What words and expressions can we use in Italian to talk about getting along with other people, or not getting along? There are plenty of ways, some more mainstream, and others more colloquial or even vulgar, especially when it's about not getting along.
First of all, let's mention the classic term simpatico, which is tough to translate accurately (see this lesson). Although simpatico is not strictly connected with getting along, it is often a factor.
Someone can be simpatico, meaning they are friendly, easy to get along with, nice, likeable. None of these descriptions alone is enough to express the idea of simpatico. But simpatico has become a word that many English speakers understand. We can use simpatico as an adjective to describe a person:
Nick è uno simpatico, un po' fuori di testa.
Nick is a nice guy, a bit crazy.
Captions 56-57, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S1EP4 Gelo - Part 10
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But we can personalize it a bit by using the verb stare instead of essere and adding a personal pronoun. This is one way of getting around the fact that "to like" is transitive in English but not in Italian. We've mentioned in another lesson that mi piace can have various connotations, but stare simpatico is more generic and "safe."
Anche se la conoscevo poco, mi stava simpatica. -Certo.
Even if I didn't know her well, I liked her. -Of course.
Caption 10, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S1EP1 I Bastardi - Part 14
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The opposite of simpatico is antipatico. But while we can use antipatico to describe a person, we also use it to describe something unpleasant like a medical procedure. It often means "unpleasant" in this context. In the following example, "unfriendly" was the translation but it could also have been "unpleasant," "not nice." Sometimes we might use "nasty," but that is a strong word.
È severo e pure un po' antipatico.
He is stern and also a bit unfriendly.
Caption 41, Provaci ancora prof! S1E4 - La mia compagna di banco - Part 4
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In terms of getting along, the classic phrasal verb is andare d'accordo (literally, "to go in agreement").
Non mi avevi detto che andavate d'accordo? -Sì, andiamo d'accordo.
Didn't you tell me you got along great? -Yes, we get along.
Captions 77-78, Questione di Karma Rai Cinema - Part 15
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Sai quanto tuo marito mi sta antipatico, e questo lo abbiamo capito fra le righe, però andare d'accordo con te non è che è facile, eh.
You know how much I don't like your husband, and this we have figured out, reading between the lines, but getting along with you isn't easy, huh.
Captions 5-8, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 EP3 Un cugino in fuga - Part 14
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Another way to express "getting along" in a very positive way, is with stare bene. Stare bene can mean "to feel good," "to be comfortable," or "to be in good health." Stare insieme is used when two people are in a couple. Stanno insieme (they are together, they're a couple).
Stiamo bene insieme.
We get along well together/we go well together.
Caption 29, Sposami EP 5 - Part 23
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Sometimes you can get along with someone you don't like, but sometimes people are mean. In Italian, we use vedere (to see) instead of "to stand," when you can't stand someone.
Per esempio: "Nicoletta è sempre antipatica con me". E in effetti, anche io non la posso vedere.
For example: "Nicoletta is always nasty to me." And, actually, I can't stand her either.
Captions 41-42, Marika spiega Il verbo vedere - Part 2
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Sometimes we don't get along with someone because one of us is a pain in the butt. The socially acceptable way to describe this type of person is un rompiscatole. See this lesson for a closer look.
Problemi? -No, niente, è solo 'sta [questa] rompiscatole.
Problems? -No, nothing. It's just this pain in the ass.
Caption 91, Provaci ancora prof! S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita - Part 1
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Now we get to more vulgar terms. Replacing rompiscatole with rompipalle or rompiballe (literally "ballbreaker," pain in the ass) is more vulgar. We again use stare (to be, to stay) together with a word for male genitalia or some euphemism. We are describing someone who can't stand someone else. The next example is quite vulgar, although used a lot, except in polite company.
Magari gli stavo sul cazzo.
Maybe to him I was a pain in the ass.
Caption 67, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S1EP1 I Bastardi - Part 9
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To make this more socially acceptable, it could be:
Magari gli stavo sulle scatole.
Mi ha accollato agli altri a forza e il risultato finale è che sono appena arrivato e sto già sul cazzo a tutti.
He forced me on the others and the end result is that I only just arrived and I'm already pissing everyone off.
Captions 31-32, La compagnia del cigno EP 2 - Part 3
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We might have translated this another way, too:
Sto già sul cazzo a tutti.
Everyone already hates me/can't stand me/I am already hated by everyone.
Although the word order is different from what we say in English, the idea is that someone is hated by someone else.
Thanks for reading. Please write to us if you have questions or comments about this topic: newsletter@yabla.com
One of our subscribers has asked about the difference between two verbs: immaginare and supporre. Of course, both verbs have English cognates: "to imagine" and "to suppose." But knowing when and how to use them is not always obvious. Let's focus first on immaginare, and we'll save supporre for an upcoming lesson.
Immaginare
The verb immaginare can be transitive and it matches up with the English meaning of "imagine." In an episode of Sposami, Ugo wants some comprehension from Nora. She gives him a snappy retort.
Per una volta nella vita, cerca di capirmi, prova a immaginare la situazione. -Cosa devo immaginare, Ugo? L'ho vista la scena.
For once in your life, try to understand me, try to imagine the situation. -What should I imagine, Ugo? I saw the scene.
Captions 36-38, Sposami EP 5 - Part 20
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It can be intransitive and still corresponds to English:
Ma immagina quando fra dieci, vent'anni il mercato richiederà soltanto calcolatori elettronici.
But imagine when, in ten, twenty years, the market will be asking for electronic calculators only.
Captions 27-28, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 15
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Immaginare can be used with a reflexive ending to add some personal reinforcement.
Immaginati la sorpresa quando ho scoperto che dopo tutti questi anni eri diventata... Un poliziotto? -No! Bellissima!
Imagine [for yourself] my surprise when I discovered that after all these years you had become... A cop? -No! Beautiful!
Captions 6-9, Il Commissario Manara S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena - Part 14
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In English, when we give a short answer, we usually say "I can imagine," in other words, using a modal verb before the main verb. In Italian, we can just use the verb itself with no modal verb before it.
Poi io so' [sono] passato a lavorare nello studio e mi occupo un po' di tutto... un incarico di fiducia. -Immagino.
Then I began working in the office and I handle a little bit of everything... a position of trustworthiness. -I can imagine.
Captions 54-56, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 11
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We can also use the modal verb potere (to be able to) as an option.
Non mi sono ancora ripreso da questa tragedia, ve lo confesso. -Posso immaginare.
I haven't yet recovered from this tragedy, I'll confess it to you. -I can imagine.
Captions 6-7, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP4 Gelo - Part 10
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The verb immaginare is also used like "to suppose," "to think," "to believe," and "to guess." Although we used the cognate in the translation to facilitate remembering the word, other words could work, too. This is a case in which immaginare and supporre are interchangeable.
Immagino che vorrà parlarmi di Donata Miulli.
I imagine that you will want to talk to me about Donata Miulli.
I suppose that you will want to talk to me about Donata Miulli.
I guess that you will want to talk to me about Donata Miulli.
Caption 30, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP 4 Maltempo - Part 23
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Since both verbs have to do with hypothesis rather than certainty, they often take the subjunctive when followed by the conjunction che.
Immagino che si tratti del sequestro De Carolis.
I guess [that] it is about the De Carolis kidnapping.
Caption 61, Il Commissario Manara S2EP10 -La verità nascosta - Part 7
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In English we often say, "I suppose so," "I think so," "I guess so," etc. It's important to keep in mind that in Italian, this "so" is expressed with di sì. We translated immagino di sì with "I imagine so," but it could also have been "I guess so" or "I think so."
Ma, quindi, Grazia faceva la modella? Immagino di sì. Casa sua era piena di foto di questo tipo, quindi immagino di sì.
But, so, Grazia was a model? I imagine so. Her house was full of photos like this, so I imagine so.
Captions 60-61, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP4 Gelo - Part 5
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In Part 2, we'll focus on supporre.
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