When we distinguish between adjectives and nouns, the presence or absence of an article plays its part. Certainly, in the Vocabulary Review exercise, included with all Yabla videos, a noun will have either a definite or indefinite article to distinguish it, and we add an article to the English translation for the same reason. But in real life, the distinction can be kind of fuzzy.
When you're just speaking Italian, without translating, the difference doesn't matter all that much, but when we translate we have to decide whether a word is a noun or an adjective.
In English, too, the line can be a bit fuzzy. Take the word "elderly." It's an adjective, but we can also use it as a noun, to identify a group: the elderly. We don't think about it, we just use the word correctly.
If we talk about an old person in Italian, we can use the adjective vecchio [m] or vecchia [f].
Passati i settant'anni, ormai è vecchio.
Being over seventy, he's already old.
Caption 29, Corso di italiano con Daniela Ormai
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But we can use the adjective as a noun by using an article with it.
È un vecchio.
He's an old guy.
Caption 29, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 16
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When we translate it into English, we need a noun after the adjective.
Allora le faccio entrare le tre vecchie? -Signore, le... chiamiamole signore. -Le tre vecchie signore.
So should I have the three old [women] come in? Ladies, the... let's call them ladies. The three old ladies.
Captions 68-70, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP2 Rabbia - Part 20
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The sergeant was describing the elderly women in a somewhat pejorative way and Lojacono corrected him. So he just turned the word he was using as a noun into an adjective. We could follow the same model with the adjective giovane (young). This adjective ends in e, so we don't immediately know the gender of the young person. As a noun in the context of the following clip, it usually refers to a male.
No. -Dio bono, Dio... -Eh... giovane, stai molto calmo, eh!
No. -Dear God... -Uh... young man, stay super calm, huh!
Caption 23, Il Commissario Manara S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva - Part 10
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When we add a noun after the adjective, we sometimes have a clue as to gender, but after that, we have to use the context to choose our noun wisely. In Italian, there are suffixes that can enhance the noun. Instead of saying una vecchia, we can say una vecchietta. That way it's clear it's a noun. We can say, instead of un giovane, un giovanotto.
We often find this noun-adjective correlation when describing people and their traits.
Pazzo (crazy)
E certamente, quello è pazzo di me.
And of course, that guy is crazy about me.
Caption 20, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 16
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Aragona, guidi come un pazzo.
Aragona, you drive like a maniac.
Caption 13, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 4
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Malato (ill)
E sapevate che era malato?
And did you know that he was ill?
Caption 1, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 4
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Molti dei malati vennero ricoverati nel vicino ospedale di Santa Maria della Scala,
Many of the sick were admitted to the nearby Santa Maria della Scala hospital,
Caption 42, Meraviglie EP. 3 - Part 6
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In this particular case, we use "the sick" to mean "sick people" in English, but we can't do it with all adjectives.
È un bastardo.
He is a bastard.
Caption 27, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 24
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Se fossi più grande, andrei al cantiere, da quel geometra bastardo e gli darei un sacco di botte.
If I were older, I would go to the construction site, to that bastard of a construction supervisor and I'd throw a bunch of punches at him.
Captions 3-5, La Ladra EP. 7 - Il piccolo ladro - Part 3
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Most of us have heard or uttered the adjective stupido (stupid). But we can use it as a noun, too, just like adjectives idiota, cretino, and scemo.
Sì. Sara, io sono uno stupido.
Yes, Sara, I'm an idiot.
Caption 40, Stai lontana da me Rai Cinema - Part 16
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When people call other people names, it's not always clear how to translate them, whether as nouns or adjectives. But in either case, the insult is clear.
Stupido! Cretino! Deficiente!
Stupid! Idiot! Dumbass!
Caption 44, La Ladra EP. 6 - Nero di rabbia - Part 7
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In Italian, as in other languages, sometimes a verb uses the same root as a noun that's related or vice versa. We don't always know which came first, the verb or the noun, but the good news is that there are plenty of verbs like this and they are pretty easy to learn.
The words we discuss in this lesson originally have to do with plants. So let's learn the Italian word for "plant" right off the bat. It's an easy one.
Pianta - piantare
La pianta is the noun and piantare is the verb.
E poi, domenica aveva in progetto di piantare il nuovo vigneto al podere dei Sassi.
And then, Sunday he had planned to plant a new vineyard at the Sassi farm.
Caption 34, Il Commissario Manara S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva - Part 1
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Ehm, in questi vasi sono state piantate delle piante molto belle.
Um, in these pots, very beautiful plants have been planted.
Caption 20, In giro per l'Italia Mazara Del Vallo - Sicilia - Part 3
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As we will see with seminare, further on in this lesson, piantare can also be used figuratively. It often means to stop or quit doing something like complaining or lying. It's a strong word to use when you are fed up with how someone is behaving.
La devi piantare di mentire.
You have to quit lying.
Caption 5, Provaci ancora prof! S1E4 - La mia compagna di banco - Part 21
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In the previous example, the speaker wanted to include the verb dovere (to have to) but otherwise could have just said, Piantala (quit it)! It's as if he wanted to say, "You have to quit it with the lying."
There's more! If you get dropped by a friend or hired help, piantare can be a useful verb.
Pia, la mia colf, mi ha piantato. Dice che non vuole vivere in campagna.
Pia, my nanny, ditched me. She says that she doesn't want to live in the country.
Caption 21, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 EP1 - Casa nuova - Part 5
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Seme - seminare
Another noun that goes nicely with its verb is il seme (the seed).
E poi da questo seme che pianti nasce, come per miracolo, una verdura, un pomodoro, ehm, del peperone.
and then from this seed that you plant, like a miracle, a vegetable, a tomato, uhm, a pepper comes up.
Captions 10-11, Professore Antonio L'orto del Vesuvio
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We often use the verb piantare (to plant), as in the previous example, because it's generic for putting something in the ground, and it can apply to both seeds and plants, but the more accurate word to use, especially when talking about seeds for crops, is seminare (to sow).
The verb is seminare (to sow).
E usiamo i semi. Questa idea mi piace. Eccoli qui, Mirò, sono pronti da seminare.
And we'll use the seeds. I like this idea. Here they are, Mirò. They're ready to plant/sow.
Captions 42-44, Gatto Mirò EP 10 Piantiamo un albero
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In a segment of Provaci ancora, Prof!, Camilla is driving when her daughter, Livietta, sees that a car has been following them for a while. Camilla gives her daughter instructions to tenersi forte (to hold on tight) while she tries to lose the other car. She uses the colloquial term, seminare. Think of someone sowing seeds by tossing them or throwing them.
Perché c'è una macchina che ci segue, saranno almeno dieci minuti. -Tieniti forte perché cerco di seminarla adesso.
Because there's a car following us, it must be at least ten minutes. -Hold on tight because I'm going to try to lose it now.
Captions 5-7, Provaci ancora prof! S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita - Part 20
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And again, in another episode, Camilla is being followed and it is her daughter who notices that.
Evvai, mamma! Li hai seminati!
Go, Mommy! You lost them!
Caption 66, Provaci ancora prof! S2E4 L'amica americana - Part 19
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Disseminare
A verb related to seminare is disseminare. This is used to mean "to spread out," or "to distribute," "to broadcast."
Smembra il cadavere e lo dissemina in punti che sono tutti riconducibili a Lei, signor Romaniello.
He dismembers the corpse and he spreads it around in places that can be traced to you, Mister Romaniello.
Captions 32-33, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1EP1 L'estate del dito - Part 27
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Here, too, we can imagine someone holding a basket full of seeds that get sown in the field by tossing them out by the handful, scattering them, broadcasting them, so that they get spread out, they get well-distributed.
Can you think of other verbs and nouns that go together?
It's good to know some basic Italian adjectives so that you can comment on things you see, hear, smell, and taste. We'll be presenting 50 Italian adjectives that people use every day, approximately 10 by 10, so they'll be manageable. Some of these will be easy because they are similar to ones you know in English. Others will be past participles of verbs, just as in English. Yet others will be weird and different and just need to be memorized. And there will be some false friends to watch out for. For more about how adjectives work, see this lesson.
Adjectives are an essential part of speaking a language but the good news is that even if you don't know how to form a sentence or a question, just knowing the appropriate adjective can allow you to communicate something. And that's what language is all about: communication. So if nothing else, just say the appropriate adjective, all by itself, and you will get your message across.
1) bello (beautiful, great)
We can use this adjective for much more than describing a panorama or person as “beautiful.”
We also use it for a movie or book we liked, a situation like a vacation, an encounter…
Ho visto un bel film (I saw a great movie).
So it can also mean “wonderful.” And, since it’s an adjective that changes its ending according to gender and number, it can be used for both guys and gals or masculine and feminine nouns by just changing the ending from bello to bella. So it also means “handsome!”
You'll have noticed that instead of saying Ho visto un bello film, we chop off the ending when it's followed directly by the noun. We say:
Ho visto un bel film, ho letto un bel libro (I saw a great movie, I read a good book).
When you see something beautiful, you can simply say Bello! or Che bello!
Bello, l'ha fatto Lei?
b. Did you do it?
Caption 16, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep. 1 - Part 18
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2) buono (good)
Buono is used a lot for food, for instance, when something tastes good, but it’s also used to mean “valid.” It can also describe a good person.
È una buona persona (He/she is a good person).
Note that persona is a feminine noun, so even if we are talking about a boy or man, the adjective describing persona has to take a feminine ending. Tricky, right?
See Daniela's video lesson about bello, buono, and bene.
Questo è il gelato artigianale. Più gli ingredienti sono freschi e più è buono.
This is handmade ice cream. The fresher the ingredients are, the better it is.
Captions 15-16, Andromeda in - Storia del gelato - Part 2
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Note: Buono is one of those adjectives that has an irregular comparative. See this lesson and this one, too.
3) carino (nice, pretty, good-looking)
This is another adjective with an “o” ending, changing its ending according to gender and number. In aesthetic terms, it is less extreme than bello. However, carino is often used to mean “nice” or “kind” in describing a person, or what the person has done, for example, if you do someone a favor they didn’t ask you to do.
Eh sì. -Eh sì. Comunque Luca è stato molto carino, eh, ad accompagnare suo figlio Fabio all'istituto.
Oh yes. -Oh yes. However Luca was very sweet, no, to accompany his son Fabio to the institute.
Oh yes. -Oh yes. However, it was really nice of Luca, no, to accompany his son Fabio to the institute.
Captions 26-27, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 14
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4) gentile (kind, gentle)
Gentile is a bit more formal than carino. Carino is often used to describe people close to you, but if the bank manager was nice and polite to you, you would use the word gentile. You might also use cortese (courteous) —a great cognate!
E come no, mai una cattiva parola, sempre gentile.
For sure, never a mean word, always kind.
Caption 31, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP2 Rabbia - Part 3
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5) bravo (capable, well-behaved, good at something)
Caro Olivetti, sarai anche bravo a far le macchine da scrivere, ma i tuoi interessi non sono i nostri.
Dear Olivetti, you might be good at making typewriters, but your interests are not ours.
Captions 43-44, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 20
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False friend alert! Forget about “brave” for the most part. Fai la brava! means “Be a good girl!”
È un bravo idraulico (he is a very capable plumber. He is a good plumber).
When I want to say, “Good for you!” I say Bravo! (for a guy) or Brava! (for a gal).
Il cane è bravo (he’s a good [well-behaved] dog–he won’t bite you).
6) ottimo (great, excellent)
This looks like “optimal,” and can also mean that sometimes, but primarily, it’s a superlative kind of adjective that means “great.” Consider this exchange:
Ci vediamo alle cinque. -Ottimo.
I’ll meet you at five o’clock. -Great.
È un ottimo posto per fare jogging.
It's a great place to go jogging.
Caption 25, Anna e Marika Villa Torlonia - Casino Nobile
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This is the perfect comment for someone whose work you appreciated:
Ottimo lavoro!
[You did a] great job!
7) eccellente (excellent)
Here’s a great true friend or cognate. This adjective ends in e, so it doesn’t change with gender, just number.
Questo risotto era da vero eccellente (this risotto was excellent.)Queste ostriche sono eccellenti (these oysters are great.)
Eccellente can also describe a prominent or eminent person, such as someone in a high position.
8) corretto (correct, fair, right, decent)
Here is a partially false friend. If you get the right answer, la risposta è corretta. That’s easy. However, the other meaning of “fair,” — “fair-minded,” “sportsmanlike”— is less familiar to non-native speakers, but very important! For instance, corretto can describe a person as well as his or her behavior.
Pensavo che fosse una persona corretta, e invece… (I thought he was a decent, fair-minded person, but instead…)
Ma ti pare corretto, l'esaminatore che si fa venire a prendere dall'esaminando? -No. -Ma dai!
But does it seem right to you for the exam giver to have the exam taker pick him up? -No. -Come on!
Captions 8-9, La Ladra EP. 11 - Un esame importante - Part 4
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9) favoloso (fabulous, magnificent, awesome)
Here is another true friend. We don’t use “fabulous” in English so much anymore — but some of us still remember the “fab four” (The Beatles). In contrast, Italians do use favoloso when they really mean it. Eyebrows go up, eyes get wider.
Allora, io oggi sono arrivata in questa favolosa città, Lucca, però non la conosco, quindi dove posso andare?
So, today I arrived in this fabulous city, Lucca, but I don't know it, so where can I go?
Captions 16-17, In giro per l'Italia Lucca - Part 1
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10) magnifico (magnificent, great, terrific, cool)
Another true friend, this adjective is somewhat over-used in Italian, thus diminishing its value as a superlative:
Ci vediamo alle cinque. -Magnifico. (I’ll see you at five. -Great.)
E tu, come sempre, sei stata magnifica. -E tu un magnifico bugiardo.
And you, as always, were magnificent. -And you, a magnificent liar.
Captions 2-3, La Ladra EP. 12 - Come ai vecchi tempi - Part 14
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Let's add one more adjective (not included in the 50) that is super easy to use, and easy to remember: fantastico. It's used just like "fantastic" in English, so when you're short on vocabulary, try this one. AND even if you say it in English, people will understand. Of course, it can also be connected with "fantasy," but that's another story.
Sarebbe fantastico andare al concerto tutti insieme. -Un sogno.
It would be fantastic to go to a concert all together. -A dream.
Caption 48, JAMS S1 EP2 - Part 7
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We hope this has been helpful. The next group of adjectives will be about negative adjectives. Stay tuned!
Previously, we looked at ways to talk about going to work and different positions at the workplace. In Part 3, we will talk about something we often have to do in an office or other workplace, or even just in everyday life: sign documents. Since the words we are looking for are not cognates — in fact, we might be tempted to invent the word "signare," which would be wrong — let's become familiar with the right words.
The verb is firmare (to sign).
Documenti importanti da firmare, giusto.
Important documents to sign, that's right.
Caption 14, Provaci ancora prof! S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita - Part 9
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But you can also use the noun la firma (the signature).
Il verbale senza la sua firma non serve a nulla.
The statement without her signature is useless.
Caption 5, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1EP1 L'estate del dito - Part 26
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We often use the verb fare (to make, to do) when asking someone for their signature.
Mi fai una firma (will you sign this for me)?
We can also use the verb mettere (to put).
C'è da pagare un'ammenda, se mi mette una firma.
There's a fine to pay if you would put your signature on it for me.
Caption 17, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3 EP2 - Un nuovo medico in famiglia - Part 12
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These days, we are often asked to create una firma digitale (a digital signature) so that we can send un documento firmato (a signed document) via posta elettronica (email) or messaggino (text). Whatever kind of computer you have, there is likely an application to facilitate this.
When you just need to initial a document, or, especially, single lines in a document, rather than providing your entire signature, someone might say:
Basta uno scarabocchio (a scribble will suffice).
Fai uno scarabocchio (initial it).
The proper, formal term, is siglare (to initial).
Did you know that Daniela has a series of lessons on how to write a formal letter in Italian? Check it out here!
Dopo la formula di chiusura, inserisco la firma del mittente.
After the complimentary closing, I insert the signature of the sender.
Captions 27-28, Corso di italiano con Daniela Lettera formale - Part 4
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Two more important words to know, in the office or outside it are il mittente (the sender) and il destinatario (the recipient or addressee).
Let us know if there are particular things you would like to know about using Italian in the workplace. And let's not forget that more and more, English words are being incorporated into business Italian!
In our lessons, we often take Italian words and explore them, but sometimes we can switch things around and begin with an English word that's used in so many ways, such as the verb "to get." Let's look at just 1 common and useful way we can translate "to get."
In English, we might say, "I'm getting sleepy. I think I will go to bed." We use the adjective "sleepy," just as we use "hungry," and "thirsty." But in Italian, we usually use the noun, "sleepiness" or "sleep." You might already have learned the Italian for saying, "I'm hungry" (ho fame), "I'm thirsty" (ho sete), "I'm tired or sleepy" (ho sonno). But sometimes we want to talk about getting to that state. That's when we can use the verb venire.
Già mi viene sonno.
I'm already getting sleepy.
Caption 16, PsicoVip Il treno - Ep 3
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Note that the verb used in Italian is venire (to come). We would never say it, but we could say, "To me, sleepiness is coming." In fact, using the verb venire, where in English we say "get," is common, especially in the specific instance of adjectives like the ones we have mentioned. Let's look at some examples.
Quando corro, mi viene sete.
When I run, I get thirsty.
Non ti viene fame? -Oh, sì.
Don't you get hungry? -Oh, yes.
Caption 25, PIMPA S3 Ep 21 Arriva l'autunno
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Here's an example using the future tense of venire. Marika and Anna are about to take us to un panificio (a bakery).
Vi verrà fame eh!
You're going to get hungry huh!
Caption 32, Anna e Marika Il pane
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And here is one in the passato remoto (the remote past tense).
Poi venne sonno anche a lui.
Then he, too, got sleepy.
Caption 6, Dixiland Cometa caduta
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Note that in the examples above, the subject of the sentence or phrase is the condition, in other words, "the hunger," "the sleepiness," "the thirstiness."
Sometimes we don't want to use the verb "to get" in a translation because it is somewhat colloquial. So we use the verb "to become," which seems clearer. In fact, one translation of the verb "to become" is divenire, a verb that is closely related to venire.
We've talked about the short word che in previous lessons. There are so many different uses for the word! But in this lesson, we'll look at when it means "what." It's a kind of abbreviated version of che cosa (what thing).
In a recent episode of Provaci ancora, prof!, Camilla's detective friend is worried about some sleuthing she has done on her own. He asks:
Che hai fatto? Che hai toccato? Che hai preso?
What did you do? What did you touch? What did you take?
Caption 61, Provaci ancora prof! S2E4 L'amica americana - Part 15
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He could have said:
Che cosa hai fatto? Che cosa hai toccato? Che cosa hai preso?
and it would have meant the same thing.
Oh, allora, che hai saputo?
Oh, so, what have you found out?
Caption 23, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP1 - Part 12
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In the following example, we see both versions:
Ma che è successo? Che cos'è questo sangue?
But what happened? What is this blood?
Caption 37, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP1 - Part 15
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Ma che dici?
But what are you saying?
Caption 47, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP1 - Part 15
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Another way to say this is:
Ma che cosa stai dicendo (but what are you saying)?
We have (at least) three choices for saying "what."
Che dirà la gente?
What will people say?
Caption 30, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP 2 - Part 3
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We can also leave out the che and only use cosa:
Cosa dirà la gente (what will people say)?
Or we can use both and say:
Che cosa dirà la gente (what will people say)?
Keep your eyes and ears open for che, che cosa, and cosa, all meaning "what!"
Let's look at some of the other roles people have in business and in the workplace. Check out Part 1 to learn about how to "go to work" in Italian and about different types of employees.
To indicate the boss In Italian, we use one word for "head": il capo.
No no, no, non è il mio ragazzo, lui è il mio capo,
No, no, no. He's not my boyfriend, he's my boss,
è il commissario Manara.
he's Commissioner Manara.
Captions 29-30, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde - Part 8
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Of course, we have the cognate direttore that can indicate the head of a company and is used much like "director." But it is often used to mean "manager" or "managing director."
Mauro Barale, direttore delle vendite.
Mauro Barale, sales manager.
-Barale, piacere.
-Barale, a pleasure.
Lui è il nostro nuovo direttore generale.
He's our new general director.
Captions 26-27, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep.2
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If the director is the owner, the director might also be called il titolare (the owner, the head). Titolare is a term often used when it would make sense for the head of a company to also be the owner.
Ah, ma è la titolare dell'agenzia che organizza i matrimoni.
Ah, so you are the head of the agency that organizes weddings.
Caption 19, Sposami - EP 5 - Part 2
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In the previous example, Nora is the head of the agency. Technically, her aunt is likely the owner, but in practical terms, it's Nora. Nora is a woman, so the feminine article is used, even though the noun titolare is basically masculine. The term titolare can be used loosely because we often don't know if someone actually owns the company or not. The other, more general word for "owner" is proprietario.
When a business has multiple departments, each department is called un reparto, so a department manager or supervisor may be called il caporeparto. In a hospital, a ward is called un reparto as well. In a department store, the same term, reparto, is used for a given department or section.
Poi dall'amministrazione sono passata,
Then, from administration I moved,
sempre nel reparto amministrativo, al recupero crediti.
still in the administrative department, to debt collection.
Caption 1, Antonella - La mia storia - Part 2
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In English, "responsible" is an adjective. But its cognate responsabile is also used as a noun to describe the person who is in charge of something, such as un reparto (department).
Poi, naturalmente, in assenza di Manara, il responsabile è Lei.
Then, naturally, in the absence of Manara, you're the one in charge.
Caption 29, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP8 - Fuori servizio - Part 2
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Instead of il responsabile, we might see or hear l'addetto, which basically means the same thing: someone assigned to that role. Just like responsabile, it can be used as either an adjective or a noun.
Lavorava qui, era addetto alla fermentazione del vino.
He worked here. He was in charge of wine fermentation.
Caption 42, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP8 - Fuori servizio - Part 1
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Let's add to the roles one can have in the workforce. When we're talking about a shop, the salesperson or sales clerk is called il commesso or la commessa, depending on the sex of the person.
Allora, tornate dalla commessa e chiedetele
So, go back to the saleswoman and ask
se ultimamente ha venduto 'sto [questo]
if she has lately sold this
profumo a qualcuno di più adulto.
perfume to someone more adult.
Captions 35-36, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP3 - Delitto tra le lenzuola - Part 9
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We hope we haven't filled your head with too many new words. Keep an eye out for them as you watch and learn with Yabla videos!
Most of us know what a piazza is. It means something akin to the town square. In Italy, there may be a main piazza, but there can be many others spread around a city.
La piazza è dedicata al...
The piazza is dedicated to...
all'artista e scultore Michelangelo Buonarroti.
to the artist and sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Caption 12, In giro per l'Italia - Firenze
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If you look at the dictionary entry above, you will see that there are various connotations of the noun piazza.
Piazzare is a verb. It can mean "to place" something somewhere.
Qua abbiamo piazzato la macchina da presa.
Here, we placed the camera.
Caption 27, Fratelli Taviani - La passione e l'utopia
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Piazzare often means to sell — to put on the market with success.
Be', questa pietruzza la posso piazzare per una bella cifra.
Well this little rock I can place/sell for a pretty penny.
Caption 42, La Ladra - EP. 1 - Le cose cambiano
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But when we add an S to the beginning as a sort of prefix, the meaning changes. Something is set up or placed and seems stable, but then you displace it: spiazzare. It's generally used figuratively to mean "to catch someone off guard."
So, spiazzare is "to cause someone to feel less stable." You floor them, you take away their certainties, you take them by surprise.
E poi ti spiazzava.
And then she would take you by surprise.
Spiazzava te che eri al suo fianco,
She would totally surprise you, you, who were by her side,
spiazzava il pubblico.
she would floor the audience.
Ma a volte ti accorgevi che spiazzava anche se stessa...
But sometimes you would realize that she took even herself by surprise...
Captions 29-32, Illuminate - Margherita Hack - Part 11
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E io sono abituata a condurre il gioco. Insomma, mi sento spiazzata.
And I am used to leading the game. Basically, I'm flummoxed.
Captions 77-78, Provaci ancora prof! - S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita
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We've had a request for a lesson about vocabulary in the workplace. It's a great request, and the topic is an important one.
Let's first look at the workplaces themselves. The most basic thing we'll want to say is, "I'm going to work, bye."
There are a couple of different variations on the expression.
Some say Vado al lavoro. This implies you are going to your workplace, where you work.
Be', mamma, io vado al lavoro, ci vediamo stasera.
Well, Mom, I'm going to work. I'll see you tonight.
Caption 11, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP8 - Fuori servizio - Part 13
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Some say vado a lavoro. It means the same thing, but there is no article. It's just a matter of personal preference or regional usage.
Some say: vado a lavorare. It is a general word but tends to be used when the job isn't in an office, but rather in a factory, or some place where the work is manual in nature.
I bambini vanno a scuola e le persone vanno a lavorare.
Children go to school and people go to work.
Captions 39-40, Corso di italiano con Daniela - Orari di apertura e sistema scolastico
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Then we come back from work. The verb is tornare (to return)
E quando mia madre e mio padre sono tornati dal lavoro,
And when my mother and father came home from work,
ci hanno trovato con dei cucchiai
they found us with some spoons
che fingevano i microfoni e noi cantavamo.
which we pretended were microphones, and we would sing.
Captions 19-21, Anna e Marika - ricordi di infanzia
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Similar to English, Italians talk about going to the office. For this, we use the preposition in, not a. They both can mean "to." When coming and going, we don't use the article before ufficio (office).
Allora, ti dico che devi tornare subito in ufficio.
So, I'm telling you that you have to come back to the office right away.
Caption 78, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP9 - Morte in paradiso - Part 8
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Another word that can mean "office" is lo studio. Although uno studio can be a studio for photography, filming, recording, or creating art, and the like, it's also used to mean "office." This often implies a small place and is used for professions such as dentists, doctors, architects, attorneys, graphic designers, etc.
Abita a Matera e ha uno studio grafico in via Bixio.
He lives in Matera and has a graphics studio on Via Bixio.
Caption 35, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore - S1 EP3 I giardini della memoria
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Un momento prima sei al lavoro,
One moment earlier, you're at work,
o nel traffico o a casa tua
or in traffic, or at home,
e un momento dopo
and one moment later,
sei sul letto di uno studio urologico.
you are on the exam table at the urologist's office.
Captions 8-10, La linea verticale - EP1 - Part 2
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La fabbrica is a factory or plant.
Ma Lei lo sa che è stato licenziato dalla fabbrica dove lavorava
But did you know that he was fired from the factory where he worked
perché ha sferrato un pugno al suo capo reparto.
because he punched his department head?
Captions 57-58, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore - S1 EP2 Come piante fra sassi
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Lots of factories are grouped in a part of a city zoned for industry. It's called la zona industriale.
Now let's talk about what to call the people who work in places. The most general term is un lavoratore (a worker). We can see the verb lavorare (to work) and the noun il lavoro (the job). But let's look at some words that are a bit more specific.
When we're talking about a factory-type situation, where workers do manual work, then one word we use is operaio (worker).
In a factory situation, workers generally have one shift or another. This is il turno. We can have il turno di giorno or il turno di notte. Some factories have three shifts or turni. 6:00 AM - 2:00 PM, 2:00 PM - 10:00 PM, and 10:00 PM - 6:00 AM.
Questo è l'altro operaio
This is the other worker
che faceva il turno di notte sabato sera?
who was working the night shift on Saturday night?
Caption 32, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP8 - Fuori servizio - Part 5
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In an office situation, on the other hand, an employee working at a desk or a counter is usually indicated with the generic term, l'impiegato or l'impiegata depending on whether they are male or female. This nomenclature comes from the verb impiegare (to use, to employ).
Sposare voi, un umile
Marry you, [me] a humble,
impiegato morto di fame e sempre squattrinato.
starving employee and always penniless.
Caption 28, Totò e Lia Zoppelli - Romeo e Giulietta
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Il dipendente
Un impiegato is almost surely also un dipendente: someone who works for someone else. Dipendente is even more generic than impiegato. It's more about being paid by someone else.
Lei è Adriano Olivetti?
Are you Adriano Olivetti?
Non mi conosce.
You don't know me.
Sono la figlia di un Suo dipendente, Mario Pagani.
I'm the daughter of one of your employees, Mario Pagani.
Captions 16-17, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 26
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L'azienda - la ditta
So if you want to mention how many people work in a company, you use the noun dipendente. The company someone works for may be called un'azienda, (which gives the impression of a large company) or una ditta.
L'azienda è in espansione,
The company is expanding.
ha ormai sedicimila dipendenti.
By now it has sixteen thousand employees.
Caption 38, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 3
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E poi vedi di scoprire qualcosa su quest'altra ditta,
And then try to discover something about this other company,
quella che fornisce il latte.
the one that supplies the milk.
Caption 54, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP6 - Sotto tiro - Part 4
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So we have two different nouns — dipendente and impiegato — that are generally translated as "employee," so this can be confusing. Impiegato/a usually describes someone who works at a computer or at a desk or counter. Dipendente is more about the relationship between who pays and who gets paid.
Note that impiegato and dipendente are also adjectives.
In Part 2, we will talk about other roles in a workplace.
Yabla has been featuring a documentary series about famous Italian women. One of these women was Margherita Hack, who was a renowned scientist and astronomer. Her story is pretty fascinating.
Margherita grew up during the Italian fascist period and then got married in 1944 when the war was still going on. The war years were very rough for Italians. There was little food to go around, and money was scarce. In fact, when they got married, both Aldo and Margherita had coats that were "turned inside out." What did that mean?
Tutti e due con un cappotto rivoltato,
Both with a coat turned inside out,
perché allora i soldi veramente erano molto pochi.
because at the time there was really very little money.
Captions 38-39, Illuminate - Margherita Hack
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It took a little research to figure out what rivoltato really meant in this context. It's actually kind of interesting.
Margherita and Aldo, like many Italians in the 1940s, likely had coats made of wool — lana, with a silk lining — una fodera di seta. In those days, when a coat became too shabby to be presentable, it would not be thrown away. Heaven forbid! Instead, a seamstress or someone in the family who knew how to sew (which was fairly common), would open up all the seams — scucire, then turn the woolen part inside out, and resew — ricucire the lining back on. The coat at that point was like new, or close enough.
Italians have traditionally been attentive to clothing and keeping it nice. Nowadays, it frequently costs less to buy a new item of clothing, but years back, when a collar of a shirt would get frayed, it would be turned around and resewn, or even removed completely, rather than anyone buying a new shirt. If a wife and/or mother knew how to sew, she would make shirts for the men and boys in the family and blouses and skirts for the women and girls. But clothes had to be taken care of and they had to last.
When il tessuto (the fabric) has been consumed to the point of being unsightly, the Italian word is liso (frayed, worn, threadbare). Another, more common adjective is sciupato (ruined), from the verb sciupare.
The parts of a shirt that are frequently turned inside out and re-sewn are:
We'll report here some explanations of this tradition from the WordReference Italian only forum: (We've also translated it into English for you.)
Quando c'era molta miseria ed il cappotto era liso non lo si buttava. Semplicemente lo si faceva rivoltare ad una sarta in modo che la parte esterna, sciupata, andasse all'interno e scomparisse alla vista.
When there was a lot of poverty and a coat was frayed, it wasn't thrown away. It was simply turned inside out by a seamstress so that the outside part, all worn out, would go on the inside and disappear from view.
La fodera è seta cucita sulla lana. Una sarta può scucirla e ricucirla sulla parte opposta. Poi si fa lo stesso con le tasche; si rovescia il colletto, e voilà, il padre di famiglia aveva risparmiato qualche soldino per la famiglia!
The lining is silk sewn onto the wool. A seamstress can take the stitches out and sew it on the other side. Then the same is done with the pockets; [then] you turn the collar inside out, and voilà, the father of the family had saved up a little money for the family!
-Sì, era molto comune all'epoca. E si faceva soprattutto col colletto delle camicie. Quando diventava liso, lo scucivi e lo rovesciavi per cucirlo dalla parte ancora intatta. Pensa che i prezzi dei cappotti - e dell'abbigliamento in generale - erano proibitivi all'epoca: in proporzione con i prezzi di oggi un cappotto semplice poteva costare anche mezzo stipendio.
-Yes, it was very common at the time. And it was mostly done with the collar of a shirt. When it became worn out, you took the stitches out and turned it inside out to sew it on the still intact side. Just think that the prices of coats - and of clothing in general - were prohibitive at the time: in proportion to today's prices, a simple coat could cost even half a paycheck.
A word that is related to rivoltare is risvolto. We're still talking about something turned over. For more about the root verb voltare, see this lesson. Ri often means "again" and voltare means "to turn." Il risvolto is commonly used to mean "lapel" but can also refer to the cuff on a pant leg or shirt. This word came up in another Yabla video.
In the wonderful Yabla series based on a true story Non è mai troppo tardi (It's never too late), Alberto is teaching in a reformatory and wants to sneak in some pencils for the boys to write with. The kids have plenty of experience pilfering things, and show him where to hide the pencils: in the lapel or flap.
Mae' [maestro], qui, nel risvolto della giacca,
Teach, here, in the lapel of the jacket,
le metti qua dentro. -Qui?
you put them in here. -Here?
Captions 65-66, Non è mai troppo tardi - EP1
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If you haven't watched this series yet, non è mai troppo tardi!
Something else Italians like to flip or turn over is la frittata (the omelet), either literally or figuratively.
...perché lo conosco.
...because I know him.
Lui ha una capacità nel rivoltare le frittate
He's very capable of flipping the omelet [turning the tables]
che non ci puoi credere.
like you wouldn't believe.
Captions 36-37, Sposami - EP 1 - Part 4
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What's the difference between dividere and condividere?
The short answer is that dividere means to "divide" and condividere means "to share." Dividere is a true cognate and is pretty obvious.
Davide doveva solo sposare Federica e dopo la sua morte,
Davide had only to marry Federica and after her death,
avremmo dovuto dividere l'eredità a metà.
we would have had to split the inheritance in two.
Captions 6-7, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP7 - Alta società
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Condividere adds the prefix/preposition con (with), so that makes a certain amount of sense as well. To divide up something with someone.
Voglio... saluto con tanto affetto
I want to... I say farewell with great affection to
Ines, Laura, Sara, Enzo e Norbert
Ines, Laura, Sara, Enzo, and Norbert
per aver condiviso con me e la famiglia gran parte della mia vita.
for having shared with me and the family the greater part of my life.
Captions 25-27, Ennio Morricone - ''Io sono morto, vado via senza disturbare''
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But with the verb "to share" in English, we also share information with someone. We don't keep it to ourselves. But we are not dividing it up. The same nuance exists in Italian.
Lei avrebbe dovuto condividere con me ogni scoperta,
You should have shared every discovery with me,
e invece non l'ha fatto.
but you didn't do that.
Caption 20, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto
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Condividere also means to agree on something, to have the same opinion as someone else. Even in English, we can use the word "share." "I share (or I don't share) your view."
"Non condivido ciò che dici,
"I don't agree with what you say,
ma sarei disposto a dare la vita
but I would willingly give my life
affinché tu possa dirlo".
so that you could say it."
Captions 19-21, In giro per l'Italia - Mazara Del Vallo - Sicilia
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But what is interesting is that if we do a search of the verb dividere in Yabla videos, we discover that it is often synonymous with condividere, or rather, there are plenty of cases where it means "to share." Sometimes, in order to share something, you have to divide it up, so using dividere can often be clear enough. If we look at the dictionary definition of dividere, "to share" is included. So we just have to keep in mind that a short answer isn't always good enough.
This question came up because, in a recent episode of Non è mai troppo tardi, we translated dividere as "to share," not "to divide."
The context: Alberto Manzi has become a TV personality, so people stop him on the street, and he is happy to talk to them and sign autographs. But his wife Ida is not so thrilled and she resents having to share him with so many other people.
Con quanti dobbiamo dividerti ancora?
With how many more do we have to share you?
Caption 70, Non è mai troppo tardi - EP 2
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We can imagine a large pie to be divided up into slices. How big is Ida's slice of the pie? We can also note that she uses the preposition con. So it's pretty clear what she means. But do people also use con with condividere? Could she have said, Con quanti dobbiamo condividerti ancora? Probably, but it might have sounded a bit redundant and awkward. For sure, sometimes condividere and con are used together.
E quindi siamo partiti per una, circa, una quindicina di giorni
And so we left for fifteen days or so
e abbiamo vissuto in famiglia
and we stayed with families
e abbiamo praticamente condiviso con loro la loro vita quotidiana.
and we basically shared with them their daily life.
Captions 16-18, Professioni e mestieri - Erica - archeologa
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We hope this has cleared up any doubts you might have had about the verbs dividere and condividere. Let us know at newsletter@yabla.com
When you meet someone new, what do you say?
One way to introduce yourself is to say Ciao and then who you are:
Ciao, io sono Ida.
Hi, I'm Ida.
Caption 23, Non è mai troppo tardi - EP 2
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In the following example, Ida recognizes Ricotta, so she says:
Tu devi essere il famoso Ricotta. Ciao, piacere.
You must be the famous Ricotta. Hi, nice to meet you.
Captions 19-20, Non è mai troppo tardi - EP 2
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And you can combine these two and say something like:
Ciao, piacere, sono ____________.
Hi, nice to meet you, I'm _______________.
Young people will usually say Ciao (hi) and then their name. After ciao, there is usually the verb essere (to be)
Ciao, sono __________.
Hi, I'm ____________.
But if you are not the first to speak, you can just say,
Piacere, [your name].
Nice to meet you, I'm [your name].
In this case, you can leave out the verb essere (to be) in Italian. It is enough to just say your name. Piacere, in this case, is a noun, meaning "pleasure." So, you don't need an article, you don't need a verb. You just need the one word, piacere and your name. How simple is that?
Piacere, Grazia. -Piacere, Adriano.
How do you do? Grazia. -A pleasure, Adriano.
Caption 23, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep. 1
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Poi is a short word, and it's an adverb, but it is used extremely often, and more often than not, it means something other than its basic translation of "then." The English word "then" is also one of those words we find in all sorts of situations, meaning various things. Sometimes it's tricky to find the "right" English equivalent of poi, since it is also used as a kind of filler word in Italian.
Let's look at the dictionary definition of poi. The first definition is "then." How helpful is that? Not so helpful, except in the most basic cases.
At its most basic, poi may be used like "then" to put things in order, in a series. For example, if you are giving someone instructions, you will use "Then you do this..." The same thing can be done in Italian. Here, Daniela is listing the colors and how they work in Italian.
I colori positivi sono: grigio.
The positive colors are: gray.
Grigio. La maglia di Sandra è grigia.
Gray. Sandra's sweater is gray.
Poi abbiamo il nero.
Then we have "nero" (black).
La mia maglia è nera.
My sweater is black.
Poi abbiamo la maglia di Ingeborg che è... bianca.
Then we have Ingeborg's sweater, which is... white.
Captions 4-8, Corso di italiano con Daniela - I colori
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When someone is telling a story, you might ask:
E poi cosa è successo?
And then what happened?
Caption 30, Acqua in bocca - Rapimento e riscatto - Ep 12
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But poi can also mean later. Maybe the easiest way to remember this is in the expression prima o poi (sooner or later).
Se nascevo da un'altra parte,
If I was [had been] born somewhere else,
prima o poi, il destino bussava.
sooner or later, destiny would have come knocking.
Caption 20, Chi m'ha visto - film
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Speaking of expressions, another one that's used a lot is d'ora in poi from now on:
Siamo una cinquantina
There are about fifty of us
e siamo tutti pronti ad avere,
and we are ready to have,
d'ora in poi, come soli referenti voi.
from now on, you as our sole representative,
Captions 24-25, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep.2
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In other words, we're talking about "later than this moment," or "henceforth." But we can also say da quel moment in poi, when we're talking about the past or the future — from then on, from that moment forward.
Sometimes poi is used like "besides," "in the end," "all in all."
Poi, adesso che ha deciso di candidarsi alle elezioni,
Besides, now that he has decided to run for election,
ha in testa soltanto la politica e il Movimento Comunità.
he has only politics and the Community Movement in mind.
Captions 4-5, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep.2
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In the following example, we could even leave poi out, and the sentence would make sense.
...perché questo serve per
...because this serves to
rendere ermetica la chiusura,
create the hermetic seal,
quindi non far entrare l'aria,
meaning it doesn't let in any air,
che poi è quella che va a far deteriorare la marmellata.
which is, in the end, what makes the jam deteriorate.
Captions 75-78, Andromeda - Marmellata anti spreco
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So, often, poi is just used as filler. In fact, here, it's even left out of the translation, because del resto is already complete. But poi embellishes it a bit, to mean "also" or "too."
Come prosciutto e melone poi del resto, però la mozzarella...
Like cured ham and melon, for that matter, but mozzarella...
Caption 23, Anna e Marika - La mozzarella di bufala - La produzione e i tagli
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We have just scratched the surface. If you find instances of poi that you don't understand, please let us know and we will add on to this lesson.
Let's look at the common noun il passo. It's used in a variety of ways in Italian. Let's keep in mind, however, that passo is also the first-person singular of the verb passare (to pass). That's not what this lesson is about.
We usually translate il passo with "the step."
Questo è soltanto il primo passo.
This is just the first step.
Caption 1, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep.2
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Che vuoi fa' [romanesco: fare]?
What can you do?
Un passo avanti e due indietro come i gamberi, fanno.
One step forward and two backwards, as shrimp do.
Caption 35, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP2 - L'addio di Lara
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Bene. Allora, Anna, io direi che secondo me è il momento giusto
Good. So, Anna, I would say that in my opinion, it's the right moment
per spiegare passo per passo come realizzare questa ricetta.
to explain, step by step how to make this recipe.
Captions 92-93, L'Italia a tavola - Tonnarelli cacio e pepe
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Here's some great advice in just about any situation:
Un passo alla volta...
One step at a time...
Caption 52, La linea verticale - EP1 - Part 4
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Although we can translate "a passage" with un passaggio, we can also use un passo.
La figurazione della fontana
The figures depicted on the fountain
è tratta da un passo della Bibbia.
are taken from a passage from the Bible.
Caption 87, In giro per l'Italia - Roma Piazza Navona
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But that's not the whole story on passo.
Al passo means "at a walk" when we're talking about the gait of a horse or other animal.
...e si fa al passo o al galoppo, il volteggio. -Meraviglioso.
...and vaulting is done at a walk or at a canter. -Marvelous.
Caption 48, Francesca - Cavalli
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Il passo can be "the pace" or "the rate."
E io non so se mi metterò al passo con lei.
I don't know if I will be able to keep up with her [to go at her pace].
Caption 27, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP9 - L'amica ritrovata
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Se continuiamo di questo passo non mi meraviglierei.
If we keep going at this rate, I wouldn't be surprised.
Caption 51, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore - S1EP1 L'estate del dito
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One way to take a walk is "to take two steps." It's a casual way to say it.
Faccio due passi.
I'm going to step out.
Caption 26, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone - EP1 I Bastardi
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In fact, "2 steps" is also synonymous with "a short distance." So when something is a short distance away, we can say it's a due passi. (literally, "two steps away").
Sta qui a due passi, Luca.
It's right near here, Luca.
Caption 47, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena
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Other meanings:
Il passo can also be a pass in the mountains or in a river, just like in English.
When you need to buy some screws (le viti) at a hardware store, the clerk might ask you quale passo or che passo? He or she is talking about the threading. The word for threading is filettatura, from il filo (the thread) or filare (to thread).
We have seen before that Italians use the number 2 or sometimes the number 4 to indicate "a small number" or a small amount.
È qua, siete fortunato, è proprio qua a due passi.
It's here, you're lucky, it's right here, a couple of steps away [very close by].
Caption 6, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce - EP1 - Part 20
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Faccio due passi.
I'm going to step out/I'm going to take a walk.
Caption 26, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone - EP1 I Bastardi - Part 22
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We use due passi when we want to suggest taking a little walk with someone, often to talk about something private while walking.
Facciamo due passi (shall we take a walk)?
Due spaghetti indicates a simple, humble meal featuring pasta. It can also indicate a plate of spaghetti.
Let's remember that in Italian, spaghetti is the plural of spaghetto, a certain shape of pasta, resembling string. In fact, the name of the pasta comes from the noun lo spago, the word for "twine." Literally, due spaghetti is "two spaghetti strands." But obviously, two is just a symbolic amount meaning "some."
Due chiacchiere, expressed in the plural, is a chat, with the idea that it will be brief. It also implies that it will be rather informal.
Va bene, allora voglio fare due chiacchiere con quella cameriera.
All right, then I want to have two chats [a little chat] with that waitress.
Caption 6, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero - Part 13
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In this case, the number is accurate, because whoever is using this expression is referring to balls or testicles (which usually come in twos). But the figurative meaning is that something is a pain in the ass or a real bore. It's colloquial, and not for polite conversation, but it is common enough that we thought it was important to mention it here.
Che due palle means, "what a pain," "what a bummer," "this sucks," or "this is so boring."
Questa proprio du' palle, nun poi capi' [romanesco: due palle, non puoi capire].
This lady is a real pain in the ass, you can't imagine.
Caption 41, Un Figlio a tutti i costi - film - Part 18
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Sì? -Me so' [romanesco: mi sono] fatto du' [romanesco: due] palle così.
Yes? -I was bored out of my mind.
Caption 37, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno - Ep. 1 - Part 17
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In this lesson, we have considered the number two as an adjective before certain nouns, combinations that are particularly common, but we can use the number 2, when referring to any countable noun, just about. It can mean "a few," "some," or "not too many," so keep your eyes open for the number 2 and think about whether it is literal or figurative...
And of course, if you think of other expressions or word combinations with the number 2, we are happy to expand our library of examples, especially if you find them in Yabla videos. Write to us at newsletter@yabla.com or as a comment in the video you find the example in.
Some words are very similar between Italian and English, and are often cognates, but sometimes there is a letter that seems to be missing and so if we follow our instincts, we might very well get it wrong. Let's look at some of the words that look like they are missing an N, or at least, if we follow our instincts, we might add it by mistake.
There is an example of this tricky phenomenon in a recent episode of Provaci ancora prof. In fact, little Livietta is still learning and she gets it wrong, so her father corrects her. He clearly understood what she was trying to say, but the word she used actually meant "to inspire."
Dai papà, alza la testa e fai resistenza
Come on Daddy, lift your head and press
mentre io ti spingo giù, ispirando forte.
while I push you down, inspiring deeply.
-Inspirando, con la enne, inspirando, ecco.
-Inhaling with an N, inhaling, that's it.
Captions 18-20, Provaci ancora prof! - S2E3 - Dietro la porta
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It's easy to get mixed up. In English the verb is "to inspire," but in Italian, it's ispirare. No N! To complicate matters, the verb inspirare does exist, as we see in the clip, but it means "to breathe in," "to inhale."
Another word that sounds like the English word — almost — is istruzione (instruction, education). There's no N in the Italian word.
È arrivata oggi dal Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione.
It came today from the Ministry of Public Education.
Caption 23, Non è mai troppo tardi - EP 2
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This one is easy to understand, as it sounds kind of like "instant " but there's no N.
oppure qualcosa di sgradevole
or something unpleasant
da cui stiamo scappando all'ultimo istante.
from which we escape at the last moment.
Captions 38-39, Marika spiega - Espressioni con i capelli
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Or we have the adjective istantaneo. Plenty of N's there, but not at the beginning between the I and the S.
È un effetto chimico istantaneo, temporaneo,
It's an instant chemical effect, temporary.
Caption 24, Andromeda - Marmellata anti spreco
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Però il mio istinto mi dice che non è così.
But my instinct tells me that's not how it is.
Caption 13, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP5 - Mondo sommerso
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Let's not forget the adjective form istintivo (instinctive) and the adverb istintivamente (instinctively).
Yet another one, not exactly the same word as in English, but close enough, is iscriversi (to register). We might expect there to be an N (inscriversi), but that would be wrong. Also, if we think of the word "inscription" we get a closer match. Your name is "inscribed" in the register.
Olga ha deciso di iscriversi all'università
Olga has decided to enroll at the university
Caption 64, Provaci ancora prof! - S1E1 - Il regalo di Babbo Natale
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"Registration" or "enrollment" can be called l'iscrizione.
Dopo la morte della mi' moglie, avrei dovuto metterlo in un istituto.
After the death of my wife, I should have put him in an institution.
Caption 52, Marika commenta - L'ispettore Manara - Espressioni toscane
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Note that istituto can mean either "institute" or "institution." Also, istituzione exists, as well as adjectives such as istituzionale.
There may be other words we haven't covered here. Feel free to write to us with suggestions, and we will add them to this lesson.
Here's another word, sent in by a Yabla subscriber.
Poi settemila di materiale edile:
Then seven thousand in construction materials,
vernici, cemento, tegole... -Voleva costruire una casa, no?
paints, cement, roof tiles... -He wanted to build a house, right?
Captions 13-14, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro
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We also have the noun form costruzione.
Questa è una delle più importanti chiese della zona di Pisa,
This is one of the most important churches of the Pisa area,
la cui prima costruzione risale al decimo [sic: nono] secolo.
whose first construction dates to the tenth century [sic: ninth].
Captions 7-8, In giro per l'Italia - Pisa e dintorni
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Lo Stato Italiano ha una costituzione,
The Italian State has a constitution,
Caption 17, Nicola Agliastro - Le Forze dell'Ordine in Italia
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The verb costituire (to constitute) also exists:
Ma anche delle ville che potessero
But also villas that could
costituire un vero e proprio rifugio...
constitute a real refuge...
Captions 16-17, Meraviglie - EP. 5 - Part 13
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As soon as we start thinking of words that have unexpected spellings and pronunciations, we think of words that start with E.
One common one that comes to mind is, of course, espresso, where we want to use an X instead of an S. In fact, there are numerous words like this one, so in a future lesson, we'll take a look at those.
Let's review some basic things to know how to say or understand when arriving in Italy after a flight from a different country. In most airports, the personnel has to know some English, but if you get into a sticky situation, you might have to deal with some Italian. At the very least, you will want to have a basic idea of what's going on. Some Italians will speak English with such a strong accent that you might not understand them.
La prenotazione (the reservation)
Il biglietto elettronico (the electronic ticket)
Il volo (the flight). Volare is "to fly."
You will want to know if a connecting flight, in Rome, for example, is on time or delayed.
in orario (on time, on schedule)
in ritardo (late, delayed)
Note that these words need the preposition in before them.
È un peccato che sia arrivato in ritardo all'aeroporto,
It's a shame that you got to the airport late,
Caption 65, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno Ep. 1 - Part 18
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You will be asked to show your boarding pass at various stages, such as security checks, passport control, and boarding. Sometimes you need to show your boarding pass when having a meal or buying something in the shops.
carta d'imbarco (boarding pass)
imbarco comes from the verb imbarcare, which likely comes from the noun la barca (the boat). The word existed before planes!
Imbarco is also used to mean "boarding."
Stiamo per imbarcare il volo Enitalia settantadue settanta diretto a Kingston.
We're about to board Enitalia flight seventy-two seventy to Kingston.
Caption 46, Provaci ancora prof! S2EP1 - La finestra sulla scuola - Part 7
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What kind of baggage do you have? "Check-in" is a term used internationally, but an agent may ask you if you want to check your bag or carry it with you in the cabin.
Registrare (to check your bag)
Imbarcare (to check your bag)
In stiva (in the hold)
In cabina (in the cabin)
bagaglio a mano (carry-on or hand luggage)
pesare (to weigh)
la bilancia (the scale)
You will want to find your gate.
uscita (gate)
uscire means "to exit."
Quale uscita (which gate)?
Tutti i passeggeri sono pregati di recarsi all'uscita B ventuno, uscita B ventuno.
All passengers are requested to make their way to gate B twenty-one. Gate B twenty-one.
Caption 47, Provaci ancora prof! S2EP1 - La finestra sulla scuola - Part 7
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Don't forget to fasten your seat belt!
cintura di sicurezza (seat belt)
allacciare (to fasten)
Decollare (to take off)
La colla is glue. The plane unglues itself from the ground!
A che ora decolla esattamente?
What time does it take off, exactly?
Caption 62, Provaci ancora prof! S2EP1 - La finestra sulla scuola - Part 6
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Atterrato (landed)
Atterrare is "to land." Touching the ground or the earth. La Terra is the planet Earth!
Ciao! Il tuo aereo è appena atterrato a Roma e in aeroporto, c'è il tuo amico che ti aspetta...
Hi! Your airplane has just landed in Rome and at the airport, there's your friend waiting for you...
Captions 1-2, Marika spiega I veicoli
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Buon viaggio (have a good trip)!
Let's look at a word that in one sense is not too difficult to figure out, but which has meanings that are a bit more elusive, too.
We're looking at the past participle of the verb prevedere (to foresee).
È la nostra capacità di intuire e di prevedere alcuni eventi del futuro.
It is our ability to intuit and predict some events of the future.
Captions 45-46, Marika spiega I cinque sensi - Part 3
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If we take prevedere apart, we see the prefix pre and the verb vedere (to see). One way to translate prevedere is with "to foresee" or "to forecast." In fact, the weather forecast is often called le previsioni, using the noun form la visione (the vision).
So one thing to remember is that the English word "predict," as we see in the example above, might seem to call for the Italian verb predire. It does exist but prevedere is used more often for this in general speech.
More often than not, the past participle previsto is used to mean "expected," as in the series La linea verticale, where Luigi gets more organs removed in surgery than had been planned on, or expected.
Anche se credo che t'abbia tolto un po' più roba del previsto.
Even though I believe he took out a bit more stuff than expected.
Caption 9, La linea verticale EP 2 - Part 5
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"Presto" e "subito" indicano che l'evento si è svolto, si svolge o si dovrà svolgere in pochissimo tempo, prima del previsto.
“Presto”[soon] and “subito”[immediately] indicate that the event has taken place, is taking place, or will take place very soon, earlier than expected.
Captions 50-52, Marika spiega Gli avverbi - Avverbi di tempo
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Sometimes previsto can stand in for "included." Is breakfast included? Italians often use the word previsto.
Il servizio in camera è previsto solo per i primi venticinque anni.
Room service is only included for the first twenty-five years.
Caption 5, Il Commissario Manara S2EP2 - L'addio di Lara - Part 1
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And there is another way previsto is used in general speech. It has more to do with law, and means "dictated by law."
[Direzione Generale Cinema. L'opera è stata realizzata anche grazie ] [all'utilizzo del credito d'imposta italiano previsto dalla legge duecentoventi/duemilasedici]
[General Cinema Direction. The show was made thanks also] [to the use of the Italian tax credit provided for by law two hundred and twenty / two thousand and sixteen]
Captions 70-71, JAMS S1 EP 1 - Part 6
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So we need the context to let us know exactly what previsto means in each case.