What words and expressions can we use in Italian to talk about getting along with other people, or not getting along? There are plenty of ways, some more mainstream, and others more colloquial or even vulgar, especially when it's about not getting along.
First of all, let's mention the classic term simpatico, which is tough to translate accurately (see this lesson). Although simpatico is not strictly connected with getting along, it is often a factor.
Someone can be simpatico, meaning they are friendly, easy to get along with, nice, likeable. None of these descriptions alone is enough to express the idea of simpatico. But simpatico has become a word that many English speakers understand. We can use simpatico as an adjective to describe a person:
Nick è uno simpatico, un po' fuori di testa.
Nick is a nice guy, a bit crazy.
Captions 56-57, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S1EP4 Gelo - Part 10
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But we can personalize it a bit by using the verb stare instead of essere and adding a personal pronoun. This is one way of getting around the fact that "to like" is transitive in English but not in Italian. We've mentioned in another lesson that mi piace can have various connotations, but stare simpatico is more generic and "safe."
Anche se la conoscevo poco, mi stava simpatica. -Certo.
Even if I didn't know her well, I liked her. -Of course.
Caption 10, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S1EP1 I Bastardi - Part 14
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The opposite of simpatico is antipatico. But while we can use antipatico to describe a person, we also use it to describe something unpleasant like a medical procedure. It often means "unpleasant" in this context. In the following example, "unfriendly" was the translation but it could also have been "unpleasant," "not nice." Sometimes we might use "nasty," but that is a strong word.
È severo e pure un po' antipatico.
He is stern and also a bit unfriendly.
Caption 41, Provaci ancora prof! S1E4 - La mia compagna di banco - Part 4
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In terms of getting along, the classic phrasal verb is andare d'accordo (literally, "to go in agreement").
Non mi avevi detto che andavate d'accordo? -Sì, andiamo d'accordo.
Didn't you tell me you got along great? -Yes, we get along.
Captions 77-78, Questione di Karma Rai Cinema - Part 15
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Sai quanto tuo marito mi sta antipatico, e questo lo abbiamo capito fra le righe, però andare d'accordo con te non è che è facile, eh.
You know how much I don't like your husband, and this we have figured out, reading between the lines, but getting along with you isn't easy, huh.
Captions 5-8, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 EP3 Un cugino in fuga - Part 14
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Another way to express "getting along" in a very positive way, is with stare bene. Stare bene can mean "to feel good," "to be comfortable," or "to be in good health." Stare insieme is used when two people are in a couple. Stanno insieme (they are together, they're a couple).
Stiamo bene insieme.
We get along well together/we go well together.
Caption 29, Sposami EP 5 - Part 23
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Sometimes you can get along with someone you don't like, but sometimes people are mean. In Italian, we use vedere (to see) instead of "to stand," when you can't stand someone.
Per esempio: "Nicoletta è sempre antipatica con me". E in effetti, anche io non la posso vedere.
For example: "Nicoletta is always nasty to me." And, actually, I can't stand her either.
Captions 41-42, Marika spiega Il verbo vedere - Part 2
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Sometimes we don't get along with someone because one of us is a pain in the butt. The socially acceptable way to describe this type of person is un rompiscatole. See this lesson for a closer look.
Problemi? -No, niente, è solo 'sta [questa] rompiscatole.
Problems? -No, nothing. It's just this pain in the ass.
Caption 91, Provaci ancora prof! S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita - Part 1
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Now we get to more vulgar terms. Replacing rompiscatole with rompipalle or rompiballe (literally "ballbreaker," pain in the ass) is more vulgar. We again use stare (to be, to stay) together with a word for male genitalia or some euphemism. We are describing someone who can't stand someone else. The next example is quite vulgar, although used a lot, except in polite company.
Magari gli stavo sul cazzo.
Maybe to him I was a pain in the ass.
Caption 67, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S1EP1 I Bastardi - Part 9
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To make this more socially acceptable, it could be:
Magari gli stavo sulle scatole.
Mi ha accollato agli altri a forza e il risultato finale è che sono appena arrivato e sto già sul cazzo a tutti.
He forced me on the others and the end result is that I only just arrived and I'm already pissing everyone off.
Captions 31-32, La compagnia del cigno EP 2 - Part 3
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We might have translated this another way, too:
Sto già sul cazzo a tutti.
Everyone already hates me/can't stand me/I am already hated by everyone.
Although the word order is different from what we say in English, the idea is that someone is hated by someone else.
Thanks for reading. Please write to us if you have questions or comments about this topic: newsletter@yabla.com
Figuring out what the verb esistere means is not complicated if you already know a bit of Italian. The cognate, "to exist," sounds a bit formal sometimes, but in Italian, esistere is pretty ordinary. Here's an example.
[Ferrari Testarossa. Non esiste emozione più bella al mondo che guidare una Ferrari a duecentoquaranta km/h].
[Ferrari Testarossa. There is no greater emotion in the world than driving a Ferrari at two hundred and forty kilometers per hour.]
Caption 18, Autocollection EP2 - Part 2
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In the following example, a mechanic is talking about the Bianchina, a car from the sixties with no bells and whistles. It could easily be translated by using "there is. "
Qui, più semplice non esiste. [C'è] solo quello che è veramente utile. L'inutile non esiste.
Here, simpler doesn't exist, only what is truly useful. There's nothing non-essential.
In this case, there's no such thing as "simpler." There's nothing non-essential.
Captions 42-44, Autocollection EP2 - Part 9
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Even though we could use the verb "to exist," just as in Italian, we tend to use "there is" in English. In other words, we use the verb "to be" (with "there") to say whether something is present or not. If we wanted to use "exist," we would have to change the word order and put the verb after the subject.
Al contrario, esiste l'apprendimento non supervisionato che si riferisce a un approccio di apprendimento automatico in cui gli algoritmi identificano modelli e relazioni nei dati..
Conversely, there is unsupervised learning, which refers to a machine learning approach in which algorithms identify patterns and relationships in data..Captions 43-45, Vocaboliamo Intelligenza Artificiale - Part 2
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Conversely, unsupervised learning exists, referring to a machine...
The equivalent of "there is" is also very common in Italian: It's esserci (to be there, to exist), or, used in the third person singular, c'è (there is), which is a contracted version of ci è. In this case, ci means "there" or "here."
Secondo me, deve esserci un nesso.
In my opinion, there must be a connection.
Caption 28, Provaci ancora prof! S2E5 Vita da cani - Part 7
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Another way to say the same thing in Italian is:
Secondo me, ci deve essere un nesso.
In the following example, we can see that both esistere and esserci mean the same thing.
Non c'è, non esisteva nient'altro al mondo.
There isn't, there was nothing else in the world.
Caption 16, Guido Crepax Cercando Valentina - Part 10
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In fact, Italians use c'è (there is/is there) perhaps even more than English speakers do. When asking if someone is at home, or available to talk, we can use c'è, forming a question:
C'è nessuno?
Anybody home? [Is there nobody?]
Anybody here?
Caption 28, Provaci ancora prof! S1E4 - La mia compagna di banco - Part 9
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See this lesson all about the ci in c'è!
Finally, let's mention an expression with esistere. It's very easy and it's what you can say to mean "No way!" Not as a reaction of surprise, but as a way of saying an emphatic "no."
Non esiste (no way). This is a milder version and is often part of a longer phrase.
Non esiste proprio (no way in hell, not a chance, ain't gonna happen, not happening)! Proprio can mean plenty of things, but mostly "exactly" or "really."
Ma scusate, ma voi fate la dieta, volete il vino bianco? Ma, ma state scherzando? Ma non esiste proprio.
But excuse me, but you are on a diet, you want white wine? But, but are you kidding? But absolutely no way.
Captions 20-21, La linea verticale EP 7 - Part 7
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Però penso che dovrai rimandare l'appuntamento dall'estetista, facciamo straordinari oggi. -No, ma non esiste proprio. -No, esiste proprio.
But I think you will have to postpone the appointment at the beautician, we're doing overtime today. -No, no way that is happening. -No, it is really going to happen.
Captions 52-54, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP5 Rione Serra Venerdì - Part 22
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In a previous lesson, we talked about forming the passive voice with the verb venire (to come) instead of the usual verb essere (to be). We mentioned that it is similar to using "get" in English (although using "get" this way is frowned upon by some grammar experts).
In this lesson, we'll talk about another verb used to form the passive. This time we use the verb andare (to go) and although the procedure is roughly the same as for venire and essere, the context and purpose, as well as the meaning, are slightly different.
We use andare to form the passive voice when something has to be done, must be done. Whereas with venire, we might be talking about something done regularly, or about how something is carried out, here, with andare, we're talking about obligation. And, we can think of it as often referring to something in the future. Again, the verb andare (in its passive voice role) is always in the third person and is followed (perhaps with an adverb in between) by the past participle of a transitive verb.
One of the most common verbs to put in the passive voice with andare is the verb fare (to do). Because there are always so many things we have to do or should have done! In this first example, Andromeda could also have used venire to say, "this is how it is done," but she evidently wanted to stress that ice cream has to be made with fresh ingredients, because they are ingredients that can go bad (dairy products and eggs).
Il gelato è un prodotto molto nutriente, va fatto con ingredienti freschi, freschissimi.
Ice cream is a very nutritious product; it has to be made with fresh, very fresh ingredients.
Captions 6-7, Andromeda in - Storia del gelato - Part 2
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Prova a verificare se ci sono persone che possiedono serpenti da quelle parti. Vanno denunciati, mi pare, no?
Try to see if there are people who possess snakes around those parts. They should be reported, I think, right?
Captions 78-80, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP5 Rione Serra Venerdì - Part 7
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Here, the meaning is clear. Zamagna is a doctor who had to remove some tumors.
Zamagna sa quello che fa. Se l'ha fatto, vuol dire che andava fatto.
Zamagna knows what he is doing. If he did it, it means it had to be done.
Captions 31-32, La linea verticale EP3 - Part 3
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The next example features the conditional form of andare, which indicates uncertainty. So in this case, it's not strongly obligatory.
E, capisco signora, vede, eh... questa cucina andrebbe rifatta tutta da capo.
And, I understand, Ma'am, you see, uh... this kitchen should be done over from scratch.
Captions 31-32, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3EP4 Lo stagno del ranocchio - Part 7
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Let's keep in mind that to form the negative, we just put non before the verb andare.
Una porta chiusa non la puoi aprire, perché dietro chissà cosa sta facendo il personale medico, che non va disturbato per nessuna ragione.
You can't open a closed door, because behind it, who knows what the medical personnel is doing, who mustn't be disturbed for any reason.
Captions 62-64, La linea verticale EP 5 - Part 4
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There are different ways to translate these passive phrases, but the main thing is to get a sense of when venire and andare work better than essere in expressing meaning and tone. And we hope you feel better prepared to understand when you are encountering these unusual passive forms.
What is meant by tutto d'un pezzo? It's an expression we hear that describes someone.
Ferruccio, Ferruccio era un uomo tutto d'un pezzo.
Ferruccio, Ferruccio was a man of integrity.
Caption 15, Il Commissario Manara S2EP11 - Uno strano incidente di caccia - Part 3
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The short word, the contraction, is made of up di (of) and un (a or one).
Then we have tutto which can be a noun meaning "all" or "everything." It can also be an adverb or adjective meaning "all," "totally," or "entirely."
Then we have pezzo, a noun meaning "piece."
If we translate the expression literally, we obtain "all of a piece." It only partially makes sense. We can think of something whole, integral.
The expression traditionally describes a man, un uomo: un uomo tutto d'un pezzo. But of course, it could also be a woman!
The important thing is that this tutto d'un pezzo implies someone with integrity, a "straight shooter," to use an American expression, or "a person of integrity," "an honest and forthright person." We're primarily referring to the morals of a person.
The expression is usually positive. It might also describe a person who is "his own man," but not necessarily a good man.
Someone who is tutto d'un pezzo says what he means and means what he says. He doesn't compromise.
If we think of characters in Yabla videos, we might think of Adriano Olivetti, or Ispettore Lojacono from I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone. In fact, here is an exchange between Lojacono's new boss and a colleague of hers.
Senti, tu lo conosci l'Ispettore di Polizia che si chiama Giuseppe Lojacono? -Peppino Lojacono? E certo che lo conosco, figurati. È un poliziotto tutto d'un pezzo.
Listen, do you know the police detective whose name is Giuseppe Lojacono? -Peppino Lojacono? Of course I know him, are you kidding? He's a straight shooter of a policeman.
Captions 38-40, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S1EP1 I Bastardi - Part 7
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Without opening a new chapter, we'll mention another word to describe a person of integrity. Here, the speaker has used the absolute superlative form of integro. The suffix -errimo comes from the Latin suffix "-errimus," used with adjectives that end in R., such as "integer" - integro (whole).
Elsa è una donna integerrima, ha dedicato tutta la vita a quel museo.
Elsa's a woman of the utmost integrity. She's dedicated her whole life to that museum.
Caption 4, Il Commissario Manara S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde - Part 8
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Around the 21st century, people began using this suffix informally, and often jokingly, with all sorts of words to be even more superlative than an absolute superlative, ordinarily expressed with the suffix -issimo.
Officially, the suffix -errimo is used with a short list of adjectives.
acre (acrid, pungent) — acerrimo
celebre (renowned) — celeberrimo
integro (whole, of integrity) — integerrimo
misero (miserable, wretched) — miserrimo
salubre (salubrious, healthful, healthy, wholesome) — saluberrimoAlso, aspro (sour, tart) asperrimo (along with asprissimo)
Advanced learners might enjoy reading an article by the Accademia della Crusca about this suffix.
We might think tutto d'un pezzo could translate as "out of whole cloth" But we would be wrong. "Out of whole cloth" has a story, and has come to mean something similar to campato in aria. In other words, fabricated from nothing. Here is a short article.
In English, we form the passive voice using the verb "to be" plus the preposition "by" and the past participle of the action (transitive) verb. That is true in Italian too. We use the verb essere (to be), the preposition da, and the past participle of the transitive verb.
Here is an example:
Londra. È stato venduto a un'asta di gioielli da Christie's.
London. It was sold at a jewelry auction at Christie's.
Caption 2, La Ladra EP. 12 - Come ai vecchi tempi - Part 4
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See this lesson for an overview of the passive voice in Italian.
But there are other ways of forming the passive voice in Italian and it can be a bit confusing. If we think of using "get" in English (informally), it might be a bit less confusing. For example:
The paper gets delivered every morning at six.
We could also say:
The paper is delivered every morning at six.
Using "get" makes the sentence feel more active, while having a passive construction. We don't really need to know who delivers the paper so the passive voice is handy in this case. There is no apparent agent or doer.
In Italian, in addition to using the verb essere, we can form the passive voice with the "auxiliary" verb venire (to come). In fact, it is often considered to be more formal than using essere. But, as with "get," it's also a more active way of using the passive voice.
It's easy to forget this kind of passive construction because venire is also a common action verb. When we use it in the passive voice, as an auxiliary, it doesn't really mean "to come." At least, not if we are translating. If we translate it with "get," it might be easier to grasp as part of the passive construction.
While it's useful to know the grammar, the best thing is to listen or read and repeat. Hearing venire used in everyday (passive) contexts will help you assimilate it and then get accustomed to using it when appropriate. Let's look at some examples.
Keep in mind that:
1) the passive voice has to do with transitive verbs,
2) using venire as a passive auxiliary works only with simple tenses of the "action verb," not compound ones,
3) when using venire, there is usually no agent, called complemento d'agente, no doer.
4) venire is often used instead of essere to avoid confusion (we'll look at some examples further down on the page).
Ed è proprio per la sua fattura [che] non viene chiamata "farina", ma "semola".
And it is precisely because of its processing [that] it's not called "flour," but "semolina."
Captions 14-15, Vocaboliamo La pasta - Part 3
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L'ispettore Ginko è figlio di un giudice che viene arrestato per corruzione.
Inspector Ginko is the son of a judge who is arrested for corruption.
Captions 18-19, Fumettology Diabolik - Part 5
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In this next example, the verb venire is in the future tense.
Domani verrà convocato Giulio Bruno, eh.
Tomorrow, Giulio Bruno will be summoned, huh.
Caption 60, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP3 I giardini della memoria - Part 19
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Of course, venire is also an action verb, so we might find the same future tense used with no participle after it. In the following example, it really does mean "to come" and is not forming any passive voice.
Stamattina mi ha telefonato Franco, mio figlio, ha detto che verrà a trovarmi a Natale.
This morning, Franco called me, my son, he said he will come and see me at Christmas.
Captions 62-63, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP4 Gelo - Part 16
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Here, we have venire in the third person plural of venire.
Di solito questi luoghi diventano musei, dove gli antichi attrezzi vengono appesi alle pareti come vestigia di un passato remoto e obsoleto,
Usually, these places become museums, where old tools are hung on the walls as vestiges of a remote and obsolete past,
Captions 27-29, Formaggi D'autore - Part 5
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If, instead of using the verb venire, we use the verb essere to form the passive, it won't be wrong, but it might be confusing. If we use essere we can imagine the tools already hanging on the wall: gli attrezzi sono appesi alle pareti (the tools are hanging on the walls and appesi answers the question "where"), but with venire, we can picture the action of hanging the tools on the wall.
Here is a final example where the verb venire is in the imperfetto.
È vero che Suo fratello a scuola veniva chiamato Cenerentola?
Is it true that your brother was called Cinderella at school?
Caption 6, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP3 I giardini della memoria - Part 26
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Further exploration:
For each of these examples in the passive voice, try replacing the verb venire with essere. They might work equally well. Try using "get" instead of "to be" in English. Try transforming the passive phrases into active ones.
Finally, in the video tab, do a search of various conjugations of venire and see if you can distinguish the examples that have to do with the passive voice (hint: look for a past participle following it). It's kind of fun.
In a future lesson, we will discuss another "auxiliary" verb we can use to form the passive voice: andare (to go). It works much the same way as venire but has a different feel to it as well as a different function.
In an episode of Fino a qua tutto bene (so far so good), a movie about a group of friends that just graduated from the University of Pisa, two people are talking at a party. Marta invites Andrea to a house someone lent her. That house is ai Ronchi. Where?
Senti, Maddalena mi ha lasciato la sua casa ai Ronchi, vuoi venire con me?
Listen, Maddalena left me her house in the Ronchis [seaside places up the coast], do you want to come with me?
Captions 37-38, Fino a qui tutto bene Film - Part 21
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We wanted to know where Ronchi or the Ronchis is located, so we did a little research and learned that according to Wikipedia the village is Ronchi di Massa (in northern Tuscany, on the sea) but was at one time called Marina dei Ronchi di Apuania. We wondered about the name and why it was in the plural. Maybe it's a bit like talking about the Hamptons on Long Island.
Massa-Carrara is a province in Tuscany. Why is there a hyphen?
Massa and Carrara were two cities. Originally Massa was Mazza (which means "club," "stick," or "bat") which makes sense if we look at the city's stemma (coat of arms, emblem) with a club in the middle. Carrara on the other hand, got its name from the pre-Roman (Celtic or Ligurian) element "kar" (stone), through the Latin "carrariae" meaning "quarries." Carrara (previously spelled Carara when it was part of the Duchy of Modena) is known for its marble quarries.
photo of Carrara stemma: MostEpic
-coat%20of%20arms.png)
The two cities made up the Duchy of Massa and Principality of Carrara from 1473 until 1836 (or 1829 according to some historians). They were incorporated into the Duchy of Modena (in Emilia) around 1829 until around 1859, when they became part of Tuscany, heading the province, Massa e Carrara.
During the Italian Fascist period, it was common for the government to merge some towns with others, giving it a new name. One of these was Apuania, which incorporated Massa, Carrara, and Montignoso. The name came from le Alpi apuane (the Apuan Alps), which are the nearby mountains. So the province of Massa e Carrara was accordingly renamed Provincia di Apuania.
Colonnata è un piccolo paesino che è incastonato nelle Alpi Apuane.
Colonnata is a small village that is nestled in the Apuan Alps.
Caption 14, L'Italia che piace Esperienze Gastronomiche - Part 3
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The adjective "Apuan" is linked to the population called Liguri Apuani, who inhabited a part of the Apennine mountain chain on the Ligurian side in pre-Roman times. Apuania was constituted in 1938 but after the fall of fascism and the end of World War II, it was dissolved. Massa and Carrara remained linked with a hyphen to make them co-equal. Massa-Carrara is capo provinciale (the capital city of the province). Montignoso became part of another city.
Both Massa and Carrara are divided into administrative zones including seaside zones. So there is Marina di Massa and Marina di Carrara, both seaside areas. Ronchi is a hamlet (which in Italian is called una frazione) of Marina di Massa.
We haven't yet discovered exactly why Ronchi is referred to in the plural. We did learn that the road in the area that runs parallel to the beach is called lungomare (this is typical) and has two sections: lungomare di levante and lungomare di ponente. This is a fancy way of saying east and west. Levante refers to where the sun comes up. Il sole si leva (the sun rises) and ponente refers to where the sun sets. Il sole si pone (the sun sets itself down). Two beach clubs are Bagno Ronchi di levante and Bagno Ronchi di ponente. That could be a clue. If we learn more, we will update this lesson.
In the process of searching for the answer, we did learn some interesting facts about the Massa-Carrara area and its history!
Although the noun impressione can be equivalent to the English noun "impression," it can also mean something else entirely, especially when coupled with the verb fare (to make, to do), as in fare impressione. It doesn't usually mean "to make an impression." Or rather, something does make an impression on you, but it generally has a negative connotation and can range from "to be "disconcerting," "disgusting," to "giving you the creeps," "to shock," and more. We can also use "to affect" or "to have an effect." Note that in this context, there's no article before impressione.
No, è che i topi, con rispetto parlando, mi fanno impressione.
No, it's that mice, respectfully speaking, frighten me.
No, it's that mice, respectfully speaking, give me the creeps.
Caption 56, PsicoVip Il topo - Ep 22
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Certo, fa impressione la nostra stanza così, no?
Of course, our room this way is disconcerting, right?
Of course, our room this way has quite an effect on us, right?
Caption 1, Fino a qui tutto bene Film - Part 20
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Fa impressione una ragazza così giovane che si toglie la vita.
It shocks you, a girl so young who takes her own life.
Caption 20, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP 4 Maltempo - Part 3
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Questa cosa mi ha fatto piuttosto impressione.
This thing rather shocked me.
Caption 50, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP 4 Maltempo - Part 23
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We can also use the verb dare (to give) with impressione. Here, in meaning, it is more similar to English. And in this context, we do use an article before impressione. In this case, it is neutral, neither positive nor negative.
La falcata decisa per uscire dalla stanza in meno di due secondi, senza dare l'impressione di scappare.
The determined stride to exit the room in less than two seconds, without giving the impression of running away.
Captions 49-51, La linea verticale EP4 - Part 2
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If you ask someone what impression they have or had about something, we are back to a true cognate, even if we use the verb fare. But we could also use the verb dare.
Che impressione t'ha fatto?
What impression did he make on you? [what did you think of him?]
Caption 38, Liberi tutti EP3 Quanto è libero un fringuello? - Part 4
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Collega, ho l'impressione che ti stai affezionando un po' troppo a Michele Venturi.
Colleague, I have the impression that you are becoming a little too fond of Michele Venturi.
Caption 28, Liberi tutti EP4 Ma la giacca la vuole tutta? - Part 6
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Let's go a step further and talk about the English verb "to impress." Although impressionare is a verb in Italian, it's rarely the first choice when talking about being impressed by or impressing someone. A more common way to express this in Italian is with the verb colpire (to strike). Rimanere colpito (to be struck, to be impressed). We can also use the expression fare colpo (to impress).
Quando l'ho letto, però, sono rimasto colpito, la storia era interessante.
When I read it, though, I was impressed. The story was interesting.
Captions 32-33, Fumettology Diabolik - Part 4
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Sai, io ho l'impressione che lui abbia anche fatto colpo sulla sua titolare,
You know, I have the impression that he also impressed his boss,
Captions 7-8, Sposami EP 6 - Part 18
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And here is where the expression fare figura can come in, as well. For more on figura, see this lesson.
Ma la verità è che tu ti impegni perché vuoi fare bella figura con tua moglie.
But the truth is that you make an effort because you want to impress your wife.
Captions 22-23, Sposami EP 2 - Part 19
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In both English and Italian, there is an adjective form, too: "impressive" and impressionante. Although they can be equivalent, impressionante is more akin to "amazing," "shocking," or "remarkable." Most of the time it is stronger than "impressive." In thinking of a facial expression corresponding to "impressive," we could imagine raised eyebrows. If we think of impressionante, there are raised eyebrows, but also eyes wide open in shock or surprise.
E a proposito di peso, eh, bisogna dire che arrivati al terzo anello, tutta la struttura ha cominciato a inclinarsi in modo impressionante.
And speaking of weight, uh, it must be said that starting at the third ring, the whole structure began to tilt in a remarkable way.
Captions 3-4, Meraviglie EP. 4 - Part 8
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Thanks for reading. We hope to have helped untangle the web of words that start with "impress-." Let us know if you have further questions!
We talked mainly about the verb immaginare in part 1 of this lesson, and now we'll focus on supporre.
In our first example, supporre is easily interchangeable with immaginare, both in Italian and in English.
Buongiorno a Lei, signora Baudino. Cercava me, suppongo. Prego. -Grazie, sì.
Good morning to you, Missus Baudino. You were looking for me, I suppose. Please come in. -Yes, thank you.
Captions 5-7, Provaci ancora prof! S2E6 La strana ossessione - Part 5
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In the next example, on the other hand, supporre is a bit more nuanced and we have translated it with "to assume." We're not really imagining here, we are making an assumption based on evidence, or reasoning. However, the speaker could easily have used immaginare if he had been trying to conjure up the past. The important thing to keep in mind is that "to assume" is one way to translate supporre." Another Italian verb could work here, too: ipotizzare (to hypothesize). It's used quite frequently in ordinary conversation.
Per questo motivo, possiamo supporre che proprio in questo momento, i conservatori abbiano chiamato il loro miglior pittore ad eseguire sulla parete dell'Arengario, eh, quella Resurrezione che diverrà il simbolo identitario della città.
For this reason, we can assume that right at this moment, the conservators had called their finest painter to execute, on the wall of the Arengario, uh, that Resurrection which will become the iconic symbol of the city.
Captions 49-53, La pittura più bella del mondo La Resurrezione di Piero della Francesca - Part 13
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In this next example, supporre doesn't seem to be interchangeable with immaginare, because we're talking about a supposition based on something concrete.
Questo perché la testimonianza della tua amica Camilla, ti fa supporre che la signora Predolin sia una vittima innocente.
This is because the account of your friend Camilla causes you to assume that Missus Predolin is an innocent victim.
Captions 105-106, Provaci ancora prof! S2E5 Vita da cani - Part 13
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We translated it with "to assume," but it could also be "to presume," another possible translation of immaginare.
In English, we can use the imperative of "to suppose" as in: "Suppose I were to ask you on a date. Would you say yes?" In Italian, we'd likely use the first person plural: Supponiamo (let's suppose).
Adesso supponiamo che stai passeggiando per strada e un passante ti chiede: "Mi scusi, mi potrebbe dire, per favore, che ore sono?".
Now, let's suppose you're walking down the street and a passerby asks you: "Excuse me, could you please tell me what time it is?"
Captions 28-30, Marika spiega 18 Modi di dire Sì senza dire Sì
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We hope that you have a greater understanding of the verbs immaginare and supporre and when (and how) they are used.
Did you know that Italian uses the same word — la storia — for both "story" and "history?"
Sometimes it's clear what we're talking about:
Ma ti rendi conto che questi galantuomini sono finiti sui libri di storia come gli eroi del Risorgimento, i grandi che hanno fatto l'Italia.
But do you realize that these men of honor have ended up in history books as the heroes of the Risorgimento, the greats who made Italy?
Captions 37-39, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP5 Rione Serra Venerdì - Part 19
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But more often than not, una storia means "a story," which can be interpreted in various ways, just as in English.
In ogni storia noir il poliziotto che si oppone al criminale ne è, in un certo senso, lo specchio. -Ginko è uno dei motivi di vita di Diabolik.
In every crime story, the policeman who opposes the criminal is, in a certain sense, the mirror of him. -Ginko is one of Diabolik's reasons for living.
Captions 31-32, Fumettology Diabolik - Part 5
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Often una storia represents a romantic relationship. We might say "love story" or "affair."
Hanno avuto una storia, ma si sono lasciati dopo pochi mesi.
(They had an affair, but they broke it off after a few months.)
When it's more of a fling, it's common to use the diminutive, storiella.
Me l'ha fatte pure con l'avvocato. Una storiella con un vigile urbano.
She did that to me with a lawyer, too. A fling with a traffic cop.
Captions 8-9, La Ladra EP. 3 - L'oro dello squalo - Part 12
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It's also common to use una relazione when referring to a relationship between two adults.
Gliel'ho già detto, la loro relazione era finita da un pezzo.
I already told you. Their relationship had been over for a good while.
Caption 106, Provaci ancora prof! S2E6 La strana ossessione - Part 11
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In the context of theater, television, and film, "story" isn't always called la storia. When we refer to the basic story, idea, theme, or plot outline, it's called il soggetto. In every-day Italian, however, il soggetto usually corresponds to its English cognate, "the subject."
We often find the word soggetto in the credits of a movie or TV show. An episode of Fumettology, about the comic book Diabolik, describes how the various aspects of preparing the material come together. The idea can come from a number of sources, but there is usually one writer who develops the story, theme, or plot outline, referred to as il soggetto. It might be the outline of a movie, episode, or entire series.
Spesso, una storia può avere una persona che fornisce lo spunto, poi, in genere, ce ne sono un paio d'altre che lo fanno diventare un soggetto.
Often, a story may have a person who provides the starting point, then, usually, there are a couple of others who make it become a storyline.
Captions 26-28, Fumettology Diabolik - Part 7
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Sono soggetti di, di, di anche di venti pagine. È praticamente già tutta la storia articolata, mancano giusto i dialoghi e la divisione in, in vignette,
They are storylines of, of, of even twenty pages. That's practically the whole story already laid out. Missing only are the dialogues and the division into, into vignettes,
Captions 29-31, Fumettology Diabolik - Part 7
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In the comics, il dialogo (the dialog) has to be created along with the narrative.
In a TV show or movie, there is la sceneggiatura (the script, the screenplay). In the following example, the same person came up with the story for the episode and then wrote the script or screenplay, which includes dialogue and stage directions.
[Soggetto di puntata e sceneggiatura di]
[Episode story and screenplay by]
Caption 16, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP4 Gelo - Part 1
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You'll see the noun storia come up quite often in movies and TV shows, as well as in books and articles. Note that here, we've talked about the literal meanings of the word, but we'll look at other connotations in a future lesson, so stay tuned!
One of our subscribers has asked about the difference between two verbs: immaginare and supporre. Of course, both verbs have English cognates: "to imagine" and "to suppose." But knowing when and how to use them is not always obvious. Let's focus first on immaginare, and we'll save supporre for an upcoming lesson.
Immaginare
The verb immaginare can be transitive and it matches up with the English meaning of "imagine." In an episode of Sposami, Ugo wants some comprehension from Nora. She gives him a snappy retort.
Per una volta nella vita, cerca di capirmi, prova a immaginare la situazione. -Cosa devo immaginare, Ugo? L'ho vista la scena.
For once in your life, try to understand me, try to imagine the situation. -What should I imagine, Ugo? I saw the scene.
Captions 36-38, Sposami EP 5 - Part 20
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It can be intransitive and still corresponds to English:
Ma immagina quando fra dieci, vent'anni il mercato richiederà soltanto calcolatori elettronici.
But imagine when, in ten, twenty years, the market will be asking for electronic calculators only.
Captions 27-28, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 15
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Immaginare can be used with a reflexive ending to add some personal reinforcement.
Immaginati la sorpresa quando ho scoperto che dopo tutti questi anni eri diventata... Un poliziotto? -No! Bellissima!
Imagine [for yourself] my surprise when I discovered that after all these years you had become... A cop? -No! Beautiful!
Captions 6-9, Il Commissario Manara S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena - Part 14
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In English, when we give a short answer, we usually say "I can imagine," in other words, using a modal verb before the main verb. In Italian, we can just use the verb itself with no modal verb before it.
Poi io so' [sono] passato a lavorare nello studio e mi occupo un po' di tutto... un incarico di fiducia. -Immagino.
Then I began working in the office and I handle a little bit of everything... a position of trustworthiness. -I can imagine.
Captions 54-56, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 11
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We can also use the modal verb potere (to be able to) as an option.
Non mi sono ancora ripreso da questa tragedia, ve lo confesso. -Posso immaginare.
I haven't yet recovered from this tragedy, I'll confess it to you. -I can imagine.
Captions 6-7, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP4 Gelo - Part 10
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The verb immaginare is also used like "to suppose," "to think," "to believe," and "to guess." Although we used the cognate in the translation to facilitate remembering the word, other words could work, too. This is a case in which immaginare and supporre are interchangeable.
Immagino che vorrà parlarmi di Donata Miulli.
I imagine that you will want to talk to me about Donata Miulli.
I suppose that you will want to talk to me about Donata Miulli.
I guess that you will want to talk to me about Donata Miulli.
Caption 30, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP 4 Maltempo - Part 23
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Since both verbs have to do with hypothesis rather than certainty, they often take the subjunctive when followed by the conjunction che.
Immagino che si tratti del sequestro De Carolis.
I guess [that] it is about the De Carolis kidnapping.
Caption 61, Il Commissario Manara S2EP10 -La verità nascosta - Part 7
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In English we often say, "I suppose so," "I think so," "I guess so," etc. It's important to keep in mind that in Italian, this "so" is expressed with di sì. We translated immagino di sì with "I imagine so," but it could also have been "I guess so" or "I think so."
Ma, quindi, Grazia faceva la modella? Immagino di sì. Casa sua era piena di foto di questo tipo, quindi immagino di sì.
But, so, Grazia was a model? I imagine so. Her house was full of photos like this, so I imagine so.
Captions 60-61, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP4 Gelo - Part 5
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In Part 2, we'll focus on supporre.
Sometimes there are unexpected connections between videos that have nothing to do with each other. Maybe there is an actor we’ve seen before or an example of a grammatical point we have covered elsewhere, but this time, it’s about a word we saw for the first time in an episode of Imma Tataranni. The noun was lamione, and it wasn't easy to find out what it was or to find an adequate one-word English translation.
Un po' più sopra ci dovrebbero stare certi lamioni, hai presente? -Sì.
A bit higher up, there should be some "lamioni." Are you familiar with them? -Yes.
Caption 12, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP5 Rione Serra Venerdì - Part 4
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But a few weeks later, we transcribed and translated a documentary about architecture and lo and behold, one segment discussed the trullo and the lamia, both unique building types from Apulia.
We figured out that the basic word is likely lamia and that lamione is a variant, possibly implying a large lamia, because of its -one ending, but it might also be simply a local variant of lamia.
La Puglia non è soltanto il trullo come struttura iconica, ma anche la masseria e le lamie.
Apulia is not just the trullo as an iconic structure, but also the farm and the lamias.
Captions 1-2, L'Italia che piace Architettura - Part 8
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So what’s a lamia?
a primitive, abandoned lamia
It’s the shape of the building that makes the lamia stand out (although it's significantly less striking than the trullo). Its walls slope slightly and while the roof is flat, the ceiling is often barrel vaulted. As with the trullo, the building materials are found locally. Even the stone has a name that isn’t always translated. It is sometimes translated as tuff, and is called tufo or tufa in Italian. Tufa is a variety of limestone formed when carbonate minerals precipitate out of water in unheated rivers or lakes. It can also come from a volcanic explosion. In looking for a definition of tufa or tufo, we came across a fascinating article (in English) about this kind of stone as it pertains to wine production, of all things. It all starts to make sense if we go back to ancient Rome, as mentioned in the article!
Here is a link to an article with a drawing of a lamia next to a trullo. The lamia would have been used as temporary quarters for agricultural workers, or to store grain and fodder.
To learn more, here is an interesting article in English, with a detailed drawing of a trullo inside and outside.
If you ever decide to visit Apulia, you can even choose to stay in a trullo, as at least one of our subscribers has done! Matera is practically right next door, and there, you can visit the Sassi, also built using the raw materials found locally. What a fascinating area!
While we are talking about things pugliesi, we want to call your attention to a video you might have missed, where Anna, playing a schoolgirl, has to report on Apulia, where Anna is actually from.
And to connect back with the opening paragraph of this lesson, the actress Anna was discovered in an episode of Imma Tataranni, where she plays a pregnant schoolteacher. She was actually pregnant at the time of filming! It was fun for the staff and seasoned subscribers to discover her in the middle of the episode.
There have been a number of videos on Yabla that refer to fumetti, but what are they? Fumetti are comic books and comic strips. A graphic novel is called un romanzo a fumetti or un romanzo grafico and sometimes the English term "graphic novel" is used for these. They consist of a complete story, not a continuing story as we often have in comic books.
Why do we call comics fumetti? Fumo is smoke, and the speech bubbles or word balloons you find in comics are kind of like puffs of smoke. The suffix -etto means "small" and the puffs of smoke, or speech bubbles, are relatively small. These speech bubbles are sometimes called nuvolette (little clouds).
Senti, tu vedi di fargli leggere almeno un fumetto quest'estate eh.
Listen, you see to it that he at least reads a comic book this summer, huh.
Caption 52, Provaci ancora prof! S2E6 La strana ossessione - Part 22
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Comic books are very popular in Italy. There is an entire convention dedicated to comics, Lucca Comics, the largest in Europe.
Che stai facendo? -Sto leggendo un fumetto. -Com'è? -Fichissimo.
What are you doing? -I am reading a comic book. -How is it? -Super cool.
Captions 18-20, JAMS S1 EP2 - Part 4
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On an Italian quiz show this question was asked about the fumetto Diabolik:
In quale luogo Angela Giussani trovò l'ispirazione per creare il fumetto "Diabolik"?
In which place did Angela Giussani find inspiration for creating the cartoon, “Diabolik”?
Caption 18, L'Eredità -Quiz TV La sfida dei sei. Puntata 2 - Part 12
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Subscribers can find the true answers to this question in this video!
There are two different documentaries on Yabla about fumetti:
Guido Crepax, Cercando Valentina and Fumettology.
Guido Crepax is the pen name of Guido Crepas, whose best-known character was Valentina. She was created in 1965 and her last appearance was in 1996. In the documentary, we discover where the author's ideas came from and what his techniques were in designing the panels and thinking up the stories.
Nel Sessantadue, mettono in piedi una casa editrice che, che si mette a pubblicare Diabolik, il fumetto più scandaloso di quegli anni.
In nineteen sixty-two, they set up a publishing house that, that set to publishing Diabolik, the most scandalous comic book of those years.
Captions 22-24, Fumettology Diabolik - Part 3
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"Fumettology" is a documentary about various popular Italian fumetti.
The first episode is about Diabolik. Read about this fumetto here on Wikipedia. You'll also find the answer to the quiz show question above.
All'inizio, quando loro partirono, non ci fu un distributore che volle distribuire il fumetto.
In the beginning, when they started out, there was no distributor who wanted to distribute the comic book.
Captions 1-2, Fumettology Diabolik - Part 4
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Both Valentina and Diabolik were created for adults, but the second fumetto featured in "Fumettology" is aimed at a general audience, and is an Italian take on the American Wild West. Read about Tex Willer here.
Tex è un eroe capace di modificare il mondo attorno a sé con la sola sua presenza.
Tex is a hero capable of changing the world around him solely by means of his presence.
Captions 1-2, Fumettology TEX - Part 2
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In an episode of Imma Tataranni, we even see her husband, Pietro, on the couch, reading Tex. Whoever watched the episode knowing about Tex probably let out a chuckle. Pietro might have been in "don't bother me" mode.
Italians got some of their ideas from American comics, and had them translated, but during the Fascist period, there were bans, except for Topolino (the Italian version of Mickey Mouse). Italian comics were allowed, but there were restrictions as to content. Once World War II was over, fumetti became very popular once again and that is when Tex was created.
Reading fumetti can be an enjoyable way to learn some Italian! Take it from someone who did that and whose daughter did, too!
In a previous lesson, we talked about votare, a verb that has an additional meaning we rarely think of. Another verb that can bring some surprises (and confusion) is confondere (to confuse, to confound). If we think about it, we can break down confondere into two pieces. Fondere is "to melt," "to meld"; con is “with.” Thoughts, sensations, or things mix together and become unclear. We can no longer distinguish or understand individual elements.
The English verbs "to confuse" and "to confound" clearly have the same root: And we can also see "to fuse" and "fusion" in the noun "confusion." And we now know that con means "with." You might never think of the word "confusion" the same way again.
The cognate confusione exists in Italian. Sometimes it's equivalent to the English "confusion."
Perciò quando i soggetti sono diversi, questo potrebbe portare un po' di confusione.
So when the subjects are different, this could bring about a bit of confusion.
Captions 25-26, Corso di italiano con Daniela 3) Proposizioni subordinate finali - Part 2
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But often confusione means something more akin to "chaos" "fuss," "mess," or "commotion."
E, soprattutto, nella confusione nessuno si accorgerebbe di nulla.
And above all, in the chaos, nobody would notice anything.
Caption 16, Il Commissario Manara S2EP4 - Miss Maremma - Part 11
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Lupo ha detto che c'aspetta in palestra e poi era troppa confusione per lui.
Lupo said he'd be waiting for us at the gym and besides, it was too much commotion for him.
Captions 56-57, L'oro di Scampia film - Part 19
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Knowing these little connections may help you find the words when you need them, or at least recognize them when you see them. Or you might just enjoy being aware of the connections (or you might not care at all).
We often translate confondere as "to mix up."
The verb confondere can be used as a normal transitive verb: to confuse.
Tu mi sa che confondi la cocaina con l'aspirina.
I think you are confusing cocaine with aspirin.
Caption 10, Il Commissario Manara S2EP9 - L'amica ritrovata - Part 11
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The same past participle, confuso, can mean "confused." We can use the past participle of confondere as an adjective when we are confused — confuso. The ending has to agree in gender and number with what or who is being described.
Sei confusa, addolorata, ma lo sai che lui ti merita.
You're confused, aggrieved, but you know that he deserves you.
Captions 85-86, Il Commissario Manara S1EP11 - Beato tra le donne - Part 8
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When we get confused or mixed up, it's a process, and we go the reflexive route with the reflexive form of the verb: confondersi.
Sì, sì, è probabile, perché i nomi sono molto simili, Renzo, Gaetano... uno si può confondere.
Yes, yes. That's likely, because the names are very similar, Renzo, Gaetano... someone can get mixed up.
Captions 57-58, Provaci ancora prof! S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita - Part 13
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...e se di me non parlo e non mi ascolto, succede che poi mi confondo.
...and if I don't talk about myself and I don't listen to myself, it happens that then I get confused.
Captions 56-57, Rosalba al parco della donna gatto - Part 2
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There's an expression in Italian: confondere le acque (to muddy the water). In this case, you are not confused, but you are making something confusing on purpose. Here, confuso can be translated as "confusing."
Hanno fatto un racconto un po' confuso.
They gave a somewhat confusing account.
Caption 16, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP2 Rabbia - Part 3
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When we use the passato prossimo (which works like the present perfect), the past participle is the same as the adjective form, but the verb essere (to be) is present, too, as well as the reflexive pronoun, as opposed to a subject pronoun.
Che fai, parli ternano pure tu, adesso? -Perché mi so' [sono] confuso,
What are you doing? Are you talking Terni-ese, too, now? -Because I got confused,
Captions 59-60, Sposami EP 5 - Part 16
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So if I want to say, "You got confused," I would say, "Ti sei confuso/a".
When, in La Ladra, Eva uses the verb to talk about a spice she can’t distinguish, she uses the verb confondere but she might have meant confondersi, which can also mean "to blend in." If we want a transitive verb as a translation, "muddle" might work, too.
C'è una spezia che confonde il quadro di insieme, non so, non riesco a percepirla.
There's a spice that muddles the whole picture. I don't know, I can't manage to perceive it.
There's a spice that makes the whole picture confusing, I don't know, I'm not able to perceive it.
There's a spice that blends in with the whole picture, I don't know, I'm not able to perceive it.
Caption 32, La Ladra EP. 1 - Le cose cambiano - Part 3
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We hope you are not more confused than when you began reading this lesson!
There is already a lesson about dunque on Yabla. It primarily discusses the noun form of this word, il dunque, equivalent to il punto (the point.)
But dunque is first of all a conjunction, a somewhat more formal equivalent of quindi meaning "therefore," "so," or "then."
Immagina che tu e una persona di tua conoscenza siete saliti su di una barca, fate un giro in mare e chiacchierate. State dunque facendo la stessa cosa e nello stesso momento, quindi state condividendo questa esperienza.
Imagine you and a person you know have gotten on a boat. You go for a boat ride at the sea and chat. So you are doing the same thing at the same time, thus you are sharing this experience.
Captions 14-19, Marika spiega Espressioni legate al mare e al mondo nautico - Part 1
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We could have translated dunque as "therefore," "thus," "so," "so then," "as a result," etc.
One common way to use dunque is to introduce something you are going to say, such as an explanation, a list, or a question. In other words, you are saying, in essence, "Now I am going to tell/ask you something." So it can also be an equivalent for allora. See this lesson about allora.
In the following example, an oncologist is about to list different types of tumors or cancers. He could have said, "Allora, esistono..." Dunque has a slightly different and perhaps a more serious feel to it, as in "Now I am going to tell you something important," whereas allora is very general and can be placed in a sentence just about anywhere. Allora can also stand alone.
Dunque, eh, esistono vari tipi di tumore al rene, alcuni sono più subdoli, più insidiosi, più difficili da combattere.
Well, uh, there are various types of kidney cancer. Some are sneakier, more insidious, harder to fight.
Captions 36-38, La linea verticale EP 7 - Part 2
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Professor Camilla uses dunque as she chooses a student for an oral quiz. In this case, she is going down her list of students, so we have translated dunque as "let me see..."
E mi affiderò al caso, anzi al registro. Dunque, Ilenia.
And I will rely on chance, or rather on the register. Let me see... Ilenia.
Caption 73, Provaci ancora prof! S2E5 Vita da cani - Part 5
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Of course, at the same time, dunque can be conclusive because its original meaning is "therefore." In English, the adverb "therefore" is used less and less except in formal or technical language. It follows, then, that we use it less and less in translations. We can think of it as meaning "as a result," or "consequently." In the following example, however, we are talking about art, about history. In this case, dunque is conclusive and can be translated with "therefore."
Ecco, dunque, quale potrebbe essere stata l'occasione, il perché della Resurrezione di Piero.
That is, therefore, what the occasion could have been, the reason for Piero's Resurrection.
Captions 28-29, La pittura più bella del mondo La Resurrezione di Piero della Francesca - Part 13
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The following example is informal.
I miei genitori sono invece nonni di cinque nipoti ed io sono la zia di quattro nipoti. -Sì. Nostro figlio ha dunque... sei zii, o meglio, tre zii e tre zie, da parte mia...
My parents are, on the other hand, grandparents of five grandchildren and I'm the aunt of four nephews and nieces. -Yes. Our son has, therefore... six aunts and uncles, or better yet, three uncles and three aunts, on my side...
Captions 21-25, Giuditta e Marino presentano La nostra famiglia
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Our first instinct was to use "so." We used it at the beginning of the sentence, although the Italian has dunque at the end, or, at any rate, not at the beginning.
"Yes. So, our son has..."
But then a subscriber commented that there was no translation of dunque and suggested "then," which could possibly have worked. Instead, we inserted "let's see..." because Marino was clearly doing some calculations in his head. However, we neglected to remove "so." Another subscriber noticed that things didn't match up and wrote a comment. After considering "well", we decided that although "therefore" might not be our first choice, it is conclusive and clear in its meaning and so that's what we chose. And that is the reason for this lesson. Dunque is a great word to know, but the translation is not always clear-cut or obvious.
If you are about to make a list or explain something, dunque works great at the very beginning of a sentence. When you want it to be conclusive, it can be in the middle or at the end. It can also be used as "filler" for when you are thinking, similar to quindi and allora.
Dunque non vuoi festeggiare in compagnia?
So, don't you want to celebrate in company?
Caption 36, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno Ep. 1 - Part 18
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The adjective urgente is pretty easy to figure out. It means "urgent" and it's an important word to know. And when you need that word, the situation is usually dire, and urgency is needed. You might need something urgently. But how do we express these in Italian? There are ways that line up with English and ways that don't. Let's take a look, with clips from Yabla videos as examples you can see and hear.
Adjective: urgente
Mi scusi l'insistenza, ma è urgente.
Sorry for my insistence, but it's urgent.
Caption 74, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP 4 Maltempo - Part 2
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Adverb: urgentemente
The adverb urgentemente (urgently) does exist and is used.
La mamma del bambino Luigi è desiderata urgentemente al bar.
The mom of the child Luigi is urgently needed at the bar.
Caption 1, Ma che ci faccio qui! Un film di Francesco Amato - Part 4
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Noun: l'urgenza
But let's look at the noun l'urgenza (the urgency). It's quite common to "have urgency" or do something "with urgency," rather than using the adverb urgentemente, as we can see in the following examples.
E va portata con urgenza in sala operatoria. Andate.
And she must be urgently taken to the operating room. Go.
Caption 11, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP1 - Part 14
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Allora, signora, aveva urgenza di vedermi?
So, Ma'am, you wanted to see me urgently?
Caption 1, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP 3 Vicini - Part 13
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Verb: urgere
A verb form exists as well in Italian, though it's not used all that much. But in a recent segment of Provaci ancora Prof!, Renzo uses it (likely to be eruditely witty), so we're taking the opportunity to look at it here. The verb is urgere from the Latin "urgens".
Scusate, scusate, scusate, perché urge un brindisi alla mia suocera preferita e, soprattutto, al suo profiterole.
Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me, because it's urgent to make a toast to my favorite mother-in-law and above all, to her profiteroles.
Captions 25-27, Provaci ancora prof! S2E6 La strana ossessione - Part 18
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More common alternative verbs to urgere
Although urgere has two different meanings depending on whether it's used transitively or not, its most common use is the intransitive one, which has to do with "being necessary" (urgently necessary), as in the example above. It's much more common to use the verb bisognare.
Renzo could easily have said:
Bisogna assolutamente fare un brindisi a... (it's absolutely necessary to drink a toast to...)
**Note that bisognare is an unusual verb used only in the third-person singular bisogna. It's followed by either a verb in the infinitive or the conjunction che, triggering the subjunctive form of another verb. For more on using the verb bisognare see this Yabla lesson.
He could also have used still other turns of phrase:
Serve un brindisi... (there is need of a toast)
Dobbiamo fare un brindisi (we have to drink a toast to...)
Ci vuole assolutamente un brindisi (there's an absolute need for a toast)
The use of urgere makes it urgent and Renzo wants to get it over with, for sure, although he would never say so. He also might be implying: It's about time.
Origins of urgente
Language nerds might be interested to know (if they haven't figured it out already) that the adjective urgente is actually (or originally) the present participle of the verb urgere. There are a great many present participles of verbs used as adjectives. They always end in -ante or -ente in the singular and -anti or -enti in the plural. For more about this verb form/adjective form, see this Yabla lesson.
We hope we have given you some tools for expressing urgency in various ways, should the need arise when speaking Italian!
Trusting someone or not is important to be able to express in the language you are using. But it can be tricky in Italian because "to trust" happens to be a reflexive verb.
A reflexive verb in Italian is a particular kind of verb where the subject and object are the same and which requires a reflexive pronoun. In the infinitive, we use the reflexive pronoun si (attached to the end of the verb). For more on reflexive verbs, see this lesson.
Before discussing how fidarsi works, let's look at a passage from a recent video on Yabla — Provaci ancora prof!. Renzo realizes he has been unfairly questioning his wife Camilla's relationship with reality.
Sì, va be', forse dovrei imparare a fidarmi un po' di più.
Yes, OK, maybe I should learn to trust you a bit more.
Caption 110, Provaci ancora prof! S2E6 La strana ossessione - Part 16
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One of our subscribers wondered if fidarmi was a mistake, if it should have been fidarti, since, after all, Renzo is talking about trusting the person he is talking to. That's what makes verbs like fidarsi tricky for English speakers. Renzo left out the part where it would have been clearer. He could have said:
Sì, va be', forse dovrei imparare a fidarmi di te un po' di più.
He didn't say it, because it was clear who he was referring to and it was part of a longer conversation. It also makes for an awkward sentence.
Here is the sentence in context where Camilla speaks first.
Però almeno capisci che non sono pazza.
-Sì, va be', forse dovrei imparare a fidarmi un po' di più. -Eh, forse. -La fiducia è importante.
But at least you understand that I am not crazy.
-Yes, OK, maybe I should learn to trust you a bit more. -Yeah, maybe. -Trust is important.
Captions 109-111, Provaci ancora prof! S2E6 La strana ossessione - Part 16
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Here’s how fidarsi works:
In a simple sentence, the reflexive pronoun is placed before the verb. The tricky thing to remember is that the reflexive pronoun corresponds to the subject, in other words, the person who is doing the trusting (or not). To trust is a transitive verb in English.
Here’s the conjugation in the present tense:
Io mi fido (I trust)
Tu ti fidi (you trust)
Lui/Lei si fida (he/she trusts)
Noi ci fidiamo (we trust)
Voi vi fidate (you all trust)
Loro si fidano (they trust)
Notice the reflexive pronouns (mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si) placed before the verb. In fact, we don't normally need to include the subject at all because it's clear from the verb conjugation (note the changing endings of the verb):
Mi fido (I trust)
Ti fidi (you trust)
Si fida (he/she trusts)
Ci fidiamo (we trust)
Vi fidate (you all trust)
Si fidano (they trust)
To make these sentences negative, where you don't trust someone or something, we place non (not) before the reflexive pronoun.
Non mi fido (I don't trust)
Non ti fidi (you don't trust)
Non si fida (he/she doesn't trust)
Non ci fidiamo (we don't trust)
Non vi fidate (you all don't trust)
Non si fidano (they don't trust)
In Italian, it's common to use this short phrase as is, with no other object. The object is implied. In English, however, we use "to trust" as a transitive verb with an object.
Tanto ho capito, io il tipo l'ho inquadrato. Non mi fido.
Anyway I understand, I have that type figured out. I don't trust him.
Caption 38, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 8
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But when specifying whom or what you trust (thus including an indirect pronoun), we follow fidarsi with the preposition di (in, of).
Non devi avere paura, ci penso io a te, non ti devi preoccupare. -Io mi fido di Lei.
You shouldn't be afraid, I'll take care of you, you shouldn't worry. -I trust you.
Captions 14-16, La linea verticale EP4 - Part 6
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Io non mi fido di te.
I don't trust you.
Caption 35, Sposami EP 1 - Part 1
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It might be helpful to remember that in English we sometimes do use a preposition, saying, "I trust in you" or "I trust in God."
Here's an example of a question using a compound past tense:
Ti rendi conto di chi mi sono fidata?
Do you realize whom I trusted?
Caption 10, Provaci ancora prof! S1E2 - Un amore pericoloso - Part 24
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We have the noun la fiducia, too.
Ho pienamente riconquistato la tua fiducia?
Have I fully reconquered your trust?
Caption 83, Provaci ancora prof! S2E6 La strana ossessione - Part 15
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La fiducia does mean "the trust," but it also means "the faith" (which can also translate as la fede in Italian, especially in the context of religion). Note also that after fiducia, the preposition is in (in). It works much like the English "to have faith in someone."
Ho sempre avuto fiducia in te,
I have always had faith in you,
Caption 32, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP 2 - Part 19
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We use la fiducia with the verb avere (to have), just like in English, but we can also use the verb dare (to give), in which case it makes more sense to translate this with "to trust."
Infatti, mi sto occupando da tempo, in prima persona, di questo problema, però Lei deve darmi un po' di fiducia.
In fact, I have been working for a while now, personally, on this problem, but you have to trust me a little.
Captions 13-14, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP 4 Maltempo - Part 19
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So when I want to simply say, "Trust me" I just say: Fidati. No need to say fidati di me unless I need or want to emphasize or be clear about who should be trusted.
Non ci facciamo una figuraccia con questo Marsili, no? -Fidati. -Mi fido di più se mi dici chi te l'ha detto. -Una persona molto affidabile.
We're not going to look like idiots with this Marsili, right? -Trust me. -I trust you more if you tell me who told you. -A very reliable person.
Captions 50-53, Il Commissario Manara S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde - Part 6
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We hope we have given you a better understanding of the reflexive verb fidarsi and the noun la fiducia, both of which have to do with trust. With a little practice, you'll be able to use both of these words with confidence in your Italian conversations.
On a very basic level, "the vote" and "to vote" have cognates in Italian (il voto and votare), but a recent video on Yabla provided the spark for a little research into these words.
In the first segment of a documentary about comic books, there's a curious example of votare meaning not "to vote," but rather "to devote." It's rare enough that it needed looking up and we wondered if it might be an error. It wasn't.
La sua vita è votata al soddisfacimento di un obiettivo, che è quello di mettersi alla prova nel furto.
His life is devoted to the satisfaction of a goal, which is that of proving oneself in theft.
Captions 24-25, Fumettology Diabolik - Part 1
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Looking up this meaning for votare called up other connections.
It’s customary in some Christian religions to give up something for Lent, the forty days preceding Easter. In Italian, this is often called un voto (a vow). And let’s think of “votive” lights or candles, used to remember the dead. A votive candle signifies literally that the lighting is done in fulfillment of a vow (Latin, "votum").
Sono pinakes, tavolette votive che vengono dal tempio di Persefone, la dea della Primavera.
They're pinakes, little votive tablets that come from the Temple of Persephone, the goddess of spring.
Captions 20-21, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP2 Come piante fra sassi - Part 12
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There is a long tradition of vows in Italian history, closely tied to the history of the Roman Catholic Church. People would pledge money, acts of charity, or courage, such as going on a crusade. Symbols of these vows can be found hanging on the walls of many old Italian churches and are called ex-voti from the Latin phrase "ex-voto suscepto," meaning "from the vow made").
È vero che abbiamo fatto voto di povertà, però pure i colli dei frati tengono [napoletano: hanno] freddo, no?
It's true that we made a vow of poverty, but even the necks of friars get cold, right?
Captions 58-59, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP 3 Vicini - Part 6
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In Italian schools, students get votes, not grades.
Mettiamo che io abbia due bambini. il primo fa il dettato senza errori, che voto gli do?
Let's say I have two kids. The first one does the dictation with no errors. What grade do I give him?
Captions 54-56, Non è mai troppo tardi EP 2 - Part 22
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Thanks for reading.
Language doesn't stay the same over time. For example, lots of people say "gonna" instead of "going to," but we still write "going to," unless it's in some dialogue or in an informal circumstance. It's not something English speakers think about too much. In addition, words that used to be two words are now often spelled as one word. The word might go through a stage where a hyphen is used. Sometimes 2 different versions are both correct. A noun can become a verb and vice versa. Language is in constant evolution.
But let's talk about an Italian language phenomenon common, especially in central and southern Italy, but universal in some cases. It's about how to pronounce a consonant in a new word after the final vowel of the preceding word. This is called raddoppiamento fonosintattico (phonosyntactic doubling), also called rafforzamento fonosintattico (phonosyntactic reinforcement). Non-native speakers might not notice this as anything but simply part of the language, and we likely won't analyze it. We just try to repeat what we hear. We mention this as it might be helpful in understanding why certain words have a double letter in the middle of a word that seems to come from 2 separate words.
Examples of vocal doubling of the consonant can be as basic as the C in casa in a sentence such as Andiamo a casa (let's go home). It's often reinforced or almost doubled. If you listen carefully, you might hear it, but you also might not, unless someone shows you how it would sound without reinforcing that C. It's a nuance. If you learn Italian by listening and repeating, you don't need to worry about this at all. You might notice a difference in pronunciation among the various regions of Italy from north to south. The doubling phenomenon seems to increase as we travel southward.
Francesco, andiamo a casa.
Francesco, let's go home.
Caption 25, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP2 Rabbia - Part 5
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But sometimes this raddoppiamento fonosintattico (doubling a letter in speech), as it is called, makes its way, over time, into the written word, and we get what is called univerbazione or "univerbation," in other words, uniting two or more words into one word. In linguistic terms, it's "the diachronic process of forming a new single word from a fixed expression of several words." In English, we talk about "compound words." But in the case of Italian, the new word might be based on the sound of the letters that end the first word and begin the second one rather than just the meaning.
We have seen this in words such as daccapo instead of da capo (from the beginning), (see this lesson). Both are used.
We can presume that the adverb nemmeno was ne meno at one time but with the phenomenon of pronouncing one word after the other with a double or reinforced M, the spelling shifted to nemmeno.
Non ci voglio nemmeno pensare, nemmeno pensare.
I don't even want to think about it, not even to think about it.
Caption 88, Provaci ancora prof! S2E6 La strana ossessione - Part 15
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The list goes on and on. Language nerds might like to see this article (in Italian) about reinforced letters and univerbations in Italian.
Another classic example is soprattutto (above all). We always have to remember to double that (first) T. Originally, it was two words: sopra (above) and tutto (all). The T was doubled in speaking, and then over time, it began to be written with two T's combining into one word.
E, soprattutto, mi devo caricare delle storie degli altri, delle vite degli altri.
And, above all, I have to take on other people's stories, other people's lives.
Caption 55, Romanzo Italiano Lazio - Part 7
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Another example of radoppiamento fonosintattico, as well as univerbazione, is Oddio, which comes from Oh Dio! (oh God, oh my God). It expresses shock, agitation, or fright.
Oddio!
Oh my God!
Caption 21, La Ladra EP. 10 - Un ignobile ricatto - Part 9
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Sometimes oddio is not so strong and merits neither an exclamation point nor a capital letter at the beginning. Someone is having a memory lapse, that's all.
Gino Bresciano, oddio chi era Gino il Bresciano?
Gino the Brescian, oh God, who was Gino the Brescian?
Caption 30, Liberi tutti EP4 Ma la giacca la vuole tutta? - Part 6
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Which brings us to a recent episode of I Bastardi, where Renzo (an unsuspecting suspect) asks Detective Lojacono whether there is news about the case. Lojacono answers first with a no, and then corrects himself using oddio. He's neither shocked nor frightened. He is just re-thinking what he had said originally. The capital letter is likely because it is the beginning of the sentence.
C'è qualche novità? -No, nulla di importante. Oddio, abbiamo scoperto che Biagio aveva presentato all'ufficio brevetti una richiesta a suo nome, aveva anche versato tremila e settecento euro richiesti.
Is there some news? -No, nothing important. Or rather, we have discovered that Biagio had presented to the patent office, a request in his name, he had also paid the requested three thousand seven hundred euros.
Captions 39-43, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP4 Gelo - Part 22
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If we look up oddio in the Treccani dictionary, we see that in addition to "Oh God," another meaning is doubt or uncertainty. Yet another similar use is to correct or attenuate something said previously. So in the previous example, this definition would make more sense. Lojacono is correcting his "no, nothing important," since it is actually evidence about who might have killed Biagio and that is pretty important, contrary to what he said at first.
The 3 takeaways from this lesson are:
1) There are combinations of words that appear one way, (such as a casa) but are pronounced slightly differently because the consonant at the beginning of a word is doubled or reinforced. This is hard to detect for many of us and we don't have to worry about it. It's something we might start noticing at some point.
2) Sometimes, but not always, this doubling or reinforcement is reflected in the spelling of a word, in other words, uniting 2 words into 1. For example, in arrivederci (to seeing each other again) the R is doubled. But its relative expression a sentirci (to hear from each other again) has remained as two separate words. Interesting, right?
3) The exclamation oddio falls into both aforementioned categories and can mean something different from "Oh God" or "Oh my God." It's just something to be aware of, something that has come up in a recent Yabla video. We mentioned it because it provided the spark for this lesson.
Language nerds might like to see this article about the reinforced letters and univerbations in Italian.
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