ehi fratello
/ˈej fraˈtɛl.lo/word by word
The English phrase "hey bro" can be translated into Italian as ehi fratello.
The phrase is an informal greeting used to address a male friend or a brother. While ehi fratello is a literal translation, it can sound slightly more sincere or dramatic than the casual English "hey bro" depending on your tone. In many Italian urban dialects and youth slang, the clipped forms fratellì or frà are used more frequently than the full fratello to mean "bro".
Which one should you use?
The full form ehi fratello means "hey brother" and can carry a more sincere or dramatic weight. For a more casual vibe, young people often use the slang version frà to mean "bro" or ehi amico to mean "hey friend".
Is it said differently in some regions?
The use of fratellì or frà is particularly common in many Italian urban dialects and youth slang.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of ehi fratello is /ˈej fraˈtɛl.lo/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- In many parts of Italy, instead of 'bro', young people might use socio, which literally means 'partner' or 'associate', to address a friend.
- The word fratello is actually a diminutive form of the Latin word frāter. While it now means 'brother', it originally meant 'little brother'.
- Using the full word fratello in a casual setting can sometimes sound like a line from a dubbed American movie rather than natural Italian speech.
Examples in context
- Ciao fratello! Come stai?Hello bro! How are you?
- Ciao raga, ci troviamo più tardi?Hey bros, shall we meet up later?
Example conversation
Francesco arrives at his sister's house.
- FrancescoEhi fratello, sei arrivato!Hey bro, you've arrived!
- ChiaraSì, sono qui da cinque minuti.Yes, I've been here for five minutes.
- FrancescoScusa, non ti avevo sentito.Sorry, I didn't hear you.
- ChiaraNon importa, entriamo in casa.It doesn't matter, let's go inside.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ehi, fratello) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fratello, CC BY-SA 4.0.
