Italian Idiom: Sentirsi fischiare le orecchie (to have the feeling someone is talking about you)

In Italian, fischiare le orecchie literally means “to whistle in the ears,” and it refers to the persistent ringing or buzzing sound in one’s ears, often associated with tinnitus.


However, this expression, when preceded by the verb sentirsi (to feel), can also be used figuratively to describe the unsettling feeling that other people are talking about you, or someone else. In English, the equivalent expression is “your ears are burning.”

Sentirsi fischiare le orecchie

In Italian, the two ears, when considered as a pair rather than distinct organs, are usually referred to as le orecchie, using the irregular feminine plural form. When talking about the single organ, the masculine orecchio is more common.

When it comes to idioms, it is possible to find multiple versions with either the feminine or masculine. Here are a few other examples:

  • essere tutt’orecchi (masculine plural) = to be all ears
  • anche i muri hanno orecchi / le orecchie (masculine / feminine plural) = these walls have ears
  • essere duri d’orecchi / d’orecchio (masculine plural / singular) = to be hard of hearing

To find out more about the difference between these two plural forms, be sure to check out our article about the word orecchio.

ear with smiley earring

The ancient belief that one’s ears can ring or burn when being talked about dates back to at least Roman times, with Pliny the Elder mentioning it in his Natural History (published between AD 77–79). According to the Corriere Dictionary, there is even a belief that the nature of the conversation, whether positive or negative, can be discerned based on whether the affected ear is the left or right one.

Italian idiom "sentirsi fischiare le orecchie"

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