9006 Interesting Italian Words And Expressions

I always find that, in any language, there are very interesting words and expressions or proverbs built with them. Perhaps, starting a list may help all those who are struggling to learn Italian. Here is my first example:

[B][I]baracca[/I][/B] It means hut or barrack, but also junk. That is according to the dictionary, but it has more uses.

And here are some expressions:

[B][I]Come va la baracca?[/I][/B] (How are you managing)
[B][I]Quest'auto è una baracca [/I][/B](This car is a wreck)
[B][I]Mandare avanti la baracca [/I][/B](To keep things going)
[B][I]Piantare baracca e burattini [/I][/B](To throw everything up to start a new life.

I trust that this may help and also encourage others to share some interesting words and expressions.

[quote=Gala Placidia;84915][B][I]Quest'auto è una baracca [/I][/B](This car is a bomb)[/quote]
Even after 30 years in the UK, I'm still confused by the use of the word "bomb" in this context.

If someone in Britain says something is "going a bomb", that's positive, right? But saying a car is a bomb is negative and similar to a Yank saying a car is a lemon? :veryconfused:

In any case, I think that saying "this car is a bomb", no matter what you actually mean, is probably not the wisest thing to do these days. :eeeek:

Al

Allan, in Australia to say that a car is a bomb is like saying that it is just a pile of junk ready to be sent to the wreckers.
Perhaps I should alter the expression in the original thread, not to confuse readers.

[quote=Gala Placidia;84917]Allan, in Australia to say that a car is a bomb is like saying that it is just a pile of junk ready to be sent to the wreckers.
Perhaps I should alter the expression in the original thread, not to confuse readers.[/quote]
In and around Liverpool and the rest of Merseyside (possibly further as well), a car that should have been sent to the scrap heap but still drives around is called a "shed". So, it's a [URL="http://www.whoohoo.co.uk/scouse-translator.asp"]scouse translation[/URL]... :bigergrin:

[quote=Gala Placidia;84915][B][I]Piantare baracca e buratini [/I][/B](To throw everything up to start a new life.)[/quote]What would that be literally? "Bury the garbage and...?" I don't know 'buratini".

Ma, voglio piantare baracca e buratoni, certo.:smile:

"Burattini" means puppets. In this case, I think that the correct translation for "piantare" would be to leave or to abandon. So literally, it would be to abandon both the junk and the puppets......; however, it is an expression and I do not think that a literal translation works very well.

[B]Sposa Bagnata, Sposa Fortunata[/B]

"A wet bride (is a) lucky bride." What you say to console her when it rains on her wedding day!

[B]Botte Piccola Fa Vino Buono[/B]

"A small cask makes good wine" - A friendly compliment to a short person

I like this one:

[B][I]Chi troppo vuole nulla stringe[/I][/B]

(Don't ask for too much or you may come away empty-handed)

We are having two similar threads, the other is under Language....

With Gala's permission and if you are interested in this thread, you might like to check out mine!!! - [url]http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/general-chat-about-italy/9004-italian-idioms-sayings.html[/url]

Italian is perceived as being a very beautiful language to listen to and speak. However one awful, well to me, word that springs to mind is "stanco" - "tired" It's not a nice sounding word!!! Hopefully it may evolve as something better. Let's see ..... "stano"??? No not that either ......

well if you don't like the word, at least females can say stanca when tired!...I can't see it evolving into anything else as is a word that has been around for centuries. Mind you most areas will have dialects that will change the word anyway, so maybe find out what the local dialect is for you, and then use that alternative.

Please note that Ronald I see has combined my thread on Italian Idioms and Sayings with Gala's subsequent thread on Italian Words And Expressions. To me the thread now doesn't read properly.

Another interesting word is [B][I]abisso[/I][/B], which means, literally, abyss or gulf; however, it is also used in some useful expressions:

[B][I]C'è un abisso tra noi[/I][/B]: We are poles apart

[B][I]Essere sull'orlo dell'abisso[/I][/B]: To be on the brink of ruin

[B][I]... è un abisso di ignoranza[/I][/B]: ...(whoever) is utterly ignorant

Easter...as we are at that particular time of the year, a handy word is:

[B][I]Pasqua[/I][/B] (Easter)

The corresponding adjective will be [B][I]pasquale[/I][/B] as in la [B][I]colomba pasquale[/I][/B]

Easter Sunday is [B][I]la domenica di Pasqua[/I][/B]

But Easter Monday is [B][I]la pasquetta[/I][/B]

Easter egg translates as [B][I]uovo di Pasqua[/I][/B]

And there is also the typical Easter spinach pie called [B][I]Torta Pasqualina[/I][/B]

There is also an expression: [B][I]Essere contento (felice) come una Pasqua[/I][/B], which means to be very happy. I think that the English equivalent would be "To be as happy as a sandboy"

[B][I]Felice Pasqua![/I][/B]

I think it's interesting that the word "Pasqua" derives (via Greek) from the Hebrew "Pesach" for "Passover". In most Romance languages, the word is similar.

The origin of the English word is more controversial. Bede wrote around 700 AD that Eostre-monath (Easter Month) had originally been named after a pagan goddess, but apart from that mention nobody has ever heard of her! :smile: (Although that hasn't stopped neo-pagans from inventing new traditions.)

En Français - Pâques Maria what is it in Spanish???

In Spanish PASCUA
In Portuguese PASCOA

All from the same origin PASSOVER, as Steve pointed out. Different spellings.

[quote=Steve Graham;85670]I think it's interesting that the word "Pasqua" derives (via Greek) from the Hebrew "Pesach" for "Passover". In most Romance languages, the word is similar.

The origin of the English word is more controversial. Bede wrote around 700 AD that Eostre-monath (Easter Month) had originally been named after a pagan goddess, but apart from that mention nobody has ever heard of her! :smile: (Although that hasn't stopped neo-pagans from inventing new traditions.)[/quote]

She gave her name to oestrogen, which makes it rather peculiar (from a male perspective) that Oestre is also associated with balance. (!!)

The last word in my Italian dictionary is [B][I]zuzzurullone[/I][/B], which is a colloquial expression to describe an overgrown schoolboy/schoolgirl.

I recently came across [I]'pararsi il fondoschiena' [/I]- meaning to cover your (ahem) back - though a tiny bit ruder!

One of my Nonna's favorites was: mangiar questa minestra, or saltar questa finestra! You can eat this food or jump out the window -- usually repeated to fussy eaters.
If anyone is interested in one of the best combination grammar/dictionary/Italian encyclopedias, I highly recommend the one-volume lo Zingarelli -- expensive, and sometimes hard to find, but worth every penny.

One of my favourites in any language:

[B][I]Ride bene chi ride ultimo[/I][/B]

(We'll see who has the last laugh) :laughs:

[quote=Gala Placidia;84937]"Burattini" means puppets. In this case, I think that the correct translation for "piantare" would be to leave or to abandon. So literally, it would be to abandon both the junk and the puppets......; however, it is an expression and I do not think that a literal translation works very well.[/quote]

i think that literally would be impossibile, however i believe that baracca and burattini refers to those entertainers with puppets who used to put up plays at the side of the street, hence "baracca" would be the wooden "stage" they used to tug along and "burattini", well, the puppets in them!

Yes, Etz, I also thought at the street buskers. As you say, some idiomatic expressions, practically most of them, loose all their meaning if you try to translate them literally.