buffone
/bufˈfo.ne/masculine
The Italian word for 'joker' is buffone. If unsure, use buffone. Wiktionary also lists buffone di corte.
Meaning: person who makes jokes (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| buffone | /bufˈfo.ne/ | masculine |
| buffone di corte | /bufˈfo.ne di ˈkor.te/ (word by word) | masculine |
The term refers to a person who makes jokes. However, in modern colloquial Italian, buffone is often used as an insult to call someone a clown or an idiot rather than a professional joker.
Which one should you use?
While buffone can mean a professional joker, it carries a much stronger connotation of being a ridiculous or contemptible person compared to the English 'joker'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The word buffone is informal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form is buffone. The feminine form of 'buffone' is buffona.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: /bufˈfo.ne/.
Did you know?
- In a deck of cards, the 'Joker' is usually called il Jolly, a loanword from English, rather than il buffone.
- The term buffone di corte refers to a historical role that often allowed the person to critique the king without being punished.
- The suffix '-one' in buffone is an augmentative, which literally expands the meaning of 'funny' to create 'the big funny one'.
Examples in context
- Quando giochiamo a carte, il buffone è la carta più importante.When we play cards, the joker is the most important card.
- Passami il jolly, per favore!Pass me the joker, please!
- Il buffone ha fatto ridere tutti.The joker made everyone laugh.
Example conversation
Giulia and Lorenzo are at a small party.
- GiuliaLorenzo, smettila di fare il buffone!Lorenzo, stop acting like a joker!
- LorenzoMa io sto solo scherzando, Giulia.But I am just joking, Giulia.
- GiuliaSì, ma sei troppo imbarazzante.Yes, but you are too embarrassing.
- LorenzoVa bene, sarò più serio.Okay, I will be more serious.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “joker” translations and entries buffone, buffone di corte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (buffone, di, corte) and can differ in connected speech.
