Common Italian expression
| Meaning | If 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/ |
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.
Chi va con lo zoppo impara a zoppicare
He who walks with the lame learns to limp
Where does this idiom 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.
Related lessons
- andare (to go)
- zoppicare (to limp)
- imparare (to learn)
- chi (who)
- zoppo (lame)
- con (preposition)
- a (preposition)
- prepositions
- definite articles
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