ITALIAN FOR PRINCESS – Principessa

Learn how to say princess in Italian (principessa), and the plural form, principesse. Read on for how to use it, connotations, common phrases with principessa, and other terms of endearment for the special woman in your life.

Find out about fictional princesses in the films The Little Princess (La Piccola Principessa) and Life is Beautiful (La Vita È Bella), as well as real-life Italian princesses.

HOW TO SAY PRINCESS IN ITALIAN

The Italian word for princess is principessa

Una principessa means a princess.

La principessa means the princess.

The pronunciation of principessa is: preen-chee-PEH-ssah

Listen to how to pronounce principessa here: 

HOW TO SAY PRINCESSES IN ITALIAN

Le principesse means the princesses in Italian.

The pronunciation of principesse is: preen-chee-PEH-sseh

Listen to how to pronounce principesse here: 

WHAT IS A PRINCESS IN ITALIAN?

Just like in English, a principessa, or princess, is the daughter of the king (il re) or the queen (la regina); or the wife of the prince (il principe). 

It is often used as a term of endearment for a girl child, girlfriend, or significant other.

A principessa is also used to describe a wealthy and/or snobby woman.

The diminutive form, principessina, or little princess, is also used in these cases.

Girl wearing t-shirt with "sono la principessa di papà."
I am Dad’s princess.

PHRASES WITH PRINCIPESSA

Couple in Dora Pamphilj in Rome.  The man tells the woman, "Sei la mia principessa."

Here are some phrases with principessa, the Italian word for princess:

La mia principessaMy princess
Sei la mia principessa.You are my princess.
Ciao principessa, Buongiorno PrincipessaHello princess
La mia piccola principessaMy little princess
Bella principessaBeautiful princess
La mia bella principessaMy beautiful princess

PRINCIPESSA ALTERNATIVES

Here are some other terms of endearment for the woman you love:

CaraDear
Cara miaMy dear
TesoroTreasure
Tesoro mioMy treasure
BellaBeautiful 

BUONGIORNO PRINCIPESSA! IN LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL

La Vita è Bella, or Life is Beautiful, is a 1997 Italian film directed by Roberto Benigni. It won scores of awards, including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It tells the story of an Italian Jewish family before and during WWII, when they are imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp. 

Roberto Benigni also stars in the film. His character is head over heels in love with his wife (played by his real life wife, Nicoletta Braschi), and he greets her with Buongiorno Principessa! or Hello Princess! throughout the film. In this poignant scene, he even manages to communicate with her in the concentration camp.

LA PICCOLA PRINCIPESSA

The Little Princess, based on the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett, was one of Shirley Temple’s most famous films. The Italian version is called La Piccola Principessa.

REAL ITALIAN PRINCESSES

As surprising as it may be, the Kingdom of Italy that covered the entire Italian peninsula only existed from 1861 to 1946. After WWII, Italians voted by referendum to abolish the monarchy in 1946 and establish the Italian Republic. 

However, even though the Italian royal family does not have any power, there are still Italian princesses. Princess Vittoria di Savoia and Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi have both been making the headlines.