Italian
| Veneto dialects
Veneto,
Italy
Word USED Very frequently BY Everyone
(n.) • (money ) • "Schei" comes from an old coin value, the Scheidemünze, used during the Lombardo-Veneto reign that was under Austrian hegemony.
"Son sensa schei." "Gh'eto du schei?"
"I have no money." "Do you have any money?"
Latin
Central and Southern Italy,
Italy
Word USED On Rare Occasion BY Almost Everyone
(noun) • (withwhat) • The word "conquibus" indicates an amount of money needed for something.
"Hai portato il conquibus?"
"Did you bring the money with you?"
Submitted August 2020 by parolina
Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(bye everyone, the pretty ones and the ugly ones) • It is a rhyme expression used to greet a group of people. It is similar to "See you later, alligator" but it can be used both when you arrive and when you leave.
"Io vado. Ciao a tutti, belli e brutti."
"I'll go. Bye everyone, the pretty ones and the ugly ones."
Expression USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone
Typically used when it rains a lot.
"Ragazzi, sta proprio piovendo a catinelle!"
"Guys, it’s really raining cats and dogs!"
Expression USED Very frequently BY Everyone
(down in buckets) • It is a phrase used when it's pouring.
"È piovuto ieri notte?" "Sì, a seci roversi!"
"Did it rain last night?" "Yes, it came down in buckets!"
Submitted August 2020 by johnnybozz
Slang USED Frequently BY Young People
(v.) • (to stain) • To sweat.
"Fa così caldo che sto pezzando!"
"It’s so hot that I'm staining!"
Word USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(n.) • A pizza-based lunch or dinner organized with a group of friends in a restaurant, often to celebrate something.
"Chi viene alla pizzata di domani?"
"Who's coming to tomorrow's pizzata?"
Idiom USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone
(to be with the hands in the hands) • You use "stare con le mani in mano" to say that someone doesn't do anything when they're supposed to.
"Non stare con le mani in mano, aiutami a portare i piatti."
"Don't be with the hands in the hands, help me bring the dishes."
Expression USED Frequently BY Everyone
(water in mouth) • This is what you say when you want to tell someone to keep a secret.
"Lo sapevi che Gianna ha tradito Mario? Mi raccomando, acqua in bocca."
"Did you know that Gianna cheated on Mario? I beg of you, water in mouth."
la vita non è tutta rose e fiori
Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Anyone
(life is not all roses and flowers) • It means that anything can happen to us in life, not only good things. Roses and flowers symbolise the good things.
"Sara, so che è un periodo difficile. Purtroppo la vita non è sempre rose e fiori!"
"Sara, I know it's a difficult time. Unfortunately, life is not always roses and flowers!"
Italian
| Tuscan
Tuscany,
Italy
la vita è come la scala del pollaio: corta e piena di merda
Expression USED Frequently BY Older Generations
(life is like the ladder to the hen-house: short and full of shit) • Used to say that life is short and difficult.
"Bimbo mio, abituati. La vita è come la scala del pollaio: corta e piena di merda."
"Sweet child, get used to it. Life is like the ladder to the hen-house: short and full of shit."
Expression USED On Occasion BY Adults
(brushing dolls' hair) • Doing something useless or unnecessary, wasting time.
"Vi volete mettere al lavoro? Non vi pago mica per pettinare le bambole!"
"Will you please start working? I don't pay you to brush dolls' hair!"
Interjection USED Frequently BY Everyone
(interj.) • (my mother!) • You say "mamma mia!" whenever you are surprised, scared, annoyed or happy.
"Sapevi che Anna ha sette figli?" "Mamma mia! Sono così tanti!"
"Did you know that Anna has seven children?" "My mother! They are so many!"
Italian
| Neapolitan
Naples,
Italy
Word USED Frequently BY Everyone
(adj.) • You use "sereticcio" to say that a food has lost its crispness.
"Questo biscotto è sereticcio."
"This biscuit is stale."
Submitted August 2020 by ottavio
Italian
Molise, Campania,
Italy
Idiom USED On Occasion BY Older Generations
(Who do you belong to?) • A question asked to understand who your parents or grandparents are. It's usually asked to young people, especially if they moved away or if they have not spent time in the local community. Often the easiest way to answer is using your family's last name, so that older people can easily recall who your relatives are.
"A chi appartieni?" "Ai Tramontana." "Ah, ma sei il figlio di Antonio!"
"Who do you belong to?" "To the Tramontanas." "Oh so you're Antonio's son!"
Idiom USED On Occasion BY Parents
(lions at night...) • Used when someone stays up late at night but then the following morning has troubles getting out of bed.
"Ah, adesso hai sonno? Alla sera leoni..."
"Oh, you're tired now? Lions at night..."
Word USED Frequently BY Young People
(adj.) • (beautiful) • It’s a way to say “hello” to your friends in Rome. It can be followed by their name or by “zì” (lit. “uncle”), which means “bro”.
"Bella, zì!" "Bella, Simo!"
"Hello, bro!" "Hello, Simon!"
Hashtag USED Very frequently BY Social media users
(#GoodMorningFromMondello) • Mondello is a famous Sicilian beach that went viral lately after an interview about anti-covid measures on Italian beaches. Social media users now repeat that expression anytime they are at the seaside (not necessarily, though) and make hashtags, parodies, Instagram filters and much more out of it.
“#BuongiornodaMondello, oggi al mare! Ma non avete un po’ paura del covid?” “Non ce n’è coviddi, non ce n’è!”
“#GoodMorningFromMondello, so you are at the seaside today! But aren’t you a little scared of covid?” “There’s no coviddi here, not at all!”
Idiom USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone
(to take a Peppe's route) • You use it when someone takes a very long route when they could have taken a very shorter one.
"Ci hai fatto fa' er giro de Peppe quando saremmo potuti essere arrivati molto prima."
"You made us take a Peppe's route while we could have arrived way earlier."
Slang USED Frequently BY Teens
(adv.) • (At funny) • You use "a buffo" when you do something randomly, not giving it much thought.
"Mi ha chiamato a buffo."
"He called me at funny."