
IdiomNature
Italian
preparare il terreno
Meaning: To establish the conditions or foundations that will make something possible later.
Literally: To prepare the ground
Example: “Le riunioni di quartiere hanno preparato il terreno per il progetto.” — The neighborhood meetings paved the way for the project.
English equivalent: To pave the way
Equivalents in other languages
Swedish: kratta manegen Literally: To rake the arenaEnglish: pave the way
Origin: Before sowing, the ground has to be cleared, plowed and worked. The Hoepli dictionary defines preparare il terreno as creating the conditions for a later action, "just as the ground is prepared before sowing," with the variant lavorare il terreno.
More Italian idioms
- come butta What is happening; how are things going.
- girare a vuoto To spin idly without accomplishing anything; to waste time in aimless activity.
- mettere le corna To commit infidelity against a partner; to cuckold someone.
- alla bell'e meglio In a sloppy, careless, or makeshift manner; doing something poorly for lack of effort or…
- senza capo né coda In a senseless or disjointed way; without coherence, order, or point.
- a casa del diavolo Far away; a great distance to travel; the long way around.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Sopra la panca la capra campa, sotto la panca la capra crepa. A beloved 'c' / 'p' rhythm trap.
- Trentatré trentini entrarono a Trento tutti e trentatré trotterellando. An unbroken stampede of 'tr' and 't'.
- Tigre contro tigre, tigre contro un'altra tigre. Pure 't/ig/re' drill — short and merciless; the double-g demands a crisp Italian stop.
Keep exploring