Grace Flynn- freelance writer
To a non-native speaker, the English language can sound like a string of riddles and strange phrases. But idioms like ‘beating around the bush’ and ‘sitting on the fence’ are linguistic common ground; they’re a creative and interesting way to express yourself founded on a shared cultural history. And when it comes to learning a new language, they’re one sure way to achieve fluency and sound like a native speaker.
While there are plenty of English idioms that Italian use (translated, of course), the Italian language has plenty of its own. You may have heard of some already like ‘in bocca al lupo’ which is used to say good luck but actually translates to ‘in the mouth of the wolf’ with its origin in hunting. Many will reply with ‘crepi’; should you end up in the mouth of the wolf, may it die.
If you’re looking to level up your Italian, sprinkle some of these classic idioms into your conversations and Bob’s your uncle or Roberto é tuo zio.
1. Non vedo l’ora
Rather than saying ‘non posso aspettare’ for ‘I can’t wait’, opt for ‘non vedo l’ora’ which translates to ‘I don’t see the hour.’ Per esempio (for example), a sentence that always holds true: ‘non vedo l’ora di prendere il gelato.’
2. Che palle!
This translates to ‘what balls.’ Say you’re stuck on the Mitchell Freeway in peak hour traffic or your local café has run out of your favourite pastry, you’d have every right to utter ‘che palle.’
3. Buono come il pane
What’s better than bread? Niente (nothing), I tell you. That’s why this expression, which translates to ‘good as bread’ is sure to flatter someone. If you think someone is particularly kind, generous or is just a ‘good egg’ as English-speakers would say, you might like to say, ‘Matteo é buono come il pane’ or ‘Francesca é buona come il pane’.
4. Avere la luna storta
If someone’s sulking or is in a bad mood, you might hear the rather poetic phrase ‘ha la luna storta’ which translates to ‘you have a crooked moon.’
5. Conosco i miei polli
A personal favourite of mine is ‘conosco i miei polli’ which translates to ‘I know my chickens.’ If you seem to know a person to the point you can easily predict what they’ll do, you might tell someone ‘conosco i miei polli.’
6. Perdersi in un bicchier d’acqua
The Italian equivalent for making a mountain out of a molehill is ‘to lose yourself in a glass of water.’ If someone’s unnecessarily stressing out, you might say ‘non perderti in un bicchier d’acqua, andrá tutto bene.’
7. Non mi rompere le scatole
If someone’s getting on your nerves, the Italian idiom ‘non mi rompere le scatole’ is perfect for conveying your annoyance. Meaning, ‘don’t break my boxes’, the expression also has some more colourful variations including ‘non mi rompi le palle’ which I’m sure you can translate by referring to idiom number two.
