stringere la mano
/ˈstrin.d͡ʒe.re la ˈma.no/word by word
To shake hands in Italian is stringere la mano.
The phrase is used to describe the action of grasping another person's hand.
Meaning: grasp another person's hands (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb stringere (to squeeze or tighten) and la mano (the hand).
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to specify the person you are shaking hands with, use the preposition a followed by the person, such as stringere la mano a Marco.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈstrin.dʒe.re la ˈma.no/. The word has five syllables and the stress is on the first syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
To express that two people shake hands with each other, the reciprocal form stringersi la mano is used.
Did you know?
- The verb stringere comes from the Latin word stringere, which was originally used to describe the act of drawing a bowstring tight.
- In formal Italian business settings, it is customary to wait for the more senior person to initiate the stringere la mano gesture.
- The word stringere is used for a wide variety of 'tightening' actions, from tying a shoelace to hugging a person closely.
Examples in context
- È cortese stringere la mano ai nuovi clienti.It is polite to shake hands with new clients.
- Devi stringere la mano al tuo nuovo capo.You have to shake hands with your new boss.
- Lui ha voluto stringere la mano al professore.He wanted to shake hands with the professor.
Example conversation
Matteo and Martina are at a business networking event.
- MatteoDevi stringere la mano a quel signore.You should shake hands with that gentleman.
- MartinaSì, lo farò subito.Yes, I will do it right now.
- MatteoÈ un uomo molto importante.He is a very important man.
- MartinaGrazie per il consiglio, Matteo.Thanks for the advice, Matteo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shake hands” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (stringere, la, mano) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, mano, stringere, CC BY-SA 4.0.
