la vita è bella
The English phrase "life is beautiful" is translated into Italian as la vita è bella.
This phrase is used to express the sentiment that existence is wonderful and worth appreciating.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from la (the), vita (life), è (is) and bella (beautiful).
How does it change in a sentence?
Because vita is a feminine noun, the adjective must be the feminine bella rather than the masculine bello. To increase the intensity of the sentiment, you can replace the adjective bella with the superlative form bellissima to say "life is very beautiful".
Did you know?
- The phrase la vita è bella gained global recognition as the title of a 1997 Oscar-winning film about a father protecting his son in a concentration camp.
- In Italian, the word bella is not just used for beauty but also to describe a 'nice' or 'pleasant' experience, such as una bella giornata for a 'nice day'.
- The Latin root of vita, *gʷītā, is a distant relative of the English word 'vital', which is why both languages use similar sounds for 'life'.
Examples in context
- La vita è bella!Life is beautiful.Tatoeba #4497 by Guybrush88, translation #1829 by CK
- La vita è bella. Nessuno ha detto che sia semplice.Life is beautiful. No one said it was simple.This example uses la vita è bella to contrast the beauty of life with its lack of simplicity.Tatoeba #11045833 by carlosalberto, translation #6976965 by shekitten
- La vita è meravigliosa qui a Firenze!Life is marvelous here in Florence!
- Grazie per l'invito, la vita è davvero bellissima!Thank you for the invitation, life is truly beautiful!
- Guarda il tramonto, la vita è bella.Look at the sunset, life is beautiful.
Example conversation
A couple is watching the sunset on a balcony.
- SofiaGuarda questo panorama, la vita è bella.Look at this view, life is beautiful.
- FrancescoHai ragione, Sofia, sei molto romantica.You are right, Sofia, you are very romantic.
- SofiaSì, merita di essere apprezzata.Yes, it deserves to be appreciated.
- FrancescoSono felice di essere qui con te.I am happy to be here with you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bella, la, vita, è, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
