sei così bella
/ˈsɛj koˈzi ˈbɛl.la/word by word
The English phrase "you're so beautiful" is translated into Italian as sei così bella.
sei così bella is a compliment used to tell a woman or girl that she is very attractive.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of sei (you are), così (so/this much) and bella (beautiful).
Which one should you use?
The form sei così bella uses the informal tu (you), which is appropriate for friends, partners or people you know well. If you change the verb from sei (you are) to è (she is), the phrase è così bella changes the subject from "you" to "she".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsɛj koˈzi ˈbɛl.la/. The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- To make the compliment even stronger, Italians often use the phrase bella da fare paura, which literally means 'so beautiful it's scary'.
- While bella means 'beautiful', it is also used as a common greeting or exclamation among friends, such as bella! to say 'hey' or 'what's up'.
- The word bella shares an ancestor with the English word 'belle', which is used to describe a fashionable or beautiful woman.
Examples in context
- Sei così bella!You're so beautiful!This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase sei così bella.Tatoeba #486214 by Pharamp, translation #385394 by Mouseneb
- Stasera sei così bella.You are so beautiful tonight.
- Con questo vestito sei così bella.You are so beautiful in this dress.
Example conversation
Matteo compliments Sofia while they are getting ready for a party.
- SofiaMatteo, mi piace questo trucco?Matteo, do you like this makeup?
- MatteoSì, ma la verità è che sei così bella comunque.Yes, but the truth is that you're so beautiful anyway.
- SofiaGrazie, sei molto dolce.Thank you, you are very sweet.
- MatteoDico solo la verità.I am only telling the truth.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sei, così, bella) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bella, così, sei, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
