Phrases › Trying on Clothes › Le maniche sono troppo lunghe.

Le maniche sono troppo lunghe.

The sleeves are too long.

Pronunciation

'Maniche' — 'MA-ni-ke'. Three syllables, stress on first. Hard 'ch' before 'e'.

When to use it

Common feedback for jackets and shirts, especially for shorter people. Sleeve length is one of the most common tailoring adjustments.

What it means

'Le maniche' = the sleeves (plural, feminine). 'Sono troppo lunghe' — 'sono' for plural, and 'lunghe' is feminine plural of 'lungo'. Agreement is key in Italian adjectives.

Variations

Le maniche sono troppo corte.

The sleeves are too short.

Opposite — sleeves too short, common in men's jackets

Potete accorciare le maniche?

Can you shorten the sleeves?

Requesting the alteration immediately

Le maniche si possono accorciare?

Can the sleeves be shortened?

Impersonal phrasing — asking if it's technically possible

Mini Dialogue

Cliente: La giacca mi piace, ma le maniche sono troppo lunghe. Commessa: Lo vedo. Di quanto le vuole accorciare? Cliente: Un centimetro e mezzo, direi. Commessa: Possiamo farlo in due giorni. Le lascio anche il foro del bottone.

Customer: I like the jacket, but the sleeves are too long. Assistant: I can see that. How much would you like to shorten them? Customer: One and a half centimetres, I'd say. Assistant: We can do that in two days. We'll also keep the buttonhole.

Cultural Note

In Italian men's tailoring, jacket sleeve length is precise: the shirt cuff should show 1.5–2 cm below the jacket sleeve. This detail is noticed and discussed by style-conscious Italians.

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È troppo corto.

I pantaloni sono troppo lunghi.

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