fantastico
/fanˈtas.ti.ko/
The Italian word for the English phrase 'rad' is fantastico.
fantastico is used to express that something is excellent. You might also hear the informal term figo to mean 'cool' or 'awesome'.
Meaning: short for radical, excellent (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, fantastico must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use fantastica for feminine nouns, fantastici for masculine plural nouns and fantastiche for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /fanˈtas.ti.ko/. It has four syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- Depending on the region, some Italians might use che bomba! to express that something is 'rad', literally saying 'what a bomb!'
- In certain Italian regions, particularly in the north, people might use the English loanword 'top' to express the same sense of 'rad' or 'excellent' as fantastico.
- While fantastico means 'excellent', using it to describe a person can sometimes imply they are 'unreal' or 'imaginary' due to its Greek roots in the word for 'appearance' or 'vision'.
Examples in context
- Quello è un vestito figo!That's a cool dress!
- Questo nuovo film è fantastico!This new movie is rad!
- Il concerto ieri sera era fantastico.The concert last night was rad.
Example conversation
Matteo and Chiara are talking about a new restaurant.
- MatteoHai provato quel nuovo ristorante?Have you tried that new restaurant?
- ChiaraSì, è veramente fantastico!Yes, it is truly rad!
- MatteoDavvero? Mi piacerebbe andarci.Really? I would love to go there.
- ChiaraAllora dobbiamo andarci insieme!Then we must go there together!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry fantastico, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
