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

Just as we have two separate words in English for when we use our ears — "to listen" and "to hear" — we have them in Italian, too. There are a few things to know about the two verbs we use: ascoltare and sentire.  On a very basic level, ascoltare (to listen) is more active than sentire (to hear).

E Lei non si è messa dietro la porta ad ascoltare?

And you didn't get behind the door to listen in?

Caption 39, Il Commissario Manara S2EP6 - Sotto tiro - Part 5

 Play Caption

Ama sentire il rumore dei suoi passi nei corridoi semideserti,

He loves to hear the noise of his steps in the semi-deserted corridors,

Caption 59, Fulvio Benelli Crimine Infinito, romanzo - Part 3

 Play Caption

banner PLACEHOLDER

Ascoltare

Ascoltare is a transitive verb, unlike "to listen," which usually needs the preposition "to."

Signore e signori, è con grande piacere che ascoltiamo la prossima canzone.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that we will listen to  the next song.

Caption 1, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno Ep. 2 - Part 23

 Play Caption

We can just say ascolta (listen)! or ascoltate (listen [pl])! But we often use an object pronoun, too, as in the following example. Note that we sometimes attach the object pronoun and end up with one word. This can happen with the informal version of the imperative. As you will see, the polite form is different.

Allora, ascoltami bene. Tu non c'hai la mamma, stai qua a fare la cameriera a tutti, qualcuno te le dà pure...

Then, listen to me carefully. You don't have a mother, you're here being a maid to everyone, someone even beats you up...

Captions 5-7, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP2 Come piante fra sassi - Part 4

 Play Caption

If I answer that command, to say, for example, "I am listening to you," then I put the object pronoun first, and it's separate.

Ti ascolto.

I'm listening [to you].

Caption 31, Il Commissario Manara S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu - Part 9

 Play Caption

When we use the polite form of address, we can't attach the personal pronoun to the verb.

Manara, mi ascolti bene.

Manara, listen to me carefully.

Caption 23, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 8

 Play Caption

We can listen to a person, but we can also listen to sounds, to music, to the radio.

Era mattina presto e ascoltavo la radio.

It was early morning, and I was listening to the radio.

Caption 3, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno Ep. 2 - Part 4

 Play Caption

We also have the noun form, l'ascolto. We use it with verbs such as dare (to give) or prestare (to lend).

Mamma non mi vuole mandare al concerto. -Non se lo merita. Papà, non le dare ascolto.

Mom doesn't want to let me go to the concert. -She doesn't deserve it. Daddy, don't listen to her.

Captions 3-4, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP2 Come piante fra sassi - Part 5

 Play Caption

Colleghi e cittadini... -Attenzione, attenzione, prestatemi ascolto.

Colleagues and citizens... -Hear ye, hear ye, lend me your ear.

Captions 62-63, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno Ep. 1 - Part 15

 Play Caption

Sentire 

We have already mentioned that sentire is more of a passive verb than ascoltare. It corresponds to the verb "to hear." But that's not all! Sentire has to do with the senses, and the sense of hearing — l'udito — is one of them. But sentire is also used for the sense of smell, the sense of touch, and even the sense of taste sometimes. 

Sentire can be used to get someone's attention, for example, in a restaurant when you want to call the waiter or waitress. Although literally, it's "Hear [me]," it's a very common way to say, "Excuse me."

Senta, mi sa dire che ore sono adesso?

Excuse me, can you tell me what time it is now?

Caption 11, Barzellette L'asino che dà l'ora

 Play Caption

In the first instance of the man wanting to know the time in the video, he uses mi scusi (excuse me).

Mi scusi, buon uomo. Mi sa dire l'ora, per favore?

Pardon me, my good man. Can you tell me the time, please?

Captions 1-2, Barzellette L'asino che dà l'ora

 Play Caption

Senta is a different way of saying the same thing, even though it really means "to hear." 

In the following example, on the other hand, it's clear we're talking about hearing. 

Come dici? No, no, non ti sento.

What are you saying? No, no, I can't hear you.

Caption 57, Il Commissario Manara S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva - Part 5

 Play Caption

In the following example, we have translated sentire with "to hear," but, come to think of it, Eva might have been talking about not smelling the potatoes frying. Il risultato non cambia (the result is the same)!

Ferruccio, non sento friggere le patate.

Ferruccio, I don't hear any potatoes frying.

Caption 65, La Ladra EP. 6 - Nero di rabbia - Part 9

 Play Caption

So sentire presents problems that ascoltare does not. Another issue is that we use sentire very often in its reflexive form, sentirsi. In this case, it means "to feel."

Vi prego, mi sento male!

Please, I'm feeling ill.

Caption 17, La Ladra EP. 7 - Il piccolo ladro - Part 13

 Play Caption

There's a common expression with sentirsi plus some particles. It's used when you don't feel up to something, and more often than not is used in the negative.

Sì, lo so, ma io ancora non me la sento di affrontare questo argomento.

Yes, I know, but I don't feel up to facing this subject just yet.

Caption 7, La Ladra EP. 8 - Il momento giusto - Part 2

 Play Caption

Or it can be used in a question: Can you do this? Are you up to it?

Te la senti? and in the polite form:  Se la sente?

We have talked about both ascoltare and sentire in a previous lesson, with a different slant, so feel free to check it out! 

banner PLACEHOLDER