Fare carte false

Common Italian expression

Pronunciation
Literal translationTo make fake papers
English translationTo sell your mother, to do anything
MeaningYou are willing to go to any length to achieve your goal

Examples

Farei carte false per avere il suo lavoro.I would do anything to get his job.
Qualsiasi persona farebbe carte false per avere una casa così grande.Any person would sell their mother to have such a large house.

Where does this idiom come from?

Forging documents is a crimine, crime. If you are willing to forge some official document, such as your degree or ID, to reach a certain goal, you are literally making “fake papers”.

  • fare (to do, to make)
  • carta (paper)
  • falso (false)

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 fare carte false, share it with your friends!

Leave a Comment