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PhrasesTalking About WeatherAprile, dolce dormire! Non si capisce mai il tempo.
B1informal

Aprile, dolce dormire! Non si capisce mai il tempo.

April, sweet sleeping! The weather is never predictable.

Pronunciation

'Aprile' — a-PRI-le. Stress on the second syllable. 'Dormire' — dor-MI-re, stress on the second.

When to use it

Use in April when weather is unpredictable — switching between sun, rain, and cold. Quoting this proverb shows cultural knowledge and generates instant recognition.

What it means

'Aprile, dolce dormire' is part of an Italian proverb: 'Marzo, pazzerello; aprile, dolce dormire; maggio, fai quel che ti pare e piace' (March, little madman; April, sweet sleeping; May, do whatever you like and enjoy). April weather is capricious and dreamlike.

Variations

La primavera è pazza.

Spring is crazy.

Direct observation — spring weather is unpredictable and moody

Non ci si può fidare del tempo a questa stagione.

You can't trust the weather at this time of year.

General seasonal caution — applies to both spring and autumn

Un giorno estate, un giorno inverno.

One day summer, one day winter.

Vivid contrast — captures the extreme variability of transitional seasons

Mini Dialogue

— Ieri sole, oggi pioggia, domani chissà. — Aprile, dolce dormire! Non si capisce mai il tempo. — Già. Stamattina sono uscita senza ombrello. — Eh, in aprile l'ombrello si porta sempre.

— Yesterday sun, today rain, tomorrow who knows. — April, sweet sleeping! The weather is never predictable. — Indeed. This morning I went out without an umbrella. — Well, in April you always take the umbrella.

Cultural Note

Italian proverbs about weather ('proverbi meteorologici') are deeply embedded in the culture — passed down through generations and quoted naturally in conversation. They represent accumulated folk wisdom from an agricultural society.