il mio tesoro
/il ˈmi.o teˈzɔ.ro/word by word
The English phrase "my treasure" is il mio tesoro in Italian.
il mio tesoro is a term of endearment used to address someone you love deeply. In casual conversation, Italians often drop the article and the possessive to use just tesoro as a direct term of endearment, which can mean "treasure", "honey" or "darling".
Which one should you use?
While il mio tesoro is the full phrase, you can create the even more endearing phrase Il mio piccolo tesoro, which means "my little treasure", by adding piccolo before tesoro.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because tesoro is a masculine noun, the article and possessive adjective must both be in the masculine form il mio.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /il ˈmi.o teˈzɔ.ro/. It has 5 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use la mia tesoro. Because tesoro is masculine, you must use the masculine article and possessive il mio.
Did you know?
- The word tesoro is the Italian descendant of the Latin 'thēsaurus', which is the same root found in the English word 'thesaurus'.
- In some Italian contexts, calling someone tesoro can be used ironically or condescendingly, similar to how 'honey' or 'sweetheart' is used in English during an argument.
- While tesoro is a common term for a partner, it is exceptionally frequent in Italy as a way for adults to address small children.
Examples in context
- Auguri per il tuo compleanno, il mio tesoro!Happy birthday, my treasure!
- Buonanotte, il mio piccolo tesoro.Goodnight, my little treasure.
- Sei il mio tesoro.You are my treasure.
Example conversation
A couple saying goodbye before work.
- AlessandroA presto, il mio tesoro.See you soon, my treasure.
- ChiaraA presto, caro Alessandro.See you soon, dear Alessandro.
- AlessandroTi aspetto a cena.I'll wait for you at dinner.
- ChiaraA stasera, allora!Until tonight, then!
