/ˈɛssere al ˈverde/ lit. ‘to be at the green’
Italian idiom, everyday. To have no money at all.
Draft Not yet checked by a native Italian speaker.
How do people use Essere al verde
?
Everyday Italian for being out of money, usually for now rather than forever: “questo mese sono al verde”. It’s mild and a little humorous, fine with friends or family. Change the verb for a story: “siamo rimasti al verde” (we ended up broke).
Also said rimanere al verde, restare al verde, ridursi al verde
Essere al verde
in real sentences
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Sono al verde.
I’m broke.
Tatoeba, sentence by Guybrush88, translation by CK, CC BY 2.0 FR
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Era al verde.
He was broke.
Tatoeba, sentence by Guybrush88, translation by CH, CC BY 2.0 FR
Where does Essere al verde
come from?
Italian Wiktionary defines it as being without money and gives “in bolletta” as a synonym. The usual explanation, which Treccani gives with a “probably”, is candles: the bottom end of old candles was painted green, so a candle that had burned down “to the green” was finished, and so was your money. Other stories involve green purse linings, but no source backs those.
Mistakes learners make with Essere al verde
Thinking “al verde” has something to do with being green with envy or inexperienced. In this phrase green is only about an empty wallet.
Other Italian idioms like Essere al verde
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