Vaffanculo 🔊

Usage examples

• Vaffanculo! Non mi rompere i coglioni.
  Fuck off! Stop busting my balls.
• Puoi andare a fanculo per quello che mi importa.
  You can go fuck yourself for all I care.

Etymology

A contracted imperative phrase, "vaffanculo" fuses three words: "va" (go, imperative of "andare"), "a fare" (to do / to go do — contracted to "a fa'"), and "in culo" (in the ass). The full uncontracted form is "vai a fare in culo" — literally "go do it in the ass" — which functions as the Italian equivalent of "fuck off" or "go fuck yourself." The contraction to "vaffanculo" is old and well-established in Italian vernacular, and the word is universally understood across Italian dialects and regions.

Cultural notes

"Vaffanculo" is Italy's most recognisable and internationally known profanity, partly due to the global reach of Italian-American culture and partly due to its memorable sound. It gained significant political visibility when comedian-turned-politician Beppe Grillo used it as a rallying cry — and the name of a series of political rallies ("V-day", standing for "Vaffanculo Day") — against the Italian political establishment in 2007–2008, demonstrating the word's capacity to serve as a populist slogan. Despite its vulgarity, it is used across age groups and registers in Italian, from genuine anger to affectionate teasing between close friends.

Accuracy

86% of 14 voters say this translation is accurate.