We can detect the cognate "to move" in the verb muovere. In English, "to move" can be either transitive or intransitive.
We can move a piece of furniture from one place to another, or we can be the ones to move on our own. In Italian, however, muovere is basically transitive, in its natural, non-reflexive form.
Per me la cosa più bella è recitare e muovere i pupi.
For me the best thing is reciting and moving the marionettes.
Caption 56, Dottor Pitrè e le sue storie - Part 11
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Non riesco a muovere la gamba (I can't move my leg)!
When it's intransitive, it is primarily used in its reflexive form.
Il nostro uomo sta per muoversi.
Our man is about to move.
Caption 23, Provaci ancora prof! S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita - Part 23
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In addition to merely moving around in space, muoversi is used a lot to mean "to get going," "to get moving" (also figuratively), or "to get some exercise."
Ti vuoi muovere? -Arrivo!
You want to get moving? -I'm coming!
Caption 25, Provaci ancora prof! S1E1 - Il regalo di Babbo Natale - Part 11
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Non ti muovere o sparo!
Don't move or I'll shoot!
Caption 28, Un Figlio a tutti i costi film - Part 6
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Lui ha detto: "Io da qui non mi muovo."
He said, "I am not budging from here."
Caption 10, Fuori era primavera Viaggio nell'Italia del lockdown - Part 14
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The verb muovere has an irregular conjugation, and the past participle is used quite often as an adjective.
When the sea is rough, it's il mare mosso.
Non lo vedo più. -Perché il mare è un po' mosso.
I can't see him anymore. -Because the sea is a bit rough.
Caption 50, PIMPA S3 EP12 L'amica Onda
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When your hair is a bit wavy or not combed neatly, we use the past participle mossi. Let's remember that, in Italian, we use the plural capelli, even though in English, hair is a collective noun.
Aveva dei capelli mossi (she/he had wavy hair).
When you want someone to hurry up, you can say, muoviti (hurry up, get moving)!
Oh, cammina, muoviti. -Aspetta.
Hey, get going, move it. -Wait up.
Caption 11, Chi m'ha visto film - Part 14
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There is a noun form that comes from the past participle, and that is la mossa (the move). When you make the right move, fai la mossa giusta.
When you need to get a move on, it's darsi una mossa (literally, to give oneself a move).
Allora ragazzi, bisogna che ci diamo una mossa.
So, guys, we need to get a move on.
Caption 20, Concorso internazionale di cortometraggio A corto di idee - Part 1
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Datti una mossa, dai (get a move on, come on)!
Of course in English, we use the verb "to move" when we go to live in a different apartment or house. You may be wondering how to say that in Italian. Transitive or intransitive? None of the above!
The verb is traslocare, or, much more common, fare trasloco. Think of it as "translocation!" or "translocate," a cross between "transfer" and "relocate."
In English, it's common to say, "No problem." Some of us even use it in place of "You're welcome." But when we want to say this in Italian, it's slightly more complex.
Stai tranquilla, non c'è problema.
Take it easy, no problem.
Caption 80, Chi m'ha visto film - Part 14
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Non c'è problema (the Italian equivalent of "no problem") might be easy to memorize, but some might want to know what each word means, and why it is there, so let's take a quick look.
Actually, the only problematic word in non c'è problema is c'è. This contraction is made up of the particle ci (a particle meaning too many things to list here*), which in this case means "in that place" or "there," and è (the third person singular of the irregular verb essere — to be).
Otherwise, we understand non c'è problema pretty well, and it's fairly easy to repeat.
Non c'è problema is a negative sentence, and we cover this particular aspect of it in a lesson about everyday negatives. (Let's remember that double negatives are, in many cases, totally OK in Italian!).
But there's another way to say the same thing, and pose it as a question.
Eh, che problema c'è? Dai.
Huh, what's the problem? Come on.
Caption 14, Il Commissario Manara S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva - Part 12
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Che problema c'è? — "What's the problem?" or, literally, "What problem is there?"
This is a very common thing to say, but it is nuanced. Sometimes it just states the obvious in question form and is a rhetorical question. It's clear there is no problem at all. But sometimes, it has a touch of irony and implies there's more to it.
In a recent episode of Provaci ancora Prof, the segment ends with this question: Che problema c'è? All the members of the family keep repeating it so we can guess there's more to it.
E certo! Che problema c'è? -Che problema c'è? -Che problema c'è? -Duecento euro di multa, ecco che problema c'è.
Of course! What's the problem? -What's the problem? -What's the problem? -A two hundred euro ticket, that's what the problem is.
Captions 97-100, Provaci Ancora Prof! S2EP1 - La finestra sulla scuola - Part 1
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The last response to the question, Che problema c'è? is that there's going to be an expensive parking ticket to pay. That's the problem. There might be other problems down the line, too.
Che problema c'è, uttered with the right inflection, can also be a mild version of "What could possibly go wrong?".
It's also common to use the plural of problema. Let's just remind ourselves that problema ends in a but is a masculine noun and gets a masculine plural with i.
Non ci sono problemi (there are no problems).
or, as a question:
Ci sono problemi (are there problems)?
When we want to zero in on what the problem is, specifically, we can ask (although it can also be intended as general):
Qual è il problema (what's the problem)?
C'è qualche problema (is there some problem)?
Have you heard other ways to say, "What's the problem?" in Italian? Let us know!
* There are several lessons about this particle, so if, once in the "lessons" tab, you do a search of ci, you'll find plenty of information about it, with examples from Yabla videos.
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