Is there an Italian equivalent word for "cool"?

Question

I always had trouble translating "cool" in Italian.

It's tempting to translate the English term "cool" with "figo"; this seems to convey the wide meaning of cool well enough (surely better than other common translations like "fantastico" or "forte"), but the register is often inappropriate.

"Cool" is less colloquial than "figo", and, most importantly, it doesn't have any vulgar connotation; I can say that something is "figo" when talking with a friend, but I would never say it to my boss or write it in an advertisement (while I've seen "cool" used in almost any non-extremely-formal context).

So: is there some way to convey both the wide meaning and the register of "cool" in Italian?

Answer 1

I'm afraid there's no way of conveying both meaning and register.

Here's a few options, each one of them has issues

• figo, vulgar connotation, possibly NSFW
• fico, slightly less vulgar than figo, but probably not enough
• bello, appropriate in some contexts, but it generally loses the meaning
• forte, only works in some sentences (Forte quel tipo!, Forte!), but it can have other meanings
• tosto, again, works only with specific sentences

The only word I know people have being using to translate cool almost directly is togo.

I came to know it as an expression used in the popular sitcom Camera Cafè by the character Silvano, but it apparently has older origins. According to the comments it was used a lot in the 80's, but I don't know the etymology of it.

It has basically the same meaning of figo, without the vulgar connotation. However it sounds a little bit weird/lame, and I wouldn't feel comfortable in using it nowadays. Nonetheless I've heard people saying it in exclamations (and I always look at them suspiciously...)

Answer 2

You can use "bello" or "grande" (beside "fantastico" and "forte" that you've mentioned) to translate "cool".

Answer 3

"Splendido!" can be used, too.

It refers to something being wonderful. It´s origin is the infinitive "splendere" which means "shine".

It is used more by adult people but can be used for every situation where something stands out from the usual.

Answer 4

You could say

forte

bello

fantastico

or

buono

Buono is used more for good even though.

Answer 5

"Splendido" is a perfect translation of cool; of course only one of them. In the Free Dictionary Online you will find "excellent" and "first rate" (from the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language 2011) and "sophisticated" and "elegant" (from the Collin's English Dictionary). Sometimes that is exactly what "cool" means.
The use of "splendido" has also another advantage: whoever wants to learn our language does not really need to learn fico, figo and figata, which I simply find ghastly.

I imagine that the downvote does not refer to the first paragraph. So there must be somebody around who actually prefers the definitions: fico, figo and figata. My warmest wishes (real, not joking) for the future.

Just two days ago I recommended to two teachers of our primary and secondary schools, where the use of those words is unfortunately common, to try all they can to explain to their students that ours is a beautiful language which has much better words for the same meaning, so there is no need to use vulgar expressions.

And here's the Italian:

"Splendido" è una perfetta traduzione di "cool"; naturalmente solo una fra le tante. Nel Free Dictionary Online possiamo trovare "excellent" e "first rate" (dall'American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language 2011) e "sophisticated" ed "elegant" (dal Collin's English Dictionary). A volte quello è esattamente ciò che si intende per "cool".
L'uso di "splendido" ha anche un altro vantaggio: chiunque voglia imparare la nostra lingua non ha davvero bisogno di imparare fico, figo and figata, che trovo semplicemente terribili.

Immagino che il voto negativo non si riferisca al primo partagrafo. Quindi ci deve essere qualcuno che preferisce davvero le definizioni: fico, figo and figata. I miei più sentiti auguri (sinceri, non scherzo), per il futuro.

Proprio due giorni fa ho raccomandato a due insegnanti delle nostre scuole elementari e medie, dove l'uso di quelle parole è sfortunatamente comune, di cercare di fare tutto quello che possono per spiegare ai loro studenti che la nostra è una bella lingua che ha parole molto migliori con lo stesso significato, quindi non c'è bisogno di usare espressioni volgari.

Answer 6

In some cases brillante could work. Its meaning is "bright", or "shining", and it is also used to name a jewel.

It does not have any colloquial or formal connotation, it does not imply some sentiment (contrary to fantastico, for example) and there are also common phrases such as:

• una persona brillante
• una brillante soluzione

Answer 7

Hmmm, it's a bit dated but I would have said that 'mica male' is the equivalent of 'cool'. But then? Doesn't 'cool' go back, at least, to the 1950's? I guess one could translate it as "not bad". But I think it could also be 'cool'...

From De Mauro dictionary:

formula usata per esprimere apprezzamento, approvazione: mica male quella ragazza!, mica male come idea!.