Breakdown of Domani hai l'esame? In bocca al lupo!
avere
to have
domani
tomorrow
l'esame
the exam (m)
in bocca al lupo
break a leg!, good luck (before an exam; lit. into the wolf's mouth — reply: crepi il lupo!)
Questions & Answers about Domani hai l'esame? In bocca al lupo!
What does In bocca al lupo literally mean, and how do I reply to it?
It literally translates to "in the mouth of the wolf!" It is the most common way to wish someone "good luck" in Italian, similar to "break a leg" in English. The traditional response is Crepi il lupo! (May the wolf die!) or simply Crepi! Tradition says you should never reply with Grazie, as that will bring bad luck!
Why use the definite article in l'esame (the exam) instead of un esame (an exam)?
While you can say un esame, Italians typically use the definite article when referring to a milestone, test, or scheduled event that the listener is known to be preparing for. It implies "the exam we both know you are taking."
Is there a reason Domani is at the beginning of the sentence instead of the end?
Yes, word order in Italian is quite flexible and is often used for emphasis. By putting Domani at the very beginning, the speaker emphasizes the timing, almost like saying: "Wait, is it tomorrow that you have the exam?"
A quick refresher: why does the idiom use al lupo instead of just a lupo?
Al is an articulated preposition, which is formed by combining the preposition a (to/at/in) with the definite article il (the). Because the idiom specifically refers to "the" wolf, we must combine a + il to get al.
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