In transcribing a recent video, there was one particular word that gave us trouble. When a native speaker finally figured it out, it opened up an entire world of connections. And it brought up the subject of pamphlets, leaflets, brochures, paperbacks, and bookbinding. This lesson will look at the words Italians use to refer to these kinds of publications. We'll also get a closer look at some related words that emerged from our research, as well as a diminutive suffix that hasn't come up before.
Here is the passage that gave us trouble. It's from a video about publishing comic books. The speaker had apparently turned brossura into the adjective/past participle brossulato, likely an informal term employed within the world of commercial publishing.
Rimettendo insieme questi albetti albo d'oro, tre, quattro per volta, si veniva a creare un, eh... una, un, un volume in qualche modo brossulato [sic: rilegato in brossura], dello spessore degli attuali Tex.
Putting these golden albums back together, three, four at a time, it would become a, uh... a, a kind of paperback bound volume, of the same thickness as the current Tex.
Captions 77-80, Fumettology TEX - Part 8
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Once the mystery was solved, there was a second mystery: Why a particular kind of binding (on a book) was called brossura.
Wikipedia provided some information: In traditional bookbinding, especially for hardbound books, sewing is involved, as well as folded paper that then needs separating. But for paperbacks, especially cheap ones, another method is used whereby the edges of the pages are glued to a piece of tape. How many times have you had pages fall out of a paperback if you opened it too wide? So the term brossura has to do with la rilegatura (bookbinding) and is basically used to indicate a paperback book. Wikipedia provided the clue that brossura is from the French "brocher," to pin, to sew. Of course! Brochure! This originally French word is used in both English and Italian.
Guardi, questa è la brochure del nostro atelier.
Look, this is the brochure from our studio.
Caption 41, Sposami EP 2 - Part 5
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The French word brochette also sprang to mind, which is "skewer," the utensil or the result: kebab, or in Italian, lo spiedino. But not only that! We also have "brooch" (sometimes "broach") in English, which is a large pin you wear on a jacket. Una spilla in Italian.
Another word for brochure is depliant or dépliant: Of course, it, too, is a French word adopted into Italian usage. The Italian translation is pieghevole, also used to mean "brochure."
Sì, sta nel dépliant del museo, sta di là.
Yes, it's in the museum brochure, it's over there.
Caption 20, Il Commissario Manara S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde - Part 3
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Yet another word is opuscolo. We have no examples from Yabla videos, but it's quite common. It comes from "opus" (work) and is a diminutive. Where have we heard this diminutive before? Il brutto anatroccolo(the ugly duckling). The diminutive -olo is used with masculine nouns and denotes small size or petty nature.
We also have volantino (flyer). The word comes from the verb volare (to fly). It can fly, in the sense of distribution. A flyer can also be a sheet inserted into a magazine between the pages (not bound). You can take it out.
Controlla bene le offerte elencate nel volantino che trovi all'ingresso del supermercato o quello che ti hanno messo nella cassetta della posta.
Carefully check the offers listed in the flyer that you find at the entrance to the supermarket or the one they have put in your mailbox.
Captions 8-10, Vocaboliamo Supermercato - Part 3
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The job of distributing these flyers is volantinaggio.
Then there's la locandina. This is usually one sheet describing a show or movie. It can also mean "poster." But where does locandina come from? Clearly, it's a diminutive of locanda. A locanda is a place that rents rooms.
Era una locanda.
It was a small inn.
Caption 59, Anna e Marika Trattoria Al Biondo Tevere - Part 1
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But what's the connection with locandina? It so happens there is a little-used verb locare (to let, to lease, to rent out). The verb comes in turn from Latin, where "est locanda" means è da affittare (it's for rent). The locandina was the announcement posted on a bulletin board or wall for renting out a space. It morphed into the small-sized poster for a movie or show. Although the verb locare is not one you will hear very often, if you ever rent an apartment in Italy, it will say Contratto di locazione (rental contract).
We've given you a potpourri of connected terms. But now when you see these words, hopefully, you'll know what they mean and where they come from.
There is a new documentary on Yabla about poet and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini. It opens with some lines from a 1962 poem:
Giro per la Tuscolana come un pazzo
Per l'Appia come un cane senza padrone
I wander along the Tuscolana like a madman
Along the Appian like a dog without an owner
Captions 7-8, Via Pasolini La super storia - Part 1
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Italians and people who live in Rome know exactly what Pasolini was referring to in these lines, but viewers might not know and will be curious to find out.
La via Appia, or Via Appia Antica, known in English as the Appian Way, is one of the oldest and most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome with Capua to the south, and later with Brindisi in Puglia. The road was named after Appius Claudius Caecus who was responsible for building the first part of it around 312 BC. A new road with the same name was constructed in the 16th century: La via Appia Nuova.
The via Tuscolana, or la Tuscolana, is less well-known, perhaps because it wasn't built by the Romans. It was built in medieval times and connected Rome with Tuscolo, now called Frascati. In Rome, it intersects with la via Appia and then runs parallel to it. There is a quartiere (district) named for it, called Tuscolano, and la Tuscolana also happens to run through Cinecittà on the outskirts of Rome.
The Italian noun via means several things, such as "street," "road," or "way." It can also be used figuratively to mean "way" or "pathway." When referring to roads, Italians often leave out "via" and just use la (the article of the feminine noun via) plus the actual name of the road. So via Appia becomes l'Appia. Via Tuscolana becomes la Tuscolana. In English, it's traditional to use the noun "way," to translate via, so we have "Appian Way." Roads can be named for where they go or after someone famous, or someone, such as in the case of some Roman roads, who headed the building project. In other cases, the name has a different source, as we shall see.
There are other old Roman roads featured in Yabla videos, so let's have a look, just for fun.
L'Aurelia is one of the oldest Roman roads and goes up the coast from Rome, all the way to Mentone, on the border of Italy and France. It was built around 241 BC under the supervision of Gaius Aurelius Cotta (hence the name).
Purtroppo l'abbiamo trovata dietro una piazzola sull'Aurelia.
Unfortunately, we found her behind a rest area on the Aurelia.
Caption 54, Il Commissario Manara S2EP12 - La donna senza volto - Part 5
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This road (as many other old roads) has undergone many changes since Roman times, and is now also called Strada Statale 1, usually abbreviated to SS 1. Strada Statale stands for "state (national) road." In many places, it is bordered with pine trees, and is quite beautiful, but narrow. Newer, wider stretches of road have been built parallel to it (and with access to it) in parts of Italy, keeping basically the same name (Aurelia and the number 1). This can cause confusion, especially since the road follows the coast and is very popular with tourists. Locals often call the new road simply, la variante (the variant or bypass).
The Via Salaria owes its name to the Latin word for "salt," since it was the route the Sabines (ancient Italic population) would take to carry salt from the marshes at the mouth of the river Tiber. It is referred to as La Salaria, but its official name is Strada Statale 4 Via Salaria (SS4) and is now a modern state highway that maintains the old road's name and runs on the same route from Rome to the Adriatic Sea, another ancient source of salt.
La Salaria, il salario, il sale è la più antica moneta del mondo.
The Salaria [Roman road], the salary, salt is the oldest currency in the world.
Caption 4, La rotta delle spezie di Franco Calafatti Il sale - Part 1
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This road went from Rome to the ancient port city of Ostia on the coast. Later, the marshlands near it were reclaimed and a new neighborhood (Ostia, now part of Rome) was built toward the end of the 19th century.
E dove sarebbe avvenuto questo scambio di cappotti? In quale ristorante? Al Biondo Tevere. È sull'Ostiense. -Ah, lo conosco benissimo. Fanno un'amatriciana...
And where did this swapping of coats occur? In what restaurant? At the Biondo Tevere. It's on the Ostiense. -Ah, I know it well. They make a [great] Amatriciana...
Captions 49-51, Provaci ancora prof! S2E5 Vita da cani - Part 9
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Did you notice the name of the restaurant in the previous example? Al Biondo Tevere refers to the river the restaurant looks out upon: il Tevere (the Tiber). It's called Biondo (blond) because at one time, at least, the river's color was yellowish, owing to the sand and limestone mixed in with the water. It just so happens that Anna and Marika had lunch at that very restaurant and made a video for Yabla to prove it. They even interviewed the owner.
Sì, perché siamo ovviamente a Roma, su via Ostiense, una via molto antica di Roma. E qua sotto c'è il fiume Tevere.
Yes, because obviously we're in Rome, on the via Ostiense, a very old Roman road. And there below is the river Tiber.
Captions 17-19, Anna e Marika Trattoria Al Biondo Tevere - Part 1
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We've enjoyed finding these examples of roads around Rome, and we hope you have enjoyed reading about them and playing the examples. We'll be adding other roads to the list as we find them.
Let's talk about a word that is used a lot in Italian to mean more than its one-word, traditional translation. We're talking about sotto (under, underneath, below). Not only is it a preposition, but it's also an adverb and sometimes a noun. It can combine with other words to take on a new meaning, and in this lesson, we will just mention a few of the common ways it's used to mean something different than what we might expect.
Sotto is often preceded by qua, qui, or là when indicating something either close by or further away, but in a downward direction.
E qua sotto c'è il fiume Tevere.
And down here is the river Tiber.
Caption 19, Anna e Marika - Trattoria Al Biondo Tevere
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When we talk about the stories or floors in a building or house, we can use sotto to indicate a lower floor. Usually, in this context, it's preceded by di (of).
Andiamo giù a vedere che cosa c'è al piano di sotto.
Let's go down to see what's on the lower floor.
Caption 23, In giro per l'Italia - Firenze
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When you want to talk about downstairs, you can also use sotto.
Ah, perché non è di sotto?
Ah, because she's not downstairs?
Caption 4, Sposami - EP 4 - Part 9
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Vai di sotto!
Go downstairs!
Sometimes sotto means "in front of," usually referring to a house, a building, or... one's nose. Lots of people live on the upper floors of apartment buildings, so you have to go down to get to the front of the building.
Appena ha visto i carabinieri sotto casa Sua,
As soon as you saw the carabinieri in front of your house,
se n'è scappato tipo "Fuga di mezzanotte".
you ran away, "Midnight Express" style.
Captions 8-9, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore - S1 EP2 Come piante fra sassi
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Sotto il profilo is used to mean something to the effect of "in terms of" or "as regards." Il profilo is a true cognate and friend of "the profile," but it's used figuratively here.
Rita abbia dedicato la sua vita a fare crescere la sua anima
Rita devoted her life to nurturing her soul,
e non soltanto sotto il profilo della ricerca scientifica, eh.
and not only in terms of her scientific research, uh.
and not only as regards her scientific research, uh.
Captions 41-43, Illuminate - Rita Levi Montalcini
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Here, the Italian expression uses the preposition sotto, but the English one uses the preposition "on."
Eh... eh, non è questione di non avere nessuno sottomano,
Uh... uh, it's not a question of not having anyone on hand,
è che è molto difficile trovare la donna giusta.
it's that it's very difficult to find the right woman.
Captions 28-29, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro
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Sottomano can also mean "handy," or "close by."
Non ho il numero sottomano ma lo posso cercare nella rubrica.
I don't have the number handy, but I can look it up in my address book.
When you are talking about a 2-piece outfit, such as pyjamas, bikini, or athletic wear, you can refer to the bottoms as il sotto (the bottom part).
We have just scratched the surface of sotto but if you absorb all these meanings (or even one or two), you will be one step closer to becoming fluent.
Why not check out Marika's video about adverbs of place (avverbi di luogo)? Attenzione: Sometimes what are considered adverbs in Italian might be considered prepositions in English.
Quindi is a word you will hear thousands of times a day when listening to Italians talk. Just think how many times a day you use the word "so" in English. "So" is what quindi means, much of the time.
Siamo quattro persone, supponiamo, quindi useremo quattro uova.
We're four people, we're assuming, so we'll use four eggs.
Caption 11, Adriano Pasta alla carbonara - Part 2
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Italians often use quindi at the end of a sentence. It can turn into a question (just like "so"). In English, we might even end our question with "and...?" and mean the same thing.
Possiedo diverse aziende nel novarese. Sì, sappiamo che Lei è molto potente e quindi?
I own various businesses in the Novara area. Yes, we know that you are very powerful, and so?
Captions 57-58, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep. 1 - Part 8
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Quindi can also mean "therefore," or "in other words." Even though we don't use the word "therefore" in everyday English all that often, it might be helpful to think of quindi meaning "therefore," because as opposed to "so," which has its own position in a sentence or subordinate clause (usually at the beginning), we can insert "therefore" just about anywhere, often enclosed by commas. Quindi works much as "therefore" does, in practical terms. Therefore, we at Yabla often translate quindi with "therefore" when we want to retain the word order in the caption.
Eh, per quanto riguarda la nostra azienda, noi siamo in particolare localizzati nell'alto casertano, e quindi tutta la nostra produzione è incentrata in, in questa zona. In quali città, quindi?
Uh, regarding our company, we happen to be located in the upper Caserta area, and so our entire production is centered in, in this area. In which city therefore? / So, in which city?
Captions 55-57, Anna e Marika La mozzarella di bufala - La produzione e i tagli - Part 2
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La mozzarella, per noi campani, è solo quella di bufala. Quindi, prodotta con latte delle bufale.
Mozzarella for us Campanians, is solely the buffalo kind. Therefore, made with milk from buffaloes.
Mozzarella for us Campanians, is solely the buffalo kind. In other words, made with milk from buffaloes.
Captions 26-27, Anna e Marika La mozzarella di bufala - La produzione e i tagli - Part 1
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Lots of times, a sentence ends with quindi plus an ellipsis... as if the speaker wanted to go on but leaves the rest of the sentence to our imagination. Or, the speaker has no idea what to say next.
Guarda, ho letto sul menù che guarda caso fanno le fettuccine ai funghi porcini, quindi...
Look, I read on the menu that, as fate would have it, they make fettuccini with porcini mushrooms, so...
Captions 27-28, Anna e Marika Trattoria Al Biondo Tevere - Part 1
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If you watch Yabla videos, or have listened to Italian conversation, you will likely have noticed that people have pet words. They may not even realize they always use a particular word. So some people say quindi a whole lot. Others might pepper their conversation with perciò (for this reason). In Tuscany sicché (the informal version of cosìcché) is very popular. These are alternate ways to say "so."
Note that when "so" means "to such an extent," we can't use quindi. In that case, we'll use a word like talmente or così.
Quindi can also mean "then" when talking, for instance, about what to do next. Some GPS systems with a voice use quindi to say "then, turn right..." quindi girate a destra...
This can also happen in recipes or instructions, where there is a sequence of actions to be taken.
In current, everyday Italian, it's more common to use poi when we talk about the next in a series of actions.
Poi... quindi avvolgiamo l'alice con mezza fetta di prosciutto, poi mettiamo [sic: lo mettiamo] nel pangrattato, si tuffa così, ecco qui.
Then... then, we roll the anchovy in half a slice of prosciutto, then we'll put it in the breadcrumbs, we immerse it like so, here we are.
Captions 29-31, L'Italia a tavola Involtini di alici - Part 2
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You might be thinking of the word allora, which is also used to mean "so" as well as "then," but the interesting thing is that allora has more to do with the past and present than the future, whereas quindi can be about the future (the next thing).
For more about allora, see our lesson: The Underlying Meaning of Allora
When we want to talk about going or being upstairs or downstairs, we're not going to find a direct translation in Italian. We have to use other words.
We start out with the words sopra and sotto, which basically mean "above" and "below," respectively. We insert the preposition di (of, from) before either one.
No, vado di sopra a prendere la borsa e le chiavi e scendo giù subito.
No, I'm going upstairs to get my bag and the keys, and I'll be right down.
Caption 88, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3EP3 - Il tarlo del sospetto - Part 1
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If you are upstairs and want to go downstairs, you could just as well say,
Vado di sotto a prendere la borsa...
I'm going downstairs to get my bag...
When we are talking about the other room, or another room, or "over there," then we use the same little preposition di (of, from), but we use là (there) instead of above or below.
Vado di là (I'm going in the other room, I'm going over there).
Pietro è di là (Pietro is in the other room).
Using the above formula to talk about "upstairs," "downstairs," or "in the other room," is one way to express this. You might also hear simply su and giù.
È su (he/she is upstairs), sta su (he/she is upstairs).
Vado su, vengo giù (I'm going up, I'm coming down).
If we imagine an apartment building where you have to go downstairs to go out of the building, it's easier to imagine the Italian use of sotto casa (right in front of the house). I may have a little market right near my house. It's sotto casa. It implies "very close by" or "in front of."
Fortunatamente ci hanno messo un bidone sotto casa.
Fortunately, they put a garbage can in front of the house.
Caption 25, COVID-19 6) La guarigione
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Sono sotto casa tua. Scendi un attimo?
I'm in front of your house. Will you come down a moment?
Caption 30, La Ladra EP. 7 - Il piccolo ladro - Part 3
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When we want to say, "down here," or "down there," then we can use qui sotto or qua sotto. They are interchangeable and can refer to either "here" or "there," depending on one's point of view.
E qua sotto c'è il fiume Tevere.
And down there is the river Tiber.
Caption 19, Anna e Marika Trattoria Al Biondo Tevere - Part 1
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Infatti, vedi le strutture che sono qui sotto, qui sotto a questo monumentale... -Sì.
In fact, do you see the constructions that are down here, below this monumental... -Yes.
Caption 44, Marika e Daniela Colosseo, interno - Part 1
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While sopra and sotto with di often refer to "upstairs" and "downstairs" as we have shown above, su and giù can also be used to indicate the direction of where someone or something is or where someone or something is going. They often go hand in hand with qui or qua (here) and là (there).
Qui and qua basically indicate something that is close to the person who is speaking. Su basically means "up" and giù basically means "down." If we want to refer to something far away in an upward or downward direction, we can say, lassù (up there) or laggiù (down there).
E tu che ci fai lassù?
What are you doing up there?
Caption 8, Dafne Film - Part 5
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E poi si vede in fondo, laggiù sull'Arno, il ponte più caratteristico di Firenze, uno dei simboli della città, che è il Ponte Vecchio.
And then you can see, down there, on the Arno, the most characteristic bridge of Florence, one of the symbols of the city, which is the Ponte Vecchio [the old bridge].
Captions 36-38, In giro per l'Italia Firenze - Part 4
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Sopra and sotto are also used to mean other things, also figuratively, and hopefully, they will come up by and by in videos and lessons. Meanwhile, you now have some ways to describe where you are going or where you are in a house, or what you can see from your house or what you'll find in front of your house. As you will have noticed, there are various ways to say the same thing. Let us know if you have questions! You can write to us at newsletter@yabla.com.
In English, the words that come to mind when talking about choices are: either, or, both, either one, whichever one (among others). Let's explore our options in Italian.
Birra o vino? Ultimissima.
Beer or wine? The very latest.
Caption 41, Anna e Marika La mozzarella di bufala - La produzione e i tagli - Part 3
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But there's another word that means "or" and can imply "or else," or "otherwise." It's oppure. When we are thinking of alternatives, we might use oppure.... (or...). We also use it when we would say, "Or not," as in the following example.
Ci ha portato anche i due bicchieri per il vino, ma non so se io e Marika a pranzo berremo oppure no.
He also brought us two glasses for wine, but I don't know if Marika and I will drink at lunch or not.
Captions 22-23, Anna e Marika Trattoria Al Biondo Tevere - Part 1
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Note: It doesn't have to be oppure. It can also just be o, but it's an option!
In English, we have "either" and "or" that go together when we talk about choices.
In Italian, the same word — o —goes in both spots in the sentence where were would insert "either" and "or." Consider the example below.
O ci prende almeno una canzone o gli diciamo basta, finito, chiuso.
Either he takes at least one song from us, or we say to him enough, over, done with.
Caption 48, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno Ep. 2 - Part 2
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Similarly, when neither choice is a positive one, Italian uses né (neither/nor) for both "neither" and "nor."
Ho capito dai suoi occhi che Lei non ha né marito né figli.
I understood from your eyes that you have neither husband nor children.
Caption 11, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 24
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Non voglio né questo né quello (I don't want this one or that one / I want neither this one nor that one).
Sometimes we don't have a preference. When it's 2 items, either one will do. If it's a masculine noun like il colore (the color), we can say:
Uno o l'altro, non importa (one or the other, it doesn't matter).
If it's a feminine noun such as la tovaglia (the tablecloth), we can say:
Una o l'altra andrebbe bene (one or the other would be fine).
We have to imagine the noun we're talking about and determine if it's masculine or feminine...
When we choose among more than 2 items, we use "any," "whichever," or "whatever" in English. In Italian, it's qualsiasi or qualunque (as well as some others).
Qualsiasi cosa tu decida di fare.
Whatever you decide to do.
Caption 63, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 18
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Diciamo che potete fare qualsiasi pasta al pesto, anche, ad esempio, gli gnocchi, però il piatto tradizionale è trenette o linguine al pesto.
Let's say that you can use whatever kind of pasta for pesto, for example, even gnocchi, however, the traditional dish is trenette or linguine al pesto.
Captions 76-77, L'Italia a tavola Il pesto genovese - Part 1
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Eh, qualunque cosa tu mi abbia detto non, non l'hai detta a Raimondi, vero?
Uh, whatever you told me, you didn't, you didn't tell Raimondi, right?
Captions 22-23, Il Commissario Manara S2EP12 - La donna senza volto - Part 10
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If you do a search of qualsiasi and qualunque on the Yabla videos page, you'll notice that they are used interchangeably in many cases. Experience will help you figure out when they aren't exactly the same thing.
In Part 2, we'll talk about how to say "both" in Italian. There is more than one way.
Via is such a short word, and yet, it has a lot of bite. The basic translation of the noun via is "way." Concretely, it can refer to a street, road, or path. A road is a way to get somewhere if we want to think of it that way. Even in English, "way" can be used to describe a road, if we think of "parkway," "subway," "pathway," or "Broadway."
Sì, perché siamo ovviamente a Roma, su via Ostiense, una via molto antica di Roma.
Yes, because obviously we're in Rome, on the via Ostiense, a very old Roman road.
Captions 17-18, Anna e Marika Trattoria Al Biondo Tevere - Part 1
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A handy expression to know that uses via to mean "way," is una via di mezzo (halfway between, midway between, a middle ground, a compromise):
Diciamo che, eh... non è un azzurro, ma non è neanche un blu scuro, però una via di mezzo.
Let's say, uh... it's not a light blue, but neither is it a dark blue, but it's halfway between.
Captions 35-36, Anna e Marika Un negozio di scarpe - Part 2
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Note: Via can mean "way," but "way" doesn't always translate as via. When "way" means "manner," we have other Italian words that more commonly do the job: il modo (the way) la maniera (the manner), il mezzo (the means). We've provided links to WordReference so you can see all the translations of these words, as in some cases, there are numerous ones.
If you go to the doctor or pharmacy you might ask about some medicine and how to take it. Per via orale is "by mouth," literally, "by way of mouth."
Via is also an adverb. The most common expression that comes to mind might be Vai via (go away)!
La volpe, allora, triste e sottomessa, andò via.
The fox, then, sad and subdued, went away.
Caption 23, Adriano Fiaba - Part 2
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We can also use via when we are saying someone is away.
È via per lavoro (she's away on business).
When we want to say "etc." or "and so on," or "and so forth," one way is to use via.
La nota successiva, che si troverà attraverso il quinto rigo, si chiamerà La. E così via.
The next note, which will be found across the fifth line, will be called A, and so on.
Captions 12-14, A scuola di musica con Alessio - Part 3
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You might also hear variations on this: e via discorrendo and e via dicendo that mean the same thing.
We can use via via to mean little by little, gradually:
Alla torre fu affiancato via via un castello in posizione ardita sulle rocce che dominano la valle del Rio Secco.
A castle in a daring position was gradually added to the tower on the rocks that dominate the Rio Secco Valley.
Captions 12-13, Meraviglie S2EP1 - Part 9
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We use via as the starting signal.
Meno tre, due, uno, via. Guardami! Perfetto!
Countdown, three, two, one, go. Look at me! Perfect!
Caption 53, Corso base di snowboard Snowboard
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And when we are talking about the start of something, we use the noun il via to mean "the start," "the lead-off."
Ti do il via (I'll give you the start-off).
We can also just say via to mean "let's go," "let's get going," or "you get going."
Operativi, occhio vivo, via!
On the job, eyes wide open, get going!
Caption 34, Il Commissario Manara S2EP4 - Miss Maremma - Part 5
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We use via vai to indicate comings and goings, when, for example, a place gets crowded with activity.
Ragazzi, da un po' di tempo a questa parte c'è un via vai, qui.
Guys, for a while now, there's been [plenty of] coming and going here.
Caption 28, Il Commissario Manara S1EP4 - Le Lettere Di Leopardi - Part 17
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Via is used as un intercalare (a filler word), much as we say, "you know," "yeah," "come on," "well," or "OK" in the middle of a sentence. You'll hear this primarily in Tuscany and Lazio.
Quindi c'abbiamo, via, un parco cavalli tra i più eterogenei che ci sono a Roma.
So we have, you know, one of the most heterogeneous horse parks that there are in Rome.
Caption 62, Francesca Cavalli - Part 1
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C'è qualche problema? -Lascia stare, è il mio ragazzo! -Bastava dirlo! -Via, si beve qualcosa, eh.
Is there some problem? -Leave him alone, he's my boyfriend! -You could have said so! -Come on, let's have something to drink, huh?
Captions 23-25, Il Commissario Manara S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro - Part 13
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It's also a way of "that's it."
Una botta e via.
One blow and that's it.
Caption 17, Il Commissario Manara S1EP4 - Le Lettere Di Leopardi - Part 2
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Via is often used to conclude a sentence or situation. It's not really translatable. It's another intercalare (filler word) and used primarily in Tuscany and Lazio.
Insomma, ci chiamiamo, via. -Sì.
In other words, we'll call each other, yeah. -Yes.
Caption 41, Il Commissario Manara S1EP12 - Le verità nascoste - Part 8
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And we also conclude this lesson about via. Via!
Daniela has concluded her three-part lesson on the passato prossimo (present perfect) tense. Get caught up here! She gives us some very important information about its construction, but what’s difficult for many of us is just knowing which auxiliary verb to use—essere (to be) or avere (to have)—when using the passato prossimo.
In fact, there’s plenty of gray area, which we’ll delve into further on, but very generally speaking, when the verb is transitive (can take a direct object), the auxiliary verb is avere (to have) and when the verb is intransitive (cannot take a direct object), the auxiliary verb is essere (to be).
The following example contains the direct object film (movie). So we use avere.
Hai guardato il film?
Did you watch the movie?
Caption 15, Marika spiega - I pronomi diretti con participio passato
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In the next example the first verb venire (to come) is intransitive, has no direct object, and thus takes the auxiliary verb essere. The second verb portare (to bring, to carry) is transitive, having a direct object, and thus takes avere. Note that acqua (water) is the direct object of the verb portare.
Il cameriere è venuto e ci ha portato dell'acqua naturale.
The waiter came and he brought us still water.
Caption 20, Anna e Marika - Trattoria Al Biondo Tevere
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What about if Anna and Marika had had a cameriera (waitress)?*
In the example below, there’s a direct object (Lara) in the first part, and a verb (intransitive) that can’t take an object (arrivare) in the second part. Lara is a woman, so the ending of arrivata has the feminine singular ending -a.
Hai visto Lara? -Lara non è ancora arrivata, no.
Have you seen Lara? -Lara hasn't gotten here yet, no.
Caption 38, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP4 - Le Lettere Di Leopardi
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Can you make up a sentence changing the person to Luca (a man)? The first part with avere will not change, but the second part with essere will!**
Can you change the person to two people?***
Attenzione! Intransitive verbs have a great many exceptions to the general rule. Strange as it may seem, some of these verbs have to do with movement:
Camminare (to walk), correre (to run), sciare (to ski), and nuotare (to swim), among others, are intransitive action verbs, but nevertheless take avere when referring to the activity itself.
Ho camminato tutto il giorno.
I walked all day.
Loro hanno corso tre chilometri.
They ran three kilometers.
However, when correre is used to mean “to hurry,” “to rush,” then it takes essere!
Io sono corsa a casa.
I rushed home.
See this resource (in Italian) for a list of intransitive verbs and the auxiliaries they use.
There are two other important situations to be aware of, requiring the use of the auxiliary essere in “perfect” tenses: reflexive verbs and verbs in the passive voice. We’ll have a closer look at them in another lesson.
Solutions:
*
La cameriera è venuta e ci ha portato dell'acqua naturale.
The waitress came and she brought us some still water.**
Hai visto Luca? -Luca non è ancora arrivato, no.
Have you seen Luca? -Luca hasn't gotten here yet, no.***
Hai visto Luca e Lara? -Loro non sono ancora arrivati, no.
Have you seen Luca and Lara? -They haven't gotten here yet, no.
Further Resources:
For an explanation of verbi transitivi e intransitivi in Italian, see this article.
Here is a text with many examples of il passato prossimo, and a fill-in-the-blank quiz following it.
Practice:
- Have a look at some Yabla video transcripts or other Italian written text, and try to identify the two kinds of verbs and their auxiliaries in any given situation.
- Do a Yabla video search of the participle of a transitive verb, such as visto, the past participle of vedere (to see), and you’ll see a list of examples from videos containing compound tenses with this participle. Go to the videos, or just read the examples out loud to get a feel for the auxiliary verb avere.
- Be aware that there may be some exceptions in the list: a passive voice, a noun form, a reflexive form in the masculine, a transitive verb used intransitively, an adjective form of a participle.
- For intransitive verbs taking essere, try doing a search on the participles of these verbs: andare, venire, partire, arrivare, diventare. Remember that their endings will change depending on gender and number. You’ll see right away that the auxiliary is essere, conjugated per the person and the tense (it might be past perfect).
When visiting a foreign country like Italy, there can be challenges to something as simple as asking for a un bicchiere d’acqua (a glass of water)! In fact, as Anna and Marika mention while enjoying a meal in a famous Roman restaurant, one of the first things the cameriere (waiter) will ask you is what you want to drink.
Il cameriere è venuto e ci ha portato dell'acqua naturale.
The waiter came and he brought us still water.
Ci ha prima chiesto se volevamo acqua gasata
First he asked us if we wanted fizzy water
o naturale e noi abbiamo scelto naturale.
or still and we chose still.
Captions 20-21, Anna e Marika - Trattoria Al Biondo Tevere
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Water is not served automatically, nor is it free unless you specifically ask for acqua del rubinetto (tap water). Italians commonly drink acqua minerale (mineral water, or sometimes simply bottled water) al ristorante (at a restaurant), and will choose either acqua gassata (fizzy water), or acqua naturale (plain or still mineral water). If you ask for ghiaccio (ice), they may give you funny look, but you can ask for your acqua fredda (cold) or a temperatura ambiente (at room temperature).
One of the last things you’ll do after a meal in a restaurant is ask for il conto (the bill). Sometimes, as might be the case with Marika and Anna, you decide to pay alla romana (Roman style) where the bill is divided equally among the number of people dining, regardless of what each person had to eat. But if you do want to pay, you can tell the friend who's taking his wallet out to leave it where it is. Stai buono/a. You’re saying, “be good” but you mean “stay as you are!”
Learning suggestion: Keep on the lookout for the verb stare (to be situated, to stay, to be) as you watch Yabla videos. It’s closely related to essere (to be) but implies a position or condition. Do a Yabla video search of both stare and stai to get a feel for when and how it’s used.
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