Let's look at a false friend. Not always false, but frequently.
When something bad happens, like an accident, or a natural disaster, one word Italians commonly use is una disgrazia. È successa una disgrazia (something bad happened/there's been an accident).
Domani, me [mi] capiterà 'na [una] disgrazia.
Tomorrow, some calamity will happen to me.
-Che disgrazia?
What calamity?
-Qualcosa de [di] male.
-Something bad.
Perché oggi sto troppo bene, canterino.
Because, today, I feel too good, songbird.
Captions 3-6, Fratelli Taviani - La passione e l'utopia
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The woman says it: something bad. In the following example, a suspect is describing someone dying as a terrible accident, not a murder.
È caduto e ha battuto la testa, ma non volevo!
He fell and hit his head but I didn't want that.
È stata, è stata 'na [una] disgrazia!
It was, it was a terrible accident.
Captions 20-21, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena
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Here, again, a terrible tragedy:
Era sull'autobus dove è successa la disgrazia.
She was on the bus where the tragedy occurred.
Caption 12, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP9 - L'amica ritrovata
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The cognate is, of course, "a disgrace," but if we look up disgrace, we see other words that are used more commonly, such as una vergogna.
Tu sei la vergogna della nostra famiglia.
You are the disgrace of our family.
Vergognati!
Shame on you!
Captions 46-47, La Ladra - EP. 8 - Il momento giusto
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So, disgrazia often refers to a natural disaster or someone dying suddenly. It's just something to keep in mind (tenere a mente or tenere presente). Because it might happen that when you are traveling in Italy, you'll get some bad news. It's important to know that disgrazia might refer to a tragedy, an accident, a misfortune. Not necessarily will the speaker be talking about a disgrace.
As we have mentioned in the past, Italian and English don't always correspond regarding parts of speech.
Italians love to call each other names (just like lots of folks). One way to say that someone did something you totally do not approve of is to call them a disgraziato (a disgraceful fellow). We have to be a bit careful because it can either mean someone who has fallen on misfortune, but it can also mean someone who ought to be ashamed of himself, so context is key.
Don't take our word for it. Let's look at some examples:
Disgraziato, ti ho scoperto con le mani dentro al sacco!
You bastard, I've discovered you with your hands in the bag!
Caption 50, Un medico in famiglia S1 - EP2 - Il mistero di Cetinka
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Io non sono come quei disgraziati che parte [sic: partono] per fame, ma'.
I'm not like those poor guys who leave because they're hungry, Ma.
Io vado a Roma per fare lu [pugliese: il] cinema, ma',
I'm going to Rome to make movies, Ma,
sia chiaro, eh, cinema.
to be clear, uh, the movies.
Captions 41-43, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno
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Keep in mind that when you want to call someone a disgraziato, you need to distinguish between masculine and feminine and singular and plural.
Disgraziato can be used as an adjective or as a noun. We could say that as an adjective it is more likely referring to misfortune:
Tu cosa diresti? -Be'...
What would you say? -Well...
direi... povera disgraziata la signora! -Eh. -Eheh!
I would say... poor unlucky lady! -Uh-huh. -Uh-huh!
Captions 49-50, Un medico in famiglia S1 - EP1 - Casa nuova
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As a noun (especially if well-articulated) it might very well be talking about a "bad" person:
Disgraziato! Delinquente! Assassino!
Scoundrel! Delinquent! Murderer!
Caption 58, Psicovip - Super Minivip - Ep 17
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Or it can be a combination.
Speriamo la prossima stazione di questo disgraziato sia qui vicino.
Let's hope the poor bastard's next stop is near here.
Caption 60, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva
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One of the hardest things to do in a new language is to construct a sentence. Understanding is one thing, but putting words together can be such a challenge.
The good news is that sometimes you don't have to say much to get your idea across. Let's look at some ways to comment on things without actually constructing a sentence. Using che, we can either complain about something: che caldo (how hot it is), or we can be making a compliment: che buono (this is so good).
The magic word is che (that, what, which). We then add the appropriate adjective.
Che bello! Ciao! -Che bello!
How nice! Bye! -How nice!
Captions 75-76, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde
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Ehm, guardate che carino.
Uh, look how pretty.
Caption 23, Professioni e mestieri - Belle Arti -Tecniche di decorazione
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The speaker could have just said, che carino!
Oddio che freddo!
Oh my God it's freezing!
Caption 59, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva
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We could use the same formula to talk about the heat or the humidity. Actually some of these words can be used as nouns or adjectives.
Che caldo! (How hot it is!)
Che umido (How humid it is)
Sometimes we can add a noun instead of an adjective:
Che facciamo? Il telefono... Anche il mio. -Che sfiga!
What can we do? The telephone... Mine too. -What a bummer!
Captions 37-39, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva
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E che cavolo!
Hey what the hell?
Caption 22, La Ladra - Ep. 6 - Nero di rabbia
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Che sole (what [bright] sun)!
Che tramonto (what a sunset)!
Che cena (what a [great] dinner)
Che umidità (what humidity)!
Che afa (how muggy it is)!
Che giornata (what a day)!
In some cases, we don't even need to use che.
Strano, perché Eva mi ha detto che è laureata.
Strange, because Eva told me she had a degree.
Caption 50, La Ladra - Ep. 5 - Chi la fa l'aspetti
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This sentence could have been:
Che strano. Eva mi ha detto che è laureato.
How strange. Eva told me she had a degree.
When we are at the extremes of the adjective spectrum, in other words, when using adjectives in their comparative or superlative form we don't use che, because we are already, in effect, making something superlative, with che. If we want to use the superlative, it's better to go for the adjective all by itself.
We wouldn't say che bellissimo. We would just say bellissimo (very beautiful)!
Che bello says pretty much the same thing.
There are lots of way to talk about things, but it's nice to have an easy, minimalist way, especially if we are beginners, or just having trouble finding the words. Che is a word that is also used with the subjunctive, and therefore might instill a bit of anxiety in learners, but it can also be our friend.
In many places in the world, it's winter. There are no leaves on the trees. They're barren. Seeing the bare branches has brought to mind some thoughts about one Italian adjective for this: spoglio.
Di inverno le foglie appassiscono e gli alberi sono spogli.
In the winter, the leaves dry up and the trees are bare.
One word leads to another! It even leads to getting undressed.
Italian words that end in "io" often come from Latin, where the word might end in ium. In fact there is a Latin noun "spolium": the skin or hide of an animal stripped off; Over time, this came to refer to the arms or armor stripped from a defeated enemy:
booty, prey, spoil.
We can make a connection with a tree that has been stripped of its leaves.
We can also see a connection between "the spoils" in English and "spolium" or the derivative "spoglia" in Latin.
Another related Latin word is "spoliarium" referring to the basement of the Roman Colosseum where the fallen and dying gladiators were dumped and stripped of their worldly possessions.
Nowadays, the feminine plural le spoglie is used to indicate the remains of animals or humans when they have died.
Ma che senso ha mettere le spoglie
But what sense is there in putting the remains
di due persone nella stessa bara?
of two people in the same coffin?
Caption 62, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP10 - Un morto di troppo
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Although talking about dead bodies is pretty gruesome, it gives us insight into some very common words you will hear if you go to the doctor, to the gym, or anywhere where you might take off your clothes. Some places have an appropriate room where you can change and take a shower, which in English, we might call the locker room or shower room. Lo spogliatoio (and often indicated as such on the door) will typically be in a gym, at a pool, a hospital or doctor's office, or, as in the example below, a workplace.
Chi ha aggiustato la porta dello spogliatoio?
Who fixed the changing room door?
Caption 30, La Ladra - Ep. 3 - L'oro dello squalo
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When you change clothes, first you have to get undressed. In Italian, the verb is reflexive: spogliarsi. We've come a long way from the Roman Colosseum.
Andiamo a casa tua.
Let's go to your house.
A casa?
My house?
Non ti vorrai spogliare in mezzo alla strada?
You don't want to undress in the middle of the road, do you?
Captions 52-54, La Ladra - Ep. 4 - Una magica bionda
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Can you come up with another way to say the same thing? [answer at the bottom of the page]
In the following example, there is no spogliatoio at this doctor's office. The couple is not an actual couple and they are pretty embarrassed. La Tempesta is a wonderful movie on Yabla, by the way, set in a ceramics factory in Treviso in the Veneto region of Italy.
Certo.
Of course.
Adesso, siccome siamo un po' in ritardo, vi inviterei a spogliarvi.
Now, since we're a bit late, I invite you to get undressed.
Vi visito insieme, d'accordo?
I'll examine you together, all right?
Ci sono problemi?
Are there any problems?
No, no, no. -No.
No, no, no. -No.
Captions 7-10, La Tempesta - film
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The doctor is being very polite, but if he ordered them to get undressed, what would he say? [answer at bottom of page]
Now here's a little scene in a refrigerator truck.
A questa temperatura, con i vestiti inzuppati,
At this temperature, with sopping wet clothes,
in nove minuti il sangue diventa ghiaccio.
in nine minutes blood turns to ice.
Ah, adesso che lo so mi sento meglio!
Ah, now that I know it, I feel better!
Senti, spogliati.
Listen, strip down.
Eh? -Spogliati!
Huh? -Strip down!
Ah, bel modo di morire, sì... -Piantala!
Ah, nice way to die, yes... -Quit it!
L'unico modo per combattere l'ipotermia
The only way to fight hypothermia
è togliersi i vestiti e sommare il calore corporeo di entrambi.
is to take off our clothes and sum up the body heat of both of us.
Captions 48-55, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva
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You can also undress another person. In this case, it's not reflexive.
Dai Carlo vai, vai, spogliala, vasala [sic], spogliala!
Come on Carlo, go on, go on, undress her, kiss her [sic], undress her!
Caption 11, Trailer - Paparazzi
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La gente della notte fa lavori strani
The people of the night do weird jobs
Certi nascono oggi e finiscono domani
Some start up today and end tomorrow
Baristi, spacciatori, puttane e giornalai
Baristas, drug dealers, hookers, and newsdealers
Poliziotti, travestiti, gente in cerca di guai
Cops, transvestites, people looking for trouble
Padroni di locali, spogliarelliste, camionisti
Bar owners, strippers, truckers,
Metronotte, ladri e giornalisti
Night watchmen, thieves, and journalists
Captions 23-28, Radio Deejay - Lorenzo Jovanotti - Gente della notte
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⇒Answers:
Andiamo a casa tua. A casa? Non vorrai spogliarti in mezzo alla strada?
Certo. -Adesso, siccome siamo un po' in ritardo, spogliatevi. Vi visito insieme, d'accordo? Ci sono problemi? No, no, no. -No.
To get more information about a topic talked about in a lesson, for example, the reflexive touche on here, go to the lessons tab and do a search, such as: reflexive. The lessons where the reflexive is mentioned will be there, one after the other.
One of our Yabla subscribers has asked about the word pure. It does get translated differently in different contexts, so it can be a bit confusing. This one short word has a few different but related connotations. On the simple end of the scale it’s an adverb—another way of saying anche (also, too, as well).
In the following example, both anch’io and io pure mean pretty much the same thing. There’s no particular emotion attached to the word. It’s matter-of-fact.
Anch'io. -Anch'io. -Io pure.
So do I. -So do I. -Me too.
Caption 65, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 - EP2 - Il mistero di Cetinka Part 9
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In the example below, however, the meaning of pure is technically the same (meaning “also,” “too,” “as well”) but there’s some sort of emotion involved, as if one were saying, “not only is she pretty, but she’s smart too!” (as if that weren't to be expected...):
Bellina e pure brava questa Rubino.
Pretty, and also smart, this Rubino.
Caption 1, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto Part 8
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In the example below, pure is still an adverb, but this time gets translated as “even.” Let’s remember that anche can also mean “even” in certain situations. Some Italians will tell you that pure quite simply means anche. In fact, one could even swap pure with anche, and it would mean much the same thing.
È incredibile, fai pure finta di non ricordare.
It's incredible, you even pretend not to remember.
Caption 13, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto Part 5
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Below is another example where the sense of pure is “even.” We could use “as well” or “too,” but it would be a bit of a stretch. In fact pure is a way to raise your eyebrows without actually doing so. It adds an emotional element.
Eh, questo, fa resuscitare pure i morti!
Yes, this, will revive even the dead!
Caption 59, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 -EP2 - Il mistero di Cetinka Part 8
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The following example is one in which pure requires more than a one-word translation. It’s used in contexts where we would use “go ahead” in English.
Senti, se ti va di metterti nei guai fallo pure,
Listen, if you want to get yourself in trouble, go ahead.
Caption 5, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva Part 9
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Fallo pure! can be translated as “go right ahead!” [literally: “do it nevertheless”].
Pure as “go ahead” is also used a lot in offices and such places, where someone will either ask you to have a seat, or to go in. It can also be interpreted as “it’s OK if you…” since when you say “go ahead,” you’re giving permission. Here are some formal and informal examples:
Formal:
Si sieda pure.
Go ahead and have a seat.Informal:
Siediti pure.
Go ahead and sit down.Formal:
Si accomodi pure.
Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. [Have a seat.]Informal:
Accomodati pure.
Go ahead and make yourself at home. [Also, as a sarcastic retort: "Be my guest!"]Formal:
Vada pure avanti.
Go ahead and lead. [After you.]Informal:
Vai pure avanti.
Go right ahead.
Go ahead and take the lead.
It’s all right if you go in front of me.
We often hear a more literary form of pure: pur, which basically means the same thing, although it’s considered a conjunction. It’s used to mean “though,” “although,” “yet,” and tends to occur before a gerundio (gerund) form of a verb, as in the following example.
Pur essendo partito in una situazione di un ristorante
Though getting its start as a restaurant situated
di fronte all'ortofrutta [fruttivendolo]...
across from the vegetable market...
Captions 1-2, L'arte della cucina - La Prima Identitá - Part 6
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It’s also frequent to find eppure (and yet, yet, still, but, nevertheless, all the same), which has the same root. In this case it’s a stand-alone conjunction and will likely be followed by a comma.
Eppure, il rischio vulcanico non ha mai allontanato i suoi abitanti.
And yet the volcanic risk has never sent its inhabitants away.
Caption 23, Linea Blu - Sicilia Part 9
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In the same vein, we have neppure, which like neanche means “not even.”
E per di più non è neppure la stessa persona
And what's more, it's not even the same person
Caption 1, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu Part 13
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Tying it all together in context, just for fun:
Dialogo fra 2 maratonisti:
Francesca: Pur essendo anziano, vai forte!
Massimo: Sì, ma vai pure avanti, ti raggiungo dopo la corsa. Mi sono allenato come un pazzo, eppure, sto facendo fatica.
Francesca: Pure io sto facendo fatica. Fermati pure due minuti per riprendere fiato!
Massimo: Se tu ti vuoi fermare, fallo pure. Io non ci penso neanche! Neppure per sogno!
Francesca: Io pure non voglio fermarmi. A dopo!
Al traguardo...
Francesca: Ma... Sei arrivato prima tu! Eppure, eri stanchissimo.
Massimo: È vero, mi hai pure superato ad un certo punto, t’ho visto. Ma poi... puressendo stanco morto, ce l’ho fatta!
Dialogue between two marathon runners:
Francesca: Even though you’re old, you’re fast!
Massimo: Yes, but go ahead and go, I’ll catch up to you after the race. I trained like crazy, but nevertheless, I’m having a tough time.
Francesca: I’m having a tough time as well. Go ahead and stop two minutes to catch your breath!
Massimo: If you want to stop, go right ahead. I won’t even think of it! [No way!] I wouldn’t even dream of it!
Francesca: I don’t want to stop, either. See you later!At the finish line...
Francesca: But... You finished before me! And yet, you were very tired.
Massimo: It’s true. You even passed me at a certain point, I saw you. But then... even though I was dead tired, I made it!
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