Common Italian expression
| Pronunciation | |
| Literal translation | To go to that town |
| English translation | To get lost, to buzz off |
| Meaning | Used when someone is annoyed by you |
Where does this idiom come from?
Vai a quel paese is what usually ends a neverending quarrel: “get lost”! It’s an insulting and very rude expression because it shows that the person’s presence is no longer appreciated. It tells that both of you have very different opinions, opinioni, and no matter how long you fight, you will never agree.
But why is it a “town”? Notice that the town is not mentioned: it is used to mean an unknown distant village. A village that is so isolated and so far away that you don’t even know its name. This is where you want the other person to go, or where other people want you to go.
There is also mandare a quel paese, which is used when you tell someone to get lost.
| Pronunciation | |
| Literal translation | To send to that town |
| English translation | To tell someone to get lost |
| Meaning | Used when someone annoys you |
Examples
| Vai a quel paese, Giorgio! | Buzz off, Giorgio! |
| Paolo mi ha appena mandato a quel paese. | Paolo just told me to get lost. |
Andare a quel paese can also be translated as f*ck off and scr*w you. Unlike these, however, this expression doesn’t have any swear words. It’s just very rude.
Related lessons
- andare (to go)
- quel (that)
- paese (village, town)
- a (preposition)
- prepositions
- demonstratives
More free Italian resources
You might want to keep learning Italian online with these free Italian resources:
Aiuta Lingookies con un 👍!
❤️ If you liked this lesson on the Italian expression Andare a quel paese, share it with your friends!