In this lesson, we'll take a look at a noun, a cognate in fact, that easy as it is to guess, can also create confusion sometimes, because it means a couple of different things. In English we distinguish among history, story, experience, and love affair. Italian relies on this one noun, la storia, to tell plenty of different stories! 

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We mention, for those interested, that in literature, we might also find istoria as a version of the word, and that la storia comes from the Greek "istoria" and the Latin "historia."

But let's talk about how people use la storia practically, in conversation. It's hard to get through a day without using this word in one way or another. 

History

In the following example, it's clear we're talking about history.

Nella storia si sono usate le diverse chiavi per fare in modo

Historically, different clefs were used to make it so

che tutte le note si trovassero il più possibile dentro al pentagramma.

that all the notes would be, as much as possible, inside the staff.

Captions 18-19, A scuola di musica - con Alessio

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1) Can you say the same thing turning storia into an adverb, as in the translation? 

Here, too, it's clear. It's also clear because storia is used with no article, and it's singular.

Io quando sono in questi posti pieni di storia,

When I'm in these places so full of history,

faccio dei pensieri profondi.

I have profound thoughts.

Captions 2-3, Amiche - Filosofie

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2) What if Anna (the speaker) was just talking about one specific place? What would she say?

Sometimes it's hard to know whether we're talking about history or stories, but it doesn't always matter. A translator has to make a choice, but the learner, reader, or listener doesn't. We're talking about past events, and if they are true, then we could also say, "history."

Voglio raccontarvi qualcosa di me,

I want to tell you something about myself,

della mia vita, della mia storia.

about my life, about my story.

Captions 13-14, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno

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Romance

When it comes to romance, there are different ways to talk about a relationship. The most common way, and this doesn't really have an equivalent in English, is with the noun storia. Of course we can say "love story" in English, (and we can say storia d'amore in Italian) but we don't so much these days, and it is usually an important relationship in one's life. In fact, translators can have a hard time finding the right word for translating storia. The following clip is from the story of an opera, so an old-fashioned word like "romance" seemed appropriate.

Abbiamo riso, abbiamo parlato.

We laughed, we talked.

Ci siamo ricordati tutti i momenti belli della nostra storia.

We remembered all the beautiful moments of our romance.

Captions 16-17, Anna presenta - La Bohème di Puccini

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Ho avuto anch'io una storia con una collega.

I also had a relationship with a colleague.

Caption 51, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP5 - Mondo sommerso

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In the previous example, we might have said "affair" instead of relationship, or possibly "fling." But not knowing the details, it's hard to know what the appropriate word might be.

In the next example, however, Luca Manara calls the relationship una relazione, another common term for a romantic relationship, close in meaning to storia, but una storia is often short-term with a beginning and an end, whereas una relazione can give the idea of something ongoing. But as we can see, here the two terms seem to be fairly equivalent.

Prima le bugie sul tuo trasferimento qua,

First, the lies about your getting transferred here,

poi sulla tua relazione con Raimondi.

then about your relationship with Raimondi.

-La mia storia con Fabrizio non ti riguarda.

-My relationship with Fabrizio doesn't concern you.

Captions 15-17, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP8 - Fuori servizio

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When a relationship is short or not very serious, we can use a suffix to modify the word storia.

Una storiella con un vigile urbano.

A fling with a traffic cop.

Caption 9, La Ladra - Ep. 3 - L'oro dello squalo

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We can also use storiella or even storia to mean "fib" or "lie."

Situation or "thing"

We can always count on the Luca Manara TV series to give us great examples of everyday conversation. Something to memorize is what you see in boldface below: Cos'è questa storia?

Allora, Manara, che cos'è questa storia del contadino fratello del Conte?

So, Manara, what's this story about the farmer-brother of the Count's?

Caption 15, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva

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When you say it by itself, you can think: "What's going on?" "What is this?"

Storia can often just be translated with "thing." It's a word we use to cover a lot of ground: storia in Italian and "thing" in English.

Che c'hai?

What's the matter with you?

No, niente, 'sta [questa] storia di Lara che è nervosa per il matrimonio...

No, nothing. This thing with Lara who's anxious about the wedding...

Captions 2-3, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP1 - Matrimonio con delitto

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You will likely have noticed that questa is often shortened to 'sta.

Another expression to memorize, and this is used in English too, so it should be pretty straightforward.

Ne mangiasse almeno una di queste mele,

If he would only eat at least one of these apples,

tutti i giorni la stessa storia.

every day, it's the same story.

Captions 4-5, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP9 - Morte in paradiso

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È sempre la stessa storia (It's always the same old story)!

Bed-time story

Let's not forget that storia can just mean story as in telling a story, a fairy-tale, a fable, or reading a bed-time story.

La morale di questa storia ci dice che l'unione fa la forza.

The moral of this story tells us that unity is what gives strength [united we stand, divided we fall].

Caption 33, Adriano - Fiaba - Part 1

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As usual, there is more to this story than we have mentioned in this lesson. As Gualtiero Marchesi said at the end of his episodes about gastronomia (gourmet cooking and food in general):

Ah, ma questa è un'altra storia.

Ah, but that's another story.

Quella della prossima puntata.

The one in the next episode.

Captions 43-44, L'arte della cucina - Terre d'Acqua

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So stay tuned!

1) Storicamente si sono usate le diverse chiavi per fare in modo che tutte le note si trovassero il più possibile dentro al pentagramma.

2)  Io quando sono in questo posto pieno di storia, faccio dei pensieri profondi.

In a previous lesson we discussed not being able to stand someone, using the verb vedere (to see):

Non lo posso vedere!
I can’t stand him!

In an episode of Il Commissario Manara, we hear another verb employed to express a similar sentiment: sopportare (to bear, to put up with, to tolerate). Lara is talking about her situation with Luca. She may be saying she can’t stand him, or that she can’t stand it (the situation).

Non lo sopporto!

I can't bear it/ I can't stand him!

Caption 34, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena

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Another way to say this would be:

E’ insopportabile!
It’s unbearable/He's unbearable!

Another verb that is useful in this context is reggere (to hold, to hold up, to bear). Reggere, too, may be used when you can’t stand or bear someone or something.

Non lo reggo!
I can’t bear him!
I can’t bear it!

You may recall reading about retto as a noun in a completely different context in another lesson, but in the following example, retto is the participle of reggere.

Rodolfo non ha retto il peso della mia malattia.

Rodolfo couldn't bear the burden of my illness.

Caption 3, Anna presenta - La Bohème di Puccini

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It can mean physically holding something, as in:

Mi reggi questa borsa un attimo?
Could you hold this bag for me a moment?

Or holding onto, as in:

L'alcol, l'alcol, non lo regge, -Mh. Eh...

The alcohol, alcohol, he can't hold his, -Hm. Yeah...

si vede che... -Che, tu lo reggi?

it turns out that... -Because, you can hold yours?

Captions 48-49, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP4 - Le Lettere Di Leopardi

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Reggere is often used when talking about how sturdy something is.

Questa scala è un po’ marcia. Reggerà?
This ladder is a bit rotten. Will it hold up?

Sopportare and reggere are useful words in all kinds of contexts. Have a look at the online dictionary of your choice to get an even better grasp of them. 

Just for fun:

Questo tetto non reggerà per molto. L’ho detto a mio marito, ma lui non sopporta l’idea di dover spendere soldi. Il suo atteggiamento lo trovo insopportabile, e non lo reggo proprio quando si comporta così. Vedremo per quanto ancora reggerà il tetto, e per quanto tempo ancora io potrò sopportare mio marito! Quasi quasi, se mi reggi questa scala, andrò io a dare un'occhiata al tetto!

This roof won’t hold up for long. I told my husband this, but he can’t stand the idea of having to spend money. His attitude I find to be intolerable, and I can’t stand him when he behaves that way. We’ll see how much longer the roof will hold, and for how long I’ll be able to stand my husband! On second thought, if you hold this ladder for me, I'll go and have a look at the roof myself.

Think about things you (and people you know) can or cannot put up with, and use sopportare and reggere to talk about it!

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One of Italy’s most beloved singer-songwriters ci ha lasciato (passed away): Pino Daniele. Italian uses the verb ricordare to express remembrance on such occasions.

Lo ricorderemo con affetto.

We’ll remember him with affection.

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In Quando (When), one of his most famous songs, Pino sings about, among other things, ricordi (memories).

Fra i ricordi e questa strana pazzia

Among memories and this strange madness

E il paradiso che forse esiste

And a paradise that might exist

Captions 29-30, Pino Daniele - Quando

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Ricordare has another, closely related meaning—“to remind,” as in the following example.

Ah, un'altra cosa, scusami Anna,

Ah, another thing, sorry Anna,

che volevo ricordare ai nostri amici di Yabla, come usanza,

that I wanted to remind our Yabla friends of, customarily,

noi italiani a tavola non mangiamo mai pane e pasta insieme.

we Italians at table we don't eat bread and pasta together.

Captions 41-42, Anna e Marika - Un Ristorante a Trastevere

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When using ricordare as “to remind,” it becomes ricordare a and gets used with an indirect object, as in the above example. The preposition a (to)—sometimes connected to an article, as above—goes between ricordare and the person getting reminded. In the above example, the direct object is cosa.

But when the indirect object is a personal pronoun, the spelling shifts, as in the following example, where ti stands for a te (to you). See an explanation and chart of Italian indirect object pronouns here.

E tra l'altro, ti volevo ricordare, che questa era una palude.

And besides, I wanted to remind you, that this was a swamp.

Caption 18, Marika e Daniela - Il Foro Romano

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In the following example, the personal pronoun as indirect object is attached to the verb itself. See more about this in previous lessons Ci Gets Around, part one and part two.

Hm... Rosmini. -Hm.

Hmm... Rosmini. -Uh huh.

-Ricordami il nome? -Ginevra.

-Remind me of your [first] name? -Ginevra.

Captions 80-81, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto

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In English we have two distinct but related words, “to remember” and “to remind,” while in Italian the difference is considered so minimal that the same word is used, but there are some subtle differences.

More often than not, when we’re remembering, ricordare is used reflexively: ricordarsi, as in mi ricordo (I remember). (See the lesson: Reflections on the Reflexive.) When using the past tense, as in the following example, essere (to be) is the auxiliary verb.

Ci siamo ricordati tutti i momenti belli della nostra storia.

We remembered all the beautiful moments of our romance.

Caption 17, Anna presenta - La Bohème di Puccini

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If you think of ricordare as meaning “to call to mind,” it may be easier to see how one word can fill two bills. While ricordarsi (to remember) is reflexive, and involves the person who’s remembering, ricordare a (to remind) involves two or more people.

Things get a little tricky when personal pronouns are used (which is a lot of the time)! Notice the object pronouns and conjugated verb. When ricordare means “to remember” the conjugation of ricordare matches the object pronoun, such as in ti ricordi? (do you remember?), si ricorda (he/she/it/one remembers), vi ricordate (you remember), ci ricordiamo (we remember). But in ricordare as reminding, there are usually at least two different people involved: ti ricordo (I remind you), ci ha ricordato (he/she/it reminded us), mi poteva ricordare (he could have reminded me).

In a nutshell:

Ricordare and its reflexive form ricordarsi (to remember): takes essere (to be) as an auxiliary (e.g., ci siamo ricordati), can be reflexive (same person)

Ricordare a (to remind): takes avere (to have) as an auxiliary (e.g., ci ha ricordato), is two-way (different people)

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Here are a few more examples to help you remember...

Ti ricorderai di comprare il pane, o te lo devo ricordare?

Will you remember to buy bread, or do I have to remind you of it?

Ricordamelo pure, ma forse non mi ricorderò!

Go ahead and remind me of it, but maybe I won’t remember!

Come faccio a ricordarmi di ricordarti?

How can I remember to remind you?

Ti ho già ricordato due volte.

I’ve already reminded you twice.

When we’re una squadra di uno (a team of one), then we need stesso (self) to remind ourselves of something:

Alla fine, sarà più semplice ricordare a me stesso/stessa di comprare il pane, che di ricordarmi di ricordare a qualcun altro.

In the end, it’ll be easier to remind myself to buy bread, than to remember to remind someone else.