5 expressions to show happiness in Italian

Do you know how to express happiness in Italian? Happiness is an abstract concept, subjective, and often hard to communicate. It is precisely for this reason that we are writing this article. Every language has unique words and expressions, often full of cultural connotations, that give different nuances to this state of mind. Today I am going to teach you some of them:

5 ways to express happiness in Italian:

1. Fantastico!

The adjective fantastico refers to something that arouses admiration. It is a synonym for extraordinary, exceptional. In colloquial language, it is undoubtedly one of the most used expressions to denote happiness in Italian. For example, when we watch an athlete do something challenging, a work of art, or an artist performing amazingly, we say:

Wow! Fantastico!

Therefore, it is used in exclamations to express astonishment and joy.

2. Grande! / Alla grande!

Imagine that a friend of yours tells you that he passed all his exams with the best grades. In this case, to congratulate him, you could say Grande!

It is an exclamation to say: you were great! 

Another expression related to this is “alla grande.” Most of the time, you will find it with the verb “andare.” 

For example, your friend may answer you:

Gli esami sono andati alla grande! – The exams went very well.

Or let me give you another example:

You are watching a soccer match in which your favorite team is playing. And already in the first minutes, they score a goal. We could certainly say: “Hanno iniziato alla grande!” to say that the team has had a great start to the game.

3. Che figata! – Troppo figo!

The word figo or figata, nowadays is mainly used by young people. The expression indicates that a thing, situation, or fact is enjoyable or causes excitement, emotion, or fun. Here are a few examples of sentences using that expression:

La lezione di ieri è stata una gran figata! – Yesterday’s class was a blast!

Questo gioco della playstation è molto figo/una figata! – This PlayStation game is great!

Che figo quel ragazzo! – What a cool kid!

This expression also gives birth to two other words widely used in everyday language. These words are sfiga and sfigato, a noun and an adjective, respectively.

But be careful! In this case, they are two slightly negative expressions. Sfiga is bad luck, so one sfigato is an unlucky person.

4. Accidenti!

This expression denotes a high degree of wonder and enthusiasm. Use it only for moments that are important. Here is an example:

Ho ottenuto una promozione a lavoro: mi trasferisco a Nuova Zelanda! Accidenti! Bisogna festeggiare allora! – I got a promotion at work: I’m moving to New Zealand! Wow! This calls for a celebration!

5. Evviva!

Finally, here is the most common way to express happiness in Italian. The exclamation: evviva!

It is an exclamation of approval, good wishes, or happiness. A name or some other noun usually follows the word. For example:

Evviva l’Italia! – Long live Italy!

Evviva la libertà! – Long live freedom!

Or, for example, we can use it to indicate that something we have been waiting for a long time has finally happened:

Finalmente andiamo in vacanza, evviva!

Wrapping Up!

Italians are known for being very expressive. They move their hands a lot to emphasize everything they say. And their vocabulary is full of idioms and exclamations. 

You can be sure of one thing: when Italians are happy about something, they show it. Thus, by learning these five ways to express happiness in Italian, you’ll surprise a few around you by speaking like an authentic Italian!

Would you like to check out some interesting facts about the Italian language? Click here to take a look.