Let's talk about a little expression that is useful in various situations. It's made up of just three words but it is easily expanded, since sometimes you just want a phrase to stand out in some way by adding words. The expression is Che ne so.
Let's unpack it.
Che can mean "that" or "what." In this case, it's "what," as when it is part of a question.
Ne is a particle that can stand for several things, such as "about it," "of it," "from it" and more. If ne is unfamiliar to you, or you don't know how to use it comfortably, check out Marika's lessons about this particella.
So is the first person singular of the verb sapere (to know).
As you have likely discovered, Italians, rather than just saying the equivalent of "I know," usually say "I know it:" Lo so, or when it's negative, non lo so (I don't know it). But in today's expression, lo (just plain "it") is replaced by ne (about it).
Since the expression is short, the personal pronoun io (I) is often added for emphasis. It doesn't add anything grammatically, but it makes it more personal. In addition, it is often preceded by e (and). Even though e means "and," it's often the equivalent of "so." Sometimes it doesn't really mean anything.
Che ne so io? or Io, che ne so? The pronoun io can go either at the beginning or the end of the expression. This is the equivalent of "How should I know?" "What do I know?" "How would I know?" The following example is one of the most common versions of this expression. Italians don't always think of this expression as being a true question so they don't necessarily use a question mark.
Addò [dove] sta Saverio? -E che ne so.
Where's Saverio? -How do I know?
Captions 14-15, Ma che ci faccio qui! Un film di Francesco Amato - Part 10
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Pasquale, chi è tutta questa gente? -E che ne so, dotto' [dottore]? Qua pare tutti i poveri di Napoli,
Pasquale, who are all these people? -And how should I know, Doc? Here it seems like all the poor people of Naples
Captions 6-7, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP 2 - Part 12
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Lojacono is looking for one of the residents of an apartment building and asks the local busybody:
Sa mica se Giacomo Scognamiglio è in casa? -E che ne so, Commissa'?
You don't happen to know if Giacomo Scognamiglio is home? -And how should I know, Chief?
Captions 67-68, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP 3 Vicini - Part 7
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In the following example, Marcello, who is not a very smart guy, but is trying his best, suggests taking a selfie together with the policemen who come to check on Michele (the father of his girlfriend) who is under house arrest.
Oh, ma che so o famo [romanesco: ce lo facciamo] un selfie insieme?
Oh, I don't know, shall we take a selfie together?
Caption 20, Liberi tutti EP3 Quanto è libero un fringuello? - Part 6
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Instead of adding a word, he removes one: ne. It's colloquial and likely Romanesco, and lots of people say it this way. Che so?
Even though we have explained each word, the expression is often merely a way of saying "I don't know," especially when you are making a suggestion, as Marcello is doing. Some people might use the word magari in the same kind of situation. It's just an intercalare (a filler word or expression). Here's an example.
Perché, diciamo... -comunque devono sostenere il peso. -Devono sostenere il peso, più che altro devono fare, che ne so, la stessa cosa per un'ora.
Because, let's say... -anyway they have to support the weight. -They have to support the weight, more than that, they have to, I don't know, do the same thing for an hour.
Captions 50-51, Francesca Cavalli - Part 2
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Here, Che ne so is paired with magari for making a suggestion.
Che ne so, magari stasera a cena? -Può darsi.
I don't know, maybe tonight for dinner? -Maybe.
Caption 93, Il Commissario Manara S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero - Part 2
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Although the expression is commonly used in the first person, it can also be a valid question to someone else, and is more literal in this case.
Eh, quando un uomo si innamora, si dimentica di tutto. -Tu che ne sai? -Così dicono tutti.
Uh, when a man falls in love, he forgets everything. -What do you know? -That's what everyone says.
Captions 38-39, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP1 - Part 11
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When you are thinking of what to cook for dinner, what to watch on TV, where to go on a Sunday afternoon, or what to give a friend as a birthday present, try suggesting it in Italian, and throw in a little "che ne so" as you would "I don't know." Have fun with it!
We see the word che meaning "that" or "which" all the time in sentences. It's a very common conjunction.
Ad Ercolano, c'è un pomodoro che è diventato simbolo di un'importante voglia di cambiamento.
In Ercolano, there is a tomato that has become a symbol of an important desire for change.
Captions 21-22, Pomodori Vulcanici Pomodori del Vesuvio - Part 7
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But che does more. Here is a lesson about using che to say things with simplicity, a great asset when you're just learning. It helps make conversation. Here, it means "how."
Che carino, Però adesso devo scappare, altrimenti mio fratello mi uccide.
How sweet. But now I have to run, otherwise my brother will kill me.
Caption 29, Il Commissario Manara S2EP9 - L'amica ritrovata - Part 11
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Che can also mean "what." See this lesson.
Scusa, ma io che ci faccio qui? Non conto niente.
Sorry, but what am I doing here? I don't count for anything.
Caption 3, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP1 - Part 2
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In our featured expression che ne so?, che basically stands for "what." We can often translate che ne so as "What do I know?" Sometimes we might translate it as, "How should I know?" It's often a rhetorical question.
Nilde, ma che mangia il bambino la mattina? -Ma che ne so?
Nilde, but what does the child eat in the morning? -How should I know?
Captions 2-3, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3 EP1: Ciao famiglia - Part 3
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We've taken care of che. But what about that little word ne? Ne is a particle, called una particella in Italian, and if we look ne up in the dictionary we see it means several things. But mostly, it encompasses both a preposition and the indirect object pronoun "it" or "them." See this lesson about ne.
As mentioned in the lesson, we often don't even notice the word ne because it's so short and because we are not looking for it if we're thinking in English. Once you start thinking in Italian, it will become easier to use and notice. Italians will be very tolerant and understand you anyway, even if you don't use it, so don't worry about it too much. But learning an expression with ne will already make you sound more fluent.
In our expression, ne means "about it." The tricky thing is that we don't bother with "about it" in English, but in Italian, not always, but in general, we will hear that little ne in there.
Che ne so? What do I know [about it]?
Finally, we get to so, which is simply the first person singular of the verb sapere (to know).
You might have already learned how to say "I know" and "I don't know" in Italian. Italians add the direct object pronoun lo ("it" or "that").
Sì, lo so (yes I know [that].
Non lo so (I don't know [that]).
But che ne so can also be used in the middle of a sentence, as we would use "I don't know." It's a kind of filler phrase. We can leave it out and the meaning doesn't change much.
perché, diciamo... -comunque devono sostenere il peso. -Devono sostenere il peso, più che altro devono fare, che ne so, la stessa cosa per un'ora.
because, let's say... -anyway they have to support the weight. -They have to support the weight, more than that, they have to, I don't know, do the same thing for an hour.
Captions 50-51, Francesca Cavalli - Part 2
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Ma tu ti devi aggiornare, sarai rimasto sicuramente, che ne so, ai Pooh.
But you have to get up to date. You must have remained, I don't know, at Pooh.
Caption 66, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 EP5 Lele, ti presento Irene - Part 2
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Allora, due colleghi decidono di scambiarsi il posto, firmano un modulo, e se non ci sono problemi, ma gravi, eh, tipo, che ne so, uno deve essere sotto inchiesta.
So, two colleagues decide to switch places, they sign a form, and if there are no problems, but serious huh, like, I don't know, one [of them] has to be under investigation.
Captions 38-40, Il Commissario Manara S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero - Part 12
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Dice, chissà se c'ha un lenzuolo da piegare, se ti manca... che ne so? C'è un tubo che perde acqua...
Saying, who knows if she has some sheets to fold, if you're out of... I don't know... There's a pipe that leaks...
Captions 39-40, Il Commissario Manara S2EP8 - Fuori servizio - Part 1
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For more about particles ci and ne, see Daniela's video lessons (in Italian).
In this video, Marika explains the particle ne.
Let's look at the common noun il passo. It's used in a variety of ways in Italian. Let's keep in mind, however, that passo is also the first-person singular of the verb passare (to pass). That's not what this lesson is about.
We usually translate il passo with "the step."
Questo è soltanto il primo passo.
This is just the first step.
Caption 1, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep.2
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Che vuoi fa' [romanesco: fare]?
What can you do?
Un passo avanti e due indietro come i gamberi, fanno.
One step forward and two backwards, as shrimp do.
Caption 35, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP2 - L'addio di Lara
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Bene. Allora, Anna, io direi che secondo me è il momento giusto
Good. So, Anna, I would say that in my opinion, it's the right moment
per spiegare passo per passo come realizzare questa ricetta.
to explain, step by step how to make this recipe.
Captions 92-93, L'Italia a tavola - Tonnarelli cacio e pepe
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Here's some great advice in just about any situation:
Un passo alla volta...
One step at a time...
Caption 52, La linea verticale - EP1 - Part 4
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Although we can translate "a passage" with un passaggio, we can also use un passo.
La figurazione della fontana
The figures depicted on the fountain
è tratta da un passo della Bibbia.
are taken from a passage from the Bible.
Caption 87, In giro per l'Italia - Roma Piazza Navona
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But that's not the whole story on passo.
Al passo means "at a walk" when we're talking about the gait of a horse or other animal.
...e si fa al passo o al galoppo, il volteggio. -Meraviglioso.
...and vaulting is done at a walk or at a canter. -Marvelous.
Caption 48, Francesca - Cavalli
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Il passo can be "the pace" or "the rate."
E io non so se mi metterò al passo con lei.
I don't know if I will be able to keep up with her [to go at her pace].
Caption 27, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP9 - L'amica ritrovata
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Se continuiamo di questo passo non mi meraviglierei.
If we keep going at this rate, I wouldn't be surprised.
Caption 51, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore - S1EP1 L'estate del dito
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One way to take a walk is "to take two steps." It's a casual way to say it.
Faccio due passi.
I'm going to step out.
Caption 26, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone - EP1 I Bastardi
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In fact, "2 steps" is also synonymous with "a short distance." So when something is a short distance away, we can say it's a due passi. (literally, "two steps away").
Sta qui a due passi, Luca.
It's right near here, Luca.
Caption 47, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena
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Other meanings:
Il passo can also be a pass in the mountains or in a river, just like in English.
When you need to buy some screws (le viti) at a hardware store, the clerk might ask you quale passo or che passo? He or she is talking about the threading. The word for threading is filettatura, from il filo (the thread) or filare (to thread).
In a recent lesson, Daniela talks about using the noun il bisogno (the need) to express need.
Ho bisogno di fare ginnastica.
I need to do some gym (literally, “I have need of doing some gym”).
Caption 31, Corso di italiano con Daniela - Concetto di "bisogno"
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Per cominciare, abbiamo bisogno di due melanzane lunghe,
To start with, we need two long eggplants,
Caption 10, L'Italia a tavola - Pasta alla Norma
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Hai bisogno di qualcosa?
Do you need something?
Of course, bisogno looks like the first person singular of the verb bisognare, but it’s not. It’s a noun.
But, since we have already discussed bisogno in another online lesson, let's look at a different way to express need, this time with a verb.
We might agree that there’s sometimes a fine line between something that's necessary and something that is useful. Italian has an interesting verb that covers both bases much of the time. In Italian, we can express need with the verb servire (to serve). It’s used with an indirect object, as if it were “it serves to me.” Remember that ci in the following example means a noi (to us).
Allora, mamma, quali sono gli ingredienti che
So, Mom, what are the ingredients
ci servono per preparare una granita al limone?
we need to make the lemon ice?
Caption 13, Adriano - La granita al limone
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The verb servire is conjugated according to what is needed, what is necessary, or what is useful. In the above example, the noun that determines the conjugation is ingredienti (ingredients) so we use the third person plural of servire: servono.
Servire works similarly to the verb piacere. Remember mi piace (I like it)? Here’s a lesson on it to refresh your memory.
If you are helping someone in the kitchen you might ask:
Cosa ti serve (what do you need/what is necessary for you)?
You could also ask, as Daniela explains in this week's lesson:
Di che cosa hai bisogno (what do you need/what do you have need of)?
However, when followed by the preposition a (to), servire can also mean “is used.”
C'è una corda che è almeno il doppio di questa qui,
There's a rope that's at least twice as long as this one,
che serve a far muovere il cavallo prima di montarci sopra.
that is used to warm up the horse before mounting him.
Captions 35-36, Francesca - Cavalli - Part 2
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So a dialogue in the kitchen could go something like this:
Cosa ti serve (what do you need)?
Mi serve un mestolo (I need a ladle).
A che cosa serve un mestolo (what is a ladle used for)?
Serve a servire il brodo (it’s used to serve the soup).
And now you have seen that servire also means “to serve.” It’s a true cognate in this case.
There’s also a reflexive version of this verb, but we’ll talk about that in another lesson.
Conoscere il verbo servire serve (knowing the verb servire is useful)!
Marika is offering a video series explaining the different kinds of adverbs used in Italian. In many cases, however, these adverbs can also be used as prepositions, or even as conjunctions in other contexts.
Besides knowing what adverb or preposition to use in a given instance, it can be tricky knowing whether you need an extra preposition or not. In fact, when Italians speak English, they often add prepositions where it isn’t necessary. Instead of saying “behind me” they’ll say “behind of me.” It makes a certain amount of sense because we say “in front of me.” And it makes sense to them because that’s how they often do it in Italian. What's even trickier in learning Italian, is that in some cases you can add a preposition or not, and it will still be correct.
Let’s look at a couple of adverbs/prepositions on Marika’s list that can cause confusion. As you can see in the example below, she uses sotto (under, underneath) and dietro (behind) plus another preposition a (to, at).
"Sotto": conservo il pigiama sempre sotto al cuscino.
"Under." I always keep the pyjamas under the pillow.
"Dietro": la mia [sic. il mio] aspirapolvere non arriva dietro al divano.
"Behind." My vacuum cleaner doesn't reach behind the sofa.
Captions 21-22, Marika spiega - Gli avverbi - Avverbi di luogo
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The example below is about putting a halter on a horse.
Qui ci andrà il muso.
Here's where the muzzle goes.
Si chiude sotto alla mandibola questo,
You fasten this under the lower jaw,
-OK. -e questo passa dietro alle orecchie.
- OK. -and this goes behind the ears.
Captions 23-26, Francesca - Cavalli - Part 2
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In the previous examples, there is a preposition added to the adverb/preposition. But you will also hear plenty of Italians leaving the second preposition out. Sotto il cuscino is pretty much as common as sotto al cuscino and both are correct. Al combines the preposition a and the article il.
The examples above could be expressed just as correctly without the addition of a before the object. In this case, the article would be written out: sotto il cuscino, dietro il divano, sotto lamandibola, dietro le orecchie.
Here are some examples where there is no additional preposition.
Ed eravamo un... un mucchio di ragazzini
And we were a... a bunch of kids
e lavoravamo sotto questi camion senza tanta sicurezza.
and we worked underneath these trucks with very few safety measures.
Captions 22-26, Gianni si racconta - Chi sono
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Si nascose dietro uno scoglio per osservare
She hid behind a rock to see
cosa gli stesse accadendo.
what was happening to him.
Captions 50-51, Ti racconto una fiaba - La sirenetta
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There is an important exception connected with these adverb/prepositions. If the object is a personal pronoun, then you do need the (second) preposition.
Dietro di me, c’è una finestra.
Behind me, there’s a window.
Vieni dietro a me.
Come on behind me (follow me).
The more you listen, the more often you will catch the short words. They can easily get lost, especially since they are so often combined with the article.
There is more to say about sotto and dietro, as they are used in lots of different contexts. And there are plenty of adverbs to talk about. But we’ll save them for future lessons. Until then, we look forward, as always, to your comments and questions.
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