Sono orgoglioso/a di te.

I am proud of you.

Pronunciation

SO-no or-go-GLIO-so di te — stress on 'so-' and 'glio-'. 'Orgoglioso' has four syllables: or-go-GLIO-so.

When to use it

Expressing pride in a partner's achievement or growth — warm and deeply affirming.

What it means

'Sono orgoglioso/a' = I am proud (orgoglioso for masculine, orgogliosa for feminine). 'Di te' = of you. 'Orgoglio' = pride — one of the seven traditional Italian values alongside honour and dignity. Expressing pride in someone is a sign of genuine respect.

Variations

Sono fiero/a di te.

I am proud of you.

'Fiero/a' is slightly more elevated than 'orgoglioso/a' — it implies honour and admiration

Quello che hai fatto richiede coraggio.

What you did takes courage.

Specific — acknowledges the difficulty of what they achieved

Sei cresciuto/a tantissimo.

You have grown so much.

Growth over time — pride at witnessing development and change

Mini Dialogue

— Voglio che tu sappia che sono orgogliosa di te. — Non ho fatto niente di straordinario. — Hai fatto quello che era difficile. Per te, in questo momento. È abbastanza. — Grazie. Avevo bisogno di sentirmelo dire.

— I want you to know I'm proud of you. — I haven't done anything extraordinary. — You did what was difficult. For you, right now. That's enough. — Thank you. I needed to hear that.

Cultural Note

Italian culture values 'orgoglio' (pride) as a positive emotion — being proud of someone you love is considered an honour. It is different from possessive pride: it celebrates the other person's achievement independently of yourself. Saying 'sono orgoglioso/a di te' is a gift of recognition.

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Mi fai sentire speciale.

Ti amo anche quando non sei perfetto/a.

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