Essere in vena is a very common Italian expression used when you feel inspired to experience or tackle something, or when you feel in the mood to do something. If you are in vena, you are in the best possible frame of mind and body to take on a specific task.
essere in vena
to be in the mood
According to Liberiamo, this expression dates back to the medical jargon of old, when doctors, examining a patient and noting a regular pulse from the blood vessel, would say the patient was in buona vena (literally “in good vein” but with the actual meaning “in good health”).
Oggi sono in vena di provare una nuova ricetta.
Today I’m in the mood to try a new recipe.
While often used in a positive sense, you can also make the expression negative by adding non to the beginning. This would suggest that you aren’t inspired or in the mood to do something.
Non sono in vena di scrivere oggi.
I’m not in the mood to write today.
While essere tends to be the go-to verb for this expression, it may be substituted by sentirsi (to feel).
Mi sento in vena di fare una lunga passeggiata.
I feel like taking a long walk.
Two expressions that elaborate on essere in vena are:
- essere in vena di bilanci = be ready to evaluate pros and cons or take stock of the situation
- essere in vena di battute/scherzi = to be in the mood for jokes
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.
