How Italians Express Wisdom
Many Italians relish engaging in lengthy, animated conversations filled with continuous gestures and overflowing passion. However, when it comes to expressing wisdom, Italian proverbs master the art of getting straight to the point.
Some examples are:
“Detto, fatto”
Said, Done!
“Pazienza e fortitude.”
Extolling Patience and fortitude as virtues everyone should aspire to.
Some Italian proverbs are passed down through generations. Here are a few I heard over the years:
“Far d’una mosca un elefante.”.
Similar to ‘To make a mountain out of a molehill,’ in this case, ‘To make an elephant out of a fly,’ this proverb is about making a big deal out of something minimal and insignificant — exaggerating the situation. So if you hear your Italian friends say, ‘non fare di una Mosca un elefante,’ you should keep calm and minimize the drama.
“O mangiar questa minestra o saltar questa finestra”
This classic Italian saying means ‘Either eat this soup or jump out of this window’, and is interpreted as ‘take it or leave it’. Minestra, originally used to symbolize the food on the table, can be a symbol for anything according to the situation. The saying is also frequently used about accepting a situation, settling for something /being happy with what you have and can’t change to avoid unfortunate results.
“Ride bene chi ride ultimo”
A saying that sounds very familiar to many cultures, ‘Who laughs last, laughs best,’ is commonly used also in Italy. Be careful, my friends, as this ancient Italian proverb also warns you, you can only know how something will turn out at the last minute, so make sure you don’t celebrate in advance!
“Il lupo perde il pelo ma non il vizio”
‘Old habits die hard’ — in this case, the proverb translates to ‘The wolf loses its fur but not its bad habits. So, people may change appearances and even behavior, but their true nature remains the same.
Meglio solo che male accompagnato
Better alone than in bad company. Italian culture is about socializing, very crowded dinner tables, gatherings with friends, and hospitality; however, this proverb warns about how to pick your companionship and says it’s better to stay alone than spend time with unworthy people.
What Italian Proverbs do you know? Is there a story behind them?
Share them in the comments.
