Proverbi italiani

Proverbi Italiani
A
A buon intenditor poche parole.
English translation: Few words to the good listener.
Idiomatic meaning: A word to the wise is sufficient.
A caval donato non si guarda in bocca.
English translation: Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
A chi dai il dito si prende anche il braccio.
English translation: Give them a finger and they'll take the arm.
Idiomatic meaning: Give them an inch and they'll take a mile.
A ciascuno il suo.
English translation: To each his own.
A mali estremi, estremi rimedi.
English translation: Desperate times call for desperate measures.
A rubar poco si va in galera, a rubar tanto si fa carriera.
English translation: Steal a little, go to jail; steal a lot, make a career of it.
A tutto c'è rimedio, fuorchè alla morte.
English translation: There is a cure for everything except death.
Acqua cheta rovina i ponti.
English translation: Silent waters run deep.
Aiutati che Dio t'aiuta.
English translation: Help youself and God will help you.
Idiomatic meaning: God helps those who help themselves.
Al bisogno si conosce l'amico.
English translation: A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Al contadino non far sapere quanto è buono il formaggio con le pere.
English translation: Don't let the farmer know how good cheese is with pears.
Ambasciator non porta pena.
English translation: Don't shoot the messenger.
Avere le mani in pasta.
English translation: To have a finger in the pie
B
Bacco, tabacco e Venere riducono l'uomo in cenere.
English translation: Wine, women, and tobacco reduces one to ashes.
Batti il ferro quando è caldo.
English translation: Strike when the iron is hot.
Botte piccola fa buon vino.
English translation: A good cask makes good wine.
C
Cambiano i suonatori ma la musica è sempre quella.
English translation: The melody's changed but the song remains the same.
Cane che abbaia non morde.
English translation: The dog that barks doesn't bite.
Idiomatic meaning: His bark is worse than his bite.
Chi ben comincia è a metà dell'opera.
English translation: A good start is half the battle
Chi cerca trova.
English translation: Seek and you shall find.
Chi di spada ferisce di spada perisce.
English translation: He who lives by the sword dies by the sword.
Chi dorme non piglia pesci.
English translation: Who sleeps doesn't catch fishes.
Idiomatic meaning: The early bird catches the worm.
Chi è causa del suo male piange se stesso.
English translation: He who has created his own evil cries over the same.
Idiomatic meaning: He who has made his bed must lie in it.
Chi fa da sé, fa per tre.
English translation: He who works by himself does the work of three (people).
Idiomatic meaning: Do it yourself if you want it done right.
Chi ha avuto ha avuto e chi ha dato ha dato.
English translation: What's done is done.
Chi non risica, non rosica.
English translation: Nothing ventured nothing gained.
Chi pecora si fa, il lupo se la mangia.
English translation: Those who make themselves sheep will be eaten by the wolf.
Chi sa fa e chi non sa insegna.
English translation: Those who know, do, and those who don't, teach.
Chi s'aiuta, Dio l'aiuta.
English translation: God helps those who help themselves.
Chi tace acconsente.
English translation: Silence gives consent.
Chi tardi arriva male alloggia.
English translation: Those who arrive late lodge poorly.
Chi trova un amico trova un tesoro.
English translation: He who finds a friend, finds a treasure.
Chi va piano, va sano; chi va sano, va lontano.
English translation: He who goes softly, goes safely; he who goes safely, goes far.
Idiomatic meaning: Slowly but surely.
Chi vince ha sempre ragione.
English translation: Might makes right.
D
Dai nemici mi guardo io, dagli amici mi guardi Iddio!
English translation: I (can) protect myself from my enemies; may God protect me from my friends!
Dare a Cesare quel che è di Cesare.
English translation: Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar.
Idiomatic meaning: Give credit where credit is due.
Del senno di poi (ne) son piene le fosse.
English translation: Graves are filled with after-the-fact wisdom.
Idiomatic meaning: Hindsight is 20/20 vision.
Detto fatto.
English translation: No sooner said than done.
F
Fidarsi è bene, non fidarsi è meglio.
English translation: To trust is good, not to trust is better.
Finchè c'è vita c'è speranza.
English translation: Where there's life, there's hope.
Fra il due mali scegli il minore.
English translation: Choose the lesser of two evils.
I
Il mondo è bello perchè è vario.
English translation: Viva la différence!
Il primo amore non si scorda mai.
English translation: You never forget your first love.
Il riso abbonda in bocca agli sciocchi.
English translation: Laughter is abundant in the mouth of fools.
Il riso fa buon sangue.
English translation: Laughter is the best medicine.
Il silenzio è d'oro e la parola è d'argento.
English translation: Speech is silver, silence is golden.
Il tempo è denaro.
English translation: Time is money.
Il tempo guarisce tutti i mali.
English translation: Time heals all wounds.
In bocca al lupo.
English translation: Into the mouth of a wolf.
Idiomatic meaning: Break a leg!
L
La gatta frettolosa fece i gattini ciechi.
English translation: The hurried cat produced blind kittens.
Idiomatic meaning: Haste makes waste.
La pratica vale più della grammatica.
English translation: Experience is the best teacher.
L'abito non fa il monaco.
English translation: The habit does not make the monk.
Idiomatic meaning: Clothes don't make the man.
L'amore è cieco.
English translation: Love is blind.
Le bugie hanno le gambe corte.
English translation: Lies have short legs.
Le ore del mattino hanno l'oro in bocca.
English translation: The morning hours are the most precious of the day.
Lontano dagli occhi, lontano dal cuore.
English translation: Out of sight, out of mind.
L'uomo propone ma Dio dispone.
English translation: Man proposes but God disposes.
M
Mal comune, mezzo gaudio.
English translation: Trouble shared is trouble halved.
Meglio l'uovo oggi, che la gallina domani.
English translation: A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.
Meglio tardi, che mai.
English translation: Better late than never.
Meglio un giorno da leone che cento da pecora.
English translation: Better one day as a lion than a hundred as a sheep.
Moglie e buoi dei paesi tuoi.
English translation: Marry a woman from your own neighborhood.
Morto un papa, se ne fa un altro.
English translation: Life goes on.
N
Né di Venere né di Marte non ci si sposa né si parte!
English translation: Neither marry nor travel on either Tuesday or Friday!
Nessuna nuova, buona nuova.
English translation: No news is good news.
Non c'è fumo senza arrosto.
English translation: Where there's smoke, there's fire.
Non c'è rosa senza spine.
English translation: Every rose has its thorn.
Non destare il can che dorme.
English translation: Let sleeping dogs lie.
Non dire quattro se non l'hai nei sacco.
English translation: Don't say four if you don't have them in the sack.
Idiomatic meaning: Don't count your chickens until they hatch.
Non è tutto oro quello che luce.
English translation: All that glitters is not gold.
Non giudicare un libro dalla copertina.
English translation: Don't judge a book by its cover.
Non si può avere la botte piena e la moglie ubriaca.
English translation: You can't have your cake and eat it too.
Non si vive di solo pane.
English translation: One does not live by bread alone.
Non tutto il male vien per nuocere.
English translation: Every cloud has a silver lining.
O
O mangiar questa minestra o saltar questa finestra.
English translation: Either eat this soup or jump out this window.
Idiomatic meaning: Take it or leave it.
Occhio per occhio, dente per dente.
English translation: An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Ogni bel gioco dura poco.
English translation: Every good game lasts a short while.
Idiomatic meaning: All good things come to an end.
Ogni medaglia ha il suo rovescio.
English translation: There are two sides to every coin.
P
Paese che vai, usanza che trovi.
English translation: The country you visit, the customs you find.
Idiomatic meaning: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Pane al pane, vino al vino.
English translation: To call bread bread and wine wine.
Idiomatic meaning: To call a spade a spade.
Patti chiari, amicizia lunga.
English translation: Clear agreements make for good friends.
Prendere due piccioni con una fava.
English translation: Kill two birds with one stone.
Q
Quando il gatto non c'è il topo balla.
English translation: When the cat's away, the mice will play.
Quando si è in ballo, bisogna ballare.
English translation: In for a penny, in for a pound.
R
Ride bene chi ride ultimo.
English translation: He who laughs last laughs best.
Roma non fu fatta in un giorno.
English translation: Rome wasn't built in a day.
Rosso di mattina, il mal tempo s'avvicina.
English translation: Red sky in morning, sailors take warning.
Rosso di sera, beltempo si spera.
English translation: Red sky at night, sailors delight.
S
Se non è zuppa, è pan bagnato.
English translation: Six of one, half a dozen of the other.
Se sono rose, fioriranno.
English translation: Time will tell.
Si salvi chi può.
English translation: Every man for himself.
Smuovere mare e monti.
English translation: To move heaven and earth.
Sogni d'oro.
English translation: Sweet dreams.
Sbagliando s'impara.
English translation: One learns from his mistakes.
Sposa bagnata, sposa fortunate.
English translation: Rain on the day you get married brings good luck.
T
Tale il padre, tale il figlio.
English translation: Like father, like son.
Tanto va la gatta al lardo che ci lascia lo zampino.
English translation: The pitcher goes so often to the well that it leaves its handle.
Tirare i remi in barca.
English translation: To give up.
Tra il dire e il fare c'è di mezzo il mare.
English translation: Easier said than done.
Tra moglie e marito non mettere il dito.
English translation: Don't meddle in a quarel between a husband and his wife.
Tutto è bene quello che finisce bene.
English translation: All's well that ends well.
Tutto è permesso in guerra ed in amore.
English translation: All is fair in war and love.
Tutto fumo e niente arrosto.
English translation: All smoke and no fire.
U
Una mela al giorno leva il medico di torno.
English translation: An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Una rondine non fa primavera.
English translation: One swallow does not make spring.
Uomo avvisato, mezzo salvato.
English translation: Forewarned is forearmed.
V
Val più la pratica della grammatica.
English translation: Experience is more important than theory.
Vivi e lascia vivere.
English translation: Live and let live.
Volere è potere.
English translation: Where therès a will there's a way.

A buon intenditor poche parole