{"id":18328,"date":"2017-01-21T02:29:36","date_gmt":"2017-01-20T17:29:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/?p=18328"},"modified":"2026-04-29T05:06:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T20:06:24","slug":"italian-andare-idioms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-andare-idioms\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian Andare Idioms: 18 Expressions Italians Use Daily"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-tldr-italian-andare-idioms\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<p><strong>TL;DR.<\/strong> 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&#8217;s taste), andare di lusso (get lucky). Pattern is andare + preposition + noun, not literal motion.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The verb italian andare goes far beyond the literal &#8220;to go&#8221;. 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. <em>Va tutto a gonfie vele<\/em> means everything is going great. <em>Mi va a genio<\/em> means I find it agreeable. <em>Va in fumo<\/em> means it goes up in smoke. None of these can be guessed from the dictionary entry of <em>andare<\/em>. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-background is-style-wide\" style=\"background-color:#ab2227;color:#ab2227\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-andare-toc\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-andare-toc-title gb-headline-text\">Cosa impareremo oggi<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\ud83d\udc46\ud83c\udffb Jump to section<\/p>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#rule\">The pattern: andare + preposition<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#evaluation\">How things are going: evaluation idioms<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#emotion\">Anger, panic, losing it<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#fit\">Fit, taste, preference: a genio, a fagiolo<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#failure\">Failure and disappearance: in fumo, a rotoli<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#luck\">Luck and money idioms<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#relationships\">Relationships: andare d&#8217;accordo<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#traps\">Four traps for English speakers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#cheat-sheet\">Cheat sheet<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#dialog\">Dialogue: catching up over an aperitivo<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-rule gb-headline-text\" id=\"rule\">The pattern: italian andare idioms + preposition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Italian andare idioms follow a tight pattern: the verb <em>andare<\/em> plus a preposition (<em>a, in, di, da<\/em>) 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. <em>Andare a ruba<\/em> doesn&#8217;t mean to go to a robbery; it means to sell out fast. <em>Andare in bestia<\/em> doesn&#8217;t mean to go to a beast; it means to lose your temper. Once you see the pattern, you start hearing these expressions everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few mechanical notes before the catalogue. Andare is irregular: <em>vado, vai, va, andiamo, andate, vanno<\/em>. In compound tenses it takes <em>essere<\/em>: <em>sono andato, \u00e8 andata<\/em>. With the impersonal <em>mi va, ti va<\/em> structure (very common in idioms like <em>mi va a genio<\/em>), the indirect-object pronoun is required and the verb agrees with what is going.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-rule\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d The pattern in action:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Il progetto sta <strong>andando a<\/strong> gonfie vele, finalmente. <em>The project is going great, finally.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Quel libro <strong>\u00e8 andato a<\/strong> ruba in due settimane. <em>That book sold out fast in two weeks.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Mio cognato <strong>mi va a<\/strong> genio, \u00e8 una persona alla mano. <em>I get on well with my brother-in-law, he is an easy-going person.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-evaluation gb-headline-text\" id=\"evaluation\">How things are going: evaluation idioms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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 &#8220;come va?&#8221; and the answer is more interesting than &#8220;bene&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-evaluation\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Observe:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>andare a gonfie vele<\/strong> <em>to go great, full sail ahead<\/em>: Il nuovo lavoro <strong>va a gonfie vele<\/strong>, sono molto soddisfatto.<\/li>\n<li><strong>andare a rotoli<\/strong> <em>to fall apart<\/em>: Il matrimonio di Lucia e Andrea sta <strong>andando a rotoli<\/strong>, lui beve troppo.<\/li>\n<li><strong>andare di male in peggio<\/strong> <em>from bad to worse<\/em>: Ieri ho perso il lavoro, oggi si \u00e8 rotta la macchina: <strong>va di male in peggio<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>andare di pari passo<\/strong> <em>go hand in hand<\/em>: La disoccupazione <strong>va di pari passo<\/strong> con la crisi economica.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-ms1-eval-dida\">\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udfaf Mini-Challenge:<\/strong> evaluation idioms<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><li>My new job is ___ great (gonfie vele).<\/li><\/li>\n<li><li>Their marriage is ___ apart (rotoli).<\/li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<details>\n<summary><strong>Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><li>va a gonfie vele.<\/li><\/li>\n<li><li>sta andando a rotoli.<\/li><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-emotion gb-headline-text\" id=\"emotion\">Anger, panic, losing it<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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 (<em>a gambe all&#8217;aria<\/em>) for sudden collapse.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-emotion\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Observe:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>andare in bestia<\/strong> <em>to lose it, fly into a rage<\/em>: I politici in televisione mi fanno <strong>andare in bestia<\/strong>, devo cambiare canale.<\/li>\n<li><strong>andare in palla<\/strong> <em>to lose your head, blank out<\/em>: Durante l&#8217;esame orale alcuni studenti <strong>vanno in palla<\/strong> e dimenticano tutto.<\/li>\n<li><strong>andare a tentoni<\/strong> <em>to fumble around (in the dark, literal or figurative)<\/em>: Senza istruzioni andiamo <strong>a tentoni<\/strong>, prova e sbaglia.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-ms2-emo-dida\">\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udfaf Mini-Challenge:<\/strong> emotion idioms<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><li>Politicians make me ___ in a rage (bestia).<\/li><\/li>\n<li><li>During the exam I ___ blank (palla).<\/li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<details>\n<summary><strong>Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><li>andare in bestia.<\/li><\/li>\n<li><li>vado in palla.<\/li><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-fit gb-headline-text\" id=\"fit\">Fit, taste, preference: a genio, a fagiolo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the <em>mi va<\/em> family. Italian uses andare with an indirect-object pronoun (<em>mi, ti, ci, gli, le<\/em>) to express that something suits you, fits you, appeals to you. The construction is impersonal: the subject is what is going, not the person.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-fit\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Observe:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>andare a genio<\/strong> <em>to suit one&#8217;s taste, get along with<\/em>: Gli amici di mio figlio non mi <strong>vanno a genio<\/strong>, sono troppo rumorosi.<\/li>\n<li><strong>andare a fagiolo<\/strong> <em>to fit perfectly, suit you to a tee<\/em>: Il gioved\u00ec libero mi <strong>va a fagiolo<\/strong>, posso prendere il bambino a scuola.<\/li>\n<li><strong>non mi va<\/strong> <em>I don&#8217;t feel like, I&#8217;m not in the mood<\/em>: Non mi <strong>va<\/strong> di uscire stasera, vorrei stare a casa.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-ms3-fit-dida\">\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udfaf Mini-Challenge:<\/strong> fit\/taste idioms<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><li>The new boss ___ to my taste (genio).<\/li><\/li>\n<li><li>Free Thursday ___ perfectly (fagiolo).<\/li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<details>\n<summary><strong>Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><li>va a genio.<\/li><\/li>\n<li><li>mi va a fagiolo.<\/li><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-failure gb-headline-text\" id=\"failure\">Failure and disappearance: in fumo, a rotoli<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-failure\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Observe:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>andare in fumo<\/strong> <em>to go up in smoke<\/em>: L&#8217;investimento dell&#8217;anno scorso <strong>\u00e8 andato in fumo<\/strong> con la crisi.<\/li>\n<li><strong>andare a monte<\/strong> <em>to fall through, be cancelled<\/em>: La gita di domenica <strong>\u00e8 andata a monte<\/strong> per via del temporale.<\/li>\n<li><strong>andare in giro<\/strong> <em>to wander around<\/em>: Il mio gatto <strong>va in giro<\/strong> tutta la notte e torna stanco la mattina.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-ms4-fail-dida\">\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udfaf Mini-Challenge:<\/strong> failure idioms<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><li>My investment ___ up in smoke (fumo).<\/li><\/li>\n<li><li>The trip ___ through (monte).<\/li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<details>\n<summary><strong>Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><li>\u00e8 andato in fumo.<\/li><\/li>\n<li><li>\u00e8 andata a monte.<\/li><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-luck gb-headline-text\" id=\"luck\">Luck and money idioms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-luck\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Observe:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>andare di lusso<\/strong> <em>to hit the jackpot, get lucky<\/em>: Il poliziotto non mi ha fatto la multa, mi <strong>\u00e8 andata di lusso<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>andare a ruba<\/strong> <em>to sell out fast<\/em>: L&#8217;ultimo libro di Baricco sta <strong>andando a ruba<\/strong> in tutte le librerie.<\/li>\n<li><strong>andare in rosso<\/strong> <em>to go into the red, overdraft<\/em>: Senza accorgermene <strong>sono andato in rosso<\/strong> sul conto, devo stare attento.<\/li>\n<li><strong>andare di sfiga<\/strong> <em>to be unlucky (informal)<\/em>: Ho perso il treno per due minuti, mi <strong>\u00e8 andata di sfiga<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-ms5-luck-dida\">\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udfaf Mini-Challenge:<\/strong> luck idioms<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><li>The cop didn&#8217;t fine me, I ___ (di lusso).<\/li><\/li>\n<li><li>That book is ___ fast (ruba).<\/li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<details>\n<summary><strong>Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><li>mi \u00e8 andata di lusso.<\/li><\/li>\n<li><li>va a ruba.<\/li><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-relationships gb-headline-text\" id=\"relationships\">Relationships: andare d&#8217;accordo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To describe how people get on, Italians use andare with prepositional phrases that capture the temperature of a relationship. The most common one is <em>andare d&#8217;accordo<\/em> (to get along), but the family includes warmer and cooler variants.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-relationships\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Observe:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>andare d&#8217;accordo<\/strong> <em>to get along<\/em>: Con i miei colleghi <strong>vado d&#8217;accordo<\/strong>, \u00e8 un ufficio tranquillo.<\/li>\n<li><strong>andare d&#8217;amore e d&#8217;accordo<\/strong> <em>to get along great<\/em>: I miei due figli, finalmente, <strong>vanno d&#8217;amore e d&#8217;accordo<\/strong> dopo anni di liti.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-traps gb-headline-text\" id=\"traps\">Four traps for English speakers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trap 1: don&#8217;t translate &#8220;I&#8217;m going&#8221; with andare-idioms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>English &#8220;I&#8217;m going to lose it&#8221; tempts <em>vado a perderla<\/em>, which is wrong. The Italian future-near (be about to) uses <em>stare per<\/em> + infinitive, not andare. <em>Sto per perdere la pazienza<\/em> = I&#8217;m about to lose my patience. Use andare idioms only when the literal Italian construction calls for it: <em>vado in bestia<\/em> = I lose my temper (right now), not &#8220;I&#8217;m going to lose my temper&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trap 2: &#8220;mi va&#8221; needs the indirect pronoun<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The construction <em>mi va, ti va, gli va<\/em> always takes an indirect-object pronoun. <em>Va a genio<\/em> alone is incomplete; you need <em>mi va a genio<\/em> (I find it agreeable). Same with <em>non mi va<\/em> (I don&#8217;t feel like) versus <em>non va<\/em> (it doesn&#8217;t work, no good). Beginners drop the pronoun and the meaning shifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trap 3: andare takes ESSERE, not avere<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In compound tenses, andare takes <em>essere<\/em>: <em>sono andato, \u00e8 andata, siamo andati<\/em>. The past participle agrees with the subject. So <em>l&#8217;investimento \u00e8 andato in fumo<\/em> (masculine, agreed); <em>la gita \u00e8 andata a monte<\/em> (feminine, agreed). English speakers often want to use avere by analogy with English &#8220;have gone&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trap 4: register matters with sfiga and palla<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some andare idioms are colloquial and informal. <em>Andare di sfiga<\/em> (to have rotten luck) and <em>andare in palla<\/em> (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 <em>essere sfortunato<\/em> (to be unlucky) and <em>perdere la concentrazione<\/em> (to lose focus).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-cheat gb-headline-text\" id=\"cheat-sheet\">Cheat sheet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Idiom<\/th><th>Meaning<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody>\n<tr><td><strong>andare a gonfie vele<\/strong><\/td><td>to go great<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><strong>andare a rotoli<\/strong><\/td><td>to fall apart<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><strong>andare a ruba<\/strong><\/td><td>to sell out fast<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><strong>andare a tentoni<\/strong><\/td><td>to fumble around<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><strong>andare a genio<\/strong><\/td><td>to suit one&#8217;s taste<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><strong>andare a fagiolo<\/strong><\/td><td>to fit perfectly<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><strong>andare a monte<\/strong><\/td><td>to fall through<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><strong>andare in fumo<\/strong><\/td><td>to go up in smoke<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><strong>andare in giro<\/strong><\/td><td>to wander around<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><strong>andare in palla<\/strong><\/td><td>to lose your head<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><strong>andare in rosso<\/strong><\/td><td>to go into overdraft<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><strong>andare in bestia<\/strong><\/td><td>to fly into a rage<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><strong>andare di lusso<\/strong><\/td><td>to hit the jackpot<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><strong>andare di male in peggio<\/strong><\/td><td>from bad to worse<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><strong>andare di pari passo<\/strong><\/td><td>go hand in hand<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><strong>andare d&#8217;amore e d&#8217;accordo<\/strong><\/td><td>get along great<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><strong>andare di sfiga<\/strong><\/td><td>to be unlucky (informal)<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td><strong>andare d&#8217;accordo<\/strong><\/td><td>to get along<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-dialog gb-headline-text\" id=\"dialog\">Dialogue: catching up over an aperitivo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Stefano and Clara haven&#8217;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.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-dialog-container\">\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffb <strong>Stefano:<\/strong> Allora, com&#8217;\u00e8 <strong>andata<\/strong> in questi due anni? Tutto bene? <em>So, how have things gone these last two years? All good?<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb <strong>Clara:<\/strong> All&#8217;inizio <strong>andava<\/strong> tutto a gonfie vele, poi un periodo storto: il lavoro <strong>\u00e8 andato a monte<\/strong>, mio fratello si \u00e8 separato. Ora si \u00e8 rimesso tutto a posto. <em>At first everything was going great, then a rough patch: work fell through, my brother separated. Now things are back on track.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffb <strong>Stefano:<\/strong> Mi dispiace per tuo fratello. <strong>Andavano d&#8217;amore e d&#8217;accordo<\/strong>, no? <em>I&#8217;m sorry about your brother. They got along great, didn&#8217;t they?<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb <strong>Clara:<\/strong> Sembrava di s\u00ec, ma alla fine il lavoro di lui \u00e8 <strong>andato in fumo<\/strong> e la situazione <strong>\u00e8 andata di male in peggio<\/strong>. Comunque, tu? <em>It seemed so, but in the end his work went up in smoke and the situation went from bad to worse. Anyway, you?<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffb <strong>Stefano:<\/strong> A me <strong>\u00e8 andata di lusso<\/strong>: ho cambiato lavoro, mi <strong>va a genio<\/strong> il nuovo capo, sono contento. <em>I got lucky: I changed jobs, I get on great with my new boss, I&#8217;m happy.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb <strong>Clara:<\/strong> Bravissimo. E con la tua ragazza, <strong>andate ancora d&#8217;accordo<\/strong>? <em>Good for you. And with your girlfriend, are you still getting along?<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffb <strong>Stefano:<\/strong> A volte mi fa <strong>andare in bestia<\/strong>, ma poi facciamo la pace. <strong>Va di pari passo<\/strong> con la convivenza, immagino. <em>Sometimes she makes me lose it, but then we make up. Goes hand in hand with living together, I guess.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb <strong>Clara:<\/strong> Ah, l&#8217;ultima cosa: il libro che ti ho regalato l&#8217;anno scorso, l&#8217;hai letto? <strong>Va a ruba<\/strong> in libreria. <em>Oh, last thing: the book I gave you last year, did you read it? It&#8217;s selling out at the bookshop.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-dialog-note\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 Notice:<\/strong> ten andare idioms in eight short turns: <em>com&#8217;\u00e8 andata, andava a gonfie vele, \u00e8 andato a monte, andavano d&#8217;amore e d&#8217;accordo, \u00e8 andato in fumo, \u00e8 andata di male in peggio, mi \u00e8 andata di lusso, mi va a genio, andate d&#8217;accordo, andare in bestia, va di pari passo, va a ruba<\/em>. Almost every line carries one.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<!-- \/wp:post-content -->\n\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<!-- \/wp:separator -->\n\n\n<!-- wp:generateblocks\/container {\"uniqueId\":\"cta-milano-v5\",\"backgroundColor\":\"var(u002du002dbase-2)\",\"isDynamic\":true,\"blockVersion\":4,\"useInnerContainer\":true,\"spacing\":{\"paddingTop\":\"25px\",\"paddingBottom\":\"25px\",\"paddingLeft\":\"25px\",\"paddingRight\":\"25px\",\"marginTop\":\"40px\",\"marginBottom\":\"40px\"},\"borders\":{\"borderTopWidth\":\"1px\",\"borderTopStyle\":\"solid\",\"borderTopColor\":\"#ab2227\",\"borderBottomWidth\":\"1px\",\"borderBottomStyle\":\"solid\",\"borderBottomColor\":\"#ab2227\",\"borderTopRightRadius\":\"12px\",\"borderBottomRightRadius\":\"12px\",\"borderBottomLeftRadius\":\"12px\",\"borderTopLeftRadius\":\"12px\"}} -->\n<!-- wp:columns {\"verticalAlignment\":\"center\"} -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center\">\n<!-- wp:column {\"verticalAlignment\":\"center\",\"width\":\"120px\"} -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center\" style=\"flex-basis:120px\">\n<!-- wp:image {\"width\":\"100px\",\"height\":\"auto\",\"sizeSlug\":\"full\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/milano-no-sfondo.webp\" alt=\"Milano A2-B1 Italian course logo\" style=\"width:100px;height:auto\" \/><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:column -->\n<!-- wp:column {\"verticalAlignment\":\"center\"} -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center\">\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3,\"style\":{\"spacing\":{\"margin\":{\"top\":\"0\",\"bottom\":\"8px\"}}}} -->\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:8px\">Milano: A2\/B1 group course on Zoom<\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n<!-- wp:paragraph {\"style\":{\"spacing\":{\"margin\":{\"top\":\"0\",\"bottom\":\"15px\"}}}} -->\n<p style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:15px\">From basics to real conversation. Small live groups, Italian-only, focused on speaking.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n<!-- wp:buttons -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons\"><!-- wp:button {\"style\":{\"color\":{\"background\":\"#ab2227\"},\"border\":{\"radius\":\"6px\"}},\"className\":\"is-style-fill\"} -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/our-courses\/\" style=\"border-radius:6px;background-color:#ab2227\">See all courses \u2192<\/a><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:button --><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:buttons -->\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:column -->\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:columns -->\n<!-- \/wp:generateblocks\/container -->\n\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<!-- \/wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p style=\"font-size:0.9em;opacity:0.85\"><em>Further reading: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.treccani.it\/vocabolario\/andare\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Treccani : andare<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:generateblocks\/container {\"uniqueId\":\"banner-milano-v5\",\"backgroundColor\":\"#f4f5f6\",\"isDynamic\":true,\"blockVersion\":4,\"spacing\":{\"paddingTop\":\"30px\",\"paddingBottom\":\"30px\",\"paddingLeft\":\"30px\",\"paddingRight\":\"30px\",\"marginTop\":\"30px\",\"marginBottom\":\"30px\"},\"borders\":{\"borderTopWidth\":\"1px\",\"borderTopStyle\":\"solid\",\"borderTopColor\":\"#ab2227\",\"borderBottomWidth\":\"1px\",\"borderBottomStyle\":\"solid\",\"borderBottomColor\":\"#ab2227\",\"borderTopLeftRadius\":\"11px\",\"borderTopRightRadius\":\"11px\",\"borderBottomLeftRadius\":\"11px\",\"borderBottomRightRadius\":\"11px\"}} -->\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"center\",\"width\":100,\"sizeSlug\":\"thumbnail\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-thumbnail is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Milano-logo-100x100-1.png\" alt=\"Milano course logo\" width=\"100\" \/><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n<!-- wp:heading {\"textAlign\":\"center\",\"level\":3} --><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Milano: A2\/B1 group course on Zoom<\/h3><!-- \/wp:heading -->\n<!-- wp:paragraph {\"align\":\"center\"} --><p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Take grammar from textbook to confident real conversation. Small live group lessons.<\/p><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n<!-- wp:buttons {\"layout\":{\"type\":\"flex\",\"justifyContent\":\"center\"}} -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons\"><!-- wp:button {\"backgroundColor\":\"vivid-red\",\"style\":{\"border\":{\"radius\":\"6px\"}}} --><div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-vivid-red-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/our-courses\/\" style=\"border-radius:6px\">Discover Milano<\/a><\/div><!-- \/wp:button --><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:buttons -->\n<!-- \/wp:generateblocks\/container -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator --><hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/><!-- \/wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:generateblocks\/headline {\"uniqueId\":\"h2-faq\",\"anchor\":\"faq\",\"blockVersion\":3} -->\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-faq gb-headline-text\" id=\"faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:generateblocks\/headline -->\n\n<!-- wp:rank-math\/faq-block {\"questions\":[{\"id\":\"faq-andare-q1\",\"title\":\"Why does andare take essere as auxiliary in compound tenses?\",\"content\":\"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: e andato in fumo, e andata a monte, sono andati a ruba.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-andare-q2\",\"title\":\"What is the difference between andare a genio and andare a fagiolo?\",\"content\":\"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 giovedi 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).\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-andare-q3\",\"title\":\"How do I know when an andare idiom takes a, in, di, or da?\",\"content\":\"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.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-andare-q4\",\"title\":\"Is andare di sfiga rude or just informal?\",\"content\":\"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 ).\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-andare-q5\",\"title\":\"What does andare a gonfie vele literally mean?\",\"content\":\"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.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-andare-q6\",\"title\":\"Can I use andare in non-idiomatic ways too?\",\"content\":\"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.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-andare-q7\",\"title\":\"Is mi va short for mi piace?\",\"content\":\"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.\",\"visible\":true}],\"titleWrapper\":\"h3\"} -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-faq-block\">\n<h3 id=\"faq-andare-q1\" class=\"rank-math-question\">Why does andare take essere as auxiliary in compound tenses?<\/h3>\n<div id=\"faq-andare-q1-answer\" class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p>Andare belongs to the family of motion and state-change verbs that select <em>essere<\/em> in compound tenses, along with <em>venire, partire, arrivare, tornare, restare, diventare<\/em>. The past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject: <em>sono andato<\/em> (masculine singular), <em>siamo andate<\/em> (feminine plural). English speakers often use <em>avere<\/em> by analogy with English &#8220;have gone&#8221;, but that is wrong in Italian. The rule applies to every andare idiom: <em>\u00e8 andato in fumo, \u00e8 andata a monte, sono andati a ruba<\/em>.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"faq-andare-q2\" class=\"rank-math-question\">What is the difference between &#8220;andare a genio&#8221; and &#8220;andare a fagiolo&#8221;?<\/h3>\n<div id=\"faq-andare-q2-answer\" class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p><em>Andare a genio<\/em> means to suit one&#8217;s taste, get along with, find agreeable: <em>il nuovo capo non mi va a genio<\/em> means I don&#8217;t get on with the new boss. <em>Andare a fagiolo<\/em> means to fit perfectly, suit you to a tee, often about a schedule or arrangement: <em>il gioved\u00ec libero mi va a fagiolo<\/em>. <em>Genio<\/em> is more about people and personalities; <em>fagiolo<\/em> is more about timing and convenience. Both take the indirect-object pronoun (<em>mi, ti, gli, le, ci<\/em>).<\/p><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"faq-andare-q3\" class=\"rank-math-question\">How do I know when an andare idiom takes A, IN, DI, or DA?<\/h3>\n<div id=\"faq-andare-q3-answer\" class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p>There is no rule, you learn each idiom as a fixed unit. Some patterns are visible: <em>a<\/em> + abstract noun for evaluation (<em>a gonfie vele, a rotoli, a ruba<\/em>), <em>in<\/em> + concrete noun for sudden states (<em>in fumo, in bestia, in palla, in rosso<\/em>), <em>di<\/em> + abstract for luck or relations (<em>di lusso, di sfiga, d&#8217;accordo, d&#8217;amore e d&#8217;accordo<\/em>). But always check the dictionary for new idioms; the preposition is part of the expression and cannot be changed.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"faq-andare-q4\" class=\"rank-math-question\">Is &#8220;andare di sfiga&#8221; rude or just informal?<\/h3>\n<div id=\"faq-andare-q4-answer\" class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p><em>Andare di sfiga<\/em> is informal and slangy but not rude. <em>Sfiga<\/em> is a colloquial word for bad luck (the polite version is <em>sfortuna<\/em>). 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 <em>essere sfortunato<\/em> or <em>non avere fortuna<\/em>. The same register applies to <em>andare in palla<\/em> (informal for &#8220;losing your head&#8221;).<\/p><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"faq-andare-q5\" class=\"rank-math-question\">What does &#8220;andare a gonfie vele&#8221; literally mean?<\/h3>\n<div id=\"faq-andare-q5-answer\" class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p><em>Andare a gonfie vele<\/em> literally means &#8220;to go with full sails&#8221;, 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: <em>il lavoro va a gonfie vele, finalmente<\/em>. The English equivalent is &#8220;full steam ahead&#8221; or &#8220;going great guns&#8221;. It is informal but not slangy and you can use it in most settings.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"faq-andare-q6\" class=\"rank-math-question\">Can I use andare in non-idiomatic ways too?<\/h3>\n<div id=\"faq-andare-q6-answer\" class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p>Of course. Andare is the standard verb for &#8220;to go&#8221; to a destination: <em>vado a Roma, andiamo al cinema, andate a casa<\/em>. The idioms covered in this guide are figurative extensions, but the literal motion sense is also fundamental. The two coexist: <em>vado a casa<\/em> is literal motion; <em>mi va a fagiolo<\/em> is idiomatic. Italian uses both constantly without ambiguity, because the idiomatic patterns are fixed and recognised.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"faq-andare-q7\" class=\"rank-math-question\">Is &#8220;mi va&#8221; short for &#8220;mi piace&#8221;?<\/h3>\n<div id=\"faq-andare-q7-answer\" class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p>Not exactly. <em>Mi piace<\/em> expresses general preference: I like it. <em>Mi va<\/em> expresses momentary willingness or fit: I feel like, it suits me right now. <em>Non mi piace lo zucchero<\/em> = I don&#8217;t like sugar (general). <em>Non mi va lo zucchero stamattina<\/em> = I don&#8217;t feel like sugar this morning (momentary). With infinitives, <em>mi va di + infinitive<\/em> is very common for &#8220;I feel like doing X&#8221;: <em>mi va di camminare un po&#8217;, non mi va di parlare adesso<\/em>. The two verbs overlap but are not interchangeable.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:rank-math\/faq-block -->\n\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<!-- \/wp:separator -->\n\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related guides<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<!-- wp:list-item --><li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-preposition-a\/\">Italian Preposition A: The Complete Guide<\/a><\/li><!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n<!-- wp:list-item --><li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-preposition-in\/\">Italian Preposition IN: The Complete Guide<\/a><\/li><!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n<!-- wp:list-item --><li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-preposition-su\/\">Italian Preposition SU: The Complete Guide<\/a><\/li><!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n<!-- wp:list-item --><li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-preposition-con\/\">Italian Preposition CON: The Complete Guide<\/a><\/li><!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n<!-- wp:list-item --><li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-modal-verbs\/\">Italian Modal Verbs<\/a><\/li><!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n<\/ul>\n<!-- \/wp:list -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>18 italian andare idioms English speakers should know at B1: a gonfie vele, a rotoli, in fumo, a genio, di lusso. Real examples, four traps, an aperitivo dialogue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10020,"featured_media":18332,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[500,421],"class_list":["post-18328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lingua","tag-andare","tag-idioms","no-featured-image-padding","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10020"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18328"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18328\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59675,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18328\/revisions\/59675"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}