Hi everyone, I'm a translation/interpretation student in Milan, determined to work for the EU one day. I'm Italian, but I've also lived in Minnesota, US, as an exchange student, and in Spain for my first year of college. So I can speak English and Spanish fluently alongside Italian natively. I'm currently working on my Dutch, too! Hope to see many submissions from you!
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Slang USED Frequently BY Teens
(strawberry) • Someone rich and snobby. Mostly used for girls.
"Esas chavas son unas fresas."
"Those girls are such strawberries."
Abbreviation USED On Occasion BY Adults
Short for "lectori salutem" - greeting to the reader - used like the English "to whom it may concern".
"L.S., we willen u graag laten weten dat..."
"L.S., we would like to inform you that..."
Submitted September 2020 by giadafardin
Word USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(n.) • (shieldtoad) • This is the word for "turtle".
"Mijn zusje heeft een mooie schilpad. Hij heet Padje P."
"My little sister has got a beautiful shieldtoad. His name is Padje P."
Idiom USED On Occasion BY Teens
(to give pumpkins) • It means to turn someone down and reject them, for example when they're flirting with you.
"Le pedí a María de salir conmigo a la fiesta pero me dio calabazas."
"I asked Maria to go to the party with me but she gave me pumpkins."
Word USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(n.) • (clouds) • That's the word for "marshmallow".
"Me apetece comerme unas nubes."
"I feel like having some clouds."
æ
Sound USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(interj.) • Onomatopeia uttered when having a toast. It resembles the sound of glasses brushing against each other.
"Alla salute! Cin cin!"
"Cheers! Cin cin!"
Expression USED On Very Rare Occasion BY Adults
(in front of the people) • Publicly, in front of a group of people.
"Non ho intenzione di parlarti così, coram populo."
"I won't talk to you like this, in front of the people."
Submitted September 2020 by giadafardin
Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People
(about tastes) • From the Latin phrase "de gustibus non disputandum est", meaning that tastes and preferences aren't to argue about because they're personal and not objective. It's used in Italian as a polite answer to someone liking something we don't.
"Titanic è il mio film preferito in assoluto!" "De gustibus."
"Titanic is my absolute favorite movie!" "About tastes."
Idiom USED On Rare Occasion BY Adults
(in wine (is) truth) • Used to mean that someone under the effect of alcohol is likely to voice their hidden thoughts.
"Mi dispiace per quello che ho detto. Ero ubriaco." "In vino veritas."
"I'm sorry for what I said. I was drunk." "In wine is truth."
Spanish
Spanish speaking countries
Word USED Frequently BY Everyone
(n.) • (feather) • That's the word for "pen" in some American countries.
"Agarra una pluma y apunta esto."
"Grab a feather and write this down."
Expression USED Very frequently BY Everyone
(at the end of the fair) • It means "after all".
"Beh, alla fin della fiera oggi non ho concluso nulla."
"Well, at the end of the fair today I accomplished nothing."
Expression USED On Occasion BY Adults
(elbow oil) • Effort, hard work.
"Ci vuole un po' di olio di gomito per pulire il pavimento."
"You need a little elbow oil to clean the floor."
Spanish
Spanish speaking countries
Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(nail and dirt) • Inseparable, just like a nail and the dirt underneath.
"Esos dos son uña y mugre: van juntos a todos lados."
"These two are nail and dirt - they go everywhere together."
Word USED Frequently BY Almost Everyone
(n.) • A sparkling drink.
"What pop would you like, ma'am?" "A root beer, please."
Word USED Frequently BY Everyone
(n.) • (betweentoes) • Flip-flops.
"Ho comprato un paio di infradito nuove per l'estate."
"I bought a new pair of betweentoes for the summer."
Word USED Frequently BY Young People
(v.) • (to sweep) • To have a sexual intercourse.
"Chissà se avranno scopato quella sera."
"I wonder if they swept that night."
Abbreviation USED Very frequently BY Teens
The Italian for six is "sei", which is also the 2nd person singular of the verb to be. That's why you can use this number to mean "you are".
"Ci 6? Quando arrivi?"
"6 there? When are you coming?"
alt
Expression USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone
(to have one's balls on a carousel) • To be annoyed, irritated or angry.
"Mi sa che la mamma ha le balle in giostra oggi: non fa altro che sbuffare."
"I think mom has her balls on a carousel today - all she does is grumble."
Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(to look for the hair in the egg) • To be a nitpicker.
''Ma smettila di criticare tutto e tutti! Non serve sempre cercare il pelo nell'uovo!''
"Stop criticizing everything and everyone! There's no need to always look for the hair in the egg!''
Word USED Very frequently BY Young People
(n.) • (big bottle) • Spanish activity consisting of people gathering outdoors to socialize while drinking. It's popular among the youth partly due to rising drink prices at bars or clubs, and partly because more people can meet in one place. It's not a substitute to typical nightlife, but rather a cheaper way to drink with people before going out.
"¿Quién se apunta al botellón de esta noche?" "¡Yo! Voy a llevar calimocho."
"Who's coming to tonight's big bottle?" "I am! I'm bringing calimocho (red wine and cola)."
Word USED On Occasion BY Children
(n.) • (foureyes) • A slightly offensive way of calling people who wear glasses.
"Alice è una quattrocchi!"
"Alice is a foureyes!"
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?"
syn
alt
Non hai tutti i venerdì a posto
Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People
(You don't have all your Fridays in place) • To be crazy or a bit odd.
"Ma cosa stai dicendo?! Tu non hai tutti i venerdì a posto."
"What are you saying?! You don't have all your Fridays in place."
Portmanteau USED Frequently BY Everyone
(yesno) • Yes and no. And also neither of them.
"Quindi hai litigato con tuo fratello?" "Nì."
"So did you argue with your brother?" "Yesno."
Emoji USED Very frequently BY Teenage Girls
It means something is very cute. The word for that is "mono", which happens to have "monkey" as its first meaning, hence the emoji.
"Te he comprado chuches." "Ayyy 🙈"
"I bought you candy." "Awww 🙈"
Reference USED On Occasion BY Teens
(neither Periscope nor hosts) • Reference to a video gone viral in 2016 in which a mom catches her daughter using Periscope, a livestreaming platform, and starts scolding her without turning the camera off so that the whole audience was able to witness the scene. Currently used to mean that someone shouldn't find an excuse for their bad behavior.
"Ni Periscope ni hostias, quemadísima me tienes."
"Neither Periscope nor hosts, you have me furious."
Expression USED On Occasion BY Adults
(in balls) • With one's testicles out, i.e. naked.
"Abrígate, que viene la vecina. Que no te pille en pelotas."
"Cover up, the neighbor is coming. She better not see you in balls."
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!"
Expression USED On Occasion BY Children
(too bad peanut butter) • A sarcastic, childish and rhyming way of saying you feel sorry for someone if something not all that bad happened to them. Like "that's too bad".
"Ben je je potlood kwijt? Helaas pindakaas."
"You lost your pencil? Too bad peanut butter."
Word USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(n.) • (mother's stain) • The word for "birthmark".
"Als die moedervlek nog groter wordt, kan je beter naar de dokter gaan."
"If that mother's stain gets any bigger, you'd better go to the doctor."
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..."
syn
Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(a game for kids) • Something very easy to do.
"Lascia fare a me: è un gioco da ragazzi!"
"Let me do it - it's a game for kids!"
Word USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone
(n.) • (goose) • A girl acting in a foolish way. Often laughing too loudly or trying to get a boy's attention.
"Sei proprio un'oca quando fai così."
"You're such a goose when you act like that."
Standard Phrase USED Very frequently BY Some People
(at the half) • It means "at half past x" and there's no need to say what hour.
"Ci vediamo in piazza alla mezza?"
"See you in the square at the half?"
syn
Acronym USED Very frequently BY Teens
Short for "comunque", which translates to "anyways" or "by the way".
"Cmq non mi va di andare al cinema stasera."
"I don't feel like going to the movies tonight btw."
syn
Spanish
Spanish speaking countries
Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(when cows fly) • Expression used when you want to emphasize that something is never going to happen. Oh well, maybe when cows fly.
"¿Mi madre dejarme ir al concierto de Maluma sola? Sí claro, cuando las vacas vuelen."
"My mother allowing me to go to Maluma's concert by myself? Yeah sure, when cows fly."
Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(for if the flies) • It means that you're doing something not because it's necessary, but "just in case".
"Me he comprado un boli más, por si las moscas."
"I bought an extra pen, for if the flies."
syn
Sound USED Very frequently BY Dogs
This is what Italian dogs say.
"Bau bau bau!"
"Give me more food, human!"
syn
Sound USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(knock knock) • Onomatopeia indicating the sound made by someone knocking on a door.
"Toc toc, è permesso?"
"Knock knock, may I come in?"
Standard Phrase USED On Occasion BY Friends
(Whether you like sausage!) • Phrase used when the person you're talking to did not hear what you said and is asking you to repeat. Often pronounced louder than necessary for added effect.
"Wat ga je morgen doen?" "Huh?" "Ik vroeg: wat ga je morgen doen?" "Wat?" "Of je worst lust!"
"What are you doing tomorrow?" "Huh?" "I asked - what are you doing tomorrow?" "What?" "Whether you like sausage!"
English
New York,
United States
Slang USED Very frequently BY ex inmates
It's slang for "in the free world", "out of prison".
"Now that I've been in the street for 7 years, I've accomplished many things."
Expression USED Frequently BY Some People
(In the whale's ass!) • This is a way to wish someone good luck. Pay close attention to what you're expected to answer.
"In culo alla balena per domani!" "Speriamo che non caghi!"
"In the whale's ass for tomorrow!" "Let's hope it doesn't shit!"
Sound USED Very frequently BY roosters
Sound made by Italian roosters.
"Chicchirichì!"
"Time to wake up, you slackers!"
Expression USED On Occasion BY Teens
(to give sapling) • To stand someone up.
"Ni se os ocurra darme plantón mañana."
"Don't you give me sapling tomorrow."
Expression USED On Occasion BY Teens
(to give hole) • To stand someone up i.e. to not show up for an appointment or date.
"Guarda, sono arrabbiatissima! Come ha potuto darmi buca?!"
"Look, I'm furious! How could he give me hole?!"
English
Minnesota,
United States
Expression USED In the past BY Almost Everyone
It's a way of saying that something is great.
"See you at my place at 3pm?" "Cool beans!"
Spanish
Spanish speaking countries
Word USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(n.) • (little doves) • It's the word for 'popcorn'.
"Siempre que van al cine, se guardan una bolsa de palomitas en la mochila antes de entrar a la sala."
"Every time they go to the movies, they keep a bag of little doves in their backpack before entering the theater."
Expression USED Frequently BY Everyone
(In the wolf's mouth!) • You say this to wish good luck. There's a debate over the answer to give - "crepi" (may it die) or "evviva il lupo" (may the wolf live). You only have to choose what side you're on.
"Domani ho la consegna della tesi di laurea: augurami buona fortuna." "In bocca al lupo!"
"Tomorrow I have to turn in my thesis - wish me luck." "In the wolf's mouth!"
Expression USED On Occasion BY Adults
(to be in the peacock age) • This expression is used to describe the stage that takes place after childhood and before adolescence (between 11 and 13 years old).
"Ay, estás en la edad del pavo: no dejas de reírte por nada."
"Uf, you're in the peacock age - you won't stop laughing about nothing."
Expression USED On Occasion BY Adults
(to discover warm water) • It means to discover something obvious, maybe even with lots of thought and/or effort.
"I gatti che hanno il pelo tricolore sono solo femmine! Wow!" "Ma va? Hai scoperto l'acqua calda!"
"Tricolor cats are only female! Wow!" "Oh really? You discovered warm water!"
Spanish
Spanish speaking countries
Hashtag USED In the past BY Everyone
(#Iwillstayhome) • Hashtag used during the COVID-19 pandemic to encourage people to follow the quarantine.
"#YoMeQuedoEnCasa ¿y tú?"
"#Iwillstayhome and you?"
Name USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(Little mouse) • What Italians call Mickey Mouse.
"Guardiamo Topolino!"
"Let's watch Mickey Mouse!"
Abbreviation USED Frequently BY Children and teenagers
(I love you) • Short for "ti voglio bene", the non-romantic "love you".
"Martina, sei la mia migliore amica. TVB!"
"Martina, you're my best friend. TVB!"
il giorno del poi e il mese del mai
Expression USED On Occasion BY Adults
(the day of later and the month of never) • You want your nosy aunt to stop asking you when you're going to get a boyfriend? Answer this and you'll see her wheels spinning trying to figure out you just told her you're going to postpone as much as you can.
"Ma, allora, quando ti fidanzi?" "Il giorno del poi e il mese del mai!"
"So when are you gonna get engaged?" "The day of later and the month of never!"
Idiom USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(inflated-sails-ly) • Successfully.
"Grande, il colloquio è andato a gonfie vele!"
"Yay, your interview was a success!"
Slang USED Frequently BY Almost Everyone
(Who rubs of it) • You don't care about the gossip they're forcing you to listen to? If you're not afraid to sound a little too blunt, you can opt for "chi se ne frega".
"Chi se ne frega se si sono lasciati! Sono fatti loro."
"Who cares if they broke up! It's their business."
Word USED On Occasion BY Lombards and Swiss people
(n.) • (little female Spaniard) • It means "peanut".
"A Capodanno non possono mai mancare le spagnolette!"
"Peanuts can't ever miss for New Year's!"
Word USED Frequently BY Everyone
(n.) • This is what the Italian Swiss call their phones.
"Ho dimenticato il natel a casa! E adesso come faccio a chiamare Lucia?"
"I forgot my phone at home! How will I call Lucy now?"
Interjection USED Frequently BY Everyone
(interj.) • This is what you say when you don't have or don't know a good answer for the question they asked you. It could be translated as "I don't know".
"Che tempo fa oggi?" "Boh, non ho guardato il meteo."
"What's the weather like today?" "I don't know, I didn't check the forecast."
Interjection USED On Occasion BY Parents
This is the Italian version of Peekaboo, a game for infants. To play, the parent hides their face behind their hands and then pops back into the view saying the word bubusettete and so surprising the kid.
"Bubu...settete! Eccomi qui!"
"Peekaboo! Here I am!"
Standard Phrase USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(on the battle) • Phrase used to encourage others to start something that needs to be done.
"Oké jongens, aan de slag! We hebben niet veel tijd meer."
"Okay guys, let's get to work! We don't have much time left."
Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(The fat coin (goes) to you) • You say this when you want to give up on an argument and tell the other person they're right without actually meaning it.
"La pizza con piña está muy rica." "Que no, que es una aberración." "Está buenísima." "Dejémoslo ya, pa ti la perra gorda."
"Pineapple pizza is very tasty." "It's not, it's an abomination." "It's delicious." "Let's leave it, the fat coin goes to you."
Idiom USED On Occasion BY Some People
(If it's not soup, it's wet bread) • This idiom is used when someone is left with only one obvious option after trying guessing the other, wrong one.
"Chi ha scritto la Divina Commedia?" "Petrarca?" "No." "Dante, allora." "Beh, se non è zuppa, è pan bagnato..."
"Who wrote the Divine Comedy?" "Petrarch?" "No." "Dante, then." "Well, if it's not soup, it's wet bread..."
Slang USED Frequently BY Everyone
(n.) • The term refers to tourists, specifically those from the North of Europe.
"Mira, ahí vienen unos guiris con sandalias y calcetines."
"Look, there come guiris wearing socks and sandals."
Word USED Frequently BY Everyone
(v.) • (Plant it!) • Meaning "stop it", it's used when you want someone to quit annoying you.
"Non voglio più saperne dei tuoi scherzi! Piantala!"
"Enough of your pranks! Plant it!"
Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(You lost your pot) • To go crazy, with the pot referring to one's head.
“¿Qué! ¿No quieres llevar paraguas con la de lluvia que hace? Se te fue la olla, mijo.”
“What?! You don't want to take an umbrella with how bad it's raining? You lost your pot, son.“
Uno, due, tre... Fante, cavallo e re!
Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Elderly people
(One, two, three... Jack, knight and king!) • This rhyme is something elderly people say when counting up to three, sometimes before getting up from a chair or sofa.
"Ah, mi fa male la schiena! Adesso mi alzo. Uno, due, tre... Fante, cavallo e re!"
"Ouch, my back hurts! I'll get up now. One, two, three. Jack, knight and king!"
Italian
Primarily the North,
Italy
Word USED Frequently BY Teens
(v.) • (to lemon) • To kiss someone with the tongue (to make out).
"Ho visto Gianni e Davide limonare su una panchina al parco."
"I saw John and David lemoning on a bench in the park."
Spanish
Spanish speaking countries
Slang USED Frequently BY Young people
(goodbye fish) • Similar to the English "see you later alligator", it's a colloquial expression used with friends to say goodbye in a funny, rhyming way.
"Nos vemos el martes, ¡chao pescao!"
"See you on Tuesday, goodbye fish!"
Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone
(To return bread for focaccia) • To give someone a taste of their own medicine i.e. to treat them as badly as they treated you.
"Il vicino tiene la musica alta perché sei stato maleducato con lui? Ben ti sta, ti ha reso pan per focaccia."
"The neighbor is playing music loudly because you were mean to him? Serves you right, he returned you bread for focaccia."
