I've had a bad day.
'Brutta' — BRUT-ta. Clear double 't'. 'Giornata' — gior-NA-ta, stress on the second syllable.
Use with close friends when a difficult day has left you emotionally or physically drained. This honest explanation usually generates empathy rather than disappointment.
'Brutta giornata' (bad/ugly day) is very common Italian. 'Brutto/a' in Italian means 'ugly' but is extended to describe anything bad or unpleasant. The passato prossimo 'ho avuto' means the experience is complete but its effects linger.
Oggi è andata malissimo.
Today went very badly.
'Andata malissimo' is vivid and expressive — no further explanation expected
Sono stressato/a oltre ogni limite.
I'm stressed beyond all limits.
Hyperbolic but felt — resonates immediately with Italians who understand work stress
Ho avuto una giornataccia.
I've had a terrible day.
'-accia' suffix makes it more severe and expressive — very Italian linguistic device
The promise 'domani ti racconto tutto' (tomorrow I'll tell you everything) is a key feature of Italian friendship — cancelling today but committing to a full debrief tomorrow keeps the bond strong.