84 Incredible Italian Idioms – StoryLearning

Everyone knows popular idioms in their own language — they are a dime a dozen – and as you learn Italian, you'll see that Italian idioms are no exception . But what idioms really are, exactly, is a little more difficult to say. 

The word idiom comes from the latin idioma (which itself, in turn,  comes from ancient Greek) and means “a peculiarity, property, a peculiar phraseology.” (It’s the same word in Italian, by the way)

So basically, idioms can help in expressing something specific you want to say easily and simply, without beating around the bush. You can use idioms by themselves, or as part of a sentence.

“It’s raining cats and dogs,” for instance, works fine by itself, while “the best of both worlds” or for something to “get out of hand” needs words around it to make sense. Like in English, this is also the case for Italian. So far, so good.

So what are Italian idioms like? They can’t just be a translated version of the English ones, you must be thinking. But there are actually a large number of Italian idioms that are just that, and then of course there are a whole lot of language-specific ones.

This article is all about showing you the most popular, frequently used idioms in Italy, so you can incorporate them into your language learning and speech. 

By the way, if you want to learn Italian fast and have fun, my top recommendation for language learners is my Uncovered courses, which teach you through StoryLearning®. Click here to find out more about Italian Uncovered and try out the method for free.

All Italian idioms listed below will have short explanation, an example sentence in which the idiom is translated literally, and another sentence, in brackets, meant to explain the meaning if it’s unclear, often with a similar English idiom.

This is so you know how to use these Italian idioms, but also what they really mean word for word. Here goes nothing. 

Literally meaning in the mouth of the wolf, this translates to “good luck” in Italian. You use it by itself, when you want to tell someone you’re rooting for them. 

This is a great one for when you want to say something is too expensive. Literally meaning “an eye off of the head,” it is not clear from where else one would be able to take an eye, but it makes a great visual point. 

This one is cute — it means “good like bread,” and is most often used in connection to a person. Some people are as great as bread, really. 

There is a similar saying in English which goes “desperate times call for desperate measures” and means the same thing. 

Literally “to lose yourself in a glass of water”, this Italian idiom means to make a big deal out of a rather small problem, or to panic unnecessarily. 

A very popular idiom, this is often transliterated by Italians to the English “I know my chicken” as a joke. This means that you know about something, or someone, so well that you know what is going to happen or what they will do. 

”To not have hair on one’s tongue” is said about people who don’t beat around the bush and always say exactly what they mean. 

The Italian version of “being stuck between a rock and a hard place,” it can be used in any place you’d use the English idiom, like this:

Great to tell someone to both “be careful what they wish for” and “sleep in the bed they made”, this expression is sort of a playful chastisement. 

Wonderfully intuitive and easy to understand, this often used idiom means to see, and say, things as they are. 

“To have salt in a pumpkin” is a strange idiom from Roman times, when people used to conserve their valuable, expensive salt inside everyone’s favourite autumn vegetable. Today as back then, not to have it in there means to have little common sense. 

…means that something “suits someone like a glove”, or looks very good on them. 

Translated as “to break the ice” it means the same exact thing and is used the same as the English idiom. 

To spit the rospo, or “toad” in English, is something like “to spill the beans,” but it’s mostly used when the thing about to be said is unpleasant, embarrassing or otherwise negative. 

When you catch someone with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar, you’d say this in Italian: 

Very similar to the English “let’s see how it goes,” this idiom is quite iconic for the Italian style of leaving things be as they are, or improvising. 

Some Italian sayings are so uniquely Italian that you can’t really find a corresponding one in English. Like this next one, which is about the pope and has nothing to do with a father, or papá in Italian, and means that absolutely no one is irreplaceable: 

In English, a perhaps lesser-known translation of this saying also means that “it’s not the clothes that make a man”, i.e. that appearances are not what’s important. 

Everyone has had the feeling — you think everything is going swell, only to suddenly see or understand something only you didn’t, up to that point. This is also an existing expression in English: 

Another saying that mentions the pope — there seems to be something about the highest office of the catholic church to make Italians creative with their Italian idioms. This one means “once in a blue moon,” since being pope ordinarily a lifetime position that changes pretty rarely — a blue moon happens a lot more often, in fact. 

Reportedly of Spanish origin, this one is the opposite of the previous entry, meaning something happens very often. 

If you want to say that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree to an Italian person, you’d say: 

Food related Italian idioms abound in Italy, and this one is no exception. You would use it anytime you’d want to say “might as well” or “what’s the harm.” 

“A big chunk” is a big chunk whether it comes to pie, money, or change. But in Italian, it means something a little different: a big shot. 

It’s a known fact that chickens aren’t very smart. So in Italian as well as in English, saying that someone is “chicken-brained” isn’t too flattering.  This entry does just that, with the small difference that gallina actually means “hen.”

No use denying it: nobody likes a cheapskate. In Italy, those people are recognized by a telling and strange bit of anatomy: 

When you haven’t seen an Italian friend in a while and are on the phone with them discussing when to meet, this is what you’d tell them to let them know you're looking forward to it: 

Charming and not entirely safe for work, this idiom is one of the funnier, less serious ones. Strangely, an idiom that references testicles is not really taboo to use in a work environment, for instance. 

One of the simple Italian idioms that are quite literal in their meaning, this one is for those times you’re standing around doing absolutely nothing, or want to complain about someone else being the opposite of useful:

What an expression to say that there’s no doubt has to do with rain, we don’t know, but it is charming and funny to say. When you want to say that there are no two ways about something, try this: 

Another idiom with a rain theme, this one is more logical and self explanatory, with a very similar version in English, “when it rains it pours,” meaning that bad things seldom come alone: 

Staying on the larger topic of Italian idioms about water, to have “water in (your) mouth” in Italy means to keep something to yourself. This would be easier to do with a mouthful of water to hold on to, you’ll have to agree. 

In stressful, difficult times, there is no better Italian idiom to use than this one, which illustrates perfectly what it feels like to be beside yourself with anger. 

This one is pretty easy: you use it anytime you want to say about something that it is your area of expertise, or more specifically that something is your best work. You can say this about someone else too, of course. 

…is what flakes do in Italy. When you get stood up, this is a great way to make the story sound funnier than it feels. 

An old, tongue-in-cheek expression that is the child-friendly origin of a number of more popular, adult Italian idioms, intended to show how much someone is annoying you. 

This idiom can be used when you feel like someone is trying to pull the wool over your eyes or if you think someone is just not getting something, misunderstanding you. 

An idiom that has a similar corresponding phrase in English: “to have ones fingers in the pie,” this can also be used to say that you're busy with something else at a given moment. 

In its literal translation the meaning seems obvious, since there is a similar expression in English – use it when something “catches your eye.” 

“To make meatballs of someone” is as self-explanatory as it sounds like a retro mafia threat. Great one to use if you’re looking for a not-so-subtle effect. 

This one is all about meddling in other people’s affairs, or putting your nose where it doesn’t belong, even if the image is cuter somehow. 

This is an idiom that emphasizes the importance of setting things down on paper, because like Lenin said, trust is good but control is better. An antique version of the idiom below is verba volant, scripta manent — words fly, scripture stays. 

While bunnies are cute, being one in the eyes of another person usually doesn’t mean anything too flattering. When someone tells you this in Italy, what they really mean is that you are a chicken.

Intuitive in its meaning, this idiom sounds somewhat like “throwing caution to the wind”, but the meaning is not quite that. Instead, it’s about messing something up, squandering it, or throwing it away. 

Remember this one for when people want to give you unwanted advice they themselves couldn’t follow. Much like saying “you’re a fine one to talk,” but somehow more dramatic. 

Those familiar with the Sinatra record In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning will understand the point of this idiom, which is to stay up late. 

Another one of those Italian idioms with a literal English translation, you’ll recognise this one if you’ve ever searched for something you were unlikely to find. 

Similar to the previous item on this list, this idiom is closer in meaning to “squeezing blood from a stone”, as in something that is not only difficult, but seems impossible — especially used to say you can’t get someone to tell you what you want to know. 

Unusual, just as “pitch black” is an unusual way to refer to darkness if you really think about it. Note that pesto in this context has nothing to do with the green, basil pasta sauce. 

A great way to describe heavy rain, this is the equivalent of: “it’s raining cats and dogs” — another great, nonsensical idiom. Catinelle are shallow basins, and it’s not clear why those things would be used to describe heavy rain, since you can’t fit much water in them. Oh well. 

A wise thing to say when faced with a problem of bleak outlook, to tell someone to “wait and see” is almost never the wrong advice.

While the word tombola literally means “raffle,” it is used in the context of getting a good deal, or hitting the jackpot. 

Benediction is serious business in Italy, a strongly religious nation. Still, it’s hardly blasphemous to tell someone to get one if you want them to get out of your sight. 

According to Italians, when someone gets on your nerves, it feels like a meal that’s heavy in your stomach. So about that bothersome guy at work you’d say: 

There are many things you can figuratively die from according to Italian idioms. If something is too funny, a place too cold or a day too long, you can always add some drama by saying it is killing you. For added effect, say you’re dying of it right now, like this: 

or like this:

Italians think nutty people ought to be tied down — figuratively, of course. So if you’re talking about someone who is mad as a hatter, that’s what you should say. Alternatively, you can compare them to a horse, which is strange because horses are not really known to be crazy. 

Another one of those Italian idioms that's just a literal translation of the English one about being in love, it still sounds so much better like this, just because it’s Italian. 

Down to the bone is similar to ridotto all’osso, in that it means that something is reduced to the bare minimum. 

This is an interesting idiom because it has several, related but distinct meanings. You can use it to say you are trying something that seems impossible, like the “spider in the hole” example above.

Or to say that someone has opinions that are not based on fact or truth, or that someone is trying to justify a wrong argument to defend a bad thing. A little like “clutching at straws.”

An almost literal translation of the English “on pins and needles,” this idiom means the exact same thing, as well, meaning that you can’t wait for something — usually it’s to be told information, rather than looking forward to a holiday. 

Like quite a few of the Italian idioms in this list, including the previous one, this idiom has an English equivalent, too. 

When something is finger-licking-good, Italians lick their mustaches. Men, but also women and children. It’s just something to say.  

This idiom is mostly used in connection with eating, meaning that someone is really stuffing their face, getting a massive amount of food down: 

To be a donkey requires no explanation — unless you’re a donkey. 

This is what you say when something takes your breath away, literally. Like running a marathon, say, or running around like a headless chicken, as they say, to meet a deadline. 

A close English translation of this idiom would be to “grin and bear it,” meaning that you’ve got to smile even though you may not feel like you have reason to. 

Similar to calling someone un asino, a donkey, this idiom is a not-all-too-nice way of letting someone know you think they may have a screw loose. Theories abound as to why not being “one whole kilogram” would suggest that, but no definitive conclusion has been reached. 

Near-impossible to translate literally, this idiom is for those hail Mary moments, those times you feel like it's now or never. It’s also the name of a famous Italian TV show.

Eggs are pretty full, if you think about it. Sure, if it weren’t for this idiom, you probably wouldn’t, but that may kind of be the point. Use this idiom when you want to say a place is packed, or that something else (like your stomach) is totally full. 

You’d use this figure of speech the same way you do its English sibling: when you want to say that you can do something “in your sleep,” or with your “right hand tied behind your back.”

Another of those Italian idioms present the same exact way in the English language, this one is often said wrongly as “crying over spoiled milk,” which can be excused since in both ways, the meaning stays the same, which is: what’s done is done. Still, correctly, it looks like this: 

Everyone knows what it’s like when your heart starts racing, whether it’s over something exciting or nerve-racking. Turns out Italians do, too. 

Italians love olive oil, so it’s only expected that there should be an idiom related to it. Well, it’s actually related to oil more generally, but hey. In this case, it means something went well, without a hitch. 

And we will stay on track with this next idiom, of similarly positive meaning: full speed ahead. 

This is a handy phrase for when you want to tell someone they are unfairly using a double standard. 

“To kill two birds with one stone” surely sounds familiar. This is basically that saying, but a little more specific in terms of the bird and the tool.  

This is a familiar feeling to most people: you’re about to do something exciting or scary, your ears get hot and your heart rises up into your throat.  

This idiom is to be used when you are frustrated with someone’s stubbornness, their inability or unwillingness to understand your point. 

Sometimes there are situations in which you can do nothing but run like hell. This is an idiom for those times. 

Occasionally, you’ve got to take stock of a given situation and look at what you’ve got. To suggest doing so, you’d say: 

Mostly used in situations where you’d like to make a point of not knowing something, “what do I know” often has an element of “what do I care.” Use it sparingly, in situations like this: 

Un colpo grosso mostly has a positive connotation, as in some major good thing that happens, a big deal. 

To take a lifetime to do something is mostly too long, but sometimes, this idiom can be used in a way that says “I’ll do something even if it takes me a lifetime.” Otherwise, you’d use it like this: 

Just like having a crush, but in a more Italian sort of way. This isn’t an Italian idiom that can be translated word for word, so we used the word “crush” in the example below, even if the word isn’t the same. 

So there you have it: 84 Italian idioms to sprinkle into your Italian conversations to impress your Italian friends or family.

While a list of Italian idioms like this one is a great starting point, to really start learning and using these idioms, you'll need to immerse yourself in italian.

Try to spot these Italian idioms and others when you're in daily contact with the language, whether that's by reading Italian blogs, watching Italian movies and YouTubers or listening to Italian podcasts.