Let's have a look at the preposition su. Its most common meaning in English is "on." As Marika has been explaining in video lessons such as this one, the simple preposition su can be combined with a definite article — in Italian, there are several forms, based on gender and quantity — to become a preposizione articolata (a preposition combined with a definite article — ("the" in English).
So to say, "on the table," instead of saying su il tavolo, we say sul tavolo. The preposition and definite article combine into one word.
Aspettate, lascio il libro sul tavolo
Wait, I'll leave the book on the table
Caption 3, Corso di italiano con Daniela - Il futuro
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This process is similar for all the different forms of definite articles in Italian.
sul = su + il
sull' = su + l'
...nubi invece sull'Umbria e sulle zone interne della Toscana.
...clouds, instead, in Umbria and in the inland areas of Tuscany.
Caption 63, Anna e Marika - in TG Yabla Italia e Meteo - Part 2
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sulla = su + la
Allora, siamo qui con la nostra? -Chiara.
So, we're here with our... -Chiara.
Che ci risponderà a un po' di domande sulla mozzarella di bufala.
Who will answer a few of our questions about buffalo mozzarella.
Captions 1-2, Anna e Marika - La mozzarella di bufala - La produzione e i tagli - Part 2
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sullo = su + lo
Sullo sfondo potete vedere il Vesuvio
In the background, you can see Vesuvius
Caption 4, Escursioni Campane - Castello Normanno - Part 1
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sui = su + i
Allora, questa lista la scriviamo tutti insieme,
So, this list we'll all write together,
io alla lavagna e voi sui quaderni.
I on the blackboard and you in your notebooks.
Captions 10-11, Corso di italiano con Daniela - Il condizionale - Part 5
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sugli = su + gli
Just as in English, prepositions often have multiple meanings and su is no exception.
Su can mean "on," but also "in," sometimes:
L'ho letto sul giornale.
I read about it in the newspaper.
Caption 22, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 10
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Su often means "about."
E vi racconto qualche storia semplice sul gelato, ma molto interessante.
And I'll tell you a few simple stories about ice cream, but very interesting.
Caption 10, Andromeda - in - Storia del gelato - Part 1
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Note that sometimes definite articles are used in Italian but not in English, as in the example above.
Su can mean "out of," as in the following example:
Nove volte su dieci lo fa perché ha qualcosa da nascondere.
Nine times out of ten, he does it because he has something to hide.
Caption 25, Provaci Ancora Prof! - S1E2 - Un amore pericoloso - Part 19
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A good expression to know is sul serio (seriously)?
Sul serio?
Seriously?
Caption 4, Marika spiega - La formazione degli aggettivi
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It can also be interpreted as "for real."
Però voglio dirti una cosa, questa è importante sul serio.
But I want to tell you something. This is important for real.
Caption 45, Francesca - Cavalli - Part 1
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Another way we use the preposition su is to give an approximate time, weight, or age.
Arriverò sul presto (I'll get there on the early side).
Aveva sui cinquant'anni (he was around fifty years old).
Note that in this lesson, we talked about the preposition su, but su is also an adverb meaning up, upwards. We'll talk about that in a future lesson.
Maybe you have seen or heard other uses of su we didn't mention here. Let us know!
People love to talk about their pets. So being able to talk about pets and animals can be a great way to start a conversation with someone as you travel around Italy on your next trip. Let's look at some words you might want to have handy.
Un cane! Un cane!
A dog! A dog!
Si dice sempre che il cane è il migliore amico dell'uomo ed è veramente così.
They always say that a dog is man's best friend, and that's really the way it is.
Captions 33-34, Animali domestici - Oscar
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The title of the previous video example is Animali Domestici. This is how Italians say "pets." It's easy to figure out, as animale is a cognate of animal, and the adjective domestico is very much like "domestic." A domestic flight is within the homeland, and a domestic helper helps out in the home. Domestico comes from the Latin "domesticus" from "domus" meaning "home."
Animale can be both a noun or, as in the following example, an adjective. This is true in English, too, where nouns can often be used as adjectives. Occhio alla posizione (watch out for its position). In Italian, the adjective follows the noun, whereas in English the adjective precedes the noun.
Le corna, lo sappiamo tutti, fanno parte del mondo animale.
Horns, we all know, are part of the animal world.
Ce le hanno i cervi, i tori, le alci.
Deer, bulls, moose have them.
Captions 52-53, Marika commenta -La Ladra - Espressioni idiomatiche
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In one of this week's many videos, we hear about a dog that gets rescued. Andromeda is clearly un amante degli animali (an animal lover)
Per chi mi conosce qui su Yabla,
For those who know me here on Yabla,
sono un amante degli animali
I'm an animal lover
e infatti troverete altri due video* dei miei gatti.
and in fact, you will find two other videos* of my cats.
Captions 2-4, Andromeda - La storia di Ulisse
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*See them here
Andromeda refers to the canile, in this case, "dog pound," where Ulisse was destined to live unless he was rescued. But canile has some different meanings. In the next example, Anna is actually describing a spot in Rome where cats are given food and shelter.
È un canile per gatti.
It's a dog kennel for cats.
Caption 6, Anna presenta - Largo Argentina e "Il Gattile"
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A person who raises hunting dogs, for example, will also have un canile. But it simply indicates kennel, or place where dogs are kept, often in large numbers. It's not necessarily a derogatory term, although it can be.
Ma io non lo sapevo che il canile era [fosse] così schifoso.
But I didn't know that the dog pound was so disgusting.
Caption 8, Provaci Ancora Prof! - S1E1 - Il regalo di Babbo Natale
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If you have a dog at home, he might sleep outside. In this case, his shelter is called la cuccia. It's where he can lie down.
Per esempio, io so che il mio c'... [sic], il mio cane chiederebbe
For example, I know that my do'... my dog would ask
di avere una cuccia doppia con patio.
to have a double dog house with a patio.
Captions 59-60, Marika e Daniela - Il verbo chiedere
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If you do encounter a stray dog, he might stop bothering you if you give him the command: A cuccia (go lie down)!
A cuccia, tu!
Lie down, you!
Caption 41, La Ladra - Ep. 3 - L'oro dello squalo
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Animal-rights activists are called animalisti in Italian.
Solo per... Ma avete visto quanti animali ci vanno per fare una pelliccia?
Just to... But have you seen how many animals it takes to make a fur coat?
Caption 6, Animalisti Italiani - Parla Romina Power
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If you would like to know more about how to talk about animals in Italian, send us your questions! newsletter@yabla.com
In a recent video lesson Marika gave us some important information about using the "impersonal" form of verbs. The form is called impersonale because, in effect, there is no mention of any person, nor is there a real subject.
The primary ingredients for cooking up the impersonale are:
si + the third person singular conjugation of a verb.
This si does not represent a person or subject, as Marika explains, but does, for the most part, behave like one, grammatically, and uses the third person.
Since English doesn’t have a true equivalent for this form, it can be tricky to grasp, because there are different ways to interpret or translate it.
The most immediate approach might be with “one,” a gender-neutral pronoun. It can be handy because like si, it operates in the third person singular. “One does this, one does that.”
Da questo semplice esempio, si capisce intuitivamente
From this simple example, one understands, intuitively,
come procedere nella lettura delle note.
how to proceed with reading the notes.
Captions 1-2, A scuola di musica - con Alessio
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This could have been translated using the second person singular:
From this simple example, you understand, intuitively, how to proceed with reading the notes.
As a matter of fact, the second person singular is another way to think of the impersonale, especially in an informal context. Note that in this case "you" is generic.
Ma è tutto buio!
But, it's all dark!
Non si vede nulla!
You can't see anything!
Captions 37-38, Acqua in bocca - Che caldo che fa!
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In some situations the impersonale corresponds to the third person plural (they) used generically, to mean “people” or “everyone”:
Si dice sempre che il cane
They always say that a dog
è il migliore amico dell'uomo ed è veramente così.
is man's best friend, and that's really the way it is.
Caption 34, Animali domestici - Oscar
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The passive voice corresponds well to the impersonale in many cases, especially in a formal context, in that it's already impersonal:
It is said that a dog is man's best friend, and that's really the way it is.
Here's another case where the passive voice helps make sense of the impersonale:
Si parla inglese in tanti paesi.
English is spoken in many countries.
Lastly, sometimes the impersonale corresponds best to the imperative, or command form, where the pronoun is absent:
Si prega di non fumare.
Please refrain from smoking.
This is not the whole story! We'll be back with more about verbs in the impersonal + plural objects, and verbs in the impersonal + reflexive verbs.
Practice:
Complete these sentences using the impersonal form of the verbs provided. Then try your hand at finding the English translation that sounds best to you (there may be more than one).
cominciare (to begin) ___________ alle undici.
guidare (to drive) A Londra ____________ a sinistra.
fumare (to smoke) Non ______________ a scuola.
scrivere (to write) Come ______________ il tuo nome?
andare (to go) Non ____________ a scuola la domenica.
fare (to do, to make) Come ____________ il risotto?
parlare (to speak) In Francia _____________ il francese.
dovere (to have to, should) Non ____________ sprecare l'acqua.
finire (to finish) Non ___________ mai di imparare.
Here's an example to get you started:
cantare (to sing) In un coro ___________ .
In un coro si canta. (In a choir you sing/In a choir one sings).
Answers will be provided in next week's lesson. (There will be a link when next lesson is online.)
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