We can detect the cognate "to move" in the verb muovere. In English, "to move" can be either transitive or intransitive.
We can move a piece of furniture from one place to another, or we can be the ones to move on our own. In Italian, however, muovere is basically transitive, in its natural, non-reflexive form.
Per me la cosa più bella è recitare e muovere i pupi.
For me the best thing is reciting and moving the marionettes.
Caption 56, Dottor Pitrè e le sue storie - Part 11
Play Caption
Non riesco a muovere la gamba (I can't move my leg)!
When it's intransitive, it is primarily used in its reflexive form.
Il nostro uomo sta per muoversi.
Our man is about to move.
Caption 23, Provaci ancora prof! S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita - Part 23
Play Caption
In addition to merely moving around in space, muoversi is used a lot to mean "to get going," "to get moving" (also figuratively), or "to get some exercise."
Ti vuoi muovere? -Arrivo!
You want to get moving? -I'm coming!
Caption 25, Provaci ancora prof! S1E1 - Il regalo di Babbo Natale - Part 11
Play Caption
Non ti muovere o sparo!
Don't move or I'll shoot!
Caption 28, Un Figlio a tutti i costi film - Part 6
Play Caption
Lui ha detto: "Io da qui non mi muovo."
He said, "I am not budging from here."
Caption 10, Fuori era primavera Viaggio nell'Italia del lockdown - Part 14
Play Caption
The verb muovere has an irregular conjugation, and the past participle is used quite often as an adjective.
When the sea is rough, it's il mare mosso.
Non lo vedo più. -Perché il mare è un po' mosso.
I can't see him anymore. -Because the sea is a bit rough.
Caption 50, PIMPA S3 EP12 L'amica Onda
Play Caption
When your hair is a bit wavy or not combed neatly, we use the past participle mossi. Let's remember that, in Italian, we use the plural capelli, even though in English, hair is a collective noun.
Aveva dei capelli mossi (she/he had wavy hair).
When you want someone to hurry up, you can say, muoviti (hurry up, get moving)!
Oh, cammina, muoviti. -Aspetta.
Hey, get going, move it. -Wait up.
Caption 11, Chi m'ha visto film - Part 14
Play Caption
There is a noun form that comes from the past participle, and that is la mossa (the move). When you make the right move, fai la mossa giusta.
When you need to get a move on, it's darsi una mossa (literally, to give oneself a move).
Allora ragazzi, bisogna che ci diamo una mossa.
So, guys, we need to get a move on.
Caption 20, Concorso internazionale di cortometraggio A corto di idee - Part 1
Play Caption
Datti una mossa, dai (get a move on, come on)!
Of course in English, we use the verb "to move" when we go to live in a different apartment or house. You may be wondering how to say that in Italian. Transitive or intransitive? None of the above!
The verb is traslocare, or, much more common, fare trasloco. Think of it as "translocation!" or "translocate," a cross between "transfer" and "relocate."
The Italian verb for "think" is pensare. But there are so many ways, in every language, to talk about thinking. Let's look at a few of them in Italian.
A quick review of the verb pensare reminds us that it's an -are verb, and this is good to know for conjugating it, but it's also a verb of uncertainty and some of us already know that that means we often need the subjunctive, especially when it's followed by che, as in the following example. We don't worry about that in English.
Io penso che Vito sia arrabbiato per una cosa molto stupida.
I think that Vito is angry over something very stupid.
Captions 5-6, Corso di italiano con Daniela - Il congiuntivo - Part 7
Play Caption
For more about the verb pensare, here are some lessons and videos to check out:
Corso di italiano con Daniela - Il congiuntivo - Part 6 This is part of a 17-part series on the subjunctive.
Anna e Marika - Il verbo pensare Marika and Anna use the various conjugations of pensare in conversation.
I Have This Feeling... - Sapere Part 1 This is a lesson about yet another way to say "I think..." And it doesn't need the subjunctive!
When someone asks you a question and you need to think about it, one common verb to use in Italian is riflettere (to reflect). We do use this verb in English, but it's much more common in Italian.
Ci devo riflettere (I need to think about it).
Sto riflettendo... (I'm thinking...)
C'ho riflettuto e... (I've thought about it and...)
Fammi riflettere (let me think).
A word that is closely connected with pensare is idea. It's the same in English as in Italian, except for the pronunciation.
Ho un'idea (I have an idea)
Another relevant word is la mente (the mind) where thinking happens and ideas come from. So when you are thinking about something, often when you are planning something, you have something in mind. Here, the Italian is parallel to English: in mente. As you can see, the response uses the verb pensare.
Che cosa ha in mente? -Sto pensando di impiantare una fabbrica lì.
What do you have in mind? -I'm thinking of setting up a factory there.
Captions 24-25, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 8
Play Caption
The question is being asked by someone who is using the polite form of avere (to have). [Otherwise, it would be: Che cosa _____ in mente?]*
So sometimes when we think of something, it comes to mind. Italians say something similar but they personalize it.
T'è venuto in mente qualcosa? -No!
Did something come to mind? -No!
Caption 14, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro - Part 10
Play Caption
So we use in mente (to mind) with a personal pronoun plus the preposition a (to).
A (negative) response could be:
A me non viene in mente niente (nothing comes to mind / I can't think of anything).
or, more likely
Non mi viene in mente niente (nothing comes to mind / I can't think of anything).
La mente (the mind) is another word for il cervello (the brain), which is in la testa (the head), so some expressions about thinking use la testa just as they do in English (use your head!) But sometimes the verb is different.
In this week's episode of Provaci ancora, Prof! a husband is talking about his wife wanting to divorce him. He says:
Adesso si è messa in testa che vuole anche il divorzio.
Now she has gotten it into her head that she also wants a divorce.
Caption 14, Provaci Ancora Prof! - S1E4 - La mia compagna di banco - Part 27
Play Caption
In English, we personalize this with a possessive pronoun (her head) and we use the catch-all verb "to get," but in Italian, we use the verb mettere (to put) in its reflexive form (mettersi). This often implies a certain stubbornness.
Let's add the verb sembrare (to seem) because lots of times we use it in Italian, when we just use "to think" in English.
Invece a me sembra proprio una buona idea.
On the contrary, to me it seems like a really good idea.
On the contrary, I think it's a really good idea.
Caption 45, Concorso internazionale di cortometraggio - A corto di idee - Part 1
Play Caption
Ti sembra giusto (do you think it's fair)?
Just for fun, here's a dialog:
Mi è venuto in mente di costruire un tavolo (I was thinking of building a table).
-Come pensi di farlo (how are you thinking of doing it)?
-Ci devo riflettere (I have to think about it).
-Che tipo di tavolo hai in mente (what kind of table do you have in mind)?
-Mi sono messo in testa di farlo grande ma mi sa che dovrò chiedere aiuto a mio zio (I got it into my head to make a big one, but I think I will have to ask my uncle to help me).
-Hai avuto qualche idea in più (have you come up with any more ideas)?
-Ho riflettuto, e penso che sarà troppo difficile costruire un tavolo grande, quindi sarà un tavolo piccolo e semplice (I've thought about it and I think it will be too difficult to build a big table, so it's going to be a small, simple table).
Mi sembra saggio (I think that's wise).
*Answer: Che cosa hai in mente?
We can’t always be on time, so let’s look at some of the words you need when you or someone else is late. It’s not as simple as using the Italian word tardi (late).
In an episode of Stai Lontana da Me, there has been a little car accident. This time nobody got hurt, but Sara is going to be late for work if she’s not careful.
Però è tardi.
But it's late.
Senti, mi dispiace, io prendo la metropolitana.
Listen, I'm sorry, I'll take the metro.
Ho fatto tardi.
I'm running late [or "I've gotten delayed," "It got late," "I'm late."]
Captions 11-13, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
Play Caption
When she says, “È tardi,” she’s talking about the hour. She has to be at work, say, at nine, and it’s already ten to nine, and she is still far from her office. Objectively speaking, it is late!
When she says: “Ho fatto tardi,” she is talking about herself and the fact that she got delayed. She is late.
In an episode of La compagnia del cigno, a new kid in class arrives late on his first day. It's not good. Here's his exchange with the teacher, who has a tendency to be sarcastic. Note that, as happens in some schools, the teacher addresses the student formally.
Mi scusi se ho fatto tardi. -Eh, lo vediamo che ha fatto tardi.
Sorry if I am late. -Yeah, we see that you got delayed.
Captions 7-8, La compagnia del cigno EP1 - Part 4
Play Caption
Telling someone not to be late is important sometimes. Here’s one way to do this:
Ciao, mamma. Io vado da Flavia.
Hi, Mom. I'm going to Flavia's.
-Ciao, amore. -Non fare tardi.
-Bye, love. -Don't be late.
Captions 38-39, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu
Play Caption
Another way to say you’re late is to use the phrasal adverb, in ritardo (late). Ritardo is a noun meaning “delay.”
In an episode of Commissario Manara, Manara’s boss is not happy with him per niente (at all).
Lei è in ritardo di ventiquattro ore.
You're twenty-four hours late.
Si può sapere che cosa aveva da fare di così urgente?
Can you let me know what you had to do that was so urgent?
Captions 16-17, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro
Play Caption
The noun il ritardo is commonly used when we apologize for being late.
Buonasera a tutti.
Good evening everyone.
Scusate il ritardo, ragazzi.
Sorry I'm late, guys.
Ma aspettavate solo me?
Were you just waiting for me?
Captions 8-10, Concorso internazionale di cortometraggio - A corto di idee
Play Caption
Both the adverb tardi and the noun ritardo also have verb forms: tardare and ritardare.
Non dovrebbe tardare ad arrivare.
It won’t be long before he arrives.
This doesn’t refer to a precise amount of time, and doesn’t necessarily mean someone or something is late. It just means they haven’t arrived yet.
The following is a bit more urgent and refers, most likely, to an agreed-upon hour.
Non ritardare, perché il film comincia puntuale.
Don’t be late, because the film starts punctually.
Here’s how we use comparatives and superlatives with tardi (late).
Vado a letto tardi il sabato sera.
I go to bed late on Saturday nights.
Più tardi means "later."
Ci vediamo più tardi.
We’ll see each other later.
Al più tardi means "at the latest."
Devi spedire questa lettera domani al più tardi.
You have to send this letter by tomorrow at the latest.
The opposite of in ritardo is in anticipo (ahead of schedule, early, in advance).
We can also use the verb form anticipare (to be early, to expect).
La consegna era prevista per domani, ma il pacco è arrivato in anticipo.
Delivery was scheduled for tomorrow, but the package arrived early.Per via del maltempo in arrivo, hanno anticipato il rientro.
Because of approaching bad weather, they came back early.
Just to add a little twist, another opposite of anticipare is posticipare (postpone, to delay).
Per via del maltempo in arrivo, hanno posticipato il rientro.
Because of approaching bad weather, they postponed their return.
Attenzione! Italians do not use anticipare in the sense of “looking forward to something.” See this definition of the verb to anticipate. Definition number 2 doesn’t conform to the Italian. In fact, “looking forward to something” is difficult to say in Italian, and there is no precise translation. We will tackle this conundrum in another lesson.
To sum up
Tardi (late): With the adverb tardi, we use the verb fare when talking about someone being late. When talking about the hour, we use essere (to be).
Tardare (to be late, to run late)
Il Ritardo (the delay)
Essere, arrivare in ritardo (to be late or behind schedule)
Ritardare (to run behind schedule, to be late)
Spanish
French
German
Chinese
English
English 
Español
Français
Deutsch
Italiano
