Signification
Causing a lot of commotion.
Contexte culturel
The phrase is a living fossil of the 'Sacre Rappresentazioni'. It shows how deeply theater is woven into the Italian language. In Naples, you might hear 'fà 'o riavulo a quatto', which is the dialect version, used with even more theatrical emphasis. In Italy, 'fare il diavolo a quattro' is sometimes seen as a survival skill to navigate bureaucracy. Despite being a secular country today, Italian idioms are saturated with Catholic imagery (devils, saints, madonnas) used in non-religious ways.
Use with 'Fare'
Remember that 'fare' is the engine of this phrase. Practice it in the past tense ('ha fatto') as that's how you'll mostly hear it when people tell stories.
Not for the Boss
Don't tell your boss 'Sto facendo il diavolo a quattro' unless you have a very close, informal relationship. It sounds a bit aggressive.
Signification
Causing a lot of commotion.
Use with 'Fare'
Remember that 'fare' is the engine of this phrase. Practice it in the past tense ('ha fatto') as that's how you'll mostly hear it when people tell stories.
Not for the Boss
Don't tell your boss 'Sto facendo il diavolo a quattro' unless you have a very close, informal relationship. It sounds a bit aggressive.
The 'Scene' Nuance
Use this phrase to describe others more than yourself to sound more objective about the chaos.
Teste-toi
Choose the correct preposition to complete the idiom.
Mio fratello ha fatto il diavolo ___ quattro per uscire stasera.
The fixed idiom is 'fare il diavolo a quattro'.
Which situation best fits the phrase 'fare il diavolo a quattro'?
Select the appropriate scenario:
The phrase describes making a loud, energetic scene or protest.
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'fare' in the past (passato prossimo).
Ieri i bambini ________ il diavolo a quattro tutto il giorno.
We use 'hanno fatto' for a completed action in the past with the auxiliary 'avere'.
Complete the dialogue with the most natural response.
A: 'Il capo ha rifiutato la tua richiesta di ferie?' B: 'Sì, e io ________!'
The speaker is expressing that they reacted with a big fuss/protest.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesMio fratello ha fatto il diavolo ___ quattro per uscire stasera.
The fixed idiom is 'fare il diavolo a quattro'.
Select the appropriate scenario:
The phrase describes making a loud, energetic scene or protest.
Ieri i bambini ________ il diavolo a quattro tutto il giorno.
We use 'hanno fatto' for a completed action in the past with the auxiliary 'avere'.
A: 'Il capo ha rifiutato la tua richiesta di ferie?' B: 'Sì, e io ________!'
The speaker is expressing that they reacted with a big fuss/protest.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNo, it's not offensive or vulgar. It's a colorful idiom, but it's safe to use in most casual conversations.
No, the number is fixed at 'quattro'. Changing the number would make the idiom unrecognizable.
Usually, yes, but it can also just mean a lot of noise and physical chaos, like kids playing or a wild party.
The best equivalents are 'to raise hell,' 'to kick up a fuss,' or 'to make a scene.'
It's better to avoid it in formal emails. Use 'esprimere disappunto' instead.
It comes from medieval theater where four actors played the devils in chaotic scenes.
It is used universally across all of Italy.
No, it's almost always used for people or animals, not inanimate objects.
They are both common, but 'diavolo a quattro' implies more general chaos, while 'scenata' is specifically an emotional outburst.
Abbiamo fatto il diavolo a quattro.
Expressions liées
fare una scenata
similarTo make a scene (usually emotional)
scatenare l'inferno
synonymTo unleash hell
andare su tutte le furie
similarTo fly into a rage
fare un macello
synonymTo make a mess/chaos
