In a recent speech, Italy’s Health Minister Roberto Speranza shared his belief that the first half of 2020 has been the most difficult in the history of the country since World War II. Indeed, Italy was one of the first and hardest-hit European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, and though the country has slowly begun to return to normal life, the shadow of the dark days of the past spring remains.
One of the most heartening aspects of Italy’s lockdown was the outpouring of solidarity and support shown between citizens. As restrictions on traveling, gatherings, shopping, and other staples of daily life tightened, Italians showed a remarkable sense of civic duty and discipline, generally obeying the rules to the letter and putting the safety of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens first.
One moving image that will stay in the minds of many Italians long after the pandemic ends were the hand-drawn posters made by Italian children and hung from many windows depicting a rainbow with the phrase “Andrà tutto bene”, or “Everything will be okay”, written beneath. It was a poignant yet somehow encouraging message, and helped many through what was the hardest of times.
Here, we’ll take a look at a number of ways in Italian to be encouraging when times get tough:
Encouraging Words and Phrases:
Dai! - Come on!
Vai! - Go for it!
Forza! - You can do it/Cheer up!
Coraggio! - You can do it/Cheer up!
Dai che ce la fai! - Come one, you can do it!
Ce la puoi fare! - You can do it!
Cosa stai aspettando? - What are you waiting for?
Non sei solo/a. - You are not alone.
Sono così fiero/a di te! - I'm so proud of you!
Continua così. - Keep up the good work.
Non mollare! - Don't give up!
Non ti arrendere! - Don’t give up!
Continua a lottare! - Keep fighting!
Vale la pena tentare. - It's worth a shot.
Cos'hai da perdere? - What do you have to lose?
Dai, riprovaci! Non scoraggiarti. - Come on, try again! Don’t get discouraged.
Credo in te! - I believe in you.
Credi in te stesso/a. - Believe in yourself.
Abbi fede in te stesso/a. - Have faith in yourself.
Sii forte. - Stay strong.
Sei il numero uno! - You're number one!
Non ci sono limiti. - The sky's the limit.
Ecco fatto! - There you go!
Encouraging Aphorisms:
Tutto è bene quel che finisce bene. - All’s well that ends well.
Finché c'è vita c'è speranza. - Hope never dies.
Chi aspettar puote, viene a ciò che vuole. - Good things come to those who wait.
Chi sta bene con sè, sta bene con tutti. - Happiness begins with you.
Chi la fa, l'aspetti. - What goes around, comes around.
Con la pazienza s'acquista scienza. - Wisdome comes with patience.
Roma non fu fatta in un giorno. - Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Chi cerca, trova. - Those who seek, find.
A goccia a goccia a goccia si scava la pietra. - Drop by drop, even stone is eroded.
Gatto rinchiuso diventa leone. - A trapped cat becomes a lion.
From sporting matches to friends who are blue, these words of encouragement will suit any occasion!
