Bedeutung
Forcing someone to reveal a hidden secret.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In the past, toads were believed to be carriers of 'malocchio' (the evil eye). Spitting was a symbolic way to rid oneself of bad luck or internal 'poison.' Despite the importance of 'bella figura,' Italians value emotional transparency in close relationships. 'Sputare il rospo' is a tool for maintaining that transparency. In some southern regions, you might hear 'caccia il rospo' (drive out the toad), which has the same meaning but a slightly different verb. This phrase is a staple in Italian 'Poliziottesco' movies (crime films) from the 70s, where detectives would yell it at suspects.
Use the pronoun
In casual speech, 'Sputalo!' is much more common than the full phrase.
Watch your tone
If said too loudly, it can sound like you are accusing the person of being a liar.
Bedeutung
Forcing someone to reveal a hidden secret.
Use the pronoun
In casual speech, 'Sputalo!' is much more common than the full phrase.
Watch your tone
If said too loudly, it can sound like you are accusing the person of being a liar.
The 'Toad' connection
Italians use 'rospo' for many things—even a person can be a 'rospo' if they are ugly or grumpy.
Teste dich selbst
Completa la frase con la forma corretta del verbo 'sputare'.
Marco, smettila di mentire e ________ il rospo!
We use the informal imperative 'sputa' for 'tu' (Marco).
Qual è il significato corretto di 'sputare il rospo'?
Quando qualcuno ti dice 'sputa il rospo', cosa vuole?
The idiom means to reveal a secret or the truth.
Scegli la risposta più naturale.
A: 'Ho un segreto incredibile da dirti...' B: '________________!'
'Sputa il rospo' is the natural reaction to someone teasing a secret.
In quale situazione è appropriato usare 'sputare il rospo'?
Scegli la situazione corretta:
It is an informal idiom used among friends.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenMarco, smettila di mentire e ________ il rospo!
We use the informal imperative 'sputa' for 'tu' (Marco).
Quando qualcuno ti dice 'sputa il rospo', cosa vuole?
The idiom means to reveal a secret or the truth.
A: 'Ho un segreto incredibile da dirti...' B: '________________!'
'Sputa il rospo' is the natural reaction to someone teasing a secret.
Scegli la situazione corretta:
It is an informal idiom used among friends.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenYes, it is too informal. Use 'Potrebbe dirci la verità?' instead.
Yes! If you know someone has good news but is teasing you, you can say 'Sputa il rospo!'
The past tense is 'ha sputato il rospo'.
Yes, 'Sputate il rospo' when talking to more than one person.
No, although 'sputare' means to spit, the idiom is purely about speaking.
You can, but it's not an idiom. It's just a normal sentence.
Yes, it is a standard Italian idiom recognized everywhere.
Absolutely, it's very common in WhatsApp chats.
People will understand you made a mistake, but it will sound funny.
They are about equally common, but 'sputare il rospo' is more visceral.
Verwandte Redewendungen
vuotare il sacco
synonymTo tell everything you know.
ingoiare il rospo
contrastTo endure something unpleasant silently.
cantare
similarTo inform or confess.
dire la verità
specialized formTo tell the truth.
