bello
/ˈbɛl.lo/
The Italian word for handsome is bello.
The adjective bello is used to describe a man as attractive or handsome. While it is used for men, it is also the standard word used to mean beautiful when describing objects or places. If you want to describe someone as charming or fascinating, you may use affascinante.
Meaning: of man: attractive (adj)
Which one should you use?
While bello specifically means handsome when applied to a man, it functions more broadly as the word for beautiful when describing inanimate objects or locations.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form bello is marked as informal. For a slang alternative used among friends to mean someone is handsome, cool or awesome, you can use figo.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective changes its ending depending on the gender and number of the subject: bello is the masculine singular form, bella is the feminine singular form used for a beautiful woman, belli is the masculine plural form and belle is the feminine plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable. The IPA is /ˈbɛl.lo/.
Did you know?
- In Italian, if you call a man un bel tipo, you might actually be implying he is a 'character' or a 'guy' in a slightly suspicious or eccentric way, rather than strictly complimenting his looks.
- The word bello can act as an intensifier when placed before other adjectives, similar to how English speakers use 'very' or 'really' in phrases like un bel peccato meaning 'a real shame'.
- The superlative form bellissimo can sometimes be used ironically in Italian to describe a situation that is actually quite bad, similar to how an English speaker might say 'that is just great' when something goes wrong.
Examples in context
- È alto e bello.He is tall and handsome.This sentence shows how to use bello to describe height and appearance.Tatoeba #3544259 by Guybrush88, translation #388095 by Mouseneb
- È scuro e bello.He's dark and handsome.This sentence demonstrates using bello alongside physical descriptions like skin tone.Tatoeba #2054451 by Guybrush88, translation #1934831 by Spamster
- Sono bello o no?Am I handsome or not?This sentence shows how to use bello when asking a question about one's own appearance.Tatoeba #3410198 by Guybrush88, translation #255441 by CM
- Sei molto belloYou are very handsome.
- Sei davvero affascinanteYou are truly handsome.
- Sei estremamente attraenteYou are extremely handsome.
- Sei proprio figoYou are really handsome.
- Sei proprio un belloccioYou really are a handsome one.
- Sei proprio un belloccio con quel sorriso contagioso!You are a handsome one with that contagious smile!
- 232 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Francesco are looking at a photo of a celebrity.
- SofiaMa guarda quanto è bello!But look how handsome he is!
- FrancescoSì, è molto bello.Yes, he is very handsome.
- SofiaTi piace il suo stile?Do you like his style?
- FrancescoSì, è un ragazzo bello e con classe.Yes, he is a handsome and classy guy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “handsome” translations and entries bello, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
