ciao cugino
/ˈt͡ʃa.o kuˈd͡ʒi.no/word by word
The English phrase "hello cousin" is translated into Italian as ciao cugino.
This phrase is an informal greeting used when speaking to a cousin.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the phrase changes based on the gender and number of the cousins you are addressing. If the cousin is female, you must change the ending of cugino to cugina to say ciao cugina. To say hello to multiple cousins, use the plural form ciao cugini.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈtʃa.o kuˈdʒi.no/. It has 4 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word ciao has a much darker origin than its friendly modern usage, as it evolved from the word for 'slave'. It originally stems from the Venetian expression 's-ciao vostro', which meant 'I am your humble servant'.
- While ciao cugino is a literal greeting, Italians often use familial terms like cugino as affectionate nicknames for close friends who are not actually related.
- The word cugino is part of a rare linguistic pair in Italian with the word consobrino, which specifically refers to the cousin of one's spouse.
Examples in context
- Buongiorno, cugina! Sono felice di vederti.Good morning, cousin! I'm happy to see you.
- Salve, cugino! Che piacere rivederti.Hello, cousin! What a pleasure to see you again.
- Ciao cugino, che bello vederti!Hello cousin, how nice to see you!
- Ehi, ciao cugino!Hey, hello cousin!
Example conversation
Lorenzo meets Sofia at a family gathering.
- LorenzoCiao cugina, come va?Hello cousin, how's it going?
- SofiaCiao cugino, tutto bene, grazie.Hello cousin, everything is fine, thanks.
- LorenzoSono contento di vederti qui.I am happy to see you here.
- SofiaAnche io, Lorenzo!Me too, Lorenzo!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ciao, cugino) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ciao, cugino, CC BY-SA 4.0.
