Signification
Enjoying cool air outside.
Contexte culturel
In regions like Puglia and Sicily, 'prendere il fresco' is a collective event. People bring chairs from inside their homes and line them up on the sidewalk. It's the primary way news and gossip are exchanged. In cities like Florence or Milan, people head to 'lungarni' (riverbanks) or large parks like Parco Sempione to 'prendere il fresco' because the stone buildings trap too much heat. Farmers often 'prendono il fresco' under large trees (like oaks or olives) during their midday break, though the phrase is most associated with the evening. With the rise of AC, the tradition is fading among younger generations, but 'prendere il fresco' is still used to describe going for an evening 'gelato' or a walk.
Add 'un po' di'
Italians almost always say 'prendere un po' di fresco' (a bit of cool air) to sound more natural and less dramatic.
The Prison Trap
If someone says 'È finito al fresco', they mean he went to jail, not that he's enjoying a breeze!
Signification
Enjoying cool air outside.
Add 'un po' di'
Italians almost always say 'prendere un po' di fresco' (a bit of cool air) to sound more natural and less dramatic.
The Prison Trap
If someone says 'È finito al fresco', they mean he went to jail, not that he's enjoying a breeze!
The 'Piazza' Connection
If you want to 'prendere il fresco' like a local, find the main square of any Italian town at 9:00 PM.
Teste-toi
Complete the sentence with the correct form of 'prendere'.
Ieri sera noi ________ il fresco in giardino per due ore.
The sentence refers to 'ieri sera' (yesterday evening), so the passato prossimo 'abbiamo preso' is required.
Which sentence is correct to invite someone to get fresh air?
Vuoi uscire a...?
'Prendere il fresco' is the standard idiom. 'Prendere il freddo' means to get sick.
Match the phrase to the most likely situation.
Situazione: È mezzanotte a Roma in agosto. L'appartamento è caldissimo.
In a hot apartment at midnight, seeking cool air on the balcony is the logical choice.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 'Mamma, posso uscire?' B: 'Sì, ma resta qui davanti a ________ il fresco, non andare lontano.'
After the preposition 'a', we use the infinitive form 'prendere'.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Where to 'Prendere il Fresco'
At Home
- • Balcone
- • Giardino
- • Terrazza
In Public
- • Piazza
- • Parco
- • Lungomare
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesIeri sera noi ________ il fresco in giardino per due ore.
The sentence refers to 'ieri sera' (yesterday evening), so the passato prossimo 'abbiamo preso' is required.
Vuoi uscire a...?
'Prendere il fresco' is the standard idiom. 'Prendere il freddo' means to get sick.
Situazione: È mezzanotte a Roma in agosto. L'appartamento è caldissimo.
In a hot apartment at midnight, seeking cool air on the balcony is the logical choice.
A: 'Mamma, posso uscire?' B: 'Sì, ma resta qui davanti a ________ il fresco, non andare lontano.'
After the preposition 'a', we use the infinitive form 'prendere'.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
4 questionsYes, if it's already hot and you find a cool spot, but it's 90% used for evening/night air.
No, it's neutral/informal. You can use it with anyone, but it's mostly a conversational phrase.
'Fresco' is the state of being cool; 'aria fresca' is the physical air. The idiom specifically uses 'il fresco'.
Usually, but you can also 'prendere il fresco' by a window or in a very large, cool stone building like a church.
Expressions liées
al fresco
similarIn the cool air / outside
rinfrescarsi le idee
figurativeTo clear one's head
fare fresco
similarTo be chilly/cool (weather)
stare al fresco
contrastTo be in prison (slang)
