Let's zoom in on the noun la fiducia and related words. Fiducia means "trust," "faith," or "confidence," depending on the context. And there are related adjective and verb forms, which we will discuss, as well. 

Devi andare alla polizia e costituirti spontaneamente. Abbi un po' di fiducia.

You have to go to the police and voluntarily turn yourself in. Have a little faith.

Captions 20-21, Provaci ancora prof! S2E5 Vita da cani - Part 20

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There are a few different verbs we use with this noun:

Avere (to have):

Avere fiducia in qualcuno / qualcosa (to have trust in someone/something).

Ho sempre avuto fiducia in te,

I have always had faith in you,

Caption 32, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP 2 - Part 19

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Dare (to give)

Dare fiducia a qualcuno (to give one's trust to someone, to trust someone). 

Infatti, mi sto occupando da tempo, in prima persona, di questo problema, però Lei deve darmi un po' di fiducia.

In fact, I have been working for a while now, personally, on this problem, but you have to trust me a little.

Captions 13-14, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP4 Maltempo - Part 19

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Perdere (to lose)

Perdere fiducia (to lose one's faith/trust).

Le parole bugiarde te [ti] fanno perde' [perdere] la fiducia.

Lying words make you lose trust.

Caption 43, Sposami EP 4 - Part 11

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Related adjective: fiducioso / fiduciosa (trusting, optimistic)

Lascia stare, che il mistero a volte ti può tirare brutti scherzi. Ma io sono fiduciosa.

Forget that. Sometimes mystery plays nasty tricks. But I am confident/hopeful.

Captions 15-17, Sei mai stata sulla Luna? film - Part 13

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Fiducioso can also mean "hopeful," because in this case, hope is based on trust. 

So instead of saying, "I hope you will be on time," I might say, "I trust you will be on time." 

Related verb: fidarsi (to trust)

In Italian, fidarsi is a reflexive verb.
This already makes it different from English.

1. Why fidarsi is reflexive:
Italian does not say “to trust” in the same direct way as English.
Instead of "I trust you," or "I trust in you," Italian often says:

Mi fido di te (literally: I entrust myself to you).

The reflexive pronoun (mi, ti, si, ci, vi) shows that trust is seen as an inner decision of the person who trusts, not just an action directed outward.

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2. Fidarsi di + person / thing

The verb normally takes the preposition di (of).

Negli ultimi tempi, quali sono state le donne a contatto con Dodo? Qualcuna di cui lui potesse fidarsi?

In recent times, who were the women in contact with Dodo? Someone he could trust [in]?

Captions 43-45, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S1 EP6 Buio - Part 17

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3. Why Italians can say just “Fidati.”
Italian often omits what is obvious from the context (the indirect object, for example).
    •    Fidati. = Trust me / Trust it / Trust.

Even if di me is not said, it is understood.

The following example has two instances of fidarsi. The first is in the imperative and we hear it all the time. The second is the first person singular, which is handy to recognize and remember.  

Non ci facciamo una figuraccia con questo Marsili, no? Fidati. -Mi fido di più se mi dici chi te l'ha detto. -Una persona molto affidabile.

We're not going to look like idiots with this Marsili, right? Trust me. -I trust [you] more if you tell me who told you. -A very reliable person.

Captions 50-53, Il Commissario Manara S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde - Part 6

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Let's also note that the root fida is part of the adjective affidabile (reliable, trustworthy). The opposite is inaffidabile.

Che tu ci sei [sic: sia] rimasta male lo capisco, però che Paolo sia inaffidabile lo sapevamo.

I understand that you are upset, but we knew that Paolo was unreliable.

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And here's a first-person singular conjugation of fidarsi in the negative:  

Tanto ho capito, io il tipo l'ho inquadrato. Non mi fido.

Anyway I understand, I have that type figured out. I don't trust [him].

Captions 44-45, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 8

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Note that in the negative imperative, the infinitive form of the verb is used (in the familiar second-person).

Libero, non ti fidare.

Libero, don't trust [him].

Caption 30, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 EP 4 Buon Compleanno Maria - Part 4

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Leaving out the object sounds quite natural in Italian, but can be confusing for learners who expect it.

In English, saying only “Trust.” sounds incomplete.

In Italian, Fidati. works as a complete sentence.

Thanks for reading. We hope you have a better understanding now of fiducia and related words. Write to us at [email protected].

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