Typical expressions

Communication model
Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

The Italian Way of Speaking: Communication through Gestures

Every country has habits and distinct cultural elements that make it unique. It is these features that become a way to identify and differentiate different cultures. Where Italy is concerned, as with many countries, cultural behavior varies based on territory. Italians are quite famous for being effusive talkers that use hand gestures to puncture most statements, but even these can change in different regions. Accent, tone of voice and gestures used can all vary depending on which part of Italy you're visiting.


Italian Gestures & History

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Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

INTRO TO ITALIAN TYPICAL EXPRESSIONS

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Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

Some common Italian expressions that use the preposition "a":

Parlare a bassa voce = parlare sottovoce

Ei. Maria parla sottovoce = Mary is speaking softly.

Restare a bocca aperta = essere allibito, esterefatto, sbigottito

Ei. Claudio rimase sbigottito quando la maestra lo chiamò alla cattedra = Claudio was stunned when the teacher called him to the desk.

Andare a buon fine, andare a lieto fine = andare bene

Ei. L'operazione andò a buon fine = The operation had a happy ending.

Comprare a buon mercato = comprare ad un prezzo basso

Thursday, September 9th, 2010

Are you planning a trip to Italy? While there you'll probably meet many people and new friends as Italians are a sociable bunch who like talking. Well known for their passionate views and vivacious communicative style, Italians are all about connecting and conversation. If you'd like to participate in these exchanges the first thing you'll need to know is how to introduce yourself.

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

Tenere d'occhio qualcuno                      = To keep an eye on someone

Occhio non vede, cuore non duole         = What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve (over)

Un piacere a vedersi                              = A sight for sore eyes

A quattr'occhi                                          = Eyeball to eyeball

Guardare qualcuno in faccia                   = To look someone in the face

Mettere il broncio                                     = To pull a long face

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

Accogliere qualcuno a braccia aperte = To welcome someone with open arms

Tenere qualcuno a distanza                = To keep someone at arm's length

Pagare un occhio della testa               = To pay an arm and a leg

Rompersi la schiena (dal lavoro)         = To break one's back

Essere con le spalle al muro                = To have one's back to the wall

Voltare le spalle a qualcuno                 = To turn one's back on somebody

Vivere alle spalle di qualcuno               = To live off somebody's back

Mettercela tutta                                     =To put one's back into something

Essere tutt'orecchi                                = Essere tutt'orecchi

Avere la Botte Piena e la Moglie Ubriaca : To have the wine cask full and the wife drunk: to have your cake and eat it, too.

Avere le mani d'oro :to be gifted in doing things

Attaccare il Cappello : To hang up one’s hat: used of a man who marries a wealthy woman, and (presumably) doesn’t have to work anymore.

A piede libero : out of jail

Alzare il gomito : to drink too much

Andarci coi piedi di piombo : to be cautious

Attacalo al chiodo : Hang it to the nail ( forget about it )

Avere le mani in pasta :to have power to influence someone else's decisions, to be powerful

Avere le mani legate :to have one's hands tied

Avere un piede nella fossa : to be almost dead

  1. Con niente non si fa niente. With nothing you can make nothing. You can't make something from nothing.
  2. Del senno di poi (ne) son piene le fosse. Ditches are full of hindsight.
  3. Detto fatto. Said & done.
  4. Dopo la pioggia viene il bel tempo. After the rain comes good weather. Every cloud has a silver lining.
  5. Fermo come una statua. Still as a statue.
  6. Fidarsi e' bene, non fidarsi e' megio. To trust is good, not to trust is better.
  7. Gli estremi si toccano. Extremes touch one another.

  1. Donne e motori Gioie e dolori. Women and motors, Joy and Pain
  2. A caval donato non si guarda in bocca. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
  3. A chi dai il dito si prende anche il braccio. Give them an inch and they'll take a mile. If you give them the finger they will take an arm.
  4. A ciascuno il suo. To each his own.
  5. A confessore, medico e avvocato non tener il ver celato. To the priest, the doctor, and the lawyer do not keep the truth hidden.
  6. A mali estremi, estremi rimedi. Desperate times call for desperate measures. For extreme evils extreme measures.
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