Proverbi napoletani

"Meat goes underneath and macaroni on the top".  A way to say when someone is wrong and who is right seems, on the contrary, to be wrong.

A carne ‘a sotto e ‘e maccarune ‘ncoppa

"Paper close to the fire will burn".  It is used to affirm that some accident didn’t happen by chance because it was predictable, just as it’s predictable that a paper burns near the fire.

‘A carta vicino ‘o fuoco s’appiccia

"Every ugly child is nice for his mom" ."Scarrafone" is an ugly-looking person,

Ogni scarrafone  è bello ‘a mamma soja

It means (literally) that "your children are pieces of your heart", they are the most precious thing you have.

It means that "you can live without knowing why, but you can't live without knowing for whom".

Se po’ campá senza sapé pecché, ma non se po’ campá senza sapé pecchì.

It means that here nobody is stupid. Nobody is or should be considered foolish.

"God gives bread to the people that has no teeth" it means that sometimes we don't catch the opportunities that life gives to us.

O’ Pataterno dà o’ppane a chi nun tene e’dienti.

"An empty head leads to a long tongue", it means that the less you know the more you talk about stupid things.

Chiu ‘a cap è vacant chiu ‘a lengua è long.

"If i was, if i had, if i could are three stupids wandering around the world". They're all excuses we sometimes say when aiming at something but doing nothing to reach our goal. So this sentence destroys these "excuses".

"A woman for a man goes crazy, but a man for a woman  becomes stupid"

‘A femmena pe’ l’ommo addiventa pazza, l’ommo p’ ‘a femmena addiventa fesso.

Life is a smile, the one that doesn't smile dies killed

A vita è nu surris, chi nu rir mor accis.

The things that you don't do in a year, you can do in an hour.

Chell’ che nun se fa int’a n’anno, se fa int’a n’ora.

The person who works can eat, but the person who doesn't work can eat and drink.

Chi fatica magna chi nun fatica magna e beve.

The evil eye is worse than shooting" meaning that the misfortune that can happen to us is due to someone's envious attention.

L’uocchie sicche so’ peggio d”e scuppettate.

The person who doesn't have money, has a rich heart. It is what makes a person truly rich.

Chi è povero ‘e denaro è ricco ‘e core.

We just have one life and we have to make the best of it

Speaking of the devil the horns come out.

Parlanno do diavulo, spuntajeno ‘e ccorna.

The one who is born with a charcter can't change it.

The responsibility for what is not right falls first of all on the inability, the dishonesty of those in charge

Take the good chance when it happens to you, because the bad one never fails.

Pigliate ‘a bona quanno te vene, ca ‘a malamente nun manca maje.

"The brain is the peel of the onion".  Human mind is delicate and flaky as the external peel of the onion. A way to say that somebody can go mad esily.

‘A cervella è ‘na sfoglia ‘e cipolle.

"Trying to wash the donkey’s head brings to waste water and soap". It’s just a waste of time and breath when we try to change an ignorant/stubborn person’s mind.

A lavà ‘a capa ‘o ciuccio se perde acqua e sapone.

"Undone things cannot be discovered" meaning that anything – sooner or later – is discovered.

"The worm told to the walnut: give me time and I’ll pierce you"  He who perseveres will achieve his goals also if  it needs time to reach the aim.

Comme dicett’ ‘o pappice vicin’ ‘a noce: damme tiempo ca te spertoso.

"Little sons slight troubles, old sons big troubles".  Just a reality for parents. This popular saying want to highlight that worries and troubles are correlated with son’s age.

Figlie piccerille guaie piccerille, figlie gruosse guaie gruosse.

"Mum and youth are appreciated when they went away".   “mother” and “youth” are the most important things we all have in our life and unluckily often we realize their importance only when miss them.

Mamma e giuventù s’apprezzano quanno nun se teneno cchiù.

"When the devil caresses you wants your soul". it means  that someone does something only for a precise purpose.  Just to reach his aim a person can pretend to be kind or take care of you.

Quanno ‘o diavulo t’accarezza, vo’ ll’anema.

"Folks voice, God’s voice".  A popular proverb meaning that people’s demand is justified and right as a God complaint even.

"Octopus cooks in its own juice" sometimes there is no need to waste breath with stubborn (or immature) people because they often “cooks” (realize) by themselves their mistakes then redressing.

‘O purpo se coce int’ a l’acqua soja.

"Whoever looks at my house with a hostile eye must die before entering it!"

Chi vo’ male a chesta casa ha da crepà’ primma ca trase!

"see Naples and then die" it means that nothing compares to the beauty of Naples, so you can die after you've seen it