L’uomo ideale non esiste. È più facile trovare marito.
The ideal man doesn’t exist. A husband is easier to find. – Britt Ekland
Learn all about how to say husband and husbands (marito and mariti) in Italian, and how to pronounce them. You’ll find out how to say hubby (maritino), other important husband terms like ex-husband (ex-marito), my husband (mio marito) and how to use the possessive form correctly. Discover sweet terms of endearment to use with your husband, and how to tell him you love him. We’ve also Italian proverbs and sayings about husbands, and their modern translations..
Table of Contents
HUSBAND IN ITALIAN
MARITO
Marito means husband in Italian. Un marito is a husband, and il marito is the husband.
The pronunciation of un marito and il marito is: oohn mah-REE-toh, eel mah-REE-toh
Listen to how to pronounce marito here:
Il marito di Maria è romano.
Maria’s husband is Roman.
Il Marito (The Husband) is the name of a 1957 film starring the legendary Italian comic actor Alberto Sordi. It was directed by Nanni Loy and Gianni Puccini.
MARITI
Mariti means husbands in Italian. Mariti is the plural of marito.
The pronunciation of mariti is: mah-REE-tee
Listen to how to pronounce mariti here:
I mariti si sono abbracciati.
The husbands hugged each other.
While Italy is still behind most of the EU and does not recognize same-sex marriages, Italy has granted same-sex civil unions since 2016.
MARITINO
Maritino means little husband, or hubby in Italian. When said with love, it’s a term of endearment.
The pronunciation of maritino is: mah-ree-TEE-noh
Listen to how to pronounce maritino here:
Finisco le ultime due cose in ufficio e torno a casa dal maritino.
I’m finishing up the last couple things at work and then going home to hubby.
USING THE WORD MARITO
Primo marito means first husband.
Secondo marito means second husband.
Ex marito means ex-husband.
Futuro marito means future husband
Il secondo marito di Caterina è molto simpatico.
Caterina’s second husband is very nice.
Maritato (from the verb maritare) means married, but it is not commonly used today. It is most likely to be found in literature, or in reference to Sicilian street food.
Street food? Yes, in Sicily there is a traditional specialty called pani ca’ meusa, a sandwich stuffed with beef spleen and lung. With the addition of ricotta and caciocavallo cheese, it becomes the married version, or maritato.
MY HUSBAND: POSSESSIVES
To say my husband, use mio marito. Usually possessives in Italian also require the direct article (the). For example: il mio amico means my (male) friend. However, family members are a big exception.
Do not use the direct article with the SINGULAR, unaltered nouns of most family members. If there is an adjective before or after the family member, use the article. Also, use the article with the possessive loro.
So:
mio marito is my husband
tuo marito is your husband (informal you)
suo marito is his/her/your husband (formal you)
But:
Il loro marito is their husband (uncommon but possible)
Il mio ex-marito is my ex-husband
Il mio maritino is my hubby
TALKING TO YOUR HUSBAND IN ITALIAN
TERMS OF ENDEARMENT
Here are some sweet words for your husband:
amore: love
amore mio: my love
caro: dear
caro mio: my dear
bello: handsome
tesoro: treasure
Mi manchi amore mio.
I miss you my love.
Tesoro non vedo l’ora di vederti stasera!
Treasure, I can’t wait to see you tonight.
I LOVE YOU
To tell your husband you love him, say ti amo (I love you).
In Italian, there are two ways to say I love you. Take note in order to avoid any uncomfortable mixups! Ti amo is reserved for telling a special someone that you love them in a romantic way. Ti voglio bene (literally, I want you well), is for telling friends and family that you love them.
WIFE IN ITALIAN
The word for wife in Italian is moglie.
Una moglie means a wife, and la moglie means the wife.
You may want to read more about Relatives in Italian.
MARITO: ITALIAN SAYINGS
There is no shortage of Italian idioms and proverbs that feature husbands.
Tra marito e marito non mettere il dito.
Direct translation: Don’t put your finger between a husband and husband.
Meaning: Don’t meddle in other people’s affairs.
Chi non sa cosa siano malanni e doglie, prenda marito o prenda moglie.
Direct translation: If you haven’t known misfortune or pain, get a husband or wife.
Meaning: Being married is a pain in the neck.
Chi ha buon marito, lo porta in viso.
Direct translation: If a person has a good husband, they wear it on their face.
Meaning: You can tell from someone’s face if they’re happily married.