Diminutives and augmentatives in Italian

1. 1
   fratellino/fratelˈlino/

   little brothernoun

   A younger brother.
2. 2
   pezzettino/pettsetˈtino/

   little piecenoun

   A very small piece.
3. 3
   momentino/momenˈtino/

   just a momentnoun

   A very short moment.
4. 4
   cucchiaino/kukkjaˈino/

   teaspoonnoun

   A small spoon, like a coffee spoon.
5. 5
   bottiglietta/bottiʎetta/

   small bottlenoun

   A small bottle.
6. 6
   tavolino/tavoˈlino/

   small tablenoun

   A small table.
7. 7
   piccolino/pikkoˈlino/

   tinyadjective

   Very small.
8. 8
   carino/kaˈrino/

   cuteadjective

   Pretty and endearing.
9. 9
   omone/oˈmone/

   big mannoun

   A big, heavy-set man.
10. 10
    parolaccia/paroˈlattʃa/

    bad wordnoun

    A vulgar word.

The sentences

1. Il tuo fratellino mi ha chiesto altra torta.

   Your little brother asked me for more cake.

2. Ne prendo volentieri un altro pezzettino, grazie.

   I'd love another little piece, thank you.

3. Aspetta un momentino, prendo il coltello per la torta.

   Wait just a moment, I'll get the knife for the cake.

4. Mi passi un cucchiaino per il caffè, per favore?

   Could you pass me a teaspoon for my coffee, please?

5. Mi passi la bottiglietta di succo per il tuo fratellino?

   Could you pass me the little bottle of juice for your little brother?

6. Mettiamo i bicchieri sul tavolino in giardino?

   Shall we put the glasses on the little table in the garden?

7. Il vostro cane è ancora piccolino, quanti mesi ha?

   Your dog is still tiny, how many months old is he?

8. Che carino tuo fratello, mi ha fatto un disegno.

   How sweet your brother is, he drew me a picture.

9. Tuo padre sembra un omone, ma è dolcissimo.

   Your dad looks like a big bear of a man, but he's really gentle.

10. Non si dice, quella è una parolaccia.

    We don't say that, it's a bad word.

Pronunciation

• pezzettino/pettsetˈtino/

  The double z here is hard, as in pizza.

• cucchiaino/kukkjaˈino/

  The stress falls on the i of -ino: cuc-chia-Ì-no.

• bottiglietta/bottiʎetta/

  The gl is said as in figlio, not as a hard g followed by l.

• parolaccia/paroˈlattʃa/

  The double c before i is soft and long, as in faccia.

Good to know

coperto

At a restaurant the bill often includes a coperto, a small charge per person for table service. It is usually printed on the menu.

pranzo della domenica

Family lunch, especially on Sunday, is long and has several courses. It usually ends with dessert and coffee.

portare qualcosa

When you're invited to lunch at someone's home, people usually bring a dessert, a bottle of wine or flowers.

Lei e tu

With adults you don't know, people usually use Lei until they suggest switching to tu. In a family and among young people, tu is used right away.

Questions

How do you say "a little piece" in Italian?

You say pezzettino, a very small piece. In the collection: "Ne prendo volentieri un altro pezzettino, grazie."

What does omone mean in Italian?

An omone is a big, heavy-set man. The example is "Tuo padre sembra un omone, ma è dolcissimo."

What do I say if someone uses a rude word in front of children?

You can say "Non si dice, quella è una parolaccia." A parolaccia is a vulgar word.