Common Italian collocation
| Pronunciation | |
| Literal translation | To give the fault |
| English translation | To blame |
To blame someone can be translated as dare la colpa a qualcuno, which literally means “to blame (at) someone”.
| Dare la colpa a qualcuno | To blame someone |
It can also be translated as incolpare, but this verb is slightly less common.
| Incolpare (qualcuno) | To blame (someone) |
Examples
| È stata incolpata la persona sbagliata. Federico è innocente. | The wrong person was blamed. Federico is innocent. | |
| Non puoi dare la colpa a Paolo. Lui non era neanche presente alla festa. | You can’t blame Paolo. He was not even present at the party. | |
| È facile dare la colpa a chi non può difendersi. | It is easy to blame those who cannot defend themselves. |
Other useful expressions for talking about fault
| Assumersi la responsabilità | To take responsability |
| Sentirsi in colpa | To feel guilty |
| Cospargersi il capo di cenere | To wear sackcloth and ashes |
| Capro espiatorio | Scapegoat |
For example, you can say…
| L’autista non si assume la responsabilità dell’incidente. | The driver does not take responsibility for the accident. |
| Mi sento in colpa per non essere intervenuto. | I feel guilty for not stepping in. |
| Il figlio si cosparse il capo di cenere e chiese scusa ai propri genitori. | The son wore sackcloth and ashes and apologized to his parents. |
| Stai solo cercando un capro espiatorio per sfogarti con qualcun altro. | You are just looking for a scapegoat to vent to someone else. |
Related lessons
- dare (to give)
- colpa (fault)
- definite articles
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