Italian Phrases That Don’t Translate Literally (And What They Really Mean)

Quick Answer:
Italian phrases often don’t translate literally because they reflect cultural metaphors, historical habits, and spoken conventions rather than word-for-word meaning. Expressions like in bocca al lupo (“good luck”) or avere l’acquolina in bocca (“to crave food”) must be learned as complete units, not translated literally.

If you have ever been wished good luck with “in bocca al lupo!” by an Italian, you will know that not all Italian phrases are translated literally. Just like in English with phrases like “never look a gift horse in the mouth” (meaning, “don’t complain about a free gift”), Italian has some phrases that might not make sense when translated word for word into English. Let’s take a look at some common food phrases, life phrases, daily spoken phrases and more that you’ll hear often so you don’t feel like a fish out of water!

12 Italian Phrases That Don’t Translate Literally

Learning Italian is fun, but sometimes it can get a bit confusing when the meaning of a phrase doesn’t match up with the words it contains. Just like in other languages, Italian has many idioms and colloquial phrases that don’t translate literally because they reflect cultural context, historical references or even just colorful figurative ideas someone created to make the language a bit more interesting. But never fear! You can learn these through memorization and through picking up the meaning of a phrase more so than its literal construction. Here are 12 food phrases, animal phrases, life phrases, and daily spoken phrases to get you started.

Food Phrases

Everyone knows Italians love food, so it is no surprise that there are numerous food phrases that don’t translate literally!

Avere le mani in pasta – to have one’s hands in the dough

The “dough” in this case is a business, affair, or activity, and so this food phrase means that someone is actively involved in something. While it can be used in a good sense, it is often used to imply shady dealings.

Non tutte le ciambelle riescono col buco – Not all doughnuts come out with a hole

This is one of my personal favorites. It means that “Things don’t always turn out the way you expect/plan/want,” and is taken from bakers who sometimes found that the holes in their doughnuts closed up while cooking.

Non dire pane se non lo hai in mano – Don’t say “bread” if you don’t have it in your hand”

This one is a lot like the English phrase “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.” It means “Don’t talk about something you don’t have yet.”

Siamo tutti nella stessa barca- We’re all in the same boat

This one means “we’re all in this together,” just like sailors on the same boat. 

Avere l’acquolina in bocca – To have little water in the mouth

This one is a bit easier to understand than some other Italian food phrases. It means “to be tempted” or “to be craving something delicious.” So, in other words, to have your mouth water.

Animal Phrases

Animal phrases are another popular source of idioms in every language. Here are a few of the best ones in Italian.

In bocca al lupo – In the mouth of the wolf

Strangely enough, this phrase means “good luck,” especially before a performance, test, or big event. When I first heard “in bocca al lupo” before an exam in Italy, my instinct was to say “thank you” in Italian (grazie) — which actually sounds wrong to Italians. Your response instead should be “crepi il lupo!” which means “may the wolf die!”.

Origin of the expression: The she-wolf (la lupa) who saved Romulus and Remus is one of the most powerful symbols of Rome and is associated with survival and good fortune. This symbolism likely influenced the idea that being close to the wolf meant protection rather than harm — helping explain why in bocca al lupo became a way of wishing someone good luck.

Chi dorme non piglia pesci – He who sleeps doesn’t catch fish

Similar to “the early bird catches the worm” or “you snooze, you lose,” this one means that you have to be active to achieve or obtain something.

Mettere il carro davanti ai buoi – To put the cart before the oxen

This one is exactly like the English “to put the cart before the horse.” It means you are doing things in the wrong order.

Mettere la pulce nell’orecchio – To put a flea in someone’s ear

This corresponds to the English phrase “to put a bug in one’s ear” and means “to plant a seed of doubt” or “to make someone think about something they hadn’t before.”

Life Phrases and Daily Spoken Phrases

Not every seemingly untranslatable phrase fits neatly into a category. Here are some life phrases and daily spoken phrases that are used very often by Italians.

Stare con le mani in mano – To have your hands in your hand

Um… what? This one may sound funny, but basically just means that you are twiddling your thumbs. It means someone is being lazy or doing nothing, like they are just sitting there with their hands in their lap.

Non vedo l’ora – I don’t see the hour

This one sounds weird if you take it literally, but figuratively it means “I can’t wait.”

Mamma mia! – My mom!

No, you don’t just say this when you see your mom walking toward you. This is an exclamation meaning “Wow!” or “Oh my gosh!” It expresses excitement, surprise, or frustration.

Avere il cuore in gola – To have the heart in the throat

This one is another one that isn’t that hard to translate to English. It means that one feels anxious, nervous, or scared, like they have their heart in their throat.

FAQs

Why do some phrases not translate literally from Italian to English?

When translating, sometimes one has to focus on the meaning more so than the actual words in a sentence. This is because there are many phrases that include cultural or historical references that don’t exist in the language they are being translated to as well as phrases that have just been used by a group of people for centuries that have a special meaning to that group.

Final Takeaway

Some phrases don’t translate literally from Italian to English, and that’s just fine! In fact, it makes the language more interesting. To hear some of these food phrases, animal phrases, life phrases, and daily spoken phrases in action, check out Jolii.ai’s videos and accompanying subtitles.