Italian Phrase
Non mostrare cose costose.
Meaning
A direct, informal command telling someone not to display or reveal expensive items. It can be used in a shop, at home, or in any situation where showing pricey objects might be undesirable.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to advise a friend, a child, or a colleague to keep valuable things out of sight—e.g., in a boutique to avoid attracting thieves, or at a family gathering to keep the focus away from material wealth.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Nonmostrarecosecostose
Negative Imperative
In Italian, the negative command for 'tu' (informal you) is formed with 'non' + infinitive verb, e.g., 'non mostrare' means 'don’t show'.
Adjective Agreement
Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify: 'cose' (feminine plural) takes the feminine plural form 'costose'.
Omission of Articles
In commands, articles are often omitted when the noun is generic, so we say 'cose costose' instead of 'le cose costose'.
🗨In Conversation
Posso mettere queste scarpe in vetrina?
Can I put these shoes in the display window?
Non mostrare cose costose, altrimenti potremmo attirare i ladri.
Don’t show expensive things, otherwise we might attract thieves.
✕Common Mistakes
Non mostra cose costose.
The negative command requires the infinitive form with 'non', not the present tense 'mostra'.
Non mostrare cose costosi.
Adjectives must match the gender and number of the noun; 'cose' is feminine plural, so it should be 'costose'.
Non mostrare le cose costose.
In informal commands the article is usually omitted; adding 'le' sounds overly formal or redundant.
↔Alternatives
Non esporre oggetti costosi.
Don’t expose expensive objects.
Non far vedere cose costose.
Don’t let expensive things be seen.
Non mostrare oggetti di valore.
Don’t show valuable items.
Cultural Tip
In many Italian regions, modesty is appreciated and flaunting wealth can be seen as rude. Using a phrase like 'Non mostrare cose costose' not only gives practical advice but also signals respect for social norms that value discretion over ostentation.