Italian proverbs I

Proverbs are important in the process of learning a language. In fact they represent as well a journey into the story of the language itself. 
The best way to impress Italian speakers when you travel to Italy is to use in the right context some of the many proverbs used in everyday conversation.

Today I would like to focus on five sayings connected with “like or dislike”.

Here we go:

1) Andare a genio

Andare a genio is used to express approval towards a person or a situation. The negative formi is also common.

Questo non gli andrà a genio – He won’t like this
Questa situazione non mi va a genio – I don’t like this situation

2) andare matto/a per - Andare pazzo/a per.

With great desire comes eventually great madness. This is the idea behind this saying. In contemporary Italian we use it to express a big sense of delight more than a strong desire. 

Hai cucinato le lasagne!?! Ne vado matta!! – You made lasagnas!?! I love lasagnas!
Cipolla? Non ne vado matto – Onion? I’m not fond of it.

3) Essere una figata (really informal) - Essere la fine del mondo

Something is so beautiful that the world will come to an end.

Hai visto il film? È la fine del mondo /
è una figata! – Did you watch the film? It’s amazing.

4) Che pizza! - Che palle (informal)

To show intolerance or impatience for a person or a situation. 
Che palle / pizza! Domani devo andare dal dentista.
What a bore! Tomorrow I have to go to the dentist. 

5) I gusti sono gusti.

Is a way of saying that taste is relative and universal beauty (or sense of it) doesn’t really exists. In particular this expression can be used when somebody disagrees with somebody else’s taste or choice.

Non capisco come possa piacerti Marco, ma i gusti sono gusti.
I don’t understand how you could like Marco, but each to his own taste.

Start practice today!