Italian Idiom of the Week: Farsi in quattro (to put in a lot of effort)

Imagine you’ve got a 40th birthday party to plan. You handle the decorations, order the perfect cake, coordinate with friends and family, prepare the guest list, and even organise a karaoke evening and a DJ—all while juggling your usual responsibilities. (And, yes, I am speaking from personal experience!) This kind of dedication is a perfect example of the Italian idiom farsi in quattro.

Italian idiom "farsi in quattro"

In English, when we work tirelessly or put in extraordinary effort, we might say we’re “bending over backwards” for someone or something.

In Italian, however, the imagery shifts to breaking oneself into four—farsi in quattro—as if stretching in every direction to make things happen.

While you could translate this idiom literally as “to work hard” or “to put in a lot of effort,” you can also capture its essence with idiomatic phrases like “to go above and beyond,” “to pull out all the stops” or “to go out of one’s way.”


Woman decorating home with stars

Unfortunately, I couldn’t uncover the exact origin of the phrase, but it’s clear that the number four holds significance in Italian culture, as it features in several idiomatic expressions, such as:

  • da quattro soldi = something of little value or significance (lit: of four coins)
  • fare quattro passi = to take a quick stroll (lit: to take four steps)
  • fare quattro chiacchiere = to have a casual chat (lit: to do four chats)

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