bacio
/ˈba.t͡ʃo/masculine
The English word 'kiss' is translated into Italian as bacio.
bacio refers to a touch with the lips. You can use the verb baciare when you kiss a specific person or object, or the reflexive verb baciarsi to describe two people kissing each other.
Meaning: a touch with the lips (noun)
Which one should you use?
The verb baciare is used to express kissing someone or something, while baciarsi is used when two people are kissing one another.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun bacio has the plural form baci (kisses). You can also use the diminutive form bacini to refer to small, sweet kisses.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈba.tʃo/. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- While an English speaker might say 'give me a kiss', an Italian person might say they want to 'eat' a kiss or even 'steal' one, using verbs like rubare or mangiare in poetic contexts.
- Italian has a famous chocolate treat called Baci, which translates to 'kisses'. These are hazelnut chocolates wrapped in a romantic love note.
- In an Italian context, bacini is often used not just for physical kisses but as a common sign-off in informal letters and texts, similar to 'xoxo' in English.
Examples in context
- Mi dia un bacio!Give me a kiss!This sentence is useful for requesting a kiss using bacio.Tatoeba #5073611 by Guybrush88, translation #5073607 by CarpeLanam
- Le dia un bacio.Give her a kiss.Tatoeba #5663107 by Guybrush88, translation #3915890 by CH
- Mi devi un bacio.You owe me a kiss.This sentence is useful for stating that someone owes a kiss using bacio.Tatoeba #2556315 by Guybrush88, translation #2556296 by Hybrid
- Vorrei ricevere un bacio da te.I would like to receive a kiss from you.
- Ti bacio sulla guancia.I kiss you on the cheek.
- Vorrei darti un bacino di buon compleanno.I would like to give you a birthday kiss.
- Per salutarsi, gli italiani si baciano sulla guancia.Italians kiss each other on the cheek to say hello.
- Ciao Laura! Un bacione da Roma!Hi Laura! A big kiss from Rome!
- Darò a mia nonna un bacetto quando la vedrò.I will give my grandma a little kiss when I see her.
- Tanti baci, caro amico!Many kisses, dear friend!
- 122 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Alessandro are saying goodbye after a date.
- MartinaDammi un bacio prima di andare.Give me a kiss before you go.
- AlessandroSolo un bacio?Just one kiss?
- MartinaSì, un bacio veloce.Yes, a quick kiss.
- AlessandroVa bene, a presto!All right, see you soon!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “kiss” translations and entries bacio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
