with a grain of salt

English

Etymology

Calque of Latin cum grānō salis, literally with a grain of salt, figuratively with a bit of common sense.

Adverb

with a grain of salt (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) With a little common sense and skepticism. Generally used with the verb take.

   I take anything I read on the Internet with a grain of salt.

Coordinate terms

• face value, pinch of salt

Translations

with common sense and skepticism

• Catalan: reserves (ca) f pl, cautela f, escepticisme m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: (to take with a grain of salt; not to be believed literally) 不可全信 (bùkěquánxìn)

• Czech: rezerva f
• Dutch: met een korreltje zout
• Finnish: varauksin, varauksellisesti, varauksella, varovasti (fi)
• French: à la légère (fr), être à prendre avec des pincettes (fr)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can

• German: mit einem Körnchen Salz
• Hebrew: עם קמצוץ מלח‏‎ ('Im kamtsuts melah)
• Italian: col sale in zucca, con un po' di sale in zucca
• Latin: cum grano salis
• Portuguese: Com um grão de sal (literal), com reservas, não confiar muito.
• Russian: (adverb) скепти́чески (ru) (skeptíčeski), (adverb) недове́рчиво (ru) (nedovérčivo)
• Spanish: tomar con pinzas, tomar con reservas, creer la mitad, con un grano de sal
• Swedish: med en nypa salt