Meaning
Going around the entire planet.
Cultural Background
The 'Giro d'Italia' is a massive cultural event. The word 'giro' is so associated with this race that 'fare il giro' often implies a grand, heroic effort, even when applied to the whole world. Jules Verne's book is titled 'Il giro del mondo in 80 giorni' in Italian. This title is so iconic that any mention of 'giro del mondo' often brings to mind the 80-day challenge. In the era of TikTok and Instagram, 'fare il giro del mondo' is the ultimate goal for content creators. It has replaced 'diventare famosi' (becoming famous) as the standard for success. The 'Grand Tour' was a 17th-18th century tradition where young European aristocrats traveled through Italy. Modern Italians see 'fare il giro del mondo' as the globalized version of this ancient tradition.
Use with 'Sogno'
It's very natural to pair this with 'sogno' (dream). 'Il mio sogno è fare il giro del mondo.'
Don't forget 'IL'
Always include the article. 'Fare giro del mondo' sounds like broken Italian.
Meaning
Going around the entire planet.
Use with 'Sogno'
It's very natural to pair this with 'sogno' (dream). 'Il mio sogno è fare il giro del mondo.'
Don't forget 'IL'
Always include the article. 'Fare giro del mondo' sounds like broken Italian.
Figurative News
Use this when talking about viral social media posts to sound more like a native speaker.
The 'Giro' concept
Italians love the word 'giro'. You can 'fare un giro' of a museum, a city, or the world. It always implies a complete look at something.
Test Yourself
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the verb 'fare'.
Io e il mio amico ______ il giro del mondo l'anno prossimo.
The subject is 'Io e il mio amico' (we), so the correct form is 'facciamo'.
Which sentence describes a viral video?
Scegli la frase corretta:
This is the standard idiom for something spreading globally.
Match the Italian phrase to its English meaning.
Abbina le frasi:
Distinguishing between global travel and local movement is key.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Cosa vuoi fare da grande? B: Vorrei ______ il giro del mondo.
The idiom always uses the verb 'fare'.
In which situation would you use 'ha fatto il giro del mondo'?
Scegli la situazione:
The figurative meaning refers to global spread of information.
🎉 Score: /5
Visual Learning Aids
Giro vs. Viaggio
Practice Bank
5 exercisesIo e il mio amico ______ il giro del mondo l'anno prossimo.
The subject is 'Io e il mio amico' (we), so the correct form is 'facciamo'.
Scegli la frase corretta:
This is the standard idiom for something spreading globally.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Distinguishing between global travel and local movement is key.
A: Cosa vuoi fare da grande? B: Vorrei ______ il giro del mondo.
The idiom always uses the verb 'fare'.
Scegli la situazione:
The figurative meaning refers to global spread of information.
🎉 Score: /5
Frequently Asked Questions
12 questionsIt's better to say 'Viaggiare per il mondo'. 'Fare il giro del mondo' is more idiomatic for a complete trip.
Yes, you can say an astronaut 'ha fatto il giro del mondo' (orbited the Earth).
In this context, yes, it implies starting and ending at the same point, or covering the whole area.
You would use 'mondiale' or 'internazionale'. 'Fare il giro del mondo' is a verb phrase.
Yes, metaphorically, if a book is very successful, we say 'Il libro ha fatto il giro del mondo'.
It's neutral. You can use it with friends or in a newspaper.
It is 'fatto'. So: 'Ho fatto il giro del mondo'.
Absolutely. 'La voce ha fatto il giro del mondo' (The rumor spread everywhere).
Not really, but you can use the noun 'giramondo' for a person who does it.
Not necessarily, but people will often make the joke or reference to Jules Verne.
Yes, but 'mondo' is much more common in daily speech.
'Giro' is a circuit/tour; 'viaggio' is a trip/journey. 'Giro' sounds more complete.
Related Phrases
Andare in capo al mondo
similarTo go to the end of the world
Fare un giro
builds onTo take a walk/spin
Mettere sottosopra il mondo
similarTo turn the world upside down
Tutto il mondo è paese
contrastThe whole world is just like one's own village
Giramondo
specialized formGlobetrotter
