How exactly do you say seize the moment in Italian? Are there more ways to translate this expression?
The answer is yes! Read on to learn them all.
Let’s start! Iniziamo!
How do you say seize the moment in Italian?
Cogli l’attimo!
Cogli l’attimo is how you most commonly translate seize the moment in Italian. It’s an informal singular expression and it’s not common to hear it in formal settings, so only use this when talking to a friend, a relative or someone you know well.
Cogli l’attimo!
Seize the moment! (singular, informal)
This common sentence in Italian is made of three elements.
Cogli
Imperative “you” form of cogliere, to grab
L’
One of the masculine definite articles
Attimo
Italian translation for “moment”
Cogli l’attimo, la fortuna non rimarrà in eterno.
Seize the moment; luck will not stay forever.
There’s a funny old Fiat Punto commercial featuring this expression. Go watch it!
Cogli is the second-person singular conjugation of cogliere, to grab, to pick up or to notice, in the imperative mood.
Imperative mood conjugation of cogliere
| io | — |
| tu | cogli |
| lui, lei | colga |
| noi | cogliamo |
| voi | cogliete |
| loro | colgano |
For example, you could say…
Cogli al volo qualsiasi opportunità!
Seize any opportunity!
Cogliete una margherita e cominciate a contarne i petali!
Pick up a daisy and begin to count its petals! (plural you)
Carpe diem
Carpe diem is another way you can translate seize the moment in Italian. Actually, this is how the expression itself was born, because this is the Latin quote for “seize the day” by the Roman poet Horace.
Carpe diem
Trust me! (plural)
To this day, the Italian verb carpire means “to swipe, to pilfer”. So carpe diem and keep learning Italian!
And that’s it, now you know how to say seize the moment in Italian in all its forms.
What next?
Now that you’ve seen how to say seize the moment in Italian, you might want to keep learning Italian online with these free Italian resources:
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