{"id":14560,"date":"2015-07-20T10:00:18","date_gmt":"2015-07-20T15:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/selectitaly.com\/blog\/?p=8560"},"modified":"2021-01-17T14:49:22","modified_gmt":"2021-01-17T14:49:22","slug":"common-italian-idioms-aka-italy-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/selectitaly.com\/blog\/all-you-can-italy\/common-italian-idioms-aka-italy-revealed\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Italian Proverbs and Idioms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Remember the saying, \u201cYou are what you eat?\u201d I\u2019d argue that it\u2019s not just what you eat, but you are also what you speak. Think about it \u2013 language is not just words and grammar, but a reflection of culture<\/strong>. Trying to learn, understand, and use a\u00a0language knowing nothing about a culture results in laughable misunderstandings and downright awkward situations. Lucky for all of the language learners out there, one of the best ways to learn a culture is by examining the language. And some of the best pieces of language that reflect pieces of a culture are proverbs. It’s no different for Italian – so this blog is going to examine some common Italian proverbs that provide us with insights into Italy and its people<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

4 Common Italian Proverbs and Idioms<\/h2>\n

THE LAND: C<\/em>hi<\/em> dorme non piglia pesci.<\/em><\/h3>\n

This Italian proverb literally means, \u201cOne who sleeps does not catch the fish,” and corresponds to the English, \u201cThe early bird catches the worm.\u201d The significant impact that the sea has had on the lives of those living on the boot-shaped peninsula is highlighted in the phrase, as well as the fact that of the most enduring professions in Italy\u2019s history is that of a fisherman (with the sea on three sides, how could it not be?). Another Italian proverb referencing the sea is the counterpart to the English \u201cEasier said than done:\u201d Tra il dire e il fare c\u00b4\u00e8 di mezzo il mare, <\/em>literally \u201cBetween saying and doing there is a sea in the middle.\u201d<\/p>\n

THE FOOD: Se non \u00e8 zuppa \u00e8 pan bagnato.<\/em><\/h3>\n

\u201cIf it\u2019s not soup, it\u2019s soggy bread.\u201d Any guesses on which English proverb matches up to this one? It\u2019s not too hard if you know anything about Italian soup \u2013 especially those such ribolitta<\/em>, which makes use of leftovers by mixing them in a soup and then pouring it onto stale bread. This proverb\u2019s English amico <\/em>is \u201cSix of one, half dozen of the other.” Call it soup or call it soggy bread – or call it six or call it half dozen – it\u2019s the same thing. An additional glimpse into an ingredient prominent in Italian dishes is: Quando la pera \u00e8 matura, casca da s\u00e9<\/em> (when the pear is ripe it falls by itself \u2013 aka \u201cAll things happen in good time\u201d in English).<\/p>\n

THE ANIMALS: Non dire gatto se non ce l\u2019hai nel sacco.<\/em><\/h3>\n

Stroll down the streets in Rome and you will see countless street vendors with cat calendars; head to Largo Argentina and you\u2019ll witness Rome\u2019s very own stray cat sanctuary, complete with 200 volunteers who look after Italy’s beloved animal. The country’s response to \u201cdon\u2019t count your chickens before they hatch\u201d reflects its affinity for felines, as it literally means, \u201cDon\u2019t say cat if you don\u2019t have it in the bag.\u201d Another cat proverb La gatta frettolosa fa i gattini ciechi<\/em>, or \u201cthe hurried female cat makes blind kittens,\u201d is equivalent to the English \u201cHaste makes waste.\u201d<\/p>\n

GETTING AROUND: Hai voluto la bicicletta? Allora, pedala!<\/em><\/h3>\n

Italy\u2019s ancient history has cultivated a largely pedestrian culture within cities, which adapted well to first the bicycle and then the motorino<\/em>. Italians perched atop both modes of transportation zip through towns and cities, and the prominence of these vehicles in the lives of residents is apparent in this Italian proverb, meaning \u201cYou wanted a bike? Now pedal!\u201d \u2013 comparable to English\u2019s \u201cAs you\u2019ve made your bed, so you must lie on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Which Italian proverb resonated the most with you? Do you know any others to share?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Remember the saying, \u201cYou are what you eat?\u201d I\u2019d argue that it\u2019s not just what you eat, but you are also what you speak. Think about it \u2013 language is not just words and grammar, but a reflection of culture. Trying to learn, understand, and use a language knowing nothing about a culture results in laughable misunderstandings and downright awkward situations. Lucky for all of the language learners out there, one of the best ways to learn a culture is by examining the language. And some of the best pieces of language that reflect pieces of a culture are proverbs. It’s no different for Italian – so this blog is going to examine some common Italian proverbs that provide us with insights into Italy and its people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":30752,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[337],"tags":[459,1180,1239],"class_list":["post-14560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-you-can-italy","tag-italian-food","tag-italian-language","tag-italian-proverbs"],"yoast_head":"\nCommon Italian Proverbs and Idioms - It's All About Italy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/selectitaly.com\/blog\/all-you-can-italy\/common-italian-idioms-aka-italy-revealed\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Common Italian Proverbs and Idioms - It's All About Italy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Remember the saying, \u201cYou are what you eat?\u201d I\u2019d argue that it\u2019s not just what you eat, but you are also what you speak. Think about it \u2013 language is not just words and grammar, but a reflection of culture. Trying to learn, understand, and use a language knowing nothing about a culture results in laughable misunderstandings and downright awkward situations. Lucky for all of the language learners out there, one of the best ways to learn a culture is by examining the language. And some of the best pieces of language that reflect pieces of a culture are proverbs. 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