Italian proverbs Quotes and Quotation

C

• ''"Can che abbaia non morde."
  • Translation: "The dog that barks doesn't bite."

• ''"Chi bene incomincia è a metà dell'opera."
  • Translation: "Well begun is half done."

• "Chi fa da sè fa per tre."
  • Translation: "He who act by himself, act with the same strength as three persons."
  • Notes: ironically contraddicted by: "L'unione fa la forza (The union produces the might)."

• "Chi dice Siena, dice Palio."
  • Translation: "He who mentions , mentions the Palio" (that city's famous horse-race).
  • Notes: said of something that one cannot mention without calling some other thing to mind.

• "Chi la dura la vince."
  • Translation: "He who goes on trying wins at last."''

• ''"Chi la fa l'aspetti."
  • Translation: "He who wrongs someone has to expect something in retaliation."

• "Chi pensa male fa peccato ma indovina."
  • Translation: "He who thinks badly commits a sin but hits the mark."

• "Chi troppo vuole, nulla stringe."
  • Translation: "He who wants too much doesn't catch anything."

• "Chi va piano, va sano e va lontano."
  • Translation: "He who goes softly, goes safely and goes far."

• "Commediante! Tragediante!"
  • Transliteration: "Comedian! Tragedian!"
  • Notes: exclaimed by Pope Pius VII during a violent scene that Napoleon made before him.

D

• "Del senno di poi son piene le fosse."
  • Transliteration: "The graves are filled with the after-wisdom."''
  • Meaning: "It's easy to be wise after the event."

E

• "E' meglio un uovo oggi di una gallina domani."
  • Translation: "An egg to-day is better than a chicken to-morrow."
  • or "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"
• "Eppur, si muove!"
  • Translation: "But it does move!"
  • Notes: Galileo is supposed to have said this after being forced by the Church to abjure the .
• "E' la gaia pioggerella a far crescer l'erba bella."
  • Translation: "The gay, drizzling rain makes grass to grow fine."

F

• "Fatti maschi, parole femmine."
  • Translation: "Facts are male, words are female."
  • Alternative: "Manly deeds, womanly words."
  • Notes: Motto of the state of

I

• "In bocca al lupo."
  • Translation: "Into the wolf's mouth."
  • Notes: used by students to wish each other good luck before exams. The response is "Crepi!" ("May it die!")

• "In un mondo di ciechi un orbo è re."
  • Translation: "In a world of blind people a one-eyed man is the king."

L

N

S

• "Se non è vero, è ben trovato."
  • Translation: "If it's not true, it's a good story."

T

V

• "Val più la pratica della grammatica."
  • Translation: "The experience is more important than the theory."

• "Vedi Napoli, e poi muori!"
  • Translation: "See , and then die!"
  • Notes: used to express admiration for Naples.