The best Italian proverbs with English translation to learn the Italian language!
The value of Italian proverbs
Here’s a list of Italian proverbs together with their English translation. A treasure of popular wisdom!
A proverb is a short, pithy saying that expresses a traditionally held truth or piece of advice, based on common sense or experience.
Nothing defines a culture as distinctly as its language, and the element of language that best encapsulates a society’s values and beliefs is its proverbs.
Proverbs are used in conversation by adults more than children, partially because adults have learned more proverbs than children.
Italian proverbs, because they are indirect, allow a speaker to disagree or give advice in a way that may be less offensive.
Many authors have used proverbs in their writings, for a very wide variety of literary genres: epics, novels, poems, and short stories.
115 Italian proverbs to learn
Sometimes it’s hard to find the English equivalent of an Italian proverb and the literal translation doesn’t make sense, but you can still guess from the context.
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A caval donato non si guarda in bocca
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
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A chi fa male, mai mancano scuse
He who does evil, is never short of an excuse
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Aiutati che Dio t’aiuta
Help yourself and God will help you
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Belle parole non pascon i gatti
Fine words don’t feed cats
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Chi dorme non piglia pesci
Literal translation: Those who sleep don’t catch any fish
English equivalent: You snooze, you lose. Or, early bird catches the worm. -
Quando l’amico chiede, non v’è domani.
When a friend asks, there is no tomorrow.
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Il dolce far niente.
It is sweet to do nothing.
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L’amore è cieco
Literal translation and English equivalent: Love is blind.
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L’amore vince sempre
Love conquers all.
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La vita è un sogno
Life is a dream.
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Mangia bene, ridi spesso, ama molto.
Eat well, laugh often, love much.
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Nulla nuova, buona nuova.
Literal translation and English equivalent: No news is good news.
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Quando finisce la partita il re ed il pedone finiscono nella stessa scatola.
When you finish the game, the king and pawn end up in the same box.
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Una cena senza vino è come un giorno senza sole
A meal without wine is a day without sunshine.
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È meglio qualche cosa che niente
Something is still better than nothing.
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Ciò che è rimasto ha sapore piu dolce.
The sweetest flesh is near the bones.
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Fuggi il piacer presente, che accena dolor futuro.
Skip the enjoyment that you will regret.
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I fratelli uniti tra loro formano un fascio che pùo resistere agli sforzi più robusti.
United we stand, divided we fall; Union is strength.
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La galline fanno l’uova dal becco.
It’s by the head that the cow gives the milk.
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Ogni cosa si compra a prezzo.
Everything you buy at the price.
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Ride bene chi ride ultimo.
Literal translation: He who laughs last, laughs best.
English equivalent: He who laughs last, laughs longest. -
Scusa non richiesta, accusa manifesta.
Literal translation: Unsolicited excuse, evident charge.
English equivalent: A guilty conscience needs no accuser. -
Senza tentazioni, senza onore.
Where there is no temptation there is no glory.
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Si dice sempre il lupo più grande che non è.
Literal translation: The wolf is made bigger than it is.
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Si mira piu dell’affetto che all’effetto.
Take the will for the deed.
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Spazzatoio nuovo spazza ben la casa.
Literal translation: A new broom sweeps well the house.
More Italian proverbs
Italian proverbs about life!
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Ogni cosa ha cagione.
Literal translation: Everything has a reason.
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Buon seme dà buoni frutti.
Literal translation: Good seed makes good fruit.
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Chi due lepri caccia, l’una non piglia e l’altra lascia.
English equivalent: Grasp all, lose all
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Chi non è meco, è contro a meco
He who is not with me is against me
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Tra il dire e il fare c´è di mezzo il mare.
Literal translation: There’s a sea between saying and doing.
English equivalent: Easier said than done. -
La buona moglie fa il buon marito.
A good wife makes a good husband.
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Uomo avvisato, mezzo salvato.
Forewarned is forearmed.
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Il riso fa buon sangue
Literal translation: Laughter makes good blood.
English equivalent: Laughter is the best medicine. -
Chi fa falla, e chi non fa sfarfalla.
Those who act, make mistakes; and those who do nothing really blunder.
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Meglio un uovo oggi che una gallina domani.
Literal translation: Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow.
English equivalent: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. -
Non c´è rosa senza spine.
Literal translation and English equivalent: No rose without a thorn.
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Chi fa da sé, fa per tre.
Literal translation: who does it by itself does it for three people.
English equivalent: Do it yourself if you want it done right.
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La famiglia è la patria del cuore.
Family is the heartland of your heart.
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Ne ammazza più la gola che la spada.
Gluttony kills more than the sword.
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Chi non fa, non falla.
Those who do nothing make no mistakes.
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L’ozio è il padre di tutti i vizi.
Idleness is the father of all vices.
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Quando a Roma vai, fai come vedrai.
When in Rome, do as the Romans.
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Chi molto pratica, molto impara.
Practice makes perfect.
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O la va, O la spacca.
All or Nothing.
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Chi dorme non piglia pesci.
Those who sleep don’t catch any fish.
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La troppa bonezza finisce nella monnezza.
Nice guys finish last.
Proverbs to learn Italian
Italian proverbs to understand Italian culture!
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Far d’una mosca un elefante.
To make a mountain out of a molehill
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O mangiar questa minestra o saltar questa finestra.
You can take it or leave.
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Ad ogni santo vien sua festa
Every saint has his own festival
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Ai mali estremi, mali rimedi
For severe ills, severe remedies
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Aiutati che Dio ti aiuta
Helf yourself and God will help you
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Amor non conosce travaglio
Love never tires
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Amor tutti fa uguali
Love makes all men equal
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Amore è cieco
Love is blind
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Assai ben balla a chi Fortuna suona
He dances well to whom Fortune pipes
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Bella cosa tosto è rapita
A pretty thing is soon taken
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Breve orazione penetra
God listens to short prayers
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Cavallo che corre non ha bisogno di sproni
Do not spur the willing horse
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Cercare il pelo nell’ uovo
To seek the hair in the egg, to pick faults where there are none.
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Che sarà sarà
What is to be, will be
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Chi be vive, ben muore
A good life makes an easy death
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Chi bestia va a Roma bestia ritorna
He that goes to Rome a foot returns a fool
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Chi cerca mal, mal trova
He who looks for evil generally finds it
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Chi la dura la vince
He who perseveres wins at last
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Chi più sa, meno parla
He who knows most, talks least
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Così fan tutte
That is the way of all women
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Chi niente sa, di niente dubita
Who knows nothing, doubts nothing
Random Italian proverbs
Italian proverbs about just anything!
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Danari fanno danari
Money makes money
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Del male non fare e paura non avere
Do no evil and have no fear
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Detto fatto
No sooner said, than done
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Dì il vero e affronterai il diavolo
Speak the truth and shame the devil
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Dove l’oro parla, ogni lingua tace
Where gold speaks, every tongue is silent
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Gli nomini hanno gli anni che sentono, e le donne quelli che mostrano
Men are as old as they feel, but women are as old as they look
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I gran dolori sono muti
Great sorrows are mute
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L’abito non fa il monaco
The cowl does not make the monk
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La calma è la virtù dei forti
The calm is the virtue of the strong
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La donna è mobile
Woman is a fickle thing
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La povertà è la madre di tutte le arti
Necessity is the mother of invention
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Mal comune, mezzo gaudio
A shared trouble is half joy
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Meglio tardi che mai
Better late than never
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Morta la bestia, morto il veneno
When the beast is dead, the venom is dead
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Necessità non ha legge
Necessity knows no law
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Ogni pazzo vuol dar consiglio
Every fool is ready with advice
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Parla bene, ma parla poco
Speak well, but speak little
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Quel ch’è fatto, è fatto
What is done is done
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Rosso di sera, bel tempo si spera
Red sky in the evening, one hopes for good weather
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Tempo al tempo
All in good time
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Traduttore, traditore
Translator, traitor
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Tutte le strade conducono a Roma
All roads lead to Rome
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Tutto è bene ciò che finisce bene
All is well that ends well
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Un bel morir tutta la vita onora
A noble death is an honor to the whole life
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Vedi Napoli e poi mori
See Naples, and then die!
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Finchè c’è vita c’è speranza.
Where there’s life, there’s hope.
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L’amore e cieco.
Love is blind.
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Meglio un giorno da leone che cento da pecora.
Better one day as a lion than a hundred as a sheep.
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Val più la pratica della grammatica.
Experience is more important than theory.
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Vivi e lascia vivere.
Live and let live.
Proverbs, quotes, sayings, and idioms
This is not an exhaustive list of Italian proverbs! Here are more Italian proverbs.
To learn from famous people, read this collection of Italian quotes, Italian sayings, and Italian idioms.
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