Proverbs are one of the hardest things to translate, not because the ideas are foreign, but because the images are. A literal rendering almost never works, and guessing the English equivalent in the middle of a conversation is the kind of thing that can leave you stranded*. This is a guide to 20 proverbs you already know well, mapped onto the phrases an English speaker would actually use: the right words, in the right register, with a little context to make them stick.

*stranded = blocked, unable to proceed (bloccato, що сів на мілину)

1 – Piove sempre sul bagnato

In English, the saying is “When it rains, it pours*.” It means exactly the same thing: bad luck tends to arrive all at once rather than one small problem at a time. Interestingly, the phrase became popular thanks to a 1911 Morton Salt advertisement, which used it to promote their salt’s ability to pour even in humid weather. The slogan stuck, and now English speakers use it in exactly the same situations you would use piove sul bagnato: when everything seems to go wrong at the same time.

*to pour = rain heavily (piovere a dirotto, лити як з відра)

2 – Chi dorme non piglia pesci

The English equivalent is “The early bird catches the worm.” Both sayings punish the late sleeper, just with different animals. The English version first appeared in John Ray’s A Collection of English Proverbs in 1670, and it has been used by parents to get their children out of bed ever since. If you want to sound more casual, English speakers also say “You snooze*, you lose” – a more modern, informal version of the same idea.

*to snooze = to sleep, to nap (dormire, sonnecchiare; дрімати)

3 – Non tutte le ciambelle riescono col buco

This is a tricky one to translate, because the image of a misshapen doughnut doesn’t exist in English. The closest equivalent is “You can’t win them all”: a relaxed, accepting way of saying that not everything goes to plan. Another option is “These things happen” for lighter situations. If you want to be more specific about plans going wrong, “it didn’t quite work out” or “Things don’t always go as expected” work well in everyday conversation.

4 – Tra il dire e il fare c’è di mezzo il mare

English speakers say “Easier said than done.” This is one of the most useful phrases to know, because it comes up constantly: in meetings, in casual conversation, whenever someone suggests something that sounds simple but clearly isn’t. You can use it on its own as a response (“Easier said than done!”) or as part of a longer sentence (“That sounds great in theory, but it’s easier said than done”). It’s direct, common, and always sounds natural.

5 – Chi va piano va sano e va lontano

The English proverb is “Slow and steady wins the race,” which comes from Aesop’s fable of the tortoise and the hare. English speakers also use “Take it one step at a time” in more practical, everyday situations, when advising someone not to rush a project or a decision. The Aesop connection means the phrase is widely known across the English-speaking world and carries the same quiet authority the Italian version does.

6 – Il lupo perde il pelo ma non il vizio

In English: “A leopard can’t change its spots.” The animal is different (a leopard instead of a wolf) but the meaning is the same: people don’t really change their fundamental nature, no matter what they say. The phrase comes from the Bible, specifically the Book of Jeremiah, which is why it has such a firm, final quality to it. English speakers use it when talking about someone who has promised to behave differently but hasn’t…and probably won’t.

7 – Ogni lasciata è persa

The English equivalent is “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” The meaning is slightly richer than the Italian: it’s not just that what you let go is lost, but that what you already have is more valuable than what you might get by taking a risk. The image comes from medieval falconry: releasing a bird in hand to chase two others was considered a bad bet. Use this phrase when someone is tempted to give up something certain in pursuit of something better but less sure.

8 – Non si può avere la botte piena e la moglie ubriaca

This is “You can’t have your cake and eat it too”, one of the most frequently used proverbs in English. It describes the very human wish to have things both ways, to keep something and use it up at the same time. The English version has been documented since at least 1538, in a letter by the Duke of Norfolk. Note that Americans often say it the other way around: “You can’t eat your cake and have it too,” which actually makes more logical sense, but both versions are understood everywhere.

9 – Meglio tardi che mai

Good news: this one is “Better late than never,” word for word. The reason the two phrases are so similar is that they both come from the same source – the Roman historian Livy. The expression passed into English directly from Latin, which is why it didn’t change much on the way. You can use it exactly as you would in Italian: as a mild, forgiving comment when something arrives late but is still welcome.

10 – Fare di tutta l’erba un fascio

The English phrase is “to paint everyone with the same brush”: to treat all members of a group as identical without looking at them as individuals. You might also hear “to tar everyone with the same brush,” which is the older version. The “brush” in this expression likely referred to a tar brush once used to mark sheep. In modern usage, it often comes up in discussions about stereotypes or unfair generalizations: “It’s not fair to paint everyone with the same brush.”

11 – Chi semina vento raccoglie tempesta

The standard English version is “You reap what you sow”: what you put out into the world is what comes back to you. It comes from the New Testament (Galatians 6:7) and is widely understood across the English-speaking world. If you want to keep the dramatic intensity of your Italian version, try “If you play with fire, you get burned” – a more vivid way of warning someone that reckless behaviour has serious consequences.

12 – Non svegliare il can che dorme

English speakers say “Let sleeping dogs lie”: almost word for word the same image. The phrase is old enough to appear in Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde in the 14th century, so it has deep roots in the language. It means: don’t bring up old problems that have settled down, don’t restart a conflict that has gone quiet. It’s used in both personal and professional contexts, and it always sounds natural. This is one you can use immediately without worrying about register*.

*register = degree of formality (registro, стиль)

13 – L’abito non fa il monaco

The modern English equivalent is “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” This is the version you’ll hear most often today. There is also an older version – “The cowl does not make the monk” – which is nearly identical to the Italian proverb, and both come from the same Latin original (cucullus non facit monachum). Shakespeare used a version of it in Twelfth Night. In everyday conversation, “don’t judge a book by its cover” is the phrase to reach for: it’s universally understood and works in any situation where appearances are misleading*.

*misleading = not entirely true (ingannevole, обманливий)

14 – Occhio non vede, cuore non duole

In English: “Out of sight, out of mind.” The phrase is more neutral than the Italian version: it doesn’t necessarily carry a sense of mercy or relief, it simply states that we stop thinking about things we can’t see. It appears in an early English translation of Thomas à Kempis’s The Imitation of Christ from around 1450. English speakers use it to explain why they’ve forgotten about something, why a long-distance relationship faded, or why removing a temptation is the easiest way to resist it.

15 – Volere è potere

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way” is the English equivalent. It appeared in print in the early 19th century and was famously used by Benjamin Disraeli. The English version is slightly softer than the Italian one: it says there is a way, not that you automatically can. It’s used as encouragement, usually when someone feels stuck or overwhelmed. You’ll hear it a lot in motivational contexts, though native speakers also use it ironically when someone is being overly optimistic about a difficult task.

16 – Ride bene chi ride ultimo

English speakers say “He who laughs last laughs longest”, or in American English, “He who laughs last laughs best.” The meaning and the tone are exactly the same: patience and persistence are rewarded in the end, and the person who seemed to be losing may eventually come out on top. It’s often used with a sense of quiet satisfaction, sometimes even as a mild warning. Both versions are widely understood, though the American “laughs best” is more common in informal speech today.

17 – A caval donato non si guarda in bocca

“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” – and here the English phrase is actually closer to the Italian one than in most other cases, because the horse is still there. The origin is the same in both languages: a horse’s age and health can be read from its teeth, so examining the mouth of a horse you’ve just received as a gift is a way of questioning its value. The English version appears in John Heywood’s 1546 proverb collection. Use it whenever someone receives something for free and starts complaining about it.

18 – Sbagliando si impara

English has a few ways of saying this. The closest in tone is “You live and you learn”: a philosophical acceptance that experience, including bad experience, teaches us things. For a more direct version, “We learn from our mistakes” works well in professional or educational contexts. What English doesn’t quite have is the elegant brevity of the Italian version. “You live and you learn” is the phrase that sounds most natural in conversation: you can say it on its own, as a response to a story about something that went wrong, and it always lands well.

19 – Gallina vecchia fa buon brodo

There isn’t a perfect single-phrase equivalent in English, but the idea is well understood. The closest expressions are “With age comes wisdom” and “Old hands know the trade,” the second of which works especially well in professional contexts. English speakers also say “Experience is the best teacher,” which captures part of it. If you want to compliment someone’s experience and reliability in English, saying something like “She really knows her stuff – years of experience show“ conveys the same spirit the Italian proverb does, even if it takes a few more words.

20 – Chi trova un amico trova un tesoro

The classic English proverb on friendship is “A friend in need is a friend indeed,” though its meaning is narrower: it’s specifically about loyalty when things are hard. For the broader, warmer idea that a good friend is simply one of life’s greatest gifts, English speakers are more likely to express this in conversation than in a fixed proverb. You might hear “Good friends are hard to find” or simply “A true friend is worth everything.” In everyday speech, this sentiment is often shown rather than quoted, which perhaps says something about how the two cultures approach friendship differently.

Learning a language isn’t just about grammar and vocabulary. It’s about knowing which phrase to reach for in a given moment, and proverbs are exactly the kind of thing that makes a speaker sound natural rather than just correct. The next time one of these situations comes up in conversation with an English speaker, you’ll know exactly what they’d say. 😊