cattivo sangue
/katˈti.vo ˈsan.ɡwe/word by word
In Italian, the phrase for bad blood is cattivo sangue.
The phrase cattivo sangue is used to describe feelings of hostility or ill will between people.
Meaning: feelings of hostility or ill will (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
This expression is a literal translation of the English idiom. cattivo means bad and sangue means blood.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /katˈti.vo ˈsan.ɡwe/. It has 5 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word cattivo shares a root with the English word 'captive'. It evolved from the Latin word for 'captive' to imply someone 'caught by the devil' and eventually just meant 'bad'.
- While cattivo sangue describes hostility, Italians often use the expression sangue freddo to describe someone who stays calm under pressure. Literally, this means 'cold blood'.
- The word cattivo can also mean 'naughty' when talking to children. A child who is not behaving is un bambino cattivo, which is far less severe than cattivo sangue between adults.
Examples in context
- C'è cattivo sangue tra Tom e Mary?Is there bad blood between Tom and Mary?This sentence is useful for asking if there is cattivo sangue between two people.Tatoeba #9738978 by Guybrush88, translation #9434950 by DJ_Saidez
- Ha portato le sue ostilità in ufficio dopo il litigio.He brought his bad blood to the office after the argument.
- C'è antipatia tra i due colleghi da molto tempo.There has been bad blood between the two colleagues for a long time.
- La rivalità tra le due squadre è palpabile.The bad blood between the two teams is palpable.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Giulia are discussing two coworkers who don't get along.
- MatteoHai notato che Luca e Sara non si parlano?Have you noticed that Luca and Sara aren't speaking?
- GiuliaSì, sembra che ci sia del cattivo sangue.Yes, it seems like there is some bad blood.
- MatteoSai cosa è successo tra loro?Do you know what happened between them?
- GiuliaNo, ma l'atmosfera in ufficio è pesante.No, but the atmosphere in the office is heavy.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (cattivo, sangue) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cattivo, sangue, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
