If you’ve been learning Italian for a while, by now you probably know most basic expressions like ciao, come stai, or va bene. They are really useful (I mean, the basics are the basics for a reason!) but they won’t get you very far once you start talking to real Italian people. Because, you see, Italians don’t really use textbook phrases but a lot of idiomatic expressions that sound very strange to most learners.
The point is, these expressions are not “obscure” or “literary.” They are the stuff you hear everyday at the bar or in everyday chats with Italian friends. And if you want to sound authentic and really understand Italians when they speak, you really need to know them. Even if it might sound awkward at first!
This is basically the equivalent of “Tom, Dick and Harry.” And just like that, you use it when you want to talk about generic people without naming anyone specific. It’s really casual and often used when someone overshares with strangers.
Example: Non puoi raccontare i tuoi segreti a Tizio, Caio e Sempronio. → “You can’t tell your secrets to just anyone.”
You might even hear the shortened version stopping at “Si chiama Pietro” and it’s a playful phrase you use when you lend something. Literally, it means “It’s called Pietro and it comes back” and it’s meant to remind you that it should be returned.
Example: Ti presto la penna, ma si chiama Pietro e torna indietro! → “I’ll lend you the pen but remember, it has to come back.”
A wonderfully visual expression that literally means “to make milk come to the knees.” It describes something (or someone) so tedious that it’s unbearable and you often use it to talk about boring speeches or people who complain too much.
Example: Quel discorso era troppo lungo, mi ha fatto venire il latte alle ginocchia. → “That speech was too long, it was unbearable.”
This expression is used when something is so absurd or nonsensical that it just doesn’t hold up. Italians generally drop it when they hear an excuse, idea, or situation that’s completely unreasonable.
Example: La tua spiegazione non sta né in cielo né in terra. → “Your explanation makes absolutely no sense.”
This is a very common Italian expression. It literally translates to “to make an ugly figure” but actually means to embarrass yourself or make a fool of yourself. The so-called “figuraccia” can be small (like spilling coffee on yourself) or bigger (like saying something completely wrong in public).
Example: Ho dimenticato le parole della canzone sul palco, che figuraccia! → “I forgot the lyrics on stage, what an embarrassment!”
This means “water in your mouth” and is an idiomatic way to say “Keep it to yourself!” After all, if you have water in your mouth you cannot speak! Italians use it when they share a secret and while they say it half-jokingly, they mean it.
Example: Ti racconto una cosa, ma acqua in bocca! → “I’ll tell you something, but you must keep it secret!”
It’s a very direct way of saying “I don’t care at all,” definitely stronger than a simple “non mi importa.” It shows real indifference or annoyance at something. But be careful: it’s really informal, so it works just fine with friends but not in a formal setting!
Example: Non me ne frega niente se piove, io vado lo stesso. → “I couldn’t care less if it rains, I’m going anyway.”
Translating to “to have holes in your hands,” this is what Italians say about people who can’t keep money. Those kinds of people that, no matter how much they earn, it all slips right through their fingers. Most of the time, they say it in a half-teasing, half-critical way.
Example: Appena riceve lo stipendio, lo spende subito: ha le mani bucate. → “As soon as he gets paid, he spends it all—he just can’t hold on to money.”
This expression describes the relief you feel after confessing something or resolving a long-standing problem. It literally means “to remove a weight” and Italians generally use it after admitting a secret or clarifying an uncomfortable situation.
Example: Gli ho detto tutto e mi sono tolto un peso. → “I told him everything and I feel like a weight’s been lifted.”
Literally “to take something with tweezers.” It’s used when the discussed information is doubtful or needs to be treated carefully. It’s basically the Italian equivalent of “take it with a grain of salt.”
Example: Quella notizia prendila con le pinze, non è confermata. → “Take that news with a grain of salt, it hasn’t been confirmed.”
This one is well-known amongst Italian learners and it’s one of the most frequently used expressions in Italian. It means “to look forward to something” or “to be eager.” Literally it means “to not see the hour,” as in being unable to wait.
Example: Non vedo l’ora che arrivi l’estate. → “I can’t wait for summer to come.”
Literally “a lightning strike.” You use it to talk about love at first sight. It’s extremely common and, while it mainly used to talk about romance, you can also use it for sudden passions, like a new hobby!
Example: Quando l’ho vista è stato un colpo di fulmine. → “When I saw her, it was love at first sight.”
“Essere al verde” is one of the most common ways to say you’re broke, out of money. It literally means “to be at the green” and while there are many theories about it, we don’t really know why we say it like that. It’s more on the casual side but you can make it work even in more formal situations.
Example: Vorrei venire al ristorante, ma sono al verde. → “I’d love to come to the restaurant, but I’m out of money.”
This is the Italian equivalent of “to turn the blind eye.” Just like the English expressions, even in Italian you talk about eyes; in fact, it literally means “to close one eye.” You use this when you willingly ignore a mistake or a rule.
Example: Il controllore ha chiuso un occhio perché avevo dimenticato l’abbonamento. → “The ticket inspector turned a blind eye because I’d forgotten my pass.”
This is a nice compliment in Italian. While it literally, and quite non–sensically, means “to be in leg,” it describes someone that’s capable and talented.
Example: Tua sorella è davvero in gamba: risolve qualsiasi problema. → “Your sister is really sharp: she can solve anything.”
Literally “to have no hair on your tongue.” Italians use this expression to talk about people who speak bluntly, without sugarcoating. And, depending on tone, it can be praise (honesty) or criticism (rudeness).
Example: Marco non ha peli sulla lingua, dice sempre quello che pensa. → “Marco never minces words, he always says what he thinks.”
Literally “to live on air.” It’s used when someone seems to survive with almost nothing: little money, little food, yet they still manage. Often rhetorical.
Example: Con quello stipendio come fai a vivere? Campi d’aria? → “How do you live on that salary? Do you live on air?”
This one is a little fun. It literally means “to have a stink under the nose” and it’s a quite vivid way to call someone arrogant or snobbish.
Example: Non vuole parlare con nessuno, ha sempre la puzza sotto il naso. → “She doesn’t want to talk to anyone, she’s always acting stuck-up.”
This is a very common expression in daily speech and you’ll hear it a lot in Italy. It means “to pretend nothing happened” and, as you can surely imagine, Italians use it when someone deliberately ignores a problem, an insult, or a situation.
Example: Ha visto tutto ma ha fatto finta di niente. → “He saw everything but pretended nothing happened.”
To finish it off, another favorite of Italian learners, who learn it quite early. It literally translates to “to break the boxes” and is a casual way of saying “to annoy” or “to be a pain.” It can be friendly teasing or genuine irritation, depending on tone.
Example: Smettila di rompere le scatole, sto lavorando! → “Stop bothering me, I’m working!”
Yes and no. The twenty expressions we collected above are safe bets. They’re really common and you’ll hear them from North to South Italy. So use them as much as you want without worries. However, you should always remember that Italy is full of regionalisms and dialects, so in a particular city or region they might have a different local expression to say them!
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