furbetto
little sneak, cheeky one
Literal Translation
"little clever one"
Formal Equivalent
scaltro
Examples in Context
"Ah, furbetto! Hai preso l'ultimo pezzo di torta di nascosto."
"You little sneak! You took the last piece of cake when no one was looking."
"Fai il furbetto, eh? Ti ho visto copiare i compiti!"
"Playing it sneaky, huh? I saw you copying the homework!"
Cultural Note
The diminutive '-etto' makes this inherently playful and affectionate. It implies someone is being cheeky or trying to get away with something small — never anything truly dishonest. Parents use it with children, friends use it with each other. It's always said with a smile. In Italian media, 'furbetti' often describes petty rule-benders.
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