# close to home



## wannabe_linguist

hi forum


I was just wondering how you would translate the expression "close to home" idiomatically into Italian.

thanking you in advance


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## Einstein

"vicino a casa". I don't know a more idiomatic way to say it. We'll see what the natives have to say.


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## runningman

"vicino a casa" isn't wrong, but I'd say "vicino casa". 

I don't think that exists an idiomatic way to say it. The translation is almost literal.


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## Einstein

"Vicino casa"? This is new to me; we live and learn!


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## gorla101

Runnningman would you really say "vicino casa"?!
I definitely think the proper way to say that is "vicino A casa"

Ciao


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## IkHouVanPulcino

Anche io direi Vicino casa 

Simona


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## 'sya

I would say "vicino *a* casa" too, but I don't think it's wrong "vicino casa", like: "c'è un bar vicino casa tua". Anyway sounds better fr me with "a".


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## giovannino

Could wannabe linguist have meant "close to home" in its idiomatic sense, as in a problem being close to home or a remark striking close to home?

If so, maybe a problem that is close to home could be translated as "ci tocca da vicino".
I'm not sure how to translate "a remark that struck close to home", though.


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## IkHouVanPulcino

Probably we need the context then..

Simona


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## TimLA

Just in case, "close to home" also has a more figurative meaning, in that something is very personal, it can affect your personal life, your family, your family life.

(Bad) Example:

Person A: Did you hear about the high water in Venice? You have to take a boat through St. Mark's Square!

Person B: Ouch! That's hitting close to home, I just moved to Murano!

Would you use the same phrasing in Italian, or is there something different?

Edit: I just saw Giovannino's comments...same as mine, but much faster!


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## Paulfromitaly

I'd say "vicino a casa" if I meant "close to my house/flat" whereas I'd say "vicino casa" If I meant "close to home" where home has a wider meaning (it could be my town, my city or even my country).


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## virgilio

I would bet that giovannino and TimLa have sensed the meaning here, as they often do, although of course the context will make it clear. The question would surely hardly arise, if it were merely a question of geographical proximity.

Virgilio


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## wannabe_linguist

Dear all,

Sorry not to have got back to you all sooner, if I had only been more specific in my original wall posting. I thought though that by saying idiomatic it would imply the figurative/personal "close to home" not the geographical one.

Anyhow, context-wise I was referring to a problem that is close to home i.e. that strikes a chord close to home.


Thank you!


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## papeya

'sya said:


> I would say "vicino *a* casa" too, but I don't think it's wrong "vicino casa", like: "c'è un bar vicino casa tua". Anyway sounds better fr me with "a".



Sono d'accordo, credo sia un uso regionale, così come in Sicilia si dice 'tutte cose' invece di 'tutte le cose, o in Lombardia si dice 'tutta notte' invece di 'tutta la notte'. Certamente se uno vuole usare l'italiano standard è meglio che usi la preposizione, secondo me.


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## papeya

wannabe_linguist said:


> Dear all,
> 
> Sorry not to have got back to you all sooner, if I had only been more specific in my original wall posting. I thought though that by saying idiomatic it would imply the figurative/personal "close to home" not the geographical one.
> 
> Anyhow, context-wise I was referring to a problem that is close to home i.e. that strikes a chord close to home.
> 
> 
> Thank you!



Ah, beh, allora è tutto un altro discorso... però, secondo me dovresti ulteriormente specificare se in questo caso per 'home' si intende la sfera familiare o l'area geografica di appartenenza (regione, patria ecc.) perchè in questo caso le traduzioni sarebbero piuttosto diverse...


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## audia

wannabe,
i"m not native but how about me tocca nel cuore ???? me tocca vicino??


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## Nicholas the Italian

audia said:


> wanabe,
> i"m not native but how about mi tocca nel cuore ???? mi tocca da vicino??


The former strikes you right in the heart, I don't think is the best translation. The latter sounds quite good to me.
Mi tocca/riguarda da vicino.


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## audia

thanks for the support Nick. As a beginner it means a lot to get the thumbs up from a senior member


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## Nicholas the Italian

audia said:


> As a beginner it means a lot to get the thumbs up from a senior member


What the... ah, the little inscription beneath the nickname... just noticed it...
Don't trust labels too much...


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## glassjelly

Hi everyone, I just found this thread whilst trying to find an idiom to translate 'too close to home'. However, none of the replies above seem satisfactory, I think mainly to lack of clarity in examples: 'Too close to home' in English (well, at least in England!) means that something is close enough to the truth or to someone's real life situation, and because of this causes discomfort.

e.g. Joe didn't find the joke about his bad driving funny because it's too close to home (that is, Joe IS a bad driver, and therefore joking about that fact has an element of truth which makes Joe angry instead of laugh).
or
I couldn't read a Kafka novel right now, it's too close to home - I've just spent the whole day being passed from office to office whilst trying to get my visa renewed, and in the end they told me that I need to go to a different department to do it!


Hope these examples help, but just to be 110% clear, there is absolutely no spatial connotation to this phrase!

How would any of you express a similar sentiment in Italian?

Thanks in advance!


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## pask46

"Non parlare di corde in casa dell'impiccato"
Ok, this isn't what you were looking for, but that's the meaning, I think...

"la cosa lo riguarda troppo da vicino"
"la cosa lo tocca particolarmente"

But if you just could give more context or put the sentence you want to translate, I'm pretty sure someone will come out with a suitable solution...


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## Skin

glassjelly said:


> Hi everyone, I just found this thread whilst trying to find an idiom to translate 'too close to home'. However, none of the replies above seem satisfactory, I think mainly to lack of clarity in examples: 'Too close to home' in English (well, at least in England!) means that something is close enough to the truth or to someone's real life situation, and because of this causes discomfort.
> 
> e.g. Joe didn't find the joke about his bad driving funny because it's too close to home (that is, Joe IS a bad driver, and therefore joking about that fact has an element of truth which makes Joe angry instead of laugh).
> or
> I couldn't read a Kafka novel right now, it's too close to home - I've just spent the whole day being passed from office to office whilst trying to get my visa renewed, and in the end they told me that I need to go to a different department to do it!
> 
> 
> Hope these examples help, but just to be 110% clear, there is absolutely no spatial connotation to this phrase!
> 
> How would any of you express a similar sentiment in Italian?
> 
> Thanks in advance!


 
Very interesting point here, glassjelly!
Altre espressioni dal significato simile, in Italiano (ma che non hanno niente a che fare con la casa):
- toccare un tasto delicato/un brutto tasto
- essere/rappresentare una nota dolente
- toccare un nervo scoperto
"Il tuo discorso non mi fa ridere per niente: tocca un tasto delicato/un nervo scoperto/rappresenta una nota dolente per me"
Ciao


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## miri

Hi glassjelly!
To describe Joe's reaction in your first example we might say "perchè ha la coda di paglia" (he feels guilty because he is a bad driver and so he gets angry).


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## pandinorombante

Skin said:


> Very interesting point here, glassjelly!
> Altre espressioni dal significato simile, in Italiano (ma che non hanno niente a che fare con la casa):
> - toccare un tasto delicato/un brutto tasto
> - essere/rappresentare una nota dolente
> - toccare un nervo scoperto
> "Il tuo discorso non mi fa ridere per niente: tocca un tasto delicato/un nervo scoperto/rappresenta una nota dolente per me"
> Ciao



I agree with Skin, especially "toccare un tasto delicato/nervo scoperto" together with "riguardare da vicino".. 

I think it's one of those English expressions that can't be translated easily into Italian because you would need to say "Joe non ha trovato divertente lo scherzo sulla sua guida, perchè tocca un tasto delicato, lo riguarda (troppo) da vicino"..


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## miri

"Sarebbe come spargere sale su una ferita aperta", a hyperbole, a bit melodramatic, but it may work in the second example...


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## pandinorombante

miri said:


> "Sarebbe come spargere sale su una ferita aperta", an hyperbole, a bit melodramatic, but it may work...



I agree with you, Miri, although I still think that it's not as effective as the English expression.. we should find a more concise and idiomatic expression, but so far we are off the track, I think... 

Other ideas, mates?


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## miri

Tutti i suggerimenti di Skin mi pare, invece, che calzino a pennello, nella maggior parte dei casi. Certo ci sono dei contesti specifici in cui, in italiano, bisogna ricorrere ad espressioni diverse, con un po' di elasticità e fantasia ...


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## Einstein

miri said:


> "Sarebbe come spargere sale su una ferita aperta", a hyperbole, a bit melodramatic, but it may work in the second example...


Also in English: to rub salt into a wound.

This is less subtle than "vicino a casa". However, I think the expression has been understood!


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## Zenof

Hi,
what about: _mettere il dito nella piaga_ or _colto nel segno?_

ex: Joe non ha riso della battuta sul suo modo di guidare pessimo perchè Tom ha messo il dito nella piaga/ha colto nel segno


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## beauxyeux

Hi, starting from this old thread, I'd like to ask you the meaning of "close to home" in this context:

speaking of marriage between cousins the writer is explaining why it's not so well considered nowadays.

She says that "it's a bit close to home, unhealthy, incestuous even"

Could I translate in this case with something similar to:

E' qualcosa che ci mette a disagio, che consideriamo immorale, quasi incestuoso?

Thanks for your opinions.


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## TimLA

Hi,
In this case "close to home" is synonymous for "the relationship is too close genetically".


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## beauxyeux

TimLA said:


> Hi,
> In this case "close to home" is synonymous for "the relationship is too close genetically".



Thanks a lot Tim


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