Common Italian expression
| Literally | To have a green thumb |
| Meaning | To have a way with plants, to be good at gardening |
| IPA pronunciation | /aˈvɛːre il ˈpɔllit͡ʃe ˈvɛrde/ |
Avere il pollice verde
To have green fingers
Examples
Non ho assolutamente il pollice verde: tutte le mie piante muoiono!
I have absolutely no green fingers: all my plants die!
Michela ha il pollice verde e il suo giardino è pieno di bellissimi fiori.
Michela has green fingers and her garden is full of beautiful flowers.
Where does this idiom come from?
When you touch a plant with no gloves on, your fingers will turn green. It is also thought that there are some gardeners who hold plants between their thumb and forefinger, causing the plant to release chlorophyll and staining their thumb.
Related lessons
- avere (to have)
- pollice (thumb)
- verde (green)
- colors
- definite articles
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