In this short lesson, we will learn the meaning of the Italian idiom Stare sulle spine along with its pronunciation. If you are an anxious type of person, this expression is for you!
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Stare sulle spine
Meaning of the idiom
Stare sulle spine can be literally translated as “to stand on thorns”. Its meaning is the same as the common English expression to be on pins and needles, so it’s used to describe someone who is very anxious and worried about something or someone else.
Linguistically speaking, this idiom can be broken down into…
- stare (to stay or to stand)
- sulle (on the)
- spine (thorns, from spina, thorn)
You can also find the word spina in the Italian idioms non c’è rosa senza spine and tenere sulle spine.
For example, you could say…
Sto sulle spine da stamattina per i risultati dell’esame.
I’ve been on pins and needles since this morning because of the results of the exam.
Mi si è conficcata una spina nel piede. Ahia!
A thorn has stuck in my foot. Ouch!
Pronunciation of Stare sulle spine in Italian
Now let’s hear how this idiom is pronounced.
Stare sulle spine.
To be on pins and needles.
Literally: To stand on thorns.
If you need help with Italian pronunciation, check the lesson on the Italian alphabet and pronunciation.
Where does Stare sulle spine come from?
Standing on thorns is not very comfortable, is it? When you stand on thorns, you are probably fidgeting with your feet and trying not to touch the ground. You’re in a very uncomfortable situation that prevents you from resting. Anxiety (l’ansia) behaves in the same way.
And that’s the end of our lesson on the Italian idiom Stare sulle spine!
What next?
See all the other Italian idioms!
Now that you’ve seen what the meaning of the idiom Stare sulle spine is in Italian, you might want to keep learning Italian online with these free Italian resources:
Title: Italian All-in-One For Dummies
Language: English / Italian
Publisher: For Dummies
Pages: 672
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