When we distinguish between adjectives and nouns, the presence or absence of an article plays its part. Certainly, in the Vocabulary Review exercise, included with all Yabla videos, a noun will have either a definite or indefinite article to distinguish it, and we add an article to the English translation for the same reason. But in real life, the distinction can be kind of fuzzy.
When you're just speaking Italian, without translating, the difference doesn't matter all that much, but when we translate we have to decide whether a word is a noun or an adjective.
In English, too, the line can be a bit fuzzy. Take the word "elderly." It's an adjective, but we can also use it as a noun, to identify a group: the elderly. We don't think about it, we just use the word correctly.
If we talk about an old person in Italian, we can use the adjective vecchio [m] or vecchia [f].
Passati i settant'anni, ormai è vecchio.
Being over seventy, he's already old.
Caption 29, Corso di italiano con Daniela Ormai
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But we can use the adjective as a noun by using an article with it.
È un vecchio.
He's an old guy.
Caption 29, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 16
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When we translate it into English, we need a noun after the adjective.
Allora le faccio entrare le tre vecchie? -Signore, le... chiamiamole signore. -Le tre vecchie signore.
So should I have the three old [women] come in? Ladies, the... let's call them ladies. The three old ladies.
Captions 68-70, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP2 Rabbia - Part 20
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The sergeant was describing the elderly women in a somewhat pejorative way and Lojacono corrected him. So he just turned the word he was using as a noun into an adjective. We could follow the same model with the adjective giovane (young).This adjective ends in e, so we don't immediately know the gender of the young person. As a noun in the context of the following clip, it usually refers to a male.
No. -Dio bono, Dio... -Eh... giovane, stai molto calmo, eh!
No. -Dear God... -Uh... young man, stay super calm, huh!
Caption 23, Il Commissario Manara S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva - Part 10
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When we add a noun after the adjective, we sometimes have a clue as to gender, but after that, we have to use the context to choose our noun wisely. In Italian, there are suffixes that can enhance the noun. Instead of saying una vecchia, we can say una vecchietta. That way it's clear it's a noun. We can say, instead of un giovane, un giovanotto.
We often find this noun-adjective correlation when describing people and their traits.
Pazzo (crazy)
E certamente, quello è pazzo di me.
And of course, that guy is crazy about me.
Caption 20, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 16
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Aragona, guidi come un pazzo.
Aragona, you drive like a maniac.
Caption 13, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 4
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Malato (ill)
E sapevate che era malato?
And did you know that he was ill?
Caption 1, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 4
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Molti dei malati vennero ricoverati nel vicino ospedale di Santa Maria della Scala,
Many of the sick were admitted to the nearby Santa Maria della Scala hospital,
Caption 42, Meraviglie EP. 3 - Part 6
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In this particular case, we use "the sick" to mean "sick people" in English, but we can't do it with all adjectives.
È un bastardo.
He is a bastard.
Caption 27, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 24
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Se fossi più grande, andrei al cantiere, da quel geometra bastardo e gli darei un sacco di botte.
If I were older, I would go to the construction site, to that bastard of a construction supervisor and I'd throw a bunch of punches at him.
Captions 3-5, La Ladra EP. 7 - Il piccolo ladro - Part 3
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Most of us have heard or uttered the adjective stupido (stupid). But we can use it as a noun, too, just like adjectives idiota, cretino, and scemo.
Sì. Sara, io sono uno stupido.
Yes, Sara, I'm an idiot.
Caption 40, Stai lontana da me Rai Cinema - Part 16
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When people call other people names, it's not always clear how to translate them, whether as nouns or adjectives. But in either case, the insult is clear.
Stupido! Cretino! Deficiente!
Stupid! Idiot! Dumbass!
Caption 44, La Ladra EP. 6 - Nero di rabbia - Part 7
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In Italian, as in other languages, sometimes a verb uses the same root as a noun that's related or vice versa. We don't always know which came first, the verb or the noun, but the good news is that there are plenty of verbs like this and they are pretty easy to learn.
The words we discuss in this lesson originally have to do with plants. So let's learn the Italian word for "plant" right off the bat. It's an easy one.
Pianta - piantare
La pianta is the noun and piantare is the verb.
E poi, domenica aveva in progetto di piantare il nuovo vigneto al podere dei Sassi.
And then, Sunday he had planned to plant a new vineyard at the Sassi farm.
Caption 34, Il Commissario Manara S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva - Part 1
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Ehm, in questi vasi sono state piantate delle piante molto belle.
Um, in these pots, very beautiful plants have been planted.
Caption 20, In giro per l'Italia Mazara Del Vallo - Sicilia - Part 3
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As we will see with seminare, further on in this lesson, piantare can also be used figuratively. It often means to stop or quit doing something like complaining or lying. It's a strong word to use when you are fed up with how someone is behaving.
La devi piantare di mentire.
You have to quit lying.
Caption 5, Provaci ancora prof! S1E4 - La mia compagna di banco - Part 21
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In the previous example, the speaker wanted to include the verb dovere (to have to) but otherwise could have just said, Piantala (quit it)! It's as if he wanted to say, "You have to quit it with the lying."
There's more! If you get dropped by a friend or hired help, piantare can be a useful verb.
Pia, la mia colf, mi ha piantato. Dice che non vuole vivere in campagna.
Pia, my nanny, ditched me. She says that she doesn't want to live in the country.
Caption 21, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 EP1 - Casa nuova - Part 5
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Seme - seminare
Another noun that goes nicely with its verb is il seme (the seed).
E poi da questo seme che pianti nasce, come per miracolo, una verdura, un pomodoro, ehm, del peperone.
and then from this seed that you plant, like a miracle, a vegetable, a tomato, uhm, a pepper comes up.
Captions 10-11, Professore Antonio L'orto del Vesuvio
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We often use the verb piantare (to plant), as in the previous example, because it's generic for putting something in the ground, and it can apply to both seeds and plants, but the more accurate word to use, especially when talking about seeds for crops, is seminare (to sow).
The verb is seminare (to sow).
E usiamo i semi. Questa idea mi piace. Eccoli qui, Mirò, sono pronti da seminare.
And we'll use the seeds. I like this idea. Here they are, Mirò. They're ready to plant/sow.
Captions 42-44, Gatto Mirò EP 10 Piantiamo un albero
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In a segment of Provaci ancora, Prof!, Camilla is driving when her daughter, Livietta, sees that a car has been following them for a while. Camilla gives her daughter instructions to tenersi forte (to hold on tight) while she tries to lose the other car. She uses the colloquial term, seminare. Think of someone sowing seeds by tossing them or throwing them.
Perché c'è una macchina che ci segue, saranno almeno dieci minuti. -Tieniti forte perché cerco di seminarla adesso.
Because there's a car following us, it must be at least ten minutes. -Hold on tight because I'm going to try to lose it now.
Captions 5-7, Provaci ancora prof! S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita - Part 20
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And again, in another episode, Camilla is being followed and it is her daughter who notices that.
Evvai, mamma! Li hai seminati!
Go, Mommy! You lost them!
Caption 66, Provaci ancora prof! S2E4 L'amica americana - Part 19
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Disseminare
A verb related to seminare is disseminare. This is used to mean "to spread out," or "to distribute," "to broadcast."
Smembra il cadavere e lo dissemina in punti che sono tutti riconducibili a Lei, signor Romaniello.
He dismembers the corpse and he spreads it around in places that can be traced to you, Mister Romaniello.
Captions 32-33, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1EP1 L'estate del dito - Part 27
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Here, too, we can imagine someone holding a basket full of seeds that get sown in the field by tossing them out by the handful, scattering them, broadcasting them, so that they get spread out, they get well-distributed.
Can you think of other verbs and nouns that go together?
It's good to know some basic Italian adjectives so that you can comment on things you see, hear, smell, and taste. We'll be presenting 50 Italian adjectives that people use every day, approximately 10 by 10, so they'll be manageable. Some of these will be easy because they are similar to ones you know in English. Others will be past participles of verbs, just as in English. Yet others will be weird and different and just need to be memorized. And there will be some false friends to watch out for. For more about how adjectives work, see this lesson.
Adjectives are an essential part of speaking a language but the good news is that even if you don't know how to form a sentence or a question, just knowing the appropriate adjective can allow you to communicate something. And that's what language is all about: communication. So if nothing else, just say the appropriate adjective, all by itself, and you will get your message across.
1) bello (beautiful, great)
We can use this adjective for much more than describing a panorama or person as “beautiful.”
We also use it for a movie or book we liked, a situation like a vacation, an encounter…
Ho visto un bel film (I saw a great movie).
So it can also mean “wonderful.” And, since it’s an adjective that changes its ending according to gender and number, it can be used for both guys and gals or masculine and feminine nouns by just changing the ending from bello to bella. So it also means “handsome!”
You'll have noticed that instead of saying Ho visto un bello film, we chop off the ending when it's followed directly by the noun. We say:
Ho visto un bel film, ho letto un bel libro (I saw a great movie, I read a good book).
When you see something beautiful, you can simply say Bello! or Che bello!
Bello, l'ha fatto Lei?
b. Did you do it?
Caption 16, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep. 1 - Part 18
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2) buono (good)
Buono is used a lot for food, for instance, when something tastes good, but it’s also used to mean “valid.” It can also describe a good person.
È una buona persona (He/she is a good person).
Note that persona is a feminine noun, so even if we are talking about a boy or man, the adjective describing persona has to take a feminine ending. Tricky, right?
See Daniela's video lesson about bello, buono, and bene.
Questo è il gelato artigianale. Più gli ingredienti sono freschi e più è buono.
This is handmade ice cream. The fresher the ingredients are, the better it is.
Captions 15-16, Andromeda in - Storia del gelato - Part 2
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Note: Buono is one of those adjectives that has an irregular comparative. See this lesson and this one, too.
3) carino (nice, pretty, good-looking)
This is another adjective with an “o” ending, changing its ending according to gender and number. In aesthetic terms, it is less extreme than bello. However, carino is often used to mean “nice” or “kind” in describing a person, or what the person has done, for example, if you do someone a favor they didn’t ask you to do.
Eh sì. -Eh sì. Comunque Luca è stato molto carino, eh, ad accompagnare suo figlio Fabio all'istituto.
Oh yes. -Oh yes. However Luca was very sweet, no, to accompany his son Fabio to the institute.
Oh yes. -Oh yes. However, it was really nice of Luca, no, to accompany his son Fabio to the institute.
Captions 26-27, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 14
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4) gentile (kind, gentle)
Gentile is a bit more formal than carino. Carino is often used to describe people close to you, but if the bank manager was nice and polite to you, you would use the word gentile. You might also use cortese (courteous) —a great cognate!
E come no, mai una cattiva parola, sempre gentile.
For sure, never a mean word, always kind.
Caption 31, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP2 Rabbia - Part 3
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5) bravo (capable, well-behaved, good at something)
Caro Olivetti, sarai anche bravo a far le macchine da scrivere, ma i tuoi interessi non sono i nostri.
Dear Olivetti, you might be good at making typewriters, but your interests are not ours.
Captions 43-44, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 20
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False friend alert! Forget about “brave” for the most part. Fai la brava! means “Be a good girl!”
È un bravo idraulico (he is a very capable plumber. He is a good plumber).
When I want to say, “Good for you!” I say Bravo! (for a guy) or Brava! (for a gal).
Il cane è bravo (he’s a good [well-behaved] dog–he won’t bite you).
6) ottimo (great, excellent)
This looks like “optimal,” and can also mean that sometimes, but primarily, it’s a superlative kind of adjective that means “great.” Consider this exchange:
Ci vediamo alle cinque. -Ottimo.
I’ll meet you at five o’clock. -Great.
È un ottimo posto per fare jogging.
It's a great place to go jogging.
Caption 25, Anna e Marika Villa Torlonia - Casino Nobile
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This is the perfect comment for someone whose work you appreciated:
Ottimo lavoro!
[You did a] great job!
7) eccellente (excellent)
Here’s a great true friend or cognate. This adjective ends in e, so it doesn’t change with gender, just number.
Questo risotto era da vero eccellente (this risotto was excellent.)Queste ostriche sono eccellenti (these oysters are great.)
Eccellente can also describe a prominent or eminent person, such as someone in a high position.
8) corretto (correct, fair, right, decent)
Here is a partially false friend. If you get the right answer, la risposta è corretta. That’s easy. However, the other meaning of “fair,” — “fair-minded,” “sportsmanlike”— is less familiar to non-native speakers, but very important! For instance, corretto can describe a person as well as his or her behavior.
Pensavo che fosse una persona corretta, e invece… (I thought he was a decent, fair-minded person, but instead…)
Ma ti pare corretto, l'esaminatore che si fa venire a prendere dall'esaminando? -No. -Ma dai!
But does it seem right to you for the exam giver to have the exam taker pick him up? -No. -Come on!
Captions 8-9, La Ladra EP. 11 - Un esame importante - Part 4
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9) favoloso (fabulous, magnificent, awesome)
Here is another true friend. We don’t use “fabulous” in English so much anymore — but some of us still remember the “fab four” (The Beatles). In contrast, Italians do use favoloso when they really mean it. Eyebrows go up, eyes get wider.
Allora, io oggi sono arrivata in questa favolosa città, Lucca, però non la conosco, quindi dove posso andare?
So, today I arrived in this fabulous city, Lucca, but I don't know it, so where can I go?
Captions 16-17, In giro per l'Italia Lucca - Part 1
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10) magnifico (magnificent, great, terrific, cool)
Another true friend, this adjective is somewhat over-used in Italian, thus diminishing its value as a superlative:
Ci vediamo alle cinque. -Magnifico. (I’ll see you at five. -Great.)
E tu, come sempre, sei stata magnifica. -E tu un magnifico bugiardo.
And you, as always, were magnificent. -And you, a magnificent liar.
Captions 2-3, La Ladra EP. 12 - Come ai vecchi tempi - Part 14
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Let's add one more adjective (not included in the 50) that is super easy to use, and easy to remember: fantastico. It's used just like "fantastic" in English, so when you're short on vocabulary, try this one. AND even if you say it in English, people will understand. Of course, it can also be connected with "fantasy," but that's another story.
Sarebbe fantastico andare al concerto tutti insieme. -Un sogno.
It would be fantastic to go to a concert all together. -A dream.
Caption 48, JAMS S1 EP2 - Part 7
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We hope this has been helpful. The next group of adjectives will be about negative adjectives. Stay tuned!
Previously, we looked at ways to talk about going to work and different positions at the workplace. In Part 3, we will talk about something we often have to do in an office or other workplace, or even just in everyday life: sign documents. Since the words we are looking for are not cognates — in fact, we might be tempted to invent the word "signare," which would be wrong — let's become familiar with the right words.
The verb is firmare (to sign).
Documenti importanti da firmare, giusto.
Important documents to sign, that's right.
Caption 14, Provaci ancora prof! S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita - Part 9
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But you can also use the noun la firma (the signature).
Il verbale senza la sua firma non serve a nulla.
The statement without her signature is useless.
Caption 5, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1EP1 L'estate del dito - Part 26
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We often use the verb fare (to make, to do) when asking someone for their signature.
Mi fai una firma (will you sign this for me)?
We can also use the verb mettere (to put).
C'è da pagare un'ammenda, se mi mette una firma.
There's a fine to pay if you would put your signature on it for me.
Caption 17, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3 EP2 - Un nuovo medico in famiglia - Part 12
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These days, we are often asked to create una firma digitale (a digital signature) so that we can send un documento firmato (a signed document) via posta elettronica (email) or messaggino (text). Whatever kind of computer you have, there is likely an application to facilitate this.
When you just need to initial a document, or, especially, single lines in a document, rather than providing your entire signature, someone might say:
Basta uno scarabocchio (a scribble will suffice).
Fai uno scarabocchio (initial it).
The proper, formal term, is siglare (to initial).
Did you know that Daniela has a series of lessons on how to write a formal letter in Italian? Check it out here!
Dopo la formula di chiusura, inserisco la firma del mittente.
After the complimentary closing, I insert the signature of the sender.
Captions 27-28, Corso di italiano con Daniela Lettera formale - Part 4
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Two more important words to know, in the office or outside it are il mittente (the sender) and il destinatario (the recipient or addressee).
Let us know if there are particular things you would like to know about using Italian in the workplace. And let's not forget that more and more, English words are being incorporated into business Italian!
In our lessons, we often take Italian words and explore them, but sometimes we can switch things around and begin with an English word that's used in so many ways, such as the verb "to get." Let's look at just 1 common and useful way we can translate "to get."
In English, we might say, "I'm getting sleepy. I think I will go to bed." We use the adjective "sleepy," just as we use "hungry," and "thirsty." But in Italian, we usually use the noun, "sleepiness" or "sleep." You might already have learned the Italian for saying, "I'm hungry" (ho fame), "I'm thirsty" (ho sete), "I'm tired or sleepy" (ho sonno). But sometimes we want to talk about getting to that state. That's when we can use the verb venire.
Già mi viene sonno.
I'm already getting sleepy.
Caption 16, PsicoVip Il treno - Ep 3
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Note that the verb used in Italian is venire (to come). We would never say it, but we could say, "To me, sleepiness is coming." In fact, using the verb venire, where in English we say "get," is common, especially in the specific instance of adjectives like the ones we have mentioned. Let's look at some examples.
Quando corro, mi viene sete.
When I run, I get thirsty.
Non ti viene fame? -Oh, sì.
Don't you get hungry? -Oh, yes.
Caption 25, PIMPA S3 Ep 21 Arriva l'autunno
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Here's an example using the future tense of venire. Marika and Anna are about to take us to un panificio (a bakery).
Vi verrà fame eh!
You're going to get hungry huh!
Caption 32, Anna e Marika Il pane
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And here is one in the passato remoto (the remote past tense).
Poi venne sonno anche a lui.
Then he, too, got sleepy.
Caption 6, Dixiland Cometa caduta
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Note that in the examples above, the subject of the sentence or phrase is the condition, in other words, "the hunger," "the sleepiness," "the thirstiness."
Sometimes we don't want to use the verb "to get" in a translation because it is somewhat colloquial. So we use the verb "to become," which seems clearer. In fact, one translation of the verb "to become" is divenire, a verb that is closely related to venire.
We can combine two very common verbs into one expression that means "to get busy" or "to work hard." The expression is darsi da fare. We can detect a reflexive ending on the verb dare (to give) with darsi. If we think about it in the first person, it's, "I give myself." What do I give myself? Da fare (stuff to do).
If I am busy and can't talk to you right now, I might say, Ho da fare (I have stuff to do, I am busy).
Ho detto: "Senta, scusi, eh... io c'ho [ho] da fare, è tardissimo, -Mh.
I said, "Listen, I'm sorry, uh... I'm busy, it's really late," -hmm.
Caption 48, Francesca e Marika Gestualità
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But if you are giving yourself stuff to do, with the verb dare (to give) it's more active.
Mi do da fare (I keep myself busy, I work hard).
If we are talking about someone else who works hard in general, we might say:
Si dà da fare (he/she works hard).
Note the accent we place on the third person singular of the verb dare to distinguish it from da, the preposition meaning "of," "to," or "from."
We also use this expression in a command form when we want someone to get to work, to do something, or to get something done.
Datti da fare! (Get to work!, Do something! Get on it!)
Datti da fare pure tu.
You get on it, too.
Caption 13, Provaci ancora prof! S2E4 L'amica americana - Part 16
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If we are talking to more than one person, it's:
Datevi da fare.
We might be talking to a group we are included in, we'll say:
Diamoci da fare (let's get to work, let's get busy).
If we are being polite or formal to one person, it's:
Si dia da fare.
If we want to be polite to more than one person, we need to go into the third person plural:
Si diano da fare.
Tip: Note that when we are using the polite form, it's the same as the subjunctive third person (check out the conjugation chart). We can mostly get by fine without using this polite form, unless we are working in a place where our Italian-speaking employees are people we address formally.
To conclude, da fare can be part of a longer phrase such as Ho tantissime cose da fare (I have lots of things to do), but da fare can be used by itself to just mean "stuff to do."
We've talked about the short word che in previous lessons. There are so many different uses for the word! But in this lesson, we'll look at when it means "what." It's a kind of abbreviated version of che cosa (what thing).
In a recent episode of Provaci ancora, prof!, Camilla's detective friend is worried about some sleuthing she has done on her own. He asks:
Che hai fatto? Che hai toccato? Che hai preso?
What did you do? What did you touch? What did you take?
Caption 61, Provaci ancora prof! S2E4 L'amica americana - Part 15
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He could have said:
Che cosa hai fatto? Che cosa hai toccato? Che cosa hai preso?
and it would have meant the same thing.
Oh, allora, che hai saputo?
Oh, so, what have you found out?
Caption 23, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP1 - Part 12
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In the following example, we see both versions:
Ma che è successo? Che cos'è questo sangue?
But what happened? What is this blood?
Caption 37, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP1 - Part 15
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Ma che dici?
But what are you saying?
Caption 47, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP1 - Part 15
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Another way to say this is:
Ma che cosa stai dicendo (but what are you saying)?
We have (at least) three choices for saying "what."
Che dirà la gente?
What will people say?
Caption 30, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP 2 - Part 3
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We can also leave out the che and only use cosa:
Cosa dirà la gente (what will people say)?
Or we can use both and say:
Che cosa dirà la gente (what will people say)?
Keep your eyes and ears open for che, che cosa, and cosa, all meaning "what!"
Let's look at some of the other roles people have in business and in the workplace. Check out Part 1 to learn about how to "go to work" in Italian and about different types of employees.
To indicate the boss In Italian, we use one word for "head": il capo.
No no, no, non è il mio ragazzo, lui è il mio capo,
No, no, no. He's not my boyfriend, he's my boss,
è il commissario Manara.
he's Commissioner Manara.
Captions 29-30, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde - Part 8
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Of course, we have the cognate direttore that can indicate the head of a company and is used much like "director." But it is often used to mean "manager" or "managing director."
Mauro Barale, direttore delle vendite.
Mauro Barale, sales manager.
-Barale, piacere.
-Barale, a pleasure.
Lui è il nostro nuovo direttore generale.
He's our new general director.
Captions 26-27, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep.2
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If the director is the owner, the director might also be called il titolare (the owner, the head). Titolare is a term often used when it would make sense for the head of a company to also be the owner.
Ah, ma è la titolare dell'agenzia che organizza i matrimoni.
Ah, so you are the head of the agency that organizes weddings.
Caption 19, Sposami - EP 5 - Part 2
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In the previous example, Nora is the head of the agency. Technically, her aunt is likely the owner, but in practical terms, it's Nora. Nora is a woman, so the feminine article is used, even though the noun titolare is basically masculine. The term titolare can be used loosely because we often don't know if someone actually owns the company or not. The other, more general word for "owner" is proprietario.
When a business has multiple departments, each department is called un reparto, so a department manager or supervisor may be called il caporeparto. In a hospital, a ward is called un reparto as well. In a department store, the same term, reparto, is used for a given department or section.
Poi dall'amministrazione sono passata,
Then, from administration I moved,
sempre nel reparto amministrativo, al recupero crediti.
still in the administrative department, to debt collection.
Caption 1, Antonella - La mia storia - Part 2
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In English, "responsible" is an adjective. But its cognate responsabile is also used as a noun to describe the person who is in charge of something, such as un reparto (department).
Poi, naturalmente, in assenza di Manara, il responsabile è Lei.
Then, naturally, in the absence of Manara, you're the one in charge.
Caption 29, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP8 - Fuori servizio - Part 2
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Instead of il responsabile, we might see or hear l'addetto, which basically means the same thing: someone assigned to that role. Just like responsabile, it can be used as either an adjective or a noun.
Lavorava qui, era addetto alla fermentazione del vino.
He worked here. He was in charge of wine fermentation.
Caption 42, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP8 - Fuori servizio - Part 1
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Let's add to the roles one can have in the workforce. When we're talking about a shop, the salesperson or sales clerk is called il commesso or la commessa, depending on the sex of the person.
Allora, tornate dalla commessa e chiedetele
So, go back to the saleswoman and ask
se ultimamente ha venduto 'sto [questo]
if she has lately sold this
profumo a qualcuno di più adulto.
perfume to someone more adult.
Captions 35-36, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP3 - Delitto tra le lenzuola - Part 9
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We hope we haven't filled your head with too many new words. Keep an eye out for them as you watch and learn with Yabla videos!
Most of us know what a piazza is. It means something akin to the town square. In Italy, there may be a main piazza, but there can be many others spread around a city.
La piazza è dedicata al...
The piazza is dedicated to...
all'artista e scultore Michelangelo Buonarroti.
to the artist and sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Caption 12, In giro per l'Italia - Firenze
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If you look at the dictionary entry above, you will see that there are various connotations of the noun piazza.
Piazzare is a verb. It can mean "to place" something somewhere.
Qua abbiamo piazzato la macchina da presa.
Here, we placed the camera.
Caption 27, Fratelli Taviani - La passione e l'utopia
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Piazzare often means to sell — to put on the market with success.
Be', questa pietruzza la posso piazzare per una bella cifra.
Well this little rock I can place/sell for a pretty penny.
Caption 42, La Ladra - EP. 1 - Le cose cambiano
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But when we add an S to the beginning as a sort of prefix, the meaning changes. Something is set up or placed and seems stable, but then you displace it: spiazzare. It's generally used figuratively to mean "to catch someone off guard."
So, spiazzare is "to cause someone to feel less stable." You floor them, you take away their certainties, you take them by surprise.
E poi ti spiazzava.
And then she would take you by surprise.
Spiazzava te che eri al suo fianco,
She would totally surprise you, you, who were by her side,
spiazzava il pubblico.
she would floor the audience.
Ma a volte ti accorgevi che spiazzava anche se stessa...
But sometimes you would realize that she took even herself by surprise...
Captions 29-32, Illuminate - Margherita Hack - Part 11
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E io sono abituata a condurre il gioco. Insomma, mi sento spiazzata.
And I am used to leading the game. Basically, I'm flummoxed.
Captions 77-78, Provaci ancora prof! - S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita
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We've had a request for a lesson about vocabulary in the workplace. It's a great request, and the topic is an important one.
Let's first look at the workplaces themselves. The most basic thing we'll want to say is, "I'm going to work, bye."
There are a couple of different variations on the expression.
Some say Vado al lavoro. This implies you are going to your workplace, where you work.
Be', mamma, io vado al lavoro, ci vediamo stasera.
Well, Mom, I'm going to work. I'll see you tonight.
Caption 11, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP8 - Fuori servizio - Part 13
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Some say vado a lavoro. It means the same thing, but there is no article. It's just a matter of personal preference or regional usage.
Some say: vado a lavorare. It is a general word but tends to be used when the job isn't in an office, but rather in a factory, or some place where the work is manual in nature.
I bambini vanno a scuola e le persone vanno a lavorare.
Children go to school and people go to work.
Captions 39-40, Corso di italiano con Daniela - Orari di apertura e sistema scolastico
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Then we come back from work. The verb is tornare (to return)
E quando mia madre e mio padre sono tornati dal lavoro,
And when my mother and father came home from work,
ci hanno trovato con dei cucchiai
they found us with some spoons
che fingevano i microfoni e noi cantavamo.
which we pretended were microphones, and we would sing.
Captions 19-21, Anna e Marika - ricordi di infanzia
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Similar to English, Italians talk about going to the office. For this, we use the preposition in, not a. They both can mean "to." When coming and going, we don't use the article before ufficio (office).
Allora, ti dico che devi tornare subito in ufficio.
So, I'm telling you that you have to come back to the office right away.
Caption 78, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP9 - Morte in paradiso - Part 8
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Another word that can mean "office" is lo studio. Although uno studio can be a studio for photography, filming, recording, or creating art, and the like, it's also used to mean "office." This often implies a small place and is used for professions such as dentists, doctors, architects, attorneys, graphic designers, etc.
Abita a Matera e ha uno studio grafico in via Bixio.
He lives in Matera and has a graphics studio on Via Bixio.
Caption 35, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore - S1 EP3 I giardini della memoria
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Un momento prima sei al lavoro,
One moment earlier, you're at work,
o nel traffico o a casa tua
or in traffic, or at home,
e un momento dopo
and one moment later,
sei sul letto di uno studio urologico.
you are on the exam table at the urologist's office.
Captions 8-10, La linea verticale - EP1 - Part 2
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La fabbrica is a factory or plant.
Ma Lei lo sa che è stato licenziato dalla fabbrica dove lavorava
But did you know that he was fired from the factory where he worked
perché ha sferrato un pugno al suo capo reparto.
because he punched his department head?
Captions 57-58, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore - S1 EP2 Come piante fra sassi
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Lots of factories are grouped in a part of a city zoned for industry. It's called la zona industriale.
Now let's talk about what to call the people who work in places. The most general term is un lavoratore (a worker). We can see the verb lavorare (to work) and the noun il lavoro (the job). But let's look at some words that are a bit more specific.
When we're talking about a factory-type situation, where workers do manual work, then one word we use is operaio (worker).
In a factory situation, workers generally have one shift or another. This is il turno. We can have il turno di giorno or il turno di notte. Some factories have three shifts or turni. 6:00 AM - 2:00 PM, 2:00 PM - 10:00 PM, and 10:00 PM - 6:00 AM.
Questo è l'altro operaio
This is the other worker
che faceva il turno di notte sabato sera?
who was working the night shift on Saturday night?
Caption 32, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP8 - Fuori servizio - Part 5
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In an office situation, on the other hand, an employee working at a desk or a counter is usually indicated with the generic term, l'impiegato or l'impiegata depending on whether they are male or female. This nomenclature comes from the verb impiegare (to use, to employ).
Sposare voi, un umile
Marry you, [me] a humble,
impiegato morto di fame e sempre squattrinato.
starving employee and always penniless.
Caption 28, Totò e Lia Zoppelli - Romeo e Giulietta
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Il dipendente
Un impiegato is almost surely also un dipendente: someone who works for someone else. Dipendente is even more generic than impiegato. It's more about being paid by someone else.
Lei è Adriano Olivetti?
Are you Adriano Olivetti?
Non mi conosce.
You don't know me.
Sono la figlia di un Suo dipendente, Mario Pagani.
I'm the daughter of one of your employees, Mario Pagani.
Captions 16-17, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 26
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L'azienda - la ditta
So if you want to mention how many people work in a company, you use the noun dipendente. The company someone works for may be called un'azienda, (which gives the impression of a large company) or una ditta.
L'azienda è in espansione,
The company is expanding.
ha ormai sedicimila dipendenti.
By now it has sixteen thousand employees.
Caption 38, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 3
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E poi vedi di scoprire qualcosa su quest'altra ditta,
And then try to discover something about this other company,
quella che fornisce il latte.
the one that supplies the milk.
Caption 54, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP6 - Sotto tiro - Part 4
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So we have two different nouns — dipendente and impiegato — that are generally translated as "employee," so this can be confusing. Impiegato/a usually describes someone who works at a computer or at a desk or counter. Dipendente is more about the relationship between who pays and who gets paid.
Note that impiegato and dipendente are also adjectives.
In Part 2, we will talk about other roles in a workplace.
Even though crime is the name of the game on Wednesdays, there's always plenty to learn that has nothing to do with crime and everything to do with culture.
This lesson refers to a mini-episode of I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone.
When Paolo and Lojacono are at Lojacono's favorite trattoria da Letizia for dinner, she brings them a pasta dish. How could we not mention it? It's called lo scarpariello.
Ecco qua lo scarpariello. -Grazie. -Prego.
Here is the "scarpariello." -Thanks. -You're welcome.
Caption 49, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone - EP2 Rabbia
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When we see a long word ending in ello, there is a good chance it's an elaboration of a pre-existing word. Can you detect the noun scarpa in there?
What do shoes have to do with pasta you might ask? Legend has it that the origins of this pasta dish be traced to the Quartieri Spagnoli ("Spanish" neighborhoods) of Naples, where shoemakers tended to reside, in earlier times. Although the Italian word for "shoemaker" is il calzolaio, lo scarparo is a regional (Southern) form of lo scarpaio, a variant of il calzolaio. Their day off — il giorno di riposo — was lunedì — Monday. So Monday was "leftovers day." The leftover pasta sauce from Sunday dinner was recycled to make a delicious pasta dish on Monday.
In addition, some of the ingredients, such as the pecorino or Parmigiano might have been given to the shoemaker in place of payment for shoe repair. But over time, as often happens with humble recipes, the dish has risen from its status as un piatto di recupero (leftovers) to a simple but elegant favorite, made with the simple, fresh ingredients available locally: pomodorini (cherry or other small-sized tomatoes), basilico (basil), peperoncino (chili peppers), aglio (garlic), and olio di oliva (olive oil) with the addition of grated pecorino romano and/or Parmigiano.
Here is a great and fun video recipe for this dish. Attenzione! Luca parla molto veloce (Luca speaks very fast) but he shows you what he is doing, which makes it easier to understand.
When you meet someone halfway on a deal, or you go towards someone who is coming towards you, say, on the street, we often use the turn of phrase: andare incontro a.
Andare is "to go" and incontro in this case is an adverb (or preposition) meaning "toward."
Mi puoi venire incontro?
Can you meet me halfway?
Using this turn of phrase can be a little confusing, but here are the elements:
a verb of motion, which is usually andare (to go) or venire (to come). It might even be correre (to run).
the adverb or preposition incontro meaning "toward"
the preposition a (to)
an indirect object noun or pronoun
Let's look at some Yabla examples of how we can use andare incontro a.
The word order can change and often the indirect object comes first, as in the following examples. In this case, the preposition a is included or implied in the indirect pronoun.
Ti vengo incontro (I'll meet you halfway).
È successo che stavo pulendo il locale e...
What happened is that I was cleaning the bar and...
poi l'ho sentita e gli [sic: le] sono andato incontro,
then I heard her and I went towards her,
ma non c'è stato verso di farla ragionare.
but there was no way to get her to reason.
Captions 2-4, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore - S1EP1 L'estate del dito
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La notte, Roma, le sue luci e tu che mi vieni incontro.
The night, Rome, its lights and you coming towards me.
Captions 1-2, La Ladra - EP. 12 - Come ai vecchi tempi
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In the following example, the verb correre (to run) is used instead of andare (to go) or venire (to come), but it works the same way.
Attori, tecnici, comparse gli corrono incontro.
Actors, technicians, extras run towards them.
Caption 16, Vivere - Un'avventura di Vittorio De Sica - Part 10
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If, rather than a pronoun, I use a noun (la difficoltà) as an object, as in the next examples, then I will need the proposition a.
Vado incontro a tante difficoltà.
(I'm going to run into plenty of difficulties).
Io vado incontro al mio destino
I go towards my destiny
Caption 21, Niccolò Fabi - Lontano da me
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Io e Sua Eminenza cercheremo una soluzione
His Eminence and I will look for a solution
quanto possibile per venire incontro
as far as possible to meet you half way
a quello che Lei mi ha chiesto.
for what you have asked me.
Captions 29-31, Vivere - Un'avventura di Vittorio De Sica - Part 9
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In the next example, it's a bit different, because Nora is using the first person plural to make things sound more collaborative, but the meaning is clear. She wants a discount.
Senta, io so che Lei è un professionista, una brava persona,
Listen, I know that you are a professional, a good person,
quindi non possiamo venirci incontro un pochino sul prezzo?
so can't we meet halfway a bit on the price?
Captions 25-26, Sposami - EP 4 - Part 14
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Another reason andare incontro a can cause confusion is that l'incontro exists as a noun (the encounter) and incontrare means "to meet" or "to encounter." The first person singular of incontrare is incontro (I encounter, I meet). For more on these meanings, see this lesson: Close Encounters with Incontro.
In addition, in is a preposition all on its own meaning "to" or "in." Contro is a preposition meaning "against."
One of the hardest things in Italian, at least for beginners, is trying to figure out how mi piace means "I like." How does it fit? Which word means "I" and which word means "to like"? These are great questions, and we explore some answers below, but if you want to just start speaking in Italian, don't worry about the grammar and the exact translation. Just start rolling it around on your tongue and in your brain. Mi piace.
Mi piace.
"Mi piace" (I like it).
Caption 10, Corso di italiano con Daniela - Mi piace
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Why this advice? Because the answer to these is a little complicated and it can be daunting. It's more important to start speaking right away. If we get a tiny bit of Italian under our belts, we will feel a little more confident about learning a little grammar. In fact, you will need a little grammar as soon as we start using the plural, when we talk about people other than ourselves and items that are more than one. If you are already comfortable with saying mi piace, go ahead and skip this part.
Let's get started:
To say, "I like it," you don't have to think about fitting in the pronoun "it." It's good enough just to say mi piace.
Mi... piace.
"Mi... piace."
Caption 2, Corso di italiano con Daniela - Mi piace
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Mi piace.
"Mi piace" (I like it).
Caption 10, Corso di italiano con Daniela - Mi piace
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If you just learn to say mi piace when you like something, you are already speaking Italian! The more you say it, the more it will feel natural. There are going to be things you don't like, too, so let's look at how to form the negative. It's easy.
Negative:
If you don't like something, then you can say non mi piace (I don't like it). So, in contrast to English, we put the negative part first: non, which basically means "not." The rest of the phrase stays the same. Mi piace, non mi piace (I like it, I don't like it).
Ah, a proposito c'è un pane che proprio non mi piace
Ah, by the way there's a bread that I really don't like
che è quello Toscano perché è senza sale.
which is the Tuscan kind because it's without salt.
Captions 23-24, Anna e Marika - Il pane
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Try looking around the space you are in right now. What do you like? What don't you like? Give your answer in Italian. Mi piace, non mi piace. Possible items to think of or point to:
a color
a work of art
a composer
a photo
a house
a car
a band
an actor
a city
If you don't know what something is called in Italian, just point to it.
Here are some examples to get you started. One important thing: Use items in the singular or collective nouns. When we begin referring to multiple items or people, the verb changes. We'll get to that, but not right now!
Some suggestions:
il colore verde (the color green)
l'opera lirica (opera)
Venezia (Venice)
il mare (the sea)
leggere (reading)
il riso (rice)
il cinema (the movies)
Questions:
What if you want to ask someone else if they like something?
To ask a friend if they like something, then it's ti piace? We're just changing the object pronoun to the second-person singular, ti.
Ask an imaginary friend about these things. Just make sure to keep the thing you are asking about in the singular. Note that Italians usually put a definite article before the noun.
Il riso ti piace (do you like rice)?
la pizza
la musical classica (classical music)
l'opera lirica (opera)
questa casa (this house)
la birra (beer)
l'acqua frizzante (sparkling water)
viaggiare (traveling)
il calcio (soccer)
We have provided some possible solutions at the bottom of the page.
Daniela gives a video lesson about mi piace, so check it out if you aren't comfortable using it yet. She explains things in Italian, but she gestures and uses a blackboard, and of course, there are captions in both Italian and English, so you are covered. Sometimes this video is a free demo, so check it out even if you are not a subscriber to Yabla! If you don't see it, let us know.
Grammar time — the tough stuff
Now, we'll focus on how mi piace works, from a grammatical point of view.
Truth be told, one of the weird things about Italian, from an English point of view, is that there is no real translation for "I like." The "piace" part of mi piace is actually the third-person singular conjugation of the verb piacere (to please, to be pleasing). Why is that? We'll try to explain it here.
Some essentials:
1) The mi in mi piace is an object pronoun, not a subject pronoun so it doesn't mean "I." In English, "I" is a subject pronoun.
Mi can be a direct object pronoun meaning "me." In this case it can take a transitive verb such as chiamare (to call): mi chiami (you'll call me)? Ti chiamo (I'll call you).
But mi can also be an indirect object meaning "to me." In fact, when mi is an indirect object, it is a kind of contraction that means a me (to me). So, another way to say mi piace is a me piace. It means the same thing and puts some emphasis on the person doing the liking, not the thing that is liked.
2) The verb piacere doesn't really mean "to like" but that's the verb Italians use to express liking something. As mentioned above, it means "to please," "to be pleasing," or "to delight." The subject, in other words, whatever is "performing the action," is the thing that is liked, the thing that is pleasing (such as pizza or the color pink), not the person who likes it. This is tough to grasp.
3) The English verb "to like" is transitive, but the Italian verb piacere is intransitive. In other words, it can't take a direct object. It takes an indirect object and needs a preposition (usually a [to])! So translating directly, word for word, just won't work. In point number 4, we talk about the verb amare (to love) which is transitive just like the verb "to love," so it is easier to grasp.
4) In English, "to love" is a transitive verb. Unlike piacere — an intransitive verb, the verb amare (to love) is transitive, so this makes amare easier to grasp and to use. So yes, you can say, Amo la pizza (I love pizza) and you would be able to understand the grammar. Io amo la pizza. (Just remember that we can leave off the personal pronoun — in this case io [I] — because the conjugation already indicates the person.) But you can't say
piaccio la pizza. It makes no sense. Piaccio needs an indirect object, that is, an object + preposition. I can say piaccio al mio ragazzo (my boyfriend likes me. I am pleasing/attractive to my boyfriend).5) To sum up, the subject of the sentence is the thing that is doing the pleasing, in this case la pizza (the pizza). Mi piace la pizza. La pizza (the pizza) is the thing that is pleasing to me. It's the subject of the sentence. So when we say mi piace, we are saying something to the effect of "it is pleasing to me." We would never say that in English, but it can help understand how the verb piacere works. Mi piace la pizza.
Now let's examine a short conversation from a TV series in which the verb piacere is used various times. Perhaps this back-and-forth will help make it feel more natural.
The show in question is Un medico in famiglia. Lele (a guy) is a doctor and a widower with three kids. Some people are trying to get him to start dating and so he finally does go out with a woman named Irene. After his date, he discusses things with his sister-in-law, Alice. She is trying to put herself in his shoes...
Alice:E invece adesso ci pensi (but now you are thinking about it):
Mi piace? Me ne sto innamorando (do I like her? Am I falling in love)?
Guarda che capita anche a me. (look, it happens to me, too).
Ma Irene almeno ti piace (but do you at least like her/is she at least pleasing to you)?
Lele:
Più o meno (more or less)
Alice:E tu a lei piaci (and does she like you/are you pleasing to her)?
Lele:
Credo di sì (I think so).
Here, you can listen and watch. Just click on "Play Caption."
E invece adesso ci pensi.
But now you are thinking about it.
Mi piace? Me ne sto innamorando?
Do I like her? Am I falling in love?
Captions 27-28, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 - EP5 Lele, ti presento Irene
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Guarda che capita anche a me.
Look, it happens to me, too.
-Ma Irene almeno ti piace?
-But do you like Irene?
-Più o meno.
-More or less.
Captions 29-31, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 - EP5 Lele, ti presento Irene
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Here, Alice is asking Lele if he thinks he is pleasing to Irene, in other words, if Lele thinks Irene likes him.
E tu a lei piaci?
And does she like you?
Credo di sì.
I think so.
Captions 34-35, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 - EP5 Lele, ti presento Irene
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Possible questions and answers to our list of examples:
Note: As you will see, the word order doesn't matter. You can begin with the item (the subject) or the indirect object and verb: mi piace/non mi piace/ti piace.
il riso (rice) - Il riso ti piace (do you like rice)? Mi piace! Mi piace il riso. Il riso mi piace. Il riso non mi piace. Non mi piace il riso.
la pizza - Ti piace la pizza? La pizza ti piace? Mi piace la pizza. Non mi piace la pizza.
la musica classica (classical music) - Ti piace la musica classica? Non mi piace la musica classica.
l'opera lirica (opera) - L'opera lirica ti piace o no? Mi piace l'opera lirica.
questa casa (this house) - Questa casa non mi piace. Ti piace questa casa?
la birra (beer) - Ti piace la birra? Mi piace la birra.
l'acqua frizzante (sparkling water) - L'acqua frizzante ti piace o non ti piace? Non mi piace l'acqua frizzante.
viaggiare (traveling) - Ti piace viaggiare? Sì, mi piace viaggiare. Mi piace molto.
il calcio (soccer) - Non mi piace il calcio.
In the next lesson in this series, we will build on these questions and answers and look at multiple items to like or not.
Yabla has been featuring a documentary series about famous Italian women. One of these women was Margherita Hack, who was a renowned scientist and astronomer. Her story is pretty fascinating.
Margherita grew up during the Italian fascist period and then got married in 1944 when the war was still going on. The war years were very rough for Italians. There was little food to go around, and money was scarce. In fact, when they got married, both Aldo and Margherita had coats that were "turned inside out." What did that mean?
Tutti e due con un cappotto rivoltato,
Both with a coat turned inside out,
perché allora i soldi veramente erano molto pochi.
because at the time there was really very little money.
Captions 38-39, Illuminate - Margherita Hack
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It took a little research to figure out what rivoltato really meant in this context. It's actually kind of interesting.
Margherita and Aldo, like many Italians in the 1940s, likely had coats made of wool — lana, with a silk lining — una fodera di seta. In those days, when a coat became too shabby to be presentable, it would not be thrown away. Heaven forbid! Instead, a seamstress or someone in the family who knew how to sew (which was fairly common), would open up all the seams — scucire, then turn the woolen part inside out, and resew — ricucire the lining back on. The coat at that point was like new, or close enough.
Italians have traditionally been attentive to clothing and keeping it nice. Nowadays, it frequently costs less to buy a new item of clothing, but years back, when a collar of a shirt would get frayed, it would be turned around and resewn, or even removed completely, rather than anyone buying a new shirt. If a wife and/or mother knew how to sew, she would make shirts for the men and boys in the family and blouses and skirts for the women and girls. But clothes had to be taken care of and they had to last.
When il tessuto (the fabric) has been consumed to the point of being unsightly, the Italian word is liso (frayed, worn, threadbare). Another, more common adjective is sciupato (ruined), from the verb sciupare.
The parts of a shirt that are frequently turned inside out and re-sewn are:
We'll report here some explanations of this tradition from the WordReference Italian only forum: (We've also translated it into English for you.)
Quando c'era molta miseria ed il cappotto era liso non lo si buttava. Semplicemente lo si faceva rivoltare ad una sarta in modo che la parte esterna, sciupata, andasse all'interno e scomparisse alla vista.
When there was a lot of poverty and a coat was frayed, it wasn't thrown away. It was simply turned inside out by a seamstress so that the outside part, all worn out, would go on the inside and disappear from view.
La fodera è seta cucita sulla lana. Una sarta può scucirla e ricucirla sulla parte opposta. Poi si fa lo stesso con le tasche; si rovescia il colletto, e voilà, il padre di famiglia aveva risparmiato qualche soldino per la famiglia!
The lining is silk sewn onto the wool. A seamstress can take the stitches out and sew it on the other side. Then the same is done with the pockets; [then] you turn the collar inside out, and voilà, the father of the family had saved up a little money for the family!
-Sì, era molto comune all'epoca. E si faceva soprattutto col colletto delle camicie. Quando diventava liso, lo scucivi e lo rovesciavi per cucirlo dalla parte ancora intatta. Pensa che i prezzi dei cappotti - e dell'abbigliamento in generale - erano proibitivi all'epoca: in proporzione con i prezzi di oggi un cappotto semplice poteva costare anche mezzo stipendio.
-Yes, it was very common at the time. And it was mostly done with the collar of a shirt. When it became worn out, you took the stitches out and turned it inside out to sew it on the still intact side. Just think that the prices of coats - and of clothing in general - were prohibitive at the time: in proportion to today's prices, a simple coat could cost even half a paycheck.
A word that is related to rivoltare is risvolto. We're still talking about something turned over. For more about the root verb voltare, see this lesson. Ri often means "again" and voltare means "to turn." Il risvolto is commonly used to mean "lapel" but can also refer to the cuff on a pant leg or shirt. This word came up in another Yabla video.
In the wonderful Yabla series based on a true story Non è mai troppo tardi (It's never too late), Alberto is teaching in a reformatory and wants to sneak in some pencils for the boys to write with. The kids have plenty of experience pilfering things, and show him where to hide the pencils: in the lapel or flap.
Mae' [maestro], qui, nel risvolto della giacca,
Teach, here, in the lapel of the jacket,
le metti qua dentro. -Qui?
you put them in here. -Here?
Captions 65-66, Non è mai troppo tardi - EP1
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If you haven't watched this series yet, non è mai troppo tardi!
Something else Italians like to flip or turn over is la frittata (the omelet), either literally or figuratively.
...perché lo conosco.
...because I know him.
Lui ha una capacità nel rivoltare le frittate
He's very capable of flipping the omelet [turning the tables]
che non ci puoi credere.
like you wouldn't believe.
Captions 36-37, Sposami - EP 1 - Part 4
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Let's talk about a word that is used a lot in Italian to mean more than its one-word, traditional translation. We're talking about sotto (under, underneath, below). Not only is it a preposition, but it's also an adverb and sometimes a noun. It can combine with other words to take on a new meaning, and in this lesson, we will just mention a few of the common ways it's used to mean something different than what we might expect.
Sotto is often preceded by qua, qui, or là when indicating something either close by or further away, but in a downward direction.
E qua sotto c'è il fiume Tevere.
And down here is the river Tiber.
Caption 19, Anna e Marika - Trattoria Al Biondo Tevere
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When we talk about the stories or floors in a building or house, we can use sotto to indicate a lower floor. Usually, in this context, it's preceded by di (of).
Andiamo giù a vedere che cosa c'è al piano di sotto.
Let's go down to see what's on the lower floor.
Caption 23, In giro per l'Italia - Firenze
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When you want to talk about downstairs, you can also use sotto.
Ah, perché non è di sotto?
Ah, because she's not downstairs?
Caption 4, Sposami - EP 4 - Part 9
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Vai di sotto!
Go downstairs!
Sometimes sotto means "in front of," usually referring to a house, a building, or... one's nose. Lots of people live on the upper floors of apartment buildings, so you have to go down to get to the front of the building.
Appena ha visto i carabinieri sotto casa Sua,
As soon as you saw the carabinieri in front of your house,
se n'è scappato tipo "Fuga di mezzanotte".
you ran away, "Midnight Express" style.
Captions 8-9, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore - S1 EP2 Come piante fra sassi
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Sotto il profilo is used to mean something to the effect of "in terms of" or "as regards." Il profilo is a true cognate and friend of "the profile," but it's used figuratively here.
Rita abbia dedicato la sua vita a fare crescere la sua anima
Rita devoted her life to nurturing her soul,
e non soltanto sotto il profilo della ricerca scientifica, eh.
and not only in terms of her scientific research, uh.
and not only as regards her scientific research, uh.
Captions 41-43, Illuminate - Rita Levi Montalcini
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Here, the Italian expression uses the preposition sotto, but the English one uses the preposition "on."
Eh... eh, non è questione di non avere nessuno sottomano,
Uh... uh, it's not a question of not having anyone on hand,
è che è molto difficile trovare la donna giusta.
it's that it's very difficult to find the right woman.
Captions 28-29, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro
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Sottomano can also mean "handy," or "close by."
Non ho il numero sottomano ma lo posso cercare nella rubrica.
I don't have the number handy, but I can look it up in my address book.
When you are talking about a 2-piece outfit, such as pyjamas, bikini, or athletic wear, you can refer to the bottoms as il sotto (the bottom part).
We have just scratched the surface of sotto but if you absorb all these meanings (or even one or two), you will be one step closer to becoming fluent.
Why not check out Marika's video about adverbs of place (avverbi di luogo)? Attenzione: Sometimes what are considered adverbs in Italian might be considered prepositions in English.
What's the difference between dividere and condividere?
The short answer is that dividere means to "divide" and condividere means "to share." Dividere is a true cognate and is pretty obvious.
Davide doveva solo sposare Federica e dopo la sua morte,
Davide had only to marry Federica and after her death,
avremmo dovuto dividere l'eredità a metà.
we would have had to split the inheritance in two.
Captions 6-7, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP7 - Alta società
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Condividere adds the prefix/preposition con (with), so that makes a certain amount of sense as well. To divide up something with someone.
Voglio... saluto con tanto affetto
I want to... I say farewell with great affection to
Ines, Laura, Sara, Enzo e Norbert
Ines, Laura, Sara, Enzo, and Norbert
per aver condiviso con me e la famiglia gran parte della mia vita.
for having shared with me and the family the greater part of my life.
Captions 25-27, Ennio Morricone - ''Io sono morto, vado via senza disturbare''
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But with the verb "to share" in English, we also share information with someone. We don't keep it to ourselves. But we are not dividing it up. The same nuance exists in Italian.
Lei avrebbe dovuto condividere con me ogni scoperta,
You should have shared every discovery with me,
e invece non l'ha fatto.
but you didn't do that.
Caption 20, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto
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Condividere also means to agree on something, to have the same opinion as someone else. Even in English, we can use the word "share." "I share (or I don't share) your view."
"Non condivido ciò che dici,
"I don't agree with what you say,
ma sarei disposto a dare la vita
but I would willingly give my life
affinché tu possa dirlo".
so that you could say it."
Captions 19-21, In giro per l'Italia - Mazara Del Vallo - Sicilia
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But what is interesting is that if we do a search of the verb dividere in Yabla videos, we discover that it is often synonymous with condividere, or rather, there are plenty of cases where it means "to share." Sometimes, in order to share something, you have to divide it up, so using dividere can often be clear enough. If we look at the dictionary definition of dividere, "to share" is included. So we just have to keep in mind that a short answer isn't always good enough.
This question came up because, in a recent episode of Non è mai troppo tardi, we translated dividere as "to share," not "to divide."
The context: Alberto Manzi has become a TV personality, so people stop him on the street, and he is happy to talk to them and sign autographs. But his wife Ida is not so thrilled and she resents having to share him with so many other people.
Con quanti dobbiamo dividerti ancora?
With how many more do we have to share you?
Caption 70, Non è mai troppo tardi - EP 2
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We can imagine a large pie to be divided up into slices. How big is Ida's slice of the pie? We can also note that she uses the preposition con. So it's pretty clear what she means. But do people also use con with condividere? Could she have said, Con quanti dobbiamo condividerti ancora? Probably, but it might have sounded a bit redundant and awkward. For sure, sometimes condividere and con are used together.
E quindi siamo partiti per una, circa, una quindicina di giorni
And so we left for fifteen days or so
e abbiamo vissuto in famiglia
and we stayed with families
e abbiamo praticamente condiviso con loro la loro vita quotidiana.
and we basically shared with them their daily life.
Captions 16-18, Professioni e mestieri - Erica - archeologa
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We hope this has cleared up any doubts you might have had about the verbs dividere and condividere. Let us know at newsletter@yabla.com
For this lesson, it's a good idea to have an idea about the difference between essere and stare, keeping in mind that sometimes, they are interchangeable.
Have a look at these lessons, first, if you need some reminders because we're going to do a little quiz, where we provide some lines from Yabla videos where the verb is missing. It will be either stare or essere in some conjugation (links to conjugation charts are in this sentence). See if you can sense which one to use. Answers will be at the bottom of the page, but try not to cheat.
1) Da oggi, per molti giorni, io _______ il vostro maestro (From today, for many days, I will be your teacher).
2) Adriano _____ male e io voglio stargli vicino (Adriano isn't well and I want to stay at his side).
3) Questa ___________ la stanza di mio fratello Alberto (this was my brother Alberto's room).
4) Come ________, dottor Barale (how are you, Mister Barale)?
5) Be', capita quando il gessetto alle volte _____ troppo lungo... (Well, it happens sometimes when the chalk is too long...)
6) Così, mentre ______ per morire, invoca il nome della sua amata, Aida (and so, while he is about to die, he invokes the name of his beloved, Aida)...
7) _______ bene io e lei (she and I go well together).
8) Ti _________ aspettando per mangiare la torta (we're waiting for you to eat the cake).
9) ______ calmi (calm down).
10) Che belli che ______ (how beautiful you are)!
Let's not forget that the verb stare is used when we form the equivalent of the present progressive or continuous, as in the following example:
Stiamo parlando del caso, non di me.
We're talking about the case, not about me.
Caption 17, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone - EP1 I Bastardi
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Answers:
1) Da oggi, per molti giorni, io sarò il vostro maestro (From today, for many days, I will be your teacher).
2) Adriano sta male e io voglio stargli vicino (Adriano isn't well and I want to stay at his side).
3) Questa era la stanza di mio fratello Alberto (this was my brother Alberto's room).
4) Come sta, dottor Barale (How are you, Mister Barale)?
5) Be', capita quando il gessetto alle volte è troppo lungo... (Well, it happens sometimes when the chalk is too long...)
6) Così, mentre sta per morire, invoca il nome della sua amata, Aida (and so, while he is about to die, he invokes the name of his beloved, Aida)...
7) Stiamo bene io e lei (she and I go well together).
8) Ti stiamo aspettando per mangiare la torta (we're waiting for you to eat the cake).
9) State calmi (calm down).
10) Che belli che siete (how beautiful you are)!
Come sta, dottor Barale?
How are you, Mister Barale?
Caption 30, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep. 1
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Luckily, many words are similar in English and Italian. Sometimes they mean different things so we call them "false friends," and some of them look and sound similar and also mean similar things. They are our true friends. If they were born of the same original word, etymologically speaking, they are true cognates.
Language nerds throw around the word "cognate" a lot, so it might be nice to look at the origins of this word. Here's what the dictionary says about the word "cognate."
Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin cognātus, from co- same + gnātus born, a variant of nātus, past participle of nāscī to be born. So in plain English, we're talking about words that have the same origin.
But let's get down to the words themselves.
Some words are easy to guess, whether you are translating from Italian into English, or struggling to find a word in Italian.
Here's a partial list of some nouns you don't have to think about too much. These end in à, an A with an accent. In all these cases, that accented à is replaced by a Y in English. Of course, there are other letters in the words that change between the two languages, but they are similar enough that you can probably guess them fairly easily, primarily when you are reading them. You can listen to them in context when you hit "play caption."
l'intensità (the intensity)
Raramente lo schermo ha raccontato
Rarely has the screen told,
con tanta intensità e tanta efficacia
with so much intensity and so much potency
una storia più nuova e più coraggiosa.
a fresher and more courageous story.
Captions 4-5, Trailer ufficiale - La Strada
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la generosità (the generosity)
La generosità di questa terra
The generosity of this land
è celebrata anche nelle specialità della cucina.
is celebrated in culinary specialities as well.
Caption 41, Marche - Opera Unica
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la velocità (the velocity)
Ma lo sai che c'è il limite di velocità qua, ah?
But don't you know there's a speed limit here, huh?
Caption 34, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP6 - Sotto tiro
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la città (the city)
Il fiume Tevere attraversa tutta la città di Roma...
The Tiber river crosses the entire city of Rome...
Caption 12, Anna e Marika - Il fiume Tevere
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la stupidità (the stupidity)
Non mi sembra che la stupidità sia un reato.
I don't think that stupidity is a crime.
Caption 6, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP10 -La verità nascosta
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la libertà (the liberty)
Gestiva il suo tempo in assoluta libertà.
She managed her time in complete liberty.
Caption 12, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP3 - Delitto tra le lenzuola
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la crudeltà (the cruelty)
Quindi senza derivati animali, senza crudeltà.
So, without ingredients derived from animals, without cruelty.
Caption 39, Dolcetti vegan - al cocco e cioccolato
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la familiarità (the familiarity)
Silenzi, che familiarità
Silences, what familiarity
Caption 28, Fiorella Mannoia - Quello che le donne non dicono
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la qualità (the quality)
Al momento dobbiamo privilegiare la quantità alla qualità.
At the moment we have to favor quantity over quality.
Caption 12, La Ladra - EP. 3 - L'oro dello squalo
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la possibilità (the possibility)
E poi, oltre a questo,
And then, beyond this,
ho anche avuto la possibilità di conoscere tantissime persone.
I also had the possibility of meeting huge number of people.
Caption 23, Arianna e Marika - Il Progetto Erasmus
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la probabilità (the probability)
E sappiamo che, con ogni probabilità, c'erano dei riti legati al fuoco.
And we know that, in all probability, there were rituals involving fire.
Caption 56, Meraviglie - EP. 2 - Part 3
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This isn't the only way that Italian words ending in à have cognates. Also, we don't always choose the cognate in English. Instead of "velocity" we say "speed" most of the time in colloquial speech, but you understand the noun "velocity," so you can guess what velocità means. That's the idea anyway. Let us know if this lesson was helpful or not, and thanks for reading.
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