Buon San Valentino!
Ready to sweep your lover off their feet this Valentine’s Day? We’ve got all the phrases you’ll need to woo them with words. Learn different ways to wish your special someone a Happy Valentine’s Day, and how to say them correctly.
We’ve also got you covered with how to reply if a gorgeous Italian wishes you a Happy Valentine’s Day. Find out how Italians talk about Valentine’s Day, how to say I love you in Italian, romantic phrases for your amore (love), as well as how to write a Valentine’s Day card in Italian. You’ll also learn about how Italians celebrate Valentine’s Day.
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WHAT DO ITALIANS CALL VALENTINE’S DAY?
San Valentino means Saint Valentine in Italian, so Valentine’s Day in Italy is called La Festa di San Valentino (literally the Holiday of Saint Valentine), or simply San Valentino.
Italians also call Valentine’s Day La Festa degli Innamorati, or the Holiday of Lovers.
Valentine’s Day in Italy is on February 14th. It’s not a public holiday, and is only celebrated by lovers and people in romantic relationships, not by friends as it is in the US and elsewhere.
You may want to read my Quick Guide to Italian Holidays.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY IN ITALIAN
The shortest, sweetest, and most common way to say Happy Valentine’s Day in Italian is Buon San Valentino.
The pronunciation of Buon San Valentino is: boo-OHN sahn vah-lehn-TEE-noh
Listen to how to pronounce Buon San Valentino here:
You can also say Buona Festa di San Valentino, which literally means Happy Holiday of Saint Valentine.
The pronunciation of Buona Festa di San Valentino is: boo-OHN-ah FEH-stah dee sahn vah-lehn-TEE-noh
Listen to how to pronounce Buona Festa di San Valentino here:
Italians are most likely to say Happy Valentine’s Day to their lovers, significant others or crush. Since Valentine’s Day isn’t celebrated by the larger population, it would be odd to wish an acquaintance in Italy a Happy Valentine’s Day, the way you would casually wish someone a Merry Christmas in Italian.
To wish someone Happy Valentine’s Day by saying Happy Lovers’ Holiday, say Buona Festa degli Innamorati.
The pronunciation of Buona Festa degli Innamorati is: boo-OHN-ah FEH-stah deh-lyee ee-nah-moh-RAH-tee
Listen to how to pronounce Buona Festa degli Innamorati here:
Pronunciation Tip: GLI in Italian makes a kind of LYEE sound, almost like the LLI in million. Listen to how to pronounce the GLI sound:
If you are wishing a Happy Valentine’s Day in Italian to your significant other, you can be even more romantic by adding:
Buon San Valentino . . .
amore mio my love
tesoro mio my treasure
caro mio my dear (male)
cara mia my dear (female)
HOW TO REPLY IN ITALIAN TO “HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY”
Here’s what to say when someone wishes you Happy Valentine’s Day (Buon San Valentino!) in Italian, instead of just standing there blushing!
Grazie!
Thank you!
The pronunciation of Grazie is: GRAH-tsee-eh
Listen to how to pronounce Grazie here:
Anche a te!
To you too!
The pronunciation of Anche a te is: ahn-keh ah TEH
Listen to how to pronounce Anche a te here:
Grazie, Buon San Valentino anche a te!
Thank you, Happy Valentine’s Day to you too!
The pronunciation of Grazie, Buon San Valentino anche a te is: GRAH-tsee-eh, boo-OHN sahn vah-lehn-TEE-noh ahn-keh ah TEH
Listen to how to pronounce Grazie, Buon San Valentino anche a te here:
Grazie amore mio.
Thank you my love.
The pronunciation of Grazie amore mio is: GRAH-tsee-eh ah-MOH-reh MEE-oh
Listen to how to pronounce Grazie amore mio here:
HOW TO SAY “I LOVE YOU” IN ITALIAN
Valentine’s Day may be the day you may want to confess your love for the first time . . . or it may be the millionth time you tell your significant other that you love them.
Ti amo means I love you in Italian. It is used to express romantic love. Use it with your romantic partner, lover, or significant other.
The pronunciation of ti amo is: tee AH-moh
Listen to how to pronounce ti amo here:
However, there are other ways to say I love you in Italian, so make sure you are using the right one to avoid any awkward misunderstandings!
Ti voglio bene also means I love you, but it is used for love between family members and friends. So don’t use it if you’re trying to be romantic on Valentine’s Day!
Read How to Say I Love You in Italian to learn all the ins and outs of these two love-ly phrases.
ROMANTIC ITALIAN PHRASES FOR VALENTINE’S DAY
Pull out all the stops on Valentines’ Day with these super romantic phrases in Italian:
| You’re the love of my life | Sei l’amore della mia vita |
| I love you with all my heart | Ti amo con tutto il cuore |
| I will love you forever | Ti amerò per sempre |
| I will love you all my life | Ti amerò per tutta la vita |
| You’re the best thing that ever happened to me | Sei la cosa più bella che mi sia mai capitata |
| You’re the man of my dreams | Sei l’uomo dei miei sogni |
| You’re the woman of my dreams | Sei la donna dei miei sogni |
HOW TO WRITE A VALENTINE’S DAY CARD IN ITALIAN
Wish you could send your Italian significant other a Valentine? Non c’è problema, no problem! Start out with:
Amore mio, My love,
Cara mia, My dear (female),
Caro mio, My dear (male),
Tesoro mio, My treasure
For the body of your card you can use one of the romantic phrases above, and maybe you want to tell your Valentine I love you: ti amo. You can also tell them what you love about them, for example:
Sei . . .
You are . . .
speciale special
unico/a one of a kind
fantastico/a fantastic
importante important
bellissimo/a gorgeous
Then sign your name with:
Il tuo amore Your love
Il tuo xxxxx, Your (male name),
La tua xxxxx, Your (female name),
Con amore, With love,
Baci, Kisses
Here’s an example of putting it all together:
Cara mia,
Sei unica, sei l’amore della mia vita. Ti amerò per sempre.
Il tuo Fabio
My dear (female),
You’re one of a kind, you’re the love of my love. I will love you forever.
Your Fabio.
WHAT DO ITALIANS DO ON VALENTINE’S DAY?
Valentine’s Day in Italy is a romantic holiday, and is celebrated by some couples– but it is by no means a primary or widely celebrated holiday.
Some couples go out for a romantic dinner at a restaurant or plan a romantic evening at home. But kids don’t give Valentines to their friends or hand out Valentines to their classmates at school.
At Valentine’s Day time supermarkets often have special flower and chocolate displays, and bakeries may have Valentine’s Day cakes and cookies.
Learn more about Valentine’s Day in Italy.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY IN ITALIAN FAQ
Feliz día de San Valentín! means Happy Valentine’s Day in Spanish.
Alles Liebe zum Valentinstag! means Happy Valentine’s Day in German. Italians speak German in South Tyrol (Alto-Adige) in the Dolomite mountains near the Austrian border in northern Italy.
Joyeuse Saint Valentin and Bonne Saint Valentin mean Happy Valentine’s Day in French. Italians speak French in the Val d’Aosta region in northwestern Italy along the border with France and Switzerland.