la mia ragazza
The Italian phrase for 'my girl' is la mia ragazza.
la mia ragazza is a term used to refer to a female romantic partner. For a more affectionate way to refer to a significant other, Italians may use la mia dolce metà (my sweet half). Alternatively, la mia piccola can be used to mean 'my little one' or 'my little girl' in a tender and playful manner.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, la mia ragazza translates to 'the my girl' because Italian requires a definite article before possessive adjectives.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express 'my girls' or 'my girlfriends' in the plural, both the article and the noun must change to le mie ragazze.
Did you know?
- The word ragazza has an unlikely origin rooted in 'rags' or 'tatters'. It is believed to stem from a term for someone wearing old, tattered clothing.
- Using la mia ragazza to describe a platonic female friend is a common mistake for English speakers and will almost certainly be interpreted as a romantic claim.
- The word ragazza is part of a gender pair where the masculine version, ragazzo, is also used to mean 'boyfriend'.
Examples in context
- È la mia ragazza.That's my girl.This sentence is useful for identifying someone as la mia ragazza.Tatoeba #1280528 by Guybrush88, translation #1804030 by Spamster
- Mary è la mia ragazza.Mary is my girl.This sentence is useful for stating that a specific person is la mia ragazza.Tatoeba #2602475 by Guybrush88, translation #9171152 by CK
- La mia ragazza è molto intelligente.My girl is very intelligent.
- Hai visto la mia ragazza oggi?Have you seen my girl today?
- Sono così fortunato ad avere la mia bimba al mio fianco.I am so lucky to have my baby girl by my side.
- Ti presento la mia ragazza.I would like to introduce my girl to you.
Example conversation
Matteo is introducing Giulia to a friend.
- MatteoTi presento la mia ragazza, Giulia.I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Giulia.
- GiuliaPiacere di conoscerti, Giulia!Nice to meet you, Giulia!
- MatteoLa mia ragazza è un'architetta.My girlfriend is an architect.
- GiuliaChe interessante, complimenti!How interesting, congratulations!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, ragazza, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
