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February 14th is a day dedicated to love and lovers. Italians call it La festa degli innamorati, the feast of lovers. In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about how to say ‘I love you’ in Italian, plus Italian terms of endearment and the most important day for love in the calendar: Valentine’s Day!
Valentine’s in Italy is a big deal. We’ll look at how it’s celebrated, how to say ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ in Italian, what to write in a Valentine’s Day card, how to express your feelings to your family or partners and some typical Italian phrases of love and beautiful Italian terms of endearment.
Italians have often been represented by modern media, and in history as well, as passionate lovers and seducers: just think of Casanova, a Venetian writer and adventurer who lived in the 18th century famous for his gallant adventures with women and whose name is nowadays synonym for an unscrupulous man dedicated to amorous adventures.
So, it’s no wonder then that Valentine’s Day is a big deal in Italy! Alongside other important celebrations, such as Christmas, Easter and Carnival, San Valentino is another important occasion to spend time with your sweetheart (or simply get your fill of chocolate!).
Cominciamo! Let’s get started!
The history of St Valentine
The origin of Valentine’s Day has actually more than one explanation. One of the most accredited versions is that it originated in the Roman Empire as a holiday held on the 14th of February to celebrate Juno, the queen of Roman gods and goddesses and protector of women and marriage.
Another legend says that Valentine’s Day was created as a religious holiday established by Pope Gelasius I to replace the previous pagan festival of Lupercalia (during which the god Lupercus was invoked to protect fertility, and which involved all kinds of sacrifices and rituals such as the pairing off of women with men by lottery). And so it was that in 496 AC the Pope, with the aim of Christianising the Roman holiday, turned Lupercalia into a Christian festival and Lupercus was replaced by the martyr Valentine.
Who exactly was this Valentine is not completely certain. As a matter of fact, in the third century AC Emperor Claudius II executed two men, both named Valentine, on the 14th February of different years: a Roman priest who was allegedly beheaded on the Via Flaminia in 269 or 270 for having defied the Roman emperors’ order banning marriage between lovers during wartime and by secretly marrying them (hence the connection between the saint and couples), and a bishop of Terni beheaded in Rome in 273 (who according to the legend, was the first to celebrate the union between a Roman legionnaire and a Christian woman).
Whatever the question of the identity of the two homonymous martyrs, what we know for sure is that the cult of St Valentine has very ancient traditions in Rome and the martyrdom was honoured by the Catholic Church with the celebration of St. Valentine’s Day on the 14th February. Later on, however, the Church itself removed this feast from its calendar, considering it to be non-essential for religious purposes.
An interesting folkloric interpretation of the feast of St Valentine being the patron saint of lovers is the one also based on the belief (widespread in the Middle Ages especially in France and England) that on the 14th February birds begin to mate.
Finally, there is also a literary origin: Geoffrey Chaucer, the author of the Canterbury Tales has the modern merit of having consecrated St Valentine as the patron saint of love. At the end of the 14th century, in honour of the wedding between Richard II and Anne of Bohemia, he wrote “The Parliament of Fowl”, a poem in 700 verses where he associates the character of Cupid with the martyr St Valentine.
Related: 15 Romantic Italian Films That’ll Make You Love Italy Even More
Valentine’s Day traditions in Italy
First things first, this is how you can say “Happy Valentine’s Day” in Italian: Buon San Valentino (bwon sahn vah-len-tee-noh) or alternatively Felice San Valentino (feh-lee-cheh sahn vah-len-tee-noh).
Here are some regali (presents) that are normally given on Valentine’s Day in Italy:
- un mazzo di fiori (a bunch of flowers)
- un mazzo di rose (a bunch of roses)
- i gioielli (jewellery)
- un anello (a ring)
- un orologio (a watch)
If you want to surprise your sweetheart with one of these gifts accompanied by un biglietto (a card) written in Italian, you can use these phrases to start:
- al mio caro Massimo (to my dear Massimo)
- alla mia amata Beatrice (to my beloved Beatrice)
- al mio amore Roberta (to my darling/love Roberta).
Keep reading to see a few suggestions on what to write on a card and make a declaration of love or express how you feel about someone!
Besides flowers and gifts, chocolate sure plays an essential role on this romantic day: every year, around the time of celebrations, supermarkets and stores fill up their shelves with cioccolatini (chocolates) of various sorts.
Among the most famous ones, Perugina (the famous Italian chocolate maker based in Perugia, central Italy) creates a rich collection with many gift ideas such as soft toys, rose-shaped packages, cups and heart-shaped boxes, all containing the famous Baci (literally: kisses), which are none other than the company’s best-known chocolate.
This year also marks the centenary of this sweet invention! In 1922, was when the inimitable Baci Perugina chocolate was first made: a special praline with gianduia, hazelnut grains and a crunchy whole hazelnut centre all wrapped in fine dark chocolate. What makes it unique though, is the message that you find inside, with phrases about love and life.
Another quite recent tradition is the one of lucchetti dell’amore (love padlocks): many couples like to meet up near a bridge, they write their initials on a padlock, lock it to the bridge railing (or sometimes even on a lamppost) and then throw away the key, as a way to show the eternal and unbreakable nature of their love for each other. This custom is getting more and more popular and widespread to the point that on some bridges, you can hardly see the railings anymore and some cities have placed bans on having these locks on bridges due to safety concerns and protection of the architectural and structural beauty.
If you’re planning to surprise your dolce metà (better half, literally: sweet half) with a trip to Italy on this occasion, you might wonder what the best place to spend Valentine’s Day in Italy is.
Florence and Venice are traditionally considered to be two of the most romantic places in Italy, that’s true, but don’t forget about the city of Romeo and Juliet, Verona!
During the week of Valentine’s Day, there are many events, parades, and themed guided tours to make your time in Verona truly unforgettable. Verona’s squares, streets and shop windows are decorated with large hearts of all shapes and sizes. In some museums and restaurants, couples in love benefit from discounts and promotions. After all, what could be more romantic than spending Valentine’s Day in the city where Shakespeare’s set his most tragically romantic play?
How to say ‘I Love you’ in Italian
Here is a list of the top most used phrases (and their variations) to say “I love you” in Italian and other ways to express your feelings.
1. Ti amo vs. Ti voglio bene – I love you
Interestingly, Italian has more than one way to say “I love you”: “ti amo” (from the verb “amare”, to love) and “ti voglio bene” (from the verb “volere bene”, to love – in the sense of caring for someone). Be careful, though! Those phrases cannot be used interchangeably.
The former expresses a very strong and deep feeling. It is something you would say when you’re in a romantic relationship. This is how you can express your love to your soul mate on Valentine’s day. Variations of “ti amo” are: ti amo da morire (I love you so much, lit. “I love you to die/death”) and quanto ti amo (I love you so much, lit. “how much I love you”).
On the other hand, “volere bene” indicates a slightly different kind of love. It’s loving someone in a non-romantic way, where you care a lot about them. You can say “ti voglio bene” to a dear friend, to your parents, children or siblings.
When a relationship ends or when the romantic spark has faded, there is an expression used to describe this kind of feeling: “ti voglio bene, ma non ti amo più” (I love you, but I don’t love you anymore).
2. Sono innamorato (male) di te / Sono innamorata (female) di te – I’m in love with you
If you want to describe the early stage of being in love, then you can use the phrase “essere innamorato di qualcuno” (to be in love with someone). The ending of the word “innamorat-” change according to the person saying the phrase: -o if it’s said by a man, -a if it’s said by a woman.
On a slightly different note, the process of “falling in love with someone” is expressed in Italian with the phrase “innamorarsi di qualcuno”, for instance: mi sono innamorato/a di te (I fell in love with you).
3. Sono pazzo di te / Sono pazza di te – I’m crazy/mad about you
Like the previous one, but even more intense: if you’ve completely lost your mind for someone, you can use the expression: sono pazzo (male) di te or sono pazza (female) di te.
4. Siamo fatti l’uno per l’altra – we are made for each other
Here’s another phrase you can say to your anima gemella (soul mate) or write on a Valentine’s card.
5. Amore a prima vista / Colpo di fulmine – Love at first sight
How did you and your sweetheart meet? Was it love at first sight? Then in Italian you can say: è stato amore a prima vista! / è stato un colpo di fulmine! (Literally: It was a strike of lightning), meaning ‘it was love at first sight!.
6. Sei la mia anima gemella – You’re my soul mate
Found your soul mate? Then you should let them know! Use this romantic phrase in Italian to say that someone is your “twin soul” (this is how we literally translate this expression!).
6 Romantic Italian terms of endearment
Let’s have a look at some Italian terms of endearment you can say to your partner on Valentine’s day (and not only). Note how some of them are also used with children.
1. Amore (mio)
English translation: (My) love
How / When to use it: This is a direct, hearfelt (and probably the most popular) term of endearment in Italian, it can be used in a romantic way but also when talking to children.
2. Tesoro (mio)
English translation: Sweetheart, honey, darling – lit. “(my) treasure”
How / When to use it: It can be used both in a romantic and in a non-romantic way, to call the persons you really cherish.
3. Patato/a, patatino/a
English translation: (lit.) Little potato
How / When to use it: In the Italian language, the word “patata” only exists in the feminine and means “potato” (or “chips”, “fries” in the version “patatine”). However,
these nicknames are used both in the masculine and in the feminine versions as terms of endearment especially for children (whereas it sounds a bit cheesy if said to a partner).
4. Piccola, piccolina
English translation: (lit.) Little one (female)
How / When to use it: The adjective “piccolo/a” means “small” or “little”. Here it is used in the feminine as a nickname for a girlfriend (romantic partner). The male version (‘piccolo’) doesn’t carry
the same affectionate meaning so it can’t be used in this context.
5. Cucciolo/a
English translation: Baby – lit. “baby animal”
How / When to use it: Besides indicating a “baby animal” (such as a joey, a cub, a puppy, a kitten, etc.) it is used as a term of endearment both in the male and female versions to affectionately call a boyfriend or girlfriend (or even to call children).
6. Amo’
English translation:
Love
How / When to use it: It’s short for “amore” and it’s used among close friends (especially teenage girls and young women) in an affectionate way.
Romantic Promises
Here are a few ways you can make a romantic promise to your sweetheart:
- voglio stare con te per sempre (I want to be with you forever)
- voglio passare il resto della mia vita con te (I want to spend the rest of my life with you)
- ti amerò per sempre (I will always love you),
- con te voglio invecchiare (I want to grow old with you)
Phrases with “bello/a” (beautiful)
Here are some phrases with the word “bello/a”:
- sei bellissimo (male) / sei bellissima (female) meaning “you’re so beautiful”
- sei la cosa più bella che mi sia mai capitata (you’re the most beautiful thing that ever happened to me)
Phrases with “vita” (life)
Here are a few very romantic ways to express your love to someone:
- mi hai cambiato la vita (you changed my life)
- sei la mia vita (you are my life)
- senza di te la vita non ha senso (without you life has no meaning)
- sei l’amore della mia vita (you are the love of my life)
Use these Italian phrases to let your loved one know how much they mean to you.
Phrases with “cuore” (heart)
Here are some phrases containing the word “heart”:
- mi hai rubato il cuore (you stole my heart)
- il mio cuore batte solo per te (my heart beats only for you)
- sei sempre nel mio cuore (you are always in my heart)
- il mio cuore è solo tuo (my heart is yours)
Phrases with “sole” (sun/sunshine)
Use this beautiful Italian word to say:
- sei bello (male) / sei bella (female) come il sole (you’re beautiful like the sun)
- sei il sole della mia vita (you’re the sunshine of my life)
Short but powerful
To conclude, here are some more typical short but meaningful phrases:
- mi manchi (I miss you)
- ti penso sempre (I always think about
you)
- abbracciami (hug me)
- baciami (kiss me)
- ho bisogno di te (I need you)
- mi rendi felice (you make me happy)
- ti adoro (I adore you)
- sei il mio angelo (you’re my angel)
- sei tutto per me (you’re everything to me)
Conclusion
Despite being at first a religious feast, nowadays the 14th of February has lost its original meaning and has become an occasion to celebrate romantic love all around the world (or almost).
Whether you’re hoping to meet l’amore della tua vita (the love of your life) in Italy or you just want to surprise your dolce metà (better half) with a little Italian romance, here you’ve found everything you need to know about spending Valentine’s Day – Italian style! I wish you un buon San Valentino!
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Ci vediamo lì! (See you there!)
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