Learn these Italian proverbs!

In this video I'm gonna explain three amazing Italian proverbs.

This is an Italian learning podcast. More specifically, this podcast is aimed at those people who would like to reach an advanced level in Italian.

If you learned Italian as a foreign language, you've come to the right place!

I am Luca and I welcome you to my channel!

By watching this video, you will learn 3 famous Italian sayings that you could use when you speak Italian. If you will use them, you will definitely make a great impression and show that you know the Italian language very well.

Buckle up your seatbelt and prepare to fly to the realm of advanced Italian!

The first saying I would like to explain is: "Tra il dire e il fare c'è di mezzo il mare".

This is quite possibly my favourite proverb.

This is the full version. You may often hear only the first part, that is: "tra il dire e il fare..." (dot dot dot). I mean, in many cases we don't say the full proverb, we say just the first part and the other person understands what saying we are referring to.

Basically, this proverb stresses the difference between talking about something ("il dire") and actually doing it ("il fare"). Talk is cheap, but actually doing something is much more difficult.

So the sea here stands for the distance, the huge difference separating on the one hand talking and on the other doing. Or, in other words, the difference between talking and acting.

For example, if a friend of mine tells me: "Starting tomorrow, I will wake up every day at 5 am and spend two hours per day studying the Italian language. First, I will listen to 1 or 2 Italian learning podcasts, then I will do some Italian grammar exercises".

Well, if my friend asks me what I think about his plan, if he asks me what I think about this project, I could reply: "Yeah, your project sounds great. Però tra il dire e il fare c'è di mezzo il mare".

What does it mean? It means that now it's easy for him to talk about this plan, but putting it into practice will be much harder.

Or, to give you another example, I'm sure that you know people who tend to play down others' results or accomplishments. In reference to something that has been achieved by someone else, these people may say, for example: "Yeah, right... Big deal! It's not that hard! I could also do that, if I really wanted!"

You surely know such people.

For example, such person could say: "Yeah... big deal! It's not that hard to reach the C1 level in Italian! I could also achieve that, if I really committed to it! It's not hard, you just need to study a bit every day".

Well, to this individual you could reply: "Tra il dire e il fare c'è di mezzo il mare". Or you could tell them just the first part, that is "Tra il dire e il fare..."- and they will surely understand what you mean.

But let's move on to the second saying!

The second proverb I would like to explain is: "Il troppo stroppia".

This is undoubtedly the most common version, but you may also hear "Il troppo storpia". I for one prefer "Il troppo stroppia" because it seems to me that it sounds much better.

But let's jump straight into an example with this saying!

Let's pretend that in my flat there's a wall which is completely blank. There's a blank wall with nothing on it: there are neither paintings or shelves on it.

So a friend of mine suggests that I hang some paintings. She tells me that, in her opinion, a blank wall doesn't look good and suggests that I hang some paintings.

So I hang three paitings and realize that now the wall indeed looks better.

However, my friend suggests that I hang three more paintings. And I reply to her: "No, it's better not to do that! Il troppo stroppia!"

What does it mean? It's better to avoid overkill, it's better to avoid extremes. If a quantity is too little - it's not good, but it's not good if a quantity is too big either. If you overdo, you may end up making the situation worse.

"Stroppiare" is a colloquial version of the verb "storpiare", which essentially means deformining, spoiling, damaging.

This proverb literally means: an excessive quantity ("il troppo") may have a negative and potentially harmful impact.

You surely know the word "troppo" used as an adjective or as an adverb. Well, in this case the word "troppo" is used as a noun.

This proverb can be used in different situations.

For example, let's consider the case of Italian lessons.

An Italian language lesson should provide enough information, but if the language instructor overdoes it and provides too much information, too many details, that's not good. As the saying goes, "il troppo stroppia". In the case of the lesson, too much information, too many details, may damage the lesson.

Or, to give you another example: if coffee tastes too bitter, we can add a bit of sugar, right? However, we shouldn't overdo it and we shouldn't add too much sugar, because "il troppo stroppia" and in this case too much sugar would end up spoiling the taste of coffee.

That's it! Let's move on to the third proverb!

The third saying I would like to explain to you is: "Chi non risica non rosica".

This is the full version. You can also quote just the first part, that is "Chi non risica..." (ellipsis).

This proverb itself is not crystal clear, but it's super easy to explain. It's not crystal clear because the two verbs, "risicare" and "rosicare", are Tuscan dialect verbs which are not used in today's standard Italian.

"Risicare" is a Tuscan version of the verb "rischiare", while "rosicare" is a verb which in the Tuscan dialect may mean eating or gaining (something).

The proverb essentially means: nothing ventured nothing gained. Or, in other words, to get certain things you have to take risks.

For example, if you did something risky and someone makes a remark about that, you can reply to them: "Chi non risica non rosica!"

Meaning: yes, that's true, I did something risky, but sometimes to get certain things one has to take risks.

For example, let's pretend that Luigi went to his boss and said: "Look, if you don't raise my salary by 30 per cent, I'm gonna leave".

And let's pretend that Luigi's boss surprisingly accepts Luigi's offer.

Well, in this case Luigi, to get a salary raise, had to do something risky. And, if someone tells Luigi that what he did was quite risky, Luigi could reply: Chi non risica non rosica!

Well, if you have any questions or concerns, please let me know in the comments below!

In the top corner I'm gonna add a card to another video which you might wanna watch, if your goal is to speak Italian naturally.

If you want to improve your level, please consider subscribing, because on this channel I regularly publish lessons aimed at those who want to go from intermediate level to advanced level Italian.

And may the Force of advanced Italian be with you!