The plural noun paletti came up in a recent video on Yabla, leading to thoughts about palo and pala (paletti is the plural diminutive of palo). They have similarities that can truly confound. Let's go through these words, one by one, to make sense of them.
Un palo is a pole, post, or mast. It's a masculine noun.
Però mi ricordo soltanto che era piccola e scura, perché quando è uscita dal garage, ha urtato contro un motorino che era legato a un palo.
But I just remember that it was small and dark, because when it left the garage, it hit a scooter that was locked to a post.
Captions 19-21, Provaci ancora prof! S2EP2 Una mina vagante - Part 21
Play Caption
It's also used to mean "goal post."
Quando un giocatore fa gol, si può dire anche "rete!". Ma se sbaglia e prende un palo, si dice solo "palo".
When a player scores, you can also say "Net!" But if the player makes a mistake and hits a goal post, you just say "goal post."
Captions 19-22, Marika spiega Gli sport
Play Caption
One more figurative meaning of un palo is "a lookout."
Gina è rimasta fuori in macchina a fare il palo. Se vede movimenti sospetti, ci avverte subito.
Gina stayed out in the car to act as the lookout. If she sees any suspicious movements, she'll warn us right away.
Captions 12-13, La Ladra EP. 6 - Nero di rabbia - Part 11
Play Caption
When un palo is small, it's un paletto. So if you are building fences, such as to keep chickens and foxes out of your vegetable garden, you might use the small size of this item: un paletto. We're using the word literally. And we often find the plural used, so it's good to remember i paletti.
Si coltiva su una trama di paletti di legno e fil di ferro,
It is grown on a framework made up of wooden stakes and wire,
Caption 26, Pomodori Vulcanici Pomodori del Vesuvio - Part 4
Play Caption
But paletti is used figuratively quite often when referring to restrictions, obstacles, or boundaries in human interaction and endeavors.
Era dico, perché oggi ci sono molti più paletti per chiunque vada negli Stati Uniti. -Sì. Ah no, per chi va negli Stati Uniti,
It was, I say, because, today there are many more restrictions for anyone going to the United States. -Yes. Oh no, for those who go to the United States,
Captions 40-43, Professioni e mestieri La chef Sandra Stefani - Part 3
Play Caption
In a new relationship, or when raising children, you might put up some boundaries... mettere dei paletti.
Una pala, on the other hand, can be a shovel, a blade, or even an altarpiece! It's a feminine noun.
La preparazione del terreno per la semina, il contadino la fa con una vanga, che è una specie di pala ma fatta apposta per il terreno, fatta a punta per entrare bene nella terra.
The preparing of the ground for sowing, the farmer does with a spade, which is a kind of shovel but made especially for the ground, made with a point to enter nicely into the earth.
Captions 24-28, La campagna toscana Il contadino - Part 2
Play Caption
From the RAI biopic about the famous early Baroque painter, Caravaggio:
Presto potrete ammirare la sua pala d'altare nella chiesa del Gesù.
Soon you will be able to admire his altarpiece in the Church of Jesus.
Caption 63, Caravaggio EP1 - Part 16
Play Caption
Wind turbines are found on tall cement poles, which could be thought of as pali, but the proper term for the tall, vertical part of the structure is la torre (the tower). Pala, in this case, actually refers to the blade of the turbine. It would be correct to say la turbina eolica to mean "the wind turbine," but the everyday term is la pala eolica or le pale eoliche (in the plural) to refer to the entire structure. There are usually more than one, so we've included the plural.
È il rumore di una pala eolica, me lo sono ricordato, si trova vicino a una stalla abbandonata.
It's the sound of a wind turbine. I remembered it, it's near an abandoned barn.
Captions 13-15, Il Commissario Manara S2EP12 - La donna senza volto - Part 10
Play Caption
Another confusing moment for la pala is when it is included in the common pairing: pail and shovel. We hear "pail" and it sounds kind of like pala, but la pala is the shovel! The pail is il secchio. When it's about kids at the beach, it's la paletta e secchiello.
The diminutive of pala, paletta, can be a number of things: a dustpan, a small shovel, a fly swatter, a scoop, a spatula, a trowel, a paddle...
Per pulire il pavimento, userò una scopa e una paletta.
To clean the floor, I'll use a broom and a dustpan.
Caption 13, Marika spiega Le pulizie di primavera - Part 1
Play Caption
In this next example, la paletta represents a sign on a stick.
Signori, siamo pronti per votare, siamo pronti per votare. Tutti pronti con le palette.
[Ladies and] Gentlemen, we're ready to vote, we're ready to vote. Everyone ready with their signs.
Captions 56-57, Fellini Racconta Un Autoritratto Ritrovato - Part 17
Play Caption
And this same name is given to the "paddle" the police or carabinieri use to wave a car down on the side of the road.
Just for fun:
Quando Marco era bambino, passava le estati al mare con la sua famiglia. Sulla spiaggia giocava per ore con la pala e il secchio, costruendo castelli di sabbia. A volte perdeva la sua paletta, e allora ne chiedeva un’altra ai genitori.
When Marco was a child, he spent his summers at the beach with his family. On the beach, he played for hours with a pail and shovel, building sandcastles. Sometimes he lost his little shovel, and then he would ask his parents for another one.
Un giorno, tornando a casa, vide per la prima volta delle pale eoliche sulle colline. Gli sembravano enormi girandole che giravano lentamente nel vento, molto diverse dalla sua piccola paletta da spiaggia.
One day, on the way home, he saw wind turbines on the hills for the first time. They looked like enormous pinwheels turning slowly in the wind, very different from his small beach shovel.
Anni dopo, Marco comprò una casa in campagna. Per sistemare il giardino, usò una grande pala per piantare alcuni pali di legno e costruire una recinzione. Aggiunse anche dei paletti per segnare il sentiero tra gli alberi.
Years later, Marco bought a house in the country. To do some work on the garden, he used a large shovel to put in some wooden posts and build a fence. He also added some small stakes to mark the path among the trees.
Nel lavoro, però, Marco doveva anche “mettere dei paletti”: doveva essere chiaro con i colleghi e stabilire dei limiti. “Qui bisogna mettere dei paletti,” diceva spesso, “altrimenti non potremo lavorare bene insieme.”
At work, however, Marco also had to “set boundaries”: He had to be clear with his colleagues and establish limits. “We need to set some boundaries here,” he often said, “otherwise we won't be able to work well together.”
Così, tra pale, palette, pali e paletti, impariamo che piccole differenze nelle parole possono cambiare molto il significato.
Thus, from shovels to signs, to posts and boundaries, we learn that small differences in words can significantly change their meaning.
Thanks for reading. Still confused about palo, pali, pala, pale, paletto, paletti, paletta, and palette? Write to us at [email protected].
Vicenda and faccenda are two words we come across in narrations and in dialog. They both have to do with events, things that happen, but is there a difference? If so, what?
The noun la faccenda comes from the verb fare (to make, to do), and has to do with things we do. It implies something that is done in a relatively short amount of time.
Many Italians describe housework as le faccende — the chores you do. The noun is usually found in its plural form, as there is always more than one thing to do.
It might occur to you to say:
Passo sempre tutto il weekend a fare le faccende (I always spend the whole weekend doing housework).
If it's clear I am talking about my house, I don't need to add domestiche or di casa, but if it's not necessarily clear, I might say,
Passo tutto il weekend a fare le faccende domestiche (I spend the whole weekend doing housework).
Passo tutto il weekend a fare le faccende di casa (I spend the whole weekend doing housework).
Le pulizie della casa, dell'appartamento si chiamano anche "faccende domestiche" oppure "pulizie casalinghe".
Cleaning the house, the apartment, is also called "housework" or "household cleaning."
Captions 32-33, Marika spiega Le pulizie di primavera - Part 1
Play Caption
Faccenda, used in the singular or the plural, can also denote a "matter" or "business."
Ecco, io ci tenevo a dirvi che noi siamo completamente estranei a questa faccenda.
Well, I wanted to tell you that we are completely uninvolved in this matter.
Caption 56, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1EP1 L'estate del dito - Part 18
Play Caption
Brutta faccenda. È una crisi di ispirazione.
Nasty business. It's an inspiration crisis.
Captions 5-6, La Ladra EP. 5 - Chi la fa l'aspetti - Part 1
Play Caption
Often, the noun faccenda can imply something unpleasant — maybe an unpaid bill you need to discuss or something you did at work that needs to be dealt with.
The noun vicenda likely comes from the latin "vicis" (to mutate). It can be an event, or a succession or series of events, possibly lasting over time. In many instances, it can be used in place of "story."
Quando "cosa" si riferisce ad un fatto o a una vicenda particolare, possiamo usare alcune espressioni...
When "thing" refers to a particular fact or event, we can use some expressions...
Captions 32-33, Marika spiega Cosa - Part 1
Play Caption
Una leggenda racconta che questo ponte è legato alle vicende di una fanciulla veneziana e di un giovane ufficiale austriaco e al diavolo.
A legend tells that this bridge was linked to the story of a Venetian girl and a young Austrian officer, and to the devil.
Captions 5-7, In giro per l'Italia Venezia - Part 10
Play Caption
As you watch videos, read books, and listen to people talk, you will get a feel for faccenda and vicenda. In some cases, they might even be interchangeable. Although vicenda doesn't come from the verb vivere (to live), it might be helpful to imagine that it does. Le vicende are things that happen in life. Le faccende are things you do (used in the plural) or, used either in the singular or plural, matters to deal with.
You might also have heard the expression a vicenda (mutual, each other) It's very common, but we will look at it in a future lesson, so we can give it the attention it deserves.
The preposition di (of) is one of the most common simple prepositions. It's used to show possession, but also means, origin, manner, quantity. Take a look at the WordReference entry to get an idea.
The simple preposition di can be combined with an article to form what is called una preposizione articolata. In doing this, it is transformed a bit, so this is just something we need to learn. Marika has a video series about the prepositions, and begins with the common preposition di. In this lesson we will set out to put things in a visual context with a list of how di can combine with definite articles, and we'll give you some examples from Yabla videos, so you can hear them in context.
Here is how we combine the preposition di with the various definite articles (that all mean "the"): The main thing to notice is that the i in di is transformed in e.
di + il = del
di + lo = dello
di + l’ = dell’
di + la = della
di + i = dei
di + gli = degli
di + le = delle
Let's look at each combination in context:
It will usually precede a masculine noun or the adjective that describes it.
In tutte le città del mondo ci sono ristoranti italiani.
In all the cities of the world, there are Italian restaurants.
Caption 8, Adriano Pizzeria Pinocchio - Part 1
Play Caption
In the following example, note that before the noun there is an adjective, famoso (famous) which also agrees with the masculine noun.
Pinocchio è il protagonista del famoso romanzo dell'autore Collodi:
Pinocchio is the main character of the famous novel by the author Collodi:
Caption 29, Adriano Pizzeria Pinocchio - Part 1
Play Caption
Note that there is another example of dello in the title of the episode. Translated it would be: The shark's gold.
Chi ha aggiustato la porta dello spogliatoio?
Who fixed the door of the locker room?
Caption 30, La Ladra Ep. 3 - L'oro dello squalo - Part 13
Play Caption
In the following example, even though we say il colore, not lo colore, we do use di plus the definite article lo and it becomes dello. This is because before the noun, we have the adjective stesso which begins with an s + the consonant t. So we need the definite article lo. Like when we say: È lo stesso (It's all the same). That's something to remember. Later in this lesson, we will look at a similar construction with a feminine noun.
E una bella borsa dello stesso colore.
And a nice handbag of the same color.
Caption 37, Corso di italiano con Daniela I colori - Part 3
Play Caption
Le pulizie della casa, dell'appartamento si chiamano anche "faccende domestiche" oppure "pulizie casalinghe".
The cleaning of the house, of the apartment, is also called "housework" or "household cleaning."
Captions 32-33, Marika spiega Le pulizie di primavera - Part 1
Play Caption
Sometimes this same construction turns out to be feminine! It's a truncated version of della, which we'll look at next.This can be a headache for learners:
Io mi occupo della contabilità dell'azienda.
I take care of the accounts of the business.
Caption 17, Il Commissario Manara S1EP11 - Beato tra le donne - Part 3
Play Caption
La grande tragedia della guerra lascia memorie che non si cancellano.
The great tragedy of the war leaves memories that don't get erased.
Caption 43, L'arte della cucina Terre d'Acqua - Part 5
Play Caption
Now let's move on to di plus a plural definite article.
Da quando in qua un uomo si deve occupare dei neonati?
Since when should a man have to take care of [the] newborns?
Caption 16, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 12
Play Caption
Note that Italian uses the definite article, where in English, none is necessary. This is common and takes some effort in getting used to it.
In the next example, we have the combined preposition followed by the possessive pronoun miei (the plural masculine form of mio). Here too, the article is there (attached to di = dei ).
È una ricetta dei miei nonni che coltivavano le arance di Sicilia.
It's a recipe from my grandparents, who cultivated Sicilian oranges.
Caption 12, Adriano L'arancello di Marina
Play Caption
Degli is hard to pronounce for lots of folks. Here, too, the definite article is included, while English leaves it out.
Pensate che il novanta percento degli italiani beve caffè quotidianamente.
Just think that ninety percent of Italians drink coffee on a daily basis.
Caption 7, Adriano Il caffè
Play Caption
Sarà la forma delle note a stabilire qual è la durata dei suoni,
It's the shape of the notes that determines the duration of the sounds,
Caption 37, A scuola di musica con Alessio - Part 3
Play Caption
If you look at the transcript of just about any video, you will be able to pick out several examples of these preposizioni articolate. Look for common phrases and start repeating them, getting them into your repertoire.
For other preposizioni articolate, check out:
Combining the preposition a with a definite article
Combining the preposition in with a definite article
Meanwhile, if you have any questions or doubts, write to us at [email protected]
The imperfetto, or “imperfect” past tense is just one of the several past tenses in Italian. As we can see from its name, it’s not perfect, meaning it doesn’t use an auxiliary verb like essere (to be) or avere (to have) plus a participle. It stands alone as a verb and is conjugated and so it is similar in structure to the simple past in English. Attenzione! Knowing when to use it is not always clear-cut, and usage differs from region to region. There may also be more than one possible English translation in a given case.
Perhaps the easiest way to get a feel for this tense is to use it when comparing the past to the present: the way it was then, and the way it is now.
Be aware that there are three basic ways to translate the imperfetto into English. One way is with the simple past tense.
Ma certo che lo conosco. Io venivo sempre qui in vacanza!
But of course I know him. I always came here on vacation!
Caption 79, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde
Play Caption
In the above example, we’re talking about something in the past. The adverb sempre (always), indicating a repetitive action in the past, along with the fact that it is no longer true, helps us understand that we need the imperfetto.
It wasn’t a one-time, specific action in the past. If it had been, we might have used the passato prossimo:
Sono venuto qui l’anno scorso in vacanza.
I came here on vacation last year.
And if we mention the specific times in the past rather than a span of time, we also use the passato prossimo.
Sono venuto qui tante volte in vacanza.
I have come here many times on vacation.
Note that in the above examples, we use the passato prossimo in both cases, but the English translation changes!
Another way we translate the imperfetto in English is with “would” plus the infinitive, when describing the past as opposed to the present.
In the following example, Marika is explaining how people mopped the floor in the past.
Un tempo si usava un'asta di legno con uno strofinaccio...
In the past one would use a wooden pole with a floor cloth...
Si prendeva lo strofinaccio, si metteva in un secchio.
You would take the floor cloth, you would put it in a bucket.
Captions 20-23, Marika spiega - Le pulizie di primavera
Play Caption
A third way the imperfetto can be translated is with the English past continuous tense.
E allora che cosa ci faceva nel nostro giardino?
And so what were you doing in our garden?
Cercavo un posto sicuro per passare la notte.
I was looking for a safe place to spend the night.
Captions 3-4, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena
Play Caption
The past continuous exists in Italian, too, as the passato progressivo. Much of the time, it’s interchangeable with the imperfetto, and perhaps a bit more specific in pinpointing the moment of speaking in the timeline.
In the above example, the Italian passato progressivo could have been used with same result in English:
Allora che cosa stava facendo nel nostro giardino?
Stavo cercando un posto sicuro per passare la notte.
So these three ways of translating are important for understanding Italian, and just as important when trying to think and speak in Italian.
Learning suggestions:
To get an overview of this tense in context, do a Yabla search of various verbs in their imperfetto conjugations and see all the examples.
See Marika and Anna talk about their childhoods using the imperfetto!
Can you compare your childhood or youth to the present using the imperfetto as opposed to the presente?
Here’s an example.
Quando ero più giovane avevo più capelli.
When I was younger, I had more hair.
Ora sono quasi senza capelli del tutto.
Now I have almost no hair at all.
When you arrive in a new country, one of the first challenges is to find your way around. Asking directions is one thing. Understanding them is another!
A destra (to the right) and a sinistra (to the left) are pretty basic, but when someone starts saying in fondo (at the end, in the end, at the bottom), there may be some confusion as to exactly what’s meant.
Fondo has to do with distance and depth. Let’s first look at its literal, physical meaning.
Ha bisogno di qualcosa?
Do you need anything?
Sì, sì, un bagno.
Yes, yes, a bathroom.
È in fondo a destra. -Scusi.
It's at the end of the hall, to the right. -Excuse me.
Captions 40-42, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP4 - Le Lettere Di Leopardi
Play Caption
The above is a very typical answer to the question, “Where is the restroom?”
In fondo may indicate the furthest point (at the end) or the lowest point, as in in fondo alle scale (at the bottom of the stairs). If you’re late for a movie, you will probably sit in fondo (at the back).
Fondo often has to do with long distance, as in sci di fondo (cross-country skiing). A long-distance bicycle race will be il gran fondo. Note that the word profondo (deep) contains the root fondo! A very low bass singer will be a basso profondo.
Ed ecco davanti a noi, nel blu profondo,
And here, in front of us, in the deep blue,
una forma scura come quella di un grosso pesce adagiato sul fondo.
a dark form shaped like a big fish lying on the bottom.
Captions 38-39, Linea Blu - Sicilia
Play Caption
Italians often use piatti fondi (soup plates) for eating pasta or brodo (broth). They’re deep enough to hold liquids.
Note that fondo is used both as a noun and as an adjective! Un fondo can be a fund, it can be a storage area, it can be a backdrop or background. It can be a piece of land. In makeup, fondotinta is your makeup base or foundation.
Turning now to concepts rather than physical things, fondo, preceded by the preposition a (to, at, in), takes on the idea of “in depth,” or “thorough.”
In bagno, è molto importante pulire a fondo.
In the bathroom it's very important to clean thoroughly.
Caption 34, Marika spiega - Le pulizie di primavera
Play Caption
If you think about getting “to the bottom” of things, a fondo makes sense.
If you want to go all the way, vai fino in fondo (you go all the way), both literally and figuratively.
In fondo is used to mean “in the end,” or “after all is said and done,” or “deep down.”
Per questo preferisco i gatti.
That's why I prefer cats.
E poi, i gatti in fondo hanno sempre sette vite.
And then, after all, they always have seven lives.
Captions 30-31, Escursione - Un picnic in campagna
Play Caption
Then there’s a popular expression in fondo in fondo (deep down) used primarily in talking about people:
Insomma, sai che ti dico, zia?
All in all, you know what I have to say, Aunt?
Che come commissario, in fondo in fondo, non è poi così male...
That as a commissioner, deep down, he's not really so bad...
Captions 11-12, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu
Play Caption
It wouldn’t hurt to approfondire (to go into things more thoroughly, more deeply) a bit regarding the word fondo. There are plenty of examples in Yabla videos, and there are plenty of examples on WordReference.com. Remember that context is key! In fondo in fondo, è una parola molto utile! (All in all, it’s a very useful word!)
Spanish
French
German
Chinese
English
English 
Español
Français
Deutsch
Italiano
