici.Giovanni is a bit cheeky, always ready to play a prank on his friends.
- Laura è una vera monella, ama fare scherzi a tutti.Laura is a real cheeky girl, she loves playing tricks on everyone.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Alessandro are discussing a child's behavior at a party.
- ChiaraHai visto come ha risposto quel bambino?Did you see how that child answered?
- AlessandroSì, è stato davvero sfacciato con te.Yes, he was really cheeky with you.
- ChiaraNon credo che i suoi genitori lo sappiano.I don't think his parents know about it.
- AlessandroForse è solo un po' troppo vivace.Maybe he is just a bit too lively.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheeky” translations and entries sfacciato, impertinente, sfrontato, impudente, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries impertinente, impudente, sfacciato, sfrontato, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
