In a previous lesson, we talked about votare, a verb that has an additional meaning we rarely think of. Another verb that can bring some surprises (and confusion) is confondere (to confuse, to confound). If we think about it, we can break down confondere into two pieces. Fondere is "to melt," "to meld"; con is “with.” Thoughts, sensations, or things mix together and become unclear. We can no longer distinguish or understand individual elements.
The English verbs "to confuse" and "to confound" clearly have the same root: And we can also see "to fuse" and "fusion" in the noun "confusion." And we now know that con means "with." You might never think of the word "confusion" the same way again.
The cognate confusione exists in Italian. Sometimes it's equivalent to the English "confusion."
Perciò quando i soggetti sono diversi, questo potrebbe portare un po' di confusione.
So when the subjects are different, this could bring about a bit of confusion.
Captions 25-26, Corso di italiano con Daniela 3) Proposizioni subordinate finali - Part 2
Play Caption
But often confusione means something more akin to "chaos" "fuss," "mess," or "commotion."
E, soprattutto, nella confusione nessuno si accorgerebbe di nulla.
And above all, in the chaos, nobody would notice anything.
Caption 16, Il Commissario Manara S2EP4 - Miss Maremma - Part 11
Play Caption
Lupo ha detto che c'aspetta in palestra e poi era troppa confusione per lui.
Lupo said he'd be waiting for us at the gym and besides, it was too much commotion for him.
Captions 56-57, L'oro di Scampia film - Part 19
Play Caption
Knowing these little connections may help you find the words when you need them, or at least recognize them when you see them. Or you might just enjoy being aware of the connections (or you might not care at all).
We often translate confondere as "to mix up."
The verb confondere can be used as a normal transitive verb: to confuse.
Tu mi sa che confondi la cocaina con l'aspirina.
I think you are confusing cocaine with aspirin.
Caption 10, Il Commissario Manara S2EP9 - L'amica ritrovata - Part 11
Play Caption
The same past participle, confuso, can mean "confused." We can use the past participle of confondere as an adjective when we are confused — confuso. The ending has to agree in gender and number with what or who is being described.
Sei confusa, addolorata, ma lo sai che lui ti merita.
You're confused, aggrieved, but you know that he deserves you.
Captions 85-86, Il Commissario Manara S1EP11 - Beato tra le donne - Part 8
Play Caption
When we get confused or mixed up, it's a process, and we go the reflexive route with the reflexive form of the verb: confondersi.
Sì, sì, è probabile, perché i nomi sono molto simili, Renzo, Gaetano... uno si può confondere.
Yes, yes. That's likely, because the names are very similar, Renzo, Gaetano... someone can get mixed up.
Captions 57-58, Provaci ancora prof! S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita - Part 13
Play Caption
...e se di me non parlo e non mi ascolto, succede che poi mi confondo.
...and if I don't talk about myself and I don't listen to myself, it happens that then I get confused.
Captions 56-57, Rosalba al parco della donna gatto - Part 2
Play Caption
There's an expression in Italian: confondere le acque (to muddy the water). In this case, you are not confused, but you are making something confusing on purpose. Here, confuso can be translated as "confusing."
Hanno fatto un racconto un po' confuso.
They gave a somewhat confusing account.
Caption 16, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP2 Rabbia - Part 3
Play Caption
When we use the passato prossimo (which works like the present perfect), the past participle is the same as the adjective form, but the verb essere (to be) is present, too, as well as the reflexive pronoun, as opposed to a subject pronoun.
Che fai, parli ternano pure tu, adesso? -Perché mi so' [sono] confuso,
What are you doing? Are you talking Terni-ese, too, now? -Because I got confused,
Captions 59-60, Sposami EP 5 - Part 16
Play Caption
So if I want to say, "You got confused," I would say, "Ti sei confuso/a".
When, in La Ladra, Eva uses the verb to talk about a spice she can’t distinguish, she uses the verb confondere but she might have meant confondersi, which can also mean "to blend in." If we want a transitive verb as a translation, "muddle" might work, too.
C'è una spezia che confonde il quadro di insieme, non so, non riesco a percepirla.
There's a spice that muddles the whole picture. I don't know, I can't manage to perceive it.
There's a spice that makes the whole picture confusing, I don't know, I'm not able to perceive it.
There's a spice that blends in with the whole picture, I don't know, I'm not able to perceive it.
Caption 32, La Ladra EP. 1 - Le cose cambiano - Part 3
Play Caption
We hope you are not more confused than when you began reading this lesson!
There is no one English equivalent for simpatico, which is a bit too bad because it is a wonderful description of a person’s character. As a matter of fact, it has started creeping into English vocabulary: simpatico.
Simpatico quel ragazzo, quello cieco.
That kid is nice, the blind one.
Caption 61, L'oro di Scampia - film
Play Caption
What are some of the translations of this word?
Often it simply means “nice” as in the above example.
But “nice” has all sorts of connotations, and various Italian translations. One Italian word for “nice” is gentile but that tends towards “kind.” Still another Italian word for “nice” is carino, which is often similar to simpatico in meaning, but can also mean "pretty" or "good-looking" in certain contexts.
Sometimes simpatico means “friendly,” “amicable,” or “likeable.” Simpatico, when used to describe a person (or animal), really refers to personality or their way of relating to others.
Italians also use simpatico, when referring to objects, to mean “cute,” “sweet,” or “funny.” If you do a Yabla search, you will note that both Adriano and Marika make use of this word to describe objects. The object in question isn’t beautiful, but it may make you smile or laugh, as would a simpatico person. In most dictionaries, “cute” is not given as an official translation of simpatico, but in the case of objects, it seems to render the idea better than other words.
In questo simpatico contenitore ho il detersivo per i piatti.
In this cute container I have dish detergent.
Caption 23, Marika spiega - La cucina
Play Caption
Simpatico is used for a person when you want to say something nice about him or her. The guy may not be good-looking, but he is simpatico (a nice guy). She may not play the piano very well, but she is molto simpatica (very nice).
If you go to the doctor for a procedure that is quite unpleasant, you may use the words poco simpatico.
Ho avuto un intervento poco simpatico.
I had a rather unpleasant procedure done.
Stare simpatico a qualcuno or essere simpatico a qualcuno (to be likeable to someone) is a rather complicated but popular way of saying that one person likes the other as a person, without the ambiguity of the verb piacere, which can have more sensual connotations. See this lesson for more about the difference.
In the same vein, una simpatia is an affinity, an attraction (more mental than physical). There is simpatia between people who get along really well.
Mica te lo devi sposare,
It's not as if you have to marry him,
se è solo una simpatia, un'amicizia...
if it's just an attraction, a friendship...
Captions 73-74, L'oro di Scampia - film
Play Caption
Prendere in simpatia is “to take a liking to” or “to become fond of.”
L’insegnante m’ha preso in simpatia e m’ha promosso.
The teacher took a liking to me and passed me.
Beware of the false friend “sympathy,” which usually translates as compassione (compassion).
Spanish
French
German
Chinese
English
English 
Español
Français
Deutsch
Italiano
