Bedeutung
Showing indifference.
Kultureller Hintergrund
Body language is essential. Shrugging is often accompanied by a specific facial expression: slightly downturned mouth and raised eyebrows. In the South, gestures are even more pronounced. 'Fare spallucce' might be combined with a hand gesture (palms up) to emphasize total powerlessness. The 'shrug' is a trope for the cool, detached protagonist who doesn't let the world's chaos affect them. You will often see clerks 'fare spallucce' when a system is down. It's not necessarily rudeness, but a shared recognition that the system is beyond their control.
Use it in stories
This phrase is excellent for making your Italian storytelling sound more natural and vivid.
Watch your tone
Remember that 'fare spallucce' can be seen as rude if the other person is being serious.
Bedeutung
Showing indifference.
Use it in stories
This phrase is excellent for making your Italian storytelling sound more natural and vivid.
Watch your tone
Remember that 'fare spallucce' can be seen as rude if the other person is being serious.
Pair with 'Boh'
If you want to sound 100% Italian, shrug your shoulders and say 'Boh' at the same time.
Teste dich selbst
Complete the sentence with the correct form of 'fare spallucce' in the present tense.
Quando io gli parlo di politica, lui sempre __________.
The subject is 'lui' (he), so the correct form of 'fare' is 'fa'.
Which situation best fits the expression 'fare spallucce'?
Situazione: Hai appena vinto la lotteria.
Winning the lottery is a big deal; you wouldn't shrug (fare spallucce) unless you were incredibly cynical.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 'Il capo è molto arrabbiato per il ritardo.' B: 'Lo so, ma io __________ e ho continuato a lavorare.'
The correct past tense is 'ho fatto' and the noun is 'spallucce'.
Match the reaction to the event.
Evento: Ti dicono che domani pioverà e tu avevi programmato un picnic.
Shrugging implies accepting the change of plans with resignation.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
When to Shrug
Social
- • Gossip
- • Small talk
- • Fashion
Problems
- • Late bus
- • Rain
- • Broken WiFi
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenQuando io gli parlo di politica, lui sempre __________.
The subject is 'lui' (he), so the correct form of 'fare' is 'fa'.
Situazione: Hai appena vinto la lotteria.
Winning the lottery is a big deal; you wouldn't shrug (fare spallucce) unless you were incredibly cynical.
A: 'Il capo è molto arrabbiato per il ritardo.' B: 'Lo so, ma io __________ e ho continuato a lavorare.'
The correct past tense is 'ho fatto' and the noun is 'spallucce'.
Evento: Ti dicono che domani pioverà e tu avevi programmato un picnic.
Shrugging implies accepting the change of plans with resignation.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenNo, it's neutral to informal. It's fine for daily conversation and fiction writing, but avoid it in formal business reports.
No. For shoulder exercises, use 'esercizi per le spalle'.
They are very similar, but 'fare spallucce' feels more idiomatic and specifically implies indifference.
Yes, you almost never hear 'fare una spalluccia'.
Yes, it's a very common way to show you don't have the answer.
Use 'avere': 'Ho fatto spallucce', 'Hai fatto spallucce', etc.
Yes, it can be seen as disrespectful or showing a lack of effort.
It can. It often implies that the person *should* care but doesn't.
Yes, that's a more literary synonym.
On its own, it just means 'little shoulders', but it's rarely used outside this expression.
Verwandte Redewendungen
fregarsene
similarTo not give a damn
alzare le spalle
synonymTo shrug
mettersi l'animo in pace
builds onTo resign oneself to something
non farci caso
similarTo not pay attention / not mind
