brava ragazza
In Italian, "good girl" is translated as brava ragazza.
The phrase is used to describe a girl or young woman who is well-behaved or skilled.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of brava (good/skilled) and ragazza (girl).
Which one should you use?
While brava ragazza implies being well-behaved or capable, using buona ragazza would sound more like a moral judgment or a literal 'good' in terms of sweetness/kindness.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because ragazza is a feminine noun, the adjective must be the feminine form brava rather than the masculine bravo.
Did you know?
- The word ragazza shares an ancient root with the word for 'rag', meaning a scrap of cloth or a tatter. It stems from the Greek word rhákos, suggesting that the term originally described someone wearing tattered clothing.
- The masculine form bravo is so common in the arts that it is used in English to describe a shout of approval at the end of an opera performance.
- In Italy, calling an adult woman ragazza is often used as a compliment to suggest she maintains a youthful spirit or appearance.
Examples in context
- È una brava ragazza.She's a good girl.This sentence shows how to use brava ragazza to describe someone in the third person.Tatoeba #2893732 by Guybrush88, translation #1991845 by Spamster
- Sei una brava ragazza.You're a good girl.This sentence shows how to use brava ragazza to address someone directly.Tatoeba #5570351 by Guybrush88, translation #2548447 by CK
- Sarò una brava ragazza.I'll be a good girl.This sentence shows how to use brava ragazza when speaking about oneself in the future tense.Tatoeba #5521789 by dnnywld, translation #1110488 by Scott
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo is praising Sofia for finishing her homework quickly.
- MatteoHai finito già tutti i compiti?Did you already finish all your homework?
- SofiaSì, sono stati molto semplici.Yes, they were very simple.
- MatteoSei proprio una brava ragazza, Sofia!You really are a good girl, Sofia!
- SofiaGrazie, Matteo!Thank you, Matteo!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ragazza, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
