Italian Proverb: Il Detto della Domenica: “Buon sangue non mente.”

Proverbs, sayings, and idiomatic expressions are a rich way to learn new words and gain insight into the colloquial side of a language. Italian, like other languages, has a wealth of these enlightening expressions — some wise and others witty.

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Because they are usually brief, they can be almost like a mini lesson in themselves.
I challenge you to memorize this week’s phrase. Take me up on this, and treat yourself to a sense of accomplishment!

Ecco il detto di questa domenica:  {Here’s the saying for this Sunday.}

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“Buon sangue non mente.”

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Listen to pronunciation:

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Spiegazione (Explanation):

Lo si usa principalmente per casi negativi ma indica il carattere e il costume della discendenza da padre a figlio. Detto anche ‘tale il padre tale il figlio’.

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Translation: It (this proverb) is used principally for negative cases to indicate the character and habits of a father (mother, parents) as they carry forward to the son (daughter, children).  Also expressed as ‘like father like son.’

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Literally ‘Buon sangue non mente’ means ‘Good blood doesn’t lie’.

This saying is similar also to the English saying, ‘The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’.

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Do you have any favorite Italian proverbs you’d like to share?

I’d love to hear them — leave a comment below!