Home | Classroom | Archive 1 | Archive 2 | Words | Phrases | Countries | Languages      


Return to the ITALIAN ArchiveForward to the Current ITALIAN Forum

Phrasebase Archive


Phlame64Tuesday 31st of May 2005 05:03:26 PM
Italian Hand Gestures >.< - Sometimes, a gesture can be more meaningful than a word.
In Italy, we often use gestures while speaking italian. Wanna learn some? ^^


MEANING: "Andiamo a dormire." or "Ho sonno."
ENGLISH: Let's go to sleep.


MEANING: "Ho fame."
ENGLISH: I'm hungry.


MEANING: "Che sbadato!"
ENGLISH: How could I have forgotten?!


MEANING: "Lo giuro!" or "Giuro!"
ENGLISH: I swear it.


MEANING: "E' un pò toccato."
ENGLISH: He's a little crazy.


MEANING: "Che barba.."
ENGLISH: How annoying.. (referred to an annoying thing or person)


MEANING: "Perfetto!"
ENGLISH: Perfect!


MEANING: "Ehi tu, vieni qui!" or "Ascolta!"
ENGLISH: Hey! Come here, you! or Listen!


MEANING: "Come?"
ENGLISH: What?


MEANING: "Mi dai un passaggio?"
ENGLISH: Can you give me a ride?


MEANING: "Vieni fra le mie braccia!" or "Vieni qui da me!"
ENGLISH: Come to me!


MEANING: "Silenzio."
ENGLISH: Keep quiet.


MEANING: "Che peso!" or "Mi sta qua!"
ENGLISH: I cannot stand this situation/person/thing any longer.


MEANING: "Ora ricordo!"
ENGLISH: Now I remember!


MEANING: "Idea!" or "Ho un'idea!"
ENGLISH: I've got an idea!


MEANING: Mettersi il paraocchi.
ENGLISH: To put on blinders. (Just to see things one way)


MEANING: "Ok!"
ENGLISH: Ok!


MEANING: "No grazie!"
ENGLISH: No thank you! (I'm full/not hungry/sick)
EXAMPLE:
A -> "Mangia!" (Eat!)
B -> "No grazie!" (Use gesture)


MEANING: Rubare.
ENGLISH: He's a robber.


MEANING: "Se l'intendono."
ENGLISH: They understand each other.

Well, hope this was helpful for you all, maybe it can be useful if you're studying italian culture.
A presto! ^^
ZackWednesday 01st of June 2005 07:35:38 PM
Un'altro - Mio nonno dice mettere la Sua mano sotto il mento e allora gesticoli significare "Non mi interessa." Quel è un gesto cattivo, corretta?
Phlame64Thursday 02nd of June 2005 03:30:44 PM
- It depends in which situation you are using that gesture. Sometimes it would mean "it's not interesting to me" and other times it can be offensive ^^
ZackSunday 12th of June 2005 08:00:09 PM
- Thanks. I also wanted to know if the word "cafone" is used much in Italy. My grandfather and Carla told me what it meant already, but is it commonly used?
Phlame64Sunday 12th of June 2005 09:57:06 PM
- I don't know how much it is used in Italy, but i never use it, so i think it is not commonly used. Instead of "cafone" we can use "maleducato" and that is commonly used in italy. But be careful because it is offensive too..
ZackWednesday 15th of June 2005 10:07:37 AM
- Carla said cafone was a Southern Italian term. I've got family that I haven't met in Solofra. Is Solofra a very large city, or is it even a city? Have you been there?
CarlaWednesday 15th of June 2005 06:57:12 PM
- Hi Zack, :)
I have never been to Solofra. I searched it on the internet and I found out that it's a small town of about 11,000 inhabitants.
Solofra is one of the most important tannery centres in Italy.
Here's something about the history of Solofra:
[url]http://www.solofrastorica.it[/url]

Carla ;)
ZackThursday 16th of June 2005 01:11:11 PM
- Grazie, Carla. Lol. Solofra è molta piccole! Più piccole che la mia citta! Ci sono più che 11,000 persone nella mia citta. Ah, well, sogni d'oro. Adesso, è alla due e dieci nella mattina! Tempo per letto!

l'americano, Zack.
AlexanderFriday 29th of July 2005 05:22:06 PM
What does this gesture mean? - Is there also another gesture where you take your pointer finger to your cheeck and kinda do a twist of the wrist? I coulda swore when I was young my uncle did that once when talking to my grandfather, and then my grandfather did it back to him as they shook hands and greeted.

-Alexander
aesteriaSunday 04th of September 2005 07:23:20 PM
- That gesture means that something is nice,I think it's more used for stuff like food.Anyway I live in North East and I sometimes use cafone..
Anyway,I'm a gesture addicted.I do them even if I'm phoning and I'm alone in a room....haha!
Jo-LeneSaturday 07th of January 2006 06:02:48 PM
mystery gesture - A bunch of us were fooling around in the pool when my boss gestured to his dad by raising his left forearm to a 90 degree angle and slap that elbow with his right hand. He had a cheeky look on his face but I have a feeling it might be a rude gesture. Can someone please confirm and tell me what it means? Grazie mille!
Oh and he uses that "finger in cheek with a wrist twist" gesture a lot with his dad. Now I know what that was all about!
leobloomSaturday 07th of January 2006 07:09:11 PM
- ok, if i got well, the 1st gesture IS rude...but i can0t find any right way to translate it...
it'ssth you do to "reply" to a questiion or an affirmative sentence...
eg. a)help me to clean the garage
b) *makes that gesture (meaning he/she won't help)
a) f**k you!!!
it roughly means "up your a**"

the second gesture means that something tastes good
a) did you like the ice-cream?
b) *makes that gesture meaning it was very good
a) ok=o)

hope this helps...it's difficult to explain our gestures=o)


Search Phrasebase