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.

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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.

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