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 Italian Language and Dialects 

Italian Proverbs and Idioms

Orginally written by Marco Schiavo and Jennifer Genzale for the Adesso! 1999 Year in Review Edition. Additional proverbs have been added to this list by Bob Yantosca and other FIERI Boston members. Some idioms published in the Adesso! November 2002 edition have also been included.

Italian elders are known for their proverbs. Can you guess the English equivalent and moral of each of the following?

Chi pratica con lo zoppo impara a zoppicare.
English: He who goes with the limping man learns to limp.
Moral: Choose your friends wisely.

Chi vai a letto con i cani, si leva con le pulci.
English: He who sleeps with dogs, wakes up with fleas.
Moral: Choose your friends wisely.

Dimmi chi pratichi e ti diru chi sei.
English: Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are.
Moral: Choose your friends wisely.

Troppi cuochi guastano la cucina (la minestra).
English: Too many cooks spoil the broth.

Accompagnati con chi e meglio di te, e fagli le spese.
English: Accompany yourself with people who are better than you, even if you must pay their expenses.
Moral: Cultivate friendships with people who know more than you, and learn from them.

Meglio morire con onore, che vivere con vergogna.
English: It is better to die with honor than to live with shame.
Moral: Live an honorable life.

Chi ha tempo, non aspetti tempo.
(Literally: "He who has time does not wait for time.")
English: A stitch in time saves nine.
Moral: Do not procrastinate.

Meglio nascere senza nazo che senza fortuna.
English: It is better to be born without a nose than without luck.

Chi ride in gioventu, piange in vecchiaia.
English: He who laughs while he is young, cries when he is old.
Moral: Work hard and save your money while you are young.

Nella vecchiaia, la vita pesa e la morte spaventa.
English: In old age, life is burdensome and death is fearsome.

Chi dorme non prende pesci.
(Literally: "He who sleeps does not get the fish.")
English: The early bird gets the worm.
Moral: Don't be lazy.

Dio li fa e poi gli accopia.
English: Birds of a feather flock together.

Tempo 'e denaro.
English: Time is money.

Battere il ferro quando 'e caldo.
(Literally: "Work the iron when it is hot.")
English: Spare the rod and spoil the child.
Moral: Discipline your children while they are young.

Il buongiorno si vede la mattina.
English: You see the good day in the morning.
Moral: Make a good first impression.

L'abito non fa il monaco.
(Literally: "The habit does not make the monk.")
English: Don't judge a book by its cover.
Moral: Do not be judgmental.

Ride bene chi ride ultimo.
English: He who laughs best, laughs last.
Moral: Be patient.

Chi semina spine, non vada scalzo.
English: Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Moral: Do not criticize others.

Chi buon incomincia, si trove alla meta' dell'opera.
English: He who starts well finds himself halfway done.
Moral: Don't procrastinate.

Lagrime di donne, fontana di malizia. A donna piangente, non credere niente.
English: Tears of a woman, fountain of malice. Do not believe a crying woman.
Disclaimer: This proverb does not necessarily reflect the view of the authors.

La moglie e la chiave della casa.
English: The wife is the key to the household.
Disclaimer: This proverb does not necessarily reflect the view of the authors.

O questa minestra, o questa finestra.
(Literally: "Either this soup or the window.")
English: Love it or leave it.

Volere 'e potere.
English: Where there is a will, there is a way.

Chi va piano, va sana e lontano.
English: He who goes slowly, goes safely and goes far.

Chi s'aiuta Dio l'aiuta.
English: God helps those who help themselves.

Oggi a me, domani a te.
(Literally: "Today to me, tomorrow to you.")
English: Every dog has his day.

La parola 'e d'argento, il silenzio 'e d'oro.
English: Speech is silver, silence is golden.

Scopa nuova scopa bene.
English: A new broom sweeps clean.

La miglior vendetta 'e il perdono.
English: Forgiveness is the best revenge.

Ogni bel gioco dura poco.
(Literally: "Every good game lasts a short while.")
English: All good things come to an end.

Uomo avvisato 'e mezzo salvato.
(Literally: "A forwarned man is half-saved.")
English: Forewarned is forearmed.

Il riso abbonda in bocca degli sciocchi.
English: Laughter is abundant in the mouth of fools.

Chi 'e causa del suo male piange se stesso.
(Literally: "He who has created his own evil cries over the same.")
English: He who has made his bed must lie in it.

Non tutto 'e oro quel che riluce.
English: All that glitters is not gold.

A buon indentore poche parole.
English: A word to the wise is sufficient.

Ad ogni uccello, il suo nido 'e bello.
(Literally: "To each bird, his own nest is best.")
English: There's no place like home.

Giovane ozioso, vecchio bisognoso.
English: Lazy youth makes needy old age.

Chi asino nasce asino muore.
English: He who is born a fool, dies a fool.

Chi ama il suo lavoro lo fa bene.
English: He who loves his work does it well.

Chi tardi arriva male allogia.
English: The latecomer finds bad lodging.

Chi prima non pensa in ultimo sospira.
(Literally: "He who first does not think breathes his last.")
English: Look before you leap.

Un punto in tempo ne salva cento.
English: A stitch in time saves nine.

Non 'e oro tutto quello che luce.
English: All that glitters is not gold.

Non dire quattro se non l'hai nei sacco.
(Literally: "Don't say 4 if you don't have them in the sack.")
English: Don't count your chickens until they hatch.

Non c'e fumo senza arrosto.
English: Where there's smoke, there's fire.

Variet'a da sapore alla vita.
English: Variety is the spice of life.

Prendere due piccioni con una fava.
(Literally: "To take two pigeons with one bean.")
English: To kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

Meglio un uovo oggi che una gallina domani.
(Literally: "It's better to have an egg today than a chicken tomorrow.")
English: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Addormentarsi in un baleno.
(Literally: "To sleep in a whale.")
English: Out like a light.

Leccarsi i baffi.
English: To lick one's chops.

Abozzare un sorriso.
English: To crack a smile.

Levarsi un peso dallo stomaco.
English: To get (a weight) off one's chest.

Piantare una grana.
English: To raise a stink.

Lui/Lei 'e un guastafeste.
(Literally: "He/She is a broken party.")
English: He/She is a wet blanket.

La vita di Michelaccio.
English: The life of Riley.

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