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How to Say ‘What the hell!’ in Italian

Che cavolo!

keh KAH-voh-loh

[keh KAH-voh-loh]

💬 Usage Tip: Che + a swear word makes an exclamation or question. Put cavolo in a question for the polite version: Che cavolo fai? "What on earth are you doing?"

Phrase Breakdown

Che

[keh]

what

Question word used to ask for information or specification.

Example

Che tipo di ruolo cerchi?

What kind of role are you looking for?

cavolo

[KAH-voh-loh]

heck

Mild euphemism meaning 'the heck', used to intensify questions or exclamations.

Example

Che cavolo dici?

What the heck are you saying?

Guides for Italian learners

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