The neighbour's grass is always greener — we always imagine that others have it better than we do. Contentment with what one has is rare; envy of what others have is universal.
This proverb is common across Italy and Europe, but the Milanese version has its own particular flavour. In a city of visible wealth and conspicuous consumption — where fashion weeks display the unattainable, where the apartment next door might belong to a Milanese family of three generations or to a tech entrepreneur who arrived last year — the temptation to compare is constant. The proverb warns against this comparison not because it is morally wrong but because it is practically useless: you will never know what it costs to maintain the neighbour's green lawn. In the competitive world of Milanese business and fashion, the colleague who appears more successful may be working twice as hard, or be deeply in debt, or be profoundly unhappy. The Milanese use the proverb with a knowing smile: they are not immune to envy, but they know it is a bad investment.
Pan-Italian proverb with strong Milanese resonance given the city's visible wealth disparities and competitive culture.
A Milanese professional envying a colleague's promotion
— Andrea ha avuto la promozione e io no. — L'erba del visin l'è semper pü verda. Non sai quante ore fa in ufficio per mantenerla.
— Andrea consiguió el ascenso y yo no. — La hierba del vecino siempre es más verde. No sabes cuántas horas pasa en la oficina para mantenerlo.
A Lombard farmer watching his neighbour's harvest
I campi del Brambilla sembrano sempre meglio dei miei. L'erba del visin l'è semper pü verda — ma io non ho i suoi debiti.
Los campos de Brambilla siempre parecen mejores que los míos. La hierba del vecino siempre es más verde — pero yo no tengo sus deudas.
A Milanese mother to her daughter
— La vita di Chiara sembra perfetta su Instagram. — L'erba del visin l'è semper pü verda, cara. Non vedere il retro della foto.
— La vida de Chiara parece perfecta en Instagram. — La hierba del vecino siempre es más verde, cariño. No mires solo la parte delantera de la foto.
Two Milanese friends after a dinner party
— La casa di Marco è enorme. — L'erba del visin l'è semper pü verda. Non sai quanti mutui ha. Noi dormiamo tranquilli.
— La casa de Marco es enorme. — La hierba del vecino siempre es más verde. No sabes cuántas hipotecas tiene. Nosotros dormimos tranquilos.