


Now that we’ve established Italians’ love for body language, let’s examine this expression a bit. We use hand gestures like the Germans, who famously create seemingly endless compound words to express enigmatic and complicated concepts.

In Italy, we use hand gestures like crazy, and we often carry on entire conversations by weaving hand signals into our sentences. 12 Italian Expressions That Are The Envy Of The Rest Of The World Stare con le mani in mano So, without further ado, here’s a list of Italian idiomatic expressions that I use (and love) the most. Truthfully, some Italian expressions can also be translated literally. We mostly speak English together (while I punctuate my sentences with wild gesticulations, of course), but a lot of times I find myself myself at a loss when I try to find the equivalent of a few typically Italian expressions that are perfect for describing specific concepts. Maybe it’s because I’m a writer, and therefore I love everything to do with words, but I’d say that my nostalgia stems from the charming and familiar cadence of my mother tongue. If I take a moment to think about my experiences, I realize that living abroad has not only helped me challenge myself and find myself, but it’s also been a way, albeit painfully, to come to terms with what I miss most about Italy. I’d had enough of books and essays I wanted to travel the world and figure out what to do with my post-graduate life while I was on the road.Įight years, five countries and twelve homes later, here I am. I only had one thing in mind: packing my bags and leaving. Unfortunately, I wasn’t exactly optimistic about my future in the field of diplomacy. In 2008, my professor gave me a firm handshake and declared that I was officially a “Master’s in Political Science.” But the only thing I managed to feel was an incredible sense of liberation after all those years of studying like a chicken with my head cut off. These expressions are the main reason why I fell in love with the Italian language, and why I talk about them so often. Most Italian expressions have popular origins that tell us a little bit about our history. Some have Biblical roots, while others have literary origins. The Italian language is brimming with idiomatic expressions.
