B1🧠 Personality
Italian word
furbo
clever, cunning, sly — usually in a positive/street-smart way
Looks like
furtive
(furtive = secretive, stealthy — not really similar)
⚠️ The trap
'Furbo' is a false friend with 'furtive'. More importantly, Italians admire being 'furbo' (street-smart, knowing how to work the system), while English 'cunning' is negative. Context determines tone.
To say "(furtive = secretive, stealthy — not really similar)" in Italian:
furbo → clever/cunning; astuto → shrewd
"furbo" in English means:
clever, cunning, sly — usually in a positive/street-smart way
Example
"Che furbo! Ha trovato un modo per non pagare."
"How clever/sneaky! He found a way not to pay."
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