IdiomDaily Life
Italian
Italiannei panni di
Meaning: In the position, role, or situation of someone else; in their shoes.
Literally: In the clothes of
Example: “Nei panni del direttore, avrei detto la stessa cosa.” — In the director's shoes, I'd have said the same thing.
English equivalent: To be in someone's shoes
Equivalents in other languages
English: be in someone's shoes
Origin: Panni are clothes, and putting oneself in someone else's clothes is imagining being them. Mettersi nei panni di qualcuno means seeing things from their position, like English "to put oneself in someone's shoes." It has no particular story behind it.
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