Italian word of the day
| Pronunciation | |
| English translation | To bring bad luck, to jinx |
| Origin | From the Italian word gufo, “owl” |
Origin of gufare
As said earlier, gufare comes from gufo, “owl”.
In Italian culture, owls are considered a sign of bad luck: they are nocturnal, prey on innocent mice at night, and thrive in darkness. For this reason, especially in the Middle Ages, they were associated with death and the devil. To see an owl was considered a bad omen.
Thus gufare was born, with the meaning of “to bring bad luck”.
Examples
| Smettila di gufare, andrà tutto bene. | Stop bringing bad luck, everything will be fine. |
| A Sergio piace gufare: pensa sempre agli scenari peggiori. | Sergio likes to bring bad luck: he always thinks of worst-case scenarios. |
You can also use the expression fare l’uccello del malaugurio, which can be translated as “to be a bird of bad omen”.
| Non è piacevole viaggiare con qualcuno che fa l’uccello del malaugurio. | It is not pleasant to travel with someone who is a bird of ill omen. |
More free Italian resources
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