Chi va con lo zoppo impara a zoppicare

Chi va con lo zoppo impara a zoppicare in Italian

MeaningIf you spend time with someone who has a flaw or bad habit, you might pick it up too
IPA pronunciation/ki va kon lo ˈdzɔppo imˈpaːra a dzoppiˈkaːre/

Chi va con lo zoppo impara a zoppicare
He who walks with the lame learns to limp

For example, if your best friend is a liar, you are more likely to become a liar. This is related to a less common Italian proverb with a similar meaning, la cattiva compagnia porta l’uomo in mala via.

Where does this come from? This proverb is probably a quotation from Tullia d’Aragona, a Roman poet who was born in 1501. In her work Dell’infinità di amore, she wrote: Chi usa con lo zoppo, se gli appicca.

limping young man
  • Andare (to go)
  • Zoppicare (to limp)
  • Imparare (to learn)
  • Chi (who)
  • Zoppo (lame)
  • Con (preposition)
  • A (preposition)
  • Prepositions
  • Definite articles
  • All Italian expressions

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