When you buy something in a shop in Italy, one question you might get is whether you would like a bag. But if you think the only word for bag is un sacchetto (the diminutive of un sacco), you're mistaken.  Of course, people will understand you if you ask for un sacchetto, but you might hear other words, as well. These can vary according to region or personal preference. So let's take a look. 

banner3 PLACEHOLDER

First of all, let's look at sacco and sacchetto.

Ma che stai comprando un sacco di patate?

But what, are you buying a sack of potatoes?

Caption 47, Un Figlio a tutti i costi film - Part 12

 Play Caption

 

It's good to know that while un sacco can mean a literal sack — containing something like potatoes, potting soil, animal feed, charcoal, kindling, etc., the noun un sacco is commonly used in a figurative sense to mean "a whole lot." It's used for things as well as situations or feelings. 

Ti ho appena fatto riparare e ho anche speso un sacco di soldi.

I just had you repaired and I even spent a bunch of money.

Captions 50-51, Provaci ancora prof! S3EP2 Doppio imprevisto - Part 3

 Play Caption

 

Io mi sto divertendo un sacco.

I'm having a lot of fun.

Caption 35, Provaci ancora prof! S3EP2 Doppio imprevisto - Part 22

 Play Caption

Ciao, scusami, io ho visto un sacco di gente.

Hi, excuse me, I've seen a whole lot of people.

Caption 1, Passeggiando per Roma per Roma - Part 2

 Play Caption

 

And now we come to sacchetto.

Ho pulito la pistola dalle impronte, l'ho messa in un sacchetto di plastica insieme al proiettile

I cleaned the handgun of fingerprints, I put it in a plastic bag together with the bullet,

Captions 22-23, Provaci ancora prof! S2E5 Vita da cani - Part 9

 Play Caption

In certain parts of Italy, such as Emilia-Romagna, un sacchetto is a paper bag, but una sportina is a plastic bag. And nowadays, bags are not free in supermarkets and many shops.

Here is another word for "bag," the kind of bag you will get in a shop or supermarket. It generally refers to a rather small bag.

Vuole una busta?

Do you want a bag?

Caption 16, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S2 EP1 Cuccioli - Part 7

 Play Caption

Busta is an interesting word because busta is also "envelope." But it also refers to a bag, either plastic or paper. If the bag is small, it might be referred to as una bustina. But bustina can also refer to a packet, such as for dried yeast, or tea bags: una bustina di tè.

Duecentocinquanta grammi di farina, io vi consiglio di usare lo zero, una bustina di lievito per dolci,

Two hundred and fifty grams of flour, I advise you to use "zero," one packet of baking powder for desserts,

Captions 1-3, La linea verticale EP8 - Part 7

 Play Caption

 

The noun borsa has various meanings, including handbag, bag, stock exchange (with a capital B), and scholarship (borsa di studio).

Dammi la mia borsa, subito. Non è tua, è di mamma.

Give me my bag, right now. It's not yours, it's Mom's.

Captions 50-51, Com'è umano lui Film - Part 29

 Play Caption

Instead of saying either valigia or bagaglio, it's common to use le borse, similarly to English. 

Datemi le borse così me le porto in albergo. -Ah, sì, sì e il casco.

Give me your bags, that way I will take them to the hotel. -Ah, yes, yes, and the helmet.

Caption 69, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP4 Maltempo - Part 9

 Play Caption

Le borse can also mean, generally, all the shopping bags you bring home from the supermarket. 

A man, instead of carrying a handbag, might carry un borsello.  It's usually a tracolla (with a shoulder strap).

Se hai smarrito un borsello, l'abbiamo trovato noi, ma è vuoto. Se lo vuoi, te lo vieni a riprendere, sennò lo buttiamo.

If you lost a shoulder bag, we found it, but it's empty. If you want it, come and get it, otherwise, we'll throw it out.

Captions 42-43, Ma che ci faccio qui! Un film di Francesco Amato - Part 6

 Play Caption

When you do sports or go to the gym, you might have un borsone for your change of clothes.

Solo Massimo, l'autore del gol, se ne sta davanti alla sua macchina nel parcheggio a cercare nel borsone il caricabatterie.

Only Massimo, the author of the goal, is standing in front of his car in the parking lot, looking in his duffel bag for his battery charger.

Captions 63-65, Fulvio Benelli Crimine Infinito, romanzo - Part 3

 Play Caption

The closest cognate to "baggage" is bagaglio, so it's easy to remember.  

Ma tutto qui il tuo bagaglio? No, no, no, il resto arriverà.

But is this all your luggage? No, no, no, the rest will come.

Captions 18-19, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 3

 Play Caption

 Some English speakers use the French word "valise" for "suitcase." "Valise" is a cognate of valigia. 

Aiutami a chiudere 'sta [questa] valigia, va'.

Help me shut this suitcase, come on.

Caption 47, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno Ep. 1 - Part 4

 Play Caption

 

Una valigetta could be a small suitcase, but it commonly refers to a briefcase.  

Sei riuscita a vedere che c'è nella valigetta? Un mucchio di soldi. Dobbiamo agire al più presto, OK?

Did you manage to see what's in the briefcase? A bunch of money. We have to act as soon as possible, OK?

Captions 40-41, La Ladra EP. 8 - Il momento giusto - Part 6

 Play Caption

Thanks for reading. Perhaps we've given you more than you wanted or needed to know about bags, but you can pick the words you think you might need. If you search a word on the videos page and look at the list of instances of it, you'll get a feel for how these words are used in Italian. Write to us at [email protected]. 

banner6 PLACEHOLDER

The noun pazienza certainly does look a lot like "patience."  And sometimes the two words do mean the same thing, especially when the article is present.

Mi scusi, signorina,

Excuse me, Miss,

però suo cugino, ogni tanto,

but your cousin, every now and then,

mi fa perdere la pazienza.

makes me lose my patience.

Captions 10-11, Sei mai stata sulla luna? - film

 Play Caption

Something to keep in mind: In English, we use a possessive pronoun: my patience. Italians do it differently. They use a definite article la, but the possession happens with an indirect object pronoun. "It makes me lose the patience."

Adjective form paziente

Although the adjective paziente (patient) does exist in Italian, Italians often opt for the noun form.

Ma no, è che ci vuole soltanto un po' di pazienza.

No, it's that you just need to be a bit patient.

Dai fiducia all'allievo e nel momento giusto lo lasci andare. -Sì.

Give the student some confidence, and at the right moment, let him go. -Yes.

Captions 23-24, Sposami - EP 2

 Play Caption

And let's not forget that, similar to English, il or la paziente can also be a noun meaning "the patient." It can have a feminine or masculine article, depending on the gender of the patient.

A me risulta invece che vi conoscesse [sic: conosceste] da prima,

Instead, it is my understanding that you knew each other before that,

e che Lei fosse stata anche sua paziente.

and that you had also been his patient.

Captions 27-28, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP9 - Morte in paradiso

 Play Caption

2 expressions with pazienza

Abbia pazienza/abbi pazienza

It's common in Italy to ask someone to "have patience" but it isn't necessarily patience they are asking for. 

They use the imperative for this, and are asking for your understanding, tolerance, or to bear with them. It can be used with different tones, including sarcasm.

In the following example, Orazio is upset with his wife who barged in on a meeting, and had to apologize to his clients he had to ask to leave. So saying abbia pazienza can be a way of apologizing for an inconvenience. In this case, he also said scusi (excuse me [formal], sorry), but he could have just said abbia pazienza in the way of apologizing.

Scusi, sa, eh, abbia pazienza.

Excuse me, you know, eh, bear with me.

Caption 32, Un Figlio a tutti i costi - film

 Play Caption

Actually, Orazio is also quite annoyed with his client, who wants to get out of paying taxes for reasons not exactly on the up and up. So in this case, and often, especially when the formal version is being used, abbia pazienza, uttered with an exasperated or annoyed tone, is an "excuse me" that's a bit indignant. It's almost a way of saying you are the one losing your patience.

1) How would you say this if you were on familiar terms with other person?

But the expression is also used, for example, when you have an appointment but they make you wait. Someone might say, abbia pazienza as a way of saying, "Sorry we are making you wait." Or if your doctor or lawyer has to answer a call while you are talking to him or her:

Abbia pazienza, devo prendere questa chiamata. (Sorry, I have to take this call).

If someone really does want you to be patient, they might say, Solo un attimo di pazienza. 

Signore, solo un attimo di pazienza,

Ladies, just a moment of patience.

adesso vi facciamo qualche domanda.

Now we're going to ask you some questions.

Captions 67-68, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP11 - Beato tra le donne

 Play Caption

Pazienza all by itself

The second example of an expression is one of those wonderful one-word expressions that say plenty. You will want this in your toolbox, for sure. It's often coupled with a va' be' (short for va bene [all right or OK]), but doesn't need to be.

Mi dispiace. Sabato arrivano quelli della filiale dal Sud America

I'm sorry. Saturday, the people from the South America branch are coming

e purtroppo ho una riunione con loro.

and, unfortunately, I have a meeting with them.

Ho capito.

I understand.

Va' be', pazienza. -Mi dispiace. -Ingegnere?

Oh well, too bad. -I'm sorry. -Sir?

Captions 41-44, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep.2

 Play Caption

What are some good occasions for saying pazienza as a one-word expression?

You are at a shop and ask for an item you can't find on the shelves. You ask the clerk:

Non trovo la polenta istatanea (I can't find the instant polenta).

Ah, mi dispiace, è terminata (Oh, I'm sorry, we're out of it).

Ah, pazienza. Farò senza (Oh, no big deal. I'll do without it).

Some other ways to translate pazienza in English:

So be it.

Oh well.

Too bad.

Nothing to do about it.

It is what it is. 

Some synonyms for pazienza in Italian:

Non importa (it doesn't matter)

Non fa niente (it doesn't matter)

Fa niente (it doesn't matter)

È lo stesso (it's all the same)

Perhaps as you go about your day, there will be situations in which pazienza could be a comment you make as a reaction to something that didn't go as you wished. You wanted a dash of milk in your coffee, but you're out of it. Pazienza, lo prenderò senza latte. You wanted to watch the news, but you forgot. Pazienza!

Extra Credit

1) Scusa, sai, eh, abbi pazienza.