sei gay
/ˈsɛj ˈɡɛj/word by word
In Italian, "you're gay" is translated as sei gay.
The phrase is used to state that someone is homosexual.
Which one should you use?
You may also see the word omosessuale used in different grammatical forms to convey the same meaning.
How does it change in a sentence?
sei gay uses the informal singular form of the verb essere (to be). If you are addressing a group of people, use siete gay to say "you (all) are gay".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsɛj ˈɡɛj/
Did you know?
- To describe a lesbian, Italians frequently use the specific term lesbica rather than the gender-neutral gay, which is more often associated with men.
- In Italian, the word gay is treated as an invariant adjective, meaning it does not change its ending to match the gender of the person being described.
- Unlike the English word 'gay', which historically meant 'happy', the Italian use of gay is almost exclusively restricted to sexual orientation.
Examples in context
- Sei gay, vero?You're gay, right?
- Lo so che sei gay.I know that you are gay.
- Sei gay e lo dici con orgoglio.You are gay and you say it with pride.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their dating lives.
- MartinaAlessandro, perché non esci mai con ragazze?Alessandro, why do you never go out with girls?
- AlessandroPerché non mi interessano.Because I'm not interested in them.
- MartinaQuindi sei gay?So you're gay?
- AlessandroSì, è così.Yes, that's how it is.
