Italian popular sayings Today is Saint Valentine's day people! I hope you're spending a nice day with a lot of chocolate in your hands. =D
I'm here, ready to publish my "most popular italian sayings with translation"! Hope you enjoy them and hope they can be useful for you. They're not all the most popular ones, but just some. Maybe someday I'm gonna publish another list, but for the moment I think there are ok. =)
Here we go!
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LEGEND
Italian sentence => literal translation in english => real meaning of the sentence
Example in italian. // Example literally translated in english => Example translated in english showing the real meaning of the sentence.
In bocca al lupo! => (Go) in the mouth of the wolf! => good luck! (The equivalent in english would be something like “broke a leg!”. We tell it to someone to wish them good luck for an exam, a new work, things like these.
In bocca al lupo per l’esame! // Go in the mouth of the wolf for the exam! => Good luck for the exam!
In culo alla balena! => (Go) in the butt of the wale! => good luck! Again, yes. It’s another way, less common, to say “in bocca al lupo!”; but it sounds quite vulgar or for sure more vulgar than the first way above, so use it only with your friends.
In culo alla balena per l’esame! // Go in the butt of the wale for the exam! => Good luck for the exam!
Abbassare le ali. => To lower the wings. => To be more modest. Very confidential.
Abbassa le ali, per favore. // Lower your wings, please. => Be more modest, please.
Non cavare un ragno dal buco. => Not to get a spider from the hole. => To Not Be Able to gain or reach something, though your work for it.
I talked a lot with him, but I have not dug a spider hole. / / I talked a lot With Him, But I did not get a spider from the hole. => I talked a lot With Him, But I did not gain anything.
feast his eyes. => To remake your own eyes. => To see something very beautiful That you like a lot. Also used for people. You use it When you see something (also someone) very beautiful That you enjoy watching Because it'sa plaisure for your eyes.
I saw the new shoes Alessia and I rebuilt my eyes! / / I saw Alessia's new shoes Remade my eyes and I! => I saw Alessia's new shoes and They were really beautiful, I liked Them so much!
Go beast. => Go / to get a beastie. => To get very very very angry! The
I spoke and I went into a rage! / / I talked to her and I got to a beastie! => I talked to her and I got really angry!
Having a devil hair. => To Have A Devil For Each One of your hair. => To be very very angry / nervous.
Leave me alone, now I have a devil for hair! / / Leave me alone, I've tonday got a devil for Each One of my hair! => Leave me alone, today I'm very very angry / nervous!
Tell someone into a rage. => Go / get someone to a beastie. => Make someone very very very angry!
I have spoken and sent me into a beast! / / I talked to her and she got me to a beastie! => I talked to her and she got me really angry!
Open your mouth. => To open the beak. => To start talking, to say something. You can say it or kidding in an ironic way, also. It's like: opening your mouth to say something.
After 15 minutes, finally ha aperto il becco! // After 15 minutes, he/she finally opened the beak! => After 15 minutes, he/she finally started talking – he/she finally said something!
Prendere la palla al balzo. => To take the ball at the bounce. => To take the chance, to do something in the right moment so you can take a chance.
Ha iniziato a parlare del contratto, quindi ho preso la palla al balzo per spiegargli la mia situazione. // He started talking about the contract, so I took the ball at the bounce to explain my situation to him. => He started talking about the contract, so I took the chance to explain my situation to him.
Ask / want the moon. => To ask for / Want to the moon. => To ask for / Want to something huge, too much, the impossible.
Can you help? I'm not asking for the moon! / / Can you help me? I'm not Asking for the moon you! => Can you help me? I'm not Asking you for the impossible!
I do not want the moon, only a new car! / / I do not want the moon, just a new car! => I do not want something impossible, just a new car!
Be green. => To be in green. => To have no money.
played badly and now I'm broke. / / I played bad and now I'm in green => I played bad and now I've got no money.
Drain the beans. => To empty the bag. => To confess, to say all the things you know about A Certain situation.
After that question, he emptied the sack. / / After That question, he emptied the bag => After That question, he confessed everything-Told He Knew.
Go cow. => To go / get into cow. => To ruin oneself, you say it Also Went to mean something bad. Quite vulgar, use it with friends.
The plan went into a cow. / / The plan got into cow => The plan got ruined / Went bad. Having
ass. => To Have butt / ass. => To be lucky (in or with something). Quite vulgar, use it only with friends.
examination I had just fucked! / / During the exam, I really HAD ass! => During the exam I was really lucky!
See the moon turn. => To Have Turned the moon. => To be irascible, nervous for no reason appareant; to feel moody.
This morning I got up and had already shot the moon. / / This morning I woke up and I was HAVING Already Turned the moon. => This morning I woke up and I was Already feeling irascible / nervous.
save for a corner. => To save onself in the corner. => To be Able to do something or Generally to make it at the last minute or chance.
examination, I was saved for a corner, answering the last question. / / At the exam I saved myself for a corner, replying to the last question. => At the exam I saved myself at the last chance / minute, replying to the last question.
Having the monkey (shoulder). => To Have The monkey (on your shoulder). => To be drunk or stoned. I
the monkey (shoulder) from last night! / / I've been having the monkey (on my shoulder) since yesterday night! => I’ve been drunk/stoned since yesterday night!
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I leave you with this picture of Pisa, Tuscany. ;)
