How do you say it in Italian?
Buona fortuna
This is the most common – and boring – way of wishing good luck in Italian. It directly translates to good luck.
| Buona fortuna | Good luck |
Tante belle cose
Meaning, many nice things. This wish is not as common as buona fortuna, but it’s still a neutral way to wish good luck in Italian.
| Tante belle cose | I wish you the very best |
In bocca al lupo
In bocca al lupo can be used to translate break a leg.
Hunters used to wish each other good luck by wishing to be in a negative situation. This is why one of the most common ways of saying good luck in Italian wishes for people to be in a wolf’s mouth.
| In bocca al lupo! | Break a leg! |
But getting eaten alive by a wolf is a tad more dangerous and painful than breaking a leg, so in order to fend off any bad luck you must reply back with:
| Crepi il lupo! | Literally: May the wolf die! |
It can also be shortened to just crepi!.
Che Dio ce la mandi buona
Italians – especially older generations – have always been very religious people. So it’s no wonder that there’s a particular kind of good luck wish featuring God.
| Che Dio ce la mandi buona | Literally: May God send us a good one |
This sentence also features the present subjunctive form of the verb mandare.
In culo alla balena
The author of this article – that would be this person – has a dirty mouth, so this is my favorite Italian good luck wish. I’ve used it quite often.
It literally translates to “in [the] ass of the whale“.
One way or another, it looks like Italians like to wish people to explore the insides of wild animals, be it through an oral exam or a… well, you can guess! 😁
| In culo alla balena! | Literally: In [the] ass of the whale! |
As for in bocca al lupo, there’s a specific sentence you reply back with, and that is:
| Speriamo che non caghi! | Literally: Let’s hope it doesn’t take a shit! |
A word to the wise!
Culo is an Italian swear word, and cagare is no innocent word either. If you are between friends then by all means feel free to throw some whale asses around 😁, but in an unfamiliar setting or when taking an Italian language exam, I advise you NOT to use this wish!
Auguri e figli maschi
Historically, Italian women took care of the household while men went working outside. It was the man’s job to bring back the money and sustain the family. This is where auguri and figli maschi originated from. After a wedding, wishing the newlyweds to have male sons was just the same as wishing them money and wellness.
It’s still traditionally used to this day.
| Auguri e figli maschi! | Literally: Wishes and male sons! |
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