Un pennello is a paintbrush. Un pennello can be used for painting a house or wall, or per dipingere un quadro (to paint a painting). 

Pennello. -Eccomi, capo.

Paintbrush. -Here I am, boss.

Caption 60, PIMPA S3 EP7 La casa colorata

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Anche sugli occhi, mi si chiese di non fare il segno delle ciglia con un unico gesto del pennello, ma di cercare di rendere le ciglia più vaporose, più disegnate.

Even on the eyes, I was asked not to do the line of the lashes with a single stroke of the brush, but to try to make the lashes more voluminous, more defined.

Captions 34-36, Fumettology Diabolik - Part 6

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A pennello is something else. The preposition a in this case means "in the manner of."  So we get "paintbrush-like." The original expression uses the verb calzare (to wear, generally referring to shoes or gloves): Calzare a pennello. As if someone had painted the shoes or gloves on someone, they fit so perfectly. In English, we might say, "It fits like a glove." The expression is used figuratively by extension, with other verbs, to mean "to perfection" or "perfectly." Let's look at a couple of examples from Yabla videos.

Eh... come il cacio sui maccheroni, cioè come una cosa che ci sta a pennello, che... Perché, in effetti, Anna, quello che stai dicendo è una cosa molto tipica qui in Italia. 

Uh... like macaroni and cheese, that is, like something that pairs perfectly, that... Because, actually, Anna, what you are saying is something very typical here in Italy. 

Captions 56-58, L'Italia a tavola Tonnarelli cacio e pepe - Part 1

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Oggi siamo inondati di bufale, studiate a pennello per ingannare la povera gente.

Nowadays, we are inundated with fake news studied with a paintbrush [perfectly designed] to deceive poor folks.

Captions 41-43, Marika commenta - L'ispettore Manara Espressioni idiomatiche - Part 2

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A somewhat similar expression is a fagiolo. 

Un fagiolo is a bean. We usually use the plural when it's about food. 

Non ti piace la mia pasta e fagioli?

Don't you like my pasta and beans?

Caption 3, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S1 EP6 Buio - Part 6

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But when we say something happens a fagiolo, that's something different. There are various verbs to use before it:

andare (to go) 

capitare (to happen)

cascare (to fall)

venire (to come, to arrive)

arrivare (to come, to arrive)

And a fagiolo can mean:

a genio (brilliantly)

al momento giusto (at the right moment)

al punto giusto (to the right degree)

a proposito (perfectly relevant)

The origin of the expression is uncertain. If it began in Tuscany, we can say that beans are a favorite dish for Florentines, especially, so the meaning is positive. Black and white beans were once used to cast votes in meetings and assemblies. Some scholars say that might be the source of the use of beans in such an expression. This author wonders if it might be about the bean fitting perfectly into the pod it comes from. 

Here's an example from a Yabla video. The context is that a warehouse where evidence was stored blew up, supposedly because of a gas leak. Imma Tataranni is extremely skeptical. 

Davvero? Ah, per qualcuno arriva a fagiolo questo gas, eh.

Really? Ah, for someone, this gas arrived at the perfect moment, huh.

Caption 21, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP4 Maltempo - Part 2

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Stay on the lookout for a pennello and a fagiolo. Now you will know what they mean!

Thanks for reading! Please write to us with your ideas and questions: [email protected]

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In this lesson, we're going to talk about an adjective and a noun stemming from the common verb portare. Portare comes from the Latin "portāre," meaning "to carry" or "to bear" (as does the Italian verb portare). It originally referred (and still does refer) to physically carrying or bearing objects or people. One of the 2 words came up in a Yabla video, so it seemed like a good opportunity to shine a light. 

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Portato as an adjective

Logically, the past participle portato is used in the past tense to mean "carried" or "brought." For example:

Infatti ho portato i soldi.

In fact, I brought the money.

Caption 66, Provaci ancora prof! S2E6 La strana ossessione - Part 20

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Portare takes avere as an auxiliary, a cue telling us portato is a past participle, not an adjective. It's not unusual for past participle forms of verbs to become adjectives or nouns. They are usually related in basic meaning. But in the case of portato, the meaning strayed a bit from the original one. It took on a more figurative sense. "Carrying something" was extended to mean "having an inherent tendency or suitability for something," as if the trait were "carried" within a person. Portato began to describe someone with a natural inclination toward a specific activity or field. We can imagine someone "carrying" a predisposition or "bearing" a natural gift, to go back to the meaning of portare.

In a previous lesson, we talked about being talented or not, using dotato or negato. Portato fits in as a synonym for dotato (gifted) with a slightly different vibe. Dotato might be thought of in terms of being a gift from God or some higher power, and portato, in terms of coming from within, an innate predisposition. But they are often used interchangeably.

In the following example from an Italian TV series about the Milan music conservatory, a violin student has been yelling over some drum riffs in order to hide the sound of his letting off steam. His friend compliments him on his yelling.

E bravo, sei portato.

And well done, you're a natural.

Caption 52, La compagnia del cigno EP 2 - Part 8

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If I say: Sei portato per la musica, I am saying, "You are gifted." "You're a natural." We might use it to describe someone good at learning languages, good at fixing cars, good at cooking, etc.

Invece ha detto che nostra figlia è molto portata per la danza.

But she said our daughter is very gifted in dance.

Caption 25, Provaci ancora prof! S2EP1 - La finestra sulla scuola - Part 9

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Per cosa si sente portata?

What do you feel you're good at?

What's your strong suit?

Caption 28, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep. 1 - Part 11

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Let's remember that, as adjectives, portato, portata, portati and portate have to agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.

La portata as a noun: 

The feminine past participle of portare evolved into the noun portata, whose core meaning relates to "that which is carried" or "the act of carrying." You might be familiar with the noun una portata in the context of courses of a meal, brought or carried to the table.  

La portata evolved into meaning "the extent" or "the range," referring to the span or scope something can reach, carry, or bear, such as physical reach or figurative impact.

Sono pienamente d'accordo sulla portata metaforica del Suo discorso,

I am in full agreement about the metaphorical impact/magnitude of what you are saying,

Caption 14, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno Ep. 1 - Part 23

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Finally, we have the expression a portata di mano (literally, "within reach of one's hand"). We can shorten it to "within reach."

In inverno consiglio sempre di tenere a portata di mano un ombrello.

In winter I always recommend keeping an umbrella handy.

Caption 22, Adriano Le stagioni dell'anno

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As we see, it can mean "handy," but it can also mean "at hand," or "close at hand" in a figurative sense.

Sarebbe atroce morire proprio ora che la salvezza è a portata di mano.

It would be awful to die right now when salvation is at hand/within reach.

Captions 57-58, Vivere Un'avventura di Vittorio De Sica - Part 1

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We hope you will now know what people mean when they say someone is portato or portata, and if they ask you Hai carta e penna a portata di mano? you will know they're asking if you have paper and pen handy to write something down.

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