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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In a Yabla video, Marika talks about the verb prendere (to take) and some of the expressions associated with it. Prendere is much like the English all-purpose verbs “to get” and “to have,” thus not easily taken care of with a cut-and-dried one-word translation.
One of the trickier expressions she mentions is prendersela (to get upset, to blame it [on someone], to take it personally, to take it to heart, to take it out on, to let it get to you, to take offense). Its precise meaning changes according to context. This kind of verb that contains pronouns (that when conjugated split up) is called un verbo pronominale (a pronominal verb--a verb with pronouns). More about pronominal verbs here.
But let’s take this phrasal compound verb apart to understand it better in grammatical terms.
Prendere is the infinitive of the verb.
+Se (to oneself) indicates that it’s the reflexive form, prendersi. Note that to form the reflexive infinitive of a verb, we take the e off the end and add si, but if we also have a direct object pronoun in the phrase, we use se in place of si.
+La (it) is the direct object pronoun.
=to take it onto oneself
=Prendere la seItalian inverts the indirect and direct object pronouns and connects it all together into one word: prendersela.
When we use prendersela in a sentence, we sometimes have to go hunting for the pieces because the word order might change, and prendersela will in some cases be broken up into its three elements, depending on person, tense, number, negative, imperative or question forms, and the presence of modifiers and other words.
Prendere can be the conjugated verb:
Me la prendo con te perché non fai attenzione.
I get upset with you because you’re not careful.
But more often than not, it’s used in tenses where the conjugated verb is essere (to be), as in the following example, where prendere ends up as a past participle.
"Me la sono presa con quella persona."
"I got angry at that person."
Caption 13, Marika spiega - Il verbo prendere
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In the following example, there is a negative imperative, which we form with non (not) plus the infinitive of the verb in question. In this case, it’s common to place the reflexive pronoun first, thus breaking up the compound word, and saving the infinitive for the end.
Non te la prendere, ma
Don't feel bad, but
quando sto male preferisco rimanere da solo.
when I feel sick, I prefer to be by myself.
Captions 12-13, La Ladra - EP. 7 - Il piccolo ladro
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"Dai, non te la prendere."
"Come on, don't be upset."
Caption 16, Marika spiega - Il verbo prendere
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It would not be wrong to say:
Dai, non prendertela.
Come on, don't get upset.
Just for fun:
La torta è uscita storta dal forno, e mi sono arrabbiata.
The cake came out of the oven lopsided, and I got mad.
Ma non me la potevo prendere con nessuno.
But I couldn’t blame it on anyone.
Me la sono presa solo con me stessa, perché era colpa mia.
I only blamed myself, because it was my fault.
Perché te la sei presa? Io non t’ho fatto niente, quindi non te la prendere con me!
Why did you take it personally? I didn’t do anything to you, so don’t take it out on me!
Non me la sono presa con te, me la sono presa e basta.
I’m not mad at you, I’m just upset.
Using prendersela in a sentence can be somewhat of a challenge, so... non te la prendere se non ci riesci subito (don’t get upset if you don’t succeed at it right away)!
Staccare and scattare, two somewhat look-alike words, appear in the same episode of Commissario Manara, and scattare also appears in a music video. The meanings of both words are not always immediately clear.
We use the word scattare when taking pictures:
Ti scatterò una foto
I'll take a snapshot of you
Caption 8, Tiziano Ferro - Ti scattero' una foto
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But scattare can mean to “click,” “to release a spring,” or “to spring into action.” It can also mean “to click” figuratively, as in the following example from one of this week’s videos.
Lo ringrazi tantissimo per i fiori e gli dici:
You thank him profusely for the flowers and you tell him,
"non è scattato quello che doveva scattare."
"What should have clicked didn't click."
Captions 7-8, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero - Part 8
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Scattare has to do with setting something in motion at a certain moment.
C'è stata una storia che ha fatto scattare la carriera.
There's been a story that made this one's career take off.
Captions 16-17, Tiziano Terzani - Cartabianca
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Staccare on the other hand generally means “to detach” as we can see by the prefix s attached to the word attaccare. The prefix s often negates a word, or changes its meaning to the opposite, or to something a bit different. In some cases it can be comparable to the prefix "de," “dis,” “in,” or “im.”
Staccare la spina is “to pull out the plug.” This expression transfers to other situations like someone’s phone being off, or having the electricity go off. The adjective or past participle staccato can also mean “disconnected” or “separate.”
In this week’s episode of Commissario Manara, Lara tries to call Massimo, but his phone is off:
Informazione gratuita: il clien'... [cliente] -Staccato.
Free message: the client... -He's turned off.
Caption 22, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero - Part 8
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Here are a few common examples to give you an idea of how the prefix s works.
Corretto (correct)/scorretto (incorrect, or improper)
Cotto (cooked)/scotto (overcooked)
Finito (finished)/sfinito (dead tired)
Fame (hunger)/sfamare (to remove hunger, or to feed)
Parlare (to speak)/sparlare (to speak badly of someone)
Congelare (to freeze)/scongelare (to defrost)
Intonato (in tune)/stonato (out of tune)
Ricordare (to remember or remind)/scordare (to forget)
See also Marika’s video about prefixes.
Marika spiega: La formazione dei contrari
In English we use the verbs “to be” and “to get” to mean so many things. "To be" is usually translated into Italian with essere, while "to get" is translated with prendere (to take), diventare (to become), or ricevere (to receive) to name a few. In certain contexts, however, the translation of "to be" or "to get" is the verb rimanere, which usually translates as "to remain" or "to stay," as in the following example.
Come vedi, appaio a rallentatore.
As you can see, I appear in slow motion.
Ma il mio tono di voce rimane lo stesso.
But the tone of my voice remains the same.
Captions 30-31, Yabla-Intro - Irene
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In the example below, we have the past participle of the verb colpire (to hit, to strike, to impress) functioning like an adjective. In this case, English uses the passive form, “to be impressed,” but in Italian the act of being impressed or struck needs a more active verb. In English, to obtain a more active feeling, we might use “to get” or “to become.” Italian uses rimanere, and in this fable, it's in the passato remoto (remote past tense).
Il re rimase colpito.
The king was impressed.
Caption 27, Ti racconto una fiaba - Il gatto con gli stivali
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To get a better feeling of the verb rimanere, we could construe the translation like this:
The king was left dumbfounded.
In the following example, two co-workers are discussing how to get a raise.
Nel frattempo
In the meantime
gli porti tutti i risultati che lui voleva per il mese successivo,
you show him all the results he wanted to see for the next month,
così lui rimane impressionato, e magari...
that way he'll be impressed, and maybe...
Captions 47-49, Marika spiega - Pettegolezzi in ufficio con Anna
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It’s good to remember that the verb rimanere often goes hand in hand with impressionato (impressed) or even more often, with its synonym colpito.
In the following example, we again have the passive. The English uses the verb “to get,” but in Italian we need rimanere.
Siccome ai quei tempi nel fare l'elettricista
Since in those days in working as an electrician
ci si moriva, si rimaneva fulminati e io amo molto la vita.
you could die from it, you could get electrocuted, and I love life a lot.
Captions 13-14, That's Italy - Episode 1 - Part 4
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It’s important to understand and recognize this use of rimanere, but actually using it comes with time and practice.
Here are a few more past participles as adjectives that often go hand in hand with rimanere in Italian:
rimanere stupito (to be astonished)
rimanere stecchito (to be flabbergasted)
rimanere scioccato (to be shocked)
rimanere sorpreso (to be surprised)
rimanere senza (to be without, to have none left)
rimanere male (to have or to get one's feelings hurt)
This week Dixi is attempting to ride a bicycle.
Non c'è due senza tre.
There can't be two without three [good/bad things come in threes].
-Riproviamo?
-Shall we try again?
Caption 28, Dixieland - In bicicletta
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Three is often seen as a magic number, and the above expression is the way Italians express this. It can mean that if two bad things happen, one more will happen to make three, and the same can hold true for good things. Still another way the phrase can be interpreted is “third time’s a charm,” so it’s important not to stop after two. In fact, on the third try, Dixi does manage to stay on his little bicycle.
A related expression with numbers comes to mind that has to do with making that extra little effort at the end of something you’ve worked so hard on. It has to do with going that extra mile. It means going all the way and then some:
Abbiamo fatto trenta, facciamo trentuno.
We’ve done thirty; let’s do thirty-one.
Meanwhile, Dixi is not perfectly in control of his bike:
Attenzione! Pista!
Careful! Track [coming through]!
Caption 10, Dixieland - In bicicletta
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Pista means track, racetrack, runway, skating rink, dance floor, path or trail. If you hear someone yelling pista, it basically means they “have” the track, so you should get out of the way and in a hurry. It’s not considered impolite, but more about safety.
A proposito di sicurezza (speaking of safety), there are more and more bike paths cropping up in Italy.
E vicino al lungomare ci sta una pista ciclabile.
And next to the promenade there is a bike path.
Caption 44, Antonio - racconta Praia a Mare
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In their work, Lara and Luca use pista to indicate the track they’re on in the investigation, or the lead they’re following.
E che pista seguiamo?
And which track are we following?
Caption 25, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero
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When you’ve undertaken something, you’re off and running, like in a race.
Sono in pista!
I’m off!
Direct object nouns and pronouns are used with transitive verbs, meaning that the verb and the object have a direct relationship—no prepositions are involved. Here’s an example:
I carry the ball. The object “ball” is acted on directly by the verb “to carry.”
Once we know what object we are referring to, we can replace the noun with a pronoun:
I carry it.
If I have more than one ball, I use the plural:
I carry the balls.
I carry them.
That’s what direct object pronouns are all about. In Italian we have to form the pronouns not only according to their number, but also according to their gender.
In this lesson we cover the feminine direct object pronouns in both the singular and the plural. For the masculine pronouns, see this Yabla lesson as well as the video Corso di italiano con Daniela - Pronomi oggetto diretto - Part 1.
As Daniela mentions in part 2 of her lesson on direct object pronouns, the feminine direct object pronouns are easier than the masculine ones, because the pronoun is the same as the article in both the singular (la) and the plural (le), respectively.
To distinguish between la the article and la the pronoun, just remember that a direct object pronoun will come before a conjugated verb, and an article will come before a noun or adjective. The following example contains both the article and the pronoun la.
La pasta fresca mi piace talmente tanto, che la mangio anche cruda.
I like fresh pasta so much, that I eat it raw, too.
Caption 9, Anna e Marika - La pasta fresca
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In the example below, we have both a feminine noun in the plural (le lettere) and its relative direct object pronoun (le). Note that in the second half of the sentence, potere (to be able to) is the conjugated modal verb*, which is followed by the verb scambiare (to exchange) in the infinitive.
Non aveva le lettere e non le poteva scambiare con nessuno.
He didn't have the letters and he couldn't exchange them with anyone.
Caption 8, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP4 - Le Lettere Di Leopardi
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Pronouns are often attached to verbs, especially when we have a conjugated modal verb*. In the example below, bisogna, an impersonal verb functioning like devi (you must), or è necessario (it’s necessary) bumps the verb portare (to take) into its infinitive form. The final e of the infinitive is then dropped, making room for the pronoun le (them) to be attached to it.
Una volta raccolte le olive,
Once the olives have been picked,
bisogna portarle al più presto al frantoio.
you have to take them to the mill as soon as possible.
Caption 18, L'olio extravergine di oliva - Il frantoio
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Once you have seen Daniela’s videos about direct object pronouns, see Marika’s video Marika spiega - I pronomi diretti where she gives plenty of examples.
*Daniela explains about modal verbs in Corso di italiano con Daniela - Verbi modali.
Here are two lessons about using modal verbs in Italian.
In a future lesson, we’ll cover indirect object pronouns, where le takes on still another role.
Just as in English where we don’t always distinguish between "belly" and "stomach" in speech, Italian also has an informal way of talking about the abdomen (addome or ventre) and the digestive apparatus.
There’s lo stomaco (the stomach) and l’intestino (the intestines) but Italian commonly uses the word pancia (belly, tummy) for both. An easy cognate for pancia is “paunch,” which should help to remember it!
This episode about Dixi is generously sprinkled with the the diminutive of pancia, pancino, so let’s take a closer look.
Pancino is an example of an altered word*, in this case, a diminutive of pancia. It is used in the masculine in the examples below, because Dixi is a male elefantino, but it can also be used just as well in the feminine: pancina.
Since his stomach is growling, Dixi treats it as another living being who happens to have a sweet tooth just like Dixi himself. In Italian a stomach doesn’t exactly growl, but rather grumbles or nags (brontolare).
Che da vuoto quel pancino brontolava un sacco.
Which, being empty, that little tummy growled a lot.
Caption 15, Dixiland - La voce del pancino
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When we’ve eaten enough we have la pancia piena (a full stomach), and if we've eaten too much we have la pancia strapiena (full to bursting):
E col pancino pieno di dolcetti,
And with the tummy full of sweets,
Dixi si lanciò nelle danze.
Dixi threw himself into dancing.
Captions 28-29, Dixiland - La voce del pancino
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When referring to the corresponding part of a pig, it’s called pancetta (bacon).
Un piatto romano, un bel bucatino all'amatriciana
A Roman dish, a nice "bucatino all'amatriciana" [thick hollow pasta]
co' [con] pomodoro, pecorino e pancetta.
with tomato sauce, sheep cheese and bacon.
Captions 3-4, Anna e Marika - Un Ristorante a Trastevere
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We might also use the diminutive pancetta affectionately rather than calling someone fat:
Ha un po’ di pancetta.
He’s got some baby fat.
Someone who has a big belly, or a very pregnant woman, on the other hand, will have un pancione.
If you ate too much you might have mal di pancia (a stomach ache, a tummy ache).
Italians use the belly to indicate how to lie down:
pancia in giù (lying face down)
pancia in sù (lying face up)
*For more about parole alterate (altered words), see the Yabla video Marika spiega - Le parole alterate and the Yabla lesson Parole Alterate - Modifying Words to Create New Ones
This week Daniela introduces a very pesky topic indeed: direct object pronouns. Simply put, it’s when you replace a name or a noun with a pronoun, when it’s the object of the verb. We’re talking about words like “it” (which is the same as a subject and as an object), “me” as opposed to “I,” “us” as opposed to “we,” “them” as opposed to “they,” “him” as opposed to “he,” and “her” as opposed to “she.”
Object pronouns, both direct and indirect, are hard for just about anyone trying to learn Italian. This is partly because the position of the pronoun is different from that of the actual word it is replacing (as Daniela explains), and because these pronouns can so easily end up as part of a compound word, or worse, part of a contraction, especially in perfect tenses. And to make matters even more complicated, they can attach themselves to an indirect pronoun. So these short words can be hard to distinguish! (Yabla captions can be very useful in locating them!)
Learners know all too well that the gender of a word can be a challenge in itself, and we need to know the gender first of all. And even within the gender, we need to know what kind of article to use (il, lo, or l + apostrophe in the masculine, for example). So there’s lots to remember. But let’s take things one step at a time.
A very simple sentence with the verb leggere (to read) and the object noun il libro (the book) might be:
Leggo il libro.
I read the book.
The object pronoun in the masculine singular is always lo (it), so if we replace the object noun with an object pronoun, it becomes:
Lo leggo.
I read it.
Note that the pronoun in this case is placed before the conjugated verb. This is a very important rule.
In the following example, the verb is leggere as in the above example. The object is i nomi (the names) and is plural.
Se leggo i nomi, mi vengono subito le facce.
If I read the names, the faces come to me immediately.
Caption 52, La Ladra - EP. 1 - Le cose cambiano
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If we go on to talk about these names, we can replace i nomi (the names) with a pronoun. We’ll need an object pronoun that’s plural, and masculine, since il nome is a masculine noun. The direct object pronoun for the masculine plural is li (them). If you’ve watched Daniela’s lesson, or if you think you know, try to construct a phrase on your own with the object pronoun of i nomi before looking at the example below. Attenzione! The object pronoun goes before the verb!
Se li leggo, mi vengono subito le facce.
If I read them, the faces come to me right away.
Thus far, we’ve looked at the masculine singular direct object pronoun lo (it, him) and the masculine plural direct object pronoun li (them). When Daniela talks about the feminine singular and plural direct object pronouns, we’ll cover them, too, so stay tuned!
Practice:
Can you change the following nouns to pronouns?
Quando leggo il giornale, mi devo concentrare.
When I read the newspaper I have to concentrate.
Sposto lo sgabello in cucina.
I move the stool to the kitchen.
Cambio l’orologio per l’ora legale.
I change the clock for legal time [daylight savings time].
Porto Francesco quando è troppo stanco per camminare.
I carry Francesco when he’s too tired to walk.
Cucinerò tutti i pomodori prima che vadano a male.
I’ll cook all the tomatoes before they go bad.
Nel frattempo (in the meantime) why not do a Yabla search to distinguish lo as a masculine singular definite article—lo studente (the student), lo specchio (the mirror), etc.—from the masculine singular direct object pronoun, as discussed in this lesson and in Daniela’s video lesson.
Below are suggested solutions for the above exercise.
Quando lo leggo, mi devo concentrare.
When I read it, I have to concentrate.
Lo sposto in cucina.
I move it to the kitchen.
Lo cambio per l’ora legale.
I change it for daylight savings time.
Lo porto quando è troppo stanco per camminare.
I carry him when he’s too tired to walk.
Li cucinerò prima che vadano a male.
I’ll cook them before they go bad.
In this week’s video, Marika shows us around her bedroom. The most important piece of furniture is il letto matrimoniale (“marriage” bed, double bed).
Two children sharing a room might have twin beds, or bunk beds. Marika talks about these here. But traditionally, the parents sleep together in one big bed. Italians take this quite seriously, and call a double bed (more like a queen-size bed) un letto matrimoniale (a bed for a married couple). The bedroom containing such a bed will likewise be called una camera matrimoniale. The actual size of the bed is open to question, but it’s clearly meant for two people who sleep in close quarters.
In many Italian hotels, and in some homes as well, two identical single beds are placed next to each other with a mattress cover that covers both of them, and it’s made up like a double bed or letto matrimoniale. The resulting bed will be rather large, like a queen-size. This is handy if the two sleepers have different needs, and it’s also handy for turning the mattresses for airing, or for changing from the winter side (stuffed with wool) to the summer side (stuffed with cotton). Some people feel two single mattresses are more versatile. Others prefer the comfort of one big mattress.
In a hotel, una camera singola might have a smaller single bed than you might expect. It’s not like in American motels where all the beds are queen-size!
When buying sheets, mattresses, or bed frames, the term matrimoniale may be used, but since there are different-sized “double” beds, we also find the term piazza, which is the space designed for one occupant. A bed is single when it is una piazza (one place). There’s also the intermediate size una piazza e mezza or una piazza e mezzo (room for one and a half occupants), also called alla francese (French-style). You might have this kind of bed if you don’t have space for a bigger one, or if you like something a bit bigger than a single bed. It can be likened to an old-fashioned double bed in America. It can also be a typical size for a divano letto (a sofa bed). Due piazze is about as big as you’ll find in a bed.
Sofas are also measured with piazze. They’re usually three or two: Tre piazze or due piazze. Yes, this is the same word as for the piazza in the center of a town or city.
Many homes have an extra guest bed, which may also fold up, to be placed out of sight. This is typically called una brandina (a folding bed, cot). The term, along with its unaltered version branda, is used to indicate a camp bed, or the kind of rudimentary bed used in the army or for camping.
A casual way to say you’re going to bed is:
Vado in branda.
I’m sacking out/I’m hitting the hay.
More properly, we say andare a letto or andare a dormire:
Adesso tu te ne vai a letto, ci fai sopra una bella dormita.
Now you go off to bed. Have a good sleep on it.
Caption 36, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena
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Italian also uses andare a dormire to say “to go to bed”:
Vai.
Go on.
Ehi, giovano',
Hey, young man,
dai, basta con 'sta televisione.
come on, that's enough with this TV.
Vai a dormire che è tardi, ia'!
Go to bed, because it's late, right?
Captions 14-16, L'oro di Scampia - film - Part 3
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Andare a dormire can also mean “to go to sleep” in general, whether in a bed, an armchair, a sofa, or anywhere.
Alle quattro e mezza io andavo a dormire un'ora.
At four thirty I'd go to sleep for an hour.
Caption 20, L'arte della cucina - I Luoghi del Mondo
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But usually, “going to sleep” as in “falling asleep” is expressed with the verb addormentarsi (to go to sleep, to fall asleep). A is one prefix used to cause an action to take place, as in:
addensare (to cause to be dense, to thicken)
addolcire (to sweeten)
Without the reflexive, addormentare is transitive, and may be used, for example, if you’re trying to get a baby to go to sleep, or if someone is put to sleep with an anaesthetic.
Just for fun:
Quando ho sonno, vado in branda. Però, riesco a dormire solo in un letto grande, in unletto matrimoniale. Un letto ad una piazza mi è proprio troppo stretto. Anche un letto ad una piazza e mezza è troppo stretto. Non riesco proprio ad addormentarmi. Se vado a dormire troppo presto, mi sveglio all’una di notte, e allora sì, che non miriaddormento più. Quando mi capita così, il giorno dopo, devo andare a dormire una mezz’ora per recuperare un po’ di sonno. In quel caso uso una brandina che tengo nell’armadio per queste esigenze.
When I’m sleepy, I go to bed. However, I can sleep only in a big bed, in a queen-size bed. A single bed is really too narrow for me. Even a double bed is too narrow. I just can’t get to sleep. If I go to bed too early, I wake up at one in the morning, and then, for sure I don’t fall back to sleep. When that happens to me, the following day I have to go sleep for a half an hour to catch up on my sleep. In that case, I use a folding cot I store in the closet, for when I need it.
Further Practice:
Can you describe the beds and bedrooms in your house? Can you talk about your sleeping habits, and those of your family?
Per dire is a common expression. It has different variations, with different sfumature, but this is perhaps it's most synthetic variant. It's as if the speaker were saying per esempio (for example), or "let's say..." In both cases, it's practically a stand-alone expression that gets inserted in a sentence with a comma or an ellipsis.
Per dire, io prendo la pastiera napoletana,
Let's say I take the Neapolitan Pastiera:
all'interno c'è il grano, simbolo di ricchezza.
inside there's wheat, symbol of wealth.
Captions 33-34, Susanna Cutini - Dolci delle tradizioni di Pasqua
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Literally, per dire means "in order to say." Perhaps the best way to think of it is "for the sake of argument." We might even simply use "say," as in "suppose."
Let's take, say, a Neapolitan pastiera...
Suppose I take the Neapolitan pastiera...
We're primarily talking about a hypothetical example, which may or may not actually be a true-life example. Susanna's example about her grandfather happened to be true, but she was using it as an example.
Perché a Pasqua lui doveva avere lo zafferano
Because at Easter, he had to have saffron
per fare le panine pasquali. Per dire...
to make the Easter breads. Just as an example...
Captions 82-83, Susanna Cutini - Dolci delle tradizioni di Pasqua
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English uses the word ride to mean different things, so when it comes to finding the right Italian word, we can easily be at a loss. Let’s look at some of the basic Italian words associated with “ride.”
The first installment of the new episode of Commissario Manara, starting this week, gives us one important example:
Ma sei sicura che non hai bisogno di un passaggio?
But are you sure you don't need a ride?
Caption 8, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero
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Il passaggio comes from the verb passare (to move from one place or state to another).
If you ride in a car, or on a two-wheeler, but are not the “driver,” you are il passeggero (the passenger).
For those who are curious, it’s not readily evident why there is an “e” and not an “a” in this word. It comes from the French passager (passenger, passing/temporary) and in Neapolitan the spelling is passaggiere! But (going out on a limb), perhaps the adjective form passeggero (passing, temporary) might possibly have some connection with a passeggero (passenger) being a “temporary” occupant of the vehicle.
Attenzione! Don’t get confused between passaggio (a passage or ride) and andare a passeggio (to go for a stroll) with its verb form passeggiare (to stroll, walk) and noun form passeggiata (a stroll, a walk).
The subject of the new episode of Commissario Manara is il buttero, a sort of Tuscan cowboy, primarily associated with the Maremma part of Tuscany. What do these cowboys do? See this link for details about the butteri, but one thing is for sure. They ride horses.
We usually say andare a cavallo (to go horseback riding) to talk about riding a horse, but to be more specific, we use the verb cavalcare. The rider is il cavaliere. If you stay tuned for the next installment of Manara, you’ll be ready for this word!
We can also ride a bike: andare in bici, andare in bicicletta
If we go to the parco giochi (the amusement park), we may want to go on the rides. These rides are commonly grouped together with the merry-go-round, la giostra, and called le giostre (the rides, the attractions).
What about when we say, “let’s go for a ride”? In this case Italian uses the omnipresent giro. In English we usually put the means first, as an adjective: a train ride, a boat ride, a bike ride.
Ho bisogno di un bel giro in moto e di una birra.
I need a nice motorcycle ride and a beer.
Caption 12, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu
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Note that the most common verb to use when going for a ride is fare (to make, to do).
Ho proprio voglia di fare un bel giro!
I really feel like going for a nice ride!
Caption 28, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro
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In a nutshell:
Riding:
cavalcare (to ride a horse)
andare a cavallo (to go horseback riding)
andare in bici (to ride a bike)
fare il passeggero (to ride as a passenger)
un passaggio (a ride/lift as a passenger)
fare un giro (to go for a ride)
le giostre (the rides at an amusement park)
Walking and in general:
andare a passeggio (to go for a walk)
fare una passeggiata (to go for a walk or ride)
passeggiare (to stroll)
passare (to move from one place to another)
Just for fun:
Ieri ho fatto un giro in bici, ma poi ho forato, e quindi ho dovuto chiedere un passaggio ad un camionista. Non avevo mai fatto il passeggero in un mezzo così grande. Mi piace andare in bici, perché posso girare dove mi pare, usando le mie gambe. Mi piace pure andare a cavallo, ma non sono un cavaliere particolarmente bravo. Non cavalco bene come un buttero, ma, da più giovane, facevo delle bellissime passeggiate a cavallo in giro per la campagna toscana. Non era una passione passeggera, ma siccome sono caduto più volte cavalcando, ultimamente preferisco cavalcare i cavalli della giostra alle giostre o al parco giochi, oppure fare qualche passeggiata a piedi nel bosco, specialmente quando devo portare il cane a passeggio.
Yesterday I went for a bike ride, but I got a flat tire, and so I had to ask a truck driver for a ride. I had never been a passenger in such a large vehicle. I love going cycling, because I can go wherever I want, using my legs. I also like going horseback riding, but I’m not a particularly skilled rider. I don’t ride as well as a Maremmano cowboy, but when I was younger I went on some beautiful rides on horseback around the Tuscan countryside. It wasn’t a passing fancy, but since I fell several times while riding, lately I prefer to ride the horses on the merry-go-round at the carousel or amusement park, or else go for a walk in the woods, especially when I have to take the dog for a walk.
The useful expression fare a meno (to do without) comes up in a recent installment of L'Arte della Cucina:
L'armonia non può fare a meno dei contrasti,
Harmony can't do without contrasts,
che possono essere numerosi.
which may be numerous.
Caption 14, L'arte della cucina - La Prima Identitá
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Let's take a look at each separate word.
Fare means "to make" or "to do" (see this lesson about fare).
A is a preposition meaning any number of things, mostly "at," "to," or "in," but not specifically "with," so we need to stretch our imaginations a bit, and accept the fact that prepositions don't always correspond.
Meno has a couple of different meanings, including "minus," which in this case, makes sense.
At the same time, let's not forget that the most common translation for meno is "less," or, when there's an article in front of it, "least":
a meno che (unless)
almeno (at least)
See WordReference, for more about fare a meno.
In a recent episode of Dixiland, there's an interesting expression: tale e quale.
O forse l'autoritratto di Lolalù?
Or maybe the self-portrait by Lolalù?
"Tale e quale, Lolalù."
"Exactly like Lolalù."
Captions 43-44, Dixiland - Coppa di cioccolato
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If we take the expression apart, we have two principal words. Tale has a long list of definitions and translations. It can mean, as a noun, "that person," or as an adjective, "certain," "similar," "aforementioned," and more. Quale (which) has some different sfumature (nuances), but it mostly means "which," or "which one."
In English, we might also say "the spitting image of Lolalù." "To spit" in Italian is sputare, and in fact, sputare is also used to say pretty much the same thing: sputato a Lolalù. Tale e quale is probably easier to remember and easier to say!
Merely connecting these words together with e (and) doesn't make a whole lot of sense, so it's best to think of tale e quale as an idiomatic expression, a compound adjective, you might call it, meaning "exactly the same."
E a noi napoletani ci fa diventare tali e quali ai milanesi.
And she makes us Neapolitans become exactly like Milanese.
Caption 58, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP1 - Part 6
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Attenzione! In buying and selling, you might find this (without the conjunction): tale quale, which means "as is."
Just for fun:
Non potevo fare a meno di andare dal parrucchiere. I miei capelli erano troppo disordinati. Appena sono entrata, il parrucchiere m’ha detto: “siediti pure, ho quasi finito.” Poi ha preso in mano un phon per asciugare i capelli di un altro cliente. Devo dire che quell' asciugacapelli era tale e quale al mio. Uguale uguale!... A meno che non fosse proprio il mio, rubato da lui. Sto scherzando... figuriamoci! Avrei fatto a meno della musica che era troppo forte, ma almeno mi ha pettinato molto bene, e in fretta. Dopo, non potevo fare a meno di mangiare un bel gelato.
I couldn't do without going to the hairdresser's. My hair was too messy. As soon as I went in, the hairdresser said, "Go ahead and have a seat. I'm almost finished." Then he took the blow dryer to dry another client's hair. I have to say that that hair dryer was exactly like mine. The same, identical!... Unless it really was mine, stolen by him. I'm kidding... no way! I could have done without the music, which was too loud, but at least he styled my hair nicely, and quickly. Afterwards, I couldn't have done without having a nice ice cream cone.
There are a few different Italian words used to refer to things happening.
Capitare (to happen casually):
Capita.
It happens.
Capitare, like “to happen,” is the only verb of the four mentioned in this lesson that can be conjugated in all the persons.
Capito spesso da queste parti.
I happen on this place often.
Nonetheless, even capitare is most frequently used in the third person (both singular and plural).
This week’s episode about Marchesi has a good example of the past participle of capitare. It takes the auxiliary essere rather than avere, and is often used with an indirect object pronoun (not reflexive), as in the following example.
Più tardi mi è capitato di lavorare con lui.
Later on I had a chance to work with him.
Caption 14, L'arte della cucina - L'Epoca delle Piccole Rivoluzioni
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With capitare, the happening is generally by chance, or casual in some way.
Succedere (to happen, to occur). When something is really taking place, like an accident, or a discussion, we usually use succedere. This is the most common way to say “to happen.”
Che succede?
What's happening?
-Hanno ritrovato il furgone del pesce di Mussa.
-They found Mussa's fish van.
Captions 47-48, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde
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Like capitare, succedere is often used with an indirect object.
Ma se mi succede qualcosa e mi mettono in galera?
But if something happens to me and they put me in jail?
Caption 30, La Ladra - EP. 1 - Le cose cambiano
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Accadere (to happen, to occur) is still another way to say “to happen.” It’s a bit more formal, and might be easier to translate with “to occur,” especially since “occur” is also only used in the third person, has a double “c” near the beginning, and ends with an “r” sound. Another easy translation to remember might be “to befall,” since accadere contains the verb cadere (to fall).
Ma ormai non accadrà.
But by now it's not going to happen.
No, non succederà.
No, it's not going to happen.
Captions 16-17, Tiromancino - L'essenziale
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Technically, accadere can be used with an indirect object but it’s not very common. Here is an example:
è ispirata a un fatto realmente accaduto a me.
it was inspired by a real event that happened to me.
Caption 3, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno Ep. 1
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Avvenire (to come about, to occur, to take place) is used in the third person only, and is somewhat formal. The easiest way to remember it is with the phrase “to come about,” since avvenire contains venire (to come). We cannot use avvenire with an indirect object.
La raccolta avviene fra novembre e dicembre.
The harvest takes place between November and December.
Caption 8, L'olio extravergine di oliva - Il frantoio
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In a nutshell:
succedere: most common, is used in the third person only (except for when it means “to succeed someone,” as in royalty). Auxiliary verb: essere. May be used with an indirect object (something happens to somebody).
capitare: may be conjugated in all persons followed by a preposition or adverb. Translations for this form: to end up, to turn up.
It also functions like succedere, in the third person. Auxiliary verb: essere. May be used with an indirect object (something happens to somebody).
accadere: is conjugated in the third person only. Auxiliary verb: essere. May be used with an indirect object (something happens to somebody), but is not all that common. Easy translation: to befall. Often used like “to occur.”
avvenire: is conjugated in the third person only. Auxiliary verb: essere. May not be used with an indirect object. Easy translation: to come about. Often used like “to occur.”
These are very basic “rules,” but keep your eyes and ears open to really get the feel for these verbs. And don’t worry. You can get by in most situations with succedere!
One of our Yabla subscribers has asked about the word pure. It does get translated differently in different contexts, so it can be a bit confusing. This one short word has a few different but related connotations. On the simple end of the scale it’s an adverb—another way of saying anche (also, too, as well).
In the following example, both anch’io and io pure mean pretty much the same thing. There’s no particular emotion attached to the word. It’s matter-of-fact.
Anch'io. -Anch'io. -Io pure.
So do I. -So do I. -Me too.
Caption 65, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 - EP2 - Il mistero di Cetinka Part 9
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In the example below, however, the meaning of pure is technically the same (meaning “also,” “too,” “as well”) but there’s some sort of emotion involved, as if one were saying, “not only is she pretty, but she’s smart too!” (as if that weren't to be expected...):
Bellina e pure brava questa Rubino.
Pretty, and also smart, this Rubino.
Caption 1, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto Part 8
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In the example below, pure is still an adverb, but this time gets translated as “even.” Let’s remember that anche can also mean “even” in certain situations. Some Italians will tell you that pure quite simply means anche. In fact, one could even swap pure with anche, and it would mean much the same thing.
È incredibile, fai pure finta di non ricordare.
It's incredible, you even pretend not to remember.
Caption 13, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto Part 5
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Below is another example where the sense of pure is “even.” We could use “as well” or “too,” but it would be a bit of a stretch. In fact pure is a way to raise your eyebrows without actually doing so. It adds an emotional element.
Eh, questo, fa resuscitare pure i morti!
Yes, this, will revive even the dead!
Caption 59, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 -EP2 - Il mistero di Cetinka Part 8
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The following example is one in which pure requires more than a one-word translation. It’s used in contexts where we would use “go ahead” in English.
Senti, se ti va di metterti nei guai fallo pure,
Listen, if you want to get yourself in trouble, go ahead.
Caption 5, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva Part 9
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Fallo pure! can be translated as “go right ahead!” [literally: “do it nevertheless”].
Pure as “go ahead” is also used a lot in offices and such places, where someone will either ask you to have a seat, or to go in. It can also be interpreted as “it’s OK if you…” since when you say “go ahead,” you’re giving permission. Here are some formal and informal examples:
Formal:
Si sieda pure.
Go ahead and have a seat.Informal:
Siediti pure.
Go ahead and sit down.Formal:
Si accomodi pure.
Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. [Have a seat.]Informal:
Accomodati pure.
Go ahead and make yourself at home. [Also, as a sarcastic retort: "Be my guest!"]Formal:
Vada pure avanti.
Go ahead and lead. [After you.]Informal:
Vai pure avanti.
Go right ahead.
Go ahead and take the lead.
It’s all right if you go in front of me.
We often hear a more literary form of pure: pur, which basically means the same thing, although it’s considered a conjunction. It’s used to mean “though,” “although,” “yet,” and tends to occur before a gerundio (gerund) form of a verb, as in the following example.
Pur essendo partito in una situazione di un ristorante
Though getting its start as a restaurant situated
di fronte all'ortofrutta [fruttivendolo]...
across from the vegetable market...
Captions 1-2, L'arte della cucina - La Prima Identitá - Part 6
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It’s also frequent to find eppure (and yet, yet, still, but, nevertheless, all the same), which has the same root. In this case it’s a stand-alone conjunction and will likely be followed by a comma.
Eppure, il rischio vulcanico non ha mai allontanato i suoi abitanti.
And yet the volcanic risk has never sent its inhabitants away.
Caption 23, Linea Blu - Sicilia Part 9
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In the same vein, we have neppure, which like neanche means “not even.”
E per di più non è neppure la stessa persona
And what's more, it's not even the same person
Caption 1, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu Part 13
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Tying it all together in context, just for fun:
Dialogo fra 2 maratonisti:
Francesca: Pur essendo anziano, vai forte!
Massimo: Sì, ma vai pure avanti, ti raggiungo dopo la corsa. Mi sono allenato come un pazzo, eppure, sto facendo fatica.
Francesca: Pure io sto facendo fatica. Fermati pure due minuti per riprendere fiato!
Massimo: Se tu ti vuoi fermare, fallo pure. Io non ci penso neanche! Neppure per sogno!
Francesca: Io pure non voglio fermarmi. A dopo!
Al traguardo...
Francesca: Ma... Sei arrivato prima tu! Eppure, eri stanchissimo.
Massimo: È vero, mi hai pure superato ad un certo punto, t’ho visto. Ma poi... puressendo stanco morto, ce l’ho fatta!
Dialogue between two marathon runners:
Francesca: Even though you’re old, you’re fast!
Massimo: Yes, but go ahead and go, I’ll catch up to you after the race. I trained like crazy, but nevertheless, I’m having a tough time.
Francesca: I’m having a tough time as well. Go ahead and stop two minutes to catch your breath!
Massimo: If you want to stop, go right ahead. I won’t even think of it! [No way!] I wouldn’t even dream of it!
Francesca: I don’t want to stop, either. See you later!At the finish line...
Francesca: But... You finished before me! And yet, you were very tired.
Massimo: It’s true. You even passed me at a certain point, I saw you. But then... even though I was dead tired, I made it!
Daniela has concluded her three-part lesson on the passato prossimo (present perfect) tense. Get caught up here! She gives us some very important information about its construction, but what’s difficult for many of us is just knowing which auxiliary verb to use—essere (to be) or avere (to have)—when using the passato prossimo.
In fact, there’s plenty of gray area, which we’ll delve into further on, but very generally speaking, when the verb is transitive (can take a direct object), the auxiliary verb is avere (to have) and when the verb is intransitive (cannot take a direct object), the auxiliary verb is essere (to be).
The following example contains the direct object film (movie). So we use avere.
Hai guardato il film?
Did you watch the movie?
Caption 15, Marika spiega - I pronomi diretti con participio passato
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In the next example the first verb venire (to come) is intransitive, has no direct object, and thus takes the auxiliary verb essere. The second verb portare (to bring, to carry) is transitive, having a direct object, and thus takes avere. Note that acqua (water) is the direct object of the verb portare.
Il cameriere è venuto e ci ha portato dell'acqua naturale.
The waiter came and he brought us still water.
Caption 20, Anna e Marika - Trattoria Al Biondo Tevere
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What about if Anna and Marika had had a cameriera (waitress)?*
In the example below, there’s a direct object (Lara) in the first part, and a verb (intransitive) that can’t take an object (arrivare) in the second part. Lara is a woman, so the ending of arrivata has the feminine singular ending -a.
Hai visto Lara? -Lara non è ancora arrivata, no.
Have you seen Lara? -Lara hasn't gotten here yet, no.
Caption 38, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP4 - Le Lettere Di Leopardi
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Can you make up a sentence changing the person to Luca (a man)? The first part with avere will not change, but the second part with essere will!**
Can you change the person to two people?***
Attenzione! Intransitive verbs have a great many exceptions to the general rule. Strange as it may seem, some of these verbs have to do with movement:
Camminare (to walk), correre (to run), sciare (to ski), and nuotare (to swim), among others, are intransitive action verbs, but nevertheless take avere when referring to the activity itself.
Ho camminato tutto il giorno.
I walked all day.
Loro hanno corso tre chilometri.
They ran three kilometers.
However, when correre is used to mean “to hurry,” “to rush,” then it takes essere!
Io sono corsa a casa.
I rushed home.
See this resource (in Italian) for a list of intransitive verbs and the auxiliaries they use.
There are two other important situations to be aware of, requiring the use of the auxiliary essere in “perfect” tenses: reflexive verbs and verbs in the passive voice. We’ll have a closer look at them in another lesson.
Solutions:
*
La cameriera è venuta e ci ha portato dell'acqua naturale.
The waitress came and she brought us some still water.**
Hai visto Luca? -Luca non è ancora arrivato, no.
Have you seen Luca? -Luca hasn't gotten here yet, no.***
Hai visto Luca e Lara? -Loro non sono ancora arrivati, no.
Have you seen Luca and Lara? -They haven't gotten here yet, no.
Further Resources:
For an explanation of verbi transitivi e intransitivi in Italian, see this article.
Here is a text with many examples of il passato prossimo, and a fill-in-the-blank quiz following it.
Practice:
- Have a look at some Yabla video transcripts or other Italian written text, and try to identify the two kinds of verbs and their auxiliaries in any given situation.
- Do a Yabla video search of the participle of a transitive verb, such as visto, the past participle of vedere (to see), and you’ll see a list of examples from videos containing compound tenses with this participle. Go to the videos, or just read the examples out loud to get a feel for the auxiliary verb avere.
- Be aware that there may be some exceptions in the list: a passive voice, a noun form, a reflexive form in the masculine, a transitive verb used intransitively, an adjective form of a participle.
- For intransitive verbs taking essere, try doing a search on the participles of these verbs: andare, venire, partire, arrivare, diventare. Remember that their endings will change depending on gender and number. You’ll see right away that the auxiliary is essere, conjugated per the person and the tense (it might be past perfect).
The Italian word for “to want” is volere. See Daniela’s lesson about volere and other modal verbs.
Ma insomma, adesso, tu che cosa vuoi veramente?
Well, all things considered, now, you, what do you really want?
Caption 27, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena
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But it’s not always as easy as just conjugating the verb, like in the above example. English speakers actively want things, or want to do things, but Italians, more often than not, use the noun form voglia (desire) with avere (to have) as the action. We often translate aver voglia as “to have the desire,” or “to feel like”.
Se non ho più voglia mi fermo.
If I don't feel like it anymore, I stop.
Caption 8, Gianni si racconta - L'olivo e i rovi
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When we want to be polite, we use the conditional of volere, just like the English “I would like” rather than “I want.”
Vorrei parlare con il commissario.
I’d like to speak with the commissioner.
But when we’re done with being polite, and want to be more insistent, we forget about the conditional and go with the indicative. Imagine someone raising their voice a bit.
Voglio parlare col commissario. -Il commissario è di servizio.
I want to talk to the Commissioner. -The Commissioner is busy.
-Voglio parlare con il commissario!
-I want to speak to the Commissioner!
Captions 43-44, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro
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We can also use the conditional with the noun form voglia, but the conditional is applied to the active verb, in this case, avere (to have). This is not a polite form like in the example with vorrei above. It’s true conditional. In the following example, I know very well no one is going to let me sleep for twelve hours, but it sure would be nice! Translating it with “love” instead of “like” gets the idea across.
Avrei voglia di dormire dodici ore.
I’d love to sleep for twelve hours.
Another common way volere is used in Italian is as the equivalent of “to take” or “to need” in English. Note that in this case ci means “for it,” not “us,” as you might be led to believe!
Allora, per le bruschette ci vuole: il pane.
So, for the "bruschettas" we need: bread.
Caption 7, Anna e Marika - La mozzarella di bufala - La produzione e i tagli
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In a previous lesson we used metterci to talk about how long something takes. We can use volere in a similar way. While with metterci, we can be personal:
Io ci metto cinque minuti.
It takes me five minutes.
With volere, it’s impersonal and refers to anyone.
Ci vuole tanto tempo per attraversare Milano in macchina.
It takes a lot of time to get across Milan by car.
This kind of sentence also works in the conditional:
Ci vorrebbero tre ore per attraversare Milano in macchina!
It would take three hours to get across Milan by car!
Sometimes problems add up and finally you might say, “That’s all we need” or “that’s all we needed.” That’s when it’s time for non ci voleva (that's not what was needed).
Un tubo in bagno che perde,
A leaky pipe in the bathroom,
proprio non ci voleva.
that's really not what was needed [the last thing I needed].
Caption 31, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu
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And just for fun:
Il turno di notte ancora! Non ci voleva. I have to go to work, ma non ci ho voglia! Avrei voglia di andare in città a fare quello che voglio. Se vuoi, puoi venire con me. C’è un bel film che vorrei vedere, peccato che ci vuole troppo tempo per arrivarci in tempo. Ci vorrebbe un ora buona!
The night shift again! That’s the last thing I needed. I have to go to work but I don’t feel like it. I’d love to go to the city and do what I want. If you want, you can come with me. There’s a great film that I would like to see; too bad it takes too long to get there in time. It would take a good hour!
In English we use the term "dozens and dozens" to indicate a rather large amount. Dozzina (dozen) certainly exists in Italian, but more often than not, Italian sticks to the metric system. Dieci is precisely ten. Una decina is around ten. Venti is twenty precisely, but poche decine is a few times "about ten" (poche is the plural for poco, therefore meaning "a few," as in a few dozen), so it could mean a quantity anywhere between about eighteen to thirty or even more.
Molte famiglie hanno degli ulivi di loro proprietà.
Many families have olive trees of their own.
Una decina, poche decine, fino a degli uliveti grandi.
Ten odd, twenty odd, up to large olive groves.
Captions 2-3, L'olio extravergine di oliva - Il frantoio
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Marika explains about approximate numbers in Italian:
Se io dico che per strada ho visto una cinquantina di alberi,
If I say that on the road I saw fifty-odd trees,
non vuol dire che io ho visto cinquanta alberi,
it doesn't mean that I saw fifty trees,
quindi esattamente cinquanta,
and therefore exactly fifty,
ma che ho visto all'incirca cinquanta.
but that I saw around fifty.
Captions 35-37, Marika spiega - Numeri moltiplicativi, distributivi
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There's a unit of weight that's no longer officially used, but which is actually extremely common in Italy, especially when referring to agricultural products. Un quintale (a quintal) is simply the equivalent of one hundred kilos. Alessio talks about the weight of olives compared to the weight of the resulting oil.
Un quintale sono cento chili e la resa...
A quintal is one hundred kilos, and the yield...
Caption 44, L'olio extravergine di oliva - Il frantoio
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Although un quintale is considerably less than a ton, it's commonly used to indicate something very heavy, just as when we say, "This thing weighs a ton!" Questo pesa un quintale!
When you don't have un metro (a tape measure, a yardstick) handy, you use alternative measuring devices. Italians often use their arms and legs to give approximate measurements. A man's stride will be around a meter. Le dita (fingers) are used to indicate how much water to put in a pot, how much wine to pour in a glass, or the thickness of a piece of meat or something similar, as in the following example.
Comunque, alta due belle dita,
In any case, two fingers (an inch) thick,
e fatta cucinare nel burro.
and cooked in butter.
Captions 13-14, L'arte della cucina - L'Epoca delle Piccole Rivoluzioni
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There are lots of ways to talk about weights and measures. As you progress with Italian, you'll undoubtedly incorporate some of these odd ways of measuring into your everyday conversation.
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