Italian Idioms with Food!

If you have landed here it’s because you are looking for very common sentences that we use in everyday language, and trust me this is the perfect article and video for you!

I suggest reviewing them for fun but also to use them to upgrade your level of Italian. This is more of a B2 level vocabulary! 

I love idioms! 

I think they take language level way high and it's something that I have always loved learning! In italian - we call them “modi di dire” or “frasi idiomatiche"

For this reason in this video you will find 8 idiomatic sentences that use FOOD themes in them!!!

You know that we Italians have a soft spot for food so we like to use food words also in our idioms. 

Learn 8 fun new idiomatic sentences in Italian! 

If you want to practice saying them with me then check out my video above… the translation is available directly on the video! 

1. "Cadere dalla padella alla brace".

The literal translation is to fall from the pan to the embers… So with this expression you are  saying that the situation is getting worse!

Here is an example of when to use this expression:

"Gianna ha barato durante l’esame… e quando la professoressa l’ha scoperta lei ha mentito! è caduta dalla padella alla brace!"

2. “Non sapere che pesci prendere”. 

The literal translation is “to not know what fish to catch”

You will use this idiomatic sentence when you have tried everything and now you have no idea what to do next! You can say it if you have a complicated issue to solve and you don’t know what to do!

Let’s look at it in a specific situation:

"Il meccanico non sa più che pesci prendere con la mia macchina! Ha provato a cambiare l’olio, a fare un controllo al motore, ha controllato la centralina… ma sfortunatamente la macchina ancora non funziona bene!"

3. “Mettere troppa carne al fuoco”. 

Literally it means to put too much meat on the fire. You will say this when you are super busy and unfortunately you cannot handle the different tasks at the same time! You know when you have organized those super hectic days.

Let’s read it together inside of a specific situation where you could hear it or use it:

"Oggi devo fare mille cose: dopo il lavoro devo fare la spesa, andare in palestra, chiamare la nonna, e organizzare una festa a sorpresa per la mia amica Paola… forse ho troppa carne sul fuoco!"

4. “Starci come il cavolo a merenda”. 

Literally it means to fit like a cabbage for snack time. Merenda is the Italian word for snack. We usually have merenda in the afternoon at around 4 and usually when you have merenda you take a coffee or you have a cookie or a salty snack… I don’t think you would enjoy eating cabbage… right? So you will use this expression when you want to say that something does not make sense or does not fit in in that specific situation.

 Let’s see this idea in a sentence:

"Le tue parole sono fuori luogo… come il cavolo a merenda!"

5. “Essere come il prezzemolo.” 

This translates to “ being like parsley”…. and it means that a person is everywhere in every situation and that you find them everywhere you go! Apparently parsley is an herb that chefs like to use in a lot of dishes… so it seems like it’s everywhere!

Let’s see it in a sentence:

"Marco conosce tante persone… ad ogni festa che vado lo trovo sempre! e’ come il prezzemolo!"

6. “Non essere farina del proprio sacco.” 

This expression can be translated literally into “not being flour of your bag”…. this is used when you are either lying or when you know that a person is saying something but what he is saying is not his own idea or opinion but he is talking as if it was.

This is how you can use it in a sentence:

 "Non puoi copiare da internet! il tema deve essere farina del tuo sacco!"

7. “Avere fegato.” 

This literally translates into “having a liver”…. we do eat liver here in Italy … especially in the Veneto region… so for us liver is a food word… in this case you are using this sentence similar to the English sentence “having the guts to do something”.

If you have a liver it means you are brave enough to do something.

Let’s use it in a sentence:

"Il poliziotto ha bloccato a mani nude il ladro che gli stava puntando addosso una pistola! Mamma mia lui si che ha fegato!

8. “Essere alla frutta.” 

This expression means to be at the fruit! 

This is pretty much linked to menus, think about how we Italians eat, we start with an appetizer… we have our first main dish… then we have a second main dish… then we usually have a dessert and at the very end we have fruit!

Fruit is usually the final thing that you eat… so if you say that you are at the fruit it means that you are done… finished… that you are overwhelmed and will no longer do anything else since you have no more energy and you are tired.

Here it is in a sentence:

"Basta! Io sono stufa! Non ne posso più… oggi sono veramente alla frutta… vado a casa a rilassarmi e non faccio più niente!"  

I find idioms really interesting and sometimes quite funny! Tell me if some of these are similar in your language or if your language also has idiomatic sentences that use food vocabulary or food themes! I would love to learn some new ones! Subscribe to my channel for more videos!

Other articles about food you might want to check out:

The twenty most common fruits and berries to know in Italian

Get to know the most commonly used vegetables