furbo
cunning, shrewd, street-smart
Intermediate Adjective
🔊
Pronunciation
/ˈfurbo/
💡
Cultural Note
'Furbo' occupies a fascinating gray area in Italian culture. Unlike in English where 'cunning' is mostly negative, 'furbo' can be admiring — Italians often respect the ability to navigate bureaucracy, social situations, or tricky problems with cleverness. However, 'fare il furbo' (playing smart) is negative, implying someone is trying to cheat or take advantage.
📝 Example Sentences
È furbo come una volpe.
He's as cunning as a fox.
Non fare il furbo con me!
Don't try to be clever with me!
Devi essere più furbo se vuoi sopravvivere in questa città.
You need to be more street-smart if you want to survive in this city.
📊 Adjective Forms
| Gender | Form |
|---|---|
| feminine_plural | furbe |
| masculine_plural | furbi |
| feminine_singular | furba |
| masculine_singular | furbo |