Do you already know the 4 seasons in Italian? Here they are.
L'inverno (the winter)
La primavera (the spring)
L'estate (the summer)
L'autunno (the autumn)
Check out this beginner video.
Ciao, sono Marika e oggi ti insegnerò i giorni della settimana, le stagioni e i mesi dell'anno.
Hi, I'm Marika and today I'm going to teach you the days of the week, the seasons and the months of the year.
Captions 1-2, Marika spiega Settimana, stagioni e mesi
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Adriano talks about the 4 seasons, what to wear, the colors he associates with each, his favorites, and so on.
Oggi vi parlerò delle stagioni.
Today I'm going to talk to you about the seasons.
Caption 2, Adriano Le stagioni dell'anno
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Grammar tip: The noun la stagione is one of those nouns that ends in E. We don't think of it automatically as being feminine because it doesn't end in A as the majority of feminine nouns do. But it is indeed feminine, so when we form the plural we have to add an I at the end (there's already an e in the singular!). La stagione, le stagioni. We just have to think a bit harder when using these kinds of nouns.
So if you aren't familiar with the seasons, the videos mentioned above will help out. But in this lesson, we're going to talk about words that have to do with the seasons, or words or expressions that include the Italian word for season: stagione.
In the following example, Marika is talking about an Italian household ritual, often left to la mamma (the mom). It's a common excuse for not going out with friends on a weekend at the end of April or October. It's a thankless job, but also a good opportunity for throwing things away — eliminare (to eliminate), scartare (to discard), dar via (to give away). It's il cambio degli armadi (the closet switching), or il cambio di stagione.
Come tu ben sai, eh, l'Italia, come anche altri paesi del mondo, è soggetta alle stagioni, e quindi noi ogni sei mesi facciamo il cambio di stagione, che vuol dire che svuotiamo il nostro armadio dei vestiti invernali e le [sic] prepariamo a quelli primaverili ed estivi, oppure autunnali.
As you well know, uh, Italy, like other countries in the world, is subject to the seasons, and so every six months, we do a season change, which means that we empty our closet of winter clothes and we prepare them [sic] for the spring or summer ones, or else the fall ones.
Captions 24-27, Marika spiega L'abbigliamento - Part 1
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***A note about how things work in Italy. In apartments and homes, it's not so common for there to be built-in closets. You have to buy one, and they take up a lot of space in the bedroom. The bigger ones are often called quattro stagioni (four seasons) because you put the things up high that you don't need for the current season, and do some rotating during the year, to have the clothes you need handy.
When we talk about the seasons, we tend to first think about the more extreme ones, summer and winter, with their relative temperatures, caldo (hot) and freddo (cold). The seasons in between — spring and fall — have their characteristics, too. La primavera (spring) is often referred to as la bella stagione. La bella stagione can also simply refer to "the warm weather," or the season in which the weather is nice and warm.
A risvegliarsi dal torpore invernale, sono uomini ed animali, decisi a sfruttare la bella stagione per esplorare nuovi sentieri in una natura selvaggia, ma accogliente.
Awakening from the winter torpor are men and animals, determined to take advantage of the "beautiful season" [spring] to explore new paths in a wild but welcoming nature.
Captions 24-26, Formaggi D'autore - Part 3
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Another way to think about the in-between seasons of primavera and autunno, is by calling them "half-seasons" or "in-between seasons," La mezza stagione. This applies primarily to what to wear. La mezza stagione is when we tend to dress a cipolla (like an onion, in layers) and be ready for anything. But it can also refer to "mid-season."
Ma l'ultima neve ha i giorni contati. In un paesaggio da mezza stagione, la transizione verso la primavera è iniziata.
But the days of the last snow are numbered. In a mid-season landscape, the transition to spring has begun.
Captions 21-23, Formaggi D'autore - Part 3
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The best time to buy clothes for less is a fine stagione (at the end of the season). That's when shops have saldi (sales).
Tigrotto, non avevo più niente da mettermi e ho comprato due cosine ai saldi. -Hai fatto bene, ma...
Tiger Cub, I had nothing to wear and I bought two little things at the sales. -You did the right thing, but...
Caption 7, Il Commissario Manara S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva - Part 17
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If you are traveling to Italy and want to save money, you'll go during la bassa stagione (the off-season). Prices are cheaper. We can also talk about fuori stagione ("out of the season" or "off-season") indicating the non-tourist season.
Questa bella piscina, che non è sempre così perché siamo fuori stagione e di solito è più ricca di persone, perché è sempre pieno qua di persone. Questa casa vacanze che è, insomma, è per poter [sic] ospitare delle famiglie,
This beautiful swimming pool, which isn't always like this because we're in the off season... and usually it's more crowded with people, because here it's always full of people. This vacation rental that is, in short, is to be able to host families,
Captions 41-44, Sicilia - Marsala Casa vacanze Torre Lupa
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Thanks for reading.
Here are some good-to-know Italian adjectives that describe size and strength:
21) grande (big, large, tall, adult, great, grand)
This is a basic adjective that covers several bases, which means there is also room for doubt about what someone means. Hand gestures help, of course. Generally speaking, grande is a very positive adjective.
22) grosso (big, large, major, coarse, arduous)
As you can see, grande and grosso are equivalents in some cases, but not all. If you say someone is grande, that’s fine. You might mean “tall” or you might mean “adult.” If you use grosso, you are talking about size, and might be implying they are also grasso (fat). Reading and watching Italian language videos will help you develop a sense for which adjective to use.
il sale grosso (coarse salt). Sale grosso is what most Italians use to salt the water for cooking pasta or vegetables. Good to know! We also need to consider the figurative meanings of both grande and grosso.
È stato un grande lavoro can imply the positive quality of a job. Grande also means “great.”
È stato un grosso lavoro implies that there was a lot of work to do.
Sometimes we describe someone as grande e grosso. In this case, it’s (often) a big, tall man with broad shoulders and possibly also a paunch. Grosso might give the impression of strength too.
È un omone grande e grosso, però è come un bambino,
He's a tall and big man, but he's like a child,
Caption 70, Il Commissario Manara S1EP4 - Le Lettere Di Leopardi - Part 2
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23) grasso (fat, fatty, greasy, oily)
We use this adjective to describe a person or animal, but also to describe the fat content of food. Even oily or greasy hair can be described with grasso — Capelli grassi (oily hair). Boldface letters are called in grassetto because the letters are thicker than normal ones.
24) robusto (strong, sturdy, hardy, robust, heavyset)
Here’s a word to use when you don’t want to call someone grasso (fat).
Era una donna robusta. (She was a heavyset woman.)
25) forte (strong, loud, intense, gifted)
This adjective is important to know, but it can also be ambiguous sometimes. See this Yabla lesson about this ambiguity.
In estate qui il sole è molto forte.
In summer, the sun here is very strong.
Caption 40, Adriano Le stagioni dell'anno
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Forte can also be the opposite of negato, therefore describing someone who is very good at something. Here are two examples with forte, but where it means something different in either example.
Abbassa la musica; è troppo forte. (Lower the volume of the music. It’s too loud.)
Certo che se vai tantissimo [tanto] forte, devi saper frenare per tempo!
For sure, if you go super fast, you have to know how to brake in time!
Caption 11, Dixiland In bicicletta
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26) piccolo (small, little)
If you are ordering a beer, the waiter might ask you grande o piccola? large or small?
Una birra piccola, per cortesia (a small beer, please).
Piccola can also mean very young, just as grande, especially when used comparatively, can describe someone older, like an older brother.
Mio fratello è più piccolo di me (my brother is younger than me).
27) debole (weak)
Sono troppo debole per sollevare questo peso. I’m too weak to lift this weight.
28) sottile (thin, subtle, fine)
The cognate for sottile is “subtle,” but sottile also means "thin," as when you want thin slices of something like cheese or prosciutto.
La nostra cipolla va affettata in modo molto sottile.
Our onion is to be sliced very thinly.
Caption 6, L'Italia a tavola Penne alla Toma Piemontese - Part 2
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29) basso (low, short, shallow, soft [in volume])
Here’s another adjective with different meanings that can lead us astray, so consequently, we have to pay careful attention to context. Sometimes it’s hard to know!
Ha il fondo piatto cosicché può navigare anche sui canali più bassi e sui fondali anche di pochi centimetri.
It has a flat bottom so it can navigate even the shallowest canals and over depths of even just a few centimeters.
Captions 20-21, In giro per l'Italia Venezia - Part 5
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30) alto (high, loud, tall)
The same ambiguity applies to this adjective. If you know all the meanings, you can try to figure out which meaning is intended, according to context. As with basso and forte, sometimes it’s hard to be 100% sure of the meaning.
Il sole doveva già essere alto in cielo, e invece era scomparso.
The sun should have already been high in the sky, but instead it had disappeared.
Captions 14-15, Dixiland Sole dormiglione
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Learn more!
Practical examples of these adjectives can be found throughout Yabla videos available here. Yabla offers you the possibility of learning at your own pace and through videos pertaining to your interests. Expand your horizons by learning one of the most romantic languages in the world.
Troppo (too, too much, too many) is an essential word to know. It's also easy because its meaning is clear even if you use it by itself, even if you use it incorrectly. It is a word that will serve you well if you travel to Italy, and especially if you do any shopping. But let's remember that it can be used as either an adverb or an adjective. So it's just one more thing to think about when using it (correctly).
Troppo caro! is an important phrase to memorize. Too expensive!
The question you might ask before saying that is:
Quanto costa (how much does it cost)?
If you don't understand the answer, try to get the vendor to write down the price.
Here below, troppo is used as an adverb. We see there is an adjective following it: caro (expensive, dear).
Ma è troppo caro, ma questo vasetto qua...
But that's too expensive, but this little pot here...
Caption 60, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP10 - Un morto di troppo
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You can also just say È troppo (it's too much) or Costa troppo (it costs too much).
Typical uses of troppo as an adverb:
Troppo difficile (too difficult)
Troppo forte (too loud, too strong)
Troppo caldo (too hot)
Troppo complicato (too complicated)
Even when the adjective modifies an adjective with a feminine ending, troppo (as an adverb) remains the same.
Lei è troppo ansiosa (she is too anxious).
I miei professori sono troppo esigenti (my teachers are too demanding).
But we can also use troppo as an adjective. Attenzione! When we use troppo as an adjective it has to agree, or correspond, to the noun it is modifying. We have to consider gender and number and thus, in translating troppo as an adjective, we have to think of whether it's "too much" or "too many."
So let's say we are again finding an item to be too expensive. We can say:
Sono troppi soldi (that's too much money) .
Remember money is countable in Italian. Un soldo (a penny) or i soldi (the money).
Chances are that when you see troppo (with an o at the end) it will be an adverb but look around to see whether there is an adjective or a noun after it.
C'è troppo aglio.
There's too much garlic.
Caption 1, Dafne - Film - Part 18
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When you see troppi or troppe, then you know they are adjectives.
Tu ti fai troppi problemi, troppi.
You're having too many scruples, too many.
Caption 16, Sposami - EP 3 - Part 20
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Ti ho perdonato... ti ho perdonato troppe volte.
I've forgiven you... I've forgiven you too many times.
Caption 43, Concorso internazionale di cortometraggio - A corto di idee
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Let's also be aware that troppo is often used by itself: È troppo! to mean, "that's too much!" in a figurative way.
Tanto is another word that is very useful and very common, although it does have various meanings and uses that we won't cover here. We'll limit ourselves to talking about its function as an adjective or adverb to mean "a lot," "much," "many," or "very."
Ben presto però si sviluppò in Europa, dove ebbe tanto successo.
Quite early on, it spread to Europe, where it had a lot of success.
Caption 7, Adriano - balla il Tango Argentino
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In the example above, there's a noun after tanto, so we can see it's an adjective. But in the following example, there's an adjective after tanto, so it's an adverb. When translating, we'll need "very" when tanto is used as an adverb.
Il problema principale è che Boss era un gatto...
The main problem was that Boss was a cat...
era ed è un gatto tanto socievole.
he was, and is, a very sociable cat.
Captions 31-32, Andromeda - La storia di Boss
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We use tanto a lot in negative sentences too, or we can use poco the same way:
Non è tanto bello (it's not very nice).
È poco bello (it's not very nice).
When tanto is used as an adjective, we have to watch the endings, just as we did with troppo.
Si può aggiungere il caffè, si possono aggiungere tanti ingredienti...
One can add coffee, one can add many ingredients...
Caption 10, Andromeda - in - Storia del gelato
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...in vista di tante passeggiate all'aria aperta.
...in anticipation of many walks in the open air.
Caption 35, Adriano - Le stagioni dell'anno
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So basically troppo and tanto work the same way, in terms of grammar. As we said before, tanto has other meanings or nuances, so we suggest doing a search of tanto in the lessons tab, to see multiple lessons about the word. Check them out!
Let's talk about adverbs we can use to add a qualifier to an adjective. We can say someone is gentile (nice). But we can qualify that with an adverb such as molto (very), poco (not very), abbastanza (rather, enough), and others.
Molto (very) and poco (not very) go hand in hand. They can be either adjectives or adverbs. When they're adjectives, we change the ending according to what they modify. But when they're used as adverbs, they are invariable.
Molto is perhaps the one we hear most often. In our first example, molto becomes molti to agree with negozi (the plural of negozio). This is because it is functioning as an adjective. For more on this topic, see Daniela's lessons.
A qui [sic], a Mondello ci sono molti negozi.
Here in Mondello there are many shops:
Caption 18, Adriano - a Mondello
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In the next example, however, molto is an adverb modifying forte (strong). As an adverb, the ending doesn't ever change. And in English, the meaning changes to "very."
In estate qui il sole è molto forte.
In summer, the sun here is very strong.
Caption 40, Adriano - Le stagioni dell'anno
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Poco works the same way as molto and can be used as an adjective or an adverb. Here, poche agrees with ore (the plural of ora).
Poche ore fa, non più di tre.
Just a few hours ago, no more than three.
Caption 43, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP2 - L'addio di Lara
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But here, it's an adverb modifying chiaro (clear).
C'è sicuramente qualcosa di poco chiaro là sotto.
There is for sure something not very clear underneath it all.
Caption 40, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone - EP1 I Bastardi - Part 15
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Molto and poco are opposites, more or less, but we have some "in-between" words, too.
Abbastanza is interesting because it comes from the verb bastare (to suffice). So the most logical translation for abbastanza might be "sufficiently" — to the degree of being sufficient, or "enough," which in English comes after the adjective it modifies. In everyday speech, however, we often equate abbastanza with "rather," "fairly," or in colloquial speech, "pretty."
Era abbastanza timida, abbastanza riservata.
She was rather shy, rather reserved.
Caption 2, Illuminate - Rita Levi Montalcini
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Certo, Lojacono mi sembra uno abbastanza sveglio,
Of course, Lojacono seems quite smart to me,
ma per quanto riguarda il resto della squadra,
but regarding the rest of the team,
Lei è messo male, io lo so.
you are in bad shape, I know.
Captions 36-38, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone - EP1 I Bastardi - Part 9
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A synonym for abbastanza is piuttosto, usually translated as "rather." It's on the positive end of the scale but not at the top. When you say abbastanza, you might be saying something is lacking, that something is just sufficient, especially when coupled with a positive adjective such as buono (good) bene, (good, well) or bello (beautiful, nice).
Come ti senti?
How do you feel?
Abbastanza bene. -Ce la fai?
Pretty good. -Can you manage?
Captions 72-73, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP11 - Uno strano incidente di caccia
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But with piuttosto, it's usually positive relative to what it's modifying and serves to reinforce the positive aspect of something without actually going to the point of saying molto (very). So it's generally (but not always) higher on the scale than abbastanza.
Anche se, su certi argomenti, se la cava piuttosto bene devo dire.
Even though, on some subjects, she manages rather well, I must say.
Caption 52, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero
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So of course it can also modify a negative adjective, and reinforces its characteristic, as in this example:
La gestione all'interno della casa
The running of the household
è stata piuttosto complicata, i primi giorni,
was quite complicated, the first days,
Captions 2-3, COVID-19 - 3) La quarantena
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Nella memory card ce n'erano anche altre, piuttosto sfocate.
On the memory card there were others too, and rather blurry.
Caption 9, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP4 - Miss Maremma
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This adverb is similar to piuttosto, but is often another way of saying molto (much, very). But it can also be just a short step lower than molto, depending on the context and the region the speaker is from.
Ma in realtà, pensate, dopo praticamente sette secoli e più,
But actually, just think: After practically seven-plus centuries,
questi colori si sono leggermente sbiaditi. Sono assai meno brillanti.
these colors have faded somewhat. They are much less brilliant.
Captions 26-27, Meraviglie - EP. 4 - Part 4
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Another qualifying adverb is parecchio (a great deal). It's used a lot as an adjective, but works fine as an adverb, too. See this lesson.
Quindi, quando sarà finito, sicuramente mi riposerò,
So, when it's all done, I'll take a break, for sure,
perché sto parecchio stressata.
because I am totally stressed out.
Captions 50-51, Fuori era primavera - Viaggio nell'Italia del lockdown
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See this video for some explanations in Italian about qualifying adverbs, now that we've given you some pointers in English.
People have their personal favorites when it comes to adverb qualifiers. So keep your eyes and ears open. Listen for the variable endings when these qualifiers are adjectives, and the invariable ending when they're adverbs. This takes patience and experience. But little by little, you will put two and two together.
This list isn't set in stone, as these adverbs can be used differently by different people, but it can help give you an idea.
- •molto, parecchio
- •assai
- •piuttosto
- •abbastanza
- •poco
- •per niente (at all) — We didn't discuss this here but you will find it mentioned in other lessons if you do a search of niente.
How do we talk about frequency — how many times in a period of time something happens or should happen? Let's find out.
Just as English has "every" and "each," so does Italian. Italian has tutti (all) and ogni (each). For more about tutti see this lesson.
In Italia, come ben sapete, la pasta è un alimento consumato tutti i giorni.
In Italy, as you well know, pasta's a food that's eaten every day.
Caption 1, Anna e Marika La pasta fresca
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Note that with tutti, we use the plural. Both the noun giorni and the adjective tutti are in the plural. Not only that. If we replace giorni (days) with settimane (weeks), we have to change tutti to tutte, as settimana is a feminine noun. Note also that we have tutto il giorno, which means "all day." Here tutto is singular, so try not to get mixed up (we'll talk about this in a different lesson).
Usciamo quasi tutte le settimane, il sabato sera,
We go out almost every week, on Saturday night,
Caption 40, Erica e Martina La nostra amicizia
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When we use ogni (each), on the other hand, it's always singular.
Qui in Sicilia, in estate si va ogni giorno al mare e la sera si esce.
Here in Sicily, in the summer we go to the beach every day and in the evenings we go out.
Caption 49, Adriano Le stagioni dell'anno
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What if we want to talk about "every other day?" We can say ogni due giorni (every two days) or we can say un giorno sì e un giorno no (one day yes and one day no).
Ah no, eh? E tu come lo chiami un bambino che vomita un giorno sì e un giorno no?
No? And what do you call a little boy who vomits every other day?
Captions 95-96, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3EP3 - Il tarlo del sospetto - Part 3
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When it comes to doing something once a day, once a week, once a month, or once a year, we use the noun volta, which we can also use in the plural when appropriate. It is followed by the preposition a (at, to, in)
Allora, amici di Yabla, all'interno del mio negozio, una volta al mese ospito degli artisti...
So, Yabla friends, inside my shop, I host artists once a month...
Captions 56-57, Adriano Negozio di Antichità Sgroi
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Note that the noun volta has other meanings and connotations, so consider checking out the dictionary entry linked to above. Learn more about the noun volta meaning "time" in this lesson.
una volta al giorno (once a day)
due volte al giorno (twice a day)
una volta alla settimana (once a week)
due volte alla settimana (twice a week)
una volta al mese (once a month)
due volte al mese (twice a month)
una volta all'anno (once a year)
due volte all'anno (twice a year)
There is a lot to talk about regarding time. We've covered one aspect of frequency in this lesson, but in future lessons, we'll talk about ways to say "usually," "sometimes," "always," "never," and so on.
Sometimes the challenge is understanding what someone tells you in Italian, but sometimes it's about coming up with the right Italian word for what we are trying to say (when we happen to be thinking English). So let's start with an English word this time. Let's start out with the English noun "way." We can translate it into Italian in a few different ways.
the way - la via
the way - il modo
the way - la maniera
What's the best way to solve this problem or get out of the situation? We're pretty much talking about a direction here, either literal or figurative. Which way? What route or path do we take?
Sembra che non ci sia più via d'uscita.
It looks like there won't be any way out.
Caption 31, Anna e Marika in La Gazza Ladra - Part 2
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We can often use the word "pathway" for via. Via, being more about "by what means," and also meaning "road," stands out from the other words we will be talking about, which are more about "how": the way to do something.
If we are talking about the way someone does something, then we will likely use il modo (the way, the manner).
Ma questo modo di conservare gli alimenti, paradossalmente, è un po' più rispettoso della natura...
But this way of conserving food, paradoxically, is a bit more respectful of nature...
Captions 28-29, L'arte della cucina La Prima Identitá - Part 4
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Le stagioni hanno specifici colori, clima, temperatura, e influenzano il nostro modo di vivere.
The seasons have specific colors, weather, temperatures, and influence the way we live.
Captions 5-6, Adriano Le stagioni dell'anno
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Infatti, parliamo allo stesso modo... e facciamo le stesse cose.
In fact, we talk the same way... and do the same things.
Captions 5-6, Amiche sulla spiaggia
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A question to ask with modo is: in che modo (in what way, how)? It often goes hand in hand with the question come (how)?
We can use modo when we ask for or give instructions, such as in cooking. How should we slice the onion?
La nostra cipolla va affettata in modo molto sottile.
Our onion is to be sliced very thinly.
Caption 6, L'Italia a tavola Penne alla Toma Piemontese - Part 2
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Keep in mind that in many cases in which we might likely use an adverb in English (in this case "thinly"), an adjective after modo seems to work better in Italian (in modo sottile).
Here are a few more examples of this:
a roughly chopped onion - una cipolla tagliata in modo grossolano
uniformly - in modo uniforme
strangely - in modo strano
unusually - in modo insolito
messily - in modo disordinato
When you don't like someone's manner, you don't like the way they go about doing things, you can use modo.
Non mi piace il suo modo di fare (I don't like the way he does things).
The cognate for maniera is "manner," which often means "way." So that's easy.
In questa maniera, usando la pasta all'uovo la stessa ricetta, lasagna se ne vende a profusione qui da noi.
This way, the same recipe using egg pasta, lasagna sells profusely here at our place.
Captions 49-50, Anna e Marika Hostaria Antica Roma - Part 2
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Modo and maniera are very similar, and are pretty interchangeable, but keep in mind that modo is masculine and maniera is feminine.
Ha una maniera strana di parlare (he has a strange way of talking).
Parla in modo strano (he has a strange way of talking).
We have one more translation for "way," and that is senso.
Strangely enough, in the dictionary, we don't immediately see il senso as an Italian translation of "the way." Yet, when we look up il senso, "the way" turns up as the fourth choice as a translation.
Senso is a great word, and one Italians use all the time. Let's talk about 2 popular ways it is used to mean "way." When used in a statement, it's common to find the adjective certo (certain) before it. We have translated it, but you could also leave it out: "In a way..."
e in un certo senso, l'abbiamo anche conquistata
in a certain way, we even conquered it
Caption 22, Fratelli Taviani La passione e l'utopia - Part 3
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The other way Italians use senso is when they want a more complete explanation of something they didn't quite understand.
They'll ask, In che senso?
Perché? -Perché così nessuno avrebbe saputo che erano false. False? -False? -False in che senso, scusi? -Falsissime.
Why? -Because that way no one would have known they were fakes. Fakes? -Fakes? -Fakes in what way, sorry? -Very fake.
Captions 54-55, Il Commissario Manara S1EP4 - Le Lettere Di Leopardi - Part 16
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They are asking, "In what way?" but they might also be asking, "What do you mean by "fake"?" or "How do you mean?"
We might want to keep in mind that another meaning of il senso is "meaning."
il senso della vita (the meaning of life)
Check out these lessons that explore the noun, il senso.
A common expression: nel senso...
Here's how we generally put these different ways of saying "way" into context:
in un certo senso (in a way)
in che senso (how do you mean, what do you mean by that)?
in qualche modo (in some way, somehow)
in qualche maniera (in some way, somehow)
ad ogni modo (anyway, anyhow)
per quale via (by what means)?
Now when you watch Yabla videos, maybe you will be a bit more tuned in to how people use via, modo, maniera and senso. They all mean "way."
When we are learning a new language we pay attention to things that native speakers don't necessarily pay attention to. They don't have to. But we do! That is how we learn.
Here's a case in point. A learner was watching a Yabla video about numbers. When do we use ordinal numbers, and when do we use cardinal numbers? In the video in question, Marika is talking about dates. Every language expresses dates a bit differently, and there are often different options. The basic premise is that in contrast to how we do it in English, Italians mostly use a cardinal number (not an ordinal number as in English) when talking about a specific date, preceded by the definite article.
The learner's question was, "Is there some special reason why Marika uses the preposition di (of) when talking about August, but not for the other dates?" It's a great question, and it is exactly the kind of question we like learners to ask. Because native speakers, or even experienced non-native speakers, might not be aware they are saying di (of). They just know it sounds right without thinking about it and may or not be able to explain why.
Si dice il cinque aprile, il quattro luglio,
One says the fifth of April, the fourth of July,
il nove maggio, ehm, il venti di agosto.
the ninth of May, uhm, the twentieth of August.
Captions 24-25, Marika spiega - Numeri Cardinali e Ordinali
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So the short answer is that when talking about a specific date, you can just say the cardinal number (with the definite article before it) followed by the month. There was nothing special about the month of August to cause Marika to use the preposition di. She might have used it because it was the last month she said in a series and it just sounded better to her. And it's a valid option. So it is not wrong to use the preposition, but more often than not, Italians don't use it.
Let's look at another example. Antonio is telling us about a festival in August, in his area of Italy. In the following example, he just says the cardinal number and the month. He is talking about a specific date.
E poi il diciotto agosto
And then on the eighteenth of August
la statua rientra qui nel... ehm, nel santuario.
the statue returns here, in the... uh, in the sanctuary.
Captions 19-20, Antonio - al Santuario
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In the same video, a few captions earlier, he is again talking about the dates of the festival. He uses the preposition di in the first instance.
Ehm, la Madonna della Grotta è la protettrice di Praia a Mare
Um, the Madonna of the Cave is the patron saint of Praia a Mare
e viene fatta una festa il quattordici e quindici d'agosto.
and there is a feast on the fourteenth and fifteenth of August.
Per l'esattezza inizia il quattordici a mezzanotte
To be exact it starts on the fourteenth at midnight
e finisce il diciotto agosto di ogni anno.
and ends on the eighteenth of August every year.
Captions 13-16, Antonio - al Santuario
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When he cited two dates together he used the preposition di before agosto. Sometimes it just seems clearer to add it. It could also be that since agosto starts with a vowel and diciotto ends with a vowel, it's easier to put a consonant in the middle, so it's clearer and easier to say.
Marika, in this video about the news, doesn't add the preposition (febbraio starts with a consonant!).
Il ventiquattro e venticinque febbraio,
On the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth of February,
in Italia si terranno le elezioni politiche,
Italy will hold political elections
che decreteranno la scelta di un nuovo governo.
that will ratify the choice of a new government.
Captions 8-9, Anna e Marika - in TG Yabla Italia e Meteo
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The important thing to know is that it is correct to leave out that preposition and that we generally use a cardinal number except for when it's the first. When it's the first of the month, we use the ordinal number primo (first).
E si dice: il primo luglio, il primo agosto,
And one says: the first of July, the first of August,
il primo settembre.
the first of September.
Caption 28, Marika spiega - Numeri Cardinali e Ordinali
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And if we are talking about the first few days of a month, we can say it like this with the plural of primo (note we use the preposition di (of)):
I primi di gennaio (the first days of January)
I mesi che ci interessano sono quelli di metà marzo, aprile,
The months that interest us here are half of March, April,
maggio e i primi di giugno.
May, and the first [days] of June.
Captions 29-30, Adriano - Le stagioni dell'anno
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It's funny this question has come up about the preposition di, because in our previous lesson we also talked about the preposition di and how it is common to use it when talking about saying "yes" and "no." In that case, too, it's an option. Learning which option works better comes with a lot of listening and repeating, and keeping your eyes and ears open. We thank the learner who wrote in about this topic!
Di is one of those prepositions that most learners of Italian struggle with, so don't feel bad if you often get it wrong. You are not alone! Non sei solo/sola!
If we listen to an Italian speaking, either formally or informally, one word we will hear constantly is proprio. With its various meanings, it can be confusing to start using. Proprio sounds a lot like "proper," of course, and that is one meaning, although not the most common.
Let's start with one of the few cases in which proprio can connote "proper": the expression vero e proprio. Literally, "true and proper," it always comes as two words connected by the conjunction e (and). The expression can mean "proper" or "veritable" (as in the case of the example below). "Genuine," "real," or "actual" can work, too. Italians really like to say vero e proprio "true and proper." Think of it as one word.
Il Duomo di Siena è un vero e proprio scrigno.
The Duomo of Siena is a veritable treasure chest.
Caption 1, Meraviglie - EP. 3 - Part 5
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Very often, proprio means "just," or "exactly," as in the following example.
A volte molto freddo, specie a gennaio e a febbraio.
Sometimes, very cold, especially in January and February.
Ecco perché bisogna vestirsi pesanti, proprio come me.
That's why we need to dress in heavy clothing, just like me.
Captions 12-13, Adriano - Le stagioni dell'anno
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Proprio can mean "actually" or "indeed."
Vedrete come la prima sillaba di ogni verso è proprio il nome che poi è rimasto alle sette note.
You'll see how the first syllable of each line is indeed the name which has since remained, for the seven notes.
Captions 29-30, A scuola di musica - con Alessio
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We use proprio to give more emphasis to an adjective.
Proprio buono!
Really good!
Caption 46, Adriano - Il caffè
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We also use proprio when in English, we would say "right" as an adverb, for example, proprio lì (right there).
Ciao, ragazzi e ragazze [ragazze e ragazzi]. Mi trovo proprio al ristorante Pinocchio.
Hi guys and gals, I'm right in the Pinocchio restaurant.
Caption 3, Adriano - Pizzeria Pinocchio
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We also use propio to indicate ownership. We add this example so that you know about this use. Not all Italians uses this properly, so don't worry about it too much, but if you don't know this meaning, there may be cause for confusion. We'll talk about this more in a future lesson.
Una città dove non c'è più egoismo e ognuno fa il proprio dovere di creare e agire.
A city where there's no more egotism and everyone does one's own duty — to create and act.
Captions 11-12, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep. 1
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One way to take advantage of Yabla is to do a search of proprio on the videos page. You'll see example after example of this word in various contexts. If there are examples you don't quite understand, let us know! We're here to help.
"About" is a very common word in English. It is a preposition, but also an adjective and adverb. For now, we'll focus on the prepositional meaning "on the subject of" or "concerning." As in English, Italian provides a few different options. So let's take a look.
The first way: the preposition di (of/about).
If you think back to stories you have heard, even English uses “of” sometimes to mean “about.”
I will speak to you of love.
It may seem a bit antiquated, but it does exist. In Italian, it’s very common. In fact, Adriano speaks a very everyday kind of Italian, and normally uses the preposition di (about, of) to mean “about.”
Vi parlo della colazione, di una colazione italiana.
I'm going to talk to you about breakfast, about an Italian breakfast.
Caption 2, Adriano - fa colazione
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Oggi vi parlerò delle stagioni.
Today I'm going to talk to you about the seasons.
Caption 2, Adriano - Le stagioni dell'anno
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The second way: a (to, at).
The preposition a is used with the verb pensare (to think). We could also say “to reflect.” Then the preposition “on” could make sense. “To reflect on life.”
Sì, mi metto a pensare alla vita in generale. A...
Yes, I get to thinking about life in general. About...
a tutto.
about everything.
Captions 6-7, Amiche - Filosofie
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But the preposition di can also be used with the verb pensare.
Cosa pensi di questo vestito?
What do you think about/of this dress?
You might have run across the pronoun ne in videos and lessons about particelle (particles).
Cosa ne pensi?
What do you think about it?
The third way: su (on).
Allora Rossana, ti faccio qualche domanda sul tuo mestiere, insomma.
So Rossana, I'm going to ask you a few questions about your profession, in short.
Caption 54, Anna e Marika - Il pane
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The fourth way: a proposito.
In a recent Yabla video on business Italian, Arianna is settling into her new job, but already has a problem she needs to discuss with her boss. She uses a more formal, longer way to say “about.” It’s a bit more precise, and, well, businesslike, and gives the topic a bit more importance.
Sì, certo. Ho anche bisogno di parlarti
Yes, of course. I also need to talk to you
a proposito del nostro contatto della stampa estera.
about our foreign press contact.
Caption 11, Italiano commerciale - Difficoltà con colleghi e contratti
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In the above example, we might also translate a proposito as “regarding,” since it’s a moderately formal situation. In actual fact, these days, “regarding” would more likely be found in a letter than in a normal office conversation. The meaning is pretty much the same.
In the following example, too, a proposito could be translated as “regarding.” We would need some extra context to determine which would work better. If either Lara or Luca were talking to their boss, then “regarding” might be more appropriate.
A proposito del caso del cimitero...
Speaking of the cemetery case...
Regarding the cemetery case...
Caption 50, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP10 - Un morto di troppo
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It all depends on who is talking to whom, and whether they want to be formal or informal, or if the question is a bit off the cuff, or planned out.
Note: One important, and very common way a proposito is used, is all by itself, without a specified object: A proposito... In this case, it can mean “speaking of which” or “by the way.” It’s a rather non-aggressive means of getting a word in edgewise, changing the subject, or bringing up a topic out of the blue.
Ne parliamo stasera, OK?
We'll talk about it tonight, OK?
-A proposito, hai comprato il vino?
-Speaking of which, did you buy wine?/By the way, did you buy wine?
Captions 29-30, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP1 - Matrimonio con delitto
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Sometimes these different ways of saying "about" are interchangeable, and sometimes one works better than the other. Experience will help you determine the best one for any given situation. Keep your ears open!
In a new video from Yabla, Adriano tells us about a book he wrote. He uses the verb importare (to matter, to be important) a few times. Importare sounds much like the English adjective “important,” but it’s a verb, and needs to be handled accordingly. If you’re not familiar with importare, take a look at this lesson about it. Adriano adds the indirect object pronoun a me/mi to importare, to mean that something does or doesn't matter to him. It’s a little stronger and more personal than non importa (it doesn’t matter).
Ma questo a me non importa.
But this doesn't matter to me.
Caption 5, Adriano - Indietro non si torna
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He could also have said, ma questo non m'importa.
Another verb he uses is vivere. It means “to live” but also “to experience,” so see this lesson about how Italians use vivere.
Bisogna vivere il presente in maniera intensa.
One needs to experience the present in an intense way.
Caption 47, Adriano - Indietro non si torna
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Let’s talk for a moment about the title of Adriano’s book, Indietro non si torna (One Can’t Go Back). First of all, he turns the phrase around to put the emphasis on indietro (back, backwards). He could have entitled it Non si torna indietro and it would mean the same thing, but it would have less impact. The emphasis would have been on non (not).
He uses the impersonal form of the verb tornare (to return, to go back). The impersonal form is peculiar to Latin-based languages and is used quite a bit in Italian, but can be difficult for learners to grasp. See these lessons about the impersonale. To express the same idea in English we often use the passive voice, or, especially in the negative, a general “you” that means anyone and everyone. Although not used much in conversation, English also employs the neutral "one" in the third person singular for the same purpose. In the negative impersonal, the implication is that you shouldn’t or can’t do something. So, we might freely translate Adriano's title as "You can't go back," or "There's no going back."
"A me mi" non si dice.
"To me I" isn't said [you shouldn’t say, you can’t say, you don’t say, one doesn't say].
Caption 12, Provaci Ancora Prof! - S1E1 - Il regalo di Babbo Natale
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Note how Italians change the word order where in English, it's less common. If we turn the Italian sentence around, it's clearer.
Non si dice "a me mi".
One doesn't say "to me, I."
In an impersonal positive statement, we often use “they” or the passive voice in English.
Si dice che qui il sole spacca le pietre.
It's said [They say] that here, the sun splits rocks.
Caption 41, Adriano - Le stagioni dell'anno
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Hopefully, these words about Adriano's video have helped you understand some of the contents a bit better, or have reinforced what you already knew. Keep up the good work, and thanks for reading.
To watch other videos featuring Adriano, just do a search with his name. His videos are generally easy to understand, by way of his clearly articulated and well-paced way of speaking.
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