Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| carino | /kaˈri.no/ |
| grazioso | /ɡratˈt͡sjo.zo/ /ɡratˈt͡sjo.so/ (traditional) |
When describing women or children, these terms mean pleasant or attractive. carino can also describe a person's behavior as being 'nice' or 'kind'.
Which one should you use?
Both carino and grazioso can mean pretty, but they carry different nuances. Grazioso often implies a sense of gracefulness or delicacy, whereas carino is more colloquial and can also mean 'cute'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective carino must agree in gender with the noun it describes, changing to carina for feminine nouns. The adjective carino changes to carini when describing a group of males or a mixed-gender group. The adjective carino changes to carine when describing a group of females.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable: /kaˈri.no/.
Did you know?
- While grazioso means 'pretty' or 'graceful' in Italian, its Spanish cognate gracioso usually means 'funny' or 'humorous'. Using it this way in Spain could lead to a humorous misunderstanding.
- The word carino is derived from caro, which means 'dear' or 'expensive'. This means calling someone 'pretty' in Italian is etymologically linked to calling them 'precious'.
- While carino is a common way to say 'pretty', using it to describe a grown man can sometimes be perceived as belittling, as it implies he is 'cute' like a child.
Examples in context
- Ho un cane carino.I have a pretty dog.This sentence shows how to use carino with a masculine noun.Tatoeba #1831074 by Guybrush88, translation #253363 by CK
- Io non sono carino.I'm not pretty.This sentence shows a negation using carino.Tatoeba #4216686 by Guybrush88, translation #4214752 by geebee60
- Questo è così carino.This is so pretty.This sentence uses carino to express how pretty something is.Tatoeba #2888719 by Guybrush88, translation #2888715 by CM
- La tua casa è bellissima.Your house is beautiful.
- Il tuo vestito è molto bello.Your dress is very pretty.
- La ballerina è molto graziosa.The ballerina is very pretty.
- Ha un sorriso splendido.She has a gorgeous smile.
- È una giornata splendida.It's a beautiful day.
- La tua nuova pettinatura è carina.Your new hairstyle is pretty.
- I tuoi amici sono davvero simpatici e carini.Your friends are really nice and cute.
- È un vestito stupendo!It's a stunning dress!
- Il tramonto sul mare è sempre stupendo.The sunset over the sea is always gorgeous.
- 33 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Lorenzo are looking at a photo of a child.
- GiuliaGuarda quanto è carino quel bambino!Look how pretty that child is!
- LorenzoSì, è davvero un bimbo carino.Yes, he is a really pretty boy.
- GiuliaHa un sorriso molto carino.He has a very pretty smile.
- LorenzoÈ proprio un bimbo carino.He is truly a pretty boy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pretty” translations and entries carino, grazioso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries carino, grazioso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
