If you’ve been learning Italian for a while, you might have come across expressions such as ‘me la cavo’, ‘se l’è cavata’, etc.
These are all expressions stemming from the common pronominal verb ‘cavarsela’ which means ‘to get by,’ ‘to manage,’ ‘to cope,’ or ‘to get through a situation’. You’ll hear Italians using it in different situations, from talking about language skills to overcoming difficult moments.
Pronominal verbs can seem tricky at first, but don’t worry—by the end of this post, you’ll know exactly how to use cavarsela like a pro!
Breaking down cavarsela
Pronominal verbs in Italian include pronouns (si, ne, la), that change the meaning of the base verb. In this case, cavarsela comes from cavare (which means “to extract” or “to pull out”), but with the pronouns si and la, it takes on a new meaning: to manage or get by, to get away with something but also ‘to do well’ at something, as in cavarsela bene.
Do you have any doubts about other pronominal verbs? I have another blog lesson, The pronominal verbs most used in Italian, where I discuss the following verbs:
- Volerci
- Cascarci
- Rimetterci
- Andarsene
- Fregarsene
- Smetterla
- Sentirsela
Common uses of ‘cavarsela’
Let’s have a look at the three most common ways of using cavarsela.
1. To manage to do something
- Come fate senza la mamma? Non preoccuparti, ce la caviamo! (What are you going to do without your mum? Don’t worry, we’ll manage!)
- Abbiamo perso il treno, ma ce la siamo cavata prendendo un autobus. (We missed the train, but we managed by taking a bus.)
- Riesci a portare quella valigia pesante? Sì me la cavo benissimo da sola! (Can you manage with that heavy luggage? Yes, I can manage very well by myself!)
- Com’è andata la partita ? – Ce la siamo cavata! (How was the match? – We did alright!)
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2. Talking about skills or abilities
Cavarsela implies being able to do something, getting by, or doing something reasonably well.
- Me la cavo in cucina. (I can cook.)
- Come te la cavi con il computer? (How good are you with computers?)
- Non sono un esperto ma me la cavo. (I’m not an expert but I can handle it.)
If cavarsela is followed by bene, then it means to be pretty good at something.
- Me la cavo bene con l’italiano! (I’m pretty good at Italian!)
3. Handling difficult or uncomfortable situations
It can also mean overcoming an illness, accident, or danger without serious harm.
- Anche senza soldi, se la cavano sempre. (Even without money, they always manage.)
- Quando mi sono perso, me la sono cavata con un po’ di francese. (When I got lost, I managed with a bit of French.)
- Ha avuto un brutto incidente, ma per fortuna se l’è cavata. (He had a bad accident, but luckily, he got through it.)
4. To get away with something
In some cases, cavarsela implies to get away with little or no consequences.
- Ha dimenticato di fare i compiti, ma se l’è cavata con un semplice richiamo.
(He forgot to do his homework but got away with just a warning.) - Guidava troppo veloce, ma se l’è cavata con una multa leggera.
(He was driving too fast but got away with just a small fine.) - È arrivato tardi al lavoro, ma se l’è cavata dicendo che c’era traffico.
(He arrived late to work but got away with saying there was traffic.)
How to conjugate ‘cavarsela’
Since cavarsela is a pronominal verb, you need to remember both the verb form and the correct pronouns.
Here’s how it looks in the present tense:
Here is the past tense passato prossimo:
Here is the past tense imperfetto
And the future tense:
Idioms and expressions with cavarsela
I have selected these useful expressions that you can start using straight away:
- Me la cavo bene. – I get by well. / I’m managing fine.
- Se la cava sempre. – He/She always manages.
- Non so come me la caverò. – I don’t know how I’ll manage.
- Ce la siamo cavata. – We got through it. / We managed.
- Penso che te la caverai. – I think you’ll manage.
- Cavarsela per il rotto della cuffia – to barely manage, by the skin of one’s teeth.
- Cavarsela per un pelo – To barely manage / to have a close call (e.g., Ho fatto tardi, ma me la sono cavata per un pelo! – I was late, but I just about made it!)
- Cavarsela alla meglio – To manage as best as one can (e.g., Non so cucinare bene, ma me la cavo alla meglio. – I don’t cook well, but I manage as best I can.)
- Cavarsela con una ramanzina – To get away with just a scolding (e.g., Ha fatto un casino, ma se l’è cavata con una ramanzina. – He made a mess, but he got away with just a scolding.)
- Cavarsela con poco – To get off lightly (e.g., Pensavo di dover pagare una multa enorme, invece me la sono cavata con poco. – I thought I’d have to pay a huge fine, but I got off lightly.)
- Cavarsela per un soffio – To scrape by / to get away by a hair’s breadth. (Ho passato l’esame di matematica, ma me la sono cavata per un soffio! – I passed the maths exam, but just barely!)
- Cavarsela all’ultimo momento – To manage at the last moment. (Ero in ritardo con il progetto, ma me la sono cavata all’ultimo momento. – I was behind on the project, but I managed at the last moment.)
- Cavarsela per miracolo – To get through something miraculously. (L’auto ha sbandato, ma me la sono cavata per miracolo! – The car skidded, but I got out of it miraculously!)
- Cavarsela a malapena – To barely manage. (Non ho studiato molto, quindi me la sono cavata a malapena all’esame. – I didn’t study much, so I barely made it through the exam.)
Do you have any questions about this verb? Don’t hesitate to get in touch, I answer every question, and I might write a lesson just for you! Get in touch by emailing: laura@parlaitaliano.co.uk or using the form on the website.
Happy learning!!
