Tra l'altro is an adverbial phrase (in this case, a preposition plus an indefinite pronoun) that has a few different meanings. It's also an intercalare (a filler word), although not one that can stand alone.
Tra l'altro is frequently translated as "among other things," because tra means "between" or "among" (as well as other prepositions) and altro means "other." It can certainly be used that way, but let's note that in our expression, l'altro is singular, not plural (which would be altri or altre.) With its article, we can identify altro as a noun in this case, or more properly, an indefinite pronoun (taking on the role of a noun).
One can also say, tra le altre cose. This more literally corresponds to "among other things" or "among the other things."
Translating tra l'altro can be challenging, but in the end, what's important is to be able to understand it and use it in Italian conversation, reading, and writing. With its multiple meanings, it's a handy little expression to be familiar with.
One purpose of tra l'altro is to shift the topic of conversation to another, related, or additional piece of information, sometimes in mid-sentence. It can mean, "oh, by the way," "in addition (to which)," "(and) incidentally," "furthermore," "moreover," "besides," "besides which," "speaking of which," "not only that," "to top it off," "come to think of it," and more. And sometimes it's just to add a "by the way."
So if you're talking and you want to change the subject slightly, to go off on a tangent, or just add some extra information that might be useful, important, or interesting, tra l'altro is a good bet.
Here, Diana is rattling off some information about a rich guy, and then adds some extra information (with tra l'altro) she knows will spark Imma's curiosity.
Poi dopo diventò infatti un grande imprenditore, uno dei più ricchi e importanti della regione. E, tra l'altro, due anni fa ha ristrutturato proprio la casa ai Sassi di Lombardi. -Ah.
Then later, he actually became a big entrepreneur, one of the richest and most important in the region. And, incidentally, two years ago he renovated Lombardi's house in the "Sassi." -Ah.
Captions 23-25, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP6 Dalla parte degli ultimi - Part 24
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Here, Camilla's husband had bought a work of art that is likely evidence of a crime. She tells him that if he doesn't give it to the police, he's committing a crime. He responds.
Ah, io commetto un reato? Guarda che l'ho comprata regolarmente, facendo anche un ottimo affare, tra l'altro.
Ah, I'm committing a crime? Look, I bought it legally, getting a great bargain, by the way.
Captions 11-12, Provaci ancora prof! S1E4 - La mia compagna di banco - Part 16
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Camilla can't accept a suggestion from one of her students, because it would be cowardly. She says:
Sarebbe anche una vigliaccata tra l'altro.
It would also be chickenhearted, among other things.
Caption 28, Provaci ancora prof! S1E4 - La mia compagna di banco - Part 2
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Here, the speaker adds a little extra information.
Comunque, il mio amico la trova bellissima, tra l'altro è una persona molto spiritosa e soprattutto economicamente sta messo benissimo.
Anyway, my friend thinks you are really beautiful, plus which he's a funny person and above all, he's riding high financially.
Captions 82-84, Questione di Karma Rai Cinema - Part 9
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Here, Ada, who runs the place Manara is staying at, interrupts her own discourse to say he would have liked her husband. She could also have said, tra parentesi (in parentheses) in place of tra l'altro. Or she could have said e a proposito (and speaking of which or whom).
Sai che cosa diceva mio marito? Tra l'altro era un bel tipo, ti sarebbe piaciuto.
You know what my husband used to say? And, by the way, he was a cool guy, you would have liked him.
Captions 1-2, Il Commissario Manara S1EP11 - Beato tra le donne - Part 9
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If you do a search of tra l'altro on the videos page, you'll find many examples. You may come up with better translations than the ones already present (you can provide your suggestions in the comments section of the videos page).
At this point, you might be wondering if we can also say fra l'altro, since tra and fra mean the same thing. The answer is yes, although you'll likely find more examples with tra.
È stato un suo collega... che io, fra l'altro, nemmeno conoscevo.
It was a colleague of hers... whom, by the way, I didn't even know.
Captions 29-30, La Ladra EP. 9 - L'amico sconosciuto - Part 2
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See this lesson about tra and fra.
Just as the English word "everywhere" comes from two words, "every" and "where," Italian uses the same technique, in many cases. Sometimes the two (or multiple) words become one, such as dappertutto (everywhere).
If we think about it, dappertutto comes from 3 words: the preposition da (from, at, by); the preposition per (for); and tutto (everything, all), an adjective, noun, or pronoun, depending on the context.
I cani cercano dappertutto, ma non riusciamo a trovare nulla.
The dogs are searching everywhere, but we can't find anything.
Caption 63, Fulvio Benelli Crimine Infinito, romanzo - Part 2
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Of course, you don't need to think about the three words making up dappertutto, you just have to remember that it means "everywhere."
In literature, for the most part, we might see the word ove used to mean "where," rather than the word we are familiar with: dove (where). And this leads us to another word for "everywhere": ovunque. We can detect the stem -unque that is part of words like comunque (however), dunque (so, therefore).
Perché non solo la libreria, ma ovunque in città ha avuto danni incredibili.
Because, not just the bookshop, but everywhere in the city had sustained incredible damage.
Captions 63-64, In giro per l'Italia Venezia - Part 2
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But we can also say dovunque, using the normal word for "where," to mean the same thing.
Vedi il crimine dovunque, anche dove non c'è.
You see crimes all over, even where there aren't any.
Captions 3-4, Provaci ancora prof! S1E4 - La mia compagna di banco - Part 16
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We can also say ogni dove. This word has remained as two words, which might confuse some people. But if we take it apart, we see the word ogni (each, every) and dove (where).
Per secoli nobili, studiosi, artisti venivano qui da ogni dove per capirne l'essenza.
Over the centuries, noblemen, scholars, and artists came here from all over in order to understand its essence.
Captions 2-3, Meraviglie EP. 1 - Part 1
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