Using our five senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell—is really important when learning a new language. They help us absorb information better and remember it more effectively. So, today let’s use them in a slightly different way. You’ll keep improving your Italian by exploring five different Italian expressions, each one linked to one of your five senses.
1. Vedere tutto rosa
It literally means ” to see everything pink,” and it actually means to be overly optimistic, even in challenging situations.
Ex: Nonostante i problemi, lei vede sempre tutto rosa.
Despite the problems, she always sees everything in a positive light.
Anche se le cose vanno male, è importante cercare di vedere tutto rosa.
Even when things go wrong, it’s important to try to see everything positively.
2. Mangiare con gli occhi
It means to be visually attracted to someone, to look at somebody with desire, or greed.
Ex: Elena è talmente attratta da Marco che se lo sta mangiando con gli occhi!
Elena is so attracted to Marco that she is eating him up with her eyes!
3. Fare orecchie da mercante
This Italian expression literally translates as ” to play the merchant’s ears,” and it means to pretend not to hear.
Ex: Quando vuole evitare di rispondere, fa orecchie da mercante.
When he wants to avoid answering, he turns a deaf ear.
Ex: Non puoi fare orecchie da mercante ogni volta che ti chiedo qualcosa!
You cannot turn a deaf ear every time I ask you something!
4. Avere fiuto
This expression means to have intuition or a good sense of smell.
Ex: Marco ha un grande fiuto per gli affari immobiliari e sa sempre quale proprietà acquistare.
Marco has a great nose for real estate deals and always knows which properties to buy.
Ex: Il mio capo ha un gran fiuto per il talento.
My boss has a great nose for talent.
5. Avere le mani di pastafrolla
This expression translates to “having hands made of pastry dough.” It refers to someone who has hands with an unsteady grip, typical of a clumsy person.
Ex: Maria ha le mani di pastafrolla: rompe sempre qualcosa quando cerca di fare le pulizie.
Maria has an unsteady grip: she breaks something every time she tries to clean up.
Ex: Giovanni ha le mani di pastafrolla quando si tratta di maneggiare oggetti delicati.
Giovanni has an unsteady grip when it comes to handling delicate objects.
These Italian expressions linked to our five senses can unveil not just linguistic creativity but also insights into Italian culture and emotions. Now try to use some of these Italian expressions with your friends!
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Credits
Original image by Ri_Ya
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