We've talked about the conjunction che in previous lessons, and you have heard it in many different contexts, with varying meanings. It's one of those conjunctions that kicks off the subjunctive, so we have to pay attention to it. It is also a substitute for "what" in many situations. It's one of those all-purpose words, often translated as "that."
To learn more about this indispensable little word, check out some of our lessons:
There's a construction we come across from time to time in Yabla videos, and very often in conversation. Here's how it goes:
You make a statement, usually in the imperative, followed by che è meglio. The translation of this little phrase is, literally: "which is better." Here's an example. Somebody is telling somebody else to shut up. It would be a great idea to shut up.
Zitto tu, che è meglio.
Best if you be quiet.
Caption 19, Sposami EP 4 - Part 6
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The way this expression is used in Italian results in a different word order from what we might expect, or from what we would say in English. The formula is: Give a command, (which can also be in the first person plural, as in the following example), then tack on che è meglio.
Torniamo domattina che è meglio.
Let's come back tomorrow morning, which would be better.
Caption 45, Dafne Film - Part 22
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Optional exercise: Once you have read the whole lesson, can you put this differently by starting the sentence with è meglio? Hint — the verb is tornare. Check out the conjugation, as you will need the subjunctive. **possible solution below.
Our translations can't really do justice to this expression, which is why we feel the need to provide some extra information. It's often expressed with a tone of chastisement, intolerance, disapproval, or warning. It can go hand in hand with a raised eyebrow, a tilting of the head.
The construction we have illustrated above is colloquial, because the grammar is a bit casual. There is also a "correct" way to say the same thing. It might not have the same punch, though. Also, it uses the subjunctive.
"È meglio che tu vada a casa".
“It's best that you go home.”
Caption 16, Corso di italiano con Daniela Il congiuntivo - Part 13
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Can you transform the example above into a colloquial version? Possible solution below.*
Don't worry. Not everyone uses the subjunctive in this case. Here's an example:
Forse è meglio che prendi un taxi anche tu.
Maybe it would be better for you to take a taxi, too.
Caption 12, Il Commissario Manara S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero - Part 13
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*** Maybe you can figure out how to say pretty much the same thing, starting with Prendi and leaving out the forse (maybe).
We can also go all out with the subjunctive and conditional to say:
Sarebbe meglio se tu andassi a casa (it would be better if you went home).
Sarebbe meglio se tu prendessi un taxi (it would be better if you took a taxi).
Sarebbe meglio se tu stessi zitto (it would be better if you kept quiet).
***********************
Note: A variation on this is sarà meglio. Just like che è meglio, sarà meglio is used when you're miffed, or when you want someone to do something. See our lesson about this: Being Miffed in Italian
* Vai a casa che è meglio.
** È meglio se torniamo domattina.
*** Prendi un taxi anche tu che è meglio.
Every language has different ways to say "a lot." Let's look at what Italian has to offer. We covered some of the ways in a previous lesson, but let's look at a few more.
Ricci mi ha chiesto un mucchio di soldi.
Ricci asked me for a pile of money.
Caption 19, Il Commissario Manara S2EP4 - Miss Maremma - Part 13
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Un mucchio is a heap, a pile. Think of a pile of dirty laundry, a pile of leaves, heaped one on top of the other.
perché t'ha raccontato una marea di frottole. -No!
because he told you a bunch of tall tales. -No!
Caption 23, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3EP3 - Il tarlo del sospetto - Part 6
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La marea is "the tide." A tide of tall tales.
Considerate che di colle ce ne sono una marea: colla per il tessuto, colla per le pietre, corla [sic], corla [sic], eh, colla per, per la pelle.
Consider that there are a bunch of different glues: glue for fabric, glue for stone, glue, glue, uh, glue for, for skin.
Captions 61-63, Professioni e mestieri Belle Arti - La pasta modellabile
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Ho speso una valanga di soldi per questa macchina fotografica (I spent an avalanche [a whole lot] of money for this camera).
Sto facendo il viaggio più bello della mia vita, mamma. Ci divertiamo un casino.
I'm having the best trip of my life, Mom. We're having a lot of fun.
Captions 16-17, Ma che ci faccio qui! Un film di Francesco Amato - Part 13
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Casino is a colloquial term that originally meant "brothel." It currently means, colloquially, "mess," "a lot of noise and confusion," or "a lot of trouble," but it has also come to mean "a whole lot." It's best to use it exclusively among friends, in view of its original meaning.
In a future lesson, we'll talk about ways to say "a lot," when it's used as an adverb.
There are some expressions that can be figured out if you know all the words, but which we would never come up with on our own. The expression we talk about in this lesson is a fun one. It's all about one-on-one conversations.
Here's the expression:
E ancora, "quattr'occhi". È meglio se io e te parliamo a quattr'occhi. Questa espressione vuol dire: in privato, tra di noi.
And further, "four eyes." "It's better if you and I talk with four eyes." This expression means "in private," between us.
Captions 45-47, Marika spiega L'elisione - Part 2 Play Caption
Literally, this expression means, "to talk in the manner of four eyes." But let's unpack it so that it makes sense.
Parlare means "to talk, to speak."
A is a preposition that can mean "at, to, in, by, "in the manner of," and other things too. For more about the preposition a, see these lessons.
Quattro means "four."
Occhi is the plural of occhio (eye).
This expression is all about talking face to face, in person, privately. This way, two people can look each other in the eye.
So if you're on the phone with someone, or writing them an email, and you would prefer to have a conversation in person, or privately, you can say:
È meglio se parliamo a quattr'occhi.
It's better if we talk, just you and I.
In the above-mentioned expression, there's no need for an article. But let's take the opportunity to talk about the noun occhio. It's a masculine noun, and since it starts with a vowel, we use L with an apostrophe for the singular:
l'occhio (the eye).
But in the plural, it gets a bit more complicated. We need to use gli as a plural article with a masculine noun beginning with a vowel.
gli occhi (the eyes).
It's a mouthful, for sure. Here are some examples to watch and listen to! Listen carefully and try to repeat. If you do a search on the videos page, there will be plenty of other examples to try pronouncing.
Tieni gli occhi chiusi adesso, eh.
Keep your eyes closed, now, huh.
Caption 28, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep. 1 - Part 9
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Dixi alzò gli occhi, guardò in cielo,
Dixi raised his eyes, and looked into the sky,
Caption 13, Dixiland Cometa caduta
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Per ora, posso semplicemente proteggere gli occhi dal sole con dei leggeri e maneggevoli occhiali da sole.
For now, I can simply protect my eyes from the sun with light and manageable sunglasses.
Captions 35-36, Francesca neve - Part 2
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Si fanno dei buchi per gli occhi e la maschera è pronta.
One makes holes for the eyes and the mask is ready.
Caption 36, Gatto Mirò EP3 La festa in maschera
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While we're here, let's note that in the examples above, in English we use a possessive pronoun, "my eyes," "his eyes," and so forth, but in Italian, when it's clear who we're talking about, we just use the article.
In our previous lesson we talked about the difference between giorno and giornata. We learned that saying buona giornata is a nice thing to say when taking one's leave.
When saying goodbye, we can replace giornata with another -ata word, perhaps one more specific to what the other person is about to do. For example, we want to wish someone a good ride (on horseback) as in the example below, or, if they are taking a walk, we can say buona passeggiata.
Va bene. -Buona giornata. Buona cavalcata. -Buona cavalcata. Buona giornata e buon lavoro. -Grazie.
All right. -Have a nice day. Have a nice ride. -Have a nice ride. Have a nice day, and good luck with your work. -Thank you.
Captions 14-16, Fratelli Taviani La passione e l'utopia - Part 23
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Note: The -ata ending can't always be applied. If someone is about to get back to work or start on a project, you might say, buon lavoro, as in the example above (NOT buona lavorata!). We don't really have the equivalent in English, except for perhaps, "Have a good work day," but in Italy, buon lavoro is a very nice and very common thing to say to someone you're taking leave of. And if they are going to take a nap, you might say, buon riposo (have a good rest).
Let's take a closer look at this -ata ending or suffix. We'll find it on a great many nouns. One helpful thing to keep in mind is that it's always feminine. It is usually connected in meaning to the root noun, but has more movement to it.
L'onda (the wave) is what you see in the sea or ocean.
L'odore del mare, il, il suono delle onde... eh? -Sì.
The smell of the sea, the, the sound of the waves... huh? -Yes.
Caption 16, Professioni e mestieri Psicoterapeuta corporale e Naturopata
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We also have the waves of sound and energy, and when we are on the air, for example on the radio or TV, we say, Siamo in onda (we're on the air).
Ma non c'è tempo per provare, tra cinque secondi andiamo in onda.
But there's no time to rehearse, we're on the air in five seconds.
Caption 70, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno Ep. 1 - Part 20
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L'ondata (the surge, the onrush)
We use ondata to describe a wave in motion. It's often used figuratively.
Dopo il suo primo devastante arrivo, la peste, la morte nera continuò a colpire con varie ondate negli anni, decimando la popolazione,
After its first devastating emergence, the plague, the Black Death continued to strike in various waves over the years, decimating the population,
Captions 1-2, Meraviglie EP. 3 - Part 7
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In many cases, verbs come from nouns, and nouns also come from verbs. So a noun ending in -ata might come from a verb just as easily as from a noun, for example, when we mentioned cavalcata, above, it came from the verb cavalcare (to ride a horse).
il volo - volare - la volata
With un volo, you are in flight, but with la volata, you are moving quickly.
Assomiglia a un volo nel cielo.
It resembles flying in the sky.
Caption 21, Inno all'acqua un bene prezioso da difendere
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Ho fatto una volata (I tripped and fell-- through the air)
Ho fatto una volata a casa (I rushed home for a moment)
More nouns with an -ata ending:
la girata (a short walk) [from the verb girare (to turn around), but we also have the noun un giro]
una nottata (the duration of a night - from when you go usually go to bed until the morning) [from the noun la notte]
una sgridata (a scolding) [from the verb sgridare]
la nevicata (the snowfall) [from the verb nevicare (to snow), but also the noun la neve (the snow)]
una chiacchierata (a chat) [from the verb chiacchierare (to chat)]
Certo che da una semplice chiacchierata, sei riuscita a capire tutto di Malvina, eh?
Just from a simple chat, you were able to understand everything about Malvina, weren't you?
Captions 1-2, Il Commissario Manara S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva - Part 17
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This is just a small sampling of nouns ending in -ata. Let's stay on the lookout for more, and if you see more words like these in videos, let us know, and we will add them to the list!
What's the difference between giorno and giornata? They both refer to "day." To start off with, we can say that one difference is that un giorno is 24 hours. But una giornata is roughly from dawn to dusk. In some cases, giorno and giornata can be used interchangeably, but let's look at the ways we generally use one or the other.
It might also be helpful to think of giorno as rather static and giornata as something in motion, or progressing.
Since we have to greet people most days, it's good to mention buongiorno, which actually means "good morning," as a greeting. We use it up to lunchtime, or noon, to be more precise. After that it's buonasera (good afternoon, good evening).
Buongiorno, signora Caterina.
Good morning, Missus Caterina.
Caption 58, Il Commissario Manara S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu - Part 3
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Let's keep in mind that, used as a greeting, buongiorno is one word.
For more about greetings, check out this lesson
If we say buona giornata, we are saying, "Have a nice day." I hope your day goes well. It's kind of a progressive thing, thinking ahead to the day. We say it when we are leaving or when someone else is leaving.
Va bene. -Buona giornata. Buona cavalcata. -Buona cavalcata. Buona giornata e buon lavoro. -Grazie.
All right. -Have a nice day. Have a nice ride. -Have a nice ride. Have a nice day, and good luck with your work. -Thank you.
Captions 14-16, Fratelli Taviani La passione e l'utopia - Part 23
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We can replace giornata with another -ata word: if we want to wish someone a good ride (on horseback) as in the example above, or, if they are taking a walk, we can say buona passeggiata.
Let's look at other situations in which we will want to use giornata, not giorno, or vice versa. It may be helpful to think of giornata as the progression of the day towards night.
Let's say you are waiting for a package.
The corriere (the shipping company) says:
Il pacchetto sarà consegnato in giornata. This means the package will be delivered anytime before the end of the day.
If it's going to arrive before lunchtime, they might say arriverà in mattinata.
When you get off work, and you are thinking about what a difficult (or fantastic) day you have had, you can say:
Che giornata (what a day)!
But then, you might use a mix of giornata and giorno. The important thing is to remember that giorno is a masculine noun and giornata is a feminine noun.
You can say:
Ho lavorato tutto il giorno (I worked all day).
You can also say:
Ho lavorato tutta la giornata (I worked all day).
It kind of depends on what you are thinking or visualizing. They are both correct. Google says tutto il giorno is more common.
When we are talking about the weather, we'll usually use giornata.
Oggi è una bellissima giornata, un po' fredda,
Today, it's such a beautiful day, a bit cold,
Caption 4, Professioni e mestieri Erica - archeologa - Part 2
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When describing the day, especially in a personal way, we use giornata:
Ti sto rovinando la giornata, scusami.
I'm wrecking your day, forgive me.
Caption 14, Provaci ancora prof! S1E4 - La mia compagna di banco - Part 7
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If I ask you how your day went, I might say?
Come'è andata la giornata (how did your day go, how was your day)?
When we're talking about a length of time, then it's usually giornata. In some cases, we can talk about una mezza giornata (a half day')
La prego, solo mezza giornata.
Please, just half a day.
Caption 19, Ma che ci faccio qui! Un film di Francesco Amato - Part 4
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While we tend to use giorno for birthdays and the days of the week (we think of the calendar), giornata is more common for describing special commemorative occasions or major historical events, for example, Giornata mondiale della pace (International peace day). It's connected with the activity.
If you have questions about giorno and giornata, please let us know and we'll expand this lesson.
How do we talk about frequency — how many times in a period of time something happens or should happen? Let's find out.
Just as English has "every" and "each," so does Italian. Italian has tutti (all) and ogni (each). For more about tutti see this lesson.
In Italia, come ben sapete, la pasta è un alimento consumato tutti i giorni.
In Italy, as you well know, pasta's a food that's eaten every day.
Caption 1, Anna e Marika La pasta fresca
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Note that with tutti, we use the plural. Both the noun giorni and the adjective tutti are in the plural. Not only that. If we replace giorni (days) with settimane (weeks), we have to change tutti to tutte, as settimana is a feminine noun. Note also that we have tutto il giorno, which means "all day." Here tutto is singular, so try not to get mixed up (we'll talk about this in a different lesson).
Usciamo quasi tutte le settimane, il sabato sera,
We go out almost every week, on Saturday night,
Caption 40, Erica e Martina La nostra amicizia
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When we use ogni (each), on the other hand, it's always singular.
Qui in Sicilia, in estate si va ogni giorno al mare e la sera si esce.
Here in Sicily, in the summer we go to the beach every day and in the evenings we go out.
Caption 49, Adriano Le stagioni dell'anno
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What if we want to talk about "every other day?" We can say ogni due giorni (every two days) or we can say un giorno sì e un giorno no (one day yes and one day no).
Ah no, eh? E tu come lo chiami un bambino che vomita un giorno sì e un giorno no?
No? And what do you call a little boy who vomits every other day?
Captions 95-96, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3EP3 - Il tarlo del sospetto - Part 3
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When it comes to doing something once a day, once a week, once a month, or once a year, we use the noun volta, which we can also use in the plural when appropriate. It is followed by the preposition a (at, to, in)
Allora, amici di Yabla, all'interno del mio negozio, una volta al mese ospito degli artisti...
So, Yabla friends, inside my shop, I host artists once a month...
Captions 56-57, Adriano Negozio di Antichità Sgroi
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Note that the noun volta has other meanings and connotations, so consider checking out the dictionary entry linked to above. Learn more about the noun volta meaning "time" in this lesson.
una volta al giorno (once a day)
due volte al giorno (twice a day)
una volta alla settimana (once a week)
due volte alla settimana (twice a week)
una volta al mese (once a month)
due volte al mese (twice a month)
una volta all'anno (once a year)
due volte all'anno (twice a year)
There is a lot to talk about regarding time. We've covered one aspect of frequency in this lesson, but in future lessons, we'll talk about ways to say "usually," "sometimes," "always," "never," and so on.
In English, we say, "Wait a minute," "Wait a second," "Wait a moment," Just a moment," and so on. In Italian, we have cognates that work just fine: un minuto, un secondo, and un momento.
We can say (using the familiar form):
Aspetta un minuto/secondo/momento (wait a minute / second / moment).
Luca, Luca, Luca, aspetta, un minuto.
Luca, Luca, Luca, wait, one minute.
Caption 1, Il Commissario Manara S1EP12 - Le verità nascoste - Part 4
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Grazie, fratellino. Un secondo solo, eh.
Thanks, little brother. Just a second, hey.
Caption 32, Il Commissario Manara S1EP10 - Un morto di troppo - Part 1
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Un momento!
Just a moment!
Caption 17, La Ladra EP. 8 - Il momento giusto - Part 5
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But in English, we usually use a verb or adverb, such as "wait" or "just." In Italian, there are some additional choices and the word order can change. The method can be applied to all three nouns mentioned above.
Solo un momento (just a moment).
Un minuto solo (just a minute).
Un momento (just a moment).
But there are two other words describing an instant of time that can be used interchangeably with the cognates we have looked at thus far.
In English, we don't use the cognate "instant" in this context very often, but we can easily guess its meaning.
It's common to say un istante solo, for example. (Note there is only one N in this word!)
Eh, se mi può scusare un istante, perché dovrei mandare un messaggino.
Uh, if you'll excuse me a moment, because I have to send a text.
Caption 11, La Ladra EP. 5 - Chi la fa l'aspetti - Part 12
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In a recent segment of Provaci ancora Prof, we hear yet another word describing a very short interval of time: un attimo. It also means "an instant" but it's not easy to think of a cognate for this. Sometimes it's helpful to find out the etymology of a word to help remember it.
Interestingly, some scholars say it comes from the word for "atom": Latin, atŏmum, from the Greek átomos — indivisible quantity. We think of an atom as being pretty tiny.
But other scholars say it might come from the German for "breath": "der Atem." One breath is pretty quick, too.
So in the context of "Wait a minute!" we can add attimo to the list of choices.
Oppure: "Aspetta un attimo, ora lo chiamo".
Or else: "Wait a moment. I'll call him right away."
Caption 56, Corso di italiano con Daniela Ora - Part 1
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We can also say:
un attimo solo (just a second).
or, with a bit more impatience or irritation:
un attimo (just a second)!
La prego Marzio, un attimo!
Please, Marzio, just a moment!
Caption 35, Il Commissario Manara S1EP12 - Le verità nascoste - Part 10
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So un attimo is a very short period of time, likened to "an instant," "the blink of an eye." It rolls off the tongue nicely, but don't forget the double T (which gives it the feel of irritation) and the single M.
And even though un attimo is a very brief period of time, Italians like to make it even shorter. Un attimino.
Libero, potrei conferire con te un attimino?
Libero, could I confer with you a moment?
Caption 70, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3 EP2 - Un nuovo medico in famiglia - Part 13
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Italians like to use the word attimo in conversation, and it can find its way into sentences quite easily. We'll look at some example in a future lesson.
We say Auguri! when it's the new year or when someone has a birthday. Tanti auguri a te is how Italians sing, "Happy Birthday to you." But we also have the verb augurare, which is used quite frequently, even on ordinary days.
Non le posso augurare una buona sera perché non è una buona sera.
I can't wish you a good evening, because it isn't a good evening.
Caption 21, La Tempesta film - Part 22
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When you wish for something, you hope it will come true. In English, we either use the imperative of the verb "to have," or we can change the construction and use the verb "to hope."
Ti auguro una buona giornata (have a good day/I hope you have a good day).
If you follow Marika's videos, she almost always wishes you a marvelous day at the end.
Io ti auguro una giornata meravigliosa e ci vediamo la prossima volta.
Have a marvelous day and I'll see you next time.
Captions 56-57, Marika commenta -La Ladra Espressioni idiomatiche - Part 1
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We can use augurare with a reflexive ending, too: augurarsi. We use this form when we want to say, "I hope so!" We say:
Me lo auguro (I hope so).
Mi auguro di sì (I hope so).
No, scusi, mi auguro che Lei abbia una motivazione plausibile, perché se no io... -Ma un istruttore a che Le serve?
No, excuse me. I hope you have a plausible reason, otherwise, I... -But what do you need an instructor for?
Captions 9-10, Il Commissario Manara S2EP7 - Alta società - Part 13
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Note that after mi auguro comes che, and some of us know what that can mean. It likely means we'll need the subjunctive. In the example above, we do indeed need the subjunctive of the verb avere (to have). For more about cases like this one, see our lessons on this topic.
Using me lo auguro can have a somewhat negative nuance and we might translate it as, "I should hope so!" So it's not really hope, but rather expecting something to be a certain way. It's also quite a mouthful of vowels. Luckily, you can also say:
Lo spero (I hope so)!
On the other hand, if we want to say "I hope not," we can simply say mi auguro di no.
Hai imparato qualcosa (did you learn something)? Mi auguro di sì (I hope so).
When we want to talk about going or being upstairs or downstairs, we're not going to find a direct translation in Italian. We have to use other words.
We start out with the words sopra and sotto, which basically mean "above" and "below," respectively. We insert the preposition di (of, from) before either one.
No, vado di sopra a prendere la borsa e le chiavi e scendo giù subito.
No, I'm going upstairs to get my bag and the keys, and I'll be right down.
Caption 88, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3EP3 - Il tarlo del sospetto - Part 1
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If you are upstairs and want to go downstairs, you could just as well say,
Vado di sotto a prendere la borsa...
I'm going downstairs to get my bag...
When we are talking about the other room, or another room, or "over there," then we use the same little preposition di (of, from), but we use là (there) instead of above or below.
Vado di là (I'm going in the other room, I'm going over there).
Pietro è di là (Pietro is in the other room).
Using the above formula to talk about "upstairs," "downstairs," or "in the other room," is one way to express this. You might also hear simply su and giù.
È su (he/she is upstairs), sta su (he/she is upstairs).
Vado su, vengo giù (I'm going up, I'm coming down).
If we imagine an apartment building where you have to go downstairs to go out of the building, it's easier to imagine the Italian use of sotto casa (right in front of the house). I may have a little market right near my house. It's sotto casa. It implies "very close by" or "in front of."
Fortunatamente ci hanno messo un bidone sotto casa.
Fortunately, they put a garbage can in front of the house.
Caption 25, COVID-19 6) La guarigione
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Sono sotto casa tua. Scendi un attimo?
I'm in front of your house. Will you come down a moment?
Caption 30, La Ladra EP. 7 - Il piccolo ladro - Part 3
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When we want to say, "down here," or "down there," then we can use qui sotto or qua sotto. They are interchangeable and can refer to either "here" or "there," depending on one's point of view.
E qua sotto c'è il fiume Tevere.
And down there is the river Tiber.
Caption 19, Anna e Marika Trattoria Al Biondo Tevere - Part 1
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Infatti, vedi le strutture che sono qui sotto, qui sotto a questo monumentale... -Sì.
In fact, do you see the constructions that are down here, below this monumental... -Yes.
Caption 44, Marika e Daniela Colosseo, interno - Part 1
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While sopra and sotto with di often refer to "upstairs" and "downstairs" as we have shown above, su and giù can also be used to indicate the direction of where someone or something is or where someone or something is going. They often go hand in hand with qui or qua (here) and là (there).
Qui and qua basically indicate something that is close to the person who is speaking. Su basically means "up" and giù basically means "down." If we want to refer to something far away in an upward or downward direction, we can say, lassù (up there) or laggiù (down there).
E tu che ci fai lassù?
What are you doing up there?
Caption 8, Dafne Film - Part 5
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E poi si vede in fondo, laggiù sull'Arno, il ponte più caratteristico di Firenze, uno dei simboli della città, che è il Ponte Vecchio.
And then you can see, down there, on the Arno, the most characteristic bridge of Florence, one of the symbols of the city, which is the Ponte Vecchio [the old bridge].
Captions 36-38, In giro per l'Italia Firenze - Part 4
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Sopra and sotto are also used to mean other things, also figuratively, and hopefully, they will come up by and by in videos and lessons. Meanwhile, you now have some ways to describe where you are going or where you are in a house, or what you can see from your house or what you'll find in front of your house. As you will have noticed, there are various ways to say the same thing. Let us know if you have questions! You can write to us at newsletter@yabla.com.
Let's have a look at a noun that can cause some confusion because it's both a true cognate and a somewhat false friend. The noun is aspetto and it looks a lot like "aspect."
It's a cognate when we want to talk about a feature or element of something, an "aspect," un aspetto. It can also be figurative.
Ma c'è un altro aspetto che deve colpire in questa sala e sono certamente i tendaggi del letto a baldacchino, ma soprattutto, guardate attorno a noi, sono le tappezzerie. Sono in seta.
But there is another aspect that is striking in this room, and certainly the curtains of the canopy bed are, but above all, look around us, it's the wall coverings. They are in silk.
Captions 31-34, Meraviglie EP. 1 - Part 4
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Tutti la chiamavano Belle, perché lei era bella sotto ogni aspetto.
Everyone called her Beauty, because she was beautiful in every respect.
Captions 7-8, Ti racconto una fiaba La Bella e la Bestia - Part 1
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But the noun aspetto can also refer to the way something looks, its appearance. It's used with the verb avere (to have) — avere un aspetto (to have the appearance, to look like). If you look in the dictionary, we find this meaning of "aspect," too, in English, but it's formal and not used much.
Però, inizialmente, come abbiamo detto, non aveva questo aspetto.
However, initially, as we have said, it did not look like this.
Caption 3, Meraviglie S2 EP 2 - Part 6
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Mangio tanto tutti i giorni. -Ma dai! Dal tuo aspetto non si direbbe proprio.
I eat a lot every day. -Really! By your appearance, I wouldn't say so at all.
Captions 4-5, Daniela e Francesca Il verbo mangiare
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Commissario... ha un aspetto terribile!
Commissioner... you look terrible!
Captions 2-3, Il Commissario Manara S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva - Part 7
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In English, "aspect" has more to do with the mind, but in Italian, aspetto is often used to refer to the physical attributes or the appearance of something or someone. It's just something to keep in mind.
And let's not be confused by the fact that aspetto is also the first person singular conjugation of the common verb aspettare (to wait).
Although it means "to wait," Italians often say ti aspetto to mean, "I'll look forward to seeing you" or "I'll be expecting you." For example, Marika says it at the end of many of her videos.
Ti aspetto nel prossimo video
I'll be waiting for you in the next video.
Caption 56, Marika spiega I segni dello Zodiaco - Part 1
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Vicenda and faccenda are two words we come across in narrations and in dialog. They both have to do with events, things that happen, but is there a difference? If so, what?
The noun la faccenda comes from the verb fare (to make, to do), and has to do with things we do. It implies something that is done in a relatively short amount of time.
Many Italians describe housework as le faccende — the chores you do. The noun is usually found in its plural form, as there is always more than one thing to do.
It might occur to you to say:
Passo sempre tutto il weekend a fare le faccende (I always spend the whole weekend doing housework).
If it's clear I am talking about my house, I don't need to add domestiche or di casa, but if it's not necessarily clear, I might say,
Passo tutto il weekend a fare le faccende domestiche (I spend the whole weekend doing housework).
Passo tutto il weekend a fare le faccende di casa (I spend the whole weekend doing housework).
Le pulizie della casa, dell'appartamento si chiamano anche "faccende domestiche" oppure "pulizie casalinghe".
Cleaning the house, the apartment, is also called "housework" or "household cleaning."
Captions 32-33, Marika spiega Le pulizie di primavera - Part 1
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Faccenda, used in the singular or the plural, can also denote a "matter" or "business."
Ecco, io ci tenevo a dirvi che noi siamo completamente estranei a questa faccenda.
Well, I wanted to tell you that we are completely uninvolved in this matter.
Caption 56, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1EP1 L'estate del dito - Part 18
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Brutta faccenda. È una crisi di ispirazione.
Nasty business. It's an inspiration crisis.
Captions 5-6, La Ladra EP. 5 - Chi la fa l'aspetti - Part 1
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Often, the noun faccenda can imply something unpleasant — maybe an unpaid bill you need to discuss or something you did at work that needs to be dealt with.
The noun vicenda likely comes from the latin "vicis" (to mutate). It can be an event, or a succession or series of events, possibly lasting over time. In many instances, it can be used in place of "story."
Quando "cosa" si riferisce ad un fatto o a una vicenda particolare, possiamo usare alcune espressioni...
When "thing" refers to a particular fact or event, we can use some expressions...
Captions 32-33, Marika spiega Cosa - Part 1
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Una leggenda racconta che questo ponte è legato alle vicende di una fanciulla veneziana e di un giovane ufficiale austriaco e al diavolo.
A legend tells that this bridge was linked to the story of a Venetian girl and a young Austrian officer, and to the devil.
Captions 5-7, In giro per l'Italia Venezia - Part 10
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As you watch videos, read books, and listen to people talk, you will get a feel for faccenda and vicenda. In some cases, they might even be interchangeable. Although vicenda doesn't come from the verb vivere (to live), it might be helpful to imagine that it does. Le vicende are things that happen in life. Le faccende are things you do (used in the plural) or, used either in the singular or plural, matters to deal with.
You might also have heard the expression a vicenda (mutual, each other) It's very common, but we will look at it in a future lesson, so we can give it the attention it deserves.
Let's look at the different names Italians have for vessels that travel on water.
The most basic word, and the first word you'll likely learn, is la barca (the boat). It's general, it starts with B, just like "boat!"
A Villa Borghese si possono fare tantissime cose: si può noleggiare una barca... per navigare nel laghetto;
At Villa Borghese, you can do many things: you can rent a boat... to sail on the small lake;
Captions 10-12, Anna presenta Villa Borghese - Part 1
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If we want to specify the kind of boat, such as a sailboat, then we use the preposition a (to, at) to indicate the type: barca a vela (sailboat).
E lui fa il cuoco sulle barche a vela, in giro per il mondo.
And he's a cook on sailboats, going around the world.
Caption 28, La Ladra EP. 1 - Le cose cambiano - Part 9
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A motorboat would be una barca a motore.
A fishing boat can be una barca da pesca, but also, and more commonly, un peschereccio.
E... questa tartaruga è arrivata in... proprio ieri, portata da un peschereccio di Lampedusa.
And... this turtle arrived... just yesterday, brought to us by a Lampedusa fishing boat.
Captions 4-5, WWF Italia Progetto tartarughe - Part 2
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The second word you'll learn will likely be la nave (the ship):
La Campania è collegatissima, quindi ci si può arrivare in treno, in aereo, in macchina o in nave.
Campania is very accessible, meaning you can get there by train, by plane, by car, or by ship.
Captions 82-84, L'Italia a tavola Interrogazione sulla Campania
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There are the ships we see on the sea, but there are ferryboats, too, especially the ones that take you from Italy's mainland to le isole (the islands): Sicilia (Sicily), Sardegna (Sardinia), Corsica (although not part of Italy — a common destination), and l'Isola d'Elba. This specific kind of boat is called un traghetto. But if you call it la nave, that's perfectly understandable, too. Some of these ferries are huge. In the following example, we're talking about getting to Sardinia.
Ci sono tre aeroporti, se si vuole arrivare in aereo. Oppure con il traghetto da Civitavecchia, da Genova o da Napoli.
There are three airports if one wishes to arrive by plane. Or by ferry from Civitavecchia, from Genoa, or from Naples.
Captions 70-71, L'Italia a tavola Interrogazione sulla Sardegna
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If you go to Venice, you will undoubtedly take a ferry at some point. Here, the local means of transportation is il vaporetto (the steamship). The name comes from il vapore (the steam). There are stops you get off at, just like for busses, subways, and trains in mainland cities.
When you need speed, you opt for un motoscafo (a motorboat, a speedboat). That's what the police use.
Another boat name used in Venice, but other places, too, is battello.
Per arrivare a Murano, basta prendere un battello a Venezia e in pochi minuti si arriva.
To get to Murano, all you have to do is take a passenger boat in Venice, and in just a few minutes, you get there.
Captions 23-25, In giro per l'Italia Venezia - Part 8
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Interestingly, when Italians use the noun la canoa, they often mean "kayak." The noun kayak exists as well. When they want to refer to a canoe, they'll say la canoa canadese (the Canadian canoe).
Nelle gole dell'Alcantara, si possono praticare sport estremi come l'idrospeed, che consiste nello scendere attraverso le gole, ma anche la più tranquilla canoa.
In the Alcantara gorges one can practice extreme sports like riverboarding, which consists of going down the gorges, but also the calmer kayak.
Captions 19-21, Linea Blu Sicilia - Part 10
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To use a canoe or a kayak you need a paddle— la pagaia.
If we want to talk about a rowboat, it's una barca a remi. Un remo is "an oar," so we need 2 of them in una barca a remi. The verb to row is remare.
In Venice, there are gondolas, and they are rowed or paddled with just one oar.
Questa asimmetria è voluta per dare più spazio al gondoliere per remare con il suo unico remo.
This asymmetry is needed to give more space to the gondolier to row with his one and only oar.
Captions 18-19, In giro per l'Italia Venezia - Part 5
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A common expression having to do with rowing is:
Tirare i remi in barca (to pull the oars back in the boat). You stop rowing. Figuratively, you stop trying, you give up. Or, you've finished your job so you don't have to "row" any longer. Maybe you've retired! This nuanced expression can tend towards a positive or negative intention and interpretation.
Finally, we have la zattera (the raft). It's often primitive, often made of wood.
Are there kinds of boats for which you would like to know the Italian equivalent? Write to us. newsletter@yabla.com.
There are undoubtedly other kinds of seafaring vessels we have missed here. Feel free to volunteer some you might have come across.
And to sum up, we will mention that in general, when talking about vessels that travel on the water, we can use l'imbarcazione. It's good to recognize this word and understand it, but you likely won't need it in everyday conversation. You'll hear it on the news, you'll read it in articles...
An adverb modifies, or describes, a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. But in Italian (as in other languages), we sometimes mix and match. Sometimes we use an adjective like an adverb and vice versa. Let's look at a few of the common adjectives that fall into this category.
One of these cases is the adjective leggero (light, lightweight). It might be more correct to say Guarda come vola in modo leggero, (look how she is flying, as light as a feather). Or we could consider leggera (lightweight) as modifying the noun, in this case, una farfalle (a butterfly).
Guarda come vola leggera.
See how weightlessly it's flying.
Caption 19, Gatto Mirò EP 10 Piantiamo un albero
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Another is forte. It's basically an adjective, as in the following example.
Orfeo era... aveva un carattere forte.
Orfeo was... He had a strong personality.
Caption 35, Il Commissario Manara S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena - Part 4
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But forte is used quite often as an adverb, especially after a verb. In the following example, it's translated as "great," also primarily an adjective, but we use it as an adverb, too.
Sto andando forte, eh?
I'm doing great, right?
Caption 24, Non è mai troppo tardi EP 2 - Part 12
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Fortemente exists as an adverb and is used in some contexts, especially before the adjective it happens to be modifying.
Io non le ho prese. -Non lo so, ma sei fortemente indiziata! -Ma!
I didn't take them. -I don't know, but you're a very strong suspect [strongly suspected]. -Well!
Caption 62, Il Commissario Manara S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena - Part 4
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But it's very common to use the forte when it comes to modifying verbs. Fortemente would sound wrong.
Dai papà, alza la testa e fai resistenza mentre io ti spingo giù, ispirando forte.
Come on Daddy, lift your head and press while I push you down, inhaling deeply.
Captions 18-19, Provaci ancora prof! S2E3 Dietro la porta - Part 22
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Like forte, veloce is often used in place of the adverb velocemente.
Dixi l'aveva soprannominata saetta, perché andava veloce come un fulmine.
Dixi nicknamed it "Saetta" (lightning bolt), because it went fast like lightning.
Captions 8-9, Dixiland In bicicletta
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E perché, vado troppo veloce?
And why? Am I going too fast?
Caption 56, Il Commissario Manara S2EP11 - Uno strano incidente di caccia - Part 3
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Oh cowboy, se tu cambi obiettivo così velocemente, la selvaggina scappa!
Oh, cowboy, if you change your target so quickly, the game gets away!
Caption 35, Il Commissario Manara S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro - Part 6
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Piano is the opposite of both forte and veloce. There is no specific adverbial version, but it can be used both as an adjective and an adverb. Piano has different meanings, so it's not always clear, even from the context, which meaning it has.
Ciao. -A presto. Vai piano.
Bye. -See you soon. Go slowly.
Captions 48-49, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep. 1 - Part 6
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Luca, non senza autorizzazione! -Shh. Parla piano.
Luca, not without authorization! -Shh, speak softly.
Captions 46-47, Il Commissario Manara S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde - Part 12
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Let's keep in mind that adjectives used as adjectives need to agree with the nouns they modify, but when they are used as adverbs, they stay just the way they are. In the following example, forte is used as an adjective to describe i sentimenti (the feelings).
Spero solo che anche i suoi sentimenti siano altrettanto forti.
I only hope that his feelings are as strong as yours.
Caption 12, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 11
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Lo spada è uno dei pesci più veloci esistenti,
Swordfish is one of the fastest fish in existence.
Caption 10, Linea Blu Sicilia - Part 3
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Some cases don't seem to fit the pattern. In this final example, veloce seems to be used as an adverb, but its plural ending agrees with the plural noun like an adjective.
Poi dice che sono gli etiopi che corrono veloci, eh.
Then they say that the Ethiopians are the ones who run fast, huh.
Caption 42, Sposami EP 6 - Part 4
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Venire is one of those verbs, like "get" in English, that is used in lots of ways, besides its general meaning of "to come." Let's look at some of the ways.
When you are shopping at the outdoor market, for example, and want to know the price, you might think of saying:
Quanto costa (how much does it cost)?
It's a fine cognate, easy to remember. But if you want to sound more like a local, you might say:
Quanto viene (how much does it come to)?
or if they are pomodori (tomatoes), for example,
Quanto vengono (how much do they come to)?
When you succeeded (or not) in doing something, such as jumping over a hurdle, making a drawing, making a special dish, you can use venire. You can say, for instance:
Questo dolce mi è venuto bene (I did a good job on this dessert. It came out well).
We can say it in a neutral way, leaving out the indirect personal pronoun:
È venuto bene (it came out nicely)
Or we can say it in a more personal way:
Ti è venuto bene (you had success), mi è venuto bene (I had success).
Instead of saying sono stata brava (I did a good job), where the accent is on me, I turn the phrase around a bit, and say mi è venuto bene (it came out well for me). There is a little less ego involved, if we want to look at it that way. We're not taking all the credit. It might have been chance.
In a recent segment of the movie Dafne, the father is thinking of planting a vegetable garden. He's probably never done it before. He says:
Potrei fare l'orto, come viene viene (I could plant a vegetable garden, however it turns out).
Literally, it's "It turns out the way it turns out."
We have mentioned this in another lesson. The verb venire, as well as the verb andare, is used to make a kind of passive form. Since that lesson is long and involved, we'll just cite the part about venire here:
Venire (to come) and andare (to go)
There is a verb pair that Italians use to form the passive voice, more often than you might think: venire (to come) and andare (to go). These have a particular feeling and purpose. We could look at these verbs as more of an active-type passive tense (although perhaps that's an oxymoron). If you think of times when we use "get" instead of "to be" in passive sentences, it might make more sense. We often use venire when we're talking about how things are done, or things that are done on a continuing basis, and we use andare when we're talking about things that have to get done.
If I am telling you the rules of how candidates are chosen, for example, or how they get chosen, I might use venire (to come).
Active: Il presidente sceglie il vicepresidente. The president chooses the vice-president.
Passive: Il vicepresidente viene scelto dal presidente. The vice-president gets chosen by the president.
In Italia il caffè viene servito in tazzine di queste dimensioni.
In Italy, coffee is served in demitasses that are this size.
Caption 15, Adriano Il caffè
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Non mi viene. -Va bene.
It doesn't come to mind. -All right.
Caption 68, Sposami EP 3 - Part 4
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We can also say this as we do in English:
Non mi viene in mente (it doesn't come to mind)
But we often leave out the "in mente" part, especially if there is a direct object, like for example il nome "the name."
Non mi viene il nome (I can't remember the name, I can't think of the name).
We hope this lesson has given you some more tools to improve your Italian. Keep on learning!
The verb stufare means "to stew," so it's a cooking verb. You cook something for a long time. In English we use "to stew" figuratively — "to fret" — but Italians use it a bit differently, to mean "to get fed up." What inspired this lesson was the first line in this week's segment of L'Oriana.
Sono stufa di intervistare attori e registi, non ne posso più.
I'm tired of interviewing actors and directors, I can't take it anymore.
Caption 1, L'Oriana film - Part 3
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Ma se fosse stato... -Se, se, Manara, sono stufo delle sue giustificazioni!
But if that had happened... -If, if, Manara. I'm sick of your justifications!
Caption 7, Il Commissario Manara S2EP1 - Matrimonio con delitto - Part 15
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Fabrizio, basta. Basta. Sono stufa delle tue promesse.
Fabrizio, that's enough. Enough. I'm sick of your promises.
Captions 67-68, Il Commissario Manara S2EP9 - L'amica ritrovata - Part 5
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You will often see the expression Basta! (enough) close by stufo, as in the previous example— they go hand in hand. The adjective stufo is used when you have already had it, you are fed up, you are already tired of something.
Stufo is an adjective that comes up a lot in arguments. Can you think of some verbs to use with it?
Sono stufa di lavare i piatti tutte le sere (I'm sick of doing the dishes every night).
Sono stufo di...[pick a verb].
Sono stufo di camminare. Prendiamo un taxi (I'm tired of walking. Let's take a taxi).Sono stufo di discutere con te. Parliamo di altro (I'm tired of arguing with you. Let's talk about something else).Sei stufo, o vuoi fare un altro giro (are you tired of this, or do you want to do another round)?
Sì. -Ma io mi sono stufato.
Yes. -But I've had enough.
Caption 18, Sposami EP 2 - Part 21
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As you can see, it's common for the verb form, used reflexively, to stand alone, but we can also use it as we did the adjective form, with a verb.
Mi sono stufata di camminare (I'm tired of walking).
Let's keep in mind that we have to pay attention to who is speaking. The ending of the participle will change according to gender and number.
Two girls are hiking but are offered a ride:
Menomale. Ci eravamo stufate di camminare (Good thing, We had gotten tired of walking).
But stufarsi can also be used in the present tense. For example, a guy with bad knees loves to run but can't, so he has to walk. He might say:
Meglio camminare, ma mi stufo subito (It's better to walk but I get bored right away). Preferisco correre (I like running better).
And finally, we can use the verb non-reflexively when someone is making someone else tire of something or someone.
A me m'hai stufato con sta storia, hai capito? Eh.
You've tired me out/bored me with this story, you understand? Huh.
Caption 35, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 EP2 - Il mistero di Cetinka - Part 12
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Let's also remember that la stufa is a heater. In earlier times and even now in some places, it was also the stove or oven, used both for heating and cooking food and for heating the living space. The double meaning is essential to understanding the lame joke someone makes in Medico in Famiglia.
In una casa dove vive l'anziano non servono i riscaldamenti perché l'anziano stufa!
In a house where an elderly person lives there's no need for heating because the elderly person makes others tired of him.
Captions 91-92, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 EP2 - Il mistero di Cetinka - Part 6
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Practice: We don't want to promote feeling negative about things, but as you go about your day, you can pretend to be tired of something, and practice saying Sono stufo/a di... or quite simply, Basta, mi sono stufata/a. For "extra credit," try following it up with what you would like to do as an alternative.
I can ask you if you have a pen or a pencil, or I can ask you if you have something to write with. I don't always need to be specific. I can offer you a glass of water, a glass of wine, or I can just offer you something to drink. I might not want to be specific. Let's look at one way to say this in Italian.
We can use the preposition da (from, to, at) and the infinitive of a verb. Let's look at some examples.
Hai da scrivere (do you have something to write with)?
Scusate, mica avete da accendere? -Sì.
Excuse me, do you happen to have a light? -Yes.
Caption 1, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1EP1 L'estate del dito - Part 26
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The person we ask for a light might have un accendino (a lighter) or dei fiammiferi (some matches). So we don't need to be specific. We just indicate what we need it for.
Faccio da mangiare (I'm going to make something to eat).
Devo dare da mangiare a mia figlia.
I have to feed my daughter.
Caption 15, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep. 1 - Part 11
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Dai da bere a 'sti [questi] quattro lavoratori qua.
Give these four workers something to drink.
Caption 26, Chi m'ha visto film - Part 4
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Quando viaggio in treno porto sempre da leggere (when I travel by train I always bring something to read).
I can also say:
Porto sempre qualcosa da leggere (I always bring something to read).
Ci vorrebbe da dormire e da mangiare. -Bene.
We need lodging and food. -Fine.
Caption 20, Dafne Film - Part 17
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Ho da fare (I have stuff to do).
Let us know if you have questions at newsletter@yabla.com.
Here's another expression you will want in your toolbox: arrangiarsi (to make do).
Oriana Fallaci uses this expression to express her exasperation at how things get done in Italy.
Vorrà dire che si farà l'unica cosa che si può fare qui in Italia, la cosa che più detesto, quella che m'ha fatto fuggire da questo paese: arrangiarsi.
That means that we'll do the only thing that one can do here in Italy, the thing that I hate most, the thing that made me flee this country: make do.
Captions 42-43, L'Oriana film - Part 1
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Italians joke about "making do" as almost an art form: L'arte di arrangiarsi (the art of making do). In fact, that's the title of a 1955 film with Alberto Sordi. L'arte di arrangiarsi (Getting Along) — possibily available on YouTube in your zone.
T'ho già detto che nun [romanesco : non] è un problema mio. Arangiate [romanesco: arrangiati].
I already said that that's not my problem. Figure it out.
Captions 55-56, La Ladra EP. 3 - L'oro dello squalo - Part 1
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We just have to be a bit careful because the verb arrangiare looks so much like the English verb "to arrange." They are close cousins, but not perfect cognates, except in some specific circumstances like arranging a piece of music. There, we use the noun arrangiamento (arrangement) most of the time.
In the example above, someone is telling someone to "figure it out." So that's a great expression to know. Of course, it's used when you know someone very well.
But arrangiarsi is perhaps most commonly used in the first person singular or plural to accept less than ideal conditions: You don't have the right equipment or tool for doing something, but you're going to try to make do with what you have. You can stay the night, but all we have is a sofabed... There are hundreds of situations that present themselves every day where one has to make do, so this expression is a great one to know and practice in the conjugations you might need.
Mi arrangio [or m'arrangio] (I'll make do).
Ci arrangiamo (we'll make do).
Mi arrangerò (I'll figure it out somehow).
Mi devo arrangiare (I have to make do).
Marika and Anna didn't find the kind of bread they needed for the recipe, but they made do with something similar.
Noi, purtroppo, non lo abbiamo trovato e quindi ci arrangiamo, si fa per dire, con questo pane che comunque è molto gustoso.
We, unfortunately, couldn't find that, and so we are making do, so to speak, with this bread, which is very tasty in any case.
Captions 27-29, L'Italia a tavola La pappa al pomodoro - Part 1
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When you are cooking, how many times have you had to make do with a different ingredient from the one the recipe called for? Ti devi arrangiare (you have to make do).
If you are the host you might have to ask your guest to accept less than ideal accomodations...
Vi arrangiate (can you make do)?
Se vi arrangiate (if you can make do)...
We can talk about someone else:
Si arrangia con qualche furto, qualche partita di coca, ma non credo che c'entri qualcosa con questa storia.
He gets by on the odd theft, a batch of coke now and then, but I don't think he is involved in this thing.
Captions 71-72, Provaci Ancora Prof! S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita - Part 17
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Here, arrangiarsi is translated with "to get by." It can also mean "to make ends meet."
A related reflexive verb is accontentarsi, which we have talked about in another lesson. It can also be translated with "to make do," but "to settle" and "to be content" work well, too.
"gli uomini, fino a che saranno sulla terra, dovranno accontentarsi del riso giallo di zafferano, poi, quando saranno in paradiso, mangeranno riso con l'oro".
"Men, for as long as they're on the earth, will have to settle for saffron yellow rice; later, when they're in paradise, they'll eat rice with gold."
Captions 7-10, L'arte della cucina Terre d'Acqua - Part 15
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Arrangiarsi is more about doing something, where as accontentarsi is more about how you feel about something. (we can detect the word contento (happy, content) within the word.
One last thing to remember is that with arrangiarsi, we use the preposition con (with). With accontentarsi we use the preposition di.
We have written about the verb mancare that's used in so many diverse contexts and nuances, but mancare is part of an expression we hear all the time that deserves some attention: Ci mancherebbe.
At its most basic level, ci mancherebbe is a way of reinforcing the word certo. Certo is so short, it might get lost. But if we say, Certo, ci mancherebbe, we're saying, "sure," "absolutely," "absolutely no problem," "Don't mention it," "by all means," or something to that effect. It's just a very natural thing for Italians to add to certo.
It can also be a response to someone saying they're sorry, and you want say, "No problem," "Don't worry." "No apology necessary." It can also mean, "It's the least I [or someone else] could do." Literally, ci mancherebbe means "it would be lacking from it," which makes no sense at all. Let's keep in mind, for the record, that mancherebbe is the third person conditional of the verb mancare.
Variation: A variation on this expression is ci mancherebbe altro! There is no way I wouldn't have done that favor for you willingly. It was not a burden. In other words, "No problem." This variant is also used for a different meaning, as we illustrate below.
Close relations: This expression is similar to the expression figurarsi which you will conujugate in the first person plural figuriamoci, the second person singular informal figurati, or to be polite, si figuri. It's used in similar circumstances. It often has to do with doing a favor that was really no big deal. It's also used when someone apologizes, and you want to be gracious and say there was no need to apologize.
Sound bites (with video): Let's listen to and look at some examples from Yabla, since we can!
In this first example, as you can see, the translation is "Don't mention it."
Scusate per il tempo che vi ho fatto perdere. -Mi scusi anche Lei, signor Notaio. -Ci mancherebbe.
Sorry for the time I had you waste. -I'm sorry, to you, too, Mister Notary. -Don't mention it.
Captions 63-65, Questione di Karma Rai Cinema - Part 10
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In the following example, we have the longer form of this expression, which is even stronger, as if to say, "It goes without saying."
io ho approfittato della lezione di sanscrito di Giacomo per poterci vedere stasera in tutta tranquillità e discrezione, spero. -Ci mancherebbe altro.
I took advantage of Giacomo's Sanskrit lesson to get together tonight calmly and discretely, I hope. -That goes without saying.
Captions 5-8, Questione di Karma Rai Cinema - Part 11
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In the previous examples, we could have replaced ci mancherebbe with figuriamoci or si figuri but not in the following one, where the conditional is really conditional and refers to something we hope isn't the case.
In this case, the translation of ci mancherebbe or ci mancherebbe altro! can be something stronger, like "heaven forbid," or "God forbid that should happen" where you are really hoping against hope that something won't occur. This can be confusing. In the following example, instead of something going without saying, we are hoping something doesn't happen. In other words, "That would be terrible."
È incredibile. -Avvocato, ho paura che sia come i Piccinin. -I Piccinin? Ma no, ma si figuri, no. Ma ci mancherebbe altro, no.
It's incredible. -Counsel, I'm worried it'll be like the Piccinins. -The Piccinins? But no, no way, no. But God forbid, no.
Captions 11-13, Sposami EP 2 - Part 1
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If you do a search on the videos page, you will find a list of examples of ci mancherebbe. Each one might have a slightly different nuance. The best way to grasp the expression is to hear it in dialog, in as many examples as you can find. Getting comfortable with this expression and knowing when it is appropriate will take time. So when you are watching a movie in Italian (on Yabla or elsewhere), listen for it in conversation. When you are shopping or asking directions as you travel in Italy, you'll likely hear it quite often when you say thank you.
Marika explains the expression in a video about the verb mancare:
Extra study: We did a little research online and found a couple of interesting articles about the expression. You can read it in English or Italian, or you can listen to the podcast (where Ilaria essentially reads the article). All bases are covered!
Here's a short article in Italian about ci mancherebbe and ci mancherebbe altro.
Here's an article (not simple) in Italian, which is actually a transcript of a video, also available. So you can listen and read along. The speaker says this expression numerous times, with different inflections.
We hope that with our lesson, video examples, and outside resources, you will have a good grasp of this common but confusing Italian expression. You'll be one step closer to becoming fluent. And that's what Yabla is all about...
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