Learn Italian: Chi teme il fallimento crolla facilmente. - Whoever fears failure collapses easily.

Chi teme il fallimento crolla facilmente.

Whoever fears failure collapses easily.

Breakdown of Chi teme il fallimento crolla facilmente.

facilmente

easily

chi

whoever / the people who (the one who, those who)

Questions & Answers about Chi teme il fallimento crolla facilmente.

Why does the sentence start with chi if it is not a question?

When used in statements rather than questions, chi acts as a relative pronoun meaning "whoever," "anyone who," or "the person who." It is extremely common to start proverbs or general statements this way in Italian.

If "whoever" refers to people in general, why are the verbs (teme, crolla) in the singular?

In Italian, chi is grammatically strictly singular, no matter how many people it refers to in real life. It always takes a third-person singular verb, exactly like "he" or "she" (lui/lei). Even if you translate it as "those who" in English, you still must use the singular verb in Italian.

Could I say ha paura del fallimento instead of teme il fallimento?

Absolutely. The verb temere (to fear) and the expression avere paura di (to be afraid of) mean the same thing. Temere is just a slightly more elevated or formal choice, which fits perfectly with the proverb-like tone of this sentence.

Can crollare (to collapse) be used for people, or is it just for buildings?

It is used for both! Just like "to collapse" in English, crollare literally applies to physical structures falling down, but it is frequently used metaphorically to describe a person who breaks down emotionally, loses their nerve, or yields under pressure.