Common Italian expression
| Literally | To make a U-turn |
| Meaning | To change your direction completely, either physically or metaphorically |
| IPA pronunciation | /ˈfaːre ˈdjɛːtro ˈfrɔnt/ |
Fare dietrofront
To do an about-face, to turn around
Examples
Il manager ha fatto dietrofront sulla decisione.
The manager did an about-face regarding his decision.
L’uomo fa dietrofront ed esce dal negozio.
The man turns around and goes out of the store.
Where does this idiom come from?
A U-turn is a sudden movement. When you suddenly change the course of action, it’s like changing direction by turning around. This is why the saying is also used metaphorically.
Related lessons
- fare (to do)
- dietro (back)
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