Let’s be honest, proverbs are not a part of the core curriculum when you are learning Italian. However, I believe that there are plenty of great reasons why proverbs should not be overlooked. Especially for advanced level students trying to improve their fluency! Let's dive in!
Proverbs are used all of the time by Italians! Have you encountered any yet… probably. As an advanced level student, learning some of the most frequently used proverbs is a great way to quickly boost your comprehension.
Also, you need to note that sometimes Italians abbreviate these proverbs in their speech. Let’s look at an example.
You are talking about something that will take a long time to become noticed, you are told ‘campa cavallo’.
If you already knew the full version of this proverb, “campa cavallo che l’erba cresce” then there is a very good chance that you will understand your friend’s expression. (This proverb literally means: The horse has to be patient and wait for the grass to grow again)
Another good reason to learn Italian proverbs is to reverse your perspective. Do not learn Italian proverbs, instead learn Italian through proverbs.
There is a good chance that you will not just learn these proverbs for comprehension, but you will probably pick up some new vocabulary along the way.
Let’s look at an example. I guess you might still be wondering what the verb campare means in the proverb: campa cavallo che l’erba cresce. Well, let me unveil the mystery.
Campare is a synonym of vivere, though when you use it, you express a little bit of added effort and struggle with life’s problems.
And there you go! Not only did you learn a new, commonly used Italian proverb, but you also added an advanced verb to your vocabulary.
Last but certainly not least, proverbs are a lot of fun! They always tell a short story and give you a quick insight into Italian traditions and culture.
If you use a proverb with one of your friends from Italy, you will definitely get some eyes turned your way (because you sound like a native) and maybe even a laugh!
You can probably see now why you should start learning Italian proverbs, or better said, to improve your Italian through proverbs!
Lucky for you, I have already created a course about Italian proverbs with animals and it is part of my subscription plan. You can access this course and all my other courses for free following this link.
What are you waiting for, you are not the horse in the proverb!
