In a recent lesson, Daniela talks about using the noun il bisogno (the need) to express need.
Ho bisogno di fare ginnastica.
I need to do some gym (literally, “I have need of doing some gym”).
Caption 31, Corso di italiano con Daniela - Concetto di "bisogno"
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Per cominciare, abbiamo bisogno di due melanzane lunghe,
To start with, we need two long eggplants,
Caption 10, L'Italia a tavola - Pasta alla Norma
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Hai bisogno di qualcosa?
Do you need something?
Of course, bisogno looks like the first person singular of the verb bisognare, but it’s not. It’s a noun.
But, since we have already discussed bisogno in another online lesson, let's look at a different way to express need, this time with a verb.
We might agree that there’s sometimes a fine line between something that's necessary and something that is useful. Italian has an interesting verb that covers both bases much of the time. In Italian, we can express need with the verb servire (to serve). It’s used with an indirect object, as if it were “it serves to me.” Remember that ci in the following example means a noi (to us).
Allora, mamma, quali sono gli ingredienti che
So, Mom, what are the ingredients
ci servono per preparare una granita al limone?
we need to make the lemon ice?
Caption 13, Adriano - La granita al limone
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The verb servire is conjugated according to what is needed, what is necessary, or what is useful. In the above example, the noun that determines the conjugation is ingredienti (ingredients) so we use the third person plural of servire: servono.
Servire works similarly to the verb piacere. Remember mi piace (I like it)? Here’s a lesson on it to refresh your memory.
If you are helping someone in the kitchen you might ask:
Cosa ti serve (what do you need/what is necessary for you)?
You could also ask, as Daniela explains in this week's lesson:
Di che cosa hai bisogno (what do you need/what do you have need of)?
However, when followed by the preposition a (to), servire can also mean “is used.”
C'è una corda che è almeno il doppio di questa qui,
There's a rope that's at least twice as long as this one,
che serve a far muovere il cavallo prima di montarci sopra.
that is used to warm up the horse before mounting him.
Captions 35-36, Francesca - Cavalli - Part 2
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So a dialogue in the kitchen could go something like this:
Cosa ti serve (what do you need)?
Mi serve un mestolo (I need a ladle).
A che cosa serve un mestolo (what is a ladle used for)?
Serve a servire il brodo (it’s used to serve the soup).
And now you have seen that servire also means “to serve.” It’s a true cognate in this case.
There’s also a reflexive version of this verb, but we’ll talk about that in another lesson.
Conoscere il verbo servire serve (knowing the verb servire is useful)!
A recent segment about Italian Fascism and language focuses on dubbing.
What's doppiaggio (dubbing)? After receiving a translation of a script, an actor, in a special recording booth with a monitor, has to watch a movie, adapting what he or she reads to what the actor on the screen is saying. The meaning and intention have to be there, and at the same time, there must be the same number of syllables, more or less, so that it can look convincing. It’s a huge, creative, and painstaking job. Historically, Italians have been champions at this. Dubbing provides a way for people to enjoy foreign movies. When dubbing started out in Italy, lots of people all over the country had never learned to read. They were analfabeti (illiterate).
Nel millenovecentotrentatré viene inventato il doppiaggio,
In nineteen thirty-three dubbing is invented,
che permette ai film di circolare in vari paesi.
which allows for films to be distributed in various countries.
Uno dei più complessi e magici trucchi cinematografici.
One of the most complex and magical cinematographic tricks.
Captions 11-13, Me Ne Frego - Il Fascismo e la lingua italiana
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Even today, although many Italians read a lot, there are still those who aren't comfortable or just don’t enjoy reading. When given the choice of a dubbed movie or one with subtitles, dubbing wins most of the time. This is certainly a generalization, but the fact that you need to go to a special art movie theater to find a movie in its original language with subtitles bears witness to this.
There are arguments for both dubbing and using subtitles, each having vantaggi (advantages) and svantaggi (disadvantages). Luckily, in this digital age, you can often choose your language when watching at home on DVD, streaming, or even on commercial TV. It comes down to personal preference as well as familiarity with the original language of the movie. Culture, tradition, and economics determine what happens in the movie theater.
There was a time when it was popular to dub Italian films in post-production, rather than record the sound live. At the outset, it may have been for technical reasons, as recording live sound is complicated, but for some directors, like Fellini, it was part of their art. And of course, in many filmmaking situations, there comes a time when dubbing is needed to fix mistakes made by actors or for technical reasons. So the dubbing booth is part of making movies.
Italians, having had a lot of practice over the years, happen to be extremely good at dubbing.
Here at Yabla, of course, we promote watching a video in the original language. It’s hard to learn a foreign language if you never hear it spoken. And being able to turn the subtitles on and off with a click is pretty handy.
Speaking of Yabla, two people on our talent force have worked in the field of dubbing.
Eh, all'inizio sì,
Yeah, at the beginning, yes;
lo facevo come [sic], doppiavo grandi artisti e attori.
I did that like I dubbed famous artists and actors.
Poi, eh, mi sono concentrata molto sui documentari.
Then, ah, I started concentrating a lot on documentaries.
Captions 14-15, Marika e Daniela - Daniela Bruni, voice over
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Inoltre, questo... in questo corso si impara a interpretare:
In addition, this... in this course one learns to act:
interpretare un personaggio, interpretare un testo.
to play a role, to interpret a script.
Questo è fondamentale quando ci si trova appunto
This is fundamental when you find yourself, in fact,
nello studio di doppiaggio
in the dubbing studio
a dover affrontare un, un testo oppure un personaggio.
and need to deal with a script or a character.
Captions 14-17, Arianna e Marika - Il lavoro di doppiatrice
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The verb doppiare comes from the noun doppio. Its cognate is “double” in English. And sometimes it means just that, as in the following example, where it functions as an adjective. Note how the ending of the adjective changes according to the gender of the noun it modifies.
Ecco qua, doppia senape e doppio ketchup.
Here you are, double mustard and double ketchup.
-Bella schifezza.
-Nice bit of junk food.
Caption 7, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP11 - Beato tra le donne
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But more often than not, it means “twice,” as in the following example.
E per metterci magari anche il doppio del tempo?
And maybe takes even twice as much time?
Caption 7, Marika spiega - Proverbi italiani
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Italians use sdoppiare to mean “to duplicate, to copy” when referring to CDs or cassettes. It is the negation of doppiare, and means “to split” but it also means “to make something into two.”
Mi potresti sdoppiare questo CD?
Could you copy this CD for me?
Interestingly enough, the verb “to dub” comes from “double” and came into use in the nineteen twenties. We use the verb “to dub” to refer to replacing speech in a movie, but also to copy from one tape to another (sdoppiare).
As Arianna tells us, you can go to school to get professional training in dubbing. Apart from dubbing actual movies, producers need dubbers for corporate videos, voice-overs for documentaries, and voices for cartoon characters. It’s a career choice that doesn’t immediately come to mind, but one that will never become obsolete.
See this fascinating article in English about the practice of dubbing in Italian cinema.
There’s an interesting word that is used a lot in the workplace, but not only. Originally, it’s a verb: impiegare (to use, to employ, to spend time), to invest.
But as often happens, the past participle of a verb becomes an adjective and/or noun, in this case: impiegato.
We might use the past participle when we refer to time or energy spent or used for something.
In the following example, Francesca has made a big snowball. Admittedly, it has nothing to do with the workplace, but it has to do with spending time doing something.
Ah, che fatica, amici!
Oh, what a job, friends!
Ho veramente impiegato molto tempo e molta energia
I truly spent a lot of time, and lots of energy
per creare questa enorme palla di neve,
to create this enormous snowball,
che somiglia quasi a una slavina.
which almost resembles an avalanche.
Captions 31-34, Francesca - neve
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Just as we can use the verb “to employ” to mean “to use” or “to hire” in English, Italian uses impiegare in much the same way.
Ho impiegato questo coltello come cacciavite.
I employed this knife as a screwdriver.
When referring to an office situation, we often use impiegato (the past participle of the verb impiegare) as a noun. Un impiegato is an employee or clerk in some kind of office, whereas “employee” in English is a bit more general.
Susanna lavora come impiegata nell’azienda di suo padre.
Susanna works as a clerk/office worker in her father’s company.
Suo fratello invece è operaio.
Her brother is a worker, on the other hand.
The following example is from a Totò comedy film.
Ma un giorno mi farete vostra sposa?
But one day will you make me your bride?
Mia sposa? No, non posso.
My bride? No, I can't.
Come oso?
How dare I
Sposare voi, un umile impiegato morto di fame e sempre squattrinato.
marry you, [me] a humble, starving employee/office worker and always penniless.
Captions 25-28, Totò e Lia Zoppelli - Romeo e Giulietta
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We can also use the noun un impiego (a job, a post, employment). Il Centro per l’impiego is a center for finding employment when you are unemployed. To collect unemployment, you have to go there to prove you are looking for a job.
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When we use the term operaio, it usually implies manual labor, in a factory or on a site, but not in an office, not at a desk.
Questi pettini vengono utilizzati dagli operai
These combs are used by workers
per scuotere le foglie e le olive stesse.
to shake down the leaves and the olives themselves.
Captions 9-10, Olio Extra Vergine Pugliese - Come avviene la raccolta delle olive
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Another word commonly used to mean “employee” is dipendente. It looks like “dependent,” and in fact, it implies that someone works for someone else and is dependent on them for his or her monthly or weekly paycheck. A business may have ten employees: dieci dipendenti. They may have different roles. Some may be operai, some may be impiegati, but they all work for il capo (the boss) and are called dipendenti.
Nel mese di dicembre, chi è lavoratore dipendente,
In the month of December, those that are hired employees,
riceve la cosiddetta tredicesima,
receive the so-called thirteenth,
quindi uno stipendio ulteriore a quegli [sic] presi precedentemente.
that is, a paycheck in addition to the one already received.
Captions 15-16, Anna e Marika - in TG Yabla Italia e Meteo
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In the above example, dipendente is used as an adjective, but it is very often used as a noun: un dipendente, più dipendenti.
Some people have the security of a regular paycheck and a Christmas bonus: la tredicesima, an “extra, thirteenth” paycheck at Christmastime. They are lavoratori dipendenti or dipendenti. Others are lavoratori autonomi (self-employed workers). They have to drum up work, make out invoices, and get paid by their clients.
We’ll talk about the paycheck itself in a future lesson. There is more to a paycheck than just the money you take home.
A subscriber has asked a good question: why Adriano used stare instead of essere in caption 6 in Adriano - Adriano e Anita.
In fact, knowing when to use stare isn’t always easy because like essere, it mostly translates as “to be.” Sometimes the choice is clear cut, and other times it’s a matter of taste or regional usage.
Sicuramente vi starete chiedendo
Surely you are wondering,
chi è questa bella ragazza che sta alla mia destra.
who is this beautiful girl who is on my right.
Captions 5-6, Adriano - Adriano e Anita
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Perhaps the best answer, in this case, is that stare has more to do with a position in a place or situation than essere, which is generic “to be,” and so using stare is a bit more specific. Adriano is not going so far as to say she is sitting or standing on his right, but she is there, placed at his right, in a position, so stare works.
Adriano also happens to be from Sicily. In southern Italy, people use the verb stare to replace essere in many cases.
There can be multiple reasons for using stare instead of essere, and they can be interchangeable in some cases, but there are some situations in which stare works and essere doesn’t.
Come stai (how are you)? We’re talking about a condition here.
"Come stai?" rispondo "sto bene!"
"How are you?" I answer, "I'm fine."
Caption 37, Corso di italiano con Daniela - Chiedere "Come va?"
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On the other hand, in the (unlikely) case where I ask you come sei? (using essere), I am asking how tall, how fat or thin you are, or how good looking you are, but not how you are feeling, or how you are.
For more on stare, have a look at the WordReference entry for stare and see this Yabla lesson. In addition, it’s always handy to do a Yabla search of stare or its conjugations and look at the examples to get even more of a sense of when to use it.
It’s almost funny how many times the verb capire (to understand) was used in last week’s episode of Commissario Manara. It’s not really funny because it was about Iolanda Sorge’s tragic murder. But it’s an excellent example of how often capire is used in everyday speech. And since in casual conversation, this past participle can stand alone, it’s very handy and easy to use. It can fill up the time between one phrase and the next. It’s almost as common as “you know” in English.
As mentioned in previous lessons, capire is most often used in the past participle, capito, even when English would call for the present tense, as in the following example.
La gente si fida di me, capito?
People trust me, you understand?
Caption 12, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP12 - Le verità nascoste
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In the following example, the speaker is getting more specific (and angrier), and uses the verb with its subject and auxiliary verb.
Te [tu] mi usi per ricattarli, hai capito?
You're using me to blackmail them, you understand?
Caption 14, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP12 - Le verità nascoste
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Later on in the episode, Manara is in a meeting with his chief. Here, they use the present indicative of capire. In this case, we’re talking about understanding something or someone on a deeper level. It’s used transitively, and means something like, “Do you understand where I’m coming from?” or “Do you understand what I’m really trying to tell you?”
Ci sono i segreti di mezzo paese in quelle registrazioni,
There are secrets from half the town in those recordings,
mi capisce?
you understand me?
La capisco perfettamente.
I understand you perfectly.
Captions 44-45, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP12 - Le verità nascoste
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When arguing with her husband, Iolanda could have used the second person indicative present tense capisci (do you understand), and it would have been correct and maybe equally as effective, but using the past participle of this verb is just how people usually talk.
In the following example, the speaker could have used va bene (all right) or even the loan word “OK” in place of capito.
Ma te non ti devi preoccupare, capito?
But you're not to worry, understand?
Caption 44, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto
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But capito is a great and user-friendly alternative.
When listening to someone tell you something, instead of just nodding your head and saying sì sì (yes, yes), it’s very natural to say ho capito (literally, “I have understood/I understood,” or “I get it”). People will say it to you when you are speaking, even if they don’t quite get what you’re saying. It’s basically another way of saying “I’m listening.”
As you go through your day, try mentally using capire in its past participle to ask the question “do you get it?” (capito?) or to replace “you know?” (capito?), or to say, “I heard you, I’m listening” (ho capito).
Conjugated verbs have different endings depending on the type of verb, the tense, and the person carrying out the action. Daniela has taught video lessons on the different conjugations of Italian verbs. Un verbo all’infinito (a verb in the infinitive), on the other hand, is the basic verb, with nothing done to it. It always ends in “e.”
Conjugated verbs combine with verbs in the infinitive in different ways. Sometimes a preposition (to, at, of) is needed and sometimes not. Let's talk about the cases in which no preposition is needed between the conjugated verb and the verb in the infinitive.
In these cases we have the formula:
conjugated verb + verb in the infinitive
In the following example, the conjugated verb is the modal verb volere (to want). Let’s quickly review what modal verbs are. They generally combine with verbs in the infinitive and normally don’t stand alone. Another word for verbo modale is verbo servile (servant verb) because these verbs serve another verb. The modal verbs in Italian are potere (to be able to), volere (to want to), sapere (to know how to), and dovere (to have to). See this video lesson about modal verbs.
Voleva entrare dalla finestra all'alba.
He wanted to come through my window at sunup.
Caption 15, La Tempesta - film Part 3
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But here is a non-modal verb that works the same way. The verb lasciare (to leave, to let) is conjugated, and it's followed by a verb in the infinitive entrare (to enter), with no preposition between the two verbs.
Non ti lasciamo entrare in casa.
"We won't let you come in the house."
Caption 4, Ti racconto una fiaba - I tre porcellini
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The second formula Daniela talks about is:
conjugated verb essere (to be) + adjective + verb in the infinitive
E per lei non è stato difficile conoscere tanti nuovi amici.
And it hasn't been hard for her to get to know a lot of new friends.
Caption 24, Adriano - la sua ragazza
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The following are some examples of the two different formulas Daniela has explained. They don’t correspond in meaning exactly, but are close enough to give you a visual idea of how these two combinations of verbs work.
verbo essere + aggettivo + verbo all'infinito (verb “to be” + adjective + verb in the infinite)
verbo coniugato + verbo all’ infinito (conjugated verb + verb in the infinitive)
È bello parlare con te (it’s nice talking to you).
Mi piace parlare con te (I like talking with you).
È noioso fare i compiti a casa (it’s boring to do homework).
Non mi piace fare i compiti a casa (I don’t like doing homework).
Non è sano mangiare troppo (it is not healthy to eat too much).
Non si dovrebbe mangiare troppo (one shouldn’t eat too much).
Sarebbe preferibile prendere un'altra strada (it would be preferable to take another road).
Preferirei prendere un'altra strada (I would prefer to take another road).
Per me è stato molto faticoso camminare fin qua (it was very tiring for me to walk here).
Non ho potuto camminare fin qui senza stancarmi. (I couldn’t walk here without getting tired).
È brutto parlare male degli altri (it is bad to speak badly about other people).
Non dobbiamo parlare male degli altri (we shouldn’t speak badly about other people).
È facile parlare italiano (It's easy to speak Italian).
So parlare italiano (I know how to speak Italian).
Sarà importante andare a letto presto stasera (it will be important to go to bed early tonight).
Devo andare a letto presto stasera (I must go to bed early this evening).
In part 2, we talk about formulas where we need the preposition a between the conjugated verb and the infinitive.
We use the term verbo pronominale (pronominal verb) to describe long verbs like prendersela, in which pronoun particles are added on to the original verb (prendere in this case). But let’s take a closer look at what verbi pronominali (pronominal verbs) are all about.
Pronominale (pronominal) means “relating to or playing the part of a pronoun.” In Italian, un verbo pronominale (a pronominal verb) is one that has a special meaning when used together with one or two particular pronominal particelle (particles).
Grammatically speaking, a particle is simply a small word of functional or relational use, such as an article, preposition, or conjunction.
So we have a normal verb, which, when used together with certain particles, has a distinct meaning that is often, but not necessarily, related to the meaning of the original verb.
Technically, reflexive verbs can also be considered pronominal verbs because in effect, the verb is used together with a particle like the si (oneself) in alzarsi (to get up). But these verbs are a special case and not usually called “pronominal,” since they are already called “reflexive.” Learn more about reflexive verbs here.
Verbs can combine with one or two particles. The particles used to make up a pronominal verb are:
la (it)
le (them)
ne (of it, of them, from it, from them)
ci (of it, about it)
Note that La and le are direct object pronouns while ci and ne are indirect object pronouns and therefore include a preposition and an object in the one particle.
As mentioned in a previous lesson, a pronominal verb in its infinitive form has all the particles attached to it, but when used in a sentence, the pieces may be partially or totally detached, and hence a bit more difficult to locate.
Pronominal verbs may be made up of one verb plus one pronoun particle:
smetterla (to quit doing something): smettere (to quit) + la (it)
darle (to give them, to give a spanking [idiom]): dare (to give) + le (them)
farne (to do something with something): fare (to do, to make) + ne (of it, of them)
capirci (to understand [about] something): capire (to understand) + ci (of it)
Sì, ma lo sai che è la prima volta
Yes, but you know it's the first time
che in un delitto non ci capisco niente neanche io? -Hm.
that in a murder I don't understand anything about it either? -Hm.
Captions 45-46, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu
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Pronominal verbs may also be made up of one verb plus two pronoun particles (which combine with each other).
The particle ci can be combined with a second pronoun particle, such as -la or -ne, but, as we have mentioned before, ci becomes ce when combined with another pronoun particle. Therefore we have, -cela, -cene; NOT -cila, -cine.
avercela [con qualcuno] (to have it in [for somebody], to feel resentful [towards somone]) avere + ci + la
farcela (to make it, to succeed) fare + ci + la
Ce la faccio, ce la faccio, ce la faccio.
"I can do it, I can do it, I can do it."
Caption 60, Dixieland - La magia di Tribo
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Since the feminine is so often used in pronominal verbs, especially in idiomatic expressions, we can think of la (it) as standing for una cosa (something, that thing), la vita (life), la faccenda (the matter), or la situazione (the situation).
Exactly why a feminine pronoun is used in so many expressions with pronominal verbs is not cut-and-dried, and there is no quick answer. If you’re insatiably curious, check out this passage from an online book about the question (in Italian).
Pronominal verbs may be made up of one reflexive verb (which uses the particle si in the infinitive) plus a second pronoun particle such as those mentioned above: la, le, ne, or ci.
Prendersela (to get angry, to get offended, to get upset)
Fregarsene (to not care at all about something [colloquial])
Mettercisi (to put [time] into something)
In the following example, we have the pronominal verb accorgersene (to notice something, to realize something, to become aware of something). The basic (reflexive) verb is accorgersi (to notice), but the object pronoun particle ne is added as an indirect object pronoun.
Ma non è tutto lì.
But that's not all of it.
Forse la differenza ha radici più profonde.
Perhaps the difference has deeper roots.
E te ne accorgi solo quando accade.
And you only notice it when it happens.
Captions 32-34, L'oro di Scampia - film - Part 11
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We talked a little about reflexive personal pronouns in Ci Gets Around. They are: mi (myself), ti (yourself), ci (ourselves), si (himself/herself/itself/themselves), and vi (yourselves).
The reflexive is necessary in Italian when someone (or something) is both the doer and the receiver of an action. In the dictionary, a reflexive verb is presented with si joined to the end of the infinitive (and the final e is omitted). For example, we have the transitive form of the verb alzare (to raise) but when it's reflexive, we have alzarsi (to get up, to rise).
When we conjugate a reflexive verb, the si will change into a different reflexive pronoun according to the person, and it will be detached from the verb (but close by).
mi alzo
ti alzi
si alza
ci alziamo
vi alzate
si alzano
Let's remember that the conjugation of the verb tells us who is involved. It includes the subject pronoun. So I could also say, although it would be redundant in most cases:
tu ti alzi
lui si alza
lei si alza
noi ci alziamo
voi vi alzate
loro si alzano
As we saw above, alzare means "to raise," but alzarsi means "to rise," "to get up." Sometimes the meaning of the two types of verbs can be close but different. So, for instance, if you hide something, the verb you are looking for is nascondere.
E poi, ho pensato di nascondere il corpo e...
And then, I thought of hiding the body and...
l'ho caricato in macchina e...
I loaded it into the car and...
non ri', non ricordo più niente.
I can't re', can't remember anything else.
Captions 57-59, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva
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But if you are the one hiding, you’ll need the reflexive form, nascondersi (literally, to hide oneself). A marine biologist dives down to the bottom of the sea surrounding the Aeolian Islands to show us the beautiful creatures there. The creatures are shy.
Probabilmente, sta cercando una tana per nascondersi da me.
She's probably looking for a hole in order to hide from me.
Caption 23, Linea Blu - Le Eolie
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The same holds here, where avvicinare, by itself, means to move something closer. But if you add the reflexive, it’s something or someone that is getting closer.
Il prossimo che si avvicina all'acquario...
The next one who comes near the aquarium...
m'ingoio voi [sic] e tutta la famiglia, hm.
I'll swallow you and the whole family, hmm.
Captions 57-58, Acqua in bocca - Mp3 Marino
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When it’s all about you, you’ll use the reflexive with many of the verbs you use to talk about your daily routines.
Di solito, io mi sveglio alle sette in punto.
Usually, I wake up at seven on the dot.
Caption 5, Marika spiega - L'orologio
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Mi alzo alle sei e mezza.
I get up at six thirty.
Caption 9, Fellini Racconta - Un Autoritratto Ritrovato
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Mi vesto e ti lascio il bagno.
I'll get dressed and I'll leave you the bathroom.
Caption 48, Sposami - EP 1 - Part 11
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Now you should be ready to reflect on the reflexive! Get the whole picture on reflexive verbs here. For the scoop on reflexive pronouns, you can get help here. For even more on the reflexive, see this online resource.
Essere (to be), is conjugated as follows:
Io sono (I am)
Tu sei (you are)
Lei è (you are - polite form)
Lui è (he/it is)
Lei è (she/it is)
Noi siamo (we are)
Voi siete (you are plural)
Loro sono (they are)
Simple enough! But it can be tricky knowing exactly who "is." That's because of a convention in Italian that's not used in English. Often, the pronoun that's the subject of essere is assumed or implied:
Sono Minivip.
I'm Minivip.
Caption 3, Psicovip - Il treno - Ep 3
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È pieno di posti liberi.
It's full of free seats.
Caption 55, Psicovip - Il treno - Ep 3
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Context is very important in understanding these constructions. Consider the answers to the next two questions – they look the same, but their meaning is quite different:
Dove sei? (Where are you?)
Sono a casa. (I am at home.)
Dove sono i bambini? (Where are the children?)
Sono a casa. (They’re at home.)
In fact, if the context of "the children" has already been established, the question can be:
Dove sono? (Where are they?)
Feeling lost? You may be tempted to ask yourself Dove sono? right now. That's because it also means "Where am I?" How do you find your way through these abbreviated, pronoun-less constructions? Pay attention to the context! Sometimes the ambiguity can be a source of humor. At the end of one of the Psicoivip episodes, Minivip is talking to his doctor about his dream and trying to understand something about himself:
E questo cosa significa? Che, che sono...
And what does this mean? That, that I'm...
-Sono ottanta euro, prego.
-That's eighty euros, please.
Captions 63-64, Psicovip - Il treno - Ep 3
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The doctor finishes his sentence with a completely different subject in mind, using the seemingly identical form of essere: sono. In this case he is speaking in the third person plural to refer to the euros, which though expressed in the singular (euro always remains the same), are plural in this case, since there are eighty of them:
Che, che sono... -Sono ottanta euro, prego.
That, that I'm... -That's eighty euros, please.
Caption 64, Psicovip - Il treno - Ep 3
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Learning Tip:
While watching new videos, make sure to click on any word whose meaning you aren't totally sure of. You'll see the definition appear to the right of the caption, and the word will be added to your own personalized flashcard list for later review. It's a great way to watch yourself improve!