perbacco
/perˈbak.ko/
The English exclamation 'crikey' can be translated into Italian using several forms, most commonly perbacco. Wiktionary also lists cribbio and alla faccia.
Meaning: exclamation of astonishment (intj)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| perbacco | /perˈbak.ko/ |
| cribbio | |
| alla faccia | /ˈal.la ˈfat.t͡ʃa/ |
These terms are exclamations used to express astonishment, wonder or mild indignation.
Which one should you use?
While perbacco expresses surprise or wonder, alla faccia is a more colloquial and potentially more forceful exclamation of surprise or indignation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
perbacco is a more traditional and slightly more formal way to express astonishment compared to modern slang. In contrast, alla faccia is more colloquial and functions like the English 'holy cow' or 'bloody hell'.
How do you pronounce it?
The word perbacco has 3 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: /perˈbak.ko/.
Did you know?
- The exclamation perbacco is actually a way of calling upon Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and revelry. Using it today is a harmless, fossilized way of swearing by a deity that most Italians no longer worship.
- The expression alla faccia is often used as a way to mock someone's audacity or to express a sarcastic kind of admiration for their nerve.
- If you want to sound like a character from a 19th-century novel, you might use cribbio instead of modern slang. It functions as a 'minced oath', a way to express shock without using a heavy or profane word.
Example sentences for Italian are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Sofia shows Matteo a very expensive piece of art.
- SofiaGuarda Matteo, costa dieci mila euro!Look Matteo, it costs ten thousand euros!
- MatteoPerbacco, è davvero costoso!Crikey, it really is expensive!
- SofiaSì, ma è un pezzo unico.Yes, but it's a unique piece.
- MatteoNon credo che lo comprerò mai.I don't think I'll ever buy it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crikey” translations and entries perbacco, cribbio, alla faccia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries faccia, perbacco, CC BY-SA 4.0.
