Italian expressions quiz
Your textbook never taught you these.
Could you keep up on the street, at a party, on a date or at the bar over an espresso? Let’s see how many of these you’d catch.
10 expressionsbeginner to advancedabout 2 minutesno sign-up
Word for word: “into the wolf’s mouth!”
So what does it really mean? Tap an answer to start.
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Italian expressions quiz
The 10 expressions in this quiz
Word for word, they make no sense. Here’s what people in Italy actually mean by them.
In bocca al lupo!
BeginnerWord for word: “into the wolf’s mouth!”
Good luck
Domani hai l’esame? In bocca al lupo! Your exam is tomorrow? Good luck.
Fine at workavere le mani bucate
BeginnerWord for word: “to have hands with holes in them”
To be terrible with money
Ho le mani bucate: lo stipendio mi dura dieci giorni. I’m terrible with money: my pay lasts me about ten days.
With friendsessere in gamba
BeginnerWord for word: “to be in leg”
To be really capable
La nuova collega è molto in gamba, ha già risolto tutto. The new colleague is really on the ball, she’s already sorted everything.
Fine at workprendere un granchio
IntermediateWord for word: “to catch a crab”
To get it completely wrong
Pensavo che fosse sua sorella, invece era sua moglie: ho preso un bel granchio. I thought she was his sister, but she was his wife. I got that completely wrong.
Fine at workessere al verde
IntermediateWord for word: “to be at the green”
To be broke
Questo mese sono al verde, offri tu la pizza? I’m broke this month, can you get the pizza?
With friendsAcqua in bocca!
IntermediateWord for word: “water in your mouth!”
Keep it to yourself
Sto organizzando una festa a sorpresa per Luca. Acqua in bocca! I’m planning a surprise party for Luca. Not a word.
With friendsfare la scarpetta
IntermediateWord for word: “to do the little shoe”
To mop up sauce with bread
Questo sugo è troppo buono, devo fare la scarpetta. This sauce is too good, I have to mop it up with bread.
With friendsavere la luna storta
AdvancedWord for word: “to have the crooked moon”
To be in a bad mood
Lascialo stare, oggi ha la luna storta. Leave him alone, he’s in a bad mood today.
With friendsrompere le scatole
AdvancedWord for word: “to break the boxes”
To annoy someone
Smettila di rompermi le scatole, sto cercando di lavorare. Stop bugging me, I’m trying to work.
With friendsfare orecchie da mercante
AdvancedWord for word: “to make merchant’s ears”
To pretend not to hear
Gli ho chiesto tre volte di ridarmi i soldi, ma fa orecchie da mercante. I’ve asked him three times to pay me back, but he pretends not to hear.
Fine at work
Questions
Are these expressions still used?
Yes, every day. The quiz leaves out anything dated or crude, and every answer tells you where it’s safe to say: fine at work, with friends, or best avoided.
Why does the quiz go from beginner to advanced?
The first three are common and you’ll hear them early on. The last three need nuance, like sarcasm or mood, which is where most learners lose the thread.
What do I get if I unlock the 15?
A free deck with all 25 expressions, added for you when you finish setting up: the 10 from the quiz (the ones you missed first, each with its example), then the 15 new ones. Every card has audio and comes back for review just before you’d forget it.
Do these work all over Italy, or only in one region?
All over. The quiz sticks to standard Italian you’ll hear from Milan to Palermo. Every region has its own dialect phrases on top, but these are the ones everyone gets.