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).
Era ora. If we unpack it, we can see we have the imperfetto (simple past tense) of the verb essere (to be). And then we have ora. It means "hour" or "time" if we put an article in front of it, but it is also an adverb, meaning "now." In the case of the expression, there is no article and so it's not exactly clear which part of speech is meant. It doesn't really matter, because it's an expression that never changes.
Note that in Italian, it's always in the past tense, the imperfetto to be precise. In English, on the other hand, we can say it in the past or the present, or we can leave the verb out altogether. To form this expression in English, we do add the word "about." "It's about time," or "It was about time," or just, "About time!" We might also say, "High time."
Era ora is a great expression and easy to use. There is always an imaginary exclamation point after it. When someone arrives late, it is something to say, but it's a veiled reprimand (meaning, "you're late!"), depending on one's tone and facial expression, so it should be used with care when directed at a person. It can also refer to a situation, such as a delayed train or delivery.
We have hunted through Yabla videos to find some examples you can watch and listen to.
Eccomi qua.
Here I am.
-Ce l'hai fatta. Era ora, Mirò!
-You did it. It was about time, Mirò!
Sono contenta che tu sia tornato giù.
I'm glad you came back down.
Captions 70-73, Gatto Mirò - EP6 Buon compleanno
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Ragazzi, ho portato le birre.
Guys, I've brought the beers.
-Era ora!
-It was about time!
Meno male che qualcuno ha pensato di portare da bere,
Good thing that someone thought of bringing something to drink,
sembrava la festa delle medie! -Ecco qua.
it seemed like a junior high school party. -Here you go.
Captions 9-12, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP12 - Le verità nascoste
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Manara is very late for his dinner at Toscani's house. That's why Toscani says, when he opens the door:
Era ora, eh!
About time, huh!
Che è?
What is it?
Ma che stai a fa' [che fai]?
But what are you doing?
-Con permesso? Permesso?
-Allow me to come in, may I?
Captions 28-31, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP1 - Matrimonio con delitto
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Manara, being Manara, has grabbed the wine off the table, gone back to the door, and come in a second time (saying Permesso), pretending he has brought the bottle.
Here, the police went through all the bags of the bus passengers and it took a while.
Questo è l'ultimo e l'ispezione dei bagagli è finita.
This is the last one, and the inspection of the luggage is complete.
-I ragazzi hanno avuto le loro borse?
-Do the guys all have their bags?
-Tutti andati pure. Prego.
-They've all gone, too. Please.
-Era ora anche, eh.
-It was about time, too, huh.
Captions 47-50, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP9 - L'amica ritrovata
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Eva goes to see her favorite counterfeiter after a long absence.
La ladra più bella del mondo!
The most beautiful thief in the world!
Era ora che te [ti] facevi rivede [rivedere].
It was high time you reappeared.
Sono passati tanti anni!
Many years have passed!
Captions 48-50, La Ladra - EP. 1 - Le cose cambiano
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A friend chastising another for not going out enough.
Che c'è che non va?
What's wrong?
Niente, una storia con un uomo
Nothing, a relationship with a man
che rischia di diventare importante.
that's in danger of becoming important.
-Be', era ora, no?
-Well, it was about time, wasn't it?
Captions 45-47, La Ladra - EP. 8 - Il momento giusto
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A relationship had been hampered by some psychological problems.
Fine dell'Edipo. -Era ora.
My Oedipus complex is over. -About time.
Caption 9, La Ladra - EP. 12 - Come ai vecchi tempi
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Camilla's car has a hard time starting. When the motor finally turns over, era ora (it was about time)!
Forza, dai, dai, dai, ci siamo, ci siamo.
Come on, come on, come on, come on, we're there, we're there.
-Sì, ci siamo. -Ma quanno 'a cambi qua stufa [romanesco: ma quando lo cambi quel rudere]?
-Yes, we made it. -But when are you going to trade in that jalopy?
-Fatto, ecco.
-Done, there we go.
-Era ora. -Sei stato fortissimo.
-About time. -You were great.
Captions 27-30, Provaci ancora prof! - S2EP1 - La finestra sulla scuola
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Era ora is a way of saying "finally!" And sometimes both expressions can be used together.
Be', hanno fatto la pace.
Well, they made up.
Era ora, finalmente.
It was about time, finally.
Captions 68-69, Provaci ancora prof! - S2EP2 Una mina vagante
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Although Era ora works fine on its own, and that is the scope of this lesson, it can also be part of a sentence and will generally be followed by che, in which case we need the subjunctive.
Era ora che mi telefonassi (it was about time you called me).
Troppo (too, too much, too many) is an essential word to know. It's also easy because its meaning is clear even if you use it by itself, even if you use it incorrectly. It is a word that will serve you well if you travel to Italy, and especially if you do any shopping. But let's remember that it can be used as either an adverb or an adjective. So it's just one more thing to think about when using it (correctly).
Troppo caro! is an important phrase to memorize. Too expensive!
The question you might ask before saying that is:
Quanto costa (how much does it cost)?
If you don't understand the answer, try to get the vendor to write down the price.
Here below, troppo is used as an adverb. We see there is an adjective following it: caro (expensive, dear).
Ma è troppo caro, ma questo vasetto qua...
But that's too expensive, but this little pot here...
Caption 60, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP10 - Un morto di troppo
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You can also just say È troppo (it's too much) or Costa troppo (it costs too much).
Typical uses of troppo as an adverb:
Troppo difficile (too difficult)
Troppo forte (too loud, too strong)
Troppo caldo (too hot)
Troppo complicato (too complicated)
Even when the adjective modifies an adjective with a feminine ending, troppo (as an adverb) remains the same.
Lei è troppo ansiosa (she is too anxious).
I miei professori sono troppo esigenti (my teachers are too demanding).
But we can also use troppo as an adjective. Attenzione! When we use troppo as an adjective it has to agree, or correspond, to the noun it is modifying. We have to consider gender and number and thus, in translating troppo as an adjective, we have to think of whether it's "too much" or "too many."
So let's say we are again finding an item to be too expensive. We can say:
Sono troppi soldi (that's too much money) .
Remember money is countable in Italian. Un soldo (a penny) or i soldi (the money).
Chances are that when you see troppo (with an o at the end) it will be an adverb but look around to see whether there is an adjective or a noun after it.
C'è troppo aglio.
There's too much garlic.
Caption 1, Dafne - Film - Part 18
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When you see troppi or troppe, then you know they are adjectives.
Tu ti fai troppi problemi, troppi.
You're having too many scruples, too many.
Caption 16, Sposami - EP 3 - Part 20
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Ti ho perdonato... ti ho perdonato troppe volte.
I've forgiven you... I've forgiven you too many times.
Caption 43, Concorso internazionale di cortometraggio - A corto di idee
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Let's also be aware that troppo is often used by itself: È troppo! to mean, "that's too much!" in a figurative way.
Tanto is another word that is very useful and very common, although it does have various meanings and uses that we won't cover here. We'll limit ourselves to talking about its function as an adjective or adverb to mean "a lot," "much," "many," or "very."
Ben presto però si sviluppò in Europa, dove ebbe tanto successo.
Quite early on, it spread to Europe, where it had a lot of success.
Caption 7, Adriano - balla il Tango Argentino
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In the example above, there's a noun after tanto, so we can see it's an adjective. But in the following example, there's an adjective after tanto, so it's an adverb. When translating, we'll need "very" when tanto is used as an adverb.
Il problema principale è che Boss era un gatto...
The main problem was that Boss was a cat...
era ed è un gatto tanto socievole.
he was, and is, a very sociable cat.
Captions 31-32, Andromeda - La storia di Boss
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We use tanto a lot in negative sentences too, or we can use poco the same way:
Non è tanto bello (it's not very nice).
È poco bello (it's not very nice).
When tanto is used as an adjective, we have to watch the endings, just as we did with troppo.
Si può aggiungere il caffè, si possono aggiungere tanti ingredienti...
One can add coffee, one can add many ingredients...
Caption 10, Andromeda - in - Storia del gelato
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...in vista di tante passeggiate all'aria aperta.
...in anticipation of many walks in the open air.
Caption 35, Adriano - Le stagioni dell'anno
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So basically troppo and tanto work the same way, in terms of grammar. As we said before, tanto has other meanings or nuances, so we suggest doing a search of tanto in the lessons tab, to see multiple lessons about the word. Check them out!
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.
Let's talk about adverbs we can use to add a qualifier to an adjective. We can say someone is gentile (nice). But we can qualify that with an adverb such as molto (very), poco (not very), abbastanza (rather, enough), and others.
Molto (very) and poco (not very) go hand in hand. They can be either adjectives or adverbs. When they're adjectives, we change the ending according to what they modify. But when they're used as adverbs, they are invariable.
Molto is perhaps the one we hear most often. In our first example, molto becomes molti to agree with negozi (the plural of negozio). This is because it is functioning as an adjective. For more on this topic, see Daniela's lessons.
A qui [sic], a Mondello ci sono molti negozi.
Here in Mondello there are many shops:
Caption 18, Adriano - a Mondello
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In the next example, however, molto is an adverb modifying forte (strong). As an adverb, the ending doesn't ever change. And in English, the meaning changes to "very."
In estate qui il sole è molto forte.
In summer, the sun here is very strong.
Caption 40, Adriano - Le stagioni dell'anno
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Poco works the same way as molto and can be used as an adjective or an adverb. Here, poche agrees with ore (the plural of ora).
Poche ore fa, non più di tre.
Just a few hours ago, no more than three.
Caption 43, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP2 - L'addio di Lara
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But here, it's an adverb modifying chiaro (clear).
C'è sicuramente qualcosa di poco chiaro là sotto.
There is for sure something not very clear underneath it all.
Caption 40, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone - EP1 I Bastardi - Part 15
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Molto and poco are opposites, more or less, but we have some "in-between" words, too.
Abbastanza is interesting because it comes from the verb bastare (to suffice). So the most logical translation for abbastanza might be "sufficiently" — to the degree of being sufficient, or "enough," which in English comes after the adjective it modifies. In everyday speech, however, we often equate abbastanza with "rather," "fairly," or in colloquial speech, "pretty."
Era abbastanza timida, abbastanza riservata.
She was rather shy, rather reserved.
Caption 2, Illuminate - Rita Levi Montalcini
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Certo, Lojacono mi sembra uno abbastanza sveglio,
Of course, Lojacono seems quite smart to me,
ma per quanto riguarda il resto della squadra,
but regarding the rest of the team,
Lei è messo male, io lo so.
you are in bad shape, I know.
Captions 36-38, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone - EP1 I Bastardi - Part 9
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A synonym for abbastanza is piuttosto, usually translated as "rather." It's on the positive end of the scale but not at the top. When you say abbastanza, you might be saying something is lacking, that something is just sufficient, especially when coupled with a positive adjective such as buono (good) bene, (good, well) or bello (beautiful, nice).
Come ti senti?
How do you feel?
Abbastanza bene. -Ce la fai?
Pretty good. -Can you manage?
Captions 72-73, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP11 - Uno strano incidente di caccia
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But with piuttosto, it's usually positive relative to what it's modifying and serves to reinforce the positive aspect of something without actually going to the point of saying molto (very). So it's generally (but not always) higher on the scale than abbastanza.
Anche se, su certi argomenti, se la cava piuttosto bene devo dire.
Even though, on some subjects, she manages rather well, I must say.
Caption 52, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero
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So of course it can also modify a negative adjective, and reinforces its characteristic, as in this example:
La gestione all'interno della casa
The running of the household
è stata piuttosto complicata, i primi giorni,
was quite complicated, the first days,
Captions 2-3, COVID-19 - 3) La quarantena
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Nella memory card ce n'erano anche altre, piuttosto sfocate.
On the memory card there were others too, and rather blurry.
Caption 9, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP4 - Miss Maremma
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This adverb is similar to piuttosto, but is often another way of saying molto (much, very). But it can also be just a short step lower than molto, depending on the context and the region the speaker is from.
Ma in realtà, pensate, dopo praticamente sette secoli e più,
But actually, just think: After practically seven-plus centuries,
questi colori si sono leggermente sbiaditi. Sono assai meno brillanti.
these colors have faded somewhat. They are much less brilliant.
Captions 26-27, Meraviglie - EP. 4 - Part 4
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Another qualifying adverb is parecchio (a great deal). It's used a lot as an adjective, but works fine as an adverb, too. See this lesson.
Quindi, quando sarà finito, sicuramente mi riposerò,
So, when it's all done, I'll take a break, for sure,
perché sto parecchio stressata.
because I am totally stressed out.
Captions 50-51, Fuori era primavera - Viaggio nell'Italia del lockdown
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See this video for some explanations in Italian about qualifying adverbs, now that we've given you some pointers in English.
People have their personal favorites when it comes to adverb qualifiers. So keep your eyes and ears open. Listen for the variable endings when these qualifiers are adjectives, and the invariable ending when they're adverbs. This takes patience and experience. But little by little, you will put two and two together.
This list isn't set in stone, as these adverbs can be used differently by different people, but it can help give you an idea.
- •molto, parecchio
- •assai
- •piuttosto
- •abbastanza
- •poco
- •per niente (at all) — We didn't discuss this here but you will find it mentioned in other lessons if you do a search of niente.
In a previous lesson we looked at words that look similar in Italian and English, and which have an N in English, but not Italian. Now it's time for the letter X. In many cases, the X in English is "replaced" by an S. Sometimes it's "replaced" by a double S. In fact, X is used very infrequently in Italian.
Esatto (exact)
Cioè, dopo quattro anni, Voi vi ricordate il giorno esatto
That is to say, after four years, you remember the exact day
in cui abbiamo aperto il Lido delle Sirene?
I opened the Mermaids' Beach?
Captions 56-57, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore - S1EP1 L'estate del dito
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Tossico (toxic)
La mattina mi aveva detto che
That morning he had told me that
voleva far mettere questi rifiuti tossici nella mia terra.
he wanted to let them put this toxic waste in my lands.
Captions 16-17, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore - S1 EP2 Come piante fra sassi
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Esplorare (to explore)
Stiamo continuando a esplorare quest'oasi verde...
We are continuing to explore this green oasis...
Caption 2, Meraviglie - EP. 1 - Part 7
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Esempio (example)
Qui abbiamo un esempio di scrittura di note sul pentagramma.
Here we have an example of notes written on a staff.
Caption 3, A scuola di musica - con Alessio
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Ausiliare (auxiliary)
Nei tempi composti,
In perfect tenses,
il verbo "piacere" è sempre coniugato
the verb "to delight" is always conjugated
con il verbo ausiliare "essere".
with the auxiliary verb "to be."
Captions 18-19, Corso di italiano con Daniela - Piacere
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Testo (text)
Quali sono le parole nuove che vediamo in questo testo?
What are the new words we see in this text?
Caption 25, Corso di italiano con Daniela - Primi incontri
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We can include contesto (context), pretesto (pretext), and perhaps other words that include testo/text.
Ossigeno (oxygen)
Il fiume ha un'acqua ricca di ossigeno.
The river has oxygen-rich water.
Caption 20, Meraviglie - S2EP1 - Part 6
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Tasse (taxes)
io non sono per niente brava a compilare
I'm not at all good at filling out
il modulo per pagare le tasse.
the form for paying my taxes.
Caption 55, Marika spiega - I verbi cavare e togliere
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We hope this gives you the idea, and that it can facilitate remembering certain words. There are undoubtedly others in addition to these, so don't hesitate to write to us and we'll add them to this lesson. For the N lesson, we received some good feedback.
Thanks for reading!
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.
When we are judging the merits of what someone is saying, one thing we might say, when it's just a bunch of baloney, is:
Tutto fumo, niente arrosto.
Literally, this means, "all smoke, no roast." A roast refers to meat, so there is also no meat on the bones, although that is a different metaphor.
There are various ways to express this in English, for example:
All talk and no action.
All talk and no walk.
All talk and no trousers.All smoke and no fire. (added by 89 year-old reader)
The basic idea is that il fumo (the smoke) has an odor that might take on the aroma of un arrosto (a roast) on the spit or in the oven, and might seem at first like there is something underneath it, something good to eat, but it actually has no substance. You can't eat the smoke.
Another, more literal way of saying this in Italian is: È tutta apparenza e niente sostanza (it's all appearance, but no substance).
Of course, Italians love food, and un arrosto is one of those items that is traditional fare for il pranzo della domenica (Sunday dinner). For those who like to eat meat, it smells divine as it is cooking.
Oggi [mi ha] promesso arrosto di maiale con patate.
Today she promised me pork roast with potatoes.
Caption 3, Questione di Karma - Rai Cinema
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Fumo (smoke) is used in Italian, much as we use it in English, when something goes up in smoke.
Avrebbe rovinato tutto,
He would have ruined everything,
avrebbe mandato in fumo il mio sogno.
he would have made my dream go up in smoke.
Captions 52-53, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP9 - Morte in paradiso
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Allora va tutto in fumo.
So it will all go up in smoke.
Caption 32, La Ladra - EP. 2 - Viva le spose
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Don't let your Italian studies go up in smoke!
Let's keep in mind, as well, that fumo is also the first person singular of the verb fumare (to smoke).
Non fumo (I don't smoke).
We have already talked about different meanings and uses of the noun caso (case, chance) — see this previous lesson. In the present lesson, we will further explore expressions using this super common and useful noun.
In a different previous lesson devoted to noticing things in Italian, we briefly discussed the expression farci caso (to notice something / to make an issue of something). Although the different meanings are related, they are different enough to warrant translating them differently.
Non lo so, non ci ho fatto caso, mi dispiace.
I don't know. I didn't notice, I'm sorry.
Caption 41, Provaci ancora prof! S2E3 Dietro la porta - Part 7
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Non ci far caso, che ha avuto una giornata molto difficile.
Don't pay any attention to it, because he's had a very hard day.
Caption 28, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3 EP1: Ciao famiglia - Part 6
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For more examples and explanations, check out the lesson! There you will find a list of possible English translations. And let's keep in mind that the basic meaning of caso here is "case" (not "chance").
Let's build on another expression we talked about in the other lesson: guarda caso, another nuanced expression with "caso." If we take it apart, it's sort of a command. "Look at what happened by chance." It can be inserted into a sentence just about anywhere, as is.
Here are some examples from recent videos to demonstrate. Guarda caso very often has the connotation of a coincidence that isn't really a coincidence. Something looks like it happened by chance, but was likely planned.
A detective is interviewing a suspect, putting two and two together.
Anche perché chi ha ucciso a [sic] Ramaglia è arrivato in cortile con una motocicletta, e guarda caso tu c'hai una moto.
Also because whoever killed Ramaglia arrived in the courtyard on a motorcycle, and what a coincidence, you have a motorcycle.
Captions 79-81, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP2 Rabbia - Part 10
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All'appello mancano quattro abiti da sposa. Guarda caso, i più preziosi.
At the count, four wedding dresses are missing. As chance would have it, the most costly ones.
At the count, four wedding dresses are missing. What a coincidence, the most costly ones.
Captions 44-45, La Ladra EP. 2 - Viva le spose - Part 13
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This expression was once two words, but at some point in history, the two words became one, as happens with many compound words. Casomai is a rather intriguing expression. The two words are caso (chance) and mai (never, ever). Italian synonyms might be: nel caso che; semmai; eventualmente.
The literal translation is "chance ever." That's very unhelpful and makes no sense. But what the expression actually means is something like "if appropriate," "if at all," or "if anything." "in the event that." We could construe the Italian to mean "if there is ever the chance," and some additional translations could be: "if the situation/case comes up," "if the situation calls for it," "if circumstances permit," "if need be," and sometimes, "just in case." Translating it is tricky, and somewhat subjective, but if you hear it enough and start using it yourself, you'll find it very handy without thinking about what it would be in English.
And, what's more, Casomai is user-friendly, as it's one of those expressions we can throw in wherever we want, without worrying about the grammar. We could include it in the category of expressions such as magari, or mi sa that can stand alone at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a sentence.
Va be', noi casomai torniamo un altro giorno, eh.
OK, if appropriate, we'll come back another day, huh.
Caption 57, Sei mai stata sulla Luna? film - Part 10
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Eh, perché ero qua non posso dirglielo. Casomai dovrebbe essere Lei a dirmi che cosa ci faceva qua.
Uh, the reason I was here, I can't tell you. If anything, you're the one who should tell me what you were doing here.
Captions 4-5, Provaci ancora prof! S1E1 - Il regalo di Babbo Natale - Part 16
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Dopo, casomai... -Yeah. Dopo, magari fra...
Later, if need be. -Yeah. Later, maybe in a...
Captions 47-48, Provaci ancora prof! S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita - Part 15
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Tu non cerchi nessuno. Casomai la polizia.
You're not going to look for anyone. If anyone does, it'll be the police.
Caption 10, Provaci ancora prof! S1E1 - Il regalo di Babbo Natale - Part 11
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We hope this lesson has shed light on some expressions using caso (chance). Let us know if you have questions or comments. You can write to us a newsletter@yabla.com or write a comment in the comment section of any video.
Caso seems like an easy cognate, and it is, indeed, especially when we say something like in ogni caso (in any case).
In ogni caso, è una cosa veramente molto tipica.
In any case, it's a really typical thing.
Caption 40, Anna e Marika Un Ristorante a Trastevere
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Or, caso can mean "case," as in a criminal case.
Quindi voi o risolvete il caso in due giorni, o io sono costretto a togliervelo.
So either you solve the case in two days, or I will be forced to take it away from you.
Captions 80-81, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 21
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But we also find the word caso meaning "chance" or "fate." That's when things start getting a little fuzzy.
Signora, per caso vendete questo tipo di palle di vetro?
Ma'am, by chance do you sell glass balls of this type?
Caption 23, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 23
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Here, we could say, "As chance would have it..."
E guarda caso sembra raffigurare le tre generazioni:
And strangely enough, it seems to represent the three generations:
Caption 14, A Marsala Salvo Agria
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Caso can refer to "the circumstances," so when we say: È il caso, we mean that "circumstances call for something."
Però forse è il caso di farci un salto, eh?
But, maybe we should hop on over there, huh?
Caption 84, Il Commissario Manara S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena - Part 4
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In English, sometimes we just use "should."
We often use this expression in the negative. Non è il caso... This means something is not called for. It's not the right thing to do, best to avoid it. Sometimes non è il caso can mean, "Don't bother," or "It's not necessary."
Grazie, grazie, ma non è il caso. -Sarebbe meraviglioso, bellissimo!
Thanks, thanks, but it wouldn't be right. -It would be marvelous, great!
Caption 97, Il Commissario Manara S1EP10 - Un morto di troppo - Part 4
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That's not all, but we'll pick up this topic again in another lesson. Thanks for reading!
We have talked about pronominal verbs before, and we have mentioned our featured pronominal verb andarsene in a lesson about telling someone to "get lost." But let's delve deeper.
Perhaps if we talk about pronominal verbs often enough, they will be less daunting, and they will start making more sense. Andarsene (to leave, to take one's leave) is perhaps even more common than farcela, which we have talked about very recently, but they are both high up on the list of pronominal verbs to know and love. So let's dive in!
Andarsene has as its main verb, the irregular verb andare (to go). But instead of just going, we add on some particles that make it mean something more. We make it personal with se (oneself), and we imply we are leaving a place, person, or situation, or, we could say, "going away from a place, person or situation" with the particle ne. In this context, ne is a pronoun representing an indirect object with its preposition, all in one!
Se uno sta bene in un posto, embè, deve avere una ragione forte per andarsene, se no...
If one's happy in a place, well, they have to have a really good reason for leaving it, otherwise...
Captions 33-34, Il Commissario Manara S1EP12 - Le verità nascoste - Part 8
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Let's also mention that in a way, andarsene (to leave, to go away from a place) is the opposite of going somewhere — to a place. When we go somewhere, we can use the particle ci (to, in, or at that place) as an indirect pronoun including the preposition. In English, "there" stands for "to/at/in that place."
Hanno suonato alla porta. Ci vado io (the doorbell rang. -I'll go [there]).
It's easy to get mixed up between ne and ci.
When we conjugate andarsene, we split the verb in different ways, depending on the conjugation.
When you simply want to say, "I'm leaving [this place]" you can say:
Me ne vado (I'm leaving).
It's the equivalent of vado via (I'm leaving, I'm going away).
When no modal verb is involved, we generally have the person, the place (from this place) and then the verb in third place, conjugated. The same goes for other persons:
Alle otto se ne vanno a casa e non escono più, come le galline.
At eight o'clock they leave and go home and don't go out again, like hens.
Caption 40, Il Commissario Manara S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu - Part 12
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However, if we use a modal verb such as potere (to be able to) or volere (to want to), dovere (to have to), then we conjugate the modal verb and the pronominal verb remains in the infinitive, although the particles may be separate from it.
Ecco perché io non me ne voglio andare.
That's why I don't want to leave here.
Caption 5, Basilicata Turistica Non me ne voglio andare - Part 1
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It's also possible (when there is a modal verb) to mix the parts of the pronominal verb up differently and say:
Ecco perché non voglio andarmene (that's why I don't want to leave here).
In the following example, we have 2 different conjugations. The first one is one word, a command, with the verb root first: the imperative of andare, va', then the person, te, and then our "place" particle, ne. In the second sentence, the modal verb dovere (to have to) is used.
Ricotta! -Oh, vattene! Te ne devi andare!
Ricotta! -Oh, get out of here. You have to leave!
Caption 47, Non è mai troppo tardi EP 2 - Part 7
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Let's remember that the verb andare takes essere (to be) as an auxiliary verb for compound tenses such as the passato prossimo, which conjugates like the present perfect in English. We conjugate the auxiliary verb and the root verb is in its past participle form.
Finalmente se ne sono andati.
Finally, they've gone.
Caption 15, Acqua in bocca Allarme gita - Ep 9
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Practice:
Try thinking of people you know, or can imagine, and combinations of people. 1) They might be leaving a theater or a party... one by one, in couples, all of them 2) They never seem to leave but you would like them to. 3) They have all left. We'll need the passato prossimo for that. Have they left together or in dribs and drabs? Let us know how you do.
We have talked about pronominal verbs before, but pronominal verbs are tricky, so we've come back to them once again.
For more about pronominal verbs, check out this lesson.
This time, let's look at a pronominal verb people use all the time: farcela. It's about succeeding, managing, being able, making it — or not.
One tricky thing about pronominal verbs is that when they are conjugated, you have to find the parts. These verbs are more recognizable when they're in the infinitive as in the following example.
Non so se potrò farcela senza di lei.
I don't know if I can manage without her.
Caption 46, Provaci ancora prof! S2EP2 Una mina vagante - Part 25
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If we take farcela apart, we get the verb fare (to do, to make); we get ce. Let's keep in mind that ce means the same thing as ci, but when we have a direct object in addition to the indirect object pronoun ci, then ci turns into ce! Very tricky! Then we have la. La stands for "it" and is a direct object pronoun.
Let's also remember that when you say (in English), "I made it," you can mean you baked the cake, and in this case "to make" is transitive, or you can mean you succeeded in doing something, you managed, you were able. The verb "to succeed" is intransitive — we need a preposition after it. This may help in understanding farcela.
Be', in qualche modo ce l'abbiamo fatta e questo ci ha rafforzati.
Well, somehow we did it and this made us stronger.
Captions 60-61, COVID-19 3) La quarantena
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Finalmente ce l'hai fatta a farti sospendere dal servizio.
Finally, you managed to get yourself suspended from service.
Caption 30, Il Commissario Manara S2EP8 - Fuori servizio - Part 10
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A pronominal verb gets separated into its parts when it's conjugated. Often we find the indirect object pronoun first (ce). Then we have the direct object pronoun (la). We have the conjugated verb, which, in this case, is in the passato prossimo tense. It uses the helping verb avere (to have) and the past participle of the verb fare (to do, to make). If the pronominal verb were to occur in the present tense, then fare would be the conjugated verb.
Eh, basta, croce. Non ce la faccio più.
Uh, that's it, forget it. I can't manage any longer.
Caption 17, Chi m'ha visto film - Part 6
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Non ce la faccio, mi fai cadere.
I can't keep up, you'll make me fall.
Caption 2, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 1
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Farcela is very handy when you can't succeed in something (as well as when you can!). It might be getting to a party, or it might be running an errand. It might be running a race.
One way to say you can't make it (to a party, an appointment, etc) is simply:
Non ce la faccio, mi dispiace (I can't make it, I'm sorry).
Non ce la faccio a venire (I can't make it, I'm sorry).
T'ho detto che ce l'avrei fatta, va be', nie' [niente].
I told you I would have made it, OK, I didn't.
Caption 24, Chi m'ha visto film - Part 6
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"Non ce l'ho fatta ad arrivare fino a casa con tutta quella neve".
"I wasn't able to get all the way home with all this snow."
Captions 39-40, Corso di italiano con Daniela Fino a e Finché - Part 1
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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.
Tanto is a word used in a host of expressions to mean lots of different things. Sometimes it's by itself, sometimes it's put together with other words to form an expression, and sometimes there's a preposition to make it mean something particular. The combinations are fairly endless. Little by little, you will figure them out on a need-to-know basis.
Here's one that is clear and easy to use and understand:
Ogni tanto penso di aver sbagliato a lasciarti.
Every now and then I think I made a mistake by leaving you.
Caption 30, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep. 1 - Part 14
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Tanto by itself can mean "much" and is used as an adjective, but here, it's one way to say "in any case," or "anyway."
Tanto non mi avrebbe mai presa.
In any case, you would never have taken me on.
Caption 10, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep. 1 - Part 11
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In the next example, tanto is used with other words to form the expression: Tanto per cambiare.
Let's first remember that the verb cambiare means "to change." This expression is primarily used to be ironic or sarcastic. In this case, Cettina always does the shopping, so why is Libero even asking her about it? She's saying something to the effect of "Yeah, so what else is new?"
Hai fatto la spesa? -Eh, tanto per cambiare.
Did you do the shopping? -Yeah, for a change.
Captions 3-4, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 EP 4 Buon Compleanno Maria - Part 2
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As expressions with tanto come up in our videos, we will point them out in lessons. For now, maybe you can experiment with using these three ways to use tanto.
Ogni tanto
Tanto
Tanto per cambiare
In this lesson, we will talk about words that stem from the root word, quadro. For more about the word quadro itself, please see this lesson, where we discuss various meanings of the word. For the purposes here, let's think of un quadro as a picture, or a painting. We can imagine it as being framed and hanging on the wall.
Cristina ci ha detto che qualche suo quadro era riuscito a venderlo.
Cristina told us that you were able to sell a few of his paintings.
Caption 25, Il Commissario Manara S2EP10 -La verità nascosta - Part 5
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A frame is often square or rectangular, and in fact, quadro is another word for square. In a camera, we see a square (or frame) around the subject we want in the shot.
In concrete terms, l'inquadratura is the act or result of framing something in a camera, telescope, binoculars, or some such appliance. The verb form is inquadrare. You want to make it so your subject is in a certain position within the frame you see in your viewfinder or live-view screen. In other words, in the shot.
Qua si vede un'anfora, un'urna cineraria per l'esattezza, quasi intatta. Riesci a inquadrarla? -Sì.
Here you can see an amphora, a cinerary urn to be precise, almost intact. Are you able to get it in the shot? -Yes.
Captions 21-22, Anna e Marika Hostaria Antica Roma - Part 4
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In photographic terms, the kind of shot is often described in Italian with the noun piano (plane) or campo (field of view). But for the subject we focus on, or that we want in the frame, we use inquadrare.
Primi piani, totali, campi medi, tutto con il quaranta, semplicemente allontanandosi o avvicinandosi al soggetto o a... alla cosa da inquadrare.
Close ups, long shots, medium shots, all with the forty [mm], simply by going further away or by getting closer to the subject or to the... the thing to capture in the frame.
Captions 5-7, Fratelli Taviani La passione e l'utopia - Part 11
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Io La guardo sempre alla TV, ma dal vivo sembra più alto. -Be', dipende molto dall'inquadratura. Spesso un'angolazione può dare l'impressione...
I always watch you on TV, but in person you seem taller. -Well, it depends a lot on the framing. Often a camera angle can give an impression...
Captions 53-55, PsicoVip Gli occhiali - Ep 24
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But we can also use the verb inquadrare figuratively. "We get the picture."
Tanto ho capito, io il tipo l'ho inquadrato. Non mi fido.
Anyway I understand, I have that guy figured out. I don't trust him.
Caption 38, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 8
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There are various ways of translating inquadrare in the following example, but we don't know exactly what she was thinking, so we opted for "to categorize."
Inquadrava i suoi corteggiatori come amici, quindi li invitava tutti insieme. Si odiavano tra di loro,
She categorized her suitors as friends, so she would invite them all together. They hated one another,
Captions 5-6, Vera e Giuliano Montaldo - Part 4
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E noi abbiamo inquadrato lì la porta...
And we focused on the door there...
Caption 18, Fratelli Taviani La passione e l'utopia - Part 1
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Inquadrare isn't actually focusing, in the technical sense of getting your subject in focus, or sharp, but you are focusing on something important in the shot, so sometimes it's synonymous with focusing. Usually, you want the subject in your frame to be in focus. When we are technically focusing on a part of the shot, we use the focus ring or use autofocus and we "put the image into focus": mettere a fuoco. Once the image is sharp, è a fuoco (it's in focus).
Just as inquadrare can be figurative, so can mettere a fuoco.
Poi, c'ho una nuova idea in testa, così, ma ancora... ancora un pochino confusa, che spero di mettere a fuoco abbastanza presto.
Then, I have a new idea in mind, like, but still... still a bit confused, which I hope to bring into focus fairly soon.
Captions 48-49, Fellini Racconta Un Autoritratto Ritrovato - Part 7
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Fare il punto della situazione, invece, vuol dire mettere a fuoco gli aspetti principali di quella situazione, mentre fare il quadro della situazione, invece, significa descrivere quella situazione in modo molto dettagliato.
To make the point [to sum up] of the situation, instead means to put into focus the principal aspects of that situation, whereas "to make the picture" of a situation, instead, means to describe that situation in a very detailed way.
Captions 61-64, Marika spiega Il verbo fare
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Niente is an indispensable word to have in your basic Italian vocabulary. It's a noun, it's a pronoun, it's an adjective, it's an adverb, and it can even be a simple filler word that doesn't mean anything in particular. This highly useful word can mean various things, but they all have some connection with "no," "nothing," or "not."
Let's remember that in Italian, the double negative is totally acceptable. It gets the meaning across! So, as opposed to English, we will often see non and niente in the same sentence expressing something negative. For example:
Pronto? Non sento niente.
Hello? I can't hear anything.
Caption 11, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 20
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Of course, when we translate, we try to use correct English, so with the presence of non, we avoid a double negative and transform "nothing" into "anything."
We use niente to mean "no" or "not any" before a noun (or verb in the infinitive that is functioning as a noun).
Buoni! -E sì, invece di prendertela col buio, accendi la luce, sennò niente biscotti!
Good! -Oh yes, instead of getting upset with the darkness, turn on the light. Otherwise, no cookies!
Captions 61-62, Dixiland Buio mangiabiscotti
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If we see the little preposition di (of) before the word male (bad), then we're saying "nothing wrong," "not anything bad,"
Allora, insomma, erano un po' preoccupati, ma in realtà non ho fatto niente di male.
So, basically, they were a bit worried, but I didn't actually do anything wrong.
Captions 91-92, Che tempo che fa Raffaella Carrà - Part 3
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But when we have niente followed by male (with no preposition), then it means "not bad." This is an important distinction. Niente male is a wonderful alternative to "great!" We say something similar in English, too.
Anche a me sono successe un paio di disavventure niente male!
I also had a couple of things happen to me that weren't bad at all [pretty incredible]!
Caption 56, Francesca e Marika Gestualità
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In Italian, we can either say non male (not bad) or niente male (not bad at all), which is a bit stronger towards the positive end of the spectrum.
One way to say, "nothing at all," is niente di niente.
No, no, io non ho sentito niente, niente di niente.
No, no, I didn't hear anything — nothing at all.
Caption 18, La Ladra EP. 6 - Nero di rabbia - Part 8
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Another way to say "nothing at all" is un bel niente.
No, abbiamo un caso di suicidio e stiamo ce'... -Abbiamo, abbiamo. Lei non ha un bel niente, Manara, finché non l'autorizzo io, ha capito?
No, we have a case of suicide and we're lo'... -We have, we have. You have a big nothing Manara, until I authorize it, understand?
Captions 24-25, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 3
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But to say, "not at all," it's per niente.
E a me non piacciono per niente.
And I don't like them at all.
Caption 43, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno Ep. 1 - Part 15
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OK, e niente, avevo portato qualcosa da mangiare,
OK, and nothing more. I had brought something to eat,
Caption 7, Il Commissario Manara S2EP1 - Matrimonio con delitto - Part 4
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We translated niente here as "nothing more," but actually, it could mean something like "that's all."
There are undoubtedly other ways to use niente, such as:
Fa niente (it doesn't matter).
Di niente (you're welcome, don't mention it).
Non ho capito niente (I didn't understand anything).
Keep your eyes and ears open for the word niente as you watch Yabla videos, or any other videos. It's really all over the place!
Baracca sounds somewhat similar to "barrack." Barracks (a plural word often expressed in the singular) refer to a building or group of buildings that house large groups of people, often military personnel. It comes from the 17th-century French word "baraque," which in turn comes from the Catalan "barraca" (hut), of uncertain origin. The Italian word is baracca. It's a humble word about a humble place, but Italians use the word to mean a variety of things and not always humble ones.
It's hard to know what uses came before others, but let's first look at a very common Italian expression that might not make sense to a non-native.
We can imagine, perhaps, street performers who set up a little theater (baracca) with puppets or marionettes (burattini). Then the police come their way and they have to fold it up quickly and skedaddle. Or, perhaps the audience is booing. The puppeteers grab their things and hightail it. So in this case, la baracca is another word for teatro di burattini (marionette theater).
So when you up and leave with your stuff, you can say:
Chiudo baracca e burattini e me ne vado. I'm closing up shop and leaving.
Note that some people use the verb piantare, which aside from meaning "to plant," can also mean "to abandon."
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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Piantare baracca e burattini. Using the verb piantare really gives the idea of just up and leaving: abandoning ship.
If we look at some Italian dictionaries they mention that the expression chiudere/piantare baracca e burattini implies a brusque interruption of whatever the status quo is, for example, leaving a job all of a sudden, quitting school, or leaving one's family. On a broader, figurative level, it can mean completely changing the horizons of one's existence.
Baracca e burattini e si torna a casa, hai capito?
Theater and puppets [leave the whole shebang] and you go home, you get it?
Caption 54, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP1 - Part 6
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The nurse left off the first word of the expression, which would have been either chiudi or pianta. In English, we might even say, "You take your toys and go home..."
With this common and beloved expression out of the way, let's look at situations where the word baracca is used on its own.
In the following example, we're talking about a state-run health center:
Intanto questa baracca ha un responsabile e si dà il caso che sia io.
In any case this shack has a person in charge and it happens to be me.
Caption 33, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 EP1 - Casa nuova - Part 6
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In this example, la baracca represents a business:
Poi Bianciardi muore, viene ammazzato, e Lei diventa proprietario di tutta la baracca, che dice?
Then Bianciardi dies, he gets killed, and you become owner of the whole shebang, what do you say?
Captions 16-17, Il Commissario Manara S1EP9 - Morte in paradiso - Part 10
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Here, it's a household:
Come farà Libero con i piccoli? Eh, hai fatto bene a pensarlo, perché non è facile qua, la baracca...
How will Libero manage with the little ones? Uh, you were right to think about that, because it's not easy here, the shack...
Captions 25-27, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3 EP1: Ciao famiglia - Part 8
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Here, it is another business:
Melody non ha la responsabilità di mandare avanti la baracca.
Melody isn't responsible for keeping the shack [things] going.
Caption 31, Sposami EP 4 - Part 6
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The expression mandare avanti la baracca is a very common expression with the word baracca, meaning "to keep the show going." Literally, "to send it along."
Keep your eyes and ears open for more expressions with baracca. Now you know what it means!
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