Sei bello
/ˈsɛj ˈbɛl.lo/word by word
In Italian, 'you are beautiful' is translated as Sei bello.
This phrase is used as a compliment to tell a man or a boy that he is physically attractive.
Which one should you use?
The form Sei bello is used specifically for males. For a female, you would use the feminine form Sei bella.
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing a woman or a girl, change the masculine adjective bello to the feminine bella to form Sei bella. You can also intensify the compliment by adding suffixes: use Sei bellissimo for a man to mean 'You are very handsome/beautiful' and Sei bellissima for a woman to mean 'You are very beautiful' or 'gorgeous'.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈsɛj ˈbɛl.lo/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- If you call a man bello in a sarcastic tone, it can be used as a condescending way to address someone, similar to saying 'listen, buddy' in English.
- The word bello is inherited from the Latin word bellus, which was originally a diminutive meaning 'pretty' or 'charming'.
- To express that someone is 'handsome' or 'good-looking', Italians might use the phrase fare bella figura, which literally means 'to make a beautiful figure'.
Examples in context
- Sei bello.You are beautiful.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase Sei bello.Tatoeba #622127 by Guybrush88, translation #20097 by CK
- Sei un fiore incantevole.You are a lovely flower.
- Sei radiosa.You are radiant.
- Sei una meraviglia.You are a marvel.
- Sei bello con questa camicia.You are handsome in this shirt.
- Sei bello quando sorridi.You are handsome when you smile.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara is complimenting Alessandro on his new outfit.
- AlessandroTi piace come mi vesto oggi?Do you like how I'm dressed today?
- ChiaraSì, sei bello con quella camicia.Yes, you are beautiful in that shirt.
- AlessandroGrazie, sei molto gentile.Thanks, you are very kind.
- ChiaraDico solo la verità, Alessandro.I'm just telling the truth, Alessandro.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sei, bello) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bello, sei, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
