porca vacca
The Italian phrase for "holy cow" is porca vacca.
The phrase porca vacca is an interjection. Other informal ways to convey surprise or disbelief include Porca miseria!, Cavoli! and Mamma mia!
Meaning: interjection (intj)
Did you know?
- While 'cow' is the English equivalent, the word porca actually refers to a 'sow' or a female pig.
- If you say porca vacca in a very formal setting, it may still be seen as slightly coarse. For a truly polite expression of surprise, Italians prefer cavoli, which literally means 'cabbages'.
- The phrase porca vacca is a 'minced oath', a way to express frustration without using more offensive profanities involving religious figures or family members.
Examples in context
- Porca miseria! Non riesco a credere che abbiamo vinto!Holy cow! I can't believe we won!
- Porca vacca, quanto è grande questo!Holy cow, how big this is!
- Porca vacca, ho dimenticato le chiavi.Holy cow, I forgot my keys.
- Ma porca vacca, è già finita?Holy cow, is it over already?
Example conversation
Martina shows Matteo a very expensive bill.
- MartinaMatteo, guarda quanto costa questo piatto!Matteo, look how much this dish costs!
- MatteoPorca vacca, è davvero carissimo!Holy cow, it's really expensive!
- MartinaNon voglio pagare tutto io.I don't want to pay for everything myself.
- MatteoDividiamo il conto a metà.Let's split the bill in half.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry porca vacca, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries porca, vacca, CC BY-SA 4.0.
