C1 Expression خنثی 1 دقیقه مطالعه

Passare la mano

To pass the hand

Phrase in 30 Seconds

A card-game metaphor for stepping down or letting someone else take over a responsibility gracefully.

  • Means: To voluntarily relinquish a role, task, or position to another person.
  • Used in: Business transitions, ending a long-term project, or literally in card games.
  • Don't confuse: With 'dare una mano', which means to help someone, not quit.
🃏 + ✋ = 🤝 (Giving up your hand to let the next player lead)

توضیح در سطح شما:

This phrase is too difficult for now. It comes from card games. It means 'I stop' or 'You go now.' Use it when you want someone else to do a job. For example: 'I am tired, you do it.' In Italian: 'Passo la mano.'
'Passare la mano' is an idiom. It literally means 'to pass the hand' in a game of cards. Figuratively, it means to give your responsibility to another person. It is useful when you finish a project and a new person starts. It is a polite way to say you are stopping.
This expression is used when someone decides to leave a position or a task to someone else. It's very common in work environments. If a manager retires, they 'passano la mano' to the new manager. Remember: it's voluntary. You choose to do it. It's different from being fired.
At this level, you should recognize 'passare la mano' as a sophisticated way to describe succession. It implies a transition of power or duty. It's often used in news articles about politics or business. It suggests that the person leaving has completed their 'round' and is now letting the next person play their cards.
As a C1 learner, you should appreciate the pragmatic nuance of 'passare la mano.' It functions as a 'hedging' device in professional discourse, allowing a speaker to relinquish control without admitting failure. It evokes the strategic environment of card games, suggesting that the decision to step down is a calculated, tactical move. It is essential for mastering the register of Italian leadership and organizational change.
This idiom represents a metaphorical mapping from the domain of ludic competition (games) to the domain of social and professional hierarchy. Mastery involves understanding the subtle distinction between 'passare la mano' (yielding the turn) and 'cedere il testimone' (passing the baton). While the latter emphasizes the continuity of a race, the former highlights the cessation of individual agency within a specific 'hand' or phase of life. It is a quintessential example of how Italian uses gaming metaphors to navigate the ethics of power and aging.

معنی

To give up or let someone else take over.

🌍

زمینه فرهنگی

In many Italian family-owned businesses (PMI), 'passare la mano' is a delicate process that can take years, as the 'fondatore' (founder) often struggles to let go of control. Games like 'Sette e Mezzo' or 'Scopa' are social staples in Italy. Knowing when to 'passare la mano' is considered a sign of a seasoned, wise player. Italian political commentators often use this phrase to describe the end of a political era or the resignation of a long-standing figure. While the phrase is national, in the South, the concept of 'onore' (honor) might make 'passare la mano' feel more like a significant public declaration.

🎯

Use it for Graceful Exits

Use this phrase in a job interview or a cover letter to describe a past transition. It sounds much more professional than saying you 'quit' or 'left.'

⚠️

Watch the Auxiliary

Always use 'avere' (Ho passato la mano). Using 'essere' (Sono passato la mano) is a common mistake for English speakers.

🎯

Use it for Graceful Exits

Use this phrase in a job interview or a cover letter to describe a past transition. It sounds much more professional than saying you 'quit' or 'left.'

⚠️

Watch the Auxiliary

Always use 'avere' (Ho passato la mano). Using 'essere' (Sono passato la mano) is a common mistake for English speakers.

💬

The 'Baton' Alternative

If you want to sound even more dynamic, use 'cedere il testimone.' It's very popular in modern Italian media.

خودت رو بسنج

Completa la frase con la forma corretta del verbo 'passare'.

Dopo molti anni di successi, il fondatore ha deciso di _______ la mano al figlio.

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: passare

L'espressione idiomatica corretta è 'passare la mano'.

Quale di queste situazioni è adatta per l'uso di 'passare la mano'?

Scegli l'opzione corretta:

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: Voglio smettere di essere il capogruppo e lasciare il posto a un altro.

'Passare la mano' si usa per cedere una responsabilità.

Completa il dialogo tra due colleghi.

A: 'Sei ancora tu il responsabile del progetto?' B: 'No, ho _______ la mano a Marco il mese scorso.'

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: passato

Si usa l'ausiliare 'avere' con il participio passato 'passato'.

Abbina l'espressione alla situazione corretta.

1. Dare una mano, 2. Passare la mano, 3. Stringere la mano

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: 1-A, 2-C, 3-B

Queste tre espressioni con 'mano' hanno significati molto diversi.

🎉 امتیاز: /4

ابزارهای بصری یادگیری

بانک تمرین

5 تمرین‌ها
جواب درست رو انتخاب کن Fill Blank

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح:
Completa la frase con la forma corretta del verbo 'passare'. Fill Blank B1

Dopo molti anni di successi, il fondatore ha deciso di _______ la mano al figlio.

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: passare

L'espressione idiomatica corretta è 'passare la mano'.

Quale di queste situazioni è adatta per l'uso di 'passare la mano'? Choose B2

Scegli l'opzione corretta:

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: Voglio smettere di essere il capogruppo e lasciare il posto a un altro.

'Passare la mano' si usa per cedere una responsabilità.

Completa il dialogo tra due colleghi. dialogue_completion C1

A: 'Sei ancora tu il responsabile del progetto?' B: 'No, ho _______ la mano a Marco il mese scorso.'

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: passato

Si usa l'ausiliare 'avere' con il participio passato 'passato'.

Abbina l'espressione alla situazione corretta. situation_matching B2

1. Dare una mano, 2. Passare la mano, 3. Stringere la mano

✓ درسته! ✗ نه دقیقاً. پاسخ صحیح: 1-A, 2-C, 3-B

Queste tre espressioni con 'mano' hanno significati molto diversi.

🎉 امتیاز: /5

سوالات متداول

4 سوال

No, for physical objects like a pen or salt, just use 'passare' (e.g., 'Passami la penna').

It's neutral to formal. You can use it with friends or in a business meeting.

Not necessarily. In a game, it just means skipping a turn. In life, it usually means leaving a role permanently.

'Dimettersi' is the official legal act of resigning. 'Passare la mano' is the idiomatic, metaphorical way to describe the transition.

عبارات مرتبط

🔄

Cedere il testimone

synonym

To pass the baton

🔗

Dare forfait

similar

To drop out

🔗

Passare la parola

similar

To give someone the floor

🔗

Prendere in mano

contrast

To take charge

کجا استفاده کنیم

👴

Retiring from a job

Collega: Davvero te ne vai dopo trent'anni?

Pensionato: Sì, è ora di passare la mano ai giovani.

formal
🚗

Tired of driving

Guidatore: Sono stanchissimo, non vedo più la strada.

Passeggero: Passami la mano, guido io per il resto del viaggio.

informal
🃏

At a card table

Giocatore 1: Punti ancora?

Giocatore 2: No, le mie carte fanno schifo. Passo la mano.

neutral
💼

In a meeting

Manager: Chi vuole presentare i dati di vendita?

Analista: Io passo la mano a Giulia, lei ha seguito i dettagli.

formal
🏢

Family business transition

Figlio: Papà, quando mi lascerai gestire il negozio?

Padre: Presto, figlio mio. Sto per passare la mano.

neutral
🧩

Giving up on a difficult task

Amico A: Riesci a montare questo mobile IKEA?

Amico B: È impossibile! Passo la mano, chiama un professionista.

informal

حفظ کنید

روش یادسپاری

Think of a card player sliding their cards across the table to the next person: 'I'm passing my hand (mano) to you.'

تداعی تصویری

Imagine a relay race where the baton is actually a giant playing card. The runner hands the card to the next person and stops running.

Rhyme

Se il gioco è strano, passa la mano.

Story

Marco was the king of the kitchen for 40 years. One Sunday, he looked at the heavy pasta pot and realized his arms were tired. He looked at his granddaughter, handed her the wooden spoon, and said, 'Oggi, passo la mano.' He sat down with a glass of wine, happy to watch the new generation cook.

In Other Languages

In French, 'passer la main' is identical. In English, we say 'hand over the reins' or 'pass the baton,' which use different metaphors (horses and racing) for the same concept.

شبکه واژگان

ManoGiocoCarteSuccessioneEreditàTurnoPotereRitiro

چالش

Try to use 'passare la mano' in a sentence today to describe a small task you want someone else to finish (like washing the dishes or finishing a report).

Review this phrase in 1 day, then 3 days, then 1 week to lock in the 'avere' auxiliary usage.

تلفظ

تکیه pas-SAH-re la MAH-no

Double 's' is sharp and long. Stress on the second 'a'.

Simple 'm', clear 'a', and 'o'. Stress on the 'a'.

طیف رسمیت

رسمی
Il Direttore Generale ha rassegnato le dimissioni per passare la mano a un successore più giovane.

Il Direttore Generale ha rassegnato le dimissioni per passare la mano a un successore più giovane. (Workplace transition)

خنثی
Il capo ha deciso di passare la mano dopo tanti anni.

Il capo ha deciso di passare la mano dopo tanti anni. (Workplace transition)

غیر رسمی
Il boss molla tutto e passa la mano.

Il boss molla tutto e passa la mano. (Workplace transition)

عامیانه
Il vecchio molla il colpo e lascia il posto ai pischelli.

Il vecchio molla il colpo e lascia il posto ai pischelli. (Workplace transition)

Originates from the terminology of card games (poker, primiera, bassetta) where 'la mano' represents the right to play or the round itself.

18th-19th Century:
Early 20th Century:
Modern Era:

نکته جالب

In the game of Poker, 'passare' is the standard Italian translation for 'to fold' or 'to pass.'

نکات فرهنگی

In many Italian family-owned businesses (PMI), 'passare la mano' is a delicate process that can take years, as the 'fondatore' (founder) often struggles to let go of control.

“Il passaggio generazionale è il momento in cui il fondatore passa la mano.”

Games like 'Sette e Mezzo' or 'Scopa' are social staples in Italy. Knowing when to 'passare la mano' is considered a sign of a seasoned, wise player.

“A Sette e Mezzo, se hai un punteggio basso, ti conviene passare la mano.”

Italian political commentators often use this phrase to describe the end of a political era or the resignation of a long-standing figure.

“I giornali dicono che il Primo Ministro sia pronto a passare la mano.”

While the phrase is national, in the South, the concept of 'onore' (honor) might make 'passare la mano' feel more like a significant public declaration.

“In Sicilia, passare la mano nel gestire la festa del paese è un atto di grande rispetto.”

شروع‌کننده‌های مکالمه

Secondo te, qual è l'età giusta per un politico per passare la mano?

Hai mai dovuto passare la mano su un progetto perché eri troppo impegnato?

In quali giochi di carte è comune passare la mano?

اشتباهات رایج

Dare la mano

Passare la mano

wrong context
'Dare la mano' means to shake hands or literally give a hand. It doesn't mean to step down.

L1 Interference

0 1

Passare la mano a un libro

Passare un libro

literal translation
You cannot use 'passare la mano' for physical objects. It's only for roles or turns.

L1 Interference

0

Ho passato la mano per aiutarti.

Ti ho dato una mano.

wrong context
Learners confuse 'passare la mano' (to quit) with 'dare una mano' (to help).

L1 Interference

0 1

Sono stato passato la mano.

Mi è stata passata la mano / Ho ricevuto il testimone.

wrong conjugation
The passive form is rare and awkward. It's better to use the active voice or a different verb.

L1 Interference

0

In Other Languages

Spanish Very Similar

Pasar el testigo / Ceder el turno

Spanish lacks a direct 'hand' metaphor for quitting a job.

French Very Similar

Passer la main

Virtually no difference in usage.

German moderate

Das Feld räumen / Den Stab weitergeben

German metaphors are more spatial or athletic than card-based.

Japanese moderate

バトンタッチする (Baton tatchi suru)

It sounds more modern and less 'old-world' than the Italian card metaphor.

Arabic Partially Similar

سلم الراية (Sallama al-rāya)

Carries a sense of honor and duty rather than a game-like turn-taking.

Chinese Partially Similar

交班 (Jiāobān)

Lacks the idiomatic 'game' nuance of the Italian version.

Korean moderate

바통을 넘기다 (Batong-eul neomgida)

Focuses on the continuity of the task.

Portuguese Very Similar

Passar o bastão / Abrir mão

'Abrir mão' is more about sacrifice, 'passare la mano' is about transition.

Spotted in the Real World

📰

(2021)

“Il grande stilista ha deciso di passare la mano dopo cinquant'anni di sfilate.”

Article about Giorgio Armani or a similar fashion icon.

🎬

(1963)

“Noi fummo i Gattopardi, i Leoni; quelli che ci sostituiranno saranno gli sciacalletti, le iene... ma è tempo di passare la mano.”

The Prince reflects on the decline of the aristocracy and the rise of the bourgeoisie.

به‌راحتی اشتباه گرفته می‌شود

Passare la mano در مقابل Dare una mano

Both use 'mano' and 'passare/dare' are similar verbs.

Remember: 'Dare' = Give help. 'Passare' = Pass the responsibility away.

Passare la mano در مقابل Mettere mano

Uses the same noun.

'Mettere mano' means to start working on something or to intervene.

سوالات متداول (4)

No, for physical objects like a pen or salt, just use 'passare' (e.g., 'Passami la penna').

usage contexts

It's neutral to formal. You can use it with friends or in a business meeting.

usage contexts

Not necessarily. In a game, it just means skipping a turn. In life, it usually means leaving a role permanently.

basic understanding

'Dimettersi' is the official legal act of resigning. 'Passare la mano' is the idiomatic, metaphorical way to describe the transition.

comparisons

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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