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Ten Italian idioms about animals

Last Modified: October 22, 2016

Idioms are found in any language. While native speakers master them naturally, language learners might have some difficulties remembering them.

But what are idioms exactly?

Prendere un granchio - Ten Italian idioms about animalsIdioms are fixed expressions generally used in a figurative sense, not in a literal one. So, if I say you’ve got ants in your pants, I don’t mean that your pants are full of ants, but that you cannot stay calm or sit still.

This figurative use of language is surely one of the reasons why many language learners find it so difficult to learn idioms.

As difficult as they may seem, however, idioms are an important part of any language. If you’ll ever decide to travel to Italy, for example, you’ll find out that Italians use idioms and fixed expressions regularly, without even notice it.  

The reality is that the language used in everyday life is different from the one you have probably studied on course books. It’s made of informalities, dialects, and idioms too.

If you’ve read Learn Italian color idioms, Learn Italian animal idioms, Ten common Italian idioms, you will probably have already studied some Italian idioms about animals and colors.

However, since Italian idioms about animals are very numerous, today I’m going to teach you ten more idioms.

CONIGLIO

Essere un coniglio means to be a coward

Sei proprio un coniglio! Non sei riuscito a rimanere neanche 5 minuti da solo al buio.

LEPRE

Essere una lepre means to be fast

Quello ormai non lo prendiamo più, corre come una lepre!

GRANCHIO

Prendere un granchio means to make a blunder

Pare che l’ispettore abbia preso un granchio. L’uomo che ha arrestato è innocente.

GALLINA

Andare a letto con le galline means to go to bed very early

+ Ma in questo paesino vanno tutti a letto con le galline?
– Per forza! Si devono alzare alle 4 per andare a lavorare nei campi!

Avere un cervello di gallina/cervello di gallina means to be very stupid/idiot

Mio fratello ha proprio un cervello di gallina! E’ la terza volta in due settimane che lascia le luci dell’auto accese! Risultato: la batteria è di nuovo scarica!

PICCIONE

Prendere due piccioni con una fava means to solve two problems at one time with a single action

Mi hanno chiamata per un colloquio in Toscana, e visto che ho sempre voluto visitarla ho preso due piccioni con una fava e ci sono andata.

MOSCA

Essere una mosca bianca means one who differs from the others in a group in some way.

Tutti nella sua famiglia sono avvocati. Ma non lui. E’ una mosca bianca, sta studiando per diventare medico.

Restare/rimanere con un pugno di mosche means to be left with nothing

Ho passato la giornata a vendere orologi falsi. Quando pensavo di averla fatta franca mi hanno beccato e sono rimasto con un pugno di mosche.

RAGNO

Non cavare un ragno dal buco means to get nowhere

Ernesto, è da due giorni che cerchiamo di sistemare la caldaia e non caviamo un ragno dal buco. Adesso chiamiamo un professionista!

OCA

Venire la pelle d’oca means to be creepy

Sarà perché è un vecchio castello, ma questo posto mi fa venire la pelle d’oca!

 

Do you want to learn some other Italian idioms? Have a look at the book Italiano per modo di dire.

How many of these Italian idioms about animals did you know?
Are there similar idioms in your language?


Credits

Original image by saifulmulia

Related Posts:

  • Ten Italian insults
    Ten Italian insults
  • Learn Italian animal idioms
    Learn Italian animal idioms
  • Ten common Italian idioms
    Ten common Italian idioms

Category: Learn ItalianTag: idioms, Italian, italian animal idioms, Italian language

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. jitendra ved

    September 30, 2022 at 4:34 pm

    Io non italiano, ma stato studiando questa bellissima lingua. Ho letto questi idiomi e ho imparato moti così. Grazie

    Reply
    • Sos Italian

      October 1, 2022 at 3:56 pm

      Sono contentissima che questo articolo ti abbia aiutato a imparare un po’ d’italiano! Continua così! 🙂

      Reply

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