Sicilian people use a lot of sayings and expressions in daily life which offer advice and even sometimes have hidden meanings.
Check out these proverbs and quotes below to gain some insight into Sicilian beliefs and ways of thinking.
Below I’ve listed famous Sicilian quotes, inspiring Sicilian sayings and common Sicilian proverbs.
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Famous Sicilian Proverbs & Sicilian Sayings
Below I’ve listed the most famous Sicilian proverbs as well as some common Sicilian sayings. These are used often in day to day life.
- Chiù nniuri ri mezzannotte nun pò fari – It can’t get any darker than midnight.
- Cu nesci arrinesci – Those who leave their own comfort zone succeed.
- Lu rispettu è misuratu, cu lu porta l’avi purtato – Respect is measured, whoever pays it to others, will be respected.
- Supra lu majuri si ‘nsigna lu minuri – We learn by standing on the shoulders of the wise.
- Unni cari, u sceccu si suse – Wherever the donkey falls, he stands up.
This Sicilian proverb means then when you fall or fail at something, at some point you have to stand up and try again.
- Cui multi cosi accumenza, nudda nni finisci – Whoever starts many things, finishes nothing.
- U piru quann’è maturu cari sulu – When the pear is ripe, it falls by itself.
This Sicilian saying is similar to the English saying ‘time will tell’.
- Nuddu si pigghia si ‘un s’assumigghia – No one is attracted to someone who they do not resemble.
This Sicilian quote about love means that we are always attracted to people that we share something in common with.
- Cù duna pì primo, duna a’ncarzari, cu duna d’appressu duna cu tuttu u versu – Those who cause harm first, can expect greater harm in return.
- Li ricchi cchiù chi nn’hannu, cchiù nni vonnu – The more you have, the more you want.
- Riccu si pò diri cui campa cu lu so’ aviri – One who lives within his means can be said to be rich.
- Cui cerca, trova; cui sècuta, vinci – Whoever seeks, finds; whoever perseveres, wins.
- Cu’ s’ammuccia soccu fa, è signu chi mali fa – He who hides what he does, does something bad.
- Conzala comu vuoi, sempri cucuzza è – Season as you like, but it is always zucchini.
This Sicilian quote means that things are what they are even if you try to present them in a different way.
- A paisi unni chi vai, comu vidi fari fai – When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
This Sicilian saying means that when you visit a place, you should follow the traditions and customs of that place.
- Cu pratica u zoppu, all’annu azzuppia – Whoever walks with the cripple, sooner or later will start limping.
This Sicilian proverb about friends means that people often act similarly to the people they hang out with.
- Bòn tièmpu e màlu tièmpu nun nùra tutu u tièmpu – Neither good nor bad weather lasts forever.
This Sicilian quote means that neither good times or bad times can last forever.
- Accatta di quattru e vinni d’ottu – Buy at the cost of four and sell at the cost of eight.
- Omu dinarusu, omu pinsirusu – A wealthy man is a pensive man.
- Cui scerri cerca, scerri trova – Whoever looks for a quarrel, finds a quarrel.
- Unni cc’è oru, cc’è stolu – Gold attracts a crowd.
This Sicilian quote about money means that when you have a lot of money, you need to be cautious of new friends.
- Cu mancia fa muddichi – Whoever eats makes crumbs.
This Sicilian quote means that when you do something, it is inevitable that you will make mistakes.
- Mancia di sanu e vivi di malatu – Eat with gusto but drink in moderation.
- Batti lu ferru mentri è càudu – Strike while the iron is hot.
This Sicilian proverb means that you should take opportunities immediately as they arise.
- Cu’ vigghia, la pigghia – The early bird catches the worm.
This Sicilian saying about life means that you have the highest chance of success if you act first, before anyone else.
- Unni cc’è focu, pri lu fumu pari – Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
This Sicilian proverb means that there is always some truth to a rumor.
- ’Ntra greci e greci nun si vinni abbraciu – There’s honor among thieves.
This Sicilian proverb means that even thieves have honor and a thief wouldn’t steal from another thief.
- Se nun si’ Re, nun fari liggi nova – If you’re not the king, don’t make new laws.
- Cu’ accatta abbisogna di cent’occhi, cu’ vinni d’un sulu – He who buys needs one-hundred eyes, he who sells needs just one.
- ‘A megghiu parola è chidda ca ‘un si dici – The best word is the one that is not said.
- Cu’ perdi un amicu, scinni un scalino – He who loses a friend goes down one step.
- Nun ludari la jurnata si nun scura la sirata – Do not praise the day if the evening has not passed.
This Sicilian proverb means that you shouldn’t be certain that something will happen before it actually has.
- Cu va a mannara mancia ricotta – Those who go grazing will eat ricotta.
This Sicilian saying about life means that if you work hard, you will be rewarded.
Beautiful Sicilian Quotes & Sicilian Proverbs
Below I’ve listed a range of famous and inspirational Sicilian quotes and Sicilian proverbs.
- L’ amuri è come a tussi…nun si po ammucciari – Love is like a cough…impossible to hide.
- Du’ su’ i putenti, cu avi assà e cu nun avi nenti – There’s two types of powerful, those who own too much and those who don’t own a thing.
- Geniu fa biddizza – Intelligence is beauty.
- Burrasca furiusa prestu passa – A furious storm passes quickly.
- Quannu u diavulu t’alliscia voli l’arma – If the devil pays you compliments, he wants your soul.
- Acqua, cunsigghiu e sali a cu n`addumanna `n ci nni dari – Water, advice and salt – do not give to those who do not ask for it.
- Jiri ‘n celu ognunu vò, l’armu cc’è, li forzi no – Everyone wants to go to heaven, the desire is there but the fortitude is not.
- Tantu a quartara va all’acqua ca si rumpi o si ciacca – The vase filled with water, sooner or later will break or crash.
- Quannu amuri tuppulìa, ‘un lu lassari ‘nmenzu la via – When love knocks, be sure to answer.
- Non c’è megghiu sarsa di la fami – Hunger is the best sauce.
- Una bedda jurnata nun fa stati – One beautiful day doesn’t make a summer.
- Aprili fa li ciuri e le biddizzi, l’onuri l’havi lu misi di maju – April makes the flowers and the beauty, but May gets all the credit.
- Chi apparisci a nui vantaggiu, tanti voti è molestia o disaggiu – What appears to us to be an advantage, is often a nuisance and a pain.
- Di guerra, caccia e amuri, pri un gustu milli duluri – In war, hunting, and love you suffer a thousand pains for one pleasure.
- È gran pazzia lu cuntrastari cu du’ nun pô vinciri né appattari – It’s insane to oppose when you can neither win nor compromise.
- Vali cchiù un tistimonìu di visu, chi centu d’oricchia – The testimony of one eyewitness is worth more than the hearsay of a hundred.
- Se vogliamo che tutto rimanga com’è, bisogna che tutto cambi – If we want everything to remain the same, everything needs to change.
- Anni e piccati su’ cchiù di quantu si dicinu – People are always older and more sinful than they let on.
- Si jinnaru ‘un jinnaría, frivaru malu pensa – If it isn’t wintry in January then expect the worst weather in February.
- U bonu no vali cchiù di nu tintu sì – Saying no with grace is better than saying yes rudely.
- Nessunu nasci dutto tra stu munnu – Nobody is born with learning in this world.
Best Sicilian Idioms & Sicilian Expressions
Below I’ve listed the most well-known Sicilian idioms and expressions. Many of these have hidden meanings.
- Unni ti facisti a ‘stati, ti fai u ‘mbiennu – Enjoy winter in the same place you spent summer.
This Sicilian idiom is used when someone only speaks to you when they need something.
- Acqua davanti e ventu d’arreri – Water in front and wind behind.
This Sicilian idiom can be used when a person who has received sympathy later turns out to be irritating.
- Lassari in tririci – To leave someone in thirteen.
This Sicilian idiom is used when someone has been left in the lurch, for example, if you were supposed to meet someone but you didn’t show up.
It references the idea that a table of 13 people is bad luck (this superstition comes from the Last Supper which had 13 people around a table).
- Cu n’appi n’appi re Cassatelli ri Pasqua – Whoever has had it, has had it, from the Easter Cassatelle.
This Sicilian saying is used to say that you cannot go back to how things were before.
Cassatelle is a traditional Easter dessert.
- Focu ‘ranni – Big fire.
This Sicilian idiom is used to refer to a very complicated situation.
- Gira vòta e furrìa – To wander around aimlessly.
This Sicilian idiom is used when someone has been doing something but is now back to square one.
- Unn’è santu chi sura – A saint doesn’t sweat.
This Sicilian expression is used to say that you won’t get anything out of your current activity.
- Aqua in bocca – Water in the mouth.
This Sicilian saying is used to say ‘keep it quiet’.
- Si liccanu la sarda – They lick the sardine.
This funny Sicilian saying infers that someone is very mean because they have licked the sardine instead of eating it.
Check out the videos below which feature a range of famous Sicilian quotes and well-known Sicilian sayings & proverbs.
Thanks for reading this post on the best Sicilian quotes about life, famous Sicilian sayings and fascinating Sicilian proverbs.
These Sicilian quotes & sayings give an interesting insight into the Sicilian beliefs and language.
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