A useful expression in Italian is farsi strada, which means “to make one’s way.” It is often followed by the preposition tra / fra meaning between or through.
farsi strada
to make one’s way
The first part of the expression contains the verb fare, meaning to do or to make. However, it is in its reflexive form farsi, which can be translated as “to make for oneself” or “to get oneself.” It is used when the action being performed comes back to the subject, or influences the subject in some way.
The second part is the noun strada, meaning road, street, route, or way depending on the context. So, what we are literally saying is “to make for oneself a way” – almost a mirror image of the English idiom!
Mario si è fatto strada tra la folla.
Mario made his way through the crowd.
You can also use this expression figuratively to describe the act of getting ahead in life, or when something, such as a popular book or film, gains traction.
Odio chi mente per farsi strada.
I hate people who lie to get ahead.
Il nuovo film di Paolo Sorrentino sta iniziando a farsi strada tra gli spettatori.
Paolo Sorrentino’s new film is starting to gain traction amongst filmgoers.
In a similar way, the expression fare strada (using the normal form of the verb fare rather than its reflexive form) can be used to say that someone has achieved success in his life or career, or has significantly improved them.
Paolo ne ha fatta di strada! Hai visto la sua nuova macchina?
Paolo has climbed the ladder! Did you see his new car?
Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
