farsi le ossa
to gain experience
Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use 'farsi le ossa' to describe gaining essential experience through hard work and grit in a new field.
- Means: To gain experience through tough, practical work.
- Used in: Job interviews, career discussions, and sports contexts.
- Don't confuse: It's not about physical exercise or breaking bones!
Explanation at your level:
معنی
To learn through hard work.
زمینه فرهنگی
The concept of 'gavetta' is central to Italian professional life. It is often expected that one 'suffers' a bit at the beginning of their career to earn the respect of older colleagues. Football (calcio) commentators frequently use this phrase when a young talent from a big club like Juventus or Milan is sent to a smaller team on loan. The phrase evokes the Renaissance 'bottega' where apprentices spent years doing menial tasks before being allowed to paint. Despite modernization, the 'farsi le ossa' mentality persists in law firms and medical residencies, where long hours are seen as a rite of passage.
Use it in Interviews
It shows you are realistic about the learning process and willing to work hard.
Watch the Plural
Never say 'gli ossi' in this idiom. It sounds like you are a dog with a treat.
معنی
To learn through hard work.
Use it in Interviews
It shows you are realistic about the learning process and willing to work hard.
Watch the Plural
Never say 'gli ossi' in this idiom. It sounds like you are a dog with a treat.
Combine with 'Gavetta'
Saying 'Ho fatto la gavetta e mi sono fatto le ossa' makes you sound like a native master of professional Italian.
Respect the Struggle
Italians value the 'struggle' phase of a career. Don't be afraid to use this to describe your hardships.
خودت رو بسنج
Completa la frase con la forma corretta di 'farsi le ossa'.
Quando ero giovane, io ______ in un piccolo giornale locale.
The verb must be reflexive ('mi sono fatto') and use the feminine plural 'le ossa'.
In quale di queste situazioni è appropriato usare 'farsi le ossa'?
Scegli l'opzione corretta:
The idiom refers to gaining practical experience through hard work at the start of a career.
Completa il dialogo tra due amici.
A: 'Perché accetti questo stage non pagato?' B: 'Perché è un'ottima opportunità per ______ nel settore della moda.'
The speaker is talking about themselves, so 'farmi' is the correct reflexive form.
Abbina l'espressione al suo significato figurato.
Farsi le ossa
This is the core figurative meaning of the idiom.
🎉 امتیاز: /4
ابزارهای بصری یادگیری
سوالات متداول
10 سوالIt's neutral. You can use it with friends, but also in professional settings like interviews to show a good attitude.
Usually no. It's for the beginning of a journey. For an old person, you'd say 'ha molta esperienza'.
'Gavetta' is about the low-level job you do; 'farsi le ossa' is about the strength/experience you gain from it.
90% of the time, yes. But it can be used for any difficult life experience that makes you stronger.
Yes! It's very common to use it in the present continuous to describe what you are doing right now.
No, that would be 'rompersi le ossa'. Be careful with the verb!
Yes, it is a standard Italian idiom recognized from North to South.
Yes, if you are learning it in a 'hard' way, like living in the country and struggling to communicate.
It uses 'essere' because it is reflexive: 'Mi sono fatto le ossa'.
Not really, but you can say someone 'non si è ancora fatto le ossa' to mean they are still green/naive.
عبارات مرتبط
fare la gavetta
synonymTo start from the bottom.
farsi il mazzo
similarTo work extremely hard.
rompersi l'osso del collo
contrastTo break one's neck (to fail miserably or take a huge risk).
essere un osso duro
builds onTo be a tough nut to crack.
mettere carne al fuoco
similarTo start many things at once.
کجا استفاده کنیم
Job Interview
Interviewer: Perché dovremmo assumere un neolaureato come lei?
Candidate: Perché ho una grande voglia di farmi le ossa in un ambiente stimolante come il vostro.
Talking to a Friend
Luca: Com'è il nuovo lavoro in officina?
Paolo: Duro, ma mi serve per farmi le ossa. Imparo cose nuove ogni giorno.
Sports Commentary
Commentator A: Il giovane attaccante andrà in prestito in Serie B.
Commentator B: Sì, ha bisogno di farsi le ossa prima di giocare in prima squadra.
Parental Advice
Father: Non mollare adesso, il primo anno è sempre il più difficile.
Son: Lo so, papà. Mi sto facendo le ossa, come dici sempre tu.
Reflecting on the Past
Senior Chef: Mi sono fatto le ossa nelle cucine di Parigi negli anni '90.
Junior Chef: Deve essere stato incredibile.
Discussing a Startup
Investor: Il team è molto giovane.
Founder: Vero, ma ci stiamo facendo le ossa affrontando problemi reali ogni giorno.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of a young apprentice building a 'skeleton' of skills. Without the bones, the career can't stand up!
Visual Association
Imagine a cartoon character working hard at a desk, and with every task completed, their skeleton glows brighter and stronger.
Rhyme
Per farti le ossa, lavora con la mossa!
Story
Marco started at the pizza shop cleaning floors. He was tired, but his grandfather said, 'Marco, you are making your bones (ti stai facendo le ossa)'. Two years later, Marco was the head chef because his 'bones' were strong enough to handle the heat.
Word Web
چالش
Write a 3-sentence bio for your LinkedIn profile in Italian using 'farsi le ossa' to describe your first internship.
In Other Languages
To cut one's teeth / To pay one's dues
English uses teeth; Italian uses the whole skeleton.
Curtirse
Spanish focuses on the skin/surface; Italian focuses on the internal structure.
Faire ses premières armes
French uses a military metaphor; Italian uses a biological one.
Sich die Hörner abstoßen / Sich seine Sporen verdienen
German focuses on status or maturity; Italian focuses on the foundational experience.
修行する (Shugyō suru)
Japanese implies a more formal, disciplined path; Italian can be more chaotic or 'sink or swim'.
يتعلم الصنعة (Yat'allam al-san'a)
Arabic is more descriptive of the action; Italian is more idiomatic.
磨练 (Mó liàn)
Chinese focuses on the process of refinement; Italian on the growth of the structure.
고생을 사서 하다 (Go-saeng-eul sa-seo ha-da)
Korean emphasizes the 'choice' or 'value' of the hardship itself.
Ganhar calo
Portuguese uses the hands (calluses) as the metaphor for experience.
Easily Confused
Learners use the wrong plural for 'bones'.
Use 'le ossa' for humans/idioms and 'gli ossi' for animals/objects.
Forgetting the reflexive 'si'.
Always remember that YOU are making the bones FOR YOURSELF (farsi).
سوالات متداول (10)
It's neutral. You can use it with friends, but also in professional settings like interviews to show a good attitude.
Usually no. It's for the beginning of a journey. For an old person, you'd say 'ha molta esperienza'.
'Gavetta' is about the low-level job you do; 'farsi le ossa' is about the strength/experience you gain from it.
90% of the time, yes. But it can be used for any difficult life experience that makes you stronger.
Yes! It's very common to use it in the present continuous to describe what you are doing right now.
No, that would be 'rompersi le ossa'. Be careful with the verb!
Yes, it is a standard Italian idiom recognized from North to South.
Yes, if you are learning it in a 'hard' way, like living in the country and struggling to communicate.
It uses 'essere' because it is reflexive: 'Mi sono fatto le ossa'.
Not really, but you can say someone 'non si è ancora fatto le ossa' to mean they are still green/naive.
