If you have played Mafia games before, you must know that they have one trademark – unlimited abuses. Mafia 2 still holds the record for the most number of F-bombs in a video game. This is a little less in Mafia: The Old Country… but you get to hear a lot of Italian (or to be more correct, Sicilian) swearing.
And yes, Sicilian is a little different from normal Italian. Still, Enzo and his Mafia friends use such words in their conversations that sound foreign to us even in the English version. And not just abuses but believe me, there are a lot of abuses.
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So if you don’t want to think repeatedly while playing the game, “Did he say this just now?”, this is your crash course, the most common Italian/Sicilian words you’ll hear in Mafia: The Old Country.
Normal Words (Without Abuse)
Let’s start simply. These words are not translated by the game, but are understood in context. Just take a look at a quick list:
- A prestu – “See you soon.”
- Amico – “Friend.”
- Andiamo – “Let’s go!”
- Bedda matri – Expression of surprise: “Oh, beautiful mother” or “Oh, holy mother.”
- Benvenuto – “Welcome.”
- Buongiorno – “Good day” (mostly used for “Good morning”).
- Calma – “Calm down.”
- Carusu – Common call for Enzo, meaning “my boy.”
- Guardia – “Police.”
- Il Merlo – Opponent’s nickname: “The Blackbird.”
- L’Ombra – Second antagonist’s nickname: “The Shadow.”
- U capisti – “Got it?” or “Understood?”
Swear Words (Listen More)
Now comes the real thing. Sicilian abuses are used more frequently in the game than normal words.
This list contains strong language. We’re translating this just for the sake of understanding, not for use in Naples traffic.
- Buttanazza – “Slut.”
- Cugghiuni – Literally “testicle,” but in slang “idiot.”
- Figghi di buttana – “Son of a bitch.”
- Fitùsi – “Disgusting” or “dirty.”
- Merda – “Shit.”
- Minchia – Literally “penis,” but in Sicilian slang “shit” or “fuck.”
- Puttana ra miseria – “Miserable whore.”
- Strunzu – “Idiot,” “scumbag,” or “piece of shit.”
- Sucaminchia – “Cocksucker” (derived from minchia).
- Vaffanculo – Extremely vulgar, roughly “get lost” (literally a sexual act and a reference to the backside).
Why Do You Need to Know These Words?
Simple – When you play Mafia: The Old Country, you will hear these words repeatedly in the background. If you know the meaning, the flavor and feel of the dialogues doubles. If not, it just feels like the characters are saying something random in anger.
That’s it — now you are ready. When Enzo or anyone else says something in Italian/Sicilian, you will know what is happening. And honestly, even if you don’t remember every abuse, you will have no problem understanding the story — it’s mostly background flavor.
