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poverino

poor thing; unfortunate one

adjective poh-veh-REE-noh Rare

Usage Note

Poverino is the affectionate diminutive of povero (poor/unfortunate). Used as both an adjective and a noun, it expresses sympathy or mild pity rather than poverty in the financial sense. As an exclamation it stands alone: 'Poverino!' ('Poor thing!'). The feminine is poverina, plural poverini/poverine. It is entirely colloquial and warm in register.

Examples

"Poverino, è caduto dalla bici."

Natural Translation

Poor thing, he fell off his bike.

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