Modismos: Vida cotidiana
Modismos italianos comunes para situaciones cotidianas — 200 expresiones
A2 — Elemental
Prendere due piccioni con una fava
"To catch two pigeons with one fava bean"
To kill two birds with one stone
"Ho fatto la spesa e ho incontrato Maria — ho preso due piccioni con una fava!"
"I did the shopping and ran into Maria — I killed two birds with one stone!"
Essere al verde
"To be at the green"
To be broke / out of money
"Non posso venire al ristorante, sono al verde fino a venerdì."
"I can't come to the restaurant, I'm broke until Friday."
Avere il pollice verde
"To have a green thumb"
To be good at gardening / growing plants
"Mia nonna ha il pollice verde: le sue rose sono bellissime."
"My grandmother has a green thumb: her roses are beautiful."
Andare a letto con le galline
"To go to bed with the hens"
To go to bed very early
"In campagna andiamo a letto con le galline — alle nove siamo già a dormire."
"In the countryside we go to bed very early — we're already asleep by nine."
Perdere il filo del discorso
"To lose the thread of the speech"
To lose one's train of thought
"Mi sono distratto e ho perso il filo del discorso durante la riunione."
"I got distracted and lost my train of thought during the meeting."
Avere la testa tra le nuvole
"To have one's head among the clouds"
To have one's head in the clouds / to be a daydreamer
"Quel bambino ha sempre la testa tra le nuvole — non ascolta mai."
"That child always has his head in the clouds — he never listens."
Non è tutto oro quello che luccica
"Not everything that shines is gold"
All that glitters is not gold
"Quella casa sembra bellissima, ma ha molti problemi strutturali — non è tutto oro quello che luccica."
"That house looks beautiful, but it has many structural problems — all that glitters is not gold."
Chi dorme non piglia pesci
"He who sleeps doesn't catch fish"
The early bird catches the worm
"Svegliati! Chi dorme non piglia pesci — tutti i biglietti sono già esauriti."
"Wake up! The early bird catches the worm — all the tickets are already sold out."
Dare del tu
"To give the 'tu'"
To address someone informally / to be on first-name terms
"In questa azienda ci diamo tutti del tu, anche con il capo."
"In this company we're all on first-name terms, even with the boss."
Parlare al muro
"To talk to the wall"
To talk to a brick wall / to waste words on someone
"Cerco di spiegargli le cose, ma è come parlare al muro."
"I try to explain things to him, but it's like talking to a brick wall."
Essere nelle nuvole
"To be in the clouds"
To be absent-minded / to be daydreaming
"Scusa, ero nelle nuvole — cosa hai detto?"
"Sorry, I was daydreaming — what did you say?"
Stare con le mani in mano
"To stand with one's hands in one's hands"
To sit idly / to do nothing
"Non puoi stare con le mani in mano mentre tutti lavorano!"
"You can't just sit there doing nothing while everyone else is working!"
Fare le cose a metà
"To do things by half"
To do things by halves / to not finish what you start
"Ha iniziato a dipingere la stanza ma ha fatto le cose a metà."
"He started painting the room but did things by halves."
Essere in gamba
"To be in leg"
To be capable / smart / on the ball
"Quella ragazza è molto in gamba — ha risolto il problema in cinque minuti."
"That girl is really on the ball — she solved the problem in five minutes."
Non c'è due senza tre
"There's no two without three"
Things come in threes / bad luck comes in threes
"Prima il treno, poi la riunione, ora questo — non c'è due senza tre."
"First the train, then the meeting, now this — things come in threes."
Avere la luna storta
"To have the crooked moon"
To be in a bad mood
"Non gli parlare stamattina — ha la luna storta."
"Don't talk to him this morning — he's in a bad mood."
Rompere il ghiaccio
"To break the ice"
To break the ice
"Ho fatto una battuta per rompere il ghiaccio con i nuovi colleghi."
"I made a joke to break the ice with the new colleagues."
Dire la propria
"To say one's own"
To have one's say / to speak one's mind
"Prima di decidere, voglio dire la mia."
"Before we decide, I want to have my say."
Fare una figuraccia
"To make an ugly figure"
To make a fool of oneself / to embarrass oneself
"Ho dimenticato il nome del cliente davanti a tutti — ho fatto una figuraccia."
"I forgot the client's name in front of everyone — I made a fool of myself."
Fare bella figura
"To make a beautiful figure"
To make a good impression
"Portami dei fiori quando vengo a cena — così fai bella figura."
"Bring me some flowers when you come to dinner — that way you'll make a good impression."
Cavarsela
"To take oneself out of it"
To manage / to get by / to cope
"Non parlo italiano perfettamente, ma me la cavo."
"I don't speak Italian perfectly, but I get by."
Essere nei guai
"To be in the troubles"
To be in trouble
"Se arriva il capo e vede questo disordine, siamo nei guai."
"If the boss comes in and sees this mess, we're in trouble."
Passare la notte in bianco
"To pass the night in white"
To have a sleepless night / to pull an all-nighter
"Ho passato la notte in bianco a finire la relazione."
"I pulled an all-nighter to finish the report."
Fare le ore piccole
"To make the small hours"
To stay up until the small hours / to be a night owl
"Sabato sera abbiamo fatto le ore piccole."
"On Saturday evening we stayed up until the early hours."
Lasciare a bocca aperta
"To leave someone with an open mouth"
To leave someone speechless / to blow someone away
"Il suo discorso ci ha lasciati a bocca aperta."
"His speech left us speechless."
Perdere la testa
"To lose one's head"
To lose one's head / to go crazy with emotion
"Ha perso la testa per quella ragazza."
"He's lost his head over that girl."
Prendere tempo
"To take time"
To stall / to play for time
"Non ha risposto subito — stava prendendo tempo."
"He didn't answer right away — he was playing for time."
Essere fuori dai piedi
"To be out from under the feet"
To be out of the way
"I bambini sono fuori dai piedi — andiamo al cinema."
"The kids are out of the way — let's go to the cinema."
Fare spallucce
"To do little shoulders"
To shrug one's shoulders / to not care
"Gli ho detto che era in ritardo e lui ha fatto spallucce."
"I told him he was late and he just shrugged."
Essere a corto di qualcosa
"To be short of something"
To be short of something / to run low on
"Siamo a corto di tempo — dobbiamo sbrigarci."
"We're short on time — we need to hurry."
Avere qualcosa sulla punta della lingua
"To have something on the tip of one's tongue"
To have something on the tip of one's tongue
"Ho il suo nome sulla punta della lingua ma non riesco a ricordarlo."
"I have his name on the tip of my tongue but I can't remember it."
Mettere una buona parola
"To put in a good word"
To put in a good word
"Puoi mettere una buona parola per me con il direttore?"
"Can you put in a good word for me with the director?"
Mettere il naso negli affari altrui
"To put one's nose in other people's business"
To stick one's nose in other people's business
"Smettila di mettere il naso negli affari miei!"
"Stop sticking your nose in my business!"
Sentirsi a proprio agio
"To feel at one's own ease"
To feel at ease / to feel comfortable
"Mi sento a mio agio con loro — sono persone genuine."
"I feel at ease with them — they're genuine people."
Essere fuori luogo
"To be out of place"
To be out of place / inappropriate
"Quella battuta era completamente fuori luogo in un momento così serio."
"That joke was completely out of place at such a serious moment."
Tenere duro
"To hold hard"
To hold firm / to hang in there
"So che è difficile, ma tieni duro ancora un po'."
"I know it's hard, but hang in there a little longer."
Essere alle prime armi
"To be at the first weapons"
To be a beginner / to be new to something
"Sono ancora alle prime armi con la cucina italiana."
"I'm still a beginner with Italian cooking."
Fare a meno di qualcosa
"To do without something"
To do without / to manage without
"In questo periodo devo fare a meno del caffè."
"These days I have to do without coffee."
Parlare chiaro
"To speak clearly"
To speak plainly / to be straight with someone
"Parliamo chiaro — questa situazione non può continuare."
"Let's be straight — this situation cannot continue."
Andare liscio come l'olio
"To go smooth as oil"
To go smoothly / without a hitch
"La presentazione è andata liscia come l'olio."
"The presentation went without a hitch."
Prendere in giro qualcuno
"To take someone for a spin"
To make fun of someone / to pull someone's leg
"Mi stai prendendo in giro? Non ci credo!"
"Are you pulling my leg? I don't believe it!"
Non essere il proprio forte
"To not be one's own strong point"
To not be one's strong suit
"La matematica non è il mio forte."
"Maths is not my strong suit."
Partire con il piede giusto
"To start with the right foot"
To get off on the right foot
"Voglio partire con il piede giusto in questo nuovo lavoro."
"I want to get off on the right foot in this new job."
Dormirci su
"To sleep on it"
To sleep on it / to think it over
"Non so se accettare — ci dormo su e ti faccio sapere."
"I don't know if I should accept — I'll sleep on it and let you know."
Non muovere un dito
"Not to move a finger"
Not to lift a finger
"Non ha mosso un dito per aiutarci durante il trasloco."
"He didn't lift a finger to help us during the move."
Fare le cose in grande
"To do things big"
To do things in style / to go all out
"Per il cinquantesimo anniversario hanno fatto le cose in grande."
"For the fiftieth anniversary they went all out."
Ricominciare da capo
"To start again from the top"
To start from scratch
"Il file si è corrotto — dobbiamo ricominciare da capo."
"The file got corrupted — we have to start from scratch."
Essere di poche parole
"To be of few words"
To be a man/woman of few words
"Mio padre è di poche parole, ma quando parla ha sempre ragione."
"My father is a man of few words, but when he speaks he's always right."
Andare fuori di testa
"To go outside of one's head"
To go crazy / to lose one's mind
"Con tutto questo rumore sto andando fuori di testa!"
"With all this noise I'm going crazy!"
Essere un pesce fuor d'acqua
"To be a fish out of water"
To be a fish out of water
"In quella festa elegante mi sentivo un pesce fuor d'acqua."
"At that elegant party I felt like a fish out of water."
Fare le valigie
"To pack the suitcases"
To pack one's bags / to leave
"Se continua così, faccio le valigie e me ne vado."
"If this continues, I'll pack my bags and leave."
Essere al corrente di qualcosa
"To be in the current of something"
To be up to date / to be in the know
"Sei al corrente delle ultime novità?"
"Are you up to date with the latest news?"
Fare il giro del mondo
"To go around the world"
To go around the world / to spread far and wide
"Quella foto ha fatto il giro del mondo in poche ore."
"That photo spread around the world in a few hours."
Essere in grado di fare qualcosa
"To be in the degree of doing something"
To be able to do something / to be capable
"Sei in grado di finire tutto entro venerdì?"
"Are you able to finish everything by Friday?"
Avere la memoria corta
"To have a short memory"
To have a short memory / to conveniently forget
"Ha la memoria corta — ha già dimenticato quello che ha promesso."
"He has a short memory — he's already forgotten what he promised."
Avere le mani d'oro
"To have golden hands"
To be very skilled with one's hands / to be a craftsman
"Mio nonno aveva le mani d'oro — riparava qualsiasi cosa."
"My grandfather had golden hands — he could fix anything."
Avere la testa dura
"To have a hard head"
To be stubborn / to be a slow learner
"Quel bambino ha la testa dura — non vuole studiare."
"That child is stubborn — he doesn't want to study."
Perdere il filo
"To lose the thread"
To lose track / to lose one's thread
"Ho perso il filo — di cosa stavamo parlando?"
"I've lost track — what were we talking about?"
B1 — Intermedio
Girare al largo
"To sail wide"
To steer clear of someone or something
"Da quando litigammo, lui mi gira al largo."
"Since we argued, he steers clear of me."
Fare orecchie da mercante
"To make merchant's ears"
To turn a deaf ear / to pretend not to hear
"Gli ho detto mille volte di pulire la sua stanza, ma fa orecchie da mercante."
"I've told him a thousand times to clean his room, but he turns a deaf ear."
Avere le mani in pasta
"To have one's hands in the dough"
To be involved in something / to have a hand in something
"Lui ha le mani in pasta in molti affari della città."
"He has a hand in many of the city's businesses."
Essere fuori come un balcone
"To be out like a balcony"
To be completely out of it / crazy / eccentric
"Quel tizio è fuori come un balcone — parla da solo per strada."
"That guy is completely out of it — he talks to himself in the street."
Non avere peli sulla lingua
"To have no hairs on one's tongue"
To speak one's mind / to not mince words
"Mia zia non ha peli sulla lingua — ti dice sempre quello che pensa."
"My aunt doesn't mince words — she always tells you what she thinks."
Fare il passo più lungo della gamba
"To take a step longer than one's leg"
To overreach / to bite off more than you can chew
"Ha aperto tre negozi in un anno — ha fatto il passo più lungo della gamba."
"He opened three shops in a year — he bit off more than he could chew."
Fare di tutta l'erba un fascio
"To make a bundle of all the grass"
To tar everyone with the same brush / to lump everyone together
"Non fare di tutta l'erba un fascio — non tutti i politici sono corrotti."
"Don't tar everyone with the same brush — not all politicians are corrupt."
Avere le mani bucate
"To have holes in one's hands"
To spend money like water / to be a spendthrift
"Non riesce mai a risparmiare niente — ha le mani bucate."
"He can never save anything — money runs through his fingers."
Essere come il cacio sui maccheroni
"To be like cheese on macaroni"
To be perfectly suited / to come at just the right moment
"Il tuo aiuto è arrivato come il cacio sui maccheroni — stavo proprio per mollare."
"Your help came at just the right moment — I was about to give up."
Mettere i puntini sulle i
"To put the dots on the i's"
To dot the i's and cross the t's / to clarify every detail
"Prima di firmare il contratto, voglio mettere i puntini sulle i."
"Before signing the contract, I want to dot all the i's."
Avere un diavolo per capello
"To have a devil for each hair"
To be furious / to be in a terrible mood
"Non disturbarla ora — ha un diavolo per capello."
"Don't disturb her now — she's in a terrible mood."
Essere a cavallo
"To be on horseback"
To be in a good position / to have it made
"Con quel contratto sei a cavallo — non devi preoccuparti per un po'."
"With that contract you've got it made — you don't need to worry for a while."
Tagliare la testa al toro
"To cut off the bull's head"
To settle the matter once and for all / to cut to the chase
"Basta discutere — tagliamo la testa al toro e decidiamo adesso."
"Enough arguing — let's settle the matter once and for all and decide now."
Avere il dente avvelenato
"To have a poisoned tooth"
To hold a grudge / to bear ill will
"Non ti ha ancora perdonato — ce l'ha ancora il dente avvelenato con te."
"She still hasn't forgiven you — she still holds a grudge against you."
Mettere il carro davanti ai buoi
"To put the cart before the oxen"
To put the cart before the horse
"Stai già parlando del matrimonio dopo un solo appuntamento? Stai mettendo il carro davanti ai buoi."
"You're already talking about marriage after one date? You're putting the cart before the horse."
Avere il braccino corto
"To have a short arm"
To be tight-fisted / stingy
"Non si offre mai di pagare — ha il braccino corto."
"He never offers to pay — he's tight-fisted."
Avere la coda di paglia
"To have a tail of straw"
To have a guilty conscience / to be overly defensive
"Si arrabbia ogni volta che parliamo di soldi — ha la coda di paglia."
"She gets angry every time we talk about money — she has a guilty conscience."
Prendere la palla al balzo
"To catch the ball on the bounce"
To seize the opportunity / to jump at the chance
"Quando ho visto l'offerta di lavoro, ho preso la palla al balzo."
"When I saw the job offer, I jumped at the chance."
Essere a posto
"To be in place"
To be sorted / to be fine / to be all set
"Ho prenotato il ristorante e il taxi — siamo a posto."
"I've booked the restaurant and the taxi — we're all sorted."
Non fare né caldo né freddo
"To make neither hot nor cold"
To make no difference / to leave someone indifferent
"La sua opinione non mi fa né caldo né freddo."
"His opinion makes no difference to me."
Avere le spalle al muro
"To have one's back to the wall"
To have one's back against the wall / to be cornered
"Devo accettare quella proposta — ho le spalle al muro."
"I have to accept that proposal — my back is against the wall."
Avere scheletri nell'armadio
"To have skeletons in the wardrobe"
To have skeletons in the closet
"Ogni famiglia ha qualche scheletro nell'armadio."
"Every family has some skeletons in the closet."
Non tutte le ciambelle riescono col buco
"Not all doughnuts come out with a hole"
Things don't always go as planned / you can't win them all
"La cena non è venuta bene, ma non tutte le ciambelle riescono col buco."
"The dinner didn't come out well, but you can't win them all."
Stare sulle spine
"To stand on thorns"
To be on pins and needles / to be on tenterhooks
"Aspetto i risultati degli esami — sono sulle spine."
"I'm waiting for the exam results — I'm on pins and needles."
Non vedere l'ora
"Not to see the hour"
To can't wait / to look forward to something eagerly
"Non vedo l'ora di andare in vacanza!"
"I can't wait to go on holiday!"
Avere un bel coraggio
"To have a fine courage"
To have a nerve / to have some cheek
"Hai un bel coraggio a chiedermi un favore dopo quello che hai fatto!"
"You've got a nerve asking me for a favour after what you did!"
Tenere il piede in due scarpe
"To keep a foot in two shoes"
To keep a foot in both camps / to sit on the fence
"Non puoi tenere il piede in due scarpe — devi scegliere."
"You can't keep a foot in both camps — you have to choose."
Avere il cuore in gola
"To have one's heart in one's throat"
To have one's heart in one's mouth / to be terrified
"Aspettando i risultati, avevo il cuore in gola."
"While waiting for the results, my heart was in my mouth."
Perdere la bussola
"To lose the compass"
To lose one's bearings / to not know what to do
"Dopo il licenziamento ho perso la bussola per un po'."
"After getting fired, I lost my bearings for a while."
Non avere occhi che per qualcuno
"To have no eyes except for someone"
To have eyes only for someone
"Da quando si sono messi insieme, non ha occhi che per lei."
"Since they got together, he has eyes only for her."
Fare il diavolo a quattro
"To make the devil at four"
To kick up a fuss / to cause a big commotion
"Quando ha scoperto l'errore in bolletta, ha fatto il diavolo a quattro."
"When he discovered the billing error, he kicked up a huge fuss."
Essere alla frutta
"To be at the fruit"
To be at the end of one's rope / at the final stage
"Dopo tre ore di riunione, siamo alla frutta."
"After three hours of meetings, we've reached the end."
Avere l'acqua alla gola
"To have water at one's throat"
To be up to one's neck in it / to be in desperate straits
"Con tutti questi debiti ho l'acqua alla gola."
"With all these debts I'm up to my neck in it."
Gettare la spugna
"To throw the sponge"
To throw in the towel / to give up
"Dopo mesi di trattative, hanno gettato la spugna."
"After months of negotiations, they threw in the towel."
Non stare né in cielo né in terra
"To stand neither in sky nor on earth"
To make no sense / to be absurd
"La sua spiegazione non sta né in cielo né in terra."
"His explanation makes absolutely no sense."
Tenere la lingua a posto
"To keep one's tongue in place"
To hold one's tongue / to keep quiet
"Tieni la lingua a posto se non sai di cosa parli."
"Hold your tongue if you don't know what you're talking about."
Essere in quattro e quattr'otto
"To be in four and four-eight"
In no time at all / in a flash
"Aspetta, finisco in quattro e quattr'otto."
"Wait, I'll be done in no time."
Non sapere che pesci pigliare
"Not to know what fish to catch"
To not know which way to turn / to be at a loss
"Con tante offerte diverse, non so che pesci pigliare."
"With so many different offers, I don't know which way to turn."
Fare il possibile
"To do the possible"
To do one's best / to do everything possible
"Farò il possibile per aiutarti."
"I'll do my best to help you."
Avere un chiodo fisso in testa
"To have a fixed nail in one's head"
To have something on the brain / to be obsessed with something
"Ha il chiodo fisso della palestra — non parla d'altro."
"He's obsessed with the gym — he talks about nothing else."
Fare quattro chiacchiere
"To make four chit-chats"
To have a little chat
"Ci siamo fermati al bar a fare quattro chiacchiere."
"We stopped at the bar to have a little chat."
Fare il gatto e il topo
"To play cat and mouse"
To play cat and mouse
"La polizia e il criminale si facevano il gatto e il topo da mesi."
"The police and the criminal had been playing cat and mouse for months."
Chi è in ballo deve ballare
"He who is in the dance must dance"
In for a penny, in for a pound
"Non possiamo tirarci indietro ora — chi è in ballo deve ballare."
"We can't back out now — in for a penny, in for a pound."
Vuotare il sacco
"To empty the sack"
To spill the beans / to come clean / to confess
"Alla fine ha vuotato il sacco e ha raccontato tutto al commissario."
"In the end he spilled the beans and told the inspector everything."
Avere la mosca al naso
"To have the fly on one's nose"
To be irritable / to take offence easily
"Oggi ha la mosca al naso — stai attento a quello che dici."
"She's easily irritated today — be careful what you say."
Avere una marcia in più
"To have an extra gear"
To have an extra edge / to be a cut above the rest
"Quel candidato ha una marcia in più rispetto agli altri."
"That candidate has an extra edge compared to the others."
Dare i numeri
"To give out numbers"
To be off one's rocker / to talk nonsense
"Stai dando i numeri — non puoi aver speso duecento euro per una cena."
"You're off your rocker — you can't have spent two hundred euros on dinner."
Stringere i denti
"To clench one's teeth"
To grit one's teeth / to push through
"Mancano solo tre chilometri — stringi i denti!"
"Only three kilometres left — grit your teeth!"
Avere la testa sul collo
"To have one's head on one's neck"
To have one's head screwed on / to be sensible
"Stai tranquilla — tua figlia ha la testa sul collo."
"Don't worry — your daughter has her head screwed on."
Essere sulla bocca di tutti
"To be on everyone's mouth"
To be on everyone's lips / to be the talk of the town
"Quel gossip era sulla bocca di tutti in ufficio."
"That gossip was on everyone's lips in the office."
Mettere i piedi in testa
"To put one's feet on someone's head"
To walk all over someone / to take advantage of someone
"Se sei troppo gentile, le persone ti mettono i piedi in testa."
"If you're too kind, people will walk all over you."
Andare a rotoli
"To go in rolls"
To go down the drain / to fall apart
"Il piano è andato a rotoli dopo che lui si è ritirato."
"The plan went down the drain after he pulled out."
Cadere dal pero
"To fall from the pear tree"
To be completely taken aback / to be naive and surprised
"Non cadere dal pero — sapevi già come sarebbe finita."
"Don't act surprised — you already knew how it would end."
Essere senza parole
"To be without words"
To be speechless
"Quando ha vinto il premio, era senza parole."
"When she won the award, she was speechless."
Cercare il pelo nell'uovo
"To look for the hair in the egg"
To nitpick / to split hairs
"Smettila di cercare il pelo nell'uovo — il lavoro è ottimo."
"Stop nitpicking — the work is excellent."
Avere il pallino di qualcosa
"To have the dot for something"
To be obsessed with something / to have a thing for something
"Ha il pallino della puntualità — arriva sempre dieci minuti prima."
"He has a thing about punctuality — he always arrives ten minutes early."
Fare il bello e il cattivo tempo
"To make the good and bad weather"
To call the shots / to rule the roost
"In quella famiglia fa il bello e il cattivo tempo la nonna."
"In that family, the grandmother calls the shots."
Essere di manica larga
"To be of wide sleeve"
To be lenient / to be generous
"Quel professore è di manica larga con i voti."
"That teacher is lenient with grades."
Essere di manica stretta
"To be of narrow sleeve"
To be strict / to be stingy / to be tight
"Quel professore è di manica stretta — non passa nessuno."
"That teacher is very strict — nobody passes."
Dare del filo da torcere
"To give thread to twist"
To give someone a hard time / to put up a fight
"Quella squadra ci ha dato del filo da torcere."
"That team gave us a hard time."
Essere in bilico
"To be on the edge"
To be in a precarious position / hanging in the balance
"Il futuro dell'azienda è ancora in bilico."
"The future of the company is still hanging in the balance."
Essere una mosca bianca
"To be a white fly"
To be a rare exception / to be one of a kind
"Un politico onesto è una mosca bianca."
"An honest politician is a rare exception."
Prendere una cantonata
"To take a corner stone"
To make a blunder / to be completely wrong
"Ho preso una cantonata — pensavo che la riunione fosse domani."
"I made a blunder — I thought the meeting was tomorrow."
Non vedere di buon occhio
"Not to see with a good eye"
To look unfavourably on / to disapprove of
"I miei genitori non vedono di buon occhio la mia scelta."
"My parents look unfavourably on my choice."
Andare in porto
"To go to port"
To succeed / to come through / to be completed successfully
"Dopo mesi di trattative, l'accordo è andato finalmente in porto."
"After months of negotiations, the deal finally came through."
Avere le carte in regola
"To have one's papers in order"
To have everything in order / to qualify
"Ha le carte in regola per quel lavoro — esperienza e titolo di studio."
"He's fully qualified for that job — experience and degree."
Fare il passo falso
"To make the false step"
To make a misstep / to slip up
"Un solo passo falso potrebbe costarti il lavoro."
"A single misstep could cost you your job."
Fare il punto della situazione
"To make the point of the situation"
To take stock / to assess the situation
"Facciamo il punto della situazione prima di continuare."
"Let's take stock before we continue."
Perdere le staffe
"To lose the stirrups"
To fly off the handle / to lose one's temper
"Quando ho sentito quella bugia, ho perso le staffe."
"When I heard that lie, I flew off the handle."
Fare il proprio comodo
"To do one's own convenience"
To do as one pleases / to please oneself
"Arriva sempre tardi — fa sempre il suo comodo."
"He always arrives late — he always does as he pleases."
Darsi delle arie
"To give oneself airs"
To give oneself airs / to act high and mighty
"Da quando ha preso quel nuovo lavoro, si dà delle arie."
"Since getting that new job, she gives herself airs."
Essere alle strette
"To be in the narrows"
To be in a tight spot / to be under pressure
"Con questa scadenza domani, siamo alle strette."
"With this deadline tomorrow, we're in a tight spot."
Tirare a campare
"To pull to survive"
To get by / to muddle through
"Non ha un piano, sta solo tirando a campare."
"He doesn't have a plan, he's just muddling through."
Dire pane al pane e vino al vino
"To call bread bread and wine wine"
To call a spade a spade
"Dico pane al pane e vino al vino: la situazione è grave."
"I'll call a spade a spade: the situation is serious."
Non stare nella pelle
"Not to fit in one's skin"
To be beside oneself with excitement
"Non stava nella pelle dalla gioia quando ha saputo del viaggio."
"She was beside herself with excitement when she heard about the trip."
Essere dell'acqua passata
"To be water that has passed"
To be water under the bridge
"Quella lite è acqua passata — non ci penso più."
"That argument is water under the bridge — I don't think about it anymore."
Fare la voce grossa
"To make the thick voice"
To put on a stern voice / to try to sound authoritative
"Il capo fa la voce grossa, ma in realtà non fa niente."
"The boss puts on a stern voice, but actually does nothing."
Andare a nozze con qualcosa
"To go to a wedding with something"
To love something / to be in one's element with something
"Va a nozze con il cioccolato — non riesce a smettere."
"She absolutely loves chocolate — she can't stop eating it."
Passare il segno
"To pass the mark"
To cross the line / to go too far
"Quella battuta ha passato il segno — non era divertente."
"That joke crossed the line — it wasn't funny."
Avere il fiato corto
"To have short breath"
To run out of steam / to lack endurance
"Il progetto ha il fiato corto — servono nuove idee."
"The project is running out of steam — we need new ideas."
Cadere in piedi
"To fall on one's feet"
To land on one's feet
"Anche stavolta è caduta in piedi — ha trovato lavoro in una settimana."
"She landed on her feet again — she found work within a week."
Essere un pozzo senza fondo
"To be a well without a bottom"
To be a bottomless pit
"Quel progetto è un pozzo senza fondo — non smette mai di costare."
"That project is a bottomless pit — it never stops costing."
Fare il salto di qualità
"To make the quality jump"
To take a step up / to make a qualitative leap
"Con questo investimento, l'azienda ha fatto il salto di qualità."
"With this investment, the company took a significant step up."
Mettere i bastoni tra le ruote
"To put sticks in the wheels"
To put a spanner in the works / to create obstacles
"Ogni volta che propongo qualcosa, lui mette i bastoni tra le ruote."
"Every time I propose something, he puts a spanner in the works."
Fare quadrare i conti
"To make the accounts square"
To make ends meet / to balance the books
"Con questi prezzi è difficile far quadrare i conti."
"With these prices it's hard to make ends meet."
Avere il bernoccolo per qualcosa
"To have the bump for something"
To have a knack for something
"Mia sorella ha il bernoccolo per le lingue."
"My sister has a knack for languages."
Lasciare in sospeso
"To leave in suspension"
To leave hanging / to leave unresolved
"Quella questione è rimasta in sospeso per mesi."
"That issue was left unresolved for months."
Mettere nero su bianco
"To put black on white"
To put it in writing / to set it down on paper
"Voglio che metti tutto nero su bianco prima di procedere."
"I want you to put everything in writing before we proceed."
Essere un osso duro
"To be a hard bone"
To be a tough nut to crack / a hard person to deal with
"Quella cliente è un osso duro da convincere."
"That client is a tough nut to crack."
Scoprire l'acqua calda
"To discover hot water"
To reinvent the wheel / to discover something everyone already knows
"Non hai scoperto l'acqua calda — questo lo sappiamo tutti."
"You haven't reinvented the wheel — everyone already knows this."
Fare una cosa a regola d'arte
"To do something by the rule of art"
To do something by the book / to do it perfectly
"Quel falegname lavora a regola d'arte — ogni dettaglio è perfetto."
"That carpenter works to perfection — every detail is perfect."
Essere a un punto di svolta
"To be at a turning point"
To be at a turning point
"Siamo a un punto di svolta nella nostra storia."
"We are at a turning point in our history."
Dare una mano
"To give a hand"
To lend a hand / to help out
"Puoi darmi una mano a spostare questo mobile?"
"Can you lend me a hand to move this piece of furniture?"
Avere qualcosa in comune
"To have something in common"
To have something in common
"Abbiamo molto in comune — ci piacciono gli stessi film e la stessa musica."
"We have a lot in common — we like the same films and the same music."
Essere di buon umore
"To be in good humour"
To be in a good mood
"È di buon umore oggi — ha dormito bene."
"She's in a good mood today — she slept well."
Essere di cattivo umore
"To be in bad humour"
To be in a bad mood
"Non provocarlo — è di cattivo umore."
"Don't provoke him — he's in a bad mood."
Fare come i gamberi
"To do like the prawns"
To go backwards / to regress
"Invece di migliorare, stiamo facendo come i gamberi."
"Instead of improving, we're going backwards."
Portare il grano al mulino
"To bring grain to the mill"
To bring in the goods / to deliver results
"È bravissimo a parlare ma chi porta il grano al mulino siamo noi."
"He's great at talking but we're the ones who deliver the goods."
Rimettere i piedi per terra
"To put one's feet back on the ground"
To come back down to earth
"Dopo tutte quelle aspettative, è ora di rimettere i piedi per terra."
"After all those expectations, it's time to come back down to earth."
Contare le pecore
"To count the sheep"
To count sheep (when trying to fall asleep)
"Non riesco a dormire — ho provato a contare le pecore ma non funziona."
"I can't sleep — I tried counting sheep but it doesn't work."
Avere il fiuto per qualcosa
"To have the nose for something"
To have a nose for something / to have a keen instinct
"Ha il fiuto per gli affari — trova sempre l'occasione giusta."
"He has a nose for business — he always finds the right opportunity."
Mettere a punto qualcosa
"To put something at the point"
To fine-tune / to finalise / to work out the details
"Dobbiamo ancora mettere a punto i dettagli del contratto."
"We still need to fine-tune the details of the contract."
Stare al gioco
"To stay in the game"
To go along with it / to play along
"Non capivo il piano, ma ho deciso di stare al gioco."
"I didn't understand the plan, but I decided to play along."
Venire al sodo
"To come to the solid"
To get down to brass tacks / to get to the point
"Basta preamboli — veniamo al sodo."
"Enough preambles — let's get to the point."
Andare per la maggiore
"To go for the greater"
To be very popular / to be all the rage
"Quest'anno i pantaloni a vita alta vanno per la maggiore."
"This year high-waisted trousers are all the rage."
Essere in prima linea
"To be on the front line"
To be on the front line / to be in the thick of it
"I medici sono in prima linea in questa emergenza."
"Doctors are on the front line in this emergency."
Essere un punto di riferimento
"To be a reference point"
To be a point of reference / a benchmark / a role model
"Per tanti giovani italiani, lui è un punto di riferimento."
"For many young Italians, he is a role model."
Stare sul pezzo
"To stay on the piece"
To stay on top of things / to stay focused
"In questo lavoro devi stare sempre sul pezzo."
"In this job you always have to stay on top of things."
Avere la risposta pronta
"To have the answer ready"
To have a quick comeback / to always have an answer
"Ha sempre la risposta pronta — non lo metti mai in difficoltà."
"He always has a quick comeback — you can never catch him off guard."
Tagliare corto
"To cut short"
To cut it short / to wrap things up quickly
"La riunione stava andando per le lunghe, così ho tagliato corto."
"The meeting was dragging on, so I cut it short."
Mettere la testa a posto
"To put one's head in place"
To sort oneself out / to get one's act together
"È ora che metti la testa a posto e pensi al futuro."
"It's time you sorted yourself out and thought about the future."
Fare il salto nel buio
"To make a jump in the dark"
To take a leap of faith / to take a blind leap
"Lasciare il lavoro sicuro è stato un salto nel buio."
"Leaving the secure job was a leap into the unknown."
Stare sulle proprie
"To stay on one's own things"
To keep to oneself / to be reserved
"È gentile ma sta sempre sulle sue — non si apre facilmente."
"She's kind but always keeps to herself — she doesn't open up easily."
Avere la battuta pronta
"To have the quip ready"
To always have a witty remark / to be quick with a joke
"Ha sempre la battuta pronta — fa ridere tutti."
"He always has a witty remark ready — he makes everyone laugh."
B2 — Intermedio alto
Dormire sugli allori
"To sleep on one's laurels"
To rest on one's laurels
"Non puoi dormire sugli allori dopo un solo successo — devi continuare a lavorare."
"You can't rest on your laurels after a single success — you have to keep working."
Tirare l'acqua al proprio mulino
"To pull the water to one's own mill"
To turn things to one's own advantage / to feather one's own nest
"Ogni proposta che fa serve solo a tirare l'acqua al suo mulino."
"Every proposal he makes only serves to feather his own nest."
Campa cavallo che l'erba cresce
"Live on, horse, while the grass grows"
Don't hold your breath / it'll be a long wait
"Aspetti che ti rimborsino? Campa cavallo che l'erba cresce."
"You're waiting for them to reimburse you? Don't hold your breath."
Essere un'arma a doppio taglio
"To be a double-edged weapon"
To be a double-edged sword
"La popolarità sui social è un'arma a doppio taglio."
"Popularity on social media is a double-edged sword."
Fare buon viso a cattivo gioco
"To make a good face at a bad game"
To put on a brave face / to make the best of a bad situation
"Non era il lavoro che volevo, ma ho fatto buon viso a cattivo gioco."
"It wasn't the job I wanted, but I put on a brave face."
Avere il sangue agli occhi
"To have blood in one's eyes"
To be blind with rage / to see red
"Quando ha saputo la verità, aveva il sangue agli occhi."
"When he learned the truth, he was blind with rage."
Avere il vento in poppa
"To have the wind at the stern"
To have the wind in one's sails / to be going smoothly
"Il progetto ha il vento in poppa — tutto sta andando bene."
"The project has the wind in its sails — everything is going well."
Navigare a vista
"To sail by sight"
To play it by ear / to take it one step at a time
"Non ho ancora un piano preciso — sto navigando a vista."
"I don't have a precise plan yet — I'm playing it by ear."
Buttare via il bambino con l'acqua sporca
"To throw away the baby with the dirty water"
To throw the baby out with the bathwater
"Cambiando tutta la squadra hai buttato via il bambino con l'acqua sporca."
"By changing the whole team you threw the baby out with the bathwater."
Essere nel mirino
"To be in the crosshairs"
To be targeted / to be in someone's sights
"Dopo lo scandalo, il ministro è nel mirino della stampa."
"After the scandal, the minister is in the media's crosshairs."
Fare il bucato in pubblico
"To do the laundry in public"
To air one's dirty laundry in public
"Non fare il bucato in pubblico — queste cose si risolvono in famiglia."
"Don't air your dirty laundry in public — these things are sorted within the family."
Trovare il bandolo della matassa
"To find the end of the skein"
To find the key to the problem / to unravel the mystery
"Dopo ore di discussione, abbiamo trovato il bandolo della matassa."
"After hours of discussion, we found the key to the problem."
Passare la mano
"To pass the hand"
To step down / to hand over
"Dopo vent'anni ha deciso di passare la mano al figlio."
"After twenty years he decided to hand over to his son."
Non vedere più in là del proprio naso
"Not to see further than one's own nose"
Not to see further than the end of one's nose / to be short-sighted
"Non vede più in là del proprio naso — pensa solo al profitto immediato."
"He can't see further than the end of his nose — he only thinks about immediate profit."
Avere gli occhi foderati di prosciutto
"To have one's eyes lined with ham"
To be blind to the obvious
"Non vedi che ti mente? Hai gli occhi foderati di prosciutto!"
"Can't you see she's lying to you? You're blind to the obvious!"
Avere il pelo sullo stomaco
"To have fur on one's stomach"
To have a thick skin / to be unscrupulous
"Per fare quel mestiere devi avere il pelo sullo stomaco."
"To do that job you need to have a thick skin."
Essere sulla retta via
"To be on the straight path"
To be on the straight and narrow
"Dopo qualche anno difficile, è tornato sulla retta via."
"After a few difficult years, he got back on the straight and narrow."
Fare il gioco delle tre carte
"To play the three-card trick"
To deceive / to use sleight of hand
"Quel venditore fa il gioco delle tre carte — i prezzi non sono quelli pubblicizzati."
"That salesman is pulling a con — the prices aren't what was advertised."
Essere un peso morto
"To be a dead weight"
To be a dead weight / to be a burden
"Quel dipendente è un peso morto per il team."
"That employee is a dead weight for the team."
Avere il coraggio delle proprie opinioni
"To have the courage of one's opinions"
To have the courage of one's convictions
"Se pensi di avere ragione, dillo — abbi il coraggio delle tue opinioni."
"If you think you're right, say it — have the courage of your convictions."
Non avere peli sullo stomaco
"To have no hairs on one's stomach"
To have no scruples / to be unscrupulous
"Quella persona non ha peli sullo stomaco — è capace di tutto."
"That person has no scruples — they're capable of anything."
Prendere le distanze da qualcosa
"To take distances from something"
To distance oneself from something
"Il partito ha preso le distanze dalle dichiarazioni del suo membro."
"The party distanced itself from its member's statements."
Essere sul chi vive
"To be on the 'who goes there'"
To be on one's guard / to be on the alert
"Dopo quello che è successo, sono sempre sul chi vive."
"After what happened, I'm always on my guard."
Essere alle calcagna di qualcuno
"To be at someone's heels"
To be on someone's heels / to follow closely
"La concorrenza ci è alle calcagna — dobbiamo accelerare."
"The competition is on our heels — we need to speed up."
Fare i conti senza l'oste
"To make the bill without the innkeeper"
To count one's chickens before they hatch / to plan without considering obstacles
"Ha già festeggiato la promozione, ma ha fatto i conti senza l'oste."
"He already celebrated the promotion, but he counted his chickens before they hatched."
Fare il pelo e il contropelo
"To do the hair and the against-hair"
To scrutinise thoroughly / to go over with a fine-tooth comb
"L'ispettore ha fatto il pelo e il contropelo alla nostra documentazione."
"The inspector went over our documentation with a fine-tooth comb."
Mettere la pulce nell'orecchio
"To put a flea in the ear"
To plant a seed of doubt / to give someone food for thought
"Le sue parole mi hanno messo la pulce nell'orecchio."
"His words planted a seed of doubt in my mind."
Fare di necessità virtù
"To make a virtue of necessity"
To make a virtue of necessity / to make the best of what you have
"Non aveva ingredienti freschi, ma ha fatto di necessità virtù e ha cucinato benissimo."
"She didn't have fresh ingredients, but she made a virtue of necessity and cooked beautifully."