vaffanculo
What does “vaffanculo” mean in English?
It’s a strong way to tell someone to fuck off, essentially saying 'go get fucked in the arse.'
Literally “go get fucked in the arse”
Typically used as a direct insult, it carries a lot of weight and is stronger than just telling someone to fuck off. Commonly heard in Italy, it’s often written as one word.
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Related Italian words
fottiti
4/5 · StrongThis means 'fuck yourself' and is used as a strong dismissal. It's a direct way to tell someone to go away or express anger.
vai a farti fottere
4/5 · StrongThis is a strong way to tell someone to fuck off. It's a direct insult that conveys intense hostility.
vai in mona
4/5 · StrongThis is a hostile dismissal used in the Venetian area, similar to telling someone to fuck off. Literally, it translates to 'go into a vulva.'
cazzo
4/5 · StrongIt’s a strong exclamation or intensifier, similar to how we use 'fuck' in English. Literally, it means 'penis.'
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About this data
Swear Atlas is a source-attested, AI-curated reference — not a native-speaker-certified dictionary. Meanings and the 1–5 Burn Rating are approximate editorial assessments that vary with context, region, tone and speaker. Inclusion of a word does not constitute endorsement of its use.
The literal gloss is a short editorial translation to show word-for-word sense, not an etymological claim.
“Sounds like” is an English-friendly approximation of how the word sounds, not an authoritative pronunciation. Where shown, the romanisation is a conventional Latin-script transliteration of the original spelling.
Term attested via LDNOOBW (CC-BY-4.0). Editorial content © Swear Atlas.