How to Say 'Nice' in Italian

| Sat, 07/05/2014 - 03:30

You just want to say how nice something or someone is in Italian, but you get stuck. Is it bello? Is it carino? What is the 'nicest' way to translate 'nice' in Italian?

Obviously, in English, the meaning of the word 'nice' depends on the context and this implies different ways to translate it in Italian, going from: bello (but also carino and piacevole) to gentile and sottile.

If you want to say that something is pleasant or attractive, then you should use bello, carino or piacevole:

Abbiamo fatto una bella vacanza. - We had a nice holiday.

Sei così bella con quel vestito!- You look so nice in that dress!

Ha una casa molto carina. - She has a really nice house.

E' stato piacevole fare il bagno in piscina. - Swimming in the pool was nice.

If you want to use 'nice' meaning someone was kind to you then you should say 'gentile':

E' felice nella nuova scuola, gli altri bambini sono molto gentili con lui. - He is happy in the new school, the other children are very nice to him.

Sii gentile con i tuoi colleghi. - Be nice to your colleagues.

If you are using 'nice' meaning 'slight or subtle', especially when stressing a difference you should use sottile:

C'è una sottile differenza tra il mentire e il non dire tutta la verità. - There is a nice distinction between lying and not telling the whole truth.

And if you want to learn how to say 'nice meeting you', then you should check our article about Introducing yourself in Italian.