soffiarsi il naso
To blow your nose in Italian is soffiarsi il naso.
The phrase is used to describe the act of forcing air out of your nose into a tissue to clear it of mucus.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the reflexive verb soffiarsi (to blow to oneself) and il naso (the nose).
Which one should you use?
While Soffiare il naso is a standard and neutral way to express the action, Soffiati il naso uses the reflexive verb soffiarsi to convey the meaning.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Italian, you use the reflexive pronoun and the definite article il instead of a possessive adjective like 'my' or 'your' when referring to body parts. When giving a command to a single person informally, the reflexive pronoun si changes to ti and attaches to the end of the imperative verb soffia, resulting in Soffiati il naso.
Did you know?
- In Italian, the concept of 'blowing' can be used metaphorically in the phrase soffiare un segreto, meaning to leak a secret.
- In Italian social etiquette, blowing your nose loudly at the table is often viewed as much more impolite than it is in many English-speaking countries.
- The verb soffiarsi comes from soffiare, which is also used to describe the wind blowing or the act of blowing out a candle.
Examples in context
- Signora, si soffi il naso con discrezione, per favore.Madam, please blow your nose discreetly.
- Ragazzi, tiriamoci tutti il naso e mettiamoci al lavoro.Guys, let's all blow our noses and get to work.
- È importante soffiarsi il naso spesso quando si è raffreddati.It is important to blow your nose often when you have a cold.
Example conversation
Francesco and Giulia are at home during a cold winter.
- FrancescoGiulia, hai un fazzoletto per soffiarsi il naso?Giulia, do you have a tissue to blow my nose?
- GiuliaSì, Francesco, sono sul tavolo in cucina.Yes, Francesco, they are on the kitchen table.
- FrancescoGrazie, devo soffiarsi il naso subito.Thanks, I need to blow my nose right away.
- GiuliaPrendi anche un bicchiere d'acqua calda.Take a glass of warm water too.
