A new culture, another language, and of course, that famous mountain of bureaucracy: no one ever said moving to Italy would be easy.

But if it all starts to feel too stressful, one way to cope with certain difficult situations is to do as Italians do and view it all as a sfida (hear it pronounced here).

Variously translating into English as a “challenge”, “dare”, or “provocation”, una sfida can be anything from an invitation to compete to an act of hostility.

It comes from the verb sfidare, which means to challenge or to defy.

It might mean quite literally challenging someone to a race or another kind of competition to see who has the superior ability or strength.

– La sfida comincerà tra meno di un’ora.

– The competition will start in less than an hour.

It’s also a way to talk about challenges or difficulties of various types.

– Sono pronto per affrontare questa nuova sfida.

– I’m ready to face this new challenge.

You could view some of the more mundane trials of everyday life in Italy as una sfida: having to make six phone calls to change the time of an appointment, for example, or queuing all morning at the Questura only to be told to come back tomorrow.

This would be appropriate enough. Italians themselves often view tangles with bureaucracy, or the Italian state, as a sort of battle of wits.

Obviously, this doesn’t mean you should actually get into a battle with anyone. Quite the opposite: dealing with difficult scenarios in Italy generally requires that you keep your cool and stay positive and amenable, even when you feel like losing your temper.

Just watch how your Italian friends and acquaintances handle interactions at the comune (town hall): it’s usually a masterclass in grace and charm, often involving some shameless flattery and a good dash of sprezzatura.

It’s much like how, in English, we might say you “put your game face on” whenever you’re determined to win, in a sporting scenario or otherwise.

The term could even be applied to say, navigating tricky social or professional situations in another language.

So whenever someone – whether a bureaucrat, boss, or your Italian mother-in-law – presents you with una sfida, it’s time to rise to the challenge.

– Ha raccolto il guanto di sfida.

– He/she took up the gauntlet (accepted the challenge).

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