Colours are packed with meaning and emotion, and Italian, like many other languages, has some seriously colourful expressions (pun fully intended!) to describe everything from moods to mishaps in the most vivid way possible. In this article, we’ll explore some of the most popular idioms featuring colours in Italian, complete with their literal translations, actual meanings, and examples to help you include them into your conversation. They’re fun, a bit dramatic sometimes, often backed by interesting stories, and definitely worth adding to your Italian vocabulary!
Idioms with “white” in Italian
1. Passare la notte in bianco
Literally: To spend the night in white
This phrase means spending the whole night wide awake, whether due to stress, excitement, or that brilliant idea of “just one more episode.” It comes from the Middle Ages, when aspiring knights, before their big initiation ceremony, had to dress in white (hence bianco) and spend the night in a chapel, praying instead of sleeping.
I bambini non sono stati bene e ho passato la notte in bianco.
The kids weren’t feeling well, and I spent the night awake.
2. Mangiare in bianco
Literally: To eat in white
When an Italian mangia in bianco, it means they’re on a diet of bland, no-fun foods to “detox” their system. Maybe they’ve overindulged for days, or are just not feeling well and need a temporary break from the rich, flavor-packed Italian cuisine. Bianco (white) because this sad little menu is made up of pale, unseasoned foods, like plain rice, white fish, and boiled chicken or turkey breast. It’s basically culinary purgatory, but hey, sometimes your stomach demands a reset.
Il dottore mi ha prescritto di mangiare in bianco per tutta la settimana.
The doctor prescribed that I eat bland food for the entire week.
3. Di punto in bianco
Literally: From one point in white
This phrase is used to refer to something that happens suddenly —no warning, no heads-up, just bam! Like when your WiFi cuts out right when you’re about to enter that important Zoom call. Classic. The expression comes from the old military days, when shots were fired straight ahead and the target was in a zero position, which was called “in bianco” (meaning “white”).
Stava passeggiando al parco e di punto in bianco si è sentita male.
She was walking in the park, and all of a sudden, she felt unwell.
4. Andare in bianco
Literally: To go in white
Andare in bianco is the poetic way Italians describe that “nothing happened” in the bedroom. No action, no passion, just you and your unfulfilled expectations. Some believe this expression has to do with knights having to spend the night before a big battle in prayer, dressed in white robes. Another theory takes us to medieval wedding nights, where the ultimate proof of a successful first night together was a blood-stained bedsheet displayed for all to see. And if the sheet was still pristine white… the groom had officially gone in bianco!
Dopo una lunga serata insieme, alla fine è andato in bianco!
After a long evening together, in the end, he went home empty-handed!
5. Essere una mosca bianca
Literally: To be a white fly
This phrase is used to describe something or someone so rare that it almost feels mythical, since flies are normally black. So, if someone tells you Sei una mosca Bianca, they’re saying you stand out from the crowd—whether that’s a compliment or just an observation depends on the tone!
Mio cugino è una mosca bianca tra i suoi amici: tutti amano il calcio, mentre lui preferisce visitare i musei!
My cousin is a white fly among his friends: everyone loves soccer, while he prefers visiting museums!
6. Dare/Avere carta bianca
Literally: To give/have white paper
This phrase means giving (or having) total freedom to handle a situation or project however one sees fit. In other words, full control and no annoying micromanagement. The expression comes from the idea of handing someone a literal blank sheet of paper and saying, “Go, fill it up however you want.” There’s a scene in the movie “I due colonnelli” with Totò where this phrase gets used and it’s absolutely hilarious.
Il capo ci ha dato carta bianca per la presentazione di domani!
The boss has given us total freedom for tomorrow’s presentation!
7. Far venir i capelli bianchi
Literally: To give someone white hair
This is another classic expression with colours in Italian. It’s when you give someone so much stress and anxiety that they feel like they’ve aged a decade in a single day. Think parents of teenagers or anyone navigating Italian bureaucracy (because who hasn’t spent hours in line, only to be told that was the wrong office?).
Tutte queste preoccupazioni mi stanno facendo venire i capelli bianchi prima del tempo!
All these worries are making me go grey earlier way too soon!
8. Morte bianca
Literally: White death
Morte bianca is a term journalists use when talking about fatal workplace accidents, especially those caused by a lack of controls and safety measures. Bianca (white) because there is no clear villain—it’s more a system that totally ignores safety and puts workers at risk.
È stato indetto uno sciopero per l’ennesima morte bianca in fabbrica.
A strike has been called for yet another workplace fatality in the factory.
Idioms with “black” in Italian
9. Essere nero/a
Literally: To be black
Nope, this is not some strange new trend in skincare. Essere nero/a just means to be absolutely fuming! The phrase comes from the idea that when you’re really mad, your rage literally darkens not just your mood but also your complexion. You might also hear it as essere arrabbiato nero, essere incavolato nero, or the more vulgar essere incazzato nero.
Mi hanno rigato la macchina nuova , sono nero!
Someone scratched my new car, I’m fuming!
10. Fare nero
Literally: make somebody black
This expression has two meanings. First, it’s all about punching someone, either literally, leaving them with a few lividi (bruises), or figuratively, delivering a solid dose of humiliation. The second interpretation is a little less aggressive: it’s when someone gets paid under the table… no invoice, no receipt, just good old tax evasion.
Sandro ti ha proprio fatto nero sul palco con quel discorso!
Sandro really humiliated you with that speech on stage!
11. Pagare in nero
Literally: To pay in black
If fare nero is when you get paid off the books, pagare in nero is basically the flip side: you’re paying in cash, no receipt, no invoice, no taxes.
Quell’azienda ha il brutto vizio di pagare i lavoratori in nero per risparmiare sui contributi!
That company has the bad habit of paying workers under the table to save on contributions!
12. Vedere tutto nero
Literally: To see all black
You know that moment when your brain feel the world is nothing but a dark cloud and your thoughts spiral into a never-ending loop of “everything sucks!” and “why even bother?” That’s vedere tutto nero!
In questo periodo Sara vede tutto nero. Spero le passi presto!
Right now, Sara is seeing everything in a negative light. I hope it passes soon!
13. Cronaca nera
Literally: Black chronicle
If you’re reading the cronaca nera, you’re basically diving into the world of crime: murders, bloodshed, and all the juicy details. Fun fact: Cronaca Vera is Italy’s go-to magazine, the weekly fix for anyone who loves crime stories.
Mario è un giornalista specializzato in cronaca nera, ha seguito molti casi famosi.
Mario is a journalist specialised in crime news, he’s covered many famous cases.
14. Mercato nero
Literally: Black market
This is an easy one. Mercato nero is basically where the unofficial, under-the-table transactions happen: no government regulation, just goods being swapped for cash in the shadows. This expression usually pops up when certain products are limited or tightly controlled (like when your favorite snack mysteriously disappears from the shelves, and suddenly, it’s only available through certain sources!).
Molti oggetti rubati finiscono nel mercato nero.
Many stolen items end up in the black market.
15. Mettere nero su bianco
Literally: To put black on white
Mettere nero su bianco refers to the classic move of putting things in writing to make sure everyone’s on the same page and avoid any future “Wait, but I thought you said…” moments. It’s what you do for agreements, contracts, or anything where you want to make sure there’s zero room for misinterpretation later.
È importante mettere nero su bianco tutti i dettagli prima di procedere.
It’s important to put all the details in writing before moving forward.
16. Una pecora nera
Literally: A black sheep
Imagine a flock of sheep, all fluffy and white, and in the midst of that, one rebellious sheep with a coat of pitch-black wool. That’s a pecora nera: that person who doesn’t fit in and refuses to play by society’s rules. Usually, this phrase comes with a side of judgment, like you’re the odd one in the family. But hey, someone has to be the cool, unconventional one, right?
Mio fratello è la pecora nera della famiglia, sempre fuori dal coro!
My brother is the black sheep of the family, always out of tune with the rest!
Idioms with “blue” in Italian
17. Avere il sangue blu
Literally: To have blue blood
This phrase describes people of noble birth. It dates back to the Middle Ages, when the upper class had such pale, delicate skin that you could literally see the bluish veins running through it. A clear sign that they were too important to be sweating it out in the fields under the blazing sun like the peasants.
Hai sentito? La nuova ragazza di Andrea ha il sangue blu!
Did you hear? Andrea’s new girlfriend has blue blood!
18. Avere una fifa blu
Literally: To have blue fear
To have a fifa blu means to totally scared. The “blue” part comes from how your face turns so pale when you’re terrified, it’s practically a shade of blue—like you’ve been left out in the Arctic for a bit too long.
Ho una fifa blu per l’esame di fisica!
I’m terrified for the physics exam!
19. Auto blu
Literally: Blue car
An auto blu is Italy is reserved exclusively for politicians and high-ranking officials. The expression comes from two details: these cars are typically in a classy dark blue, and then, they often come with a flashy blue light on top, which signals that this car is definitely not just any car.
Sono arrivati alla festa con l’auto blu, attirando subito l’attenzione di tutti.
They arrived at the party with the government car, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.
Idioms with “green” in Italian
20. Essere al verde
Literally: To be at the green
Though the literal translation may sound like some kind of serene, zen state, essere al verde actually means you’re broke and your wallet is totally empty. This phrase comes from an old tradition in Florence during public auctions, when the auctioneer would light a candle with a green bottom as a timer. When the wax melted down to that green bit, no more bids, no more money flowing.
Da quando hanno perso il lavoro, Andrea e Simone sono al verde.
Since they lost their jobs, Andrea and Simone are broke.
21. Avere il pollice verde
Literally: To have the green thumb
This is the expression to use when someone seems to have an incredible talent for keeping plants alive. It comes from the idea that, if you spend enough time with your hands touching plants, caressing those leaves, and rubbing those stems, your thumbs eventually pick up a bit of that green magic from all the chlorophyll!
Con il suo pollice verde, Chiara è riuscita a resuscitare il mio povero cactus!
With her green thumb, Chiara managed to revive my poor cactus!
22. Essere verde dall’invidia
Literally: To be green for envy
If you’re verde dall’invidia, it means means you’re super envious. Why green? Well, apparently, it’s because when jealousy takes over, our liver produces more bile, a liquid that, guess what, is greenish!
Quando ha visto la nuova borsa di Lidia, è diventata verde dall’invidia!
After seeing Lidia’s new bag, she turned green with envy!
23. Numero verde
Literally: Green number
The numero verde is the toll-free number that lets you chat with a company or association without paying a single cent. While regular numbers start with area codes (like 02 for Milan and 06 for Rome), the numeri verdi generally start with 800.
Mi hanno detto di chiamare il numero verde per segnalare il problema.
They told me to call the toll-free number to report the problem.
24. Far vedere i sorci verdi
Literally: To show the green mice
This phrase means to scare someone and that dates back to the 1930s, when a particularly effective squadron of the Italian Air Force had a logo featuring three green mice on their planes. So, when the enemy saw those those little green rodents up in the sky, it meant the planes were diving down to bomb. Similarly, if someone’s “showing you the green mice,” it’s not a good sign and you’d better start worrying!
Ho fatto un casino, adesso mia madre mi farà vedere i sorci verdi!
I messed up big time, I’ll be in big trouble with my mum now!
Idioms with “red” in Italian
25. Andare in rosso
Literally: To go in red
You know that feeling when your bank account balance is somewhere near zero, and you realize you’re officially out of cash? That’s andare in rosso in Italian. This expression takes us back to Venice, specifically the Jewish ghetto, where in the late 16th century, there was this place called Banco Rosso, a pawn shop where customers got a red receipt when they left something in exchange for money!
Con tutte quelle spese pazze, il suo conto è ormai in rosso!
With all those crazy expenses, his account is now in the red!
26. Stendere il tappeto rosso
Literally: Rolling out the red carpet
The red carpet is the ultimate symbol of prestige. But did you know it wasn’t always just about movie stars and royal events? Back in ancient times, red was the colour of serious luxury, because making it involved a rather complicated process. Only the most important people could afford to wear it and if you were lucky enough to walk on a red carpet back then, it meant you were seriously important. And that’s how “rolling out the red carpet” came to mean “getting the VIP treatment.”
Quando lo vedono, gli stendono sempre il tappeto rosso.
Whenever they see him, they always roll out the red carpet for him.
27. Essere rosso come un peperone
Literally: To be as red as a pepper
This phrase means you’re so embarrassed, your face might as well be a red pepper. It’s like your skin is saying, “Yep, I’m here, I’m embarrassed, and I’m showing it!”
Quando ha visto il suo ex al bar, è diventata rossa come un peperone.
When she saw her ex at the bar, she turned as red as a pepper.
Idioms with “pink” in Italian
28. Vedere tutto rosa
Literally: To see all pink
This expression is all about being the relentless optimist, always seeing the bright side, no matter how difficult things get. Sometimes it’s used a bit ironically, like when someone’s optimism is so over-the-top that it starts to verge on naive.
Ogni tanto è bello guardare il mondo con gli occhi di chi vede tutto rosa!
Sometimes it’s nice to see life through the eyes of those who see everything through rose-coloured glasses!
29. Cronaca rosa
Literally: Pink chronicle
Cronaca rosa is the guilty pleasure of the journalistic world. I’m talking about the whirlwind of celebrity love stories, engagements, weddings, and babies that makes the tabloids and our social media feeds explode.
Non seguo la cronaca rosa, preferisco le notizie economiche.
I never follow the gossip section; I prefer the economic news.
30. Parcheggi rosa
Literally: Pink parking
These are special parking spots specifically reserved for pregnant women or those with a toddler under the age of two. Rosa (pink) because that’s the colour that traditionally represents women.
Il comune ha creato tre nuovi parcheggi rosa vicino alle Poste.
The municipality has created three new “pink parking spaces” near the post office.
31. Le quote rosa
Literally: Pink quotas
This refers to the rules that require boards of directors or institutional offices to include a certain percentage of women. The goal? To fix the still very much alive gender imbalance that, somehow, is still a thing in 2025. Crazy we’re still talking about quotas for women these days, right? But, hey, that’s a story for another time.
Nonostante le quote rosa, ci sono ancora troppe poche donne nel consiglio di amministrazione della società.
Despite the gender quotas, there are still too few women on the company’s board of directors.
32. Romanzo rosa
Literally: Pink novel
This is the Italian way of saying “chick lit”—you know, those stories full of you know that make you sigh! The expression romanzo rosa dates back to the 1930s when an Italian publisher decided to republish a collection titled La biblioteca delle signorine (literally, The library of young women), and to make them stand out on the shelf, they used bright pink covers. Soon, people were calling them i romanzi rosa, and before long, the phrase came to indicate any story bursting with romance.
Adoro i romanzi rosa, soprattutto quelli storici!
I love romance novels, especially historical ones!
33. Il foglio rosa
Literally: The pink sheet of paper
In Italy, once you pass your theory exam for the driving license, you get the foglio rosa, which is a permission slip to practice driving before the big practical exam. No exciting story behind its name: it’s called rosa (pink) simply because the document is pink.
Mio figlio ha appena preso il foglio rosa, quindi oggi faremo un giro insieme in macchina.
My son just got the foglio rosa, so today we’ll take a drive together.
More idioms with colours in Italian
34. Gli Azzurri / Le azzurre
Literally: The light-blues
This is the beloved nickname for Italy’s national athletes. Why this particular shade when the Italian flag doesn’t have a single drop of it? Well, it all has to do with the Savoy family, Italy’s royal dynasty from 1861 to 1946. They had this fancy colour, “Savoy blue,” a chic shade oozing regal elegance. In 1911, Italy’s national football team debuted this colour as a tribute to their royal patrons, and since then, it became the signature colour of all Italian athletes—except for the 1930s when Mussolini thought black would be a better fit.
Le Azzurre hanno vinto la partita contro il Brasile e sono in finale.
The Azzurre won the match against Brazil and are in the final.
35. Romanzo giallo
Literally: A yellow book
In Italy, we call a mystery novel a romanzo giallo. The reason goes back to 1929, when the publisher Mondadori started releasing detective stories wrapped in bright yellow covers. And voilà, the expression originated!
Non vedo l’ora di leggere quel romanzo giallo che mi hai consigliato!
I can’t wait to read that mystery novel you recommended!
36. Farne/Dirne di tutti i colori
Literally: To do/say something in every colour
Let’s finish strong with an expression you’ll hear all the time in Italian conversations: farnedi tutti i colori (or dirne di tutti i colori if we’re talking words instead of actions). It means causing all kinds of trouble—pulling pranks, stirring up drama, or just embracing full-blown chaos. As you might guess, it’s not exactly a compliment.
Mio nipote ne combina di tutti i colori, è un vero monello!
My nephew gets into all sorts of trouble, he’s a real rascal!
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.
