sciocco
/ˈʃɔk.ko/masculine
The Italian word for silly is sciocco.
Sciocco is used to describe someone showing a lack of good sense or wisdom. Depending on your tone, it can range from a lighthearted way to call someone silly to a slightly stronger way to call them foolish or stupid.
Meaning: foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom (adj)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal situations, you can use insensato, which translates to senseless. For informal settings, scemo is often used to describe someone acting silly, foolish or a bit crazy. If you are using slang, pirla can mean silly, stupid or even idiot.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes based on the gender and number of the person you are describing: use sciocca for a feminine subject, sciocchi for a masculine plural subject and sciocco for a masculine singular subject.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable: /ˈʃɔk.ko/.
Did you know?
- The word sciocco may share an ancient root with the Latin word for 'juice', suggesting that a silly person was once viewed as someone who was 'sapless' or lacking the vital fluids of life.
- While sciocco can be a gentle tease, calling someone pirla in Milan is a much sharper insult. In some contexts, it is considered far more offensive than simply calling someone 'silly'.
- Calling someone scemo can be a term of endearment between very close friends or partners, similar to how English speakers use 'silly' affectionately.
Examples in context
- Sciocco, non è vero?Silly, isn't it?This sentence uses sciocco to express a sense of disbelief or questioning a silly situation.Tatoeba #3164832 by Guybrush88, translation #2549490 by CK
- Tom è sciocco, vero?Tom is being silly, isn't he?This sentence uses sciocco to comment on someone's behavior.Tatoeba #4390884 by Guybrush88, translation #3416889 by CK
- Hey! Non sia sciocco.Hey! Don't be silly.This sentence uses sciocco to tell someone not to be silly.Tatoeba #3550422 by Guybrush88, translation #65200 by Lumi
- Quando Giovanni balla, sembra proprio un babbo!When Giovanni dances, he looks really silly!
- Non fare lo stupido, mettiti a lavorare!Don't be silly, get to work!
- Siete degli sciocchi a perdere tempo così!You guys are silly for wasting time like this!
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Alessandro are discussing a mistake Alessandro made while driving.
- ChiaraAlessandro, sei stato molto sciocco oggi.Alessandro, you were very silly today.
- AlessandroLo so, ho commesso un errore stupido.I know, I made a stupid mistake.
- ChiaraNon comportarti in modo sciocco la prossima volta.Don't behave in a silly way next time.
- AlessandroHai ragione, farò più attenzione.You are right, I will be more careful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “silly” translations and entries sciocco, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sciocco, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
