Meaning
To scold someone at length.
Cultural Background
The 'ramanzina' is often seen as an act of love. A parent who doesn't give a ramanzina is seen as indifferent to their child's future. In many Italian small businesses (PMI), the relationship between boss and employee is paternalistic, making the 'ramanzina' a common management tool. Italians are generally more comfortable with public displays of discipline than Northern Europeans or North Americans. The 'ramanzina' is a trope in Italian comedy (Commedia all'italiana), often used to show the gap between high-minded morals and messy reality.
Use 'solita'
Pair it with 'solita' (usual) to sound like a native: 'La solita ramanzina'.
Avoid 'dire'
Never say 'dire una ramanzina'. It's always 'fare'.
Meaning
To scold someone at length.
Use 'solita'
Pair it with 'solita' (usual) to sound like a native: 'La solita ramanzina'.
Avoid 'dire'
Never say 'dire una ramanzina'. It's always 'fare'.
Irony is key
You can use it to tease friends who are being too serious.
Test Yourself
Complete the sentence with the correct form of 'fare' and the preposition.
Ieri mia madre ___ una ramanzina ___ mio fratello.
We use 'fare' for the action and 'a' for the person receiving the scolding.
Which sentence best describes a 'ramanzina'?
Quale situazione è una ramanzina?
A ramanzina must be a long, moralizing lecture about a mistake.
Complete the dialogue with the most natural phrase.
A: 'Il professore ti ha visto fumare?' B: 'Sì, mi ha ___.'
The context of a teacher catching a student doing something wrong leads to a scolding.
Match the phrase to the tone.
Abbina: 1. Cazziatone, 2. Ramanzina, 3. Richiamo formale
Cazziatone is slang/vulgar, Ramanzina is everyday/colloquial, and Richiamo formale is for official documents.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Types of Reprimands in Italian
Neutral
- • Sgridata
- • Rimprovero
Long/Moral
- • Ramanzina
- • Predica
Slang/Strong
- • Cazziatone
- • Pezza
Practice Bank
4 exercisesIeri mia madre ___ una ramanzina ___ mio fratello.
We use 'fare' for the action and 'a' for the person receiving the scolding.
Quale situazione è una ramanzina?
A ramanzina must be a long, moralizing lecture about a mistake.
A: 'Il professore ti ha visto fumare?' B: 'Sì, mi ha ___.'
The context of a teacher catching a student doing something wrong leads to a scolding.
Abbina: 1. Cazziatone, 2. Ramanzina, 3. Richiamo formale
Cazziatone is slang/vulgar, Ramanzina is everyday/colloquial, and Richiamo formale is for official documents.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsNo, it's perfectly polite to use in any social situation, though it's informal.
You can use it to *describe* what your boss did to you, but don't say it *to* them.
'Predica' sounds more like a religious sermon; 'ramanzina' is more general.
Yes, it is a standard Italian expression used from North to South.
Only ironically! It implies an authority figure speaking to a subordinate.
You can say 'prendere una ramanzina' or 'beccarsi una ramanzina'.
Yes, the length is the defining characteristic of a ramanzina.
Yes, 'le ramanzine', but it's often used in the singular for one session.
Common ones are 'lunga' (long), 'infinita' (endless), 'solita' (usual), and 'meritata' (deserved).
It's neutral-informal. In a court of law, you wouldn't use it.
Related Phrases
fare la predica
synonymTo preach/lecture
dare una sgridata
similarTo give a scolding
fare un cazziatone
specialized formTo give a massive scolding
dare una lavata di capo
similarTo give a head-washing
fare la morale
synonymTo moralize
