Common Italian expression
| Pronunciation | |
| Literal translation | To go past the mark |
| English translation | To be out of line, to cross the line |
| Meaning | To behave in an appropriate way |
Examples
| Ora hai davvero passato il segno. Smettila subito! | Now you have really gone too far. Stop it right now! |
| Mattia ha problemi di gestione della rabbia. Ha passato il segno. | Mattia has anger management issues. He has crossed the line. |
Where does this idiom come from?
The mark is a boundary: when you “get past the mark”, it means you’ve crossed an invisible boundary of politeness (educazione) and you’re behaving in a socially inappropriate manner.
Related lessons
- passare (to pass)
- segno (sign, mark)
- definite articles
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