the penny drops

US /ðə ˈpɛni drɑps/
UK /ðə ˈpɛni drɑps/
"the penny drops" picture
1.

capire finalmente, realizzare

used to say that someone has finally understood something, especially after a period of not understanding

:
It took him a while, but then the penny dropped and he realized his mistake.
Ci è voluto un po', ma poi ha capito e ha realizzato il suo errore.
I kept explaining, but it wasn't until I drew a diagram that the penny dropped.
Ho continuato a spiegare, ma solo quando ho disegnato un diagramma ha capito.