l'Italia è bellissima
To say 'italy is beautiful' in Italian, use l'Italia è bellissima.
This phrase is used to express that the country of Italy is visually pleasing or wonderful.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'the Italy is very beautiful'. This is because the adjective bellissima is the superlative form of bella, which adds an intensive meaning.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Sicily, you may hear the regional expression L'Italia è 'na bellezza mai vista 'n'ata vota, which means 'Italy is a beauty never seen before.'
How does it change in a sentence?
The suffix -issima is used to form the absolute superlative, which functions like the English intensifiers 'very' or 'extremely'. Consequently, using bella expresses that Italy is beautiful, whereas bellissima adds this extra intensity to the sentiment.
Did you know?
- The word bellissima is a superlative, but in Italian, you can keep adding more suffixes to make a word even more intense. To say Italy is 'super-beautiful', you could jokingly say bellississima.
- The word è traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁ésti, which is the same linguistic ancestor shared with the English word 'is'.
- While bellissima describes visual beauty, Italians often use the word bella to describe a good experience, such as bella giornata for a 'beautiful day' regardless of the weather.
Examples in context
- L'Italia è bellissima in estate.Italy is beautiful in summer.
- Guarda queste foto, l'Italia è bellissima.Look at these photos, Italy is beautiful.
- Sì, l'Italia è bellissima sotto il sole.Yes, Italy is beautiful under the sun.
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a travel magazine in a cafe.
- MartinaGuarda questa immagine, l'Italia è bellissima!Look at this image, Italy is beautiful!
- AlessandroHai ragione, Martina, è un paese meraviglioso.You're right, Martina, it's a wonderful country.
- MartinaVorrei andarci presto con te, Alessandro.I would like to go there soon with you, Alessandro.
- AlessandroSì, organizziamo un viaggio l'anno prossimo.Yes, let's organize a trip next year.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries è, CC BY-SA 4.0.
