Italian grammar · Beginner
Italian Exclamations
Italian exclamations express surprise, delight, annoyance, or sympathy. The main patterns use che with an adjective or a noun (Che bello!), come with a verb (Come sei alto!), and quanto with a verb or a noun (Quanta gente!). Italian also has short interjections such as dai, magari, accidenti, peccato, and mamma mia, which carry a whole reaction in one or two words.
Che bella giornata!
What a beautiful day!
What it is
An exclamation turns a statement into a reaction. Italian builds most of them with the same words it uses for questions: che, come, and quanto. The biggest difference from English is that che + noun takes no article, so What a surprise! is Che sorpresa!, with nothing between che and the noun.
Che caldo! (It's so hot!) Che bel vestito! (What a nice dress!) Come parli bene! (How well you speak!)
How to spot it
Look for an exclamation mark and a sentence that opens with che, come, or quanto but asks for no information. A single word such as dai, magari, or peccato at the start of a reply is an interjection.
- Che fame! (I'm so hungry! (literally: What hunger!))
- Come sei gentile! (How kind you are!)
- Quanto sei cresciuto! (How much you've grown! (to a boy))
- Peccato! (What a shame!)
The che + noun pattern is so productive that almost any noun can follow che: che freddo, che noia, che fortuna, che disastro.
Exclamations Quick Reference
The main patterns for Italian exclamations
| Pattern | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| che + adjective | Che bello! | How lovely! |
| che + noun | Che sorpresa! | What a surprise! |
| che + adjective + noun | Che bella casa! | What a beautiful house! |
| che + noun + adjective | Che giornata lunga! | What a long day! |
| come + verb | Come sei bravo! | You're so good at this! |
| quanto + verb | Quanto mi piace questa città! | I love this city so much! |
| quanto / quanta / quanti / quante + noun | Quanta gente! | So many people! |
| interjection | Mamma mia! | Oh my goodness! |
Common Exclamations Examples in Italian
Italian exclamations in real reactions:
Che + Adjective or Noun
- Che bello!
- How lovely!
- Che noia!
- How boring!
- Che bella sorpresa!
- What a lovely surprise!
No article after che: che sorpresa, never che una sorpresa.
Come and Quanto
- Come sei alta!
- How tall you are! (to a girl)
- Quanto sei simpatico!
- You're so nice! (to a man)
- Quanti libri hai!
- You have so many books!
With come and quanto, the verb comes straight after, and a stated subject goes at the end: Com'è bello questo posto! (How beautiful this place is!)
Interjections
- Dai, vieni con noi!
- Come on, come with us!
- Magari!
- I wish! / If only!
- Accidenti, ho perso il treno!
- Darn, I missed the train!
- Mamma mia, che traffico!
- Oh my goodness, what traffic!
Interjections never change form, and they often combine with a che exclamation, as in mamma mia, che traffico.
How Italian Exclamations Work
Three small words do most of the work, and each one has its own word order.
Che + Noun Takes No Article
English says what a surprise, with an article. Italian drops it: che sorpresa. If you add an adjective, it goes before or after the noun, just as it would in an ordinary phrase.
Che bella idea!
What a great idea!
che + noun, no un or una.
Che + Adjective Agrees
An adjective after che agrees with the thing you are describing. When it refers to the situation in general, with no noun in sight, it stays masculine singular.
Che buona questa pizza!
This pizza is so good!
Che bello! for the situation, che bella for a feminine noun.
Come + Verb
Come is followed directly by the verb, and the adjective or adverb comes after the verb. Before è, come usually shortens to com'.
Com'è grande questa casa!
How big this house is!
come + verb + adjective.
Quanto for Degree and Quantity
Before a verb, quanto means how much and never changes. Before a noun, it agrees with that noun: quanto rumore, quanta pazienza, quanti amici, quante cose.
Quante cose sai!
You know so many things!
Quanto agrees only before a noun.
Interjections Stand Alone
Words such as dai, magari, accidenti, peccato, and mamma mia are complete reactions on their own. They can open a sentence, followed by a comma, or form the whole reply.
Peccato, non posso venire.
Shame, I can't come.
Interjection + comma + sentence.
Common Mistakes with Exclamations
Incorrect: Che una bella giornata! (What a beautiful day!)
Correct: Che bella giornata! (What a beautiful day!)
English what a has an article, so learners add una. Italian che + noun never takes an article.
Incorrect: Come bello! (How lovely!)
Correct: Che bello! (How lovely!)
Before an adjective on its own, standard Italian uses che. Come needs a verb after it: Com'è bello! is also correct.
Incorrect: Quanto persone! (So many people!)
Correct: Quante persone! (So many people!)
Before a noun, quanto agrees with it. Persone is feminine plural, so the form is quante.
Incorrect: Andiamo al mare? Che bella! (Shall we go to the beach? How lovely!)
Correct: Andiamo al mare? Che bello! (Shall we go to the beach? How lovely!)
The adjective refers to the idea of going, not to a feminine noun, so it stays masculine singular.
What Common Interjections Really Mean
The most frequent Italian interjections have a literal meaning that tells you little about how they are used.
Dai
Dai is literally you give, from dare, but as an interjection it means come on. Tone decides whether it sounds encouraging, impatient, or incredulous.
- Dai, che ce la fai!
- Come on, you can do it!
- Ma dai!
- No way! / You're kidding!
Ma dai! is the standard reaction to surprising news, good or bad.
Magari
As a one-word reply, magari means I wish or if only. Inside a sentence, it usually means maybe or perhaps.
- Hai vinto alla lotteria? Magari!
- Did you win the lottery? I wish!
- Magari ci vediamo domani.
- Maybe we'll see each other tomorrow.
Context separates the two meanings: alone with an exclamation mark, it is a wish.
Peccato and accidenti
Peccato, literally sin, means what a shame or too bad. Accidenti expresses annoyance or surprise and is a mild, polite equivalent of damn.
- Che peccato!
- What a shame!
- Accidenti, è tardissimo!
- Darn, it's really late!
Both are safe in any company. Mamma mia is just as common and covers surprise, admiration, and dismay.
Quick Check: Exclamations
Complete each exclamation.
1. What a surprise!: ___ sorpresa!
Answer: Che
No article after che.
2. Tell a friend how kind she is: ___ sei gentile!
Answer: Come
Quanto sei gentile! is also correct.
3. React to a big crowd: ___ gente!
Answer: Quanta
Gente is feminine singular, so quanto becomes quanta.
4. Reply I wish! to: Vai in vacanza?
Answer: Magari!
Alone, magari expresses a wish.
5. React to bad news: Che ___!
Answer: peccato
Che peccato! means what a shame.
Exclamations FAQs
- How do you say what a in Italian?
- Use che followed directly by the noun, with no article: Che sorpresa! (What a surprise!), Che bella casa! (What a beautiful house!). Adding un or una after che is the most common English-speaker mistake with exclamations.
- What is the difference between che and come in Italian exclamations?
- Che is followed by an adjective or a noun: Che bello! Che fortuna! Come is followed by a verb: Come sei bravo! (You're so good at this!). Both can express the same feeling, but the word right after them is different.
- What does dai mean in Italian?
- As an interjection, dai means come on. Dai, andiamo! means Come on, let's go! Ma dai! expresses disbelief, like no way or you're kidding. Literally, dai is the tu form of dare, to give.
- What does magari mean?
- On its own as a reply, magari means I wish or if only: Vai in Italia? Magari! (Are you going to Italy? I wish!). Inside a sentence it usually means maybe: Magari vengo anch'io. (Maybe I'll come too.)
- Do Italians really say mamma mia?
- Yes, very often. Mamma mia expresses surprise, admiration, or dismay, roughly like oh my goodness or wow. It is used by speakers of every age and is not a cliché in Italy, although it can sound theatrical if you overuse it.