fare orecchie da mercante
/ˈfaːre orˈrekkie da merˈkante/idiom★Intermediate◆idiom
informal
to pretend not to hear or understand something
Quando gli ho chiesto di aiutarmi, ha fatto orecchie da mercante.
When I asked him for help, he pretended not to hear me.
💡
This idiom is used to describe someone who deliberately ignores or pretends not to understand something.
Synonyms
Related Phrases
fare finta di nienteidiom
to pretend nothing happened
📝Usage Notes
This idiom is commonly used in informal conversations.
Dizionario Italiano-Inglese