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Neapolitan Proverbs
and Idioms

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 Italian Language and Dialects 

Neapolitan Proverbs and Idioms

The following are some famous Neapolitan sayings. In some instances, we have included the standard Italian phrase for comparison. Note the differences from standard Italian, especially in the vowels and definite articles.

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'A neve d'int 'a sacca.
Italian: Con la neve 'e nel sacco.
(Literally: "With snow in his/her pocket.")
English: Speedy; with much haste.

'Na vutat''e mente.
Italian: Mutata mente.
English: A changed mind.

'Vatte 'o 'fierro quann' 'e ccavero.
Italian: Battere il ferro quando 'e caldo.
English: Strike the iron while it is hot.
Moral: Teach your children while they are still young.

"Mannaggia 'a pressa", dicette 'a maruzza.
English: "Damn this haste!" says the snail.
Moral: Stop and smell the roses; Enjoy life.

Ll'auciello s'apparano 'ncielo, e 'e chiavecche 'nterra.
Italian: Dio li fa e poi gli accopia.
English: Birds mate in the sky, and rascals mate on the earth.
Moral: Birds of a feather flock together.

Si vuo' perdere 'e denare, fatella cu l'avvucate.
Si vuo' perdere 'e saluta, fatella cu 'e miedece.
English: If you want to lose your money, associate with lawyers.
If you want to lose your health, associate with doctors.

Fa chello ca dic'i', e nu cchiello ca facc'i.
English: Do what I say, and not what I do.

Che pecura se fa, s' 'o manga 'o lupo.
English: If you act like a sheep, the wolf will eat you.
Moral: Take risks in life, or you won't get ahead.

Fa ll'arte ca saje, ca si nun t'arrechisce, camparraje.
English: Find a job that you know how to do. If you don't get rich, at least you'll make a living.

Nun sputa e' n'aria, ca 'nfaccia te torna.
Don't spit at the sky, because it will come back to you.

Lassame, ca t''a dongo 'a cinche lire!
English: Let me go, I already gave you a cent!

Carcere e malatie se vede 'o core 'e ll'amice.
(Literally: When in jail or sick, whoever sees the heart is a friend.)
English: A friend in need is a friend indeed.

'E denare fanno veni 'a vist' 'e cecate.
English: Money makes sight return to the blind person.

Amore 'e mamma nun te 'nganna.
Italian: Il amore di una mamma 'e vero.
English: The love of a mother is true.

'Llieto 'e galera fanno l'ommo peggio che era.
English: Staying in bed or in prison makes a person's temper evil.

Mazza e panella fanno 'e figlie belle;
panella senza mazza fanne 'e figlie pazze.
English: Punishments and rewards make good children;
rewards without punishments make wild children.

Chisto 'e 'o munno: chi naviga e chi va 'nfunno.
English: This is the world: some sail and some sink.

Chi vo' 'o male 'e chesta case hadda crepa' apprima.
English: Whoever wishes evil on this house will have it return to him/her.
Moral: Appreciate your family.

Chi ha fatt''e figlie, se l'addorme.
English: Whoever has had children makes them sleep.
Moral: Parenting may present you with unforeseen problems; be prepared.

Chello ca 'e scritto 'ncielo, 'nterra manca nun po'.
English: Everything written in the heavens must happen on earth.

'A ccriatura nun prumettere e 'a ssanto nun fa vuto.
English: Breaking a promise to a child is like breaking a vow to a saint.

Fa chi'u miracule 'o vino che Sant'Andulino.
English: Wine performs more miracles than Saint Anthony.

'U pesce nun se po'ffrie cu l'acqua.
(Literally: "It isn't possible to fry fish with water.")
English: To work wonders in the kitchen is not always possible.

Quanne piscia 'a gallina!
(Literally: "When the chicken pees.")
English: Never.

'A mosca dinto 'o viscuvato.
English: A fly in the ointment.

A tre asse.
(Literally: "3 Aces.")
English: Holding all the cards.

ll'Accademia 'e ll'ova toste.
(Literally: "School is a hard-boiled egg.")
English: The point is moot; this discussion is going nowhere.

Miette 'e denare 'ncanna a 'o ciuccio e 'o chiammano don ciuccio.
English: If you hide your money in the mouth of a donkey, people will call it "Sir Donkey".
Moral: Whoever has money gets respect.

'O ciuccio che se crede cervo, quando va pe' zump 'o fuosso se ne addona.
English: The donkey who believes himself to be a deer realizes that he is not a deer when he tries to jump over the ditch.
Moral: Be happy with who you are.

S'e appicciato 'o ciuccio cu ttutt'a carretta.
(Literally: "The donkey and the cart caught fire altogether.")
English: We've lost everything.

O' chiu' bello d''a vita e' 'o durmi.
English: The best thing about life is sleeping.

L'ammore nun s'accate e nun se venne.
English: You can't buy or sell love.

Guaglio' 'e chiacchiere nun ghienceno 'a panza.
English: A person who is a chatterbox doesn't fill his/her stomach.
Moral: Actions, not words.

Doppo 'e quarant' anne nun s'addimanda chiu "Cumme staje?", ma "Cumme te sienti?".
English: After age 40, don't ask "How are you?", but rather "How do you feel?".

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