What Does "Piove a Catinelle" Mean? Complete Guide to Learning Real Italian

Have you ever heard "Piove a catinelle" in Italy? It’s a very common Italian idiomatic expression that describes extremely heavy rain, almost a downpour. Understanding and using idioms like this is key to sounding like a native speaker and immersing yourself in Italian culture. In this article, we’ll discover together the meaning, origin, and how to correctly use this phrase in various real-life situations. Get ready to boost your advanced vocabulary and sound more authentic!

Table of Contents

• What does "Piove a catinelle" mean?
• When and how to use "Piove a catinelle"
• Real examples with "Piove a catinelle"
• Other related expressions
• Conclusion

What does "Piove a catinelle" mean?

"Piove a catinelle" means extremely abundant and intense rainfall, as if water were pouring directly from large containers. It’s not a drizzle, but a real downpour.

• Figurative meaning: It’s raining in enormous, incessant amounts.
• Literal meaning: "Catinelle" are large containers, similar to buckets or basins, used for collecting water. The word 'catinella' refers to a large water container, as you can find on Treccani. The expression evokes the image of someone dumping basins full of water from the sky.
• Common usage: It’s an idiomatic Italian phrase used to describe bad weather.

More: Dopo la pioggia viene il sereno Meaning and How to Use It

When and how to use "Piove a catinelle"

This expression is very versatile and used daily. For a deeper dive into temporal prepositions, check out our guide on How to use time prepositions in Italian.

• Who uses it: Adults and young people throughout Italy. It’s a nationally understood expression.
• Contexts: Mainly in informal situations, among friends, family, at work. You may hear it on the news describing weather or see it on social media.
• Tone: It simply describes a weather situation. It’s not sarcastic or ironic, just direct and clear.
• When to use it: Anytime the rain is really heavy and doesn’t seem to stop. It’s one of the most common Italian idioms related to weather.

More: Non tutti i mali vengono per nuocere Meaning, Origin, and Usage Explained

Real examples with "Piove a catinelle"

Here are some practical examples to better understand how to use this expression in real life.

• 📍 Context (e.g., personal)
  • Person A: "We were supposed to go out, but look outside..."
  • Person B: "Impossible! Piove a catinelle, let’s stay home."
• 📍 Context (e.g., social)
  • Person A: "We arrived late because the road was flooded."
  • Person B: "Yeah, this morning it was piove a catinelle here, a real flood!"
• 📍 Context (e.g., family)
  • Mom: "Remember your umbrella and raincoat, please!"
  • Child: "Don’t worry mom, I know it’s piove a catinelle outside!"
• 📍 Context (e.g., work)
  • Colleague 1: "The meeting was canceled, no one could make it."
  • Colleague 2: "Well, with this weather, it’s normal. It’s been piove a catinelle outside for hours."

More: Acqua passata non macina più Forget Past Move On in Italian

Other related expressions

To expand your advanced vocabulary and learn Italian better, here are other rain-related expressions.

Conclusion

The expression "Piove a catinelle" is a key idiom to describe very heavy rain, making your Italian sound more natural and authentic. Integrating these Italian idiomatic expressions into your language will help you speak like a native.

Now that you know the meaning and use of "Piove a catinelle", share your experience in the comments! Have you ever encountered this expression? Or is there another Italian idiom that makes you curious? We look forward to reading your story and continuing to learn together!