Babbo Natale
/ˌbab.bo.naˈta.le/
Santa Claus in Italian is Babbo Natale.
Babbo Natale is used specifically for the Westernized, commercialized figure of Santa Claus, rather than the religious saint.
What does it mean word for word?
The name is composed of Babbo, a colloquial term for father and Natale, meaning Christmas, literally translating to "Daddy Christmas".
Which one should you use?
While Babbo Natale is the modern figure of Santa Claus, San Nicola refers to the historical Saint Nicholas, who is still celebrated as a gift-bringer in certain Italian regions like Bari.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Babbo is a more affectionate and informal way to say 'father' than the standard 'papà' or formal 'padre'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of southern Italy, especially in Naples, the main gift-bringer is Gesù Bambino.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 5 syllables, with the stress on the 4th syllable: /ˌbab.bo.naˈta.le/.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Babbo Natale fu qui.Santa Claus was here.Tatoeba #13663318 by Guybrush88, translation #9444600 by Cabo
- Crede a Babbo Natale.He believes in Santa Claus.Tatoeba #1332786 by Guybrush88, translation #290054 by CK
- Babbo Natale è reale?Is Santa Claus real?Tatoeba #3176309 by Guybrush88, translation #2705452 by WestofEden
- Mamma, Babbo Natale passerà da noi quest'anno?Mom, will Santa visit us this year?
- Vedo che Babbo Natale è arrivato con un sacco pieno di doni!I can see that Santa Claus has arrived with a bag full of gifts!
- I bambini scrivono lettere a Santa Claus chiedendo i regali desiderati.Children write letters to Santa Claus asking for their desired gifts.
- 174 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Francesco are decorating their Christmas tree at home.
- SofiaDove abbiamo messo il cappello di Babbo Natale?Where did we put Santa's hat?
- FrancescoÈ sopra il tavolo, Sofia.It is on the table, Sofia.
- SofiaGrazie, Francesco. Adesso la decorazione è perfetta.Thanks, Francesco. Now the decoration is perfect.
- FrancescoSperiamo che Babbo Natale sia felice con questo albero!Let's hope Santa is happy with this tree!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Babbo Natale, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Natale, babbo, natale, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
