maledetto
/ma.leˈdet.to/
The English phrase "damn you" is translated into Italian as maledetto.
maledetto is an expression used to wish bad luck or divine punishment upon someone.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form must agree in gender and number with the person or people being cursed. Use maledetto for a man, maledetta for a woman, maledetti for a group of men or a mixed-gender group and maledette for a group consisting only of women.
How do you pronounce it?
The word consists of 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable: /ma.leˈdet.to/.
Did you know?
- In Italian, maledetto can be used as a term of begrudging admiration for someone who is surprisingly skilled or clever at something annoying.
- The word maledetto comes from the Latin ‘maledicere’, which literally means 'to speak ill of'.
- While maledetto is a curse, it is often used as an adjective to describe a 'damned' or 'cursed' object, like a maledetto computer when technology fails.
Examples in context
- Maledetto sia il tuo piano.Damn your plan.
Example conversation
Matteo accidentally breaks Martina's favorite vase.
- MartinaHai rotto il mio vaso! Maledetto!You broke my vase! Damn you!
- MatteoMi dispiace, Martina, è stato un incidente.I'm sorry, Martina, it was an accident.
- MartinaEra l'unico che avevo.It was the only one I had.
- MatteoNe comprerò uno nuovo per te.I will buy a new one for you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry maledetto, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries maledetto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
