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.

Captions 34-35, Com'è umano lui Film - Part 10

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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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Good-to-know Italian Adjectives Describing Someone’s Mood or Feelings

31) felice (happy)

Apart from its most common meaning, felice can also mean “fitting” or "well-chosen.” We can also make this adjective into its opposite by adding the prefix in: infelice = unhappy.

Sono felice di averLa conosciuta.

I'm happy to have met you.

Caption 48, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep. 1 - Part 1

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32) triste (sad)

Il canile è un luogo molto triste per un cane.

The dog pound is a very sad place for a dog.

Caption 11, Andromeda La storia di Ulisse

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Whereas infelice is a general state, triste more often describes a momentary feeling or something that brings on feelings of sadness, such as a sad story.

33) arrabbiato (angry)

When you eat in an Italian restaurant, you often find penne all’arrabbiata on the menu. The color is red, and it’s hot with peperoncino (hot pepper). The color red is associated with anger. The adjective comes from the verb arrabbiare (to get angry).

È arrabbiato con la moglie, allora se la prende con tutti.

He's angry with his wife, so he takes it out on everyone.

Caption 18, Il Commissario Manara S2EP11 - Uno strano incidente di caccia - Part 1

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34) fiducioso (hopeful, confident, optimistic, trusting)

Italian doesn’t have a cognate for “hopeful,”— or rather, it does — speranzoso, but it is rarely used. As a result, fiducioso is a good bet, especially when you are optimistically hopeful. Fiducioso comes from the reflexive verb fidarsi (to trust) and the noun la fiducia (the trust).

Ma io sono fiduciosa.

But I am confident.

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

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35) volenteroso (willing)

Non l'ho fatta io questa palla di neve, ma sicuramente qualcuno molto più volenteroso di me.

I didn't make this snowball, but for sure, somebody much keener than me.

Captions 39-40, Francesca neve - Part 3

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This adjective is used to describe a person who pitches in and helps, or is willing to learn. It comes from the verb volere (to want, to want to). Someone who is volenteroso will likely offer his or her services as a volunteer, a cognate to help you remember its meaning. See this Yabla lesson: Being Willing with Volentieri. When someone asks you to do something you would like to do, you can answer, Volentieri (I'd love to).

36) scoraggiato (discouraged, disheartened)

The s prefix turns incoraggiare (to encourage) into scoraggiare (to discourage), and the adjective scoraggiato comes from the past participle of the verb scoraggiare.

Sì, ma guarda, ne ho sentiti trentadue, un disastro. Sono veramente scoraggiata.

Yes, but look, I have heard thirty-two of them, a disaster. I am really discouraged.

Captions 9-10, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3EP4 Lo stagno del ranocchio - Part 10

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37) stufo (fed up, sick and tired)

This is a great adjective to have in your toolbox, and comes from stufare (literally, “to stew”). It’s commonly used in the reflexive — stufarsi (to get fed up with) — but the adjective is good to know, too.

Fabrizio, basta. Basta. Sono stufa delle tue promesse.

Fabrizio, that's enough. Enough. I'm sick of your promises.

Captions 67-68, Il Commissario Manara S2EP9 - L'amica ritrovata - Part 5

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38) svogliato (unenthusiastic, listless)

Svogliato has the s prefix, indicating the opposite of the original word (often making it negative) and comes from the verb volere (to want). This is a great word for when you really don’t feel like doing what you have to do.

Oh, guarda un po' se c'è un programma per riattivare un marito svogliato?

Oh, look and see if there's a program for reactivating a listless husband.

Caption 49, Il Commissario Manara S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu - Part 5

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39) nervoso (tense, irritable, stressed out)

False friend alert! Nervoso really seems like a great translation for “nervous,” and it does have to do with nerves, but when you are nervous, there’s a different word (next on our list). Nervoso is more like when your kids are acting up and you have work to do and you are having trouble staying calm and collected. Irritable is a good equivalent. Stressed out works, too. See this Yabla lesson: Emozionato or Nervoso? What’s the Difference? 

Non ti innervosire, mica... -No, non sono nervoso, Toscani.

Don't get stressed out... it's not as if... -No, I'm not stressed out, Toscani.

Caption 14, Il Commissario Manara S2EP5 - Mondo sommerso - Part 1

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40) emozionato (nervous, excited, moved, touched, thrilled).

Diciamo, adesso sono un po' emozionato, è la prima volta, vedo la cinepresa, registi, ciak, cose, insomma per me è una grande emozione questo momento.

Let's say, right now, I am a bit nervous. It's my first time. I see the camera, the directors, the clapperboard, in short, for me this is a moment of great excitement.

Captions 14-16, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno Ep. 1 - Part 7

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See part 1

See part 2

See part 3

Learn more!
Practical examples of these adjectives can be found throughout Yabla videos. Yabla offers you the possibility of learning at your own pace through videos pertaining to your interests. Expand your horizons by learning one of the most romantic languages in the world.

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