In this lesson, youâll learn the most common and interesting idioms with letters in Italian.
Letâs start!
Idioms with letters in Italian
The first weâre going to see translates as to dot your iâs.
Mettere i puntini sulle i
This is used to address a nitpicky kind of person.
Mettere i puntini sulle i
To dot your iâs
Literally: to put the small dots on the iâs
Il mio commercialista Ăš molto preciso. Gli piace mettere i puntini sulle i.
My accountant is very precise. He likes dotting his iâs.

Non capire unâacca
Latin used to aspirate hâs, but Italian doesnât. In modern Italian, hai and ai are pronounced exactly the same. You canât really hear the h sound.
This gave way to the idiom non capire unâacca, meaning âto not understand anythingâ.
Non capire unâacca
To not understand anything
Literally: to not understand an h
Puoi parlare piĂč forte? Non capisco unâacca!
Can you speak louder? I canât understand anything!
Non valere unâacca
Likewise, non valere unâacca was born. Since hâs donât really serve a purpose in Italian, non valere unâacca means âto be worth nothingâ.
Non valere unâacca
To be worth nothing
Literally: to not be worth an h
Non vale unâacca come cuoco. Brucia sempre tutto.
Heâs worth nothing as a cook. He always burns everything.

Dalla a alla zeta
Thereâs a direct correspondence with its translation to English: from A to Z. From beginning to end.
Dalla a alla zeta
From A to Z
Questo negozio vende un poâ di tutto, dalla a alla zeta.
This shop sells a bit of everything, from A to Z.
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Language: English / Italian
Publisher:Â For Dummies
Pages:Â 672
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Imparare lâABC
Contrary to what it may seem, this idiom has nothing to do with the alphabet. Imparare lâABC means âto learn the basic theory of a subjectâ.
Imparare lâABC
To acquire the basics
Literally: to learn the ABC
A scuola dovrebbero insegnare lâABC dellâeconomia.
Schools should teach basic concepts of the economy.

What next?
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