hai dei begli occhi
The English phrase "you have beautiful eyes" is translated into Italian as hai dei begli occhi.
You might say Hai degli occhi bellissimi while on a romantic date.
Meaning: you have beautiful eyes (phrase)
Which one should you use?
You can increase the intensity of the compliment by using bellissimi (very beautiful) instead of begli (beautiful). For a more emotional and natural expression, you can use the exclamation che begli occhi che hai!, which means "what beautiful eyes you have!"
How does it change in a sentence?
Use hai for a single person in an informal setting, but change it to ha to address a stranger or someone in a formal setting. If you are complimenting more than one person, use avete instead of hai.
Did you know?
- Complimenting someone's eyes in Italy is often seen as a more intimate gesture than in some Anglophone cultures, frequently signaling a romantic interest.
- The word occhi shares a distant root with the English word 'ocular', though it evolved through Latin oculus.
- While English speakers often use 'beautiful' for eyes, Italians frequently use luminosi (luminous) to describe eyes that are bright or full of life.
Examples in context
- Hai dei begli occhi, Francesco.You have beautiful eyes, Francesco.
- Mi piace molto il tuo sguardo, hai dei begli occhi.I really like your gaze, you have beautiful eyes.
Example conversation
A casual evening conversation at a cafe.
- MartinaFrancesco, hai dei begli occhi.Francesco, you have beautiful eyes.
- FrancescoGrazie, Martina, sei molto gentile.Thank you, Martina, you are very kind.
- MartinaLo dico davvero, brillano molto.I really mean it, they are shining a lot.
- FrancescoMi fai arrossire!You're making me blush!
