TL;DR. Italian andare idioms: 18 expressions Italians use daily. Andare a gonfie vele (going great), andare in fumo (up in smoke), andare a genio (suit one’s taste), andare di lusso (get lucky). Pattern is andare + preposition + noun, not literal motion.
The verb italian andare goes far beyond the literal “to go”. Italians use it as a flexible engine for dozens of idioms that describe how things are working out, how someone feels, how a project is doing, even how you get along with another person. Va tutto a gonfie vele means everything is going great. Mi va a genio means I find it agreeable. Va in fumo means it goes up in smoke. None of these can be guessed from the dictionary entry of andare. This guide covers eighteen italian andare idioms English learners should recognise at B1 level, with real examples, the four traps that confuse English speakers, a dialogue between two old friends catching up, and a collapsible mini-challenge.
Cosa impareremo oggi
👆🏻 Jump to section
- The pattern: andare + preposition
- How things are going: evaluation idioms
- Anger, panic, losing it
- Fit, taste, preference: a genio, a fagiolo
- Failure and disappearance: in fumo, a rotoli
- Luck and money idioms
- Relationships: andare d’accordo
- Four traps for English speakers
- Cheat sheet
- Dialogue: catching up over an aperitivo
- Frequently asked questions
The pattern: italian andare idioms + preposition
Italian andare idioms follow a tight pattern: the verb andare plus a preposition (a, in, di, da) plus a noun or short phrase. The preposition is glued to the noun and the whole expression carries a meaning that has nothing to do with going anywhere. Andare a ruba doesn’t mean to go to a robbery; it means to sell out fast. Andare in bestia doesn’t mean to go to a beast; it means to lose your temper. Once you see the pattern, you start hearing these expressions everywhere.
A few mechanical notes before the catalogue. Andare is irregular: vado, vai, va, andiamo, andate, vanno. In compound tenses it takes essere: sono andato, è andata. With the impersonal mi va, ti va structure (very common in idioms like mi va a genio), the indirect-object pronoun is required and the verb agrees with what is going.
🔍 The pattern in action:
- Il progetto sta andando a gonfie vele, finalmente. The project is going great, finally.
- Quel libro è andato a ruba in due settimane. That book sold out fast in two weeks.
- Mio cognato mi va a genio, è una persona alla mano. I get on well with my brother-in-law, he is an easy-going person.
How things are going: evaluation idioms
The most common cluster of andare idioms describes how something is going: a project, a relationship, a business, a conversation. These are the expressions you reach for when someone asks “come va?” and the answer is more interesting than “bene”.
🔍 Observe:
- andare a gonfie vele to go great, full sail ahead: Il nuovo lavoro va a gonfie vele, sono molto soddisfatto.
- andare a rotoli to fall apart: Il matrimonio di Lucia e Andrea sta andando a rotoli, lui beve troppo.
- andare di male in peggio from bad to worse: Ieri ho perso il lavoro, oggi si è rotta la macchina: va di male in peggio.
- andare di pari passo go hand in hand: La disoccupazione va di pari passo con la crisi economica.
🎯 Mini-Challenge: evaluation idioms
- My new job is ___ great (gonfie vele).
- Their marriage is ___ apart (rotoli).
Show answers
- va a gonfie vele.
- sta andando a rotoli.
Anger, panic, losing it
Italians use andare with vivid imagery to describe extreme emotional states: animal metaphors for rage, mental images for panic, even an image of physical inversion (a gambe all’aria) for sudden collapse.
🔍 Observe:
- andare in bestia to lose it, fly into a rage: I politici in televisione mi fanno andare in bestia, devo cambiare canale.
- andare in palla to lose your head, blank out: Durante l’esame orale alcuni studenti vanno in palla e dimenticano tutto.
- andare a tentoni to fumble around (in the dark, literal or figurative): Senza istruzioni andiamo a tentoni, prova e sbaglia.
🎯 Mini-Challenge: emotion idioms
- Politicians make me ___ in a rage (bestia).
- During the exam I ___ blank (palla).
Show answers
- andare in bestia.
- vado in palla.
Fit, taste, preference: a genio, a fagiolo
This is the mi va family. Italian uses andare with an indirect-object pronoun (mi, ti, ci, gli, le) to express that something suits you, fits you, appeals to you. The construction is impersonal: the subject is what is going, not the person.
🔍 Observe:
- andare a genio to suit one’s taste, get along with: Gli amici di mio figlio non mi vanno a genio, sono troppo rumorosi.
- andare a fagiolo to fit perfectly, suit you to a tee: Il giovedì libero mi va a fagiolo, posso prendere il bambino a scuola.
- non mi va I don’t feel like, I’m not in the mood: Non mi va di uscire stasera, vorrei stare a casa.
🎯 Mini-Challenge: fit/taste idioms
- The new boss ___ to my taste (genio).
- Free Thursday ___ perfectly (fagiolo).
Show answers
- va a genio.
- mi va a fagiolo.
Failure and disappearance: in fumo, a rotoli
When something fails, vanishes or collapses, Italians have a small library of vivid andare expressions. The image is usually destruction (smoke, rolling away) or sudden inversion.
🔍 Observe:
- andare in fumo to go up in smoke: L’investimento dell’anno scorso è andato in fumo con la crisi.
- andare a monte to fall through, be cancelled: La gita di domenica è andata a monte per via del temporale.
- andare in giro to wander around: Il mio gatto va in giro tutta la notte e torna stanco la mattina.
🎯 Mini-Challenge: failure idioms
- My investment ___ up in smoke (fumo).
- The trip ___ through (monte).
Show answers
- è andato in fumo.
- è andata a monte.
Luck and money idioms
Italians use andare to comment on luck and money: a lucky escape, a streak of misfortune, a bank account that has slid into the red. These come up constantly in casual conversation.
🔍 Observe:
- andare di lusso to hit the jackpot, get lucky: Il poliziotto non mi ha fatto la multa, mi è andata di lusso.
- andare a ruba to sell out fast: L’ultimo libro di Baricco sta andando a ruba in tutte le librerie.
- andare in rosso to go into the red, overdraft: Senza accorgermene sono andato in rosso sul conto, devo stare attento.
- andare di sfiga to be unlucky (informal): Ho perso il treno per due minuti, mi è andata di sfiga.
🎯 Mini-Challenge: luck idioms
- The cop didn’t fine me, I ___ (di lusso).
- That book is ___ fast (ruba).
Show answers
- mi è andata di lusso.
- va a ruba.
Relationships: andare d’accordo
To describe how people get on, Italians use andare with prepositional phrases that capture the temperature of a relationship. The most common one is andare d’accordo (to get along), but the family includes warmer and cooler variants.
🔍 Observe:
- andare d’accordo to get along: Con i miei colleghi vado d’accordo, è un ufficio tranquillo.
- andare d’amore e d’accordo to get along great: I miei due figli, finalmente, vanno d’amore e d’accordo dopo anni di liti.
Four traps for English speakers
Trap 1: don’t translate “I’m going” with andare-idioms
English “I’m going to lose it” tempts vado a perderla, which is wrong. The Italian future-near (be about to) uses stare per + infinitive, not andare. Sto per perdere la pazienza = I’m about to lose my patience. Use andare idioms only when the literal Italian construction calls for it: vado in bestia = I lose my temper (right now), not “I’m going to lose my temper”.
Trap 2: “mi va” needs the indirect pronoun
The construction mi va, ti va, gli va always takes an indirect-object pronoun. Va a genio alone is incomplete; you need mi va a genio (I find it agreeable). Same with non mi va (I don’t feel like) versus non va (it doesn’t work, no good). Beginners drop the pronoun and the meaning shifts.
Trap 3: andare takes ESSERE, not avere
In compound tenses, andare takes essere: sono andato, è andata, siamo andati. The past participle agrees with the subject. So l’investimento è andato in fumo (masculine, agreed); la gita è andata a monte (feminine, agreed). English speakers often want to use avere by analogy with English “have gone”.
Trap 4: register matters with sfiga and palla
Some andare idioms are colloquial and informal. Andare di sfiga (to have rotten luck) and andare in palla (to lose your head) are very informal. Use them with friends and family, not in a job interview or a formal letter. The neutral equivalents are essere sfortunato (to be unlucky) and perdere la concentrazione (to lose focus).
Cheat sheet
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| andare a gonfie vele | to go great |
| andare a rotoli | to fall apart |
| andare a ruba | to sell out fast |
| andare a tentoni | to fumble around |
| andare a genio | to suit one’s taste |
| andare a fagiolo | to fit perfectly |
| andare a monte | to fall through |
| andare in fumo | to go up in smoke |
| andare in giro | to wander around |
| andare in palla | to lose your head |
| andare in rosso | to go into overdraft |
| andare in bestia | to fly into a rage |
| andare di lusso | to hit the jackpot |
| andare di male in peggio | from bad to worse |
| andare di pari passo | go hand in hand |
| andare d’amore e d’accordo | get along great |
| andare di sfiga | to be unlucky (informal) |
| andare d’accordo | to get along |
Dialogue: catching up over an aperitivo
Stefano and Clara haven’t seen each other in two years. They meet for an aperitivo in a small bar in Trieste. Listen for how many andare idioms slip naturally into a quick catch-up.
- 👨🏻 Stefano: Allora, com’è andata in questi due anni? Tutto bene? So, how have things gone these last two years? All good?
- 👩🏻 Clara: All’inizio andava tutto a gonfie vele, poi un periodo storto: il lavoro è andato a monte, mio fratello si è separato. Ora si è rimesso tutto a posto. At first everything was going great, then a rough patch: work fell through, my brother separated. Now things are back on track.
- 👨🏻 Stefano: Mi dispiace per tuo fratello. Andavano d’amore e d’accordo, no? I’m sorry about your brother. They got along great, didn’t they?
- 👩🏻 Clara: Sembrava di sì, ma alla fine il lavoro di lui è andato in fumo e la situazione è andata di male in peggio. Comunque, tu? It seemed so, but in the end his work went up in smoke and the situation went from bad to worse. Anyway, you?
- 👨🏻 Stefano: A me è andata di lusso: ho cambiato lavoro, mi va a genio il nuovo capo, sono contento. I got lucky: I changed jobs, I get on great with my new boss, I’m happy.
- 👩🏻 Clara: Bravissimo. E con la tua ragazza, andate ancora d’accordo? Good for you. And with your girlfriend, are you still getting along?
- 👨🏻 Stefano: A volte mi fa andare in bestia, ma poi facciamo la pace. Va di pari passo con la convivenza, immagino. Sometimes she makes me lose it, but then we make up. Goes hand in hand with living together, I guess.
- 👩🏻 Clara: Ah, l’ultima cosa: il libro che ti ho regalato l’anno scorso, l’hai letto? Va a ruba in libreria. Oh, last thing: the book I gave you last year, did you read it? It’s selling out at the bookshop.
💡 Notice: ten andare idioms in eight short turns: com’è andata, andava a gonfie vele, è andato a monte, andavano d’amore e d’accordo, è andato in fumo, è andata di male in peggio, mi è andata di lusso, mi va a genio, andate d’accordo, andare in bestia, va di pari passo, va a ruba. Almost every line carries one.
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Frequently asked questions
Why does andare take essere as auxiliary in compound tenses?
Andare belongs to the family of motion and state-change verbs that select essere in compound tenses, along with venire, partire, arrivare, tornare, restare, diventare. The past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject: sono andato (masculine singular), siamo andate (feminine plural). English speakers often use avere by analogy with English “have gone”, but that is wrong in Italian. The rule applies to every andare idiom: è andato in fumo, è andata a monte, sono andati a ruba.
What is the difference between “andare a genio” and “andare a fagiolo”?
Andare a genio means to suit one’s taste, get along with, find agreeable: il nuovo capo non mi va a genio means I don’t get on with the new boss. Andare a fagiolo means to fit perfectly, suit you to a tee, often about a schedule or arrangement: il giovedì libero mi va a fagiolo. Genio is more about people and personalities; fagiolo is more about timing and convenience. Both take the indirect-object pronoun (mi, ti, gli, le, ci).
How do I know when an andare idiom takes A, IN, DI, or DA?
There is no rule, you learn each idiom as a fixed unit. Some patterns are visible: a + abstract noun for evaluation (a gonfie vele, a rotoli, a ruba), in + concrete noun for sudden states (in fumo, in bestia, in palla, in rosso), di + abstract for luck or relations (di lusso, di sfiga, d’accordo, d’amore e d’accordo). But always check the dictionary for new idioms; the preposition is part of the expression and cannot be changed.
Is “andare di sfiga” rude or just informal?
Andare di sfiga is informal and slangy but not rude. Sfiga is a colloquial word for bad luck (the polite version is sfortuna). Italians use it freely with friends, family and casual colleagues, but it would be inappropriate in a formal letter, a job interview, or a business meeting. The neutral equivalents are essere sfortunato or non avere fortuna. The same register applies to andare in palla (informal for “losing your head”).
What does “andare a gonfie vele” literally mean?
Andare a gonfie vele literally means “to go with full sails”, evoking a ship moving fast with wind in its sails. It dates from the maritime age and is now used figuratively for any project, relationship or business that is going extremely well: il lavoro va a gonfie vele, finalmente. The English equivalent is “full steam ahead” or “going great guns”. It is informal but not slangy and you can use it in most settings.
Can I use andare in non-idiomatic ways too?
Of course. Andare is the standard verb for “to go” to a destination: vado a Roma, andiamo al cinema, andate a casa. The idioms covered in this guide are figurative extensions, but the literal motion sense is also fundamental. The two coexist: vado a casa is literal motion; mi va a fagiolo is idiomatic. Italian uses both constantly without ambiguity, because the idiomatic patterns are fixed and recognised.
Is “mi va” short for “mi piace”?
Not exactly. Mi piace expresses general preference: I like it. Mi va expresses momentary willingness or fit: I feel like, it suits me right now. Non mi piace lo zucchero = I don’t like sugar (general). Non mi va lo zucchero stamattina = I don’t feel like sugar this morning (momentary). With infinitives, mi va di + infinitive is very common for “I feel like doing X”: mi va di camminare un po’, non mi va di parlare adesso. The two verbs overlap but are not interchangeable.
Hi Riccardo, I’m a mature age student of Italian in Australia. Born in Rome but now live here. Decided to get back to Uni to look at my heritage and wanted to perfect my Italian in academia. I’m doing traslaction Across Cultures and a long translation assessment is on Harry Potter ‘e la pietra filosofale’. We have to pair up and discuss in a video the differences and similarities between cultures and I have chosen Japanese and Italian. Any hits regarding language differences? Culture? We’ve been learning about the four pillars. Register, authority, family,gender in other cultures and I have a fair idea about differences and similarities but I thought you could help with words or idioms etc relating to both languages.
Love your posts and quiz by the way. I try and do them regularly to keep abreast of Italian grammar.
Regards
Simonetta
Ciao Simonetta. Interesting assignment, which goes beyond the scope of this blog. I live in both countries, Italy and Japan (I’m in Tokyo now), and can give you my personal, simplistic point of view. There’s no connection between Japanese language and the Italian language, or any western language, except for a large number of words imported into the Japanese vocabulary through the katakana alphabet. Italian and Italy are very popular in Japan, obviously many Japanese go to Italy and study our language with good results. And vice versa. There’s a fortuitous similarity between the Italian and Japanese pronunciation of syllables and sounds, which makes the Italian vocabulary not too difficult to learn and fun to Japanese students. Opera and Italian traditional music are highly valued in Japan. Perhaps that’s a topic you may want to explore in more details. There are more qualified people out there to speak about that and answer your questions. I suggest you to just google Italian websites talking about that. There are plenty, broken down in detailed topics. It may be a good exercise for practicing your Italian. Japan is part of my personal life, I love being here and I love Tokyo. Ciao.