SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian expression of the day: ‘In alto mare’

Here’s the Italian phrase you'll need when things just aren’t working out.

Italian expression of the day: ‘In alto mare’
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

If we may indulge in a generalisation, it wouldn’t be grossly unfair to say that most Italians have a peculiar penchant for complaining. 

And, depending on what the target of their grumbles is – this could be anything from low-quality coffee to the classic queue at the chronically understaffed post office – there are a variety of ways in which native speakers express their dissatisfaction. 

Today’s phrase, in alto mare (pronunciation available here), is a common way to express frustration, particularly when it’s related to school or university assignments or any work-related task.

As you may have guessed, in alto mare literally means ‘on the high seas’ and, in this sense, can of course by used in relation to a boat or ship that happens to be very far from shore. 

– Capitano, quanti giorni di viaggio ci mancano ancora?

– Purtroppo, siamo ancora in alto mare. Settimane. Forse, mesi.

– How many more days of travel have we got left, Captain?

– Unfortunately we’re still on the open seas. Weeks. Maybe, months.

But this usage of the expression is rarely heard otherwise.

When used figuratively however, in alto mare is a much more popular expression and one heard in regularly in ordinary conversations.  

This idiom is used for any task, project or assignment that, for one reason or another, is nowhere near completion. 

– Come sta andando con il tuo report al lavoro?

– Lascia stare. E’ in alto mare. 

– How is it going with your report at work?

– Forget it. It’s nowhere near done.

The expression can be translated into English in a variety of ways: from ‘on the rocks’ to ‘in the weeds’, to ‘nowhere near done’, though none of these phrases perfectly matches the meaning of the Italian counterpart.

And, while the sentence construction shown above (the task or project is followed by the correct form of the verb ‘essere’ and, in turn, by ‘in alto mare’) is very common among native speakers, an alternative construction is possible.

Here, the person experiencing issues with a task could say that they are ‘in alto mare’ with said thing.

– Sono in alto mare con il trasloco. Non so cosa fare.

– I’m deep in the weeds with the house move. I’m at a loss.

Should you happen to currently be ‘on the high seas’ with something, we hope that this aptly named Italian song by the iconic Loredana Bertè will give you at least some comfort.

Do you have an Italian word you’d like us to feature? If so, please email us with your suggestion.

Member comments

  1. Surely this equates to the English expression, ‘all at sea’, which perhaps these days is a little dated, but still relevant.
    ‘I’m all at sea with the the house move. I’m at a loss’

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian expression of the day: ‘Cambiare registro’

Here's the Italian phrase you'll need if you're looking for a change.

Italian expression of the day: ‘Cambiare registro’

If you live in Italy or have spent a considerable amount of time in the country, you may have overheard an Italian parent telling their child they needed to cambiare registro right after they threw a tantrum. 

If you work or have worked in Italy, you may also have had one of your superiors tell you that a cambio di registro was needed in the office. 

But what do Italians really mean when they tell someone they need to ‘change register’?

Italians use cambiare registro to tell someone that they need to change their behaviour, manners or way to approach a particular task (including work or school assignments), usually because they’re not particularly happy with the way they’re currently handling things. 

It is generally used with the verb dovere (must/have to), which must be conjugated according to the person who could do with a ‘change of register’. For instance:

Non hai passato gli ultimi tre test. Devi cambiare registro se vuoi tenere la tua paghetta settimanale.  

You failed the past three exams. You need to turn things around if you want to keep your weekly allowance.

La tua performance al lavoro e’ stata insoddisfacente questo trimestre. Devi veramente cambiare registro il prossimo mese.

Your performance at work has been unsatisfactory this quarter. You really need to turn things around next month.

You could also say that a situation you’re unhappy with needs ‘a change of register’, without addressing anyone in particular. 

Ci sono cose ovunque. C’e’ bisogno di un cambio di registro in questa casa.

There’s stuff all over the place. Changes are needed in this house.

As you can see from these examples, there’s no single way to translate the phrase into English, though ‘turning things around’ and ‘changing up’ are popular translations.

And if you’re wondering where the expression comes from, it has nothing to do with Italy’s Registry Office (or Anagrafe), nor with any other part of the country’s public administration. 

Cambiare registro was originally a music-related expression as it referred to the act of changing the tone or range (registro in Italian) of some musical instruments, including pipe organs.

But, as in the case of many other Italian phrases and expressions, its usage was later extended to daily life situations to express a need for major changes.

Do you have a favourite Italian word you’d like us to feature? If so, please email us with your suggestion.

Don’t miss any of our Italian words and expressions of the day by downloading our new app (available on Apple and Android) and then selecting the Italian Word of the Day in your Notification options via the User button.

SHOW COMMENTS