In a previous lesson, we talked about votare, a verb that has an additional meaning we rarely think of. Another verb that can bring some surprises (and confusion) is confondere (to confuse, to confound). If we think about it, we can break down confondere into two pieces. Fondere is "to melt," "to meld"; con is “with.” Thoughts, sensations, or things mix together and become unclear. We can no longer distinguish or understand individual elements.
The English verbs "to confuse" and "to confound" clearly have the same root: And we can also see "to fuse" and "fusion" in the noun "confusion." And we now know that con means "with." You might never think of the word "confusion" the same way again.
The cognate confusione exists in Italian. Sometimes it's equivalent to the English "confusion."
Perciò quando i soggetti sono diversi, questo potrebbe portare un po' di confusione.
So when the subjects are different, this could bring about a bit of confusion.
Captions 25-26, Corso di italiano con Daniela 3) Proposizioni subordinate finali - Part 2
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But often confusione means something more akin to "chaos" "fuss," "mess," or "commotion."
E, soprattutto, nella confusione nessuno si accorgerebbe di nulla.
And above all, in the chaos, nobody would notice anything.
Caption 16, Il Commissario Manara S2EP4 - Miss Maremma - Part 11
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Lupo ha detto che c'aspetta in palestra e poi era troppa confusione per lui.
Lupo said he'd be waiting for us at the gym and besides, it was too much commotion for him.
Captions 56-57, L'oro di Scampia film - Part 19
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Knowing these little connections may help you find the words when you need them, or at least recognize them when you see them. Or you might just enjoy being aware of the connections (or you might not care at all).
We often translate confondere as "to mix up."
The verb confondere can be used as a normal transitive verb: to confuse.
Tu mi sa che confondi la cocaina con l'aspirina.
I think you are confusing cocaine with aspirin.
Caption 10, Il Commissario Manara S2EP9 - L'amica ritrovata - Part 11
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The same past participle, confuso, can mean "confused." We can use the past participle of confondere as an adjective when we are confused — confuso. The ending has to agree in gender and number with what or who is being described.
Sei confusa, addolorata, ma lo sai che lui ti merita.
You're confused, aggrieved, but you know that he deserves you.
Captions 85-86, Il Commissario Manara S1EP11 - Beato tra le donne - Part 8
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When we get confused or mixed up, it's a process, and we go the reflexive route with the reflexive form of the verb: confondersi.
Sì, sì, è probabile, perché i nomi sono molto simili, Renzo, Gaetano... uno si può confondere.
Yes, yes. That's likely, because the names are very similar, Renzo, Gaetano... someone can get mixed up.
Captions 57-58, Provaci ancora prof! S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita - Part 13
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...e se di me non parlo e non mi ascolto, succede che poi mi confondo.
...and if I don't talk about myself and I don't listen to myself, it happens that then I get confused.
Captions 56-57, Rosalba al parco della donna gatto - Part 2
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There's an expression in Italian: confondere le acque (to muddy the water). In this case, you are not confused, but you are making something confusing on purpose. Here, confuso can be translated as "confusing."
Hanno fatto un racconto un po' confuso.
They gave a somewhat confusing account.
Caption 16, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP2 Rabbia - Part 3
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When we use the passato prossimo (which works like the present perfect), the past participle is the same as the adjective form, but the verb essere (to be) is present, too, as well as the reflexive pronoun, as opposed to a subject pronoun.
Che fai, parli ternano pure tu, adesso? -Perché mi so' [sono] confuso,
What are you doing? Are you talking Terni-ese, too, now? -Because I got confused,
Captions 59-60, Sposami EP 5 - Part 16
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So if I want to say, "You got confused," I would say, "Ti sei confuso/a".
When, in La Ladra, Eva uses the verb to talk about a spice she can’t distinguish, she uses the verb confondere but she might have meant confondersi, which can also mean "to blend in." If we want a transitive verb as a translation, "muddle" might work, too.
C'è una spezia che confonde il quadro di insieme, non so, non riesco a percepirla.
There's a spice that muddles the whole picture. I don't know, I can't manage to perceive it.
There's a spice that makes the whole picture confusing, I don't know, I'm not able to perceive it.
There's a spice that blends in with the whole picture, I don't know, I'm not able to perceive it.
Caption 32, La Ladra EP. 1 - Le cose cambiano - Part 3
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We hope you are not more confused than when you began reading this lesson!
Let's look at three words that can mean pretty much the same thing. They all have to do with bother.
nouns: il disturbo, il fastidio, la noia
verbs: disturbare, dare fastidio, dare noia
adjectives: fastidioso, noioso
il disturbo - disturbare
The easiest word to understand is the verb disturbare. It looks similar to the English word "to disturb" and is a true cognate. But the noun il disturbo (the disturbance, the interruption) is used a lot, too.
Ci scusi il disturbo, il commissario Manara vorrebbe farle qualche domanda.
Please excuse the interruption; Commissioner Manara would like to ask you few questions.
Caption 3, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 12
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When we feel we have overstayed our welcome or we feel it's time to leave, we can say:
Noi allora togliamo il disturbo. Dovesse venirvi in mente qualcosa, chiamateci.
We'll leave you then [we'll take away the disturbance]. If anything should come to mind, call us.
Captions 78-79, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP2 Rabbia - Part 3
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When you have a medical problem, such as an upset stomach, you can refer to it as un disturbo (an ailment).
We've learned that it's polite to say Permesso (may I come in or "Is it permissible to come in?") when entering an office or someone's home, but sometimes there is another kind of situation, such as a phone call and you want to know if it's a good time... Disturbo (am I disturbing you)?
Carissima. -Ti disturbo? -Ma quando mai.
Dearest. -Am I disturbing you? -Not in the least.
Captions 33-34, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 7
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We can use disturbare reflexively (disturbarsi) to mean "to go to the trouble."
Ma non ti disturbare, chiamo un taxi.
Don't go to any trouble. I'll call a cab.
Caption 12, Provaci ancora prof! S1E4 - La mia compagna di banco - Part 8
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Il fastidio - fastidioso
Il fastidio is a noun, and we usually say dare fastidio (to be a bother, to bother), literally, "to give bother."
When a health worker is about to give you an injection, he or she might say,
Questo ti darà un po' fastidio (this will pinch just a bit).
Eh, finché sono fuori e non danno fastidio, signora.
Eh, as long as they're outside and they're not bothering anyone, Ma'am.
Caption 5, Provaci ancora prof! S2E5 Vita da cani - Part 2
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Ma mica è un gatto, scusa. Che fastidio ti dà?
But she's not a cat, pardon me. How is she bothering you?
Caption 4, Sposami EP 2 - Part 4
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We can also use the adjective fastidioso. This can refer to a noise, such as the noise of a blender or coffee grinder, or too much light, when you open the shutters on a sunny morning. It can be a sensation, as when you are testing for Covid and you or someone sticks a swap up your nose.
È davvero molto fastidioso. Hai ragione".
It's really very bothersome. You are right."
Caption 73, COVID-19 5) I tamponi
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It can often refer to a very specific pain, like a mosquito bite, or the prick of a needle.
Il fastidio and fastidioso are very common words, but in certain parts of Italy, such as Tuscany, they use the la noia and noioso to mean pretty much the same thing.
Erano alberi che davano noia e basta, e quindi questo è l'ultimo rimasto,
They were trees that were a bother and nothing more, and so this was the last one remaining,
Captions 30-31, Gianni si racconta L'olivo e i rovi
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Ah, quanto siete noiosi.
Ah, you are all so annoying.
Caption 23, Non è mai troppo tardi EP 2 - Part 16
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For more about noioso, see this lesson, because if you look up noioso in the dictionary, it will say "boring." So the context will help you determine if something is annoying, bothersome, or boring. Sometimes it's all three. But perhaps annoying is the most similar word in terms of sound, so it might be the easiest to remember.
Now that you are tuned into these words, notice how they're used in Yabla videos. When you see and hear a sentence that can be applied to a familiar situation, write it down, say it, try to make it your own.
It's good to know some basic Italian adjectives so that you can comment on things you see, hear, smell, and taste. We'll be presenting 50 Italian adjectives that people use every day, approximately 10 by 10, so they'll be manageable. Some of these will be easy because they are similar to ones you know in English. Others will be past participles of verbs, just as in English. Yet others will be weird and different and just need to be memorized. And there will be some false friends to watch out for. For more about how adjectives work, see this lesson.
Adjectives are an essential part of speaking a language but the good news is that even if you don't know how to form a sentence or a question, just knowing the appropriate adjective can allow you to communicate something. And that's what language is all about: communication. So if nothing else, just say the appropriate adjective, all by itself, and you will get your message across.
1) bello (beautiful, great)
We can use this adjective for much more than describing a panorama or person as “beautiful.”
We also use it for a movie or book we liked, a situation like a vacation, an encounter…
Ho visto un bel film (I saw a great movie).
So it can also mean “wonderful.” And, since it’s an adjective that changes its ending according to gender and number, it can be used for both guys and gals or masculine and feminine nouns by just changing the ending from bello to bella. So it also means “handsome!”
You'll have noticed that instead of saying Ho visto un bello film, we chop off the ending when it's followed directly by the noun. We say:
Ho visto un bel film, ho letto un bel libro (I saw a great movie, I read a good book).
When you see something beautiful, you can simply say Bello! or Che bello!
Bello, l'ha fatto Lei?
b. Did you do it?
Caption 16, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep. 1 - Part 18
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2) buono (good)
Buono is used a lot for food, for instance, when something tastes good, but it’s also used to mean “valid.” It can also describe a good person.
È una buona persona (He/she is a good person).
Note that persona is a feminine noun, so even if we are talking about a boy or man, the adjective describing persona has to take a feminine ending. Tricky, right?
See Daniela's video lesson about bello, buono, and bene.
Questo è il gelato artigianale. Più gli ingredienti sono freschi e più è buono.
This is handmade ice cream. The fresher the ingredients are, the better it is.
Captions 15-16, Andromeda in - Storia del gelato - Part 2
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Note: Buono is one of those adjectives that has an irregular comparative. See this lesson and this one, too.
3) carino (nice, pretty, good-looking)
This is another adjective with an “o” ending, changing its ending according to gender and number. In aesthetic terms, it is less extreme than bello. However, carino is often used to mean “nice” or “kind” in describing a person, or what the person has done, for example, if you do someone a favor they didn’t ask you to do.
Eh sì. -Eh sì. Comunque Luca è stato molto carino, eh, ad accompagnare suo figlio Fabio all'istituto.
Oh yes. -Oh yes. However Luca was very sweet, no, to accompany his son Fabio to the institute.
Oh yes. -Oh yes. However, it was really nice of Luca, no, to accompany his son Fabio to the institute.
Captions 26-27, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 14
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4) gentile (kind, gentle)
Gentile is a bit more formal than carino. Carino is often used to describe people close to you, but if the bank manager was nice and polite to you, you would use the word gentile. You might also use cortese (courteous) —a great cognate!
E come no, mai una cattiva parola, sempre gentile.
For sure, never a mean word, always kind.
Caption 31, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP2 Rabbia - Part 3
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5) bravo (capable, well-behaved, good at something)
Caro Olivetti, sarai anche bravo a far le macchine da scrivere, ma i tuoi interessi non sono i nostri.
Dear Olivetti, you might be good at making typewriters, but your interests are not ours.
Captions 43-44, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 20
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False friend alert! Forget about “brave” for the most part. Fai la brava! means “Be a good girl!”
È un bravo idraulico (he is a very capable plumber. He is a good plumber).
When I want to say, “Good for you!” I say Bravo! (for a guy) or Brava! (for a gal).
Il cane è bravo (he’s a good [well-behaved] dog–he won’t bite you).
6) ottimo (great, excellent)
This looks like “optimal,” and can also mean that sometimes, but primarily, it’s a superlative kind of adjective that means “great.” Consider this exchange:
Ci vediamo alle cinque. -Ottimo.
I’ll meet you at five o’clock. -Great.
È un ottimo posto per fare jogging.
It's a great place to go jogging.
Caption 25, Anna e Marika Villa Torlonia - Casino Nobile
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This is the perfect comment for someone whose work you appreciated:
Ottimo lavoro!
[You did a] great job!
7) eccellente (excellent)
Here’s a great true friend or cognate. This adjective ends in e, so it doesn’t change with gender, just number.
Questo risotto era da vero eccellente (this risotto was excellent.)Queste ostriche sono eccellenti (these oysters are great.)
Eccellente can also describe a prominent or eminent person, such as someone in a high position.
8) corretto (correct, fair, right, decent)
Here is a partially false friend. If you get the right answer, la risposta è corretta. That’s easy. However, the other meaning of “fair,” — “fair-minded,” “sportsmanlike”— is less familiar to non-native speakers, but very important! For instance, corretto can describe a person as well as his or her behavior.
Pensavo che fosse una persona corretta, e invece… (I thought he was a decent, fair-minded person, but instead…)
Ma ti pare corretto, l'esaminatore che si fa venire a prendere dall'esaminando? -No. -Ma dai!
But does it seem right to you for the exam giver to have the exam taker pick him up? -No. -Come on!
Captions 8-9, La Ladra EP. 11 - Un esame importante - Part 4
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9) favoloso (fabulous, magnificent, awesome)
Here is another true friend. We don’t use “fabulous” in English so much anymore — but some of us still remember the “fab four” (The Beatles). In contrast, Italians do use favoloso when they really mean it. Eyebrows go up, eyes get wider.
Allora, io oggi sono arrivata in questa favolosa città, Lucca, però non la conosco, quindi dove posso andare?
So, today I arrived in this fabulous city, Lucca, but I don't know it, so where can I go?
Captions 16-17, In giro per l'Italia Lucca - Part 1
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10) magnifico (magnificent, great, terrific, cool)
Another true friend, this adjective is somewhat over-used in Italian, thus diminishing its value as a superlative:
Ci vediamo alle cinque. -Magnifico. (I’ll see you at five. -Great.)
E tu, come sempre, sei stata magnifica. -E tu un magnifico bugiardo.
And you, as always, were magnificent. -And you, a magnificent liar.
Captions 2-3, La Ladra EP. 12 - Come ai vecchi tempi - Part 14
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Let's add one more adjective (not included in the 50) that is super easy to use, and easy to remember: fantastico. It's used just like "fantastic" in English, so when you're short on vocabulary, try this one. AND even if you say it in English, people will understand. Of course, it can also be connected with "fantasy," but that's another story.
Sarebbe fantastico andare al concerto tutti insieme. -Un sogno.
It would be fantastic to go to a concert all together. -A dream.
Caption 48, JAMS S1 EP2 - Part 7
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We hope this has been helpful. The next group of adjectives will be about negative adjectives. Stay tuned!
We talked about comodo (comfortable, convenient) and its opposite, scomodo (uncomfortable, inconvenient) in another lesson. In this lesson, we'll talk about a verb that is closely related, but which can be a bit tricky to understand and use: accommodare. As a matter of fact, we have already talked about this verb in a previous lesson, but it's such a common but tricky, nuanced verb, that we'll have another look.
At first glance, accommodare looks like the verb "to accommodate." In effect, both verbs are related to settling in someplace. In English, we think of accommodations as being places provided for lodging. So we might say the common idea is "comfort." But accomodare is generally not a cognate for "accommodate." For example, a room can accommodate a certain number of people, in that it can hold that number. Or when you try to accomodate someone, you try to make things more convenient for them. That's not how accomodare is used in Italian.
In terms of conversational Italian, one important thing to know is that, more often than not, the verb accomodare is used with the verb fare (to do, to make). In a sense, we're making someone comfortable; we are providing the space for them to get comfortable. It might be a guest room or a seat at the table, a seat in the waiting room, etc.
But if we already know that comodo means comfortable, we might also guess that accomodare means something like "to get comfortable." In a way, it does mean that, but it's more about placing someone or something somewhere. It often means "to sit down," or "to set up," which can be construed as a way of getting comfortable.
Venite dentro. Non vi posso fare accomodare. Noi qua stiamo traslocando.
Come inside. I can't have you sit down. Here, we are in the midst of moving.
Captions 7-9, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 15
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Note that the English translation uses the verb "to have." If I sleep over at someone's house, and they show me to the guest room, they might say, Ti faccio accomodare qui (I'll have you set up in this room).
Accomodare can also mean repairing something, but we've looked at that in a separate lesson.
The verb accomodare is often used in its reflexive form, accomodarsi, especially in formal situations, such as in an office when someone asks you to come in, sit down, or wait somewhere.
La prossima volta La prego di accomodarsi in corridoio.
Next time, please have a seat in the corridor.
Caption 52, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP2 Come piante fra sassi - Part 13
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Where this verb can be tricky is in its imperative form, used quite a bit in conversation. In the following example, the speaker is addressing Mrs. Casadio formally. Sometimes accomodarsi can mean "have a seat," but sometimes it just means, "Come in."
Signora Casadio, prego, si accomodi.
Missus Casadio, please have a seat.
Caption 21, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP4 - Miss Maremma
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Or it might just mean you can't be where you are, you have to find another spot.
Si accomodi fuori, non si può stare qui. -Ostacolo.
Step outside. You can't stay here. -Obstacle.
Caption 71, Non è mai troppo tardi EP 2 - Part 11
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Here, in the formal version, the reflexive particle si is separate from the verb. But it works differently when using the imperative informally, as we see in the example below.
Here, the reflexive particle ti (the object pronoun "you") is attached to the verb, but the information is the same as in the previous example (si accomodi). And make sure to put the accent on the first o in accomodati or listen carefully to the example.
Scusami, è libero?
Pardon me, is this place free?
Sì certo, accomodati. -Posso? -Sì sì... -Grazie.
Yes, sure, have a seat. -May I? -Sure... -Thanks.
Captions 2-3, Milena e Mattia - L'incontro
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The same goes for the second-person plural (informal). The particle vi is attached to the verb.
Romano, Di Nardo, accomodatevi che abbiamo appena cominciato.
Romano, Di Nardo, have a seat, as we have just begun.
Caption 2, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP2 Rabbia - Part 3
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Here, the stress is on the second a, as in the infinitive, accomodare.
While fare accomodare is used quite a bit, we can also use modal verbs such as potere (to be able to), dovere (to have to), volere (to want to). The example below uses formal speech.
Comunque se si vuole accomodare, se vuole fare una prova...
Anyway, if you want to come in, if you want to try it out...
Caption 55, Provaci ancora prof! S2EP2 Una mina vagante - Part 18
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Accomodare is used a lot in hotels, restaurants, doctors' offices, people's houses, and places you might visit, so it might be a good idea to practice using this verb if you intend to do any traveling in Italy. Try imagining scenarios in which you might want to seat someone or ask where you can sit.
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