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Famous Italian Sayings, Phrases, and Quotes


Italian Sayings and Quotes Photo
Are you looking for a quote, phrase, or saying in Italian? We’ve compiled a list of many famous ones from poets, proverbs, actors, and even those used by Italians and Italian-Americans in every day speech. And we’ve included both the Italian and English versions for you as well. Feel free to use them on a t-shirt or face mask design!

Italian Phrases & Sayings and Their English Translations

    A caval donato non si guarda in bocca. – Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

    A chi fa male, mai mancano scuse. – He who does evil, is never short of an excuse.

    Aiutati che Dio t’aiuta. – Help yourself and God will help you.

    Belle parole non pascon i gatti. – Fine words don’t feed cats.

    Chi dorme non piglia pesci – Those who sleep don’t catch any fish.

    Cuando l’amico chiede, non v’è domani. – When a friend asks, there is no tomorrow.

    Il dolce far niente. – It is sweet doing nothing.

    L’amore è cieco – Love is blind.

    L’amore vince sempre – Love conquers all.

    La vita è un sogno – Life is a dream.

    La semplicità è l’ultima sofisticazione – Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
    -Leonardo Da Vinci

    Mangia bene, ridi spesso, ama molto. – Eat well, laugh often, love much.

    Noi non potemo avere perfetta vita senza amici – We cannot have a perfect life without friends.
    -Dante

    Non puoi insegnare niente a un uomo. Puoi solo aiutarlo a scoprire ciò che ha dentro di sé – You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help find it within himself.
    -Galileo Galilei

    Nulla nuova, buona nuova. – No news is good news.

    Quando finisce la partita il re ed il pedone finiscono nella stessa scatola. -When you finish the game, the king and pawn end up in the same box.

    Se non hai mai pianto, i tuoi occhi non possono essere belli. – If you haven’t cried, your eyes can’t be beautiful.
    -Sophia Loren

    Una cena senza vino e come un giorno senza sole – A meal without wine is a day without sunshine.

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View Comments
  • Lissa Eckert

    Hey Irene! We took to Google Translate for this one and it looks like it means, “I’m broke.”

    Hope that helps!


  • Ray Jabis

    My maternal grandfather used to say in Italian, ” I am cursed with old age but thank God for the curse”. Can you help me with the translation of this phrase into Italian?


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