Ehi tesoro
/ˈej teˈzɔ.ro/word by word
The English phrase 'hey babe' can be translated into Italian as Ehi tesoro.
Ehi tesoro is an informal term of endearment used between romantic partners or very close friends. You may also use Ehi amore to say 'hey love'. Other common affectionate greetings include ciao tesoro (Hi darling/Hi sweetheart), ciao amore (Hi love) to convey deep affection, ciao bello (Hi handsome) to greet a man and ciao bella (Hi beautiful) to greet a woman.
What does it mean word for word?
The word tesoro literally means 'treasure'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Ehi tesoro is an informal expression.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Napoli, ciao tesò is a popular variation of ciao tesoro.
Did you know?
- The term tesoro shares the same ancient Greek root as the English word 'thesaurus'. While 'thesaurus' refers to a treasury of words, tesoro refers to a treasury of value.
- In Italian, the word tesoro is gender-neutral when used as a term of endearment. You can call a man or a woman tesoro without changing the word to a feminine form.
- While tesoro means 'treasure', using it to greet a stranger in a shop might be perceived as overly flirtatious or even patronizing rather than just friendly.
Examples in context
- Ciao amore, come stai?Hi love, how are you?
- Ehi tesoro, hai visto le mie chiavi?Hey babe, have you seen my keys?
- Ehi tesoro, la cena è quasi pronta.Hey babe, dinner is almost ready.
- Ehi tesoro, ti amo tanto.Hey babe, I love you so much.
Example conversation
Matteo is looking for his phone while Chiara is in the kitchen.
- ChiaraEhi tesoro, dove hai messo il telefono?Hey babe, where did you put the phone?
- MatteoNon lo so, forse è sul tavolo.I don't know, maybe it's on the table.
- ChiaraNo, non c'è.No, it's not there.
- MatteoAh, ecco! L'ho trovato in tasca.Ah, here! I found it in my pocket.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ehi, tesoro) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tesoro, CC BY-SA 4.0.
