Learn Advanced Italian Idioms!

Hi, there! I'm Luca and this epic video is aimed at those who wish to learn Italian.

More specifically, this video is geared toward those learners who have already learned the basics of the Italian language and grammar and would like to improve their Italian.

On this channel, in fact, I have published hundreds of video lessons on various Italian idioms and plan to continue doing so. So, if you wish to improve your Italian by learning new idiomatic phrases, you might wanna subscribe to my channel.

That being said, in this video I'd like to reply to a request I received from one of my subscribers.

Some time ago this person asked me to make some videos about a series of idioms with the verb "METTERE". One of these was the idiom "mettere in tasca".

Alright! Let me say right away that there are 2 versions. A phrase with the standard verb, that is, "mettere in tasca". And a phrase with the reflexive verb, "mettersi in tasca". I for one prefer the second version, that is, "mettersi in tasca". Later on I'll explain to you why I prefer this version. Or rather, you'll probably guess it.

So let's take this chance to review reflexive verbs!

If we consider "mettere in tasca", the conjugation will simply be: "metto in tasca", "metti in tasca", "mette in tasca", "mettiamo in tasca", "mettete in tasca", "mettono in tasca".

Ok. Instead, if we consider the reflexive form, it will simply be: "mi metto in tasca", "ti metti in tasca", "si mette in tasca", "ci mettiamo in tasca", "vi mettete in tasca", "si mettono in tasca".

So far so good!

Some non-native speakers who study Italian make mistakes with the passato prossimo.

Thing is, with "mettere in tasca", we should use "avere" as auxiliary verb: ho messo in tasca, hai messo in tasca, ha messo in tasca, abbiamo messo in tasca, avete messo in tasca, hanno messo in tasca.

By contrast, if we consider the reflexive verb "mettersi in tasca", the forms for masculine subjects will be: mi sono messo in tasca, ti sei messo in tasca, si è messo in tasca, ci siamo messi in tasca, vi siete messi in tasca, si sono messi in tasca.

With feminine subjects, we should obviously use feminine forms. So instead of "messo" and "messi", we should use "messa" and "messe". So the forms for feminine subjects will be: mi sono messa in tasca, ti sei messa in tasca, si è messa in tasca, ci siamo messe in tasca, vi siete messe in tasca, si sono messe in tasca.

From the point of view of meaning, this idiom is quite easy to explain.

This phrase can be used in a literal sense and in a figurative sense.

Literally, "mettere in tasca" ("mettersi in tasca") essentially means taking something and putting it into one's pockets. So in this case "mettere in tasca" should be understood as "infilare in tasca".

For example, if I say "mi metto in tasca il telefono", what does it mean? It means that I take the phone and put it in my pocket. Most likely, in my trousers' pockets. In one of my trousers' pockets. Needless to say, it doesn't have to be my trousers' pocket, it could also be my jacket's pocket, or my coat's pocket. Whatever, you see what I mean.

An error which tends to be made by non-native speakers who learn Italian is this. Namely, they use the verb "mettere" followed by a possessive adjective. For example, they may say: "Ho messo nella mia tasca".

Well, this is not a standard phrase in Italian. In Italian we don't say that. In Italian we say: "mi sono messo in tasca". Obviously, one could as easily say "ho messo in tasca". This is acceptable too. Personally, I prefer the phrase "mi sono messo in tasca". The phrase "ho messo nelle mie tasche" is without doubt wrong.

So the literal meaning of this idiom is clear, right? If someone "si mette in tasca qualcosa", it means that they take this object and put it in their pockets.

Next there's the figurative meaning. What does "mettersi in tasca" mean? It means getting some kind of profit, typically illegally.

I don't know if you know the verb "intascare". Well, in Italian there's the verb "intascare". And the reflexive version "intascarsi". The forms will be "ho intascato" and "mi sono intascato". Well, "mettersi in tasca" has the same meaning of "intascarsi".

For example, if I say that someone "si è intascato/a diecimila Euro", it's not the same as saying "Ha guadagnato diecimila Euro". Because in any case "si è intascata" conveys a specific shade of meaning. Namely, I want to place emphasis on the fact that this person got this profit unlawfully, illegally. Or in any case by doing something unfair.

This shade of meaning isn't always present, but it's present most of the time. Therefore, if I use this idiom, I'm making a negative remark about the person who earned the thing in question.

For example, I could talk about someone who, I don't know, gets a salary - they earn, let's say, I don't know, 2000 Euros per month. If I say that he or she "si intasca duemila Euro al mese", that kind of implies this shade of meaning: they earn this money, but it is likely that they don't work that hard. That is, in a way they kind of "steal" this money.

As you can see, "mettersi in tasca" is close to the idea of stealing. Stealing in the strict sense, or getting something that one shouldn't be getting.

Another real-life example could be: "Si è messo in tasca 300 Euro per non fare niente". What does it mean? It means that this person earned 300 Euro, but in fact didn't do anything, so in a way they kind of "stole" this money.

Or, let's pretend that we were talking about a big company, an international company, right? You surely know that these companies have mega-galactic directors who get absurd salaries, right? Absurd bonuses. Or rather, "absurd" in the eyes of normal people, right?

Commenting on the salary of one such director, we could say, for example: "In un anno si è messo in tasca 250.000 Euro".

Understand that it's different if I say "Si è messo in tasca 250.000 Euro" and "Ha guadagnato 250.000 Euro". Because "ha guadagnato" is a neutral phrase. Whereas "si è messo in tasca", or "ha messo in tasca", conveys a specific shade and implies negative criticism.

It's not exactly the same as saying "ha rubato", but the idea is similar. It's a bit weaker than "rubare", but in any case emphasis is put on the fact that this person didn't earn that money. Because, if someone criticizes the salaries of these mega-directors, they possibly mean that, in their opinion, they get too much for what they do.

Lastly, I'd like to say something else.

This is the figurative use of "mettersi in tasca", right?

Before recording this video, I looked it up in the dictionary and saw that two different dictionaries explain two more figurative uses which honestly I've never heard in my life.

According to one dictionary, people also say "mettersi in tasca qualcuno". Which, according to the dictionary, supposedly means easily deceiving or fooling someone.

The dictionary gives this example sentence: "Quello stupido ce lo mettiamo in tasca". The dictionary explains that this sentence would mean that this person will be easily deceived, this person will be easy to deceive, they'll be easy to con, they'll be easy to fool.

According to another online dictionary, there's the phrase "mettersi in tasca qualcuno", which supposedly means not being afraid of someone.

The dictionary gives this example: "Quello lì me lo metto in tasca!" And explains that this sentence in theory means that the person who says that is not afraid of that person. They say "Me lo metto in tasca" to mean that that person is an insignificant "opponent", someone they aren't afraid of at all. If someone says "Me lo metto in tasca", he or she is sure to beat that "opponent", or in any case is sure that that individual won't cause any problems.

Alright! Personally, in my life I've never heard anyone using the phrase "mettersi in tasca qualcuno" and never heard these idioms. I'm explaining them to you because I've just read them on the Internet. In any case, before that I had never heard these idiomatic phrases.

However, I did hear - and quite often - two Italian idioms which have the same meaning of "Me lo metto in tasca". They are: "Me lo mangio a colazione" and "Mi fa un baffo!" (exclamation point).

That is, in other words, in Italian we can say, if we are not afraid of someone, if we are not afraid of a given "enemy" (so to speak), rival or opponent, - we can say: "Ma quello lì me lo mangio a colazione!". What does it mean? It's not a problem for me, I can easily beat them, I'm not afraid of that person in the slightest.

In a similar fashion, we can say: "Ma quello lì mi fa un baffo!". The meaning is the same. That is, that person there is not an enemy, opponent, or rival who worries me. Quite frankly I'm not afraid of that individual, I know I can beat them, I know that this person won't cause any problems.

So the idiomatic phrases are 2: "me lo mangio a colazione" and "mi fa un baffo". These are idioms that I've often heard.

Instead, like I said, I've never heard the phrase "me lo metto in tasca". Similarly, I've never heard phrases such as "Ce lo mettiamo in tasca" said to mean that someone is easy to deceive or fool.

Personally, I don't suggest that you use the phrase "mettersi in tasca qualcuno", because like I said there are also people like me who have never heard it.

The other figurative use, the one that I discussed, i.e. earning something in an unfair way - that is very common. So I suggest that you use this phrase only this way.

Well, that's it!

I hope that you liked this Italian idiom and that everything is clear.

That being said - Till next time!

And may the Force of Advanced Italian be with you!