# Figo/figa, figata



## kodek

Hi,
Could someone give me the correct translation to the following words?

Figo, Figa, Figata, Figato. And there use in sayings like "Troppo figo"

What is the difference between "troppo figo" and "troppo figato"?

Thanks.


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## piwid

Figa is a bit unpolite, slang way to say _vagina_
licterally is  "cunt"
but it is really, *really* used by italian people in the spoken language...

when you say "figo" it means _cool,_ "troppo figo" that's _too cool, __it rocks! _

usually you use the adjective "figa", if you are a man, between men, an you want to mean that a girl you know, or that you just saw passing by, is really really cute... (it would be nice if you would post me back some slang expression to mean the same thing in american or english slang, please )

ah! Italians, specially in the north, say Milan, use a lot "figa" as an exclaimation of surprise ^__^, or for swear a bit ...or just like a comma in their sentences...I'm for real!! 

"è una figata!" _that's a deal!_ or something like that

Figato really does not exist!!
I'm quite sure you are referring to *Sfigato *that both means a really unlucky persons or someone that girls and people in general don't really appreciate...a *nerd* basically...(without its strict-american informatic-expert acception, but sort of.. )
_...troppo sfigato_ is *super nerd *or someone who's fighting _against_ luck!!! 

bye bye


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## lightbluefeather

These are slightly coarse words, although very common amongst young people.

Figo-> cool (nice, fashionable) Troppo figo!-> sooo cool!
Figa-> literally, female genitals (vulgar!), but also form for a female -> cool
Figata-> something that is cool
Figato-> I am afraid this term does not exist, Sfigato (or sfigata, female version) means the contrary of figo: normally, a problematic and sad young person who is therefore isolated by peers.  (Note that the "real" sfigato is isolated because he is sad and problematic, and therefore no one can stand him, while I would call "emarginato" one who is sad because of isolation)
Women call sometimes "sfigato" a man who would do and say anything to have a sexual intercourse, with any woman avalaible, and often (obviously) fails!


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## megaton

Actually Figato *is* used somewhere in Italy (Frosinone, for instance) and have the same meaning of the word Figo: cool thing, nice guy, ...

BTW, hi to everybody (I'm new here)!


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## piwid

...ok, let's say it is used_ somewhere _in italy but it is not as spreaded as the other words...
if you're watching italian tv you'll probably hear (in movies, serials..) the words Figa, Figata, e sfigato...but surely not *sfigato*!!
I bet on it!!!


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## lsp

piwid said:
			
		

> ...ok, let's say it is used_ somewhere _in italy but it is not as spreaded as the other words...
> if you're watching italian tv you'll probably hear (in movies, serials..) the words Figa, Figata, e sfigato...but surely not *sfigato*!!
> I bet on it!!!


widespread is the word you were looking for, piwid.


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## Avalon

this "figa" is kinda odd.  so if someone refers to me as figa, should i be offended or flatered?  just curious.


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## megaton

Well, calling a girl "figa" is not very polite...  It's a vulgar way to express appreciation for a girl's look, but after all it's a compliment, so I don't think you should be offended if someone refers to you as figa.

P.S.:
Anyway, if you think you are a figa or if many guys call you like that, please let me know... 
(JUST KIDDING!)


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## leenico

> Well, calling a girl "figa" is not very polite...  It's a vulgar way to express appreciation for a girl's look, but after all it's a compliment, so I don't think you should be offended if someone refers to you as figa.
> 
> P.S.:
> Anyway, if you think you are a figa or if many guys call you like that, please let me know...
> (JUST KIDDING!)


If you don't mind being likened to a piece of meat, then I suppose you should not be offended.


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## kodek

leenico said:
			
		

> If you don't mind being likened to a piece of meat, then I suppose you should not be offended.


 
I guess Italian standards differ a bit compared to American. It's all in the context isn't it.
Thanks Megaton for the headsup on the word figato. I knew I heared it somewhere.


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## Silvia

I can just give my two cents here. The masculine form of this word is a cool/slang compliment for a guy, the feminine form is rather gross, but some girls might like it, that's a matter of personal choice and taste.

Also, cool can correspond to the Italian fico, though it's quite old nowadays, but that's how it's usually translated into Italian in movies and tv series etc.

Anyway, like any kind of slang, it's not suitable on some occasions and suitable on others.


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## little sarah

silviap said:
			
		

> Also, cool can correspond to the Italian fico, though it's quite *old* nowadays,


What's the "new" term for cool?


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## ikester

There are sooooooo many... "bangin'", "tight" and "phat" are three that pop to mind immediately. They're not really new, but they're still in heavy usage, and all are used in the context of a pretty girl walking by.


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## little sarah

the new term in italian for cool, instead of fico. I'm American too. I can say it in English.


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## morgana

Well... it's figo.
We've been talking about it...


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## kodek

ikester said:
			
		

> There are sooooooo many... "bangin'", "tight" and "phat" are three that pop to mind immediately. They're not really new, but they're still in heavy usage, and all are used in the context of a pretty girl walking by.


 
Piwid will like that list he was asking about it.



			
				piwid said:
			
		

> usually you use the adjective "figa", if you are a man, between men, an you want to mean that a girl you know, or that you just saw passing by, is really really cute... (it would be nice if you would post me back some slang expression to mean the same thing in american or english slang, please ).


 
grazie a tutti


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## Silvia

little sarah said:
			
		

> the new term in italian for cool, instead of fico. I'm American too. I can say it in English.


 I partially agree with morgana, personally, I think figo had better days... now you can also hear togo and ganzo.


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## ephobius

Could you please explain more about figata? I studied Italian but slang is always difficult to learn. I have heard the song "Che figata di serata" by Jovanotti and wondered the exact meaning. Grazie, amici!


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## gaer

piwid said:
			
		

> (it would be nice if you would post me back some slang expression to mean the same thing in american or english slang, please )


 
"She's really HOT!"

That's a way for one guy to say to another guy that a girl is really cute, sexy, attractive. I don't personally say this. I have a really big hang-up (attraction) to very smart women, and although some of them ARE hot, that's not what initially catches my attention. Perhaps I'm just weird.

There is another expression used a lot, but I really don't like it:

"What a piece of ass." I think this is a totally disgusting saying, totally insulting to women, so I really hope you will never use it. But you may hear it.


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## piegus

Ciao, tutti!

Cosa significa l'espressione 'che figo!' (precisamente)?
E cosa abbrevia 'x' (scritto) - per o con o qualcos'altro?


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## Laurinou

Ciao Piegus,

X significa= per

Penso 'che figo' sia per dire 'che bello' ma credevo che fosse spagnolo...

@+,
Laure


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## piegus

Laurinou said:
			
		

> Ciao Piegus,
> 
> X significa= per
> 
> Penso 'che figo' sia per dire 'che bello' ma credevo che fosse spagnolo...
> 
> @+,
> Laure



E possibile perche non l'ho trovato in nessun dizionario italiano... 
Grazie!


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## archimede

ephobius said:
			
		

> Could you please explain more about figata? I studied Italian but slang is always difficult to learn. I have heard the song "Che figata di serata" by Jovanotti and wondered the exact meaning. Grazie, amici!


The words figo/a, fico/a and figata all share the same root (scroll up to find it ).

"Figata" usually is used to describe something that you like very much (Il concerto è una figata, Che figata il tuo vestito, ecc.).

Please note the difference with the masculine counterpart "cazzata", indicating a blunder or something wrong in general (or also something extremely easy, a no-brainer).

Makes you think women are superior, doesn't it? 

HTH.

Alessandro


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## Rob625

Alfry is quite right, it isn't polite. 

'Figa' is a slang word for the female genitals. 'Figo' is the male counterpart, and also means both fig and figtree; whose association with the slang meaning seems to be of great antiquity.


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## littlemiss369

Hi, could "figera" (not sure of the spelling) be a variant of "figa"? I have heard the expression "bella figera" but didn't know the exact translation, but I knew it was fairly impolite.


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## lsp

littlemiss369 said:
			
		

> Hi, could "figera" (not sure of the spelling) be a variant of "figa"? I have heard the expression "bella figera" but didn't know the exact translation, but I knew it was fairly impolite.


Do you mean bella figura? That sounds similar, but is hardly impolite.


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## valy822

bella figura isn't impolite!it is a compliment!
BELLA FIGA is a vulgar expression in Italian with a lot of different meanings according to the region. it can mean the female genital or a beautifuyl girl!


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## lsp

valy822 said:
			
		

> bella figura isn't impolite!it is a compliment!
> BELLA FIGA is a vulgar expression in Italian with a lot of different meanings according to the region. it can mean the female genital or a beautifuyl girl!


I said bella figura is *hardly* impolite. "Hardly" in that context means that it is *the farthest thing from* (impolite). I am only trying to determine what littlemiss369 might have meant.


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## DDT

littlemiss369 said:
			
		

> Hi, could "figera" (not sure of the spelling) be a variant of "figa"? I have heard the expression "bella figera" but didn't know the exact translation, but I knew it was fairly impolite.



"bella figeira" was an expression invented by a trio of comic players...it actually survived as an ironic way to address to a posh girl 

DDT


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## littlemiss369

DDT said:
			
		

> "bella figeira" was an expression invented by a trio of comic players...it actually survived as an ironic way to address to a posh girl
> 
> DDT


 
Cheers DDT! My family are form Le Marche and sometimes is is hard to differentiate the subtlety of vowel sounds in their particular dialect. On occasion, though I'm not sure if they can ever decide between "bella figa or figeira", maybe they're one and the same !

I didn't mean bella figura, lsp, I know that is entirely different.


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## Agattau

If it’s of interest the word *figa* comes from the word *fica *which is a derivative (roman?) slang from the word *fico* (_a fig or a fig tree_), and has NOTHING do to with figura. 

It is just one of the few slang words used for the female genitals, but the word *fica* has not real meaning, and is probably not even in the dictionary.

Don’t know when it all started but it was already around when I was a kid. The only reasonable explanation I can come up with is that if you cut a fig vertically in half, the inside (with a bit of imagination) could resemble the female genitals, and that’s how the word was coiled and eventually (thanks media) spread.

I think "*bella* *figa/fica*" is used more indirectly when to comment or to appreciate the “beauty” of a woman, rather that directly - though it is a compliment, it is a rude one and not very well accepted, heh. As valy822 said the meaning varies from region to region.

*Also in case you didn’t know the word *fico *(_fig_) is used in some part of Italy in expressions as:

Che fico! – _che forte!; che __bello! Etc._

_Che *fico* domani è Natale!_
_Che *ficata* è questo gioco! etc..._

And that’s about all there is to know about fico/a/i/e


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## Dulcinea

littlemiss369 said:
			
		

> Cheers DDT! My family are form Le Marche and sometimes is is hard to differentiate the subtlety of vowel sounds in their particular dialect. On occasion, though I'm not sure if they can ever decide between "bella figa or figeira", maybe they're one and the same !
> 
> I didn't mean bella figura, lsp, I know that is entirely different.


 
Hello all,
yes, littlemiss is right, the expression Bella Fighera was invented by the Trio Marchesini-Solenghi-Lopez in the late 80's, for the TV parody of the book "I Promessi Sposi". The word is simply a hispanicization of the word figa, since 2 or 3 episodes are set in the Castle of the Spaniard Don Rodrigo


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## dylanG3893

How would you pronounce FIGO?

Like (in the english way): Fee - Jo
or Like (in the english way): Fee - Go
?
Similiar to the 'ce' and 'ci' rule, that when an I or
an E comes after a C it makes an english CH sound.

So is this pronounced?


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## uinni

dylang3893 said:
			
		

> How would you pronounce FIGO?
> 
> Like (in the english way): Fee - Jo
> or Like (in the english way): Fee - Go
> ?
> Similiar to the 'ce' and 'ci' rule, that when an I or
> an E comes after a C it makes an english CH sound.
> 
> So is this pronounced?


Yes "C" and "G" follow the same rule as far as the subsequent vowel is concerned.

Uinni


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## dylanG3893

Grazie Uinni!
Mi piace dire figo, ma avevo bisogno di sapere come dirlo.


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## uinni

dylang3893 said:
			
		

> Grazie Uinni!
> Mi piace dire figo, ma ho bisogno *di *sapere come dirlo.


 
Provided you learnt well how and when to say it (to avoid troubles!  )
B.t.w, remember the "i" is short (not as long as in English "fee").

Uinni


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## dylanG3893

uinni said:
			
		

> Provided you learnt well how and when to say it (to avoid troubles!  )
> B.t.w, remember the "i" is short (not as long as in English "fee").
> 
> Uinni


 
Thanks, but before you posted your corrections of my message, I had edited my last message to what I wanted.
'Avevo bisogno di sapere come dirlo.' I knew it was incorrect and edited it, thanks anyway for your guidance.


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## kriumif

ikester said:
			
		

> There are sooooooo many... "bangin'", "tight" and "phat" are three that pop to mind immediately. They're not really new, but they're still in heavy usage, and all are used in the context of a pretty girl walking by.


 
what about FUNKY??


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## Wineguymatt

what does it mean if an italian teenager says "i like figo"?

it was used in this context: my match: someone who's perfect 2 me ( like Figo )

grazie


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## Victoria32

Regarding this, I have a question about a song I've just discovered - which was popular in the '90s, 'Fiky Fiky', and I am wondering (quite aside from the merits of the song, which I actually like!) if there is a linguistic relationship? 

Assuming I am _right_ about what he means by Fiky Fiky, and I think I am...


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## lightbluefeather

> what does it mean if an italian teenager says "i like figo"?


 
Hi Wineguymatt, welcome on the forum!

I have never known of anyone saying it. If I heard a girl say "mi piace figo", I would understand "I like (him being) cool, hot & handsome". It can be vulgar in some contexts, but is widely accepted when speaking with friends.
If a male teenager said " mi piace la figa" that would be a vulgar (but sometimes used between guys when there are no girls around) way of saying he likes to have sexual intercourse no matter who with. 

Anyway, it does not relate to Portuguese football player Figo. Figa is a word which has a centuries-long history!



			
				Victoria32 said:
			
		

> Assuming I am _right_ about what he means by Fiky Fiky, and I think I am...


 
Well, if you change vowel sounds it does make sense also in English...  sure there is a relationship with figa. Fiky fiky is indeed a joke, a hint to that word without actually saying it. Most people did not think this song was too vulgar when it came out, even if everybody understood the allusion. 

But my question is now... any relationship between figa-figo-fica-fico and the English F.word? Any English philologist out there?


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## Mack the Knife

Victoria32 said:
			
		

> Regarding this, I have a question about a song I've just discovered - which was popular in the '90s, 'Fiky Fiky', and I am wondering (quite aside from the merits of the song, which I actually like!) if there is a linguistic relationship?
> 
> Assuming I am _right_ about what he means by Fiky Fiky, and I think I am...


 
I have heard such a song in Italy, saying " facciamo Fiki Fiki assieme"...the literal meaning is a nonsense, but the real meaning is "let's intercourse together"...

As you can see, no direct relationship... maybe subconscious evocation?


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## Victoria32

lightbluefeather said:
			
		

> Well, if you change vowel sounds it does make sense also in English...  sure there is a relationship with figa. Fiky fiky is indeed a joke, a hint to that word without actually saying it. Most people did not think this song was too vulgar when it came out, even if everybody understood the allusion.
> 
> But my question is now... any relationship between figa-figo-fica-fico and the English F.word? Any English philologist out there?


I can answer that myself... the English 'F' word comes from the Dutch, _fokken, to strike, _apparently_. 

_Any resemblance to the name of the Fokker aircraft engine, is unknown, but given the use of the Fokker in war, it's quite likely.


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## Wineguymatt

lightbluefeather said:
			
		

> Hi Wineguymatt, welcome on the forum!
> 
> I have never known of anyone saying it. If I heard a girl say "mi piace figo", I would understand "I like (him being) cool, hot & handsome". It can be vulgar in some contexts, but is widely accepted when speaking with friends.
> If a male teenager said " mi piace la figa" that would be a vulgar (but sometimes used between guys when there are no girls around) way of saying he likes to have sexual intercourse no matter who with.
> 
> Anyway, it does not relate to Portuguese football player Figo. Figa is a word which has a centuries-long history!


 
grazie for clearing that up for me


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## zuccone61

Interessanti le disquisizioni su figo, figa e simili, ma... e un altro modo di tradurre "cool"? Non sempre il tono del testo si presta a usare queste parole, specie nella versione femminile in cui la forma è identica a quella riferita alla parte anatomica. Ho letto da qualche parte ganzo (ma mi sembra un po' antico), tosto (anche quello è forse superato), togo (si usa?), ma chiederei, specie se ci sono dei giovani qui (come vedete dal nickname io sono del 61) se possono arricchire questo elenco di varianti! Ogni volta per me è un problema tradurre questo "cool" in contesti dove non si può usare figo o altre espressioni troppo "marcate"! Ma d'altra parte senza suonare naif...
GRAZIE


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## desire101

Just a small note

Let's intercourse together - doesn't make sense.

Let's have sex together - is the better way to say that.

Ciao 




Mack the Knife said:


> I have heard such a song in Italy, saying " facciamo Fiki Fiki assieme"...the literal meaning is a nonsense, but the real meaning is "let's intercourse together"...
> 
> As you can see, no direct relationship... maybe subconscious evocation?


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## riccio

zuccone61 said:


> Interessanti le disquisizioni su figo, figa e simili, ma... e un altro modo di tradurre "cool"? Non sempre il tono del testo si presta a usare queste parole, specie nella versione femminile in cui la forma è identica a quella riferita alla parte anatomica. Ho letto da qualche parte ganzo (ma mi sembra un po' antico), tosto (anche quello è forse superato), togo (si usa?), ma chiederei, specie se ci sono dei giovani qui (come vedete dal nickname io sono del 61) se possono arricchire questo elenco di varianti! Ogni volta per me è un problema tradurre questo "cool" in contesti dove non si può usare figo o altre espressioni troppo "marcate"! Ma d'altra parte senza suonare naif...
> GRAZIE


Come vedi anche l'Oxford Paravia si adegua...


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## Choroidea

Can I open up this thread again? 

I've learned (as you've said earlier in this thread too) that figa  is a vulgar expression, but I have a female Italian friend who uses it as the feminine version of figo (e.g. refers to the both of us as fighe in a positive way). 
How accepted is this, could you do that without anyone thinking you are speaking in a vulgar way? And are there any regional differences? (She's from the north-east).


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## wellmeaning-but-ignorant

Rob625 said:


> Alfry is quite right, it isn't polite.
> 
> 'Figa' is a slang word for the female genitals. 'Figo' is the male counterpart, and also means both fig and figtree; whose association with the slang meaning seems to be of great antiquity.


 
It actually comes from the ancient Greek word for fig which sounds "sukon", having the same vulgar sense by the way!
It is noteworthy that this use caused the fruit's italian name to change his gender to masculine, a unique case: consequently the fig tree and his fruit share the same word. 
The antiquity of the figurative use is witnessed by no other than Dante:

                       "le mani alzò con amendue le fiche"
somewhere in the Inferno,which is describing a vulgar  gesture of his times ("he raised both his hands making the "fiche"") sticking the thumb through the folded (is this right?) fingers. Bye!


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## Victoria32

wellmeaning-but-ignorant said:


> It actually comes from the ancient Greek word for fig which sounds "sukon", having the same vulgar sense by the way!
> It is noteworthy that this use caused the fruit's italian name to change his gender to masculine, a unique case: consequently the fig tree and his fruit share the same word.
> The antiquity of the figurative use is witnessed by no other than Dante:
> 
> "le mani alzò con amendue le fiche"
> somewhere in the Inferno,which is describing a vulgar  gesture of his times ("he raised both his hands making the "fiche"") sticking the thumb through the folded (is this right?) fingers. Bye!


Yes, folded is the right word... 
(This quote from Dante reminds me of a scene in Shakespeare, but that's PM stuff...) 

Vicky


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## stanchezza

Quindi "*he is a cool boy*",(all the boys here respect him and for example! all the girls want to date him )" si traduce in italiano *"è figo*",(tutti i maschi qua lo rispettano e tutte le ragazze vogliono uscire con lui)"?
Grazie


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## dylanG3893

stanchezza said:


> Quindi "*he is a cool boy*",(all the boys here respect him and for example! all the girls want to date him )" si traduce in italiano *"è figo*",(tutti i maschi qua lo rispettano e tutte le ragazze vogliono uscire con lui)"?
> Grazie



Not quite, "he is a cool boy" translates to "(Lui) è un figo (ragazzo)"
He is cool = "È figo"

Why can't someone just asked a question? Obviously not every single nuance immaginable is discussed. It's like your looking for someone to yell at. They have a question, so they ask it in the appropriate forum and topic - let it have 59 pages - there isn't a limit - what does it matter?


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## Paulfromitaly

dylanG3893 said:


> Why can't someone just asked a question? It's like your looking for someone to yell at. They have a question, so they ask it in the appropriate forum and topic - let it have 59 pages, what does it matter?



You can ask a different question related to the same topic (otherwise the thread would be closed)
You cannot ask the same question over and over again just because you can't be bothered to read through the previous posts.
That's what that note means.


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## ridisempre

I read all the post and believe this question has not been asked: which of these words are acceptable to say in public without being seen as crude (i.e. Which are not considered _parolacce_)? "Figo" maybe?


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## dylanG3893

ridisempre said:


> I read all the post and believe this question has not been asked: which of these words are acceptable to say in public without being seen as crude (i.e. Which are not considered _parolacce_)? "Figo" maybe?



Figo is fine to say in friends, all those its like saying "that sucks" around people of authority - don't do it. So its an informal expression.

Figa is literally the feminine form of 'cool' but can also be taken as a parloccia so please use it only when the context is very clear and obvious.


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## rolando

*New question*

The words in question are “figa” and “figueta,” as they were used in the context of an instructional video about music entitled “*Guitar Tip: figuetta*” (sic.) by a native speaker of Portuguese speaking English, referring to his opinions about what the words mean “in Italian.”

The quotation is, “this in Italian is called figa, and so figuetta (sic) means little figa.” He held out his hand and showed his fist with the thumb crossed between the index and middle fingers.

*Does “figa” mean “a fist with the thumb crossed between the index and middle fingers” in Italian? *

As a side note, according to the Wordreference Portuguese to English dictionary, it means “(gesture) fingers crossed” in English, although the fingers used in the USA are index and middle, not thumb and index. I emphasize, Portuguese to English, not Italian to English.

For historic context, the word “figueta” was used by one (and possibly only one) sixteenth century Spanish composer to refer to the right-hand technique of alternate plucking with the index and middle fingers. He used the Spanish spelling of the suffix ‘eta’ and not the Italian “etta,” as used in the title of the video.

I have read the half dozen forum posts regarding some of the ways “figa” is used in Italian, and I understand that it can be used as a vulgar term for female genitals but is also used in some circles to simply mean “girl” or “chick.” I have found no evidence that it is used in Italian to mean anything like “fingers crossed” for good luck, or thumb and fingers crossed in a fist.

_Mod note: Edited to highlight the new question asked._


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## Pietruzzo

rolando said:


> I have found no evidence that it is used in Italian to mean anything like “fingers crossed”


"Fare le fiche" was an offensive gesture also cited in Dante's Inferno. You may want to have a look at this wikipedia page


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