As Daniela finishes up talking about the conditional, she sneaks in a word in the subjunctive, which she hasn’t covered in her lessons yet.
"Io, fossi in te, partirei domani".
"If I were you, I would leave tomorrow."
Caption 4, Corso di italiano con Daniela - Il condizionale - Part 7
Play Caption
And in the previous segment of the lessons on the conditional, she also uses it.
Il condizionale in italiano si usa per esprimere la possibilità
The conditional is used in Italian to express the possibility
che possa succedere qualcosa.
that something could happen.
Captions 21-22, Corso di italiano con Daniela - Il condizionale - Part 6
Play Caption
The conditional often goes hand in hand with the subjunctive, so it's not easy to avoid using the subjunctive sometimes.
For those who are curious, there have been some written lessons about the subjunctive, called the congiuntivo in Italian, and we provide some links here so that you can peruse them.
Hypothesis Versus Reality - the subjunctive and the conditional
Verbs of Uncertainty and the Subjunctive
The subjunctive is necessary in several different kinds of scenarios, and they need to be treated one by one, but in very general terms, most of the time, the subjunctive has to do with uncertainty in some way, and that is why it goes hand in hand with the conditional, since the conditional also deals in uncertainty. Be on the lookout for the conjunction che (that, which) that often necessitates the use of the subjunctive following it.
Another way the subjunctive is used is in polite commands, such as:
mi scusi (excuse me)
It also gets used with impersonal verbs:
Bisogna che vada via entro mezzogiorno (it’s necessary for me to leave by noon), and other impersonal constructions such as:
Sarà difficile che tu vada via entro mezzogiorno (it will be unlikely that you leave by noon).
For the most part, the subjunctive has become a rarity in English but we still do use it, especially when we are speaking formally, or just correctly. And we especially find it in proximity to the conditional.
If I were you I would go right now.
It is incorrect to say “if I was you,” even though lots of people do say it.
A good rule of thumb is to learn the subjunctive conjugation for the verbs you will be using often, like essere (to be), avere (to have), and andare (to go) and even more importantly, to learn some frasi fatte (set phrases), like:
Cosa vuoi che faccia (what do you want me to do)?
Cosa vuoi che sia (how serious could it be)?
Dove vuoi che vada (where do you want me to go)?
The verb volere (to want) is used idiomatically here, as a somewhat rhetorical question.
Let's look at some alternative translations of these phrases to get the idea.
Cosa vuoi che faccia (what can I do about it)?
Cosa vuoi che sia (how big a deal could it be)?
Dove vuoi che vada (where could I possibly go? — I'll be right here).
Little by little you'll put all the pieces together and know when to use it and when not to use it.
When Marika showed us her balcony, she used a couple of long words that may have seemed a bit daunting. There are certainly plenty of long words in Italian that are just plain difficult, like farmaceutico (pharmaceutical). The meaning is clear, but pronouncing it takes some practice (don’t snub any of the vowels). Other words, though, have common abbreviations that make life easier. And some long words can be broken down into their parts, making them easily comprehensible as well as pronounceable.
One of the words Marika used in her video was stendibiancheria. It’s long but there’s help.
First of all, most people just say lo stendino (the drying rack).
Second of all, if we start breaking down stendibiancheria into manageable parts, the next time it comes up, you’ll know what it means from the inside out, and you will probably be able to pronounce it as well.
We start out with the verb stendere. It’s a very useful verb that means to spread, to lay out, to stretch out, to extend over space. Thinking of “extend” can help recall this verb.
An interesting extra fact is this:
In the eighteenth century, in Tuscany at least, the (transitive) verb was tendere, that is, to stretch out, to unfold (after washing and wringing out) so that the laundry would dry faster.
As we have learned in a video, and a written lesson, adding an s at the beginning of a word can give it an opposite meaning. So, stendere used to be the opposite of tendere, and meant taking in the now dry laundry, or rather taking it off the clothesline.
Later on, stendere and tendere lost their distinction (dictionaries indicate that in many contexts, stendere and tendere mean the same thing).
Stendere survived as the most common term for hanging up the laundry. Let’s also remember that lacking a clothesline, some people would also have spread their clean laundry on bushes or rocks to catch the sun, so stendere—“spreading it out” makes a certain amount of sense.
Another important context for stendere is cooking.
In the following example, we start out with little balls of pizza dough, but then we spread them out to cover a larger area. So when you are following a recipe in Italian for making fresh pasta or pizza, stendere la sfoglia is when you roll out the dough, spread it out by hand, or use a pasta machine to make wide, flat strips.
Queste pallette [palline] poi vanno fatte lievitare circa due ore
These little balls then are left to rise about two hours
e si stende la pizza.
and you roll out the pizza.
Captions 15-16, Anna e Marika - Pizza al taglio romana
Play Caption
The past participle of stendere, steso, which can also pass for an adjective, is useful for when you are talking about positions in space.
Stavo, mi ricordo, guardando le olimpiadi, stesa sul divano
I was, I remember, watching the Olympics, lying on the couch
come una balena spiaggiata.
like a beached whale.
Captions 12-13, Anna presenta - Il mio parto
Play Caption
In the above example, “stretched out” could have worked just as well to translate Anna’s position.
When referring to muscles or just how someone feels, we can use teso (tense), the past participle of tendere, also used as an adjective.
Ha notato qualcosa di strano? Se era teso, preoccupato?
Did you notice anything strange? If he was tense, worried?
Caption 19, Il Commissario Manara -S1EP9 - Morte in paradiso
Play Caption
The prefix dis is also used to give a word the opposite meaning. In fact, disteso, the past participle of distendere and adjective, can mean either “relaxed,” “unwound,” or “out,” as in the following example.
Per dire: "ci sentiamo per telefono",
To say, "we'll talk by phone,"
si porta la mano all'altezza dell'orecchio
you bring your hand up to the height of your ear
e si simula la cornetta,
and you imitate a receiver,
tenendo pollice e mignolo distesi.
holding your thumb and little finger out.
Captions 9-12, Arianna spiega - I gesti degli Italiani
Play Caption
Tendere also means “to tend” as in tendenza (tendency). That’s a nice cognate, isn’t it?
Le piante tendono, quando si inselvatichiscono,
Plants tend, when they become wild,
a fare i frutti molto più piccoli.
to produce much smaller fruit.
Captions 17-18, Gianni si racconta - L'olivo e i rovi
Play Caption
It’s easy to be confused by all these words that are so close in meaning. Context is key, so just keep watching, listening, and reading, and piano piano ce la farai (little by little you’ll make it), one word at a time!
It’s almost funny how many times the verb capire (to understand) was used in last week’s episode of Commissario Manara. It’s not really funny because it was about Iolanda Sorge’s tragic murder. But it’s an excellent example of how often capire is used in everyday speech. And since in casual conversation, this past participle can stand alone, it’s very handy and easy to use. It can fill up the time between one phrase and the next. It’s almost as common as “you know” in English.
As mentioned in previous lessons, capire is most often used in the past participle, capito, even when English would call for the present tense, as in the following example.
La gente si fida di me, capito?
People trust me, you understand?
Caption 12, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP12 - Le verità nascoste
Play Caption
In the following example, the speaker is getting more specific (and angrier), and uses the verb with its subject and auxiliary verb.
Te [tu] mi usi per ricattarli, hai capito?
You're using me to blackmail them, you understand?
Caption 14, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP12 - Le verità nascoste
Play Caption
Later on in the episode, Manara is in a meeting with his chief. Here, they use the present indicative of capire. In this case, we’re talking about understanding something or someone on a deeper level. It’s used transitively, and means something like, “Do you understand where I’m coming from?” or “Do you understand what I’m really trying to tell you?”
Ci sono i segreti di mezzo paese in quelle registrazioni,
There are secrets from half the town in those recordings,
mi capisce?
you understand me?
La capisco perfettamente.
I understand you perfectly.
Captions 44-45, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP12 - Le verità nascoste
Play Caption
When arguing with her husband, Iolanda could have used the second person indicative present tense capisci (do you understand), and it would have been correct and maybe equally as effective, but using the past participle of this verb is just how people usually talk.
In the following example, the speaker could have used va bene (all right) or even the loan word “OK” in place of capito.
Ma te non ti devi preoccupare, capito?
But you're not to worry, understand?
Caption 44, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto
Play Caption
But capito is a great and user-friendly alternative.
When listening to someone tell you something, instead of just nodding your head and saying sì sì (yes, yes), it’s very natural to say ho capito (literally, “I have understood/I understood,” or “I get it”). People will say it to you when you are speaking, even if they don’t quite get what you’re saying. It’s basically another way of saying “I’m listening.”
As you go through your day, try mentally using capire in its past participle to ask the question “do you get it?” (capito?) or to replace “you know?” (capito?), or to say, “I heard you, I’m listening” (ho capito).
One of our subscribers has asked about the difference between il fine and la fine.
It’s an excellent question, and one many of us surely wonder about from time to time.
Both il fine and la fine refer to “the end,” more or less.
Italian has its origins in Latin. Finis is both masculine and feminine in Latin, depending on the meaning. These meanings have, for the most part, been carried over into Italian.
When referring to periods, ranges, and intervals of time, the masculine is used. A good example of this is il fine settimana. Here we’re not talking about “the end of the week,” by which we often mean Friday or Saturday, a specific moment in time, but rather “the weekend,” a period that lasts from, say, Friday afternoon until Sunday evening. That’s why Italian uses the masculine il fine settimana. It’s an interval of time. Of course, oggi come oggi (today, literally “today as today”), “weekend” has been adopted into Italian and lots of people just say buon weekend rather than buon fine settimana.
Questo è proprio un lungo weekend.
This is really a long weekend.
Un fine settimana lunghissimo.
A very long weekend.
Captions 33-34, Corso di italiano con Daniela - Orari di apertura e sistema scolastico
Play Caption
One useful expression that uses the masculine form of fine is andare a buon fine (literally: to go to a good ending, to be successful).
Bene, la prenotazione è andata a buon fine.
Good, the reservation was successful.
Caption 24, Marika spiega - Fare lo spelling
Play Caption
Another popular expression with the masculine form of fine is il lieto fine (the happy ending) when talking about stories. Note that the English translation, in this case, is “ending,” not “end.” When we are talking about the final phase of something, we generally use the masculine.
In genere, questi film romantici hanno un lieto fine.
In general, these romantic films have a happy ending.
Il fine can also correspond to the goal or the purpose. In this case, we use the masculine.
Al fine di permettere un'accelerazione del processo di compostaggio,
In order to enable the speeding up of the process of composting,
si cercherà di ridurre il materiale di grosse dimensioni
one will try to break down the larger pieces of material
da collocare nella compostiera.
to place in the composter.
Captions 25-26, Raccolta differenziata - Campagna di sensibilizzazione del Comune di Alliste (LE)
Play Caption
In English, we also use this sense of fine meaning “goal” sometimes: “to what end?” meaning “for what purpose?” or, “the end justifies the means.”
When referring to the end or conclusion of something, or the moment in which something ends, then the feminine is used. With the exception of the above-mentioned cases, most of the time, fine is feminine: la fine. You’ll find a great many examples if you do a Yabla search.
Le fettine così sottili com'è successo a me,
The really thin little slices, like what happened to me,
faranno un po' una brutta fine.
will come to a bad end.
Captions 42-43, Marika spiega - La Parmigiana di melanzane
Play Caption
In the Yabla search you will also see fine with no article at all. This is used when two nouns stand next to each other to express one idea, but are not attached, rather like fine settimana. In fact, many compound but detached words imitate “weekend” or fine settimana and are masculine, even when their actual meaning may also be interpreted as referring to completion, such as:
Fine corso (the end of a course, end of the line, as for a bus or train)
Fine anno (the last part of the year)
Fine stagione (end of season)
A fine pranzo and alla fine del pranzo are both correct. They mean almost the same thing (at the end of the midday meal), but fine pranzo, for all intents and purposes, is a compound word (or concept) whereas alla fine del pranzo uses prepositions and articles. They’re set up differently.
This detail can be handy, especially when you’re not sure whether to use la or il.
Quando ti devo pagare? -Fine mese.
When do I have to pay you? -End of month.
No need to say alla fine del mese (at the end of the month).
There is more to say about fine, especially since it has some ambiguities both as an adjective and as a preposition, so stay tuned!
Let’s talk about some other common Italian words containing written accents. In case you missed the lesson in which we started talking about accents, read it here.
The accent on the u at the end of più (more) tells us that the accent of the word doesn’t fall on the i, which is where it would naturally fall.
Più gli ingredienti sono freschi e più è buono.
The fresher the ingredients are, the better it is.
Caption 16, Andromeda - in - Storia del gelato
Play Caption
A similar-looking word is pio (pious) where the accent does fall on the i, and indeed there is no accent on any letter.
È pio, eh di, di nome e di fatto.
He's Pio [pious], uh in, in name and in fact.
Caption 48, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto
Play Caption
In the same manner, ciò (that, what) has an accent on the o to tell us the accent is not on the i where it would normally fall.
È uno che di fronte a una bella donna
He's someone who, faced with a beautiful woman,
si dimentica di ciò che è giusto e ciò che è sbagliato.
forgets what's right and what's wrong.
Caption 28, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu
Play Caption
All the days of the week except il sabato (Saturday) and la domenica (Sunday) have an accent on the i at the end: lunedì (Monday), martedì (Tuesday), mercoledì (Wednesday), giovedì (Thursday), venerdì (Friday). In fact, dì is another word for "day" (normally giorno).
Un bel dì vedremo.
One beautiful day we'll see.
Caption 13, Anna presenta - Madama butterfly di Giacomo Puccini
Play Caption
Without the accent on the i, it's di (of).
Eppure io non ho mai smesso né di aspettarlo né di amarlo.
Nonetheless I never ceased to wait for him or to love him.
Caption 11, Anna presenta - Madama butterfly di Giacomo Puccini
Play Caption
Similarly, da (of, from, to, at) has no accent, but when we conjugate the third person singular of the verb dare (to give), we use an accent to distinguish it from da: dà.
Invito Sigrid, una mia studentessa a farvelo sentire,
I invite Sigrid, a student of mine, to let you hear
in modo da mettere in evidenza appunto ogni sillaba
it in order to highlight, precisely each syllable
che dà il nome alle note.
that gives its name to the notes.
Captions 37-39, A scuola di musica - con Alessio
Play Caption
Remember that except for e, where the accent may be either grave (è) or acute (é) to distinguish between an open (è) or closed (é) e, all the accents will be “grave,” that is, going down from left to right (à, ì, ò, ù).
Try learning these words one by one, making the accent part of the word as you learn it. Needless to say, taking advantage of the Yabla games, from multiple choice to Scribe, will help you nail it.
In a recent video, Marika shows us the balcony of her apartment in Rome, so let’s talk about a couple of details concerning Italian life that come to the fore as she takes us around.
Il bucato (the laundry):
In the United States, there are laundry rooms in the basement of a house or apartment building, but this is rare in Italy. People have their own washing machines, usually in the kitchen, bathroom, or on the balcony.
Quando ho finito di usare la lavatrice
When I've finished using my washing machine
e devo stendere i miei panni,
and I need to hang out my laundry,
userò lo stendibiancheria, che è questo.
I'll use the drying rack, which is this one.
Captions 41-42, Marika spiega - Il balcone
Play Caption
Some people have dryers but most ordinary people don’t. That’s why Marika talks about the drying racks. You buy the one that suits the space you have. The weather is usually such that you can dry your clothes outside. Occasionally, you do need to put the drying racks inside because of inclement weather, or you can place a plastic tarp over the rack to keep the rain out. There are laundromats in town, so if the weather is too bad, you can dry your clothes at the laundromat. Laundry in Italy is something that takes a little thought and planning. Electricity costs less at night, on weekends, and on holidays, so people who want to save do their laundry on the weekend, or at night. Newer washing machines have timers so you can schedule the wash to start at an appropriate time. A load of wash takes a lot longer to finish than you may be used to. It’s not unusual for a cycle to take an hour and a half.
La raccolta differenziata (recycling):
We say “recycling” but actually, what raccolta differenziata (differentiated collection) actually means is separating our garbage into different types to be collected, thus the term “differentiated.” It’s a bit tricky for people who live in apartments.
Per fortuna anche qui, come in tanti posti del mondo,
Luckily, here too, as in many places in the world,
si fa la raccolta differenziata.
we do recycling.
Caption 17, Marika spiega - Il balcone
Play Caption
All the wrappers for food and other materials, usually made of plastic, but also including Tetra Paks and cans, go in one bin. Paper and cardboard go in another, glass in another, and most importantly, the wet stuff, usually food waste, goes in a separate container. What cannot be recycled in any way goes into the general, mixed garbage, or indifferenziata. We are encouraged to keep this type of waste to a bare minimum. Separating the different kinds of waste makes it much easier for the sanitation department workers to go through it and sort it further. Appropriate material will then be actually recycled. People who live outside the city, and have enough space, can get a bio-composter (usually free of charge) so they can recycle their own food and gardening refuse.
The European Parliament has set goals for reducing waste as far as possible. The method that has had the most success is what is called porta a porta (door to door) collection. Every day, a different kind of waste is picked up. At the outset, it costs more, but as it takes hold, people can actually save money.
Zanzariere (mosquito screens):
In the United States, most houses have screen doors and screens on the windows, but in Italy, this is a relatively recent phenomenon. There are all kinds of solutions, from screen curtains with magnets or velcro, to mosquito nets, to proper screens fitted into the windows and doors. They are usually the type that can be easily raised and lowered so people can air their bedspreads and pillows, and shake out their rugs, rags and dust mops from the windows.
Questa alle mie spalle si chiama zanzariera
This, behind me, is called mosquito netting [screen],
e serve per proteggermi dagli insetti.
and serves to protect me from insects.
Captions 6-7, Marika spiega - Il balcone
Play Caption
If you travel to Italy in the summer, it can be wise to make sure the hotel or Bed and Breakfast you are staying in has screens on the windows and French doors. It may not be a given.
Most of us have dealt with custodians at one time or another. They’re the ones who take care of a place, like a school, church, or museum. And while custode is a good bet for the equivalent of any kind of “guardian,” there are other words that are more specific.
When referring to someone as a “custodian,” Italians often do use il custode, especially in the realm of museums and such places, and may even use custode to refer to the more prestigious role of “curator.” The curator of a museum is often called il direttore. In the following example, it’s impossible to know the professional level of the custode in question.
Il custode del museo mi mostra due carrozze
The curator of the museum shows me two carriages,
restaurate di recente...
recently restored...
Caption 27, Dottor Pitrè - e le sue storie - Part 1
Play Caption
In referring to custodians, Italian also uses il guardiano (the guardian), or in schools, ilbidello or la bidella (the janitor) in addition to custode. In a Catholic church, on the other hand, a word similar to “sexton” or “sacristan” is used: il sagrestano or il sacrestano.
“Custody” in English often refers to divorce settlements. But when a parent is given custody of a child, then Italian employs l’affidamento, from the verb affidare (to entrust).
Suspects or criminals can be “taken into custody.” In this case, detenere is the verb meaning “to take into custody.” Once taken into custody they’re in detenzione. A prisoner is also known as un detenuto. “Detention” at school, after all, is a form of punishment, and “imprisons” the student after school hours.
So, we need only stretch our imagination very slightly to understand what custodire means.
In this week’s episode about Giuseppe Pitrè and Sicilian traditions, a couple of variations of custodire are used. Custodire is often used to refer to conserving or taking care of something. In Pitrè’s case, we’re talking about stories and traditions.
Il modo migliore di custodire la tradizione
The best way to preserve tradition
è quello di saperla adattare continuamente.
is to know how to adapt it, continually.
Caption 26, Dottor Pitrè - e le sue storie - Part 6
Play Caption
Il dato positivo di Pitrè è che, in fondo,
The positive fact about Pitrè is that, deep down,
ama questo popolo a cui dà voce,
he loves this populace to which he gives a voice,
da cui raccoglie racconti, testimonianze
whose stories and remembrances he gathers,
e in qualche modo le vuole custodire,
and somehow he wants to conserve them,
le vuole salvaguardare.
he wants to safeguard them.
Captions 30-32, Dottor Pitrè - e le sue storie - Part 6
Play Caption
The person who does the conserving can be called il custode (the custodian), as in the following example.
Ora, credo che Pitrè sia uno dei custodi della tradizione.
Now, I believe that Pitrè is one of the custodians of the tradition.
Caption 23, Dottor Pitrè - e le sue storie - Part 6
Play Caption
We can talk about conserving physical objects, too. Custodire is a verb often used in conjunction with works of art in museums, castles, and churches.
Nell'Auditorium comunale di Norcia,
In the Municipal Auditorium of Norcia,
... è custodita, invece, la bellissima pala d'altare.
... is housed, instead, the very beautiful altarpiece.
Captions 12-14, Itinerari Della Bellezza - Umbria
Play Caption
Someone who owns a musical instrument, or some other kind of precious or fragile object, will usually keep it in una custodia (a case).
Custodire and “custody,” with their various derivatives, stem from the Latin custos, meaning “the guard.” So it all makes a certain amount of sense, doesn’t it?
It’s interesting how a word in Latin or other ancient language evolves to mean different things in different languages. Finding the connections can be fun, all the time remembering that there may be a few false friends waiting around the corner.
Some of you may already have begun experimenting with the new Scribe game. Although Italian is relatively easy to pronounce and spell, there are a few typical stumbling blocks. Let's talk about one in particular.
Let's say you are playing Scribe. You feel like you've have written all the words correctly but the game doesn't let you go on to the next caption. It can be quite frustrating.
This often happens because you have neglected to insert an accent.
In English, we are not used to writing accents, but in Italian, it’s something we have to pay attention to whether we're playing Scribe or not. Be patient with yourselves. It's just something you have to learn little by little.
So where do we usually find these accents? If we know a bit more about them, we can be prepared for them in the Scribe game and elsewhere, so let's have a look.
Perhaps the most frequent error is the accent on the i of sì (yes). It certainly sounds about the same with or without the accent, and it’s not always easy to see. But if we omit the accent when writing, we can mean any number of other things, from the note si (B), to the personal pronoun si (himself/herself/itself). In the following example, the si with no accent is part of the reflexive verb allontanarsi (to leave).
Sì, non era la prima volta che
Yes, it wasn't the first time that
Giada si allontanava di casa senza avvertirmi.
Giada left home without letting me know.
Caption 49, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP10 - Un morto di troppo
Play Caption
In two-syllable words, the accent usually falls on the first syllable, so when that is not the case, there will generally be an accent on the second syllable to let us know.
Let’s take the word però (however, but). The accent is there to signal that the accent falls on the second syllable, a departure from the basic rule about accenting the first syllable. The accented version of the word però is the one you’ll usually see because it’s such a common word.
Sembra banale, però mi aiuta.
It seems banal, but it helps me.
Caption 35, Amiche - Filosofie
Play Caption
Però is one word you’ll use often in casual conversation. And with that long ò at the end, you can buy yourself some time while thinking of what to say next.
Without the accent, we’re talking about un pero (a pear tree)! Note that names of fruit trees frequently end in o (with no accent) whereas the fruit itself ends in a, like la pera (the pear), la mela (the apple), la ciliegia' (the cherry). A proposito (speaking of which), Marika explains this here and here.
We also have to pay attention to which way an accent is facing, but fortunately, this applies primarily to accents on “e.” On “o,” “ a,” “i,” and “u,” the accent is almost always “grave,” meaning down-facing from left to right. One of the most basic accents to remember is the grave accent on è, the third person conjugation of the basic verb essere (to be). This particular conjugation is extremely common, but for foreign ears, can easily be confused with e with no accent. Hearing and pronouncing the difference between e (and) and è (to be) is one thing, but writing it is another, so Scribe is a great chance to assimilate this aspect of Italian spelling.
Another important word that has an accent is perché (because, why). This is an acute or upward facing accent from left to right, which indicates a closed e. However you pronounce the é in perché, people will usually understand you, but if you’re writing, you need to get it right. Think of perché in its question form: why. The accent goes up (to the right), just like the inflection of a question.
The other place accents crop up is in the future tense. There will usually be an accent on the last vowel of the word in the first and third person singular. Let’s look at the irregular but very common verb venire (to come).
lui/lei verrà (he/she/it will come)
io verrò (I will come)
the verb andare (to go):
io andrò (I will go)
lui/lei andrà (he/she/it will go)
And essere (to be):
io sarò (I will be)
lui/lei sarà (he/she/it will be)
Be on the lookout for these accents when playing Scribe and when watching videos in general. You'll start to recognize them and become more comfortable with them sooner than you think.
See part 2 of this lesson here.
Even though Marika has talked about the particles ne and ci in her video lessons, actually using them in conversation takes some practice. Let’s have a quick look at a few examples in this week’s episode of Commissario Manara.
We often don’t even hear these particles, because we aren’t looking for them. In English, equivalents for them are often superfluous.
This one little word ne represents a preposition plus an indirect object. In the following example, Lara could have said much the same thing leaving out the ne, but using it is more precise. It’s the difference between “I’m sure” and “I’m sure of it.” But in Italian, the particle goes before the verb, as if it were “of it I’m sure.”
Comunque ne sono sicura, non si è uccisa.
Anyway, I'm sure of it. She didn't kill herself.
Caption 4, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP12 - Le verità nascoste
Play Caption
In the following example, we have ci in the first part, which represents "on the furniture" and then, ce ne. Ce represents “there (on the furniture)” and ne represents “of them” (the prints). Remember that when we have a direct object together with the indirect object ci, the ci changes to ce!
Se lei ci fosse salita sopra, sarebbero rimaste le impronte
If she had climbed up on it, the prints would have remained,
e invece non ce ne sono.
but there aren't any [of them].
Captions 8-9, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP12 - Le verità nascoste
Play Caption
In the following example, ci represents a noi (to us).
Senti, prima ho trovato il diario di Iolanda.
Listen, earlier I found Iolanda's diary.
Forse può esserci utile.
Maybe it could be useful to us.
Captions 17-18, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP12 - Le verità nascoste
Play Caption
Ci is complicated. It means different things in different contexts. So we will keep on talking about ci.
Practice:
The new Yabla feature, Scribe, is not just a game, even though you'll find it in the "Games" tab (orange button) in the lower right-hand corner of the Player video window. Playing Scribe can be a big help in getting accustomed to particles like ne and ci/ce, because in Scribe we have to try to write down what we hear. And once we start hearing these particles, it will be easier to start using them and putting them in the right place. Stay on the lookout for further information about how to make the most of Scribe to boost your Italian comprehension and spelling skills. Meanwhile, perché non farci un giro (why not give it a whirl)?
Daniela’s lesson this week explains how to form the conditional with verbs ending in “-are.” But endings notwithstanding, the first person plural of verbs will always have a single “m” in the future, and a double “m” in the conditional. So, aside from learning the conjugations, it’s important, as Daniela mentions, to be able to distinguish between -emo, and -emmo. Let’s focus for a moment on the first person plural of the future and the conditional. It’s a good chance to practice double “m’s.”
Here’s the future tense of potere (to be able to) and riuscire (to manage to), with one “m.” The narrator is about to show us some film clips, so it’s a sure thing.
In una serie di filmati, eh, nella... [sic] nel tempo di una pausa caffè,
In a series of film segments, uh, in the... in the time of a coffee break,
potremo vedere alcuni eh castelli, alcuni anfiteatri,
we'll be able to see some uh castles, some amphitheaters,
alcuni templi, della regione della Campania.
some temples, of the region of Campania.
In questo modo appunto riusciremo a parlare di tutte [sic] questi siti archeologici.
That way, we'll be able to talk about all of these archaeological sites.
Captions 9-12, Escursioni Campane - Castello Normanno
Play Caption
In the following example, we find the conditional, so in this case there are two “m’s.” Can you hear them? Try practicing the difference between potremo and potremmo!
Se ti invito a cena questa sera potremmo leggerli tutti.
If I invite you for supper tonight we could read all of them.
Caption 74, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto
Play Caption
Let’s look at some more examples. Try rolling them around on your tongue, making sure that the double “m” sits there a moment before pronouncing the “o.”
In the next examples, the meaning is clear. The autopsy is going to take place, so they will find out what they need to know. They use the future.
Se ci sono altre cose lo scopriremo dopo l'autopsia.
If there are other things, we'll find out after the autopsy.
-Qualcosa la sappiamo già adesso.
-We already know something right now.
Captions 20-21, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP4 - Le Lettere Di Leopardi
Play Caption
In the following example, chef Gualtiero Marchesi uses se (if) plus the subjunctive in one clause, and the conditional in the other. This is a classic combination.
Noi finiamo sempre con l'aggiungere delle cose che saranno anche buone,
We always end up adding things that may well be good,
ma se provassimo a [sic] approcciare il prodotto per il prodotto,
but if we tried approaching a product for the product itself,
credo che scopriremmo un mondo nuovo.
I think we'd discover a new world.
Captions 21-23, L'arte della cucina - Terre d'Acqua
Play Caption
For more about the conditional and subjunctive together see this lesson.
To hear more words in the future and conditional, look them up on a conjugation chart, at WordReference, for example, and then do a Yabla search of the conjugation you want to examine, so you can hear the verbs in context pronounced by Italians.
English speakers think of school when they hear the word “education.” But educazione in Italian usually means something a bit different. Check out what Italian words correspond to the English “education.” Istruzione is a common one. This sounds like “instruction,” so we can understand it well enough, although we usually think of instruction as in “instructions” for how to do something. Titolo di studio is another one. This is about what diplomas or degrees you have. Formazione is another. This refers to what one has been trained in. Gli studi corresponds to “studies,” and refers to the schools one has attended, and what someone has majored in, but English speakers can easily forget that educazione is more about upbringing, and teaching one’s children (or pets) to behave, than about going to school.
Here are some reminders from Yabla videos.
If you’ve been following La Tempesta, you know that Paolo, a Venetian unemployed wealthy factory-owner’s son has suddenly taken on, against his will, responsibility for his brother’s adopted son, an orphan from Russia. They are both having a rough time of it. The following comment (from this week’s new video) is from a meeting with the school principal after the kid got in a fight. They are not talking about book learning here.
Ma prima di metterlo in classe con i bambini normali,
But before putting him in a class with normal children,
bisognerebbe educarlo.
one should teach him some manners.
Captions 10-11, La Tempesta - film
Play Caption
In the following example, we’re talking about a dog. For Caterina, the dog is part of the family so she talks about him as if he were a person (with bad manners).
Sempre in giro a ficcanasare questo cagnazzo...
Always snooping around this old dog...
Lo devi scusare Malvina, è un gran maleducato...
You have to excuse him Malvina, he's really ill-mannered...
Captions 49-50, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva
Play Caption
In the following example, Manara has called his boss in the middle of the night for something he thought was molto importante and urgente. His boss didn’t appreciate it per niente (at all)!
Non si azzardi più a chiamarmi a quest'ora, maleducato!
Don't you dare call me again at this hour, how rude!
Caption 69, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde
Play Caption
In actual fact, his boss uses maleducato as a noun, as is common in Italian. Indeed, it’s a common insult to somebody who is not being polite. It implies that the person was brought up badly—maleducato—and therefore has no manners. The adjective “rude” in English gives the idea. “Disrespectful” could have worked, too.
P.S.
Male (evil, badly) is often used as a prefix, lending its "badness" to other words. It’s often truncated to mal. Male is both a noun and an adverb. Technically the adjective form is malo, as in: ha reagito in malo modo (he reacted in a bad way). But colloquially, people do say non è male to mean something’s not bad, even though male isn’t an adjective. A correct way to describe something as "not bad," would be with malvagio (wicked). These days, malvagio is usually used in the negative, to say “not bad,” in talking about something you’re eating or drinking, for example:
Non è malvagio questo vino (this wine isn't bad = it's drinkable).
Or a movie you’ve seen:
Quel film non era malvagio (that movie wasn't so bad).
Maledire (to curse someone, to wish someone ill)
Maldestro (maladroit, clumsy)
There are plenty more words with mal where these come from. Take out your dizionario!
|
To form a sentence, we need a subject and a verb. For the moment, let’s stick to the most normal kinds of subjects: nouns and pronouns.
At the beginning of the following example, it’s fairly easy to find the subject and verb:
Dixi uscì di casa leggero più di una piuma leggera,
Dixi left the house, lighter than a light feather
perché non aveva ancora fatto merenda.
because he had not yet had a snack.
Captions 3-4, Dixieland - Il singhiozzo
Play Caption
If we look at the second part of the sentence, however, we see the verb avere (to have) in its simple past tense aveva (had). But where is the equivalent of the pronoun “he” that we see in the English translation?
That’s one of the tricky things about learning Italian. The pronoun is included in the verb.
It can be hard to find the subject if we can't see it! How can we tell what the pronoun would be if we can’t see it? Conjugation tables help in finding out what person the verb is expressed in but we also have to get used to the fact that we "get" more than we "see."
Here are a few examples of how this works:
Ho (I have)
Hai (you have)
Ha (he, she, it has)
Abbiamo (we have)
Avete (you [plural] have)
Hanno (they have)
We can’t always know if the implied pronoun is masculine or feminine, because “he” and “she” have the same conjugation. We have to rely on previous information in the sentence or paragraph to know more precisely which it is. In the example above, the subject is Dixi, the flying elephant, who, for our purposes, is a male. Since we’ve already mentioned him by name at the beginning of the sentence, we don’t need to repeat it. Aveva means “he had.” But we could also say:
Dixi non aveva ancora fatto merenda (Dixi had not yet had a snack).
So, the verb is identical whether the noun is present or not. The noun will only be repeated if we want to emphasize that it’s Dixi, and not someone else.
By the same token, if we wanted to include a pronoun, we could. If we needed to stress “he,” we could say:
Lui non aveva ancora fatto merenda (he had not yet had a snack).
If Dixi were a female, we’d say:
Lei non aveva ancora fatto merenda (she had not yet had a snack).
So aveva could mean “he had,” “she had,” “it had,” or just “had.”
In the present tense, it can be tricky to perceive or use the verb avere (to have) or essere (to be) in the third person singular because they’re both such short words, and not only that: Ha (has, he has, she has, it has) is written with an H but that H is silent! So what are we left with? A lonely “Ah” sound. È (is, he is, she is, it is) is short, too, and you need to be careful to use an open “E.” Otherwise, without the grave accent, it means “and.”
So not only do these two verbs go by quickly, but the pronoun “he,” “she,” or “it” may also be hidden within it!
In the following example, we see that the subject of the paragraph is Villa Borghese. Once it has been mentioned by name, we don’t need to repeat it, as long as no other word gets in the way to cause confusion. We use a pronoun, just as we would in English, but it’s important to remember that in Italian, the pronoun is included in the verb itself, so we don’t see it. The second sentence uses the verb essere in the third person singular, and the third sentence uses avere in the third person singular.
Villa Borghese è un grandissimo parco.
Villa Borghese is a very large park.
È il più grande di Roma dopo
It's the biggest park of Rome after
Villa Doria Pamphilj e dopo Villa Ada.
Villa Doria Pamphilj and after Villa Ada.
Ha nove ingressi. Tutti diversi naturalmente.
It has nine entrances. All different obviously.
Captions 3-6, Anna presenta - Villa Borghese
Play Caption
In one of Daniela’s recent lessons, she covers an important modo di dire (figure of speech): stare per (to be about to).
Sto per cadere (I'm about to fall).
But let’s also take a closer look at the verb stare (to be). It’s so similar to essere (to be) and translates much the same way, but if we think of the word “state,” as in “the state of things,” so close in spelling to stare, it might help us see what this verb is about.
The state can be physical—how someone looks:
Anche tu, stai proprio bene.
You look really good, too.
-Grazie... però tu hai un volto molto riposato e...
-Thanks... but you have a very rested face [you look rested] and...
Captions 3-4, Anna e Marika - Villa Torlonia - La Casina delle Civette
Play Caption
Come sto con questo vestito?
How do I look in this dress?
It can be about how someone feels—about their state of health or happiness.
Come stai? How are you?
Sto bene (I’m good, I’m fine, I’m well, cured, healed).
Sta male. (He/she is ill, distraught, overtired, etc.)
Stare is often used in command forms that translate as “to be.”
Stai attento. Bene, bravo, bravo!
Be watchful [be careful]. Good, brilliant, brilliant!
Caption 36, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva - Part 6
Play Caption
Lara, io... -Stai zitta, non dire niente.
Lara, I... -Be quiet, don't say a thing.
Caption 1, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP4 - Le Lettere Di Leopardi - Part 13
Play Caption
We use stare for other commands like:
Stai tranquillo (be in a state of tranquillity [don’t worry])
Stai fermo (be still)
Stai qui (stay here)
We also use stare to construct the presente progressivo (present continuous/progressive) in Italian. We conjugate the verb stare and follow it with the gerundio (gerund) of the verb of our choosing.
Stiamo cercando di risalire al proprietario
We're trying to trace the owner
attraverso il numero del telaio.
through the chassis serial number.
Caption 50, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva - Part 7
Play Caption
'Sto [questo] posto mi sta distruggendo.
This place is destroying me.
Caption 6, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva - Part 7
Play Caption
Although Italian tenses don’t always correspond to English ones as we would expect, the present progressive is an important tense in Italian. Marika explains it here.
Practice:
Stare is an ever-present, very important verb to be familiar with. When you get up in the morning, think about how you feel, how you look, what you’re doing at the moment, and what you are about to do. You can use stare for all these considerations. Here’s an example to get you started.
Ho dormito bene, quindi sto abbastanza bene, ma di sicuro non sto bene con i capelli così in disordine. Sto pensando alla mia colazione. Sto per mangiare gli ultimi biscotti, quindi ne dovrò comprare degli altri. Tutti questi biscotti mi stanno facendo ingrassare.
I slept well, so I feel all right, but for sure I don’t look good with my hair so messy. I’m thinking about my breakfast. I’m about to eat up the last cookies, so I will have to buy more of them. All these cookies are making me gain weight.
Parecchio, molto
No, papà è che c'ho parecchio lavoro da fare,
No, Dad, it's that I have quite a lot of work to do;
sono un po' sotto pressione.
I'm under a bit of pressure.
Caption 17, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP11 - Beato tra le donne
Play Caption
Parecchio might be less familiar to you than molto.
Ho molto lavoro (I have a lot of work).
Like molto, parecchio is used as an adjective and in this case has different endings depending on whether it modifies a masculine or feminine noun and depending on whether it’s plural or singular.
Il lavoro is masculine, so it’s parecchio lavoro or molto lavoro.
Ci sono parecchie cose strane.
There are a lot of strange things.
Caption 72, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto
Play Caption
La cosa is feminine and it’s plural, so we say parecchie cose or molte cose.
But like molto, parecchio is also an adverb. In the following example, parecchio could easily replace molto.
Mi piace molto il posto e poi ho ritrovato vecchi amici
I like the place a lot and then I met up with old friends
e la zia è deliziosa come sempre.
and Aunt is charming as always.
Captions 13-14, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP11 - Beato tra le donne
Play Caption
Un sacco
Un sacco is quite colloquial, as is “bunch!” Sacco translates as “bag,” or “sack," so imagine a big bag of something!
Non fare questa faccia, vedrai che ti farai un sacco di amici.
Don't make that face. You'll see that you'll make a bunch of friends.
Caption 10, La Tempesta - film
Play Caption
Guarda che ti faranno un sacco di domande, eh.
Look, they will ask you a bunch of questions, huh.
Caption 46, Provaci ancora prof! - S2EP2 Una mina vagante
Play Caption
Eh, ma cosa potrà mangiare questo povero bambino?
Yeah, but what can this poor child eat?
E un sacco di cose... polenta, -Riso. -riso.
A bunch of things... cornmeal, -Rice. -rice.
Captions 5-6, Un medico in famiglia Stagione - 3 S3EP3 - Il tarlo del sospetto
Play Caption
We might also translate un sacco here as "plenty."
Tanto
Tanto is another word for a lot. Like the other words above, it can be used as an adjective:
E... insomma, dopo un tempo che in quel momento
And... in short, after a time, which in that moment
non sapevo stimare se era tanto o poco.
I couldn't assess whether it was a lot or a little.
Captions 54-55, Anna presenta - Il mio parto
Play Caption
Certo che firmo per la barella, non avevo tanta scelta.
Of course I'll sign for a gurney. I didn't have much choice.
Caption 33, Anna presenta - Il mio parto
Play Caption
Tanto can be used as an adverb as well.
Non andavo tanto veloce, ma mi hanno fatto la multa.
I wasn’t going very fast, but they gave me a ticket.
It’s always good to know several different ways to say something. Variety is the spice of life!
Daniela has taken us through different kinds of verbs and how they interact with verbs in the infinitive.
Here’s a quick overview so you can get up to speed.
She started out by explaining modal verbs and other verbs that work like modal verbs. These verbs don’t need any preposition between the conjugated (modal) verb and the verb in the infinitive. See: Corso di italiano con Daniela - Verbo + Verbo all'infinito and following. Here’s an example.
Non posso andare al cinema stasera. Devo studiare.
I can’t go to the movies tonight. I have to study.
She then gave us some examples of verbs that take the preposition di (of) between the conjugated verb and the verb in the infinitive. See Corso di italiano con Daniela - Verbo + Verbo all'infinito +preposizione “di”
Ho deciso di andare al cinema da sola. Ho dimenticato di ritirare dei soldi al bancomat.
I decided to go to the movies alone. I forgot to get some money at the ATM machine.
In her most recent lessons, she has talked about verbs that take the preposition a (to) between the conjugated verb and the verb in the infinitive. See Corso di italiano con Daniela - Verbo + verbo all'infinito + preposizione “a”
Se non ho gli occhiali, non riesco a leggere.
If I don't have glasses I can't manage to read.
Caption 19, Corso di italiano con Daniela - Verbo + verbo all'infinito + preposizione A
Play Caption
Daniela talks about several verbs in this context but let’s take a closer look at the verb riuscire because, although commonly used in Italian, it can be tricky to translate and has some important nuances.
Riuscire means “to succeed.” In the following example, it makes sense to us.
Sono riuscito a convincerlo della mia innocenza.
I succeeded in convincing him of my innocence.
But Daniela’s example above would sound a bit stilted with the verb “to succeed”:
If I don't have my glasses on, I don't succeed in reading.
In English, we would likely use the modal verb “to be able” or “to manage.”
I can’t read without my glasses.
I’m unable to read without my glasses.
I can’t manage to read without my glasses.
Remember this saying when thinking about the verb riuscire: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”
Non riesco (I can’t) implies that I am trying, but I’m not succeeding. Non posso (I can’t) on the other hand, could mean any number of things having to do with permission, ability, money, etc. So riuscire (to succeed) is a bit more specific than potere (to be able to).
Riesci a inquadrarla? -Sì.
Are you able to get a shot of it? -Yes.
Caption 22, Anna e Marika - Hostaria Antica Roma
Play Caption
You could use the verb “to succeed” here, but it would sound a bit odd in conversation.
Are you succeeding in getting a shot of it?
Will you succeed in getting a shot of it?
Here’s another example:
...e poi, quando riuscivamo [ad] avere
...and then, when we succeeded in having
due lire,
two liras [a couple of dollars],
Caption 13, L'arte della cucina - La Prima Identitá
Play Caption
We could also say, “when we were able to get a hold of two liras...” or “when we managed to get a hold of two liras...”
In the negative, riuscire can be used for saying “I give up.”
Non ci riesco (I am not succeeding in it/I can’t manage it).
The ci here refers to “in it,” or “at it.”
But using riuscire in the negative implies that you gave something a try. If you say non posso, we don't know anything about why you can't. Your mother won’t let you? You don’t know how? It’s against your religion? Riuscire, on the other hand, implies you are willing, but unable.
Riuscire is one of those verbs you might not use immediately while learning Italian because it’s easier to use potere (to be able to). Understanding how Italians use riuscire is handy, however, and once you are accustomed to hearing and reading it, you will probably start using it, too!
Marika uses riuscire in her presentation of Yabla. Her advice is sound!
Se invece non ci riesci, non ti preoccupare, ti devi solo allenare.
If you don't succeed, don't worry, you just need to practice.
Caption 36, Yabla-Intro - Marika
Play Caption
This lesson looks at some colloquial expressions from the last segment of Stai lontana da me, a romantic comedy.
When asking for confirmation of what you have said, here’s one way:
Dico bene, tesoro?
Am I saying it well [am I right/am I telling like it is], dear?
Caption 31, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
Play Caption
The prefix ri is similar to “re” in English: it's used to repeat something:
No, hai ridetto Monica.
No, you re-said "Monica" [you said "Monica" again].
Caption 50, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
Play Caption
Niente di niente is colloquial but used quite a bit in everyday speech. In fact, there are two instances in this segment. We can translate it colloquially: “no nothing,” or, in correct English: “nothing at all.”
E, in due anni, zero litigate.
And in two years, no fights.
-Niente di niente, è un vero paradiso.
-No nothing, it's true paradise.
Caption 55, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
Play Caption
E poi a Sara non è successo più un incidente.
And then Sara hasn't had any more accidents.
-No, no, niente di niente.
-No, no, nothing at all.
Caption 70, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
Play Caption
Stra is a prefix meaning “extra” or “over.” It’s used quite a bit to mean “super” or “mega” in colloquial speech, although there are more mainstream words with this prefix, such as stravecchio (very mature or old), stracotto (as an adjective, “very well-cooked”; as a noun, “meat stewed a long time”), stravedere (to think the world of), straviziare (to overindulge).
Jacopo’s client used very colloquial speech:
...Cioè perché stra-pesante, cioè una noia totale.
...That is, because super heavy duty, that is, a total bore.
Caption 57, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
Play Caption
His use of cioè (that is) is very close in meaning to "I mean," in English, which some people sprinkle throughout their speech. Ciò is one of those words that in the beginning was two separate ones: ciò (this that) and è (is).
Quasi quasi literally means “almost almost.”
Quasi quasi non ci lasciavamo.
We almost didn't break up.
-Ciccì, cicciò, due palle, dottore.
-All that lovey-dovey, what a downer, Doctor,
A noi ci piaceva litigare.
we liked fighting.
Captions 58-59, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
Play Caption
Some alternative translations:
We were seriously thinking of not breaking up.
We were of a mind not to break up.
Here’s an expression to justify asking someone a question. Most Italians know this expression or saying, and some use it automatically. In English, we might say, “There’s no harm in asking.”
E poi domandare è lecito e rispondere è cortesia.
Besides, asking is allowed and answering is polite.
Caption 64, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
Play Caption
Object pronouns can be very tricky to use because there isn’t just one way to construct a phrase. Especially when dealing with modal verbs, which go hand in hand with infinitives, the object pronoun can go either before the conjugated verb or after the infinitive. The trick is that, as we shall see, the pronoun actually gets attached to the infinitive, which loses its final e.
Let's look at an example.
Here, the object pronoun comes just before the conjugated verb volere, which is modal.
Possiamo dire: ho comprato un'auto nuova. La vuoi vedere?
We can say, "I bought a new car. Do you want to see it?"
Captions 58-60, Marika spiega - I pronomi diretti
Play Caption
Here, on the other hand, the object pronoun not only follows the infinitive, it's attached to it. In order to attach it, the final e of the infinitive vedere is omitted.
Oppure: ho comprato un'auto nuova. Vuoi vederla?
Or else, "I bought a new car. Do you want to see it?"
Captions 61-62, Marika spiega - I pronomi diretti
Play Caption
Practice:
There are several pieces of dialogue in a recent episode of Commisario Manara that lend themselves to having their word order changed as explained above. Why not give it a try, and consult the solutions at the bottom of the page to check your answers. If this is new to you, then go right to the solutions, and see how they differ from the examples.
First, find the elements: the conjugated verb (likely modal), the infinitive verb, and the object pronoun. The next step is to rephrase the sentence, changing the position of the pronoun.
1)
Eh, me lo potevi dire anche domani in ufficio, no?
Uh, you could have told me that at the office tomorrow, couldn't you?
Caption 5, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP11 - Beato tra le donne
Play Caption
2)
Hai detto delle cose bellissime. Non scordarle. Funzionano.
You said some very beautiful things. Don't forget them. They work.
Captions 27-28, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP11 - Beato tra le donne
Play Caption
3)
Però non voglio, io non voglio perderti.
However, I don't want, I don't want to lose you.
Caption 11, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP11 - Beato tra le donne
Play Caption
4/5)
Lasciami lavorare.
Let me work on it.
Appena ho i risultati, te li vengo a riferire.
As soon as I have the results, I'll come to report them to you.
Caption 22, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP11 - Beato tra le donne
Play Caption
6)
Va be', buona notte e scusami tanto per prima, eh.
All right, good night, and sorry for before.
-Non devi scusarti.
-You don't have to apologize.
Captions 25-26, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP11 - Beato tra le donne
Play Caption
7/8)
E di che cosa mi volevi parlare?
And what did you want to talk to me about?
Ti volevo parlare di una situazione finanziaria.
I wanted to talk to you about a financial situation.
Captions 36-37, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP11 - Beato tra le donne
Play Caption
Here are the examples and their solutions, for a quick comparison.
1)
Eh, me lo potevi dire anche domani in ufficio, no?
Eh, potevi dirmelo anche domani in ufficio, no?2)
Hai detto delle cose bellissime. Non scordarle. Funzionano.
Hai detto delle cose bellissime. Non le scordare. Funzionano.3)
Però non voglio, io non voglio perderti.
Però non voglio, io non ti voglio perdere.4)
Lasciami lavorare.
Mi lasci lavorare?5)
Lasciami lavorare. Appena ho i risultati, te li vengo a riferire.
Lasciami lavorare. Appena ho i risultati, vengo a riferirteli.6)
Va be', buona notte e scusami tanto per prima, eh. -Non devi scusarti.
Va be', buona notte e scusami tanto per prima, eh. -Non ti devi scusare.7)
E di che cosa mi volevi parlare?
E di che cosa volevi parlarmi?8)
Ti volevo parlare di una situazione finanziaria.
Volevo parlarti di una situazione finanziaria.
Don't forget to read the examples out loud to see how they feel!
As you follow this and other videos, and as you start speaking in Italian, hopefully, you'll start to feel comfortable with these different word order options.You’ll start noticing these constructions in most videos you look at.
Spanish
French
German
Chinese
English
English 
Español
Français
Deutsch
Italiano