Common Italian expression
| Literally | To raise the voice |
| Meaning | To get angry and shout |
| IPA pronunciation | /alˈtsaːre la ˈvɔːtʃe/ |
Alzare la voce
To raise your voice
Examples
Mio padre alza spesso la voce.
My father often raises his voice.
Il ragazzo alzò la voce per farsi sentire dall’altro lato della strada.
The boy raised his voice so that he could be heard from the other side of the street.
Where does this idiom come from?
When we get angry, we want to make sure our voice is heard. We want to dominate the conversation. We want to be right (avere ragione) even when we are wrong. Raising our voices is such a natural instinct that this expression is shared in both Italian and English.
Related lessons
- alzare (to raise)
- voce (voice)
- definite articles
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