Significado
To develop in a certain way.
Contexto cultural
The phrase is a direct link to Italy's world-famous tailoring history. A 'piega' is a sign of quality and care in a garment. Italians use this phrase to talk about a child's development. A 'brutta piega' in youth is something parents fear deeply. Journalists use this phrase constantly to describe political shifts, making it a staple of the 'linguaggio giornalistico.' Sometimes used to describe how a day starts. If the first thing goes wrong, the whole day has 'preso una brutta piega.'
The 'Brutta' Rule
If you are unsure which adjective to use, 'brutta' is the most common. Italians love to complain about things taking a 'brutta piega'!
No Physical Turns
Never use this when giving directions to a taxi driver. They will be very confused.
Significado
To develop in a certain way.
The 'Brutta' Rule
If you are unsure which adjective to use, 'brutta' is the most common. Italians love to complain about things taking a 'brutta piega'!
No Physical Turns
Never use this when giving directions to a taxi driver. They will be very confused.
Hairdresser Talk
If you hear 'piega' at a salon, it just means a blow-dry. Don't expect a deep philosophical discussion about your life's direction!
Ponte a prueba
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the idiom.
Speriamo che il nuovo anno ________ una buona piega.
The idiom always uses the verb 'prendere.' In this case, 'prenda' is the subjunctive form used after 'speriamo che.'
Which adjective is most commonly used with this idiom to indicate things are going wrong?
La situazione ha preso una ________ piega.
'Brutta piega' is the standard collocation for negative developments.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Com'è andato l'esame? B: Male, purtroppo la prova ________ una brutta piega fin dall'inizio.
The Passato Prossimo of 'prendere' uses 'avere' as the auxiliary.
Match the situation to the correct sentence.
Situation: A romantic dinner where both people are laughing and happy.
A happy dinner is a 'buona piega' (good turn).
Match the Italian phrase with its English meaning.
1. Una piega inaspettata, 2. Una brutta piega, 3. La piega giusta
These are the most common adjectives used with the phrase.
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Ayudas visuales
Common Adjectives for 'Piega'
Positive
- • buona
- • giusta
- • positiva
Negative
- • brutta
- • pessima
- • sbagliata
Neutral/Surprising
- • strana
- • inaspettata
- • diversa
Banco de ejercicios
5 ejerciciosSperiamo che il nuovo anno ________ una buona piega.
The idiom always uses the verb 'prendere.' In this case, 'prenda' is the subjunctive form used after 'speriamo che.'
La situazione ha preso una ________ piega.
'Brutta piega' is the standard collocation for negative developments.
A: Com'è andato l'esame? B: Male, purtroppo la prova ________ una brutta piega fin dall'inizio.
The Passato Prossimo of 'prendere' uses 'avere' as the auxiliary.
Situation: A romantic dinner where both people are laughing and happy.
A happy dinner is a 'buona piega' (good turn).
Empareja cada elemento de la izquierda con su par de la derecha:
These are the most common adjectives used with the phrase.
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Preguntas frecuentes
14 preguntasYes, but usually to describe their behavior or life path, e.g., 'Lui sta prendendo una brutta piega.'
It's neutral. You can use it in a newspaper article or a chat with a friend.
The most direct opposite is 'prendere una brutta piega.'
No, adjectives used with 'piega' are usually evaluative (good, bad, strange), not descriptive of color or physical traits.
Yes, 'prendere' always takes 'avere' in the compound tenses.
Absolutely. 'Ha preso una piega' is very common to describe how something turned out.
Not exactly. 'Cambiare' is just to change. 'Prendere una piega' describes the *way* or *direction* of that change.
Yes! 'Il tempo ha preso una brutta piega' means the weather turned bad.
It's a different idiom meaning 'it's flawless' or 'it makes perfect sense.'
Very. It's used to describe plot twists or character developments.
Yes, it's perfect for describing how negotiations are developing.
Use 'Ha preso una piega inaspettata.'
In this idiom, yes. You wouldn't say 'prendere delle pieghe.'
Yes, if the dish is starting to look wrong or right while cooking.
Frases relacionadas
Mettere in piega
similarTo style hair or set a fold
Prendere una svolta
synonymTo take a turn
Andare a rotoli
contrastTo go to the dogs / fall apart
Prendere il via
builds onTo get started
Fare una piega
specialized formTo make sense (usually negative: 'non fa una piega')
