piove sul bagnato

/ˈpjɔːve sul baɲˈɲaːto/◆idiom
when it rains it pours

Prima ho perso le chiavi, poi ho bucato una gomma, e ora piove sul bagnato: ho trovato la mia macchina inondata!

First I lost my keys, then I got a flat tire, and now it's raining when it pours: I found my car flooded!

◆ What It Really Means
a cascade of misfortunes or compounding problems
Literal Meaning
it rains on the already wet ground
Literal Breakdown
pioveit rains+sul bagnatoon the wet
◇ Mental Image
A mental picture of relentless rain falling on ground that is already soaked, making conditions progressively worse.
◈ When to Use
A person loses their wallet, then gets caught in a downpour, and finally slips on a wet sidewalk. They might exclaim, 'Piove sul bagnato!' to express the compounding frustration.
◉ Cultural Note
The phrase reflects a Mediterranean cultural tendency to view misfortune as inevitable and relentless, often with a touch of fatalism. It is commonly used in everyday speech to vent frustration.
informal

a situation where misfortunes or difficulties follow one after another, often worsening the original problem

Dopo aver perso il lavoro, gli hanno anche rubato la macchina: proprio piove sul bagnato!

After losing his job, they also stole his car: it's just when it rains it pours!

Used to express frustration or irony when additional problems compound existing ones.

Related Phrases

fare il passo più lungo della gambaidiom
to bite off more than you can chew

Pro Tip

Literal vs. Figurative

The phrase is always figurative in modern usage. Never use it to describe actual weather (e.g., 'it's raining on the already wet ground').

Usage Notes

The phrase plays on the literal image of rain falling on already wet ground, intensifying the wetness. It reflects a cultural tendency to personify misfortune as relentless.

Dizionario Italiano-Inglese