In English, you’ve probably heard the expression “You’ve made your bed, now lie in it!” We use it whenever we want to tell someone, who is complaining, that they must accept or take responsibility for the unpleasant or unwanted results of something they have done.
In Italian, there is an idiomatic expression that means exactly the same thing, but with a focus on bicycles rather than beds!
Hai voluto la bicicletta? E ora pedala!
You’ve made your bed, now lie in it!
(literally: You wanted a bike? Now ride/pedal it!)
Here are a couple of common scenarios in which you could use this expression:
- You’ve been longing for a promotion for years. When you finally get it, you complain about all the extra work you’ve been given.
- You’ve always wanted a dog, but when you finally adopt one, you struggle to accept all the responsibilities that come with dog ownership, such as taking it out on walks twice a day and cleaning up after it.
(Hai voluto un bambino? Ora occupatene! = You wanted a baby? Now take care of him!)
You can replace the second sentence with Adesso pedala! (adesso is a synonym for ora) or E allora pedala (literally “Ride/pedal it then!“) However, more often that not, Italians will only say the first sentence, as the second is implied.
Uffa, il gatto ha graffiato di nuovo il divano… – Eh, hai voluto la bicicletta…
Ugh, the cat scratched the sofa again… – You’re the one who wanted a cat…deal with it!
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.
