Meaning
blow, hit, bump
- blow, hit
- bump, bruise
- shock, blow
- cutting remark
In a sentence
Ho preso una botta al braccio ieri.
I took a hit to the arm yesterday.
Ho preso una brutta botta alla testa.
I got a nasty bump on my head.
La notizia della sua partenza è stata una brutta botta.
The news of his departure was a heavy blow.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| botta | feminine · singular |
| botte | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Very common in speech; less neutral than colpo for a strike. For a punch specifically, pugno is more precise.
- For accidental impact, botta often appears in prendere/dare una botta. Learners overuse fare una botta, which sounds odd in many contexts.
- In figurative use, che botta! means a nasty shock or setback. Register is informal, often emotional.