Let's talk about a little expression that is useful in various situations. It's made up of just three words but it is easily expanded, since sometimes you just want a phrase to stand out in some way by adding words. The expression is Che ne so.
Let's unpack it.
Che can mean "that" or "what." In this case, it's "what," as when it is part of a question.
Ne is a particle that can stand for several things, such as "about it," "of it," "from it" and more. If ne is unfamiliar to you, or you don't know how to use it comfortably, check out Marika's lessons about this particella.
So is the first person singular of the verb sapere (to know).
As you have likely discovered, Italians, rather than just saying the equivalent of "I know," usually say "I know it:" Lo so, or when it's negative, non lo so (I don't know it). But in today's expression, lo (just plain "it") is replaced by ne (about it).
Since the expression is short, the personal pronoun io (I) is often added for emphasis. It doesn't add anything grammatically, but it makes it more personal. In addition, it is often preceded by e (and). Even though e means "and," it's often the equivalent of "so." Sometimes it doesn't really mean anything.
Che ne so io? or Io, che ne so? The pronoun io can go either at the beginning or the end of the expression. This is the equivalent of "How should I know?" "What do I know?" "How would I know?" The following example is one of the most common versions of this expression. Italians don't always think of this expression as being a true question so they don't necessarily use a question mark.
Addò [dove] sta Saverio? -E che ne so.
Where's Saverio? -How do I know?
Captions 14-15, Ma che ci faccio qui! Un film di Francesco Amato - Part 10
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Pasquale, chi è tutta questa gente? -E che ne so, dotto' [dottore]? Qua pare tutti i poveri di Napoli,
Pasquale, who are all these people? -And how should I know, Doc? Here it seems like all the poor people of Naples
Captions 6-7, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP 2 - Part 12
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Lojacono is looking for one of the residents of an apartment building and asks the local busybody:
Sa mica se Giacomo Scognamiglio è in casa? -E che ne so, Commissa'?
You don't happen to know if Giacomo Scognamiglio is home? -And how should I know, Chief?
Captions 67-68, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP 3 Vicini - Part 7
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In the following example, Marcello, who is not a very smart guy, but is trying his best, suggests taking a selfie together with the policemen who come to check on Michele (the father of his girlfriend) who is under house arrest.
Oh, ma che so o famo [romanesco: ce lo facciamo] un selfie insieme?
Oh, I don't know, shall we take a selfie together?
Caption 20, Liberi tutti EP3 Quanto è libero un fringuello? - Part 6
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Instead of adding a word, he removes one: ne. It's colloquial and likely Romanesco, and lots of people say it this way. Che so?
Even though we have explained each word, the expression is often merely a way of saying "I don't know," especially when you are making a suggestion, as Marcello is doing. Some people might use the word magari in the same kind of situation. It's just an intercalare (a filler word or expression). Here's an example.
Perché, diciamo... -comunque devono sostenere il peso. -Devono sostenere il peso, più che altro devono fare, che ne so, la stessa cosa per un'ora.
Because, let's say... -anyway they have to support the weight. -They have to support the weight, more than that, they have to, I don't know, do the same thing for an hour.
Captions 50-51, Francesca Cavalli - Part 2
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Here, Che ne so is paired with magari for making a suggestion.
Che ne so, magari stasera a cena? -Può darsi.
I don't know, maybe tonight for dinner? -Maybe.
Caption 93, Il Commissario Manara S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero - Part 2
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Although the expression is commonly used in the first person, it can also be a valid question to someone else, and is more literal in this case.
Eh, quando un uomo si innamora, si dimentica di tutto. -Tu che ne sai? -Così dicono tutti.
Uh, when a man falls in love, he forgets everything. -What do you know? -That's what everyone says.
Captions 38-39, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP1 - Part 11
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When you are thinking of what to cook for dinner, what to watch on TV, where to go on a Sunday afternoon, or what to give a friend as a birthday present, try suggesting it in Italian, and throw in a little "che ne so" as you would "I don't know." Have fun with it!
In this lesson, we're going to talk about the future tense in Italian, and how it's used, not just for the future, but also for probability.
In our first example, Federico Fellini is talking about a future meeting with Ingmar Bergman, and as you can see from the translation, he uses the verb essere in its future tense in a straightforward way. He has no doubts about the outcome: It’s going to be stimulating!
Io penso che l'incontro fra lui e me sarà
I think that the encounter between him and me will be
veramente molto stimolante.
really very stimulating.
Caption 37, Fellini Racconta - Un Autoritratto Ritrovato
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In this next example, however, the verb essere is again used in the future tense, but here it means something completely different! In fact, one of the uses of the future tense in Italian is to express a supposition, probability, uncertainty, or doubt. In this case, the element of time is no longer taken into consideration and is replaced by a kind of conditional mood (appunto, the future is now—probably).
Guarda, stamattina ho appetito,
Look, this morning I have an appetite,
Sarà l'aria di campagna...
It must be the country air...
Captions 21-22, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 - EP2 - Il mistero di Cetinka - Part 11
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Although this special use can be applied to any verb, it’s most common with essere and avere. In Un medico in famiglia, Lele is reassuring his daughter, Maria, about the future. He’s sure!
Sono sicuro che ti piacerà la nuova scuola
I am sure you will like the new school
e avrai un sacco di nuovi amichetti.
and you will have a lot of new playmates.
Captions 11-12, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 - EP1 - Casa nuova
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But here, the signora is just making a good guess as to how hungry her passenger Alessio is.
Avrai fame immagino, sì? Andiamo?
You must be hungry, I'd imagine, right? Shall we go?
Captions 14-15, Ma che ci faccio qui! - Un film di Francesco Amato - Part 12
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In her Yabla newscast, Marika is giving us some very suspicious news from another planet, and she expresses her consternation:
Sarà vero?
Could it be true?
Caption 47, Anna e Marika - in TG Yabla Italia e Meteo
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Another way to ask the above question would be: potrebbe essere vero? (could it be true?) or even può essere vero? (can it be true?). But more often than not, the future tense will be used when talking about probability in the present, or even in the past (together with a participle), as in the following example, where there’s uncertainty in retrospect.
Non lo so. Sarà stata una buona idea farlo venire qua?
I don't know. Was it such a good idea to have him come here?
Captions 30-31, Ma che ci faccio qui! - Un film di Francesco Amato - Part 10
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Here are a couple more examples to give you an idea.
In an episode of Un medico in famiglia, the family members are wondering what Cetinka is about to take out of her suitcase:
Che è, che sarà? -Non lo so!
What is it, what could it be? -I don't know!
Caption 54, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 - EP2 - Il mistero di Cetink - Part 8
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In a lively discussion between Lara and her zia about Ginevra, the attractive medical examiner, the aunt defends Commissario Manara, which infuriates Lara even more.
E Luca la sta coprendo! -Avrà le sue buone ragioni, eh!
And Luca is covering for her! -He must have a good reason, huh!
Captions 40-41, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu
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Learning suggestion:
As you watch and listen to Yabla videos, notice how the future tense is used. You may be surprised at how often it is used to express probability, supposition, or uncertainty. And as you go about your day, maybe talking to yourself in Italian, use the future tense of essere or avere to wonder about things and their probability. Sometimes you may really be wondering about the future, as in:
Sarà una bella giornata?
Will it be a nice day?
But other times you may just be conjecturing:
Sarà una brava persona, ma dal suo comportamento non sembra proprio.
He may be a good person, but from his behavior it certainly doesn’t seem like it.
Sento bussare alla porta. Sarà il postino.
I hear someone knocking at the door. It’s probably the postman.
Perché non è ancora arrivato? Avrà avuto un contrattempo!
Why hasn’t he come yet? He must have had a setback.
So as you can see, in Italian, the future can be right now!
Francesca is showing Daniela how to play one of the most popular Italian card games, Briscola. Two little words stand out, and merit some attention. They’re both in the category of “but,” yet they are more specific and allow for a more elegant turn of phrase. The first is the conjunction bensì (but rather).
La briscola, eh... come molti non sanno,
Briscola, uh... as a lot of people don't know,
non è un gioco nato in Italia,
is not a game originating in Italy,
bensì in Olanda, nei Paesi Bassi.
but rather in Holland, in the Netherlands.
Captions 5-6, Briscola - Regole del gioco
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The other one, ovvero (or rather), is used by Francesca who’s trying make things crystal clear, so she’s using language that’s a little more formal than usual. Ovvero is somewhat archaic, and is often a fancy way of saying o (“or,” “that is,” or “otherwise”).
Nella briscola ci sono delle carte che sono più importanti delle altre,
In Briscola there are some cards that are more important than others,
ovvero, te le vado subito a mostrare.
or rather, I'm going to show them to you right away.
Captions 33-34, Briscola - Regole del gioco
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In more informal speech, you’ll hear words like ma (but), invece (but, instead, rather), nel senso (I mean, in the sense), to express similar sentiments.
Speaking of informal speech, it’s definitely the norm in Lele’s family. One of the words that creeps into casual speech is mica (“not,” or “at all”). Think of when you say, “Not bad! Not bad at all!” That’s one time you’ll want to say, mica male! It’s a form of negation equivalent to non. Therefore, non male is just about equivalent to mica male, but think, “exclamation point” at the end. The fun thing about this word is that you can use it by itself, like Ciccio does, in justifying the shoes he bought with money taken from Grandpa’s pocket:
Ma guarda, Giacinto, che eran per le scarpe, mica per un gioco!
But look, Giacinto, it was for shoes, not for a game!
Caption 27, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 - EP2 - Il mistero di Cetinka - Part 9
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But you can also use it together with a negative (it’s no crime to use a double negative in Italian) like Ciccio's Grandpa (before finding out who took his money) to emphasize the “no”:
Io sono un pensionato, Cetinka, non sono mica un bancomat!
I'm a retiree, Cetinka, I'm not an ATM machine!
Caption 91, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 - EP2 - Il mistero di Cetinka - Part 7
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The character of Alessio in Ma Che Ci Faccio Qui! is older than Ciccio, but just out of high school. His speech is certainly very rich in modi di dire (if you do a Yabla search with mica, you’ll find Alessio and many others!), but in one episode there’s an expression whose translation is not very intuitive—con comodo (in a leisurely way). If you remember that comodo means “comfortable” it will make more sense. Depending on the tone (like in English), it can express patience or impatience!
Vabbè, fate con comodo.
OK, take your time [literally, "do with leisure"].
Caption 46, Ma che ci faccio qui! - Un film di Francesco Amato
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Watch the video to see which it is in this case!
Learning suggestion: Enrich your vocabulary by using the Yabla search as well as WordReference to get more examples of bensì, ovvero, and mica. There’s no hurry: fate con comodo!
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