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What does "in bocca al lupo" mean?

Good luck — literally "into the wolf's mouth."

Language
🇮🇹 Italian
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in BOK-ka al LOO-po
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How it's actually used

Saying "buona fortuna" is considered bad luck, so Italians use this instead. The required reply is "crepi il lupo" (may the wolf die) or just "crepi." Getting the reply right is a real insider marker.

Examples

Before you say it

Answering "grazie" is the learner giveaway. The answer is "crepi."

Now actually use it out loud

Reading a definition isn't the same as saying it to someone. Lingo Kaiava is a voice tutor set to Italian — it uses in bocca al lupo the way locals do, corrects you in the moment, and never "fixes" the way real people actually talk into textbook Italian.

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