Knowing how to divide words by syllables is a bit different in every language. These days word processors avoid the problem by making everything fit without having to divide the words at all. But word processors can get it wrong, and there are times when we really do need to know how to divide a word at the end of a line before hitting the "return" key, and Marika lays out some clear-cut rules for us.
E quindi, per andare a capo, cioè nella riga successiva,
And so, to start a new line, that is, on the next line,
bisogna seguire queste regole.
one needs to follow these rules.
Captions 35-36, Marika spiega - La divisione in sillabe
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Please see both part one and part two of Marika's video lessons to get all the information you need about dividing words into syllables.
And, just like in English, Italian uses punctuation terms as metaphors. Punto (period) indicates that there will be no further discussion!
Pensavo che stessimo lavorando insieme a quest'indagine.
I thought we were working together on this investigation.
Infatti ci stiamo lavorando insieme
In fact, we are working together,
però di Ginevra me ne occupo io, punto.
but I will take care of Ginevra, period.
Captions 20-21, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu - Part 6
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When we’re working on something and reach an impasse, we frequently have to start over. We start from scratch, we go back to square one, we go back to the drawing board. Having to start over happens quite frequently in criminal investigations, and Commissario Manara is no exception.
In one case, Luca uses an idiomatic expression/punctuation metaphor for this. In dictation, to indicate a new paragrafo (paragraph) or a new line, the term is punto e a capo (period, new line/paragraph).
Se la confessione di Perrone è vera, non abbiamo niente in mano.
If Perrone's confession is true, we're left with nothing in hand.
E siamo punto e a capo.
And we're back to square one.
Captions 5-6, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro - Part 16
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Here’s another way to say the same thing:
Già! E noi siamo di nuovo al punto di partenza.
Yeah! And we're back to the starting point [square one] again.
Caption 22, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde - Part 8
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In yet another episode, Luca seems to be losing patience with a witness or suspect, and uses daccapo to mean “from the beginning.” He could have said da capo just as easily, but it’s often used as a single word with a double c, originating from (and meaning the same as) da capo (from the beginning). Da capo is also used universally in music to indicate a repeat of the beginning of a piece.
Allora, ricominciamo daccapo, va!
So, let's start over again from the beginning, come on!
Com'è andata?
What happened?
Captions 4-5, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro - Part 15
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Check out punto (point) and capo (head) on WordReference.com for their various meanings and sfumature (nuances), and see this Yabla lesson about “Getting to the Point.”
We use the term verbo pronominale (pronominal verb) to describe long verbs like prendersela, in which pronoun particles are added on to the original verb (prendere in this case). But let’s take a closer look at what verbi pronominali (pronominal verbs) are all about.
Pronominale (pronominal) means “relating to or playing the part of a pronoun.” In Italian, un verbo pronominale (a pronominal verb) is one that has a special meaning when used together with one or two particular pronominal particelle (particles).
Grammatically speaking, a particle is simply a small word of functional or relational use, such as an article, preposition, or conjunction.
So we have a normal verb, which, when used together with certain particles, has a distinct meaning that is often, but not necessarily, related to the meaning of the original verb.
Technically, reflexive verbs can also be considered pronominal verbs because in effect, the verb is used together with a particle like the si (oneself) in alzarsi (to get up). But these verbs are a special case and not usually called “pronominal,” since they are already called “reflexive.” Learn more about reflexive verbs here.
Verbs can combine with one or two particles. The particles used to make up a pronominal verb are:
la (it)
le (them)
ne (of it, of them, from it, from them)
ci (of it, about it)
Note that La and le are direct object pronouns while ci and ne are indirect object pronouns and therefore include a preposition and an object in the one particle.
As mentioned in a previous lesson, a pronominal verb in its infinitive form has all the particles attached to it, but when used in a sentence, the pieces may be partially or totally detached, and hence a bit more difficult to locate.
Pronominal verbs may be made up of one verb plus one pronoun particle:
smetterla (to quit doing something): smettere (to quit) + la (it)
darle (to give them, to give a spanking [idiom]): dare (to give) + le (them)
farne (to do something with something): fare (to do, to make) + ne (of it, of them)
capirci (to understand [about] something): capire (to understand) + ci (of it)
Sì, ma lo sai che è la prima volta
Yes, but you know it's the first time
che in un delitto non ci capisco niente neanche io? -Hm.
that in a murder I don't understand anything about it either? -Hm.
Captions 45-46, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu
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Pronominal verbs may also be made up of one verb plus two pronoun particles (which combine with each other).
The particle ci can be combined with a second pronoun particle, such as -la or -ne, but, as we have mentioned before, ci becomes ce when combined with another pronoun particle. Therefore we have, -cela, -cene; NOT -cila, -cine.
avercela [con qualcuno] (to have it in [for somebody], to feel resentful [towards somone]) avere + ci + la
farcela (to make it, to succeed) fare + ci + la
Ce la faccio, ce la faccio, ce la faccio.
"I can do it, I can do it, I can do it."
Caption 60, Dixieland - La magia di Tribo
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Since the feminine is so often used in pronominal verbs, especially in idiomatic expressions, we can think of la (it) as standing for una cosa (something, that thing), la vita (life), la faccenda (the matter), or la situazione (the situation).
Exactly why a feminine pronoun is used in so many expressions with pronominal verbs is not cut-and-dried, and there is no quick answer. If you’re insatiably curious, check out this passage from an online book about the question (in Italian).
Pronominal verbs may be made up of one reflexive verb (which uses the particle si in the infinitive) plus a second pronoun particle such as those mentioned above: la, le, ne, or ci.
Prendersela (to get angry, to get offended, to get upset)
Fregarsene (to not care at all about something [colloquial])
Mettercisi (to put [time] into something)
In the following example, we have the pronominal verb accorgersene (to notice something, to realize something, to become aware of something). The basic (reflexive) verb is accorgersi (to notice), but the object pronoun particle ne is added as an indirect object pronoun.
Ma non è tutto lì.
But that's not all of it.
Forse la differenza ha radici più profonde.
Perhaps the difference has deeper roots.
E te ne accorgi solo quando accade.
And you only notice it when it happens.
Captions 32-34, L'oro di Scampia - film - Part 11
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In a Yabla video, Marika talks about the verb prendere (to take) and some of the expressions associated with it. Prendere is much like the English all-purpose verbs “to get” and “to have,” thus not easily taken care of with a cut-and-dried one-word translation.
One of the trickier expressions she mentions is prendersela (to get upset, to blame it [on someone], to take it personally, to take it to heart, to take it out on, to let it get to you, to take offense). Its precise meaning changes according to context. This kind of verb that contains pronouns (that when conjugated split up) is called un verbo pronominale (a pronominal verb--a verb with pronouns). More about pronominal verbs here.
But let’s take this phrasal compound verb apart to understand it better in grammatical terms.
Prendere is the infinitive of the verb.
+Se (to oneself) indicates that it’s the reflexive form, prendersi. Note that to form the reflexive infinitive of a verb, we take the e off the end and add si, but if we also have a direct object pronoun in the phrase, we use se in place of si.
+La (it) is the direct object pronoun.
=to take it onto oneself
=Prendere la seItalian inverts the indirect and direct object pronouns and connects it all together into one word: prendersela.
When we use prendersela in a sentence, we sometimes have to go hunting for the pieces because the word order might change, and prendersela will in some cases be broken up into its three elements, depending on person, tense, number, negative, imperative or question forms, and the presence of modifiers and other words.
Prendere can be the conjugated verb:
Me la prendo con te perché non fai attenzione.
I get upset with you because you’re not careful.
But more often than not, it’s used in tenses where the conjugated verb is essere (to be), as in the following example, where prendere ends up as a past participle.
"Me la sono presa con quella persona."
"I got angry at that person."
Caption 13, Marika spiega - Il verbo prendere
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In the following example, there is a negative imperative, which we form with non (not) plus the infinitive of the verb in question. In this case, it’s common to place the reflexive pronoun first, thus breaking up the compound word, and saving the infinitive for the end.
Non te la prendere, ma
Don't feel bad, but
quando sto male preferisco rimanere da solo.
when I feel sick, I prefer to be by myself.
Captions 12-13, La Ladra - EP. 7 - Il piccolo ladro
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"Dai, non te la prendere."
"Come on, don't be upset."
Caption 16, Marika spiega - Il verbo prendere
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It would not be wrong to say:
Dai, non prendertela.
Come on, don't get upset.
Just for fun:
La torta è uscita storta dal forno, e mi sono arrabbiata.
The cake came out of the oven lopsided, and I got mad.
Ma non me la potevo prendere con nessuno.
But I couldn’t blame it on anyone.
Me la sono presa solo con me stessa, perché era colpa mia.
I only blamed myself, because it was my fault.
Perché te la sei presa? Io non t’ho fatto niente, quindi non te la prendere con me!
Why did you take it personally? I didn’t do anything to you, so don’t take it out on me!
Non me la sono presa con te, me la sono presa e basta.
I’m not mad at you, I’m just upset.
Using prendersela in a sentence can be somewhat of a challenge, so... non te la prendere se non ci riesci subito (don’t get upset if you don’t succeed at it right away)!
This week Dixi is attempting to ride a bicycle.
Non c'è due senza tre.
There can't be two without three [good/bad things come in threes].
-Riproviamo?
-Shall we try again?
Caption 28, Dixieland - In bicicletta
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Three is often seen as a magic number, and the above expression is the way Italians express this. It can mean that if two bad things happen, one more will happen to make three, and the same can hold true for good things. Still another way the phrase can be interpreted is “third time’s a charm,” so it’s important not to stop after two. In fact, on the third try, Dixi does manage to stay on his little bicycle.
A related expression with numbers comes to mind that has to do with making that extra little effort at the end of something you’ve worked so hard on. It has to do with going that extra mile. It means going all the way and then some:
Abbiamo fatto trenta, facciamo trentuno.
We’ve done thirty; let’s do thirty-one.
Meanwhile, Dixi is not perfectly in control of his bike:
Attenzione! Pista!
Careful! Track [coming through]!
Caption 10, Dixieland - In bicicletta
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Pista means track, racetrack, runway, skating rink, dance floor, path or trail. If you hear someone yelling pista, it basically means they “have” the track, so you should get out of the way and in a hurry. It’s not considered impolite, but more about safety.
A proposito di sicurezza (speaking of safety), there are more and more bike paths cropping up in Italy.
E vicino al lungomare ci sta una pista ciclabile.
And next to the promenade there is a bike path.
Caption 44, Antonio - racconta Praia a Mare
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In their work, Lara and Luca use pista to indicate the track they’re on in the investigation, or the lead they’re following.
E che pista seguiamo?
And which track are we following?
Caption 25, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero
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When you’ve undertaken something, you’re off and running, like in a race.
Sono in pista!
I’m off!
Per dire is a common expression. It has different variations, with different sfumature, but this is perhaps it's most synthetic variant. It's as if the speaker were saying per esempio (for example), or "let's say..." In both cases, it's practically a stand-alone expression that gets inserted in a sentence with a comma or an ellipsis.
Per dire, io prendo la pastiera napoletana,
Let's say I take the Neapolitan Pastiera:
all'interno c'è il grano, simbolo di ricchezza.
inside there's wheat, symbol of wealth.
Captions 33-34, Susanna Cutini - Dolci delle tradizioni di Pasqua
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Literally, per dire means "in order to say." Perhaps the best way to think of it is "for the sake of argument." We might even simply use "say," as in "suppose."
Let's take, say, a Neapolitan pastiera...
Suppose I take the Neapolitan pastiera...
We're primarily talking about a hypothetical example, which may or may not actually be a true-life example. Susanna's example about her grandfather happened to be true, but she was using it as an example.
Perché a Pasqua lui doveva avere lo zafferano
Because at Easter, he had to have saffron
per fare le panine pasquali. Per dire...
to make the Easter breads. Just as an example...
Captions 82-83, Susanna Cutini - Dolci delle tradizioni di Pasqua
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The useful expression fare a meno (to do without) comes up in a recent installment of L'Arte della Cucina:
L'armonia non può fare a meno dei contrasti,
Harmony can't do without contrasts,
che possono essere numerosi.
which may be numerous.
Caption 14, L'arte della cucina - La Prima Identitá
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Let's take a look at each separate word.
Fare means "to make" or "to do" (see this lesson about fare).
A is a preposition meaning any number of things, mostly "at," "to," or "in," but not specifically "with," so we need to stretch our imaginations a bit, and accept the fact that prepositions don't always correspond.
Meno has a couple of different meanings, including "minus," which in this case, makes sense.
At the same time, let's not forget that the most common translation for meno is "less," or, when there's an article in front of it, "least":
a meno che (unless)
almeno (at least)
See WordReference, for more about fare a meno.
In a recent episode of Dixiland, there's an interesting expression: tale e quale.
O forse l'autoritratto di Lolalù?
Or maybe the self-portrait by Lolalù?
"Tale e quale, Lolalù."
"Exactly like Lolalù."
Captions 43-44, Dixiland - Coppa di cioccolato
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If we take the expression apart, we have two principal words. Tale has a long list of definitions and translations. It can mean, as a noun, "that person," or as an adjective, "certain," "similar," "aforementioned," and more. Quale (which) has some different sfumature (nuances), but it mostly means "which," or "which one."
In English, we might also say "the spitting image of Lolalù." "To spit" in Italian is sputare, and in fact, sputare is also used to say pretty much the same thing: sputato a Lolalù. Tale e quale is probably easier to remember and easier to say!
Merely connecting these words together with e (and) doesn't make a whole lot of sense, so it's best to think of tale e quale as an idiomatic expression, a compound adjective, you might call it, meaning "exactly the same."
E a noi napoletani ci fa diventare tali e quali ai milanesi.
And she makes us Neapolitans become exactly like Milanese.
Caption 58, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP1 - Part 6
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Attenzione! In buying and selling, you might find this (without the conjunction): tale quale, which means "as is."
Just for fun:
Non potevo fare a meno di andare dal parrucchiere. I miei capelli erano troppo disordinati. Appena sono entrata, il parrucchiere m’ha detto: “siediti pure, ho quasi finito.” Poi ha preso in mano un phon per asciugare i capelli di un altro cliente. Devo dire che quell' asciugacapelli era tale e quale al mio. Uguale uguale!... A meno che non fosse proprio il mio, rubato da lui. Sto scherzando... figuriamoci! Avrei fatto a meno della musica che era troppo forte, ma almeno mi ha pettinato molto bene, e in fretta. Dopo, non potevo fare a meno di mangiare un bel gelato.
I couldn't do without going to the hairdresser's. My hair was too messy. As soon as I went in, the hairdresser said, "Go ahead and have a seat. I'm almost finished." Then he took the blow dryer to dry another client's hair. I have to say that that hair dryer was exactly like mine. The same, identical!... Unless it really was mine, stolen by him. I'm kidding... no way! I could have done without the music, which was too loud, but at least he styled my hair nicely, and quickly. Afterwards, I couldn't have done without having a nice ice cream cone.
In English we use the term "dozens and dozens" to indicate a rather large amount. Dozzina (dozen) certainly exists in Italian, but more often than not, Italian sticks to the metric system. Dieci is precisely ten. Una decina is around ten. Venti is twenty precisely, but poche decine is a few times "about ten" (poche is the plural for poco, therefore meaning "a few," as in a few dozen), so it could mean a quantity anywhere between about eighteen to thirty or even more.
Molte famiglie hanno degli ulivi di loro proprietà.
Many families have olive trees of their own.
Una decina, poche decine, fino a degli uliveti grandi.
Ten odd, twenty odd, up to large olive groves.
Captions 2-3, L'olio extravergine di oliva - Il frantoio
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Marika explains about approximate numbers in Italian:
Se io dico che per strada ho visto una cinquantina di alberi,
If I say that on the road I saw fifty-odd trees,
non vuol dire che io ho visto cinquanta alberi,
it doesn't mean that I saw fifty trees,
quindi esattamente cinquanta,
and therefore exactly fifty,
ma che ho visto all'incirca cinquanta.
but that I saw around fifty.
Captions 35-37, Marika spiega - Numeri moltiplicativi, distributivi
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There's a unit of weight that's no longer officially used, but which is actually extremely common in Italy, especially when referring to agricultural products. Un quintale (a quintal) is simply the equivalent of one hundred kilos. Alessio talks about the weight of olives compared to the weight of the resulting oil.
Un quintale sono cento chili e la resa...
A quintal is one hundred kilos, and the yield...
Caption 44, L'olio extravergine di oliva - Il frantoio
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Although un quintale is considerably less than a ton, it's commonly used to indicate something very heavy, just as when we say, "This thing weighs a ton!" Questo pesa un quintale!
When you don't have un metro (a tape measure, a yardstick) handy, you use alternative measuring devices. Italians often use their arms and legs to give approximate measurements. A man's stride will be around a meter. Le dita (fingers) are used to indicate how much water to put in a pot, how much wine to pour in a glass, or the thickness of a piece of meat or something similar, as in the following example.
Comunque, alta due belle dita,
In any case, two fingers (an inch) thick,
e fatta cucinare nel burro.
and cooked in butter.
Captions 13-14, L'arte della cucina - L'Epoca delle Piccole Rivoluzioni
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There are lots of ways to talk about weights and measures. As you progress with Italian, you'll undoubtedly incorporate some of these odd ways of measuring into your everyday conversation.
Saying something doesn’t matter is a little like saying it’s not important. This can be helpful when examining one way to say “it doesn’t matter” in Italian. The adjective “important“ has an Italian cognate, importante—easy enough—but importare (to matter, to be important) is the original verb. In fact, the third person singular of the intransitive verb importare is used in the negative when something doesn’t matter: non importa! It’s a great little phrase, because there’s an impersonal subject (hidden in the third person singular conjugation of the verb) just like in English: it doesn’t matter. It just works, and is easy to say (give or take the “r” which some English speakers have trouble with). Add a little shrug of your shoulders, and you’ll fit right in!
Che non importa ciò che dice la gente.
And it doesn't matter what people say.
Caption 12, Tiziano Ferro - Il regalo più grande
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Importare can also be used reflexively (but here it gets more complex and much more personal) as in non m’importa (I don’t care, it’s not important to me), non t’importa niente di me (you don’t care about me at all, I’m not important to you), or non m’importa niente (I don’t care at all). For some great examples, do a search of importa in Yabla videos.
There’s also the question, “What does it matter?” Che importa?
Che importa se questo è il momento in cui tutto
What does it matter if this is the moment in which everything
comincia e finisce?
begins and ends?
Captions 12-13, Neffa - Passione - Part 1
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Another easy way to say something doesn’t matter is fa niente, or non fa niente (remember that Italian thrives on double negatives!). In this case the verb fare (to make, to do) is used. We need to stretch our imaginations a bit to find a viable word-by-word translation. Something like: it doesn’t make a difference, no big deal!
Va bene, non fa niente.
All right, it doesn't matter.
Focalizziamoci sulla lezione di oggi.
Let's focus on today's lesson.
Captions 4-5, Marika spiega - La forma impersonale
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Learning Italian does matter!
Avere a che fare con, which we discussed in a recent lesson, is rather similar in meaning to another turn of phrase: trattarsi di (to be about, to be a matter of, to be a case of), which is used in the impersonal third person singular. Being impersonal, it’s also a little bit more formal.
Let’s back up and look at other forms of this verb.
In its normal form, trattare (to treat) is transitive (meaning it takes an object).
Mi tratta male.
He treats me badly.
Followed by the preposition di (about, with, of, from), trattare di (to be about, to deal with, to talk about) is intransitive.
Il libro tratta di come costruire una casa.
The book deals with how to build a house.
If you substitute the verb parlare (to talk, to speak), it’s easier to grasp:
Il libro parla di come costruire una casa.
The book talks about how to build a house.
But, as mentioned at the beginning of this lesson, there’s also a way of using the verb with no grammatical subject, that is, the impersonal form: trattarsi di (it concerns, it’s a matter of, it’s about). It’s important to remember that with the impersonal, the actual subject is absent, although it gets translated with “it.” (Think of when we say "It's raining.")
Commissioner Manara is questioning a suspect for the first time.
Senta, signor Manuli, qui non si tratta soltanto di inquinamento.
Listen Mister Manuli, it's not just a matter of pollution here.
-Si tratta di omicidio!
-It's a matter of murder!
Captions 22-23, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena
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Trattarsi di is commonly used to answer the question, “What’s it about?” or sometimes, “What is it?” In fact trattarsi di is often used in the question itself:
Di che cosa si tratta?
What does it concern?
What does it deal with? (note the similarity with avere a che fare)
What’s it about?
What is it?
Si tratta di una conferenza sul razzismo.
What it is, is a conference about racism.
It consists in a conference about racism.
When the subject is a generic “it,” we can use trattarsi di.
A good translation is tough to come up with, however, because in English we’d just say:
It’s a conference on racism.
It’s handy to be able to use trattarsi di in a question. When you get a phone call from someone you don’t know, or when strangers come to your house, your first question might be:
Di che cosa si tratta?
What’s this about?
Further learning:
This link takes you to a Yabla search of tratta. There’s one instance in which non si tratta della forma impersonale (it’s not about the impersonal form). Can you find it?
In this week’s episode of Commissario Manara, there are two instances of a turn of phrase that’s easy to miss when listening to Italian speech: avere a che fare con (to have to do with, to refer to, to be in relation to, to deal with). Lots of little words all in a row, and when the third person singular present tense is used, mamma mia! It can be difficult to hear ha a in ha a che fare con... But if you know what to listen for, it gets easier. It’s actually not so difficult, because the verb is always avere (to have), which is conjugated according to the subject and time element, and the rest of the expression doesn’t change. Remember that fare means both “to make” and “to do.”
Manara is questioning a suspect:
Lei ci ha detto di non aver mai conosciuto Sianelli
You told us that you'd never met Sianelli
e di non avere mai avuto a che fare con
and that you had never had anything to do [been in trouble] with
la giustizia, giusto?
the law, right?
Captions 6-7, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena
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Later he reports his findings to Lara.
E quindi siamo sicuri che ha già avuto a che fare con
And so we're certain that he'd already had dealings with
la vittima in passato.
the murder victim in the past.
Caption 53, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena
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Avere a che fare is rather informal and personal. The subject is accounted for. There's another more impersonal way to say pretty much the same thing: si tratta di (it's about, it has to do with, it means), which we'll cover in another lesson.
Quando vado in città, ho a che fare con tutti tipi di persone.
When I go to the city, I deal with all kinds of people.
The subject can be an idea or fact rather than a person:
La conferenza ha a che fare con il razzismo.
The conference has to do with racism.
This turn of phrase is especially effective in the negative: Remember that double negatives are quite acceptable in Italian.
Non voglio aver niente a che fare con quel tizio.
I don’t want to have anything to do with that guy.
Questo pesto non ha niente a che fare con quello genovese.
This pesto has nothing in common with the Genovese kind.
Just for Fun:
Questa lezione ha avuto a che fare con un’espressione comune e informale. Una futura lezione avrà a che fare con altre espressioni che vogliono dire più o meno la stessa cosa. Quando ho a che fare con una nuova espressione, cerco di ripeterla tante volte durante la mia giornata, così diventa parte di me. Non ho a che fare con un cervello giovanissimo! Non vorrei aver niente a che fare con persone che non vogliono imparare.
This lesson was about a common and informal expression. A future lesson will deal with other expressions that mean more or less the same thing. When I’m dealing with a new expression, I try repeating it lots of times during the day. I’m not dealing with a super young brain! I wouldn’t want to have anything to do with people who don’t want to learn.
One way to get someone’s attention is to use the imperative command form of a verb. Two useful verbs for this purpose are ascoltare (to listen) and sentire (to hear). In Italian it’s important to know to whom you are giving the command; this will determine both the word choice and its conjugation.
Commissioner Manara has a familiar relationship with Lara and uses the informal form of address: He’s getting her attention by saying ascolta (listen). There’s a slight urgency with ascolta.
Ascolta Lara, a volte bisogna prendere delle scorciatoie, no?
Listen Lara, sometimes you have to take shortcuts, right?
Caption 36, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde
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In the next example, there’s a bit of urgency, but this is Manara’s boss talking to him. They use the polite or formal form of address:
Manara, mi ascolti bene.
Manara, listen to me carefully.
Caption 23, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto
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Note that the imperative verb can stand alone, or be paired with an object personal pronoun as in the above example. It adds to the urgency, and makes it more personal. Manara’s boss could have added mi raccomando (make sure) for extra urgency:
Manara, mi ascolti bene, mi raccomando!
This next example is between two people who really don’t know each other at all. It’s a formal situation, so the Lei form of “you” is used. Senta is more passive and less intrusive than ascolti. In fact, it means “hear” or “listen,” but is actually a way of saying “excuse me.”
Senta signora, oltre a Lei, chi lo sapeva di queste lettere?
Excuse me ma'am, other than you, who knew about these letters?
Caption 64, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP4 - Le Lettere Di Leopardi
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Senta (listen, excuse me, or hear me) is a command you’ll use in a restaurant when wishing to get the attention of the cameriere (waiter).
Senta, possiamo ordinare?
Excuse me, may we order?
Often, senta (listen) goes hand in hand with scusi (excuse me), to be extra polite.
Buonasera. Senta scusi, Lei conosceva il dottor Lenni, giusto?
Good evening. Listen, excuse me. You knew Doctor Lenni, right?
Caption 4, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto
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And in a familiar situation, such as between Marika and the mozzarella vendor in Rome, there’s no urgency but Marika wants to get the vendor’s attention before asking her a question.
Senti, ma quante mozzarelle dobbiamo comprare per la nostra cena?
Listen, but how many mozzarellas should we buy for our dinner?
Caption 50, Anna e Marika - La mozzarella di bufala - La produzione e i tagli
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In the next example, the speaker could have said, Ascolta, Adriano, and it would have meant the same thing. Personal preference and regional usage often account for the difference.
Senti, Adriano, io lavoro qui da quando avevo dodici anni.
Listen Adriano, I've been working here since I was twelve years old.
Caption 37, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep.2
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Without necessarily studying all the conjugations of sentire and scusare, it’s a good idea to just remember that in polite speech, the imperative has an “a” at the end of senta, but an “i” at the end of scusi. The familiar command form would be senti, scusa. These endings can be tricky for beginners because they seem wrong, being the opposite of the indicative endings. It’s quite easy to get mixed up. The command form originally comes from the subjunctive, which is why it has a different, special conjugation.
Learning suggestion:
Getting someone’s attention is part of the basic toolkit you need to communicate in Italian, so why not practice a bit, in your mind? Look at someone and get their attention using the correct verb and correct form.
If you don’t know the person, or you address them formally for some other reason, you use:
Senta! Senta, scusi.
Senta, mi scusi.
[Mi] ascolti. (Not so common, and a bit aggressive, useful if you’re a boss.)
If you’re trying to get the attention of a friend, you’ll use:
Senti... (It’s almost like saying, “Hey...”)
Ascolta...Ascoltami... (This can be aggressive or intimate depending on the tone and the context.)
Learn more about the imperative in Italian here.
We learned about saying we’re sorry using the verb dispiacere in the lesson How to say you're sorry in Italian. But that’s only one of its common uses. If we look closely at dispiacere we can detect two parts: the root piacere (to please) and the prefix dis-, indicating negation or the opposite (very much like “dis-” in English). In a sense, dispiacere (to displease) is the opposite of piacere (to please, to be pleasing), so when I say “I’m sorry,” I’m saying that something displeases me:
Mi dispiace ma il tiramisù è terminato.
I'm sorry but we've run out of tiramisù.
Caption 17, Passeggiando per Roma - per Roma
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Normally, dispiacere isn’t used as the opposite of piacere. See the lesson I like it - Mi piace, where liking and not liking are discussed. In order to say I don’t like something, I say non mi piace, but if I say mi dispiace, it means “I’m sorry,” at least most of the time.
Oddly enough, by negating the already negating verb dispiacere by saying non mi dispiace, it becomes a sort of via di mezzo (middle way) between liking something and not liking it. It’s as if to say non male (not bad) without the exclamation point.* Non mi dispiace can be the equivalent of “I like it enough” or “I don’t mind it.” In the end, it depends on the inflection and facial expression, as well as on the context. Tutto è relativo (it’s all relative)! Sometimes it serves to temper or soften a statement that might hurt someone’s feelings, as in the example at the end of this lesson.
*For more on saying “not bad” with an exclamation point, see the lesson Elegant and Not So Elegant Turns of Phrase.
Dispiacere is also used when asking someone if they mind something. Usually, a positive answer is expected, especially when using the conditional as in the following example. As in English, the answer may or may not answer the actual question:
Ti dispiacerebbe aprire la porta? -Certo.
Would you mind opening the door? [Would it displease you to open the door?] -Sure.
In the example below, the answer is negative in meaning, but said in a positive statement.
Senta, Le dispiace se diamo un'occhiata in giro?
Listen, do you mind if we have a look around?
-Eh, mi dispiace sì!
-Eh, yes I do mind!
Captions 28-29, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva
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In a nutshell:
When dispiacere has to do with minding, the pronoun will generally represent the person being addressed, in the second person:
Ti dispiace? (Do you mind?)
Le dispiace? (Do you mind? [formal])
Vi dispiace? (Do you mind? [plural])
When dispiacere has to do with liking something somewhat, the person doing the liking will be indicated by the pronoun:
Non mi dispiace (I like it pretty much)
Non gli dispiace (He likes it OK)
Putting the pieces together, just for fun:
Mi dispiace dirtelo, ma non mi dispiace la pubblicità della concorrenza. Non ti dispiace se ti dico la verità, vero?
I’m sorry to tell you but I somewhat like the competition’s publicity. You don’t mind if I tell you the truth, do you?
Non mi piace quello che dici ma non mi dispiace se mi dici quello che pensi. Anzi...
I don’t like what you’re saying, but I don’t mind if you tell me what you think. On the contrary...
Check your comprehension:
Make a search of the different conjugations of dispiacere in a Yabla search and choose what you think the closest meaning is in each case. There’s no translation right there, so you won’t get any hints except context, but you can check your results by watching the video.
When talking about winning and losing, vincere (to win) and perdere (to lose) are the words you’re looking for. When talking about finding something and losing something, trovare (to find) and perdere (to lose) are useful, too. But perdere also has some other important common uses.
When you miss a train, you lose it: perdere il treno (to miss the train).
Il sette dicembre del duemila,
On the seventh of December of the year two thousand,
io avevo avuto un grosso imprevisto
I had had something unexpected happen
che mi fece perdere il treno per Londra.
that made me miss the train for London.
Captions 54-55, Anna e Marika - Il verbo avere
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When you waste time, you lose it: perdere tempo (to waste time).
Lo sapevo che non dovevo venire.
I knew I shouldn't have come.
Mi state facendo perdere solo tempo.
You're just wasting my time.
Captions 49-50, Concorso internazionale di cortometraggio - A corto di idee
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When there’s a leaky faucet, it loses water: perde (it leaks).
Ma guarda che l'ho aggiustato il rubinetto, adesso perde poco!
But look, I fixed the faucet, now it leaks very little!
Caption 49, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 - EP2 - Il mistero di Cetinka
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When you let something go, you drop it, you forget about it, you let it get lost: lasciare perdere (to let it be).
Ti aiuto ad asciugare? -No, lascia perdere, sei stanco, lavati! Eh...
Shall I help you dry? -No, forget it, you're tired, wash up! Uh...
Caption 44, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 - EP2 - Il mistero di Cetinka
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Much of the time perdere means “to lose,” but, non perdere di vista (don’t lose sight of) the common expressions above!
Here are some more instances where perdere is used:
When you’ve missed the beginning of a movie:
Ho perso l’inizio!
I missed the beginning!
When you’ve lost weight:
Ho perso dieci chili!
I lost ten kilos!
When you don’t want to miss something:
Venezia è da non perdere!
Venice is not to be missed!
When you can’t find your way:
Sono perso.
I’m lost.
Learning suggestion:
Be on the lookout for these particular meanings of perdere. You’ll find them cropping up often in Yabla videos, and in real life, if you’re lucky enough to listen to Italian conversation. Soon enough all these meanings will become familiar to you. And when you next miss a train, or a flight, or have a leaky faucet, or get lost, or waste time, ricordatevi (remember) that perdere is a word da non perdere (not to be missed).
Sometimes saying you’re sorry is a quick thing, because you did something like bumping into someone by accident. In Italian, depending on how you say it, you might have to make a quick decision: How well do I know this person, and how formal should I be?
The familiar form is scusami (excuse me), or simply scusa. Grammatically speaking, we’re using the imperative form of scusare (to excuse). If you look at the conjugation of scusare, you’ll see that it’s conjugated like other verbs ending in -are (these verbs are explained by Daniela in her popular grammar lesson series!). You’ll also see that it’s easy to get things mixed up.
Learning conjugations can be daunting, but it’s worth learning the imperatives of scusare, since it’s a verb you’ll need in many situations. While you’re at it, you might do the same with perdonare (to pardon, to forgive), which conjugates the same way, and can have a similar meaning, as in the following situation where Marika is pretending to be distracted.
Perdonami, scusami tanto, ma ero sovrappensiero.
Forgive me, really sorry, but I was lost in thought.
Caption 25, Marika e Daniela - Il verbo chiedere
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It can be helpful to remember that in the familiar form, the mi (me) gets tacked onto the end of the verb: scusami, perdonami (and in the familiar second person plural: scusatemi, perdonatemi). But when using the polite form you need to put the mi first, making two words: mi scusi, mi perdoni.
Signora mi scusi, Lei è parente della vittima?
Madam, excuse me, are you a relative of the victim?
Caption 12, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto
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Attenzione! If you ask a friend to forgive you, the question is: mi perdoni? If instead you’re saying “pardon me” to a stranger, it’s mi perdoni (and is not a question, but a command). It all has to do with inflection and context.
Sono in ritardo, mi perdoni?
I’m late. Will you forgive me?
Mi perdoni, non ho sentito il Suo nome.
Pardon me, I didn’t hear your name.
In many cases, you can use the generic chiedo scusa (I ask for pardon, I ask forgiveness). This way, no worries about complicated conjugations!
On Italian TV interviews are conducted using the polite form of address, but in this case the intervistatore (interviewer) knows the intervistato (interviewee) Tiziano Terzani very well, and would like to make an exception.
Chiedo scusa ai telespettatori se userò il "tu" con lui.
I'll ask the television audience for forgiveness if I use the "tu" form with him.
Captions 24-25, Tiziano Terzani - Cartabianca
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Another way to say you’re sorry is mi dispiace (I’m sorry), often shortened to mi spiace (I’m sorry), which is a bit weightier than “excuse me” and doesn’t necessarily involve the other person pardoning you.
Mi spiace, ma qualcuno doveva pur dirvelo.
I'm sorry, but someone had to say it to you.
Questa è la realtà.
This is the reality.
Captions 74-75, Concorso internazionale di cortometraggio - A corto di idee
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Mi dispiace is used even when it’s not at all a question of asking pardon, such as when we hear about a disgrazia (adversity, terrible loss). In the following example, the father is using lasciare (to leave) to mean his daughter has died. Notice the plural ending of the participle (normally lasciato) that agrees with ci (us).
Angela ci ha lasciati. -Mi dispiace.
Angela's left us. -I'm sorry.
Captions 22-23, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu
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There’s much more to say about being sorry, and about using the verb dispiacere. Ci dispiace (we’re sorry), but it will have to wait for another lesson. A presto!
Just as “get” in English serves many purposes, and has many shades of meaning, there are words in Italian that work in a similar way. One of these is beccare. It comes from becco (beak) and means “to peck,” but it’s used in colloquial speech to mean “to take,” “to catch,” or “to get.” It’s often used reflexively (for more on reflexives, see this lesson), and that’s how Manara uses it as he questions an uncooperative witness:
Se non vuoi beccarti un'incriminazione per complicità in omicidio...
If you don't want to get yourself an indictment for complicity in murder...
Caption 24, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP4 - Le Lettere Di Leopardi
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Here’s one more example from a Yabla video:
I fotografi! -C'hanno beccato!
The photographers! -They've caught us!
Captions 3-4, Trailer - Paparazzi
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If you get caught doing something you shouldn’t, that’s when you say mi hanno beccato (they caught me)! You might use beccare if you get caught in the rain without an umbrella: mi sono beccato [or beccata] un raffreddore (I caught a cold), or if after dialing someone’s number many times, they finally answer: finalmente t’ho beccato (I finally got you)!
It's not always easy to know when using beccare would be appropriate, but by listening for it and repeating it to yourself when you hear it, little by little you'll find it on the tip of your tongue at just the right moment. More meanings and examples can be found here.
In certain situations, it’s important to put one’s best foot forward, to make a good impression. In Italian, that’s fare bella figura, or simply, fare figura. For example:
Le sue scarpe sono costate poco, ma fanno figura.
Her shoes didn’t cost very much, but they make her look good (or, “they make a good impression”).
Fare bella figura (making a good impression) isn’t always possible though. Sometimes, without meaning to, you botch it and make a bad impression, or worse, are embarrassed by something you did or said. And that’s when you use brutta figura (bad impression). Just as bella is often left to our imagination, in this case, too, it’s common to leave off the brutta. To determine whether someone’s talking about a good or bad figura, pay close attention to the context, as well as to the speaker’s inflection and facial expression.
O mamma mia! Mamma mia, che figura che ho fatto.
Oh dear! Oh dear, what a bad impression I've made.
Caption 12, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 6
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In the following example, a couple is going to a birthday party and neither of them remembered to take the birthday present.
Ma guarda te che figura!
Look what a [bad] impression we'll make!
Ti rendi conto che siamo a mani vuote?
Do you realize we are empty-handed?
Che figura facciamo?
What kind of impression will we make?
Captions 18-20, Un Figlio a tutti i costi - film - Part 19
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Note: The fact that there’s no article here is normal for this idiom, but in some cases, an article or other modifier will be included for clarity or emphasis.
What about when someone puts you in an embarrassing situation, or makes you look like a fool? Ti fa fare brutta figura (he/she makes you make a bad impression).
In an episode of Medico in Famiglia, Maria has gone missing, and her parents call her supposed boyfriend to find out where she is. He’s not her boyfriend, though, so just imagine how embarrassed she is upon discovering they’d called him.
Mi avete fatto fare questa figura?
You made me make a bad impression? [Did you make me look stupid?]
Caption 62, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 - EP1 - Casa nuova
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Maria’s brother has a retort ready with a play on words. He uses a more neutral definition of figura (figure, person, appearance, impression):
Non hai fatto nessuna figura perché quello, a te, non ti vede proprio! -Eh, bambini...
You made no impression at all because that one doesn't even see you! -Uh, kids...
Captions 63-64, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 - EP1 - Casa nuova
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Another expression that’s used a lot in relational conversations comes from the verb figurare (to appear, to be, to show). This expression can be used as a sort of antidote to someone’s feeling as if they’re making or have made a brutta figura. It uses the reflexive form figurarsi (to imagine).
If you apologize for being late, or if you ask if you are disturbing someone, the response might likely be figurati! (of course not!). The person saying it is attempting to put you at ease, for example after you forgot a dinner date.
E tu lo trovi leale accettare un invito a cena e poi non presentarsi?
And do you find it loyal to accept a dinner invitation and then not come?
-Non ti ho avvertito?
-Didn't I let you know?
Scusami. Ci sei rimasto male?
Sorry. Did you feel hurt?
-Figurati, la cena era ottima.
-Of course not, the dinner was excellent.
Captions 6-9, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu - Part 3
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At the same time, it can mean something like “no way!” or “yeah, right!” or “don’t count on it!”:
C'hai paura?
What, are you scared?
Paura io? Ma figurati.
Scared, me? Don't count on it.
Captions 44-46, Il Commissario Manara S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu - Part 17
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Learning suggestion:
Watch and listen to the Yabla videos where these expressions are present (do a search of both figura and figurati). Hide the translation. Listen for the inflection. Is the speaker trying to put someone at ease, or being ironic? When no adjective is present for describing the figura, which do you think it is?
Meanwhile, imagine a situation—invent a dialogue. Here’s something to get you started.
Ti ho fatto fare brutta figura? -Ma figurati, ho fatto la figura dello scemo tutto da solo.
Did I embarrass you? -Of course not, I came off as an idiot all by myself.
Devo dire che quegli orecchini da due soldi fanno figura! -Grazie, ma questa giacca vecchissima, che figura fa? -Beh, per me, fai sempre una bellissima figura.
I gotta say, those cheap earrings happen to look really nice! -Thanks, but this super old jacket, how does that make me look? -Well, to me, you always look great!
Che figura! Quando sono arrivata alla cassa, non avevo abbastanza soldi per pagare.
How embarrassing! When I got to the check out, I didn’t have enough money to pay.
Il capo mi darà un aumento, sicuro! -Figurati!
The boss is going to give me a raise, for sure! -Yeah, right. (or, “Don’t count on it!”)
Divertitevi! (Have fun!)
In a previous lesson, we joined Anna and Marika at the famous Trattoria al Tevere Biondo in Rome, where they were having lunch... Later on, after their meal, they start chatting with the owner Giuseppina, who has plenty of stories to tell. She uses an expression that’s kind of fun:
Ma chi me lo fa fà [fare], io m'alzo due ore prima la mattina
But who makes me do it? I get up two hours earlier in the morning
e la faccio espressa.
and I do it to order.
Ho fatto sempre stò [questo] lavoro.
I've always done it this way.
-Così si cura la qualità.
-That way you make sure of the quality.
Captions 24-26, Anna e Marika - Trattoria Al Biondo Tevere
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“Who makes me do it?” is the literal translation, but the gist is, “why should I go to all that trouble?” And with her Roman speech, she shortens the infinitive fare (to make, to do) to fà. As a matter of fact, as she tells her stories Giuseppina chops off the end of just about every verb in the infinitive. This way of speaking is popular all over Italy, so get some practice with Giuseppina!
Giuseppina may chop off her verbs, but the characters in Commissario Manara chop off the end of the adverb bene (well), turning it into bè. To agree to something, va bene (literally, "he/she/it goes well") is the expression to use. But when the conversation gets going, and it's a back and forth of "OK, but..." or "All right, all right!" or "OK, let's do this," like between Luca Manara and his team, va bene often becomes vabbè. This simple expression, depending on what tone of voice is used, can say a lot. A Yabla search with vabbè will bring up many examples in Manara videos, and plenty of other videos as well.
In one episode, two detectives on Manara’s team think they’ve made a discovery, but of course the Commissario has already figured things out, and they’re disappointed.
Vabbè, però così non c'è gusto... scusa.
OK, but that way there's no satisfaction... sorry.
-Vabbè, te l'avevo detto io, 'o [lo] sapevo.
-OK, I told you so, I knew it.
Captions 14-15, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu
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Vabbè is an expression that gets used about as often as “OK.” Sometimes, though, we really do need to know if things are all right. In this case we use the full form, va bene? (is it all right?):
Eh, guardi, pago con la carta. Va bene?
Uh, look, I'll pay by credit card. Alright?
-OK.
-OK.
Captions 38-39, Marika spiega - L'euro in Italia, con Anna
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In her reply, the salesperson uses the international, “OK” but she could just as easily have said, va bene (that’s fine).
It’s important to understand abbreviated words when you hear them, but in most situations, when speaking, use the full form—you can’t go wrong.
We saw in the last lesson how the verb sentire takes care of several of our senses. Not to leave out the sense of sight (la vista), let’s look at how it‘s used in some common expressions.
If we translate the English expression “I can’t wait” literally, it becomes non posso aspettare, and while this can be useful if someone is late, and you really can’t wait for him, we sometimes mean we are looking forward to something with anticipation. As we see in the following example, Italian uses the verb vedere (to see) to express this.
Francesca had been going back and forth about learning to drive. But now, she’s really looking forward to getting started, so much so that she “can’t see the hour.”
Ma invece adesso sono convintissima,
But now however I'm totally convinced,
motivata e non vedo l'ora di cominciare.
motivated and I can't wait to start.
Caption 4, Francesca - alla guida
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If there’s someone you don’t like very much, it’s probably someone you don’t want to see. In fact, if you say, non lo posso vedere (I can’t see him), you’re really saying you can’t bear seeing him. Note: If you do want to say that you can’t see something or someone, just say, non lo vedo (I don’t see it/him) or non riesco a vederlo (I don’t succeed in seeing it/him).
You might be so hungry you can’t see straight. It so happens that an expression made famous in an Italian TV commercial for a candy bar says just that. Non ci vedo più dalla fame! (I can’t see straight from hunger [I’m famished]!)
Many expressions using vedere (to see) and occhio (eye) do indeed coincide with the English use of the sense of sight. For example, visto che translates easily as “seeing that,” although we would usually sooner use “since.” It’s a good expression to have handy when you are explaining something, like the woman telling us about her day at the lake.
E visto che siamo solo ad un chilometro,
And since we are just one kilometer away,
penso che andrò e tenterò di rilassarmi tutto il giorno.
I think that I will go and try to relax all day.
Captions 12-13, Una gita - al lago
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When you want to talk to someone privately, you want to see the expression in their eyes as they speak, so parlare a quattr’occhi (to speak with four eyes) is to have a conversation face to face.
If something is super expensive, you might describe it as costing un occhio della testa (an eye of the head), which isn’t that different from paying “through the nose,” or something costing “an arm and a leg!"
When something is too obvious to question, you might hear this: Vorrei anche vedere (I’d also like to see that), meaning something like, “I should think so/not!” “Yeah, right,” or “No way.”
Putting it all together just for fun:
Stamattina sono andata a parlare a quattr’occhi con la mia professoressa anche se non la posso vedere. Ora non vedo l’ora di arrivare a casa perché non ci vedo più dalla fame. Visto che I panini al bar costavano un occhio della testa, vorrei anche vedere se ne compravo uno.
This morning I went to talk face to face with my teacher even though I can’t stand her. Now I can’t wait to get home because I’m starving. Seeing that the sandwiches at the bar cost an arm and a leg, there was no way I was buying one.
And to really conclude, chi s’è visto s’è visto (literally, “we’ve seen whomever we’ve seen” meaning, “that’s the end of it”).
Learning suggestion:
Practice using the expressions in this lesson until they feel comfortable. (Think about all the the things you are looking forward to!) Then visit WordReference to see all the modi di dire connected with vedere, and add one or two more to your repertory.