felicità
/fe.li.t͡ʃiˈta/feminine
The English phrase 'happiness' can be translated into Italian as felicità or gioia.
Meaning: emotion of being happy (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| felicità | /fe.li.t͡ʃiˈta/ | feminine |
| gioia | /ˈd͡ʒɔ.ja/ | feminine |
Both words are used to describe the emotion of being happy.
Which one should you use?
While felicità refers to the general state of happiness, gioia is often used to describe a more intense, sudden or exuberant burst of joy.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word felicità is a feminine noun, which is indicated by its ending in -à, though the gender is most relevant when using adjectives or articles.
How do you pronounce it?
/fe.li.tʃiˈta/. The word has 4 syllables, and the stress is on the 4th syllable.
Did you know?
- The word gioia can also be used as a term of endearment, similar to calling someone 'joy' or 'darling' in English.
- The word felicità shares its root with the Latin word for 'happy' or 'lucky', which is why in Italian, being 'felice' can imply both being happy and being fortunate.
- If you are experiencing a sudden, intense burst of 'happiness', an Italian might use the word esultanza to describe the outward, vocal expression of that joy.
Examples in context
- Sa cos'è la felicità?Do you know what happiness is?Tatoeba #3966314 by Guybrush88, translation #2044718 by CK
- È ubriaca di felicità.She is drunk with happiness.Tatoeba #1990139 by Guybrush88, translation #919880 by Shiawase
- Ti auguro la felicità.I wish you happiness.Tatoeba #2506528 by Guybrush88, translation #2044465 by CK
- Provare felicitàTo feel happiness
- L'evento mi ha riempito di gioiaThe event filled me with joy
- Ho provato una grande contentezza nell'aiutare gli altriI felt great happiness in helping others
- Sono così felice!I'm so happy!
- Passare del tempo con te mi dà molta allegriaSpending time with you brings me a lot of happiness
- Siamo così felici insiemeWe are so happy together
- L'arrivo degli amici mi riempie di gioia.The arrival of friends fills me with joy.
- Sono felicissimo/a di vederti!I'm extremely happy to see you!
- La mia famiglia è la mia felicità.My family is my happiness.
- Le piccole cose nella vita portano la più grande contentezza.The little things in life bring the greatest happiness.
- 198 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Francesco are walking in a park.
- SofiaGuarda quel bambino, che felicità!Look at that child, such happiness!
- FrancescoSì, Sofia, è un momento bellissimo.Yes, Sofia, it is a beautiful moment.
- SofiaSpero che lui senta sempre questa felicità.I hope he always feels this happiness.
- FrancescoLo spero anche io.I hope so too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “happiness” translations and entries felicità, gioia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
