English words have taken over the world, but nowhere have they stirred more linguistic debate than in Italy. Over the past few decades, Italians have increasingly adopted English vocabulary for business, technology, and pop culture. Expressions like fare lo shopping, smart working or weekend, now sound perfectly normal in a Milan office conversation.
Yet for translators and language purists, this flood of Anglicisms, English words borrowed, adapted or invented in Italian, poses constant headaches. They can sound prestigious and modern, but when translated back into English or used literally, they often distort meaning, confuse readers, or expose poor translation quality.
Let’s explore ten Anglicisms that can completely ruin Italian translations and how to fix them.
1. Smart working (Working from home)
During the pandemic, Italian offices embraced the term smart working, but English-speaking professionals still say “remote work” or “working from home.”
This is a clear “false Anglicism”, a word that looks English, but doesn’t exist with the same meaning in real English usage. When translated literally, “smart working” sounds like a tech brand slogan, not a work arrangement.
Wrong translation: Our company allows smart working.
Right translation: Our company allows remote work / flexible work.
In Italian: La nostra azienda consente il lavoro in smart working.
This term illustrates how Italian often reinterprets English words for convenience or modern flair.
2. Relax (To rest, not to “relax yourself”)
Italians often say mi rilasso and translate it as “I relax myself.” Native English speakers never say that. “Relax” is intransitive, no reflexive pronoun required.
Wrong translation: After work, I relax myself on the couch.
Right translation: After work, I relax on the couch.
How it’s used in Italian: Dopo lavoro, mi rilasso sul divano.
The “self” appears because many Italian verbs are reflexive, but English reserves that form for specific actions (wash yourself, help yourself).
3. Lifestyle (Used where “way of life” is meant)
The word lifestyle has become so trendy that Italian media use it to cover everything from habits to culture, diet and fashion. However, English uses it in narrower, stylistic contexts.
Wrong translation: The Italian lifestyle is famous around the world.
Right translation: The Italian way of life is famous around the world.
How it’s used in Italian: Il lifestyle italiano è famoso in tutto il mondo.
Using “lifestyle” in place of “way of life” can make translations sound artificial or overly commercial, as if describing branding rather than culture.
4. Location (Venue, place)
This is everywhere in Italian, advertising, business, even government communication. Location has replaced luogo, posto, or sede.
In English, “location” fits specific contexts (movie location, GPS data), but most of the time, “venue” or “place” fits better.
Wrong translation: The wedding location was wonderful.
Right translation: The wedding venue was wonderful.
How it’s used in Italian: La location del matrimonio era meravigliosa.
The overuse of “location” reveals a bias toward English-style prestige wording; what Italian linguist Vera Gheno calls “prestiti di lusso,” or “luxury loans”.
5. Meeting (Often used without context)
In corporate Italy, everything is now a meeting. Coffee with colleagues? Meeting. A brainstorming session? Meeting.
English uses “meeting” too, but when excessive, it feels redundant or unclear. Instead, English speakers might say “catch-up,” “call,” or “discussion.”
Wrong translation: Let’s fix a meeting for tomorrow.
Right translation: Let’s schedule a meeting / call / catch-up for tomorrow.
“Fix a meeting” itself is a typical Italian calque from fissare un incontro.
How it’s used in Italian: Fissiamo un meeting per domani.
6. Fashion (Used instead of moda)
The irony is delightful: Italy, the home of la moda, constantly borrows the English word “fashion.” Media and advertising often say il mondo del fashion rather than il mondo della moda.
When translated literally, such phrases sound strange and redundant.
Wrong translation: He works in the fashion world.
Right translation: He works in fashion.
How it’s used in Italian: Lui lavora nel mondo del fashion
In most cases, English doesn’t use “the” before general concepts like “fashion” or “design.” Dropping it makes the sentence more natural.
7. Feeling (Emotional connection or “chemistry”)
Modern Italian has reinterpreted “feeling” into a noun representing chemistry or emotional resonance: C’è feeling tra di noi.
If translated literally, “There is feeling between us” sounds awkward. The correct idioms depend on context: “We click,” “We get along,” or “We have chemistry.”
Wrong translation: There is a good feeling between them.
Right translation: They really click / They have great chemistry.
How it’s used in Italian: C’è un buon feeling tra di loro.
English uses “feeling” mostly for sensory or emotional experiences, not interpersonal compatibility.
8. Mission (For any goal or project)
Business Italian adopted “mission” eagerly after reading corporate English slogans. Today, mission is used for everything from political aims to weekend plans: La mia mission è rilassarmi!
In English, “mission” implies a major purpose; charitable, military, or organisational, not casual intent.
Wrong translation: Our mission is to finish by 6 p.m.
Right translation: Our goal / aim is to finish by 6 p.m.
How it’s used in Italian: La nostra mission è di finire alle 18:00
9. Fashion victim (Literal borrowing gone wrong)
Another expression born in Italian pop culture, fashion victim, popularised by stylist Anna Piaggi, has been re-used so freely in Italian that it often replaces native structures: Le fashion victim amano i saldi.
In English, “fashion victim” carries a specific tone: someone who suffers for following trends blindly, not simply a stylish person.
Wrong translation: She’s such a fashion victim! (as a compliment)
Right translation: She’s so stylish / She has great taste.
Context determines whether it’s ironic or critical, something literal translation loses easily.
10. Feeling cool (Literal hybrid constructions)
One of the newest trends among younger Italians is mixing Italian syntax with English words for social media effect: Mi sento cool oggi! or Sono in full relax mode.
These hybrid Anglicisms are playful, but disastrous in translation. “I feel cool today” in English means “I feel physically cold” or “I think I’m trendy,” depending on tone. The idiomatic English equivalent would be “I’m in a good mood today” or “I’m feeling great.”
Why Italians Love Anglicisms
The Italian fascination with English terminology goes far beyond language; it’s cultural. Linguists point to several key reasons:
- Cultural prestige: English is seen as the global language of technology, fashion and innovation: borrowing English words signals modernity.
- Media influence: American movies, pop music and global brands constantly refresh Italian lexicon.
- Efficiency: English tends to compress ideas into shorter words, call, brief, team, which sounds dynamic compared to their longer Italian equivalents.
- Linguistic playfulness: Italians are creative adapters. They “Italianise” English words with native endings, twittare (not sure what they say now), postare and so on.
While this cultural openness enriches the language, it can also dilute clarity; when such Anglicisms are retranslated back into English without adaptation, they create confusing, “false-English” phrases.
The Linguistic Problem: False Friends and False Anglicisms
Not all Anglicisms are harmful. Many fill lexical gaps, especially in scientific and technological fields, but problems arise when false Anglicisms; words that appear English, but mean something else entirely, enter daily speech.
For example:
| Italian Term | Literal Translation | Real English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Footing | Doing “footing” (exercise) | Jogging |
| Smoking | Smoking | Tuxedo |
| Pretendere | Pretend | Expect or demand |
These “faux-English” constructions have a long history. Linguists note that Italians used Anglicisms as markers of class and sophistication since the post-war period, especially in sectors like fashion and business.
When Anglicisms Distort Meaning
The damage isn’t just grammatical, it’s cultural and semantic. Claudio Marazzini, president of the Accademia della Crusca, warns that excessive Anglicisation risks distancing Italians from their linguistic memory. As he notes, the expression fare lo shopping replaces andare per negozi, erasing native idioms that shaped Italian expression for centuries.
That shift matters in translation too. A literal rendering of an Anglicised Italian text often fails to capture tone or nuance, for example, translating smart working as “smart working” in an English report makes the translator appear inexperienced.
Translation Tips: Avoiding Anglicism Traps
Professional translators and bilingual writers can spot these red flags quickly. To avoid Anglicism pitfalls:
- Back-translate for clarity: If a phrase sounds English, but you wouldn’t say it to a native speaker, replace it.
- Prefer genuine Italian where possible: Choose collaborazione over “partnership” or riunione over “meeting.”
- Adapt meaning, not form: Translate ideas, not words. Smart working – “remote work,” feeling – “chemistry.”
- Read modern corpora: Tools like Linguee or the British National Corpus show how natives use expressions in real contexts.
- Preserve authenticity: In brand writing or literature, keeping select English terms is fine, but use them intentionally, not habitually.
The essence of good translation isn’t erasing cultural differences; it’s making sure both audiences feel the same message in their language.
Why Some Anglicisms Should Stay
Not all English words are invaders.; some fill real gaps in Italian vocabulary, especially in global business. Words like marketing, software, or startup carry precise connotations that Italian lacks without cumbersome paraphrasing.
Nevertheless, linguists like Vera Gheno argue for “sustainable borrowing” adopting foreign words that clarify, not clutter. The key is balance. Just as Italian once enriched English with words like opera and studio, the exchange can work both ways when done thoughtfully.
Final Thoughts
Language borrowing is natural. Every linguistic system evolves through contact, trade and technology. Yet, when translation ignores cultural nuance, words lose their flavour and sometimes their meaning.
Anglicisms make Italians feel connected to global culture, but unchecked, they also dilute expression and make translations sound artificial. The translator’s role is not to resist evolution, but to mediate it, to choose when English enhances Italian and when it erases it.
So next time you see “Smart working” or “Fashion weekend” in a text, ask yourself: does this reflect Italian colour, or just English noise? Because mastering translation isn’t about knowing two languages, it’s about knowing when to let one breathe.