Episode 8 · Words That Actually Come Up
In bocca al lupo - why you never answer grazie
In bocca al lupo means good luck - literally into the wolf's mouth. And the answer is never grazie.
Tom has an exam tomorrow. Laura wishes him luck the Italian way.
Laura ·
In this lesson
| Italian | Word for word | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| In bocca al lupo! | into the wolf's mouth | good luck, before an exam, interview or big day |
| Crepi! | may it die (the wolf) | the traditional answer |
| Non si dice... | you don't say... | |
| Sei pronto | you're ready | pronta for a woman |
Answering grazie is not rude, but everyone will notice. Crepi! (or crepi il lupo!) is the reply Italians expect.
The dialogue
Every line from the video, with the English meaning under the Italian.
Tom
Tomorrow is my Italian exam...
Laura
In bocca al lupo!
Into the wolf's mouth! (good luck)
Tom✗ Mistake
Grazie!
Thank you!
Laura
No, no! Non si dice grazie.
No, no! You don't say thank you.
Tom
Then what do I say?
Laura
Si risponde: crepi!
You answer: crepi! (may it die!)
Tom✓ Correct
Crepi!
May the wolf die!
Laura
Bravo! Adesso sei pronto.
Well done! Now you're ready.
The voices in this video are synthetic and the on-screen host is generated. The Italian itself is written and checked by a native speaker.
Ready to speak, not just watch?
Practise these phrases out loud with Laura in a small group or a private lesson.
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