Bedeutung
To be seriously wrong about something.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In places like Liguria or Sicily, this idiom is used with even more frequency and sometimes accompanied by a hand gesture mimicking a pinching claw. Sports journalists often use this to describe a referee's bad call or a team's failed transfer strategy. Even in universities, a professor might use this to gently correct a student's wrong assumption during a seminar. It's common to see the crab emoji 🦀 in comments when someone posts something that is clearly incorrect or 'fake news'.
Use it to be humble
Admitting you 'preso un granchio' makes you sound more likable and fluent than just saying 'I was wrong.'
Singular only
Even if you make ten mistakes, you still 'prendi un granchio' (singular).
Bedeutung
To be seriously wrong about something.
Use it to be humble
Admitting you 'preso un granchio' makes you sound more likable and fluent than just saying 'I was wrong.'
Singular only
Even if you make ten mistakes, you still 'prendi un granchio' (singular).
Add adjectives
Use 'colossale', 'pazzesco', or 'clamoroso' to describe a really big mistake.
Rowing context
If you are in a boat in Italy, be careful! This phrase has a very literal and dangerous meaning there.
Teste dich selbst
Choose the correct form of the idiom to complete the sentence.
Pensavo che il concerto fosse stasera, ma ho ______.
The correct verb is 'prendere' and it requires the indefinite article 'un'.
Fill in the missing verb in the correct tense (Passato Prossimo).
Noi ________ (prendere) un granchio: la festa è sabato prossimo!
The subject is 'Noi', so we use the auxiliary 'avere' (abbiamo) + the past participle 'preso'.
Match the situation to the most appropriate response.
Situation: You told your boss the wrong sales figures by mistake.
The idiom is fixed as 'un granchio' (masculine singular).
Complete the dialogue.
A: 'Sei sicuro che il museo sia gratuito?' B: 'Sì, ne sono certo.' (Later at the museum) A: 'Costa 15 euro!' B: 'Ops, ________.'
Both 'prendere un granchio' and 'prendere un abbaglio' work perfectly for a factual mistake.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Mistake Idioms
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenPensavo che il concerto fosse stasera, ma ho ______.
The correct verb is 'prendere' and it requires the indefinite article 'un'.
Noi ________ (prendere) un granchio: la festa è sabato prossimo!
The subject is 'Noi', so we use the auxiliary 'avere' (abbiamo) + the past participle 'preso'.
Situation: You told your boss the wrong sales figures by mistake.
The idiom is fixed as 'un granchio' (masculine singular).
A: 'Sei sicuro che il museo sia gratuito?' B: 'Sì, ne sono certo.' (Later at the museum) A: 'Costa 15 euro!' B: 'Ops, ________.'
Both 'prendere un granchio' and 'prendere un abbaglio' work perfectly for a factual mistake.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenIt's not rude, but it is direct. With a boss, it's better to say 'forse c'è un errore.' With friends, it's perfectly fine.
Not really. It's usually for a 'conceptual' mistake or a wrong assumption, not a slip of the finger.
The plural is 'granchi', but in this idiom, we almost always use the singular 'un granchio'.
No, 'granchio' is masculine and the idiom doesn't change gender.
No, that sounds like you literally went fishing. The verb must be 'prendere'.
Yes, it is a standard Italian idiom recognized from North to South.
Only if you are talking about a past mistake you learned from. It's a bit informal for a high-pressure interview.
'Sbagliare' is a general verb. 'Prendere un granchio' is more idiomatic and implies a specific type of 'false catch' or misjudgment.
Yes, many Italian pop songs use it to describe mistakes in love.
Yes! 'Pazzesco' (crazy/incredible) is a great adjective to add emphasis.
Verwandte Redewendungen
prendere una cantonata
synonymTo make a big mistake
prendere un abbaglio
synonymTo be dazzled/mistaken
prendere fischi per fiaschi
similarTo misunderstand completely
cadere in errore
formal equivalentTo fall into error
toppare
slangTo fail/miss
