sei bellissima oggi
The English phrase "you look beautiful today" can be expressed in Italian as sei bellissima oggi.
This phrase is a compliment used to tell a woman that she looks attractive at the present time. By using the superlative suffix -issima, the compliment is made stronger than simply saying sei bella oggi (you are beautiful today).
Which one should you use?
Use sei bellissima oggi to tell a woman she is very beautiful, while use sei bellissimo oggi to tell a man he is very beautiful. You can also use the phrase Hai un aspetto bellissimo oggi to say "You have a beautiful appearance today."
Did you know?
- Depending on the region, an Italian might reply to sei bellissima with ma dai!, which literally means 'but give!', but functions as a modest 'stop it!' or 'you're kidding!'
- The word oggi comes from the Latin hodiē, which was composed of 'hac' (this) and 'die' (day), literally meaning 'on this day'.
- While bellissima is a common compliment, calling a man bellissimo is socially acceptable and frequent in Italy, whereas English speakers often hesitate to call men 'beautiful'.
Examples in context
- Sei bellissima oggi, con quel vestito rosso.You look beautiful today in that red dress.
- Guarda, sei bellissima oggi!Look, you look beautiful today!
Example conversation
Matteo and Martina are getting ready for a dinner date.
- MatteoSei bellissima oggi, Martina.You look beautiful today, Martina.
- MartinaDavvero? Grazie mille, Matteo!Really? Thank you so much, Matteo!
- MatteoSì, quel colore ti sta molto bene.Yes, that color suits you very well.
- MartinaChe gentile, sei un tesoro.How kind, you are a sweetheart.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries oggi, sei, CC BY-SA 4.0.
