tirare le cuoia
The English phrase 'kick the bucket' can be translated into Italian as tirare le cuoia.
This expression is used to describe the act of dying. While it serves the same purpose as the standard verb morire, it is idiomatic and colorful rather than neutral.
Meaning: to die (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The idiom tirare le cuoia literally means 'to pull the leather'.
Which one should you use?
Depending on the situation, you might choose a different way to express this. Use morire for a standard, neutral way to say 'to die'. Use crepare to say 'croak' in a colloquial manner. For a more formal approach, use espirare l'ultimo respiro, which means 'to exhale the last breath'.
Did you know?
- While tirare le cuoia translates to 'pulling the leather', it likely refers to the skin of an animal being stretched during tanning or slaughter.
- The expression tirare le cuoia carries a much more irreverent and rough tone than the English 'kick the bucket', often sounding more like 'to croak' or 'to bite the dust'.
- The word le in the phrase is a direct descendant of the Latin *illae, which was a nonstandard version of the Classical Latin *illī*.
Examples in context
- Sai Chiara, quella vicina di casa? È crepata ieri.You know Chiara, the neighbor? She kicked the bucket yesterday.
- Il vecchio non ce l'ha fatta, ha tirato le cuoia ieri notte.The old man didn't make it, he kicked the bucket last night.
- Non voglio tirare le cuoia in un ospedale.I don't want to kick the bucket in a hospital.
Example conversation
Matteo and Martina are talking about a very old relative.
- MatteoIl nonno è proprio vecchio, ormai sta per tirare le cuoia.Grandpa is really old, he's about to kick the bucket now.
- MartinaMatteo, non dire una cosa così crudele!Matteo, don't say such a cruel thing!
- MatteoÈ solo la verità, è molto malato.It's just the truth, he is very sick.
- MartinaSpero comunque che viva ancora a lungo.I still hope he lives a long time more.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “kick the bucket” translations and entries tirare le cuoia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries le, tirare, CC BY-SA 4.0.
