tirare il fiato
Italian
editEtymology
editLiterally, “to pull the breath”.
Verb
edittiràre il fiato (first-person singular present tìro il fiato, first-person singular past historic tirài il fiato, past participle tiràto il fiato, auxiliary avére)
- (idiomatic) to take a breath (pause after strenuous activity)
- 2012, John Green, translated by Giorgia Grilli, Colpa delle Stelle [The Fault in our Stars], Mondadori, page 89:
- Ho sollevato la testa dalla sua spalla per un momento, per tirare il fiato da tutto quell'orrore e guardare Augustus che guardava il film.
- I took my head off his shoulder for a moment to get a break from the gore and watched Augustus watch the movie.
- (literally, “I lifted my head from his shoulder for a moment, to take a breath from all that horror and to watch Augustus who was watching the film.”)