Italian idioms and food – Audio

Christmas,ilNatale,isallaboutfamily,eatingandchattingtogetherwithfamilyandfriends.

Italianslovetoeat andtheItalianlanguageispackedwithproverbsandidiomsrelatedtofood.LearnthemostfamousoneslistentotheaudioandsurpriseyourfriendswithsomefunnyItaliansentences.

  • Alcontadinonondevifarsaperequantoèbuonoilformaggioconlepere

    •   Don’ttellthefarmerhowgoodischeesewithpears.Don’ttellpeoplehowgoodareyourideas,someonewilltakeadvantageofit.

  • Atavolanons’invecchia

    •   Youdon’tgetoldatthetable.Initially,thisproverbmeantthatwhoeatstoomuch,diesyoung.Nowadays,themeaningistotallydifferent.Enjoyinggoodtimeatthetablekeepsyouyoung.

  • Bacco,tabaccoeVenere,riduconol’uomoincenere

    •   Bacco(Romangodofwine),tabaccoandVenus(women)turnmenintoashes.Liveabalancedlife.

  • Bisognamangiarepervivere,nonviverepermangiare

    •   Eatforliving,don’tliveforeating.Don’tmesswithfood,it’sdangerous.ThissentencedatesbacktoCicero,thefamousRomanlawyerandphilosopher.

  • Chimangiadasolosistrozzainsolitudine

    •  

    Whoeatsalonedieschockingalone.Don’tbegreedy.

  • …comeilcaciosuimaccheroni

    •  

    …likecheeseonpasta.Somethinghappensattherighttimeandaddsvaluetoasituation.

  • Chic’hailpanenonc’haidenti,chic’haidentinonc’hailpane

    •  

    Thosewhohavebreaddon’thaveteeth,thosewhohaveteethdon’thavebread.Sometimesgoodopportunitiescometopeopleunabletohandlethem.

  • Chilaseranoncena,tuttalanottesidimena

    •  

    Whodoesn’teatintheevening,can’tsleepatnight.

  • Chinonbeveincompagniaoèladroofalaspia

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    Whodoesn’tdrinksociallyisathieforaspy.Distrustpeoplewhodrinkalone.

  • C’entracomeicavoliamerenda

    •  

    It’sappropriatelikeeatingcabbageatteatime.So,it’snotappropriate.

  • Dopoiconfetti,siscopronoidifetti

    •   Afterthewedding,couplesfindoutflaws.ConfettiinItalianaretypicalweddingcandieswithalmond.WhatpeoplecallconfettiinEnglish,inItalianarecoriandoli.Learnmoreabout falsefriends,wordswiththesameoriginbutdifferentmeaninginItalianandEnglish.  

  • E’megliounuovooggicheunagallinadomani

    •  

    Betteraneggtodaythanahentomorrow.Don’twasteopportunitiesforemptypromises.

  • Èinutilepiangeresullatteversato

    •  

    Don’tcryoverspiltmilk.SameasinEnglish.

  • Finisce tuttoataralluccievino

    •  

    Itallendswithtarallucci(Italiansavorybiscuits)andwine.Acomplicateddisputeissolvedfriendly.

  • Gallinavecchiafabuonbrodo

    •  

    Oldhenmakesgoodstock.Experiencepaysoff.

  • Glizuccherininonsonofattiperisomari

    •  

    Don’tgivesugartodonkeys.Don’twasteenergyandresourceswithpeoplewhocan’tappreciateit.

  • Ilvinoècomel’amore,scaldalatestaeilcuore

    •  

    Wineislikelove,warmsupheadandheart.

  • Ilvinoèillattedeivecchi

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    Wineisoldpeople’smilk.

  • L’appetitovienmangiando

    •  

    Appetitecomeseating.Enthusiasmgrowsonlybydoingthings.

  • Laprimagallinachecantaèquellachehafattol’uovo

    •  

    Thefirstsquawkinghenistheonelayinganegg.Thefirstpersonpointingfingersistheguiltyone.

  • L’ospiteècomeilpesce,dopotregiornipuzza

    •  

    Aguestislikefish,afterthreedaysitsmells.

  • Laboccaportalegambe

    •  

    Mouth(eating)makesyourlegswalking.

  • L’amicoècomeilvino,seèbuonocoltempomigliora

    •  

    Afriendislikewine,itbecomesbetterwithtime.

  • Lafameaguzzal’ingegno

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    Starvationmakesyousmarter.

  • Laperaquand’èmaturacadedasola

    •  

    Whenthepearisripe,itfallsbyitself.Sometimesyoujustneedtowaitforthingstohappen.

  • Nellabottepiccolac’èilvinobuono

    •  

    Goodwineisinthesmallbarrel.Shortpeoplearethebest.

  • Nonc’ètrippapergatti

    •   There’snofood(tripe)forcats.Inthepast,peopleusedtobuymeatforthefamilyandtripeforpets.Thisidiommeansthatadditionalresourcesarefinishedortherearenoalternatives.

  • Omangilaminestraosaltilafinestra

    •  

    Eatthesoup(minestra)orjumpoutthewindow.Youdon’thavealternatives.

  • Panciapienanonpensaaquellavuota

    •  

    Fullstomachdoesn’tthinkabouttheemptyone

  • Quellochenonstrozza,ingrassa

    •  

    Ifyoudon’tchokeit’llmakeyoufat.Whatdoesn’tkillyou…

  • Sulpiattodovesimangia,noncisisputa

    •  

    Don’tspitonyourownplate. Don’tbitethehandthatfeedsyou.

  • Tantofumoenientearrosto

    •  

    Allsmoke,nomeat.Allhatandnotrousers.

  • Panealpaneevinoalvino.

    •  

    Breadtobread,winetowine.To callaspadeaspade

     

     

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    Riccardo
    Milanese, graduated in Italian literature a long time ago, I began teaching Italian online in Japan back in 2003. I usually spend winter in Tokyo and go back to Italy when the cherry blossoms shed their petals. I do not use social media.

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