In a previous lesson we talked about what lexical chunks are, and how we can use them to become more fluent. In this lesson, we mention 10 common chunks you'll want in your Italian toolkit. 

1) Non fa niente (it doesn't matter). Literally it's "it doesn't make/do anything." It's better to know what the effect is, and when to say it, than knowing what each word means. Remember that Italian uses the double negative to form a negative, thus we have the negating word non (not) and then the negative word niente (nothing)

Ma se devi andare vai, non fa niente. -No,

But if you have to leave, it's OK/it doesn't matter. -No,

Caption 19, JAMS S1 EP4 - Part 5

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2) Di niente (you're welcome, don't mention it)

Grazie per l'assistenza. -Di niente.

Thanks for your help. -Think nothing of it/you're welcome/it was nothing.

Captions 53-54, La Ladra EP. 4 - Una magica bionda - Part 1

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3) Secondo me (in my opinion)

Però, secondo me, la ragazza ha mentito.

But, in my opinion/according to me, the girl lied.

Caption 6, Provaci ancora prof! S3EP2 Doppio imprevisto - Part 21

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For Yabla videos, we tend to translate secondo me as "in my opinion," to distinguish it from penso che (I think that), but a fluent translation of secondo me, is also "I think." If we take the word secondo by itself, it means "according to."

4) Va bene is an equivalent for all right or OK. But literally, it means, "it goes well."

Maura, appena arrivi prendi un tavolo. -Auguri. Va bene.

Maura, as soon as you arrive, get a table. -Congratulations. All right.

Captions 66-67, Com'è umano lui Film - Part 12

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And let's not forget that it can also be posed as a question: Va bene? Does it go/is it going well? You're really asking if something is OK.

5) D'accordo (agreed). Your tone of voice, as well as the context, will indicate whether you are asking if something is OK, or saying something is OK. It's another way to say "OK?"  or "OK." Literally, it's "of the agreement."

D'accordo?

All right?

Caption 29, Provaci ancora prof! S2E5 Vita da cani - Part 8

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D'accordo, arrivo.

All right, I'll be right there.

Caption 29, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S1 EP6 Buio - Part 7

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6) But you can also say d'accordo to agree with someone. In this case, you add the verb essere (to be), in this case, sono (I am). Literally, it's "to be in agreement."

Sono d'accordo con te.

I agree with you.

Caption 9, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S1EP5 Misericordia - Part 25

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7) Here's a chunk we use a lot: avere bisogno di (to have need of). In English, we just use the transitive verb "to need."

Ho bisogno di tempo.

I need time.

Caption 27, Provaci ancora prof! S2E5 Vita da cani - Part 3

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8) Sometimes you just want to say, "all the better" or "just as well." Meglio così (literally, "better like that)".

Meglio così.

All the better/just as well.

Caption 13, Provaci ancora prof! S3EP3 La terza vittima - Part 11

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9) Come dire (how to say, how can I say it)?

Come dire is something you hear often in conversation. It's tricky to translate, because Italians insert it smack in the middle of what they are saying. Literally, it's "how to say?" They're basically posing the question," How can I put this?" or "What's the best way to say this?" It might even be a filler, like "You know?"

Ma non è che io, come dire, invidiassi Valentina.

But it's not that I, you know, envied Valentina.

Captions 54-55, Guido Crepax Cercando Valentina - Part 13

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In this lesson, we've shown you a number of chunks you can learn as if they were single words. Once you get the hang of them, you can use them to build sentences. We'll look at building sentences with chunks in a future lesson. Where there was a choice, we've focused on the first-person singular, since it's the person you will use a lot in speech. 

Thanks for reading. As always, send your questions or doubts to [email protected].

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In English, double letters matter in spelling, but in pronunciation, not so much. In Italian, however, double consonants are pronounced differently from single consonants. We're usually talking about the letters M, N, P, S, T, D, G, L, V, C, among others. And the meaning of a word can change drastically from double letter to single letter within a word.

In this lesson, let's focus on the letter L. Consider these two words: molare and mollare. 

Il molare is a noun meaning "the molar," when talking about teeth. In fact, the verb molare has to do with grinding (grinding is what molars do), and a grinder is called una mola in Italian. 

But if we turn that L into a double LL, it's a different story.

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Una molla is a spring, like a slinky, like the spring you have in a ballpoint pen. 

La sola idea di, di, di fargli passare una vecchiaia da solo, in un posto così triste come un canile, forse è stata la molla che è scattata in me.

Just the idea of, of, of having him spend his old age by himself, in a place as sad as a dog pound, was maybe what triggered my decision.

Captions 50-52, Andromeda La storia di Ulisse

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In the previous example, Andromeda is talking about adopting or rescuing a dog from a kennel. She uses the noun la molla, with the verb scattare. When you pull the trigger on a gun you are releasing an internal spring. So using molla and scattare together are a way of saying "to trigger."

We use this expression, for example, when things come to a head and something sparks a decision. There is perhaps one crucial catalyst. 

The verb mollare is used in a variety of circumstances, from physically letting go of something, such as a bone. Here, mollare is used physically, but in a metaphoric way.  In English, we often say, "He's like a dog with a bone."

Ma quelli non mollano l'osso manco morti!

But those guys never let go of the bone, not even dead.

Caption 35, La Ladra EP. 2 - Viva le spose - Part 10

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Mollare can mean "to give up." In this case, there is no object; in other words, when it means "to give up," "to give in," or "to back down," mollare is intransitive. 

Appunto per questo, non devi mollare.

Exactly because of this, you shouldn't give up.

Caption 39, Il Commissario Manara S1EP11 - Beato tra le donne - Part 1

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Non mollare. -Vai.

Don't give up. -Go.

Caption 4, L'oro di Scampia film - Part 11

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Mollare is one of those verbs where the command form often uses the infinitive, as in non mollare! (don't let go, don't give up).

When mollare is transitive, having a direct object, it means "to drop," "to leave," "to quit." It's often used for quitting a job or leaving a partner.

Non ha più voluto insegnare. Poi, prima di mollare tutto, ha voluto parlare con me.

She no longer wanted to teach. Then, before dropping everything, she wanted to talk to me.

Captions 63-65, La compagnia del cigno S1 EP4 - Part 5

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Ancora devono smaltire il fatto che ho mollato l'università.

They still have to get over the fact that I dropped out of college.

Caption 29, Com'è umano lui Film - Part 12

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Gemma m'ha mollato.

Gemma dumped me.

Caption 4, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3EP4 Lo stagno del ranocchio - Part 6

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Thanks for reading. We hope to have clarified the difference between molare and mollare and to have helped you understand the various nuances of the verb mollare.

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We think of the word "crescent" as a noun. It's a shape. And it's also the shape of a waxing or waning moon. But did you ever stop to think about where the word came from? Well, in both Latin and Italian, crescere means "to grow." So a crescent moon is a growing (or waxing) moon. In Italian, we talk about la luna crescente or, when it's waning, la luna calante. Calare means "to lower," "to lessen."

Calare la pasta e mescolare ogni tre, cinque minuti.

Lower the pasta [into the pot] and stir every three to five minutes.

Caption 43, Vocaboliamo La pasta - Part 1

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So both calare and crescere can be transitive.

Devi crescere una figlia

You have to raise a daughter,

Caption 59, Com'è umano lui Film - Part 12

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But they can both be intransitive, too. When these verbs are used transitively, their compound tenses are formed with the auxiliary avere; when used intransitively, the auxiliary is essere. The transitive and intransitive usages have similar meanings.

Crescere sembra difficile

Growing up seems difficult

Caption 55, JAMS S1 EP 10 - Part 1

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When we talk about the moon's phases in Italian, we use the present participle of the verbs crescere and calare: crescente and calante, respectively. 

Gobba a ponente, luna crescente.

Hump on the west, the moon is waxing.

Caption 23, L'Eredità -Quiz TV La sfida dei sei. Puntata 2 - Part 11

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In the previous example, the noun gobba is used to describe the moon. The hump or hunchback form is either on the left side or the right side, and that determines whether the moon is waxing or waning. 

Sì, la gobba a levante, a Est è luna calante.

Yes, the hump to the east, in the East, it's a waning moon.

Caption 22, L'Eredità -Quiz TV La sfida dei sei. Puntata 2 - Part 11

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The moon has been visible to us since the beginning of time, and it's logical to describe it in human terms. We have the man in the moon. Farmers, of which there used to be many more than there are now, would look into the sky and see a shape that might correspond to something in their life. Certainly, the scythe (large version) and sickle (small version) were tools farm workers used every day to cut crops and grass. The moon's phases were important to determining when to plant and when to reap, so farmers paid attention to the moon. 

An old-time agricultural tool is la falce (the scythe). It has the shape of a crescent. That's why Italians might use the word "falce" to describe a moon, which is either waxing or waning, but which has the shape of a scythe, or a sickle, the smaller size instrument of the same type, called un falcetto in Italian.

This image is used in a poem by Gabriele D'Annunzio, also set to music by the composer Ottorino Respighi: Here are the first few lines. 

O falce di luna calante
che brilli su l’acque deserte,
o falce d’argento, qual mèsse di sogni
ondeggia al tuo mite chiarore qua giù!

O crescent [scythe] of a waning moon
You that shine on the deserted waters,
O silver crescent [scythe], what harvest of dreams 
flutters In your pale glow down here!

These days, people rarely use scythes in Italy, but they do often use a sickle, un falcetto. 

Thanks for reading. 

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