The Italian language has no shortage of curious expressions to use in everyday conversation, and acqua passata is one of them
This idiom, which literally translates as 'passed water', has an English counterpart: 'water under the bridge'.
It’s used in the exact same way too: when referring to unpleasant past problems that are no longer important; or when you wish to forgive and forget, similarly to 'let bygones be bygones' or 'what’s done is done'.
In un anno sarà acqua passata.
In a year it will be water under the bridge.
Senti Silvia, tutti i problemi che abbiamo avuto sono acqua passata.
Listen Silvia, all the problems we had are water under the bridge.
It’s also used for situations that have run their course, and for things that are no longer needed. In this case, it differs slightly from ‘water under the bridge.’
Here, the full version of the expression, acqua passata non macina più, is used. Acqua passata derives from this.
Acqua passata non macina più translates literally as 'water that’s passed no longer grinds'. It comes from centuries ago, when water passed under a mill wheel used to grind wheat. Once the water passes the mill, it's no longer able to move the grinding wheel, and it’s not coming back.
There's no direct translation for this in English, but let’s take a look at some examples of how it's used:
Mi piace questa TV ma è vecchia e non può essere riparata, quindi devo buttarla. L’acqua passata non macina più.
I like this TV, but it’s old and it cannot be repaired, so I must throw it out.
Il nostro rapporto era buono, ma c'erano molte cose che non funzionavano. L’acqua passata non macina più.
Our relationship was good, but there were a lot of things that didn't work.
In all of these situations, the person is saying something (or someone) from the past is no longer needed or wanted in the present.
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