In a recent lesson we talked about some of the verbs in the inscription on a stone plaque in Valsinni, Basilicata. We discussed some verbs in the passato remoto. In this lesson we’ll focus on the verbs nascere (to be born), vivere (to live), and morire (to die), which also appear in the inscription.
Questo castello che vide nascere,
This castle, which saw the birth,
vivere e morire la poetessa Isabella Morra...
life, and death of the poet Isabella Morra...
Captions 1-4, Basilicata Turistica - Non me ne voglio andare
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It’s interesting to note that in Italian, being born is expressed with the active verb nascere, whereas English requires the passive voice of the verb “to bear”: Someone is, or was, born. The only way to make being born active is to use a phrase like “to come into being.”
In Italian history books, the third person remote past of the (intransitive) verb nascere (to come into being, to be born) is used quite often: nacque (he/she/it was born).
The Valsinni inscription could have just as easily read:
Qui nacque, visse, e morì la poetessa Isabella Morra
(Here the poet Isabella Morra was born, lived and died).
The remote past of the irregular verb vivere (to live) might be familiar to opera lovers. Vissi d’arte (I lived for [my] art), from Puccini’s Tosca, is one of the most famous opera arias of all. In fact, the aria is a great source of verbs in the passato remoto.
Vissi d’arte, vissi d’amore,
I lived for art, I lived for love,
non feci mai male ad anima viva!
I never did any harm to a living soul!
Morire is also an irregular verb.
Floria Tosca muore alla fine dell’opera.
Floria Tosca dies at the end of the opera.
Isabella Morra morì a Valsinni.
Isabella Morra died in Valsinni.
What’s interesting about the verb morire (to die) is that, as with many verbs, the past participle morto (died) is the same as the adjective morto (dead). You need to pay close attention to the context to know which it is.
Isabella è morta diversi secoli fa.
Isabella died several centuries ago.
È morta da diversi secoli.
She has been dead for several centuries.
On a lighter note, in a video about Beauty and the Beast, there is another life event where English requires the passive voice, while Italian uses the active: il matrimonio (marriage).
Belle e il principe si sposarono nel giardino di rose.
Beauty and the Prince were married in the rose garden.
Caption 67, Ti racconto una fiaba - La Bella e la Bestia
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In this case, the si is not reflexive, but reciprocal. Beauty and the Beast marry each other. See Marika’s video about reflexive and reciprocal verbs.
It's easy to get a bit confused when talking about la fotografia (photography) in Italian. English and Italian differ in an unexpected way. In English we use a preposition: a picture of you, him, her, etc. In Italian, however, we use a personal pronoun that agrees with foto (photo, picture). Although we can safely say that foto means "photo," and fotografia (aside from meaning "photography") means "photograph," we just need to remember that la foto, being an informal abbreviated form of fotografia, is the same in the singular and plural (la foto, le foto). In the example below, we see there are three photos, so in this case foto is clearly plural, and therefore tue (your) agrees with the plural status of foto. A little tricky! Fotografia on the other hand has a normal plural: fotografie.
Guarda, abbiamo scelto tre foto tue...
Look, we've chosen three photos of you...
Caption 33, Che tempo che fa - Monica Bellucci
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Remember also that in English, we take a picture, but in Italian we "make" a photo!
Io ho fatto una fotografia di un grande
I took a picture of a great,
broccolo romano, bellissimo.
beautiful Romanesque cauliflower (or Romanesco broccoli).
Caption 36, L'arte della cucina - I Luoghi del Mondo
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We can also scattare una foto (take a picture). Learn more about the verb scattare here. The verb scattare has to do with the spring action of pressing the button on the camera to fare uno scatto (take a snapshot).
Attenzione! While a video camera is called una videocamera, a camera for taking still photos is called una macchina fotografica ("photographic machine").
To understand the reciprocal reflexive, it’s good to have a grasp of the reflexive itself. To review, see this Yabla lesson.
A reflexive verb is used when an action is performed upon the same person who’s performing it. We recognize these verbs because they will be in the presence of an indirect object pronoun, or pronominal particle like mi, ti, ci, vi, si to indicate where the action is reflected.
In her video lesson Marika talks about the close relationship between the reflexive and the reciprocal.
La forma di questi verbi è uguale a quella dei verbi riflessivi.
The form of these verbs is the same as that of the reflexive verbs.
Caption 26, Marika spiega - I verbi riflessivi e reciproci
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Quasi tutti i verbi italiani possono avere una forma riflessiva o reciproga.
Almost all Italian verbs can have a reflexive or reciprocal form.
Caption 32, Marika spiega - I verbi riflessivi e reciproci
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The reciprocal involves two or more people or things, so we’ll need one of the plural pronominal particles: ci (to us, ourselves, each other), vi (to you, yourselves, each other), or si (to them, themselves, each other). As you can see, these particles have more than one function. To learn more, see these lessons about ci.
In two recent Yabla videos, the non reflexive transitive verb capire (to understand) is used a number of times, and there’s one instance where it’s used with ci, so it’s a good opportunity to look at how the reciprocal reflexive works. The reciprocal form is in the category of what’s called a forma riflessiva impropria (improper reflexive form). What makes it “improper” is that, though it works just like a reflexive verb, it isn’t truly reflexive because it doesn’t fill the requirements mentioned above.
In English we use one form for the reflexive (myself, yourself, himself, herself, yourselves, themselves, oneself) and another for the reciprocal (each other, one another), but Italian makes use of the same pronominal particles used in the true reflexive, which can cause some confusion.
Let’s use the verb capire (to understand) to illustrate how it works. We’ll stick with the first and second persons to keep it simple.
Capisco (I understand).
Capisci (you understand).
Ti capisco (I understand you).
Mi capisci (you understand me).
Ci capiamo (we understand each other). Note that this is reciprocal, not reflexive.
Vi capite (you understand each other). This is also reciprocal, not reflexive.
Now, let’s put the above sentences into the passato prossimo (which uses a past participle like the present perfect in English, but translates in different ways). Keep in mind that Italian commonly uses the passato prossimo with capire, when in English, we would more likely use the present tense.
Ho capito (“I have understood,” “I understood,” or more commonly, “I get it”).
Hai capito (“you have understood,” “you understood,” or more commonly, “you get it”).
Ti ho capito or t’ho capito (I understood you).
Mi hai capito or m’hai capito (you understood me).
Thus far, it’s pretty straightforward. But now, as we get into compound tenses, the ones that need auxiliaries or helping verbs, it gets a little more complicated, because as Marika mentioned above, in Italian, “reciprocals” look just like reflexives. Capirci (to understand each another) is “improperly reflexive” but works like a true reflexive and so the rule for reflexive reigns, meaning that we need to use the auxiliary essere (to be) rather than avere (to have). Marika explains this rule in Marika spiega - I verbi riflessivi e reciproci.
Ci siamo capiti (“we have understood each other,” or, “we’re clear”).
Ci siamo capite (“we [two women] have understood each other,” or, “we [two women] are clear”).
Vi siete capiti (you have understood each other).
Vi siete capite (you [two women] have understood each other).
Let’s look at some practical examples from recent videos.
Ho capito. -Vuoi la mia casa a Milano?
I get it. -Do you want my house in Milan?
Captions 11-12, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero
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Non ti capisco.
I don't understand you.
Caption 42, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero
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Ce simm capit' [Ci siamo capiti]?
Do we understand each other?
Caption 53, L'oro di Scampia - film
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In the following example, just the past participle is used, and the person is implied. We often omit the person in English, too.
Capit' [capito]? Ma poi torno.
Got it? But I'll be back later.
Captions 60-61, L'oro di Scampia - film
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Further practice:
Se hai capito tutto (if you’ve understood everything), try using the above model with other verbs like vedere (to see), sentire (to hear, to feel), baciare (to kiss), abbracciare (to hug, to embrace), incontrare (to meet). Se ce la fai (if you are able), use the other persons as well (he, she, they).
Here’s the verb aiutare (to help) to help you get started.
Aiuto (I help).
Aiuti (you help).
Ti aiuto (I help you).
Mi aiuti (you help me).
Ci aiutiamo (we help each other).
Ho aiutato (I helped).
Tu hai aiutato (you helped).
T’ho aiutato (I helped you).
Mi hai aiutato (you helped me).
Ci siamo aiutati (we helped each other).
You may notice below that there are some tricky cases of verb-complement agreement that haven't yet been covered. We will get to these prickly matters in a future lesson.
Aiuta (he/she/it helps).
Aiutano (they help).
L’aiuta (he/she/it helps him/her/it).
Si aiutano (they help each other).
Ha aiutato (he/she/it helped).
Li ha aiutati (he/she/it helped them).
Hanno aiutato (they helped).
L’hanno aiutato (they helped him).
L’hanno aiutata (they helped her).
Li hanno aiutati (they helped them).
Le hanno aiutate (they helped them [fem]).
Si sono aiutati (they helped each other).
Si sono aiutate (they helped each other [fem]).
In a recent episode of Commissario Manara, there is a play on words that could do with a bit of explaining. Italians commonly use the word fondente (melting) to refer to dark chocolate as opposed to milk chocolate, because it's the kind of chocolate you use in baking. But fondente is actually the adjective form, as well as the present participle, of the verb fondere (to melt). The past participle is fuso. Now you can laugh at the appropriate moment as you watch!
Non ti piace la cioccolata fondente?
Don't you like dark chocolate?
Fondente sì, ma fusa...
Dark yes, but melted...
Captions 44-45, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP9 - Morte in paradiso
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In a recent episode of Stai lontana da me, some form of the word impegno or impegnarsi appears three times in a row, each time with different connotations. Let's have a look.
The noun form impegno can refer to a commitment at work, an errand, an appointment.
Comunque abbiamo un sacco di cose in comune,
Anyway, we have a lot of things in common,
gli impegni di lavoro, l'intimo.
work obligations, underwear.
Captions 22-23, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
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It's a convenient way to be vague:
Ho un impegno (I have a [prior] commitment).
We can use the adjective form impegnato to mean "busy":
Sono impegnato al momento (I'm busy just now).
The reflexive verb form impegnarsi means "to commit" or "to make a commitment." In the video, the two people are talking about a commitment in matters of the heart:
Il terrore di impegnarsi.
The terror of commitment.
Caption 24, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
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But it can also mean "to try very hard," "to make an effort":
Mi sto impegnando molto ma i risultati sono scarsi.
I'm really trying hard, but the results are poor.
The expression senza impegno (literally "with no obligation") sometimes means, "don't feel you have to." It can also make it clear that we're talking about something very casual, which may be the case in the breakfast invitation below.
Colazione insieme? Senza impegno, eh.
Breakfast together? No obligation, huh.
Captions 25-26, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
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In more commercial settings senza impegno can mean "you don't have to sign anything and there's no charge."
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The first translation of ancora, the one many of us know, is “again.”
This certainly applies to the title of a Gabriele Muccino film, whose trailer is on Yabla.
Trailer ufficiale - Baciami ancora
Official trailer: Kiss Me Again
It also applies to the title song:
Baciami ancora, baciami ancora
Kiss me again, kiss me again
Caption 13, Lorenzo Jovanotti - Baciami ancora
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In fact, quite often, ancora does mean “again.”
Arrivederci. -Ci scusi ancora.
Good bye. -Again, please excuse us.
Caption 16, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto
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But Italians also use ancora to mean “still.”
Scusatelo, eh, però è ancora sconvolto per quello che è successo.
Excuse him, uh, but he's still in shock for what happened.
Caption 43, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero
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A proposito (speaking of which), another Italian word for “still” is sempre (always). This word, too, has several meanings. Check out the Yabla lesson about sempre here.
The above example could just as well have been:
Scusatelo, però è sempre sconvolto per quello che è successo.
Excuse him, but he's still in shock for what happened.
Juggling these words can take a bit of getting used to!
When there is the negative non before it, ancora means “yet,” as in “not yet.”
Allora? Come è andata?
So? How did it go?
Non lo so ancora.
I don't know yet.
Captions 56-57, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero
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Still another way to use ancora is to reinforce the adverbs più (more) or meno (less). The English equivalent in this case would be “even” or "still."
Gli anni Cinquanta che, a pensarci, sembrano ancora più lontani.
The fifties which, if you think about it, seem even more remote.
Caption 1, L'arte della cucina - Terre d'Acqua
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When più is by itself rather than modifying another word, it will be preceded by di (of) as in the following example. In this case it also means "even more so."
Mi piace questo vestito, ma quello mi piace ancora di più.
I like this dress, but I like that one even more so.
And lastly, ancora can also mean simply “more.”
When someone is putting sugar in your coffee, you can say ancora, to mean “more” or “keep going!”
Ancora qualche erbetta sulla nostra carne.
A few more herbs on our meat.
Caption 42, Battuta di Fassone - in Insalata Chef
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You may have learned that più means "more," and that’s true, but ancora can often replace it.
Sto facendo pressione sul presidente,
I'm putting pressure on the president,
ma mi serve ancora un po' di tempo.
but I need a bit more time.
Caption 36, La Tempesta - film
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To use più in the preceding example, we just have to change the word order, like this:
...mi serve un po' piu di tempo.
...I need a bit more time.
Even in English, there is a close connection between “more” and “again.” It’s up to us to keep our eyes and ears open to gradually get a feel for the Italian perspective on the word. Thinking back on the first examples about kissing, the person could have either been saying “kiss me again” or “kiss me some more,” which has a slightly more emotional and intense feeling about it. Context and tone are key!
In a nutshell:
Ancora is used to mean:
again
still
yet (preceded by non)
even (followed by più or meno plus an adjective or adverb)
more so (ancora di più)
more
some more
Incontro is a noun that means, not surprisingly, "encounter," "meeting," "get-together," or "rendezvous." In English, we tend to save the noun "encounter" for special or particular meetings. In Italian, it gets used more often.
Conoscendolo, penso che sia più probabile
Knowing him, I think it's more likely
che si sia fermato qui per un incontro amoroso.
that he stayed here for a hot date.
Captions 46-47, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu
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The verb form incontrare means "to meet," "to encounter." It often means to bump into someone by chance.
Anna! Ti, ti ricordi quei due signori che abbiamo incontrato prima?
Anna! Do you remember those two gentlemen we met earlier?
Captions 1-2, Anna e Marika - Hostaria Antica Roma
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Keep in mind that the first person singular of the verb incontrare is the same as the noun form, incontro.
Quando vado al mare, incontro tanti stranieri.
When I go to the beach, I meet up with lots of foreigners.
There is a third form which looks exactly like the noun incontro, but is a preposition, and is used together with a second preposition, a (to, at): incontro a (towards).
It’s used in the very common phrase:
Ti vengo incontro.
I’ll come towards you.
I’ll meet you halfway.
This expression also is used when negotiating:
Mi è venuto incontro sul prezzo
He met me halfway on the price.
We say "halfway" but it may be more or less than half, so we could also say "part way." It can mean making a concession, giving a discount, or lowering a price.
Remembering that contro means "against" will help you understand the following example. It’s another figurative use of incontro, and the verb andare (to go) is used: andare incontro (to face, to encounter, to be up against).
Era medico anche lui.
He was a doctor, too.
Si figuri se non sapeva a che cosa sarebbe andato incontro.
Can't imagine he didn't know what he was up against.
Captions 55-56, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto
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Grammatically speaking:
To use incontro a as a preposition, we need a subject, a verb—usually venire (to come) or andare (to go), and an indirect object. If the object is a person or a noun, we use incontro a:
Vado incontro a Maria.
I’m going to walk towards Maria. / I’ll meet up with Maria halfway.
Va incontro alla morte.
He’ll be facing death. / He’s going towards his death.
If we use incontro a with an indirect object pronoun, the preposition a is already included in the object pronoun if the the pronoun is at the beginning of the phrase. If it’s at the end, it needs a preposition:
Ti vengo incontro.
Vengo incontro a te.
I’ll meet you halfway.
Ci vengono incontro.
Vengono incontro a noi.
They’ll meet us halfway.
Le vado incontro.
Vado incontro a lei.
I’ll meet her halfway.
For more examples of the expression andare incontro a see this lesson.
Just for fun:
Ogni giorno vado incontro a delle situazioni diverse. Ieri ho incontrato un vecchio amico, e volevamo programmare un altro incontro. Non potevo immaginare a che cosa si andava incontro, perché per trovare una data, abbiamo incontrato degli ostacoli non indifferenti. In realtà nessuno dei due aveva tempo per andare a casa dell’altro. Infine, ci siamo venuti incontro. Ci vedremo in città, vicino a dove lavora lui, e mi verrà incontro a piedi per farmi strada.
Every day I’m up against different situations. Yesterday I ran into an old friend, and we wanted to schedule another get-together. I couldn’t have imagined what we were up against, because in trying to find a date for it, we ran into significant stumbling blocks. The fact of the matter is that neither of us had time to go to the other’s house, so we met each other halfway on it. We’ll meet in the city, near his office, and he’ll come and meet me part way on foot to show me the way.
When we think of continuity, our Italian go-to word is sempre (always). It covers a lot of ground, as we’ll discover.
Per Elisa, paghi sempre tu e non ti lamenti
For Elisa you always pay, and you don't complain
Caption 9, Alice - Per Elisa
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But sempre also has some other interesting sfumature (nuances).
This next example is only slightly different from the above.
Ti amerò per sempre.
I’ll love you forever.
Keeping in mind that sempre also means “ever” is useful for understanding phrases like the following:
Ma che dici zia, sono sempre la stessa.
But what are you saying Auntie, I'm the same as ever.
Caption 16, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto
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This example could just as easily be translated using a different English adverb:
But what are you saying, Auntie? I’m still the same!
Or:
I’m the same as always!
In the following example, sempre as “still” is a bit more clear-cut:
Questa parola inizia con "Z", ma ha sempre lo stesso articolo.
This word starts with "Z," but it still has the same article.
Captions 30-31, Corso di italiano con Daniela - Articolo femminile singolare
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A common example of using sempre to mean “still” is when you call someone who’s late for an appointment and she tells you:
Non sono ancora partita. Sono sempre a casa!
I haven’t left yet. I’m still home!
Another common use of sempre is to reinforce another adverb, such as in the following example. In this case it's followed by più (more).
I tempi si fanno sempre più difficili.
The tenses get harder and harder.
Or: The tenses get more and more difficult.
Or, a bit more formally: The tenses get increasingly difficult.
Caption 26, Anna e Marika - Il verbo essere
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Lastly, and this is a bit tricky (because it takes the subjunctive mood), we have sempre che (“provided that” or “as long as”).
...e della frutta, come le mele, i limoni, le arance,
...and some fruit, such as apples, lemons, oranges,
sempre che, ci siano.
provided that there are some.
Captions 10-11, Come preparare con creatività - una tavola per la campagna
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In a nutshell:
Sempre is used to mean:
always
forever (preceded by per)
ever
still
more (followed by più)
less (followed by meno)
provided that (followed by che)
Putting it all together (just for fun):
Arrivo sempre tardi al lavoro. Alle nove di mattina, invece di essere alla mia scrivania, di solito, ho sempre da timbrare il cartellino, o, peggio ancora, sono sempre al bar. E ultimamente è sempre peggio! Il mio posto di lavoro è sempre meno sicuro. Cercherò di essere sempre più puntuale, sempre che non mi licenzino prima.
I always get to work late. At nine in the morning, instead of being at my desk, I usually still have to punch in, or even worse, I'm still at the coffee shop. And lately it’s gotten worse and worse. My job is less and less secure, so I’m going to try and be more and more punctual, provided they don’t fire me first.
Visit WordReference to familiarize yourself even further with this common adverb.
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Ecco (here it is), from the Latin ecce or eccum, is about presenting a person, thing, or idea and inviting you to perceive it at the very moment it appears.
Ecco la primavera is a 14th century song by Francesco Landini. It’s a song about the coming of spring. We might translate the title as “Behold, Spring Has Come!” The entire Italian text with a non-literal English translation opposite may be viewed here.
So this way of calling our attention to something goes way back. Despite its very ancient origins, it’s a popular word that Italians use constantly. We say ecco to call attention to something or someone arriving, or when we find something we were looking for.
We no longer use the word “behold” in English, but we might say, “well, will you look at that,” “there you go!” In the following example, Anna gets her question about long-lasting bread answered before she asks it, so she says ecco, to acknowledge the fact.
È un pane che dura tantissimo.
It's a kind of bread that lasts a very long time.
Ah ecco! Perché volevo appunto chiedere,
Ah, there you go! Because I wanted to ask you just that,
qual è il tipo di pane che dura di più.
what type of bread lasts the longest?
Captions 61-62, Anna e Marika - Il pane
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Ecco can stand alone (just about anywhere in a sentence) as in the above example, or can precede a noun to present it, as in ecco la primavera. When a pronoun is used, on the other hand, ecco gets attached to it. This goes for all the different direct object pronouns (mi, ti, lo, la, ci, vi, li, and le).
Aha. Sì. Eccolo, eccolo, è arrivato. Sì, sì.
Aha. Yes. Here he is, here he is, he's here. Yes, yes.
Captions 13-14, Francesca - alla guida
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One common way ecco is used is with perché (why, because) to mean “that’s why” or “you see why” or even “here’s why.”
Ecco perché io non me ne voglio andare.
That's why I don't want to leave it.
Caption 5, Basilicata Turistica - Non me ne voglio andare
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Another common usage is ecco qua (here you are). It calls your visual attention to what is being presented. In the following example, a pizzaiolo (pizza maker) is removing a mouth-watering pizza from his forno a legna (wood oven)!
È quasi pronta... Ecco qua!
It's almost ready... Here it is!
Captions 26-27, Antonio - presenta la Pizzeria Escopocodisera
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Ecco is also a filler word much like “OK,” “you know,” or “that's all” that can wrap up what one has said so far:
Io vorrei semplicemente che ognuno avesse la sua porzione, ecco.
I would simply like everyone to have his portion, that's all.
Caption 19, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 - EP2 - Il mistero di Cetinka
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Or it can introduce what one is about to say, much like “look,” “this is how it is,” or “here’s the thing.”
Però, ecco, per quanto mi riguarda,
But, there you go, from my point of view,
io vedo lì una cassata siciliana!
I see a Sicilian Cassata there!
Caption 11, Susanna Cutini - Dolci delle tradizioni di Pasqua
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Ecco is often difficult or even impossible to translate accurately. But once you start listening for the word and noticing it, you'll get a feel for it, and it will start creeping into your conversation naturally. Doing a Yabla search will display a very long list of examples from videos, so you can see the different contexts in which it’s used.
Ecco! (And there you have it!)
P.S. If you neglect to pronounce the double "c" in ecco, you'll obtain eco which means "echo."
In a recent lesson we talked about the imperfetto, a simple past tense that has various ways of being translated into English. In this lesson we’ll discuss more ways we can translate the imperfetto.
In this gripping film about people trying to live out their lives in the rundown suburb of Scampia, near Naples, a husband and wife are discussing the difficult situation of being threatened by the Camorra almost daily.
Che dovevo fare? Dovevo accettare?
What should I have done? Should I have accepted?
Caption 19, L'oro di Scampia - film
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It’s good to know that this is not actually correct Italian. Nevertheless, it’s quite common in colloquial speech to skip complicated structures and use the simple past instead. If, as a foreigner, you know how to use the conditional and the subjunctive, it’s never wrong to say things correctly, just in case. At the same time, it’s essential to understand what someone is talking about. The conditional and past subjunctive need more words and take longer to say, and are complex as well, so more and more, in conversation, people take a shortcut and use the imperfetto.
Before reading further, can you put the above questions into correct Italian?
Here’s the answer:
Che avrei dovuto fare? Avrei dovuto accettare?
What’s needed grammatically is the conditional, but the imperfetto has become an acceptable alternative in casual conversation. This marital discussion was not the time to worry about grammar!
Here are two other examples where the imperfetto is used in place of the conditional, which would have been grammatically correct, and in any case necessary in English.
Però me la potevi passare, no?
But you could have passed her to me, no?
Caption 84, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero - Part 12
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Sai che potevo fare un viaggio per il Brasile?
You know, I could have gone on a trip to Brazil?
Caption 33, Francesca e Marika - Il verbo potere
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Here are the grammatically correct versions:
Però, me l’avresti potuta passare, no?
Sai che avrei potuto fare un viaggio per il Brasile?
And here’s still another way to translate the imperfetto! The following example is a classic use of the imperfetto in place of a past subjunctive tense, in this case the trapassato congiuntivo. Again, it’s grammatically incorrect, but lots of people use it. The key word is se (if), which can signal a hypothetical situation and consequently the use of the congiuntivo (subjunctive).
Se sapevo che l'era l'ultima volta che lo vedevo...
If I had known that it was the last time I would see him...
Caption 50, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero - Part 14
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What makes sentences like this complicated is the presence of se (if) and che (that, what), which both often take the subjunctive and/or the conditional. And there are a good two instances of che!
Here’s the more grammatically correct, but rather complex version:
Se avessi saputo che sarebbe stata l’ultima volta che l’avrei visto...
Mamma mia, it's super complex. Fortunately the imperfetto has become more and more acceptable. For more about the subjunctive and conditional see this lesson.
The imperfetto, or “imperfect” past tense is just one of the several past tenses in Italian. As we can see from its name, it’s not perfect, meaning it doesn’t use an auxiliary verb like essere (to be) or avere (to have) plus a participle. It stands alone as a verb and is conjugated and so it is similar in structure to the simple past in English. Attenzione! Knowing when to use it is not always clear-cut, and usage differs from region to region. There may also be more than one possible English translation in a given case.
Perhaps the easiest way to get a feel for this tense is to use it when comparing the past to the present: the way it was then, and the way it is now.
Be aware that there are three basic ways to translate the imperfetto into English. One way is with the simple past tense.
Ma certo che lo conosco. Io venivo sempre qui in vacanza!
But of course I know him. I always came here on vacation!
Caption 79, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde
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In the above example, we’re talking about something in the past. The adverb sempre (always), indicating a repetitive action in the past, along with the fact that it is no longer true, helps us understand that we need the imperfetto.
It wasn’t a one-time, specific action in the past. If it had been, we might have used the passato prossimo:
Sono venuto qui l’anno scorso in vacanza.
I came here on vacation last year.
And if we mention the specific times in the past rather than a span of time, we also use the passato prossimo.
Sono venuto qui tante volte in vacanza.
I have come here many times on vacation.
Note that in the above examples, we use the passato prossimo in both cases, but the English translation changes!
Another way we translate the imperfetto in English is with “would” plus the infinitive, when describing the past as opposed to the present.
In the following example, Marika is explaining how people mopped the floor in the past.
Un tempo si usava un'asta di legno con uno strofinaccio...
In the past one would use a wooden pole with a floor cloth...
Si prendeva lo strofinaccio, si metteva in un secchio.
You would take the floor cloth, you would put it in a bucket.
Captions 20-23, Marika spiega - Le pulizie di primavera
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A third way the imperfetto can be translated is with the English past continuous tense.
E allora che cosa ci faceva nel nostro giardino?
And so what were you doing in our garden?
Cercavo un posto sicuro per passare la notte.
I was looking for a safe place to spend the night.
Captions 3-4, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena
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The past continuous exists in Italian, too, as the passato progressivo. Much of the time, it’s interchangeable with the imperfetto, and perhaps a bit more specific in pinpointing the moment of speaking in the timeline.
In the above example, the Italian passato progressivo could have been used with same result in English:
Allora che cosa stava facendo nel nostro giardino?
Stavo cercando un posto sicuro per passare la notte.
So these three ways of translating are important for understanding Italian, and just as important when trying to think and speak in Italian.
Learning suggestions:
To get an overview of this tense in context, do a Yabla search of various verbs in their imperfetto conjugations and see all the examples.
See Marika and Anna talk about their childhoods using the imperfetto!
Can you compare your childhood or youth to the present using the imperfetto as opposed to the presente?
Here’s an example.
Quando ero più giovane avevo più capelli.
When I was younger, I had more hair.
Ora sono quasi senza capelli del tutto.
Now I have almost no hair at all.
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In a recent episode of Commissario Manara, two short words stick out. The first is to’. It appears to be an abbreviation, and is found in the Collins dictionary, but is missing in many other dictionaries. In fact it’s a very informal, colloquial one-word expression.
Although hard to find in a dictionary, to’ is a good word to know, as we hear it often enough in informal situations. It sounds like an abbreviation for te lo do (I'm giving it to you), but is considered to be an abbreviation for tieni (“hold [it],” or “take [it]”) or prendi (take [this]). It’s used in the act of handing something to somebody. It’s often used together with the original word tieni. Though there is no actual infinitive to identify the verb, to' is expressed as a command, as in "take this," and is only used informally.
It’s like saying “Here!”, “Here you go!” or “Here, take it.”
To’, tieni.
Here, take [it].
Luca’s friend Sergio uses it twice at the beginning of this week’s segment of Commissario Manara. He’s giving Luca some papers to sign.
To', è tutto qui, eh?
Here you go, it's all here. Huh?
Caption 1, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero
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Non manca niente. To', servizio a domicilio.
Nothing's missing. Here you go, door to door service.
Captions 3-4, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero
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The other short word that we often hear in conversation is boh.
Boh is a way of vocally shrugging your shoulders to say, “I don’t know!” or “I have no idea.” It can also be a quick but significant way of saying you don’t know what’s going on, or that something doesn’t make sense or add up.
Ma non capisco, dovrebbe essere aperto,
But I don't understand. It should be open,
ma non c'è nessuno! Boh!
but nobody's there! It makes no sense!
Captions 18-19, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro
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Pay close attention to how people say to’ and boh, as the o is quite short in duration and finishes quite suddenly. But once you get the hang of this kind of o, you’ll enjoy shrugging your shoulders and saying “Boh!”
In the exciting first episode of the movie Stai Lontana da Me (Stay Away from Me), prima di tutto (first of all) we can see that someone is directing the title phrase at a woman because of the feminine a ending at the end of lontana (far, far away). The business of changing the endings of adjectives according to number, gender, and person is a little tricky but important. Learn about adjective endings both in Michela’s lesson about adjectives, and in Daniela’s lesson about adjectives.
In Stai Lontana da Me, the narrator uses the term essere in grado. It’s hard to find an easy-to-remember cognate for this, so let’s give it some attention. Il grado (the degree) is the basic noun, which is used for things like temperatures and burns, and not for college degrees. But together with the preposition in (at, in), it means “able to,” “capable of”:
Ci vuole solo un miracolo o qualcuno che sia in grado di farlo.
Only a miracle will do, or someone capable of working one.
Captions 46-47, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
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In English, the adjective “capable” can describe the way a person is in general, but in Italian, in grado is specific to a task and is followed by the preposition di (of) plus a verb in the infinitive, which may or may not actually be expressed. It’s usually preceded by the verb essere (to be):
Io ti affido un compitino da fare a casa,
I'll entrust you with a little assignment to do at home,
e vediamo se sei in grado di farlo.
and let's see if you're able to do it.
Captions 36-37, Marika spiega - La divisione in sillabe
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Do a Yabla video search to see a nice list of examples with in grado.
In grado doesn’t only refer to people. A machine can also be in grado. It’s often used when referring to the capabilities of a car or other instrument.
Questa macchina è in grado di darti tante soddisfazioni.
This car is capable of giving you lots of satisfaction.
In grado has more to do with being trained or properly prepared for a task than merely being good or not good at something. It’s a bit less personal, more formal, maybe less judgmental.
Non sono in grado di usare questo software.
This software is beyond my capabilities (because I haven’t learned how).
Another way of thinking about this is “being up to a task.”
Il mio computer non è in grado di fare montaggi video.
My computer is not up to the task of editing video.
We can substitute in grado with capace (capable), remembering that capace is more personal.
In the following example, Marika has been asked to do a favor for a friend, and in this case in grado and capace are interchangeable, because there is a preposition + verb (present or implicit).
...ma non è in grado di montare la cassettiera.
...but she isn't capable of putting together the chest of drawers.
Caption 3, Marika spiega - Gli attrezzi
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E sapendo che invece io ne sono capace...
And knowing that I, instead, am capable of doing it...
Caption 6, Marika spiega - Gli attrezzi
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Capace, like “capable,” may also be used to describe a person, and in this case cannot be replaced with in grado because there’s no preposition + verb.
Daniela è molto capace come insegnante.
Daniela is very capable as a teacher.
But we can add:
È in grado di spiegare anche concetti complicati.
She’s also capable of explaining complicated concepts.
Sei in grado di trovare esempi in Yabla dove puoi sostituire
Are you able to find Yabla examples where you can replace
in grado con capace e vice versa?
in grado with capace and vice versa?
Knowing how to divide words by syllables is a bit different in every language. These days word processors avoid the problem by making everything fit without having to divide the words at all. But word processors can get it wrong, and there are times when we really do need to know how to divide a word at the end of a line before hitting the "return" key, and Marika lays out some clear-cut rules for us.
E quindi, per andare a capo, cioè nella riga successiva,
And so, to start a new line, that is, on the next line,
bisogna seguire queste regole.
one needs to follow these rules.
Captions 35-36, Marika spiega - La divisione in sillabe
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Please see both part one and part two of Marika's video lessons to get all the information you need about dividing words into syllables.
And, just like in English, Italian uses punctuation terms as metaphors. Punto (period) indicates that there will be no further discussion!
Pensavo che stessimo lavorando insieme a quest'indagine.
I thought we were working together on this investigation.
Infatti ci stiamo lavorando insieme
In fact, we are working together,
però di Ginevra me ne occupo io, punto.
but I will take care of Ginevra, period.
Captions 20-21, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu - Part 6
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When we’re working on something and reach an impasse, we frequently have to start over. We start from scratch, we go back to square one, we go back to the drawing board. Having to start over happens quite frequently in criminal investigations, and Commissario Manara is no exception.
In one case, Luca uses an idiomatic expression/punctuation metaphor for this. In dictation, to indicate a new paragrafo (paragraph) or a new line, the term is punto e a capo (period, new line/paragraph).
Se la confessione di Perrone è vera, non abbiamo niente in mano.
If Perrone's confession is true, we're left with nothing in hand.
E siamo punto e a capo.
And we're back to square one.
Captions 5-6, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro - Part 16
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Here’s another way to say the same thing:
Già! E noi siamo di nuovo al punto di partenza.
Yeah! And we're back to the starting point [square one] again.
Caption 22, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde - Part 8
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In yet another episode, Luca seems to be losing patience with a witness or suspect, and uses daccapo to mean “from the beginning.” He could have said da capo just as easily, but it’s often used as a single word with a double c, originating from (and meaning the same as) da capo (from the beginning). Da capo is also used universally in music to indicate a repeat of the beginning of a piece.
Allora, ricominciamo daccapo, va!
So, let's start over again from the beginning, come on!
Com'è andata?
What happened?
Captions 4-5, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro - Part 15
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Check out punto (point) and capo (head) on WordReference.com for their various meanings and sfumature (nuances), and see this Yabla lesson about “Getting to the Point.”
We use the term verbo pronominale (pronominal verb) to describe long verbs like prendersela, in which pronoun particles are added on to the original verb (prendere in this case). But let’s take a closer look at what verbi pronominali (pronominal verbs) are all about.
Pronominale (pronominal) means “relating to or playing the part of a pronoun.” In Italian, un verbo pronominale (a pronominal verb) is one that has a special meaning when used together with one or two particular pronominal particelle (particles).
Grammatically speaking, a particle is simply a small word of functional or relational use, such as an article, preposition, or conjunction.
So we have a normal verb, which, when used together with certain particles, has a distinct meaning that is often, but not necessarily, related to the meaning of the original verb.
Technically, reflexive verbs can also be considered pronominal verbs because in effect, the verb is used together with a particle like the si (oneself) in alzarsi (to get up). But these verbs are a special case and not usually called “pronominal,” since they are already called “reflexive.” Learn more about reflexive verbs here.
Verbs can combine with one or two particles. The particles used to make up a pronominal verb are:
la (it)
le (them)
ne (of it, of them, from it, from them)
ci (of it, about it)
Note that La and le are direct object pronouns while ci and ne are indirect object pronouns and therefore include a preposition and an object in the one particle.
As mentioned in a previous lesson, a pronominal verb in its infinitive form has all the particles attached to it, but when used in a sentence, the pieces may be partially or totally detached, and hence a bit more difficult to locate.
Pronominal verbs may be made up of one verb plus one pronoun particle:
smetterla (to quit doing something): smettere (to quit) + la (it)
darle (to give them, to give a spanking [idiom]): dare (to give) + le (them)
farne (to do something with something): fare (to do, to make) + ne (of it, of them)
capirci (to understand [about] something): capire (to understand) + ci (of it)
Sì, ma lo sai che è la prima volta
Yes, but you know it's the first time
che in un delitto non ci capisco niente neanche io? -Hm.
that in a murder I don't understand anything about it either? -Hm.
Captions 45-46, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu
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Pronominal verbs may also be made up of one verb plus two pronoun particles (which combine with each other).
The particle ci can be combined with a second pronoun particle, such as -la or -ne, but, as we have mentioned before, ci becomes ce when combined with another pronoun particle. Therefore we have, -cela, -cene; NOT -cila, -cine.
avercela [con qualcuno] (to have it in [for somebody], to feel resentful [towards somone]) avere + ci + la
farcela (to make it, to succeed) fare + ci + la
Ce la faccio, ce la faccio, ce la faccio.
"I can do it, I can do it, I can do it."
Caption 60, Dixieland - La magia di Tribo
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Since the feminine is so often used in pronominal verbs, especially in idiomatic expressions, we can think of la (it) as standing for una cosa (something, that thing), la vita (life), la faccenda (the matter), or la situazione (the situation).
Exactly why a feminine pronoun is used in so many expressions with pronominal verbs is not cut-and-dried, and there is no quick answer. If you’re insatiably curious, check out this passage from an online book about the question (in Italian).
Pronominal verbs may be made up of one reflexive verb (which uses the particle si in the infinitive) plus a second pronoun particle such as those mentioned above: la, le, ne, or ci.
Prendersela (to get angry, to get offended, to get upset)
Fregarsene (to not care at all about something [colloquial])
Mettercisi (to put [time] into something)
In the following example, we have the pronominal verb accorgersene (to notice something, to realize something, to become aware of something). The basic (reflexive) verb is accorgersi (to notice), but the object pronoun particle ne is added as an indirect object pronoun.
Ma non è tutto lì.
But that's not all of it.
Forse la differenza ha radici più profonde.
Perhaps the difference has deeper roots.
E te ne accorgi solo quando accade.
And you only notice it when it happens.
Captions 32-34, L'oro di Scampia - film - Part 11
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