Very InformalPugliainterjection
madonna!
oh my God! / Jesus! / good Lord!
Literal Translation
"the Madonna / Virgin Mary"
Formal Equivalent
mio Dio! / cielo!
Examples in Context
"Madonna, che spavento mi hai fatto!"
"Oh my God, you scared me!"
"Madonna mia, quanto costa?!"
"Good Lord, how much does it cost?!"
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Cultural Note
Used across all of Southern Italy (and increasingly everywhere), this invocation of the Virgin Mary expresses shock, frustration, or exasperation. In the deeply Catholic South, religious exclamations are paradoxically the most common form of casual swearing. 'Madonna' can be extended to 'madonna santa' or 'madonna mia' for extra emphasis.
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