With sforzo, we have an S at the beginning of a word once again, and we might recognize the word without the S as looking like the noun forza. In fact, forza vs sforzo can cause confusion for non-native speakers of Italian, because they are both about strength, in a way.
In the popular detective series on Yabla, Imma Tatarannni is trying to get some information from the young woman whose boyfriend was murdered. She uses the noun sforzo as she talks to Milena.
Allora, Milena, ascoltami. Ora tu devi fare un piccolo sforzo, va bene?
So, Milena, listen to me. Now, you have to make a little effort, all right?
Captions 23-24, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP2 Come piante fra sassi - Part 16
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We have translated Imma's use of sforzo with "to make an effort" but we might more likely say, "Now you have to try a bit harder." "Now you have to really try."
We have seen that an S at the beginning of an existing word will often change it to an opposite meaning, but it can also reinforce it, and that is basically what is happening in the example above (although this is even clearer when looking at the verb forms forzare and sforzare as we do below).
When you make an effort, you use some reserves of strength. The noun la forza is "the strength" or "the force" (easy cognate!). It's actually a very popular word, so see our lesson all about forza. It's a great noun to know because it's used so much, especially in conversation.
Sometimes it's hard to remember that lo sforzo is a masculine noun and la forza is a feminine noun so let's keep in mind that lo sforzo is "the effort," and la forza is "the strength."
The noun la forza is easy to understand, as it is a cognate of "the force," but is often translated as "the strength."
One example of this noun is the subtitle of a popular biopic about Adriano Olivetti, the man behind the well-known Olivetti typewriter. Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno (the strength of a dream).
Both lo sforzo and la forza are associated with verbs: sforzare and forzare. Sometimes these two verbs mean the same thing, but sometimes we need to distinguish them and that's where it can get tricky. Which to use?
E mi prometti di stare tranquilla, di riposarti e di non sforzare il piede?
And promise me you'll stay calm, rest and not strain your foot?
Captions 1-2, Sposami EP 3 - Part 2
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In this case, we're talking about putting too much pressure on the injured foot. Some people might use the verb forzare to mean the exact same thing, as sometimes forzare means going too far.
In the following example, sforzare is used reflexively to mean "to make an effort," "to try hard."
Piggeldy si sforzò di camminare come si deve.
Piggeldy made an effort to walk properly.
Caption 14, Piggeldy e Federico Il cielo
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Sometimes forzare means "to use force" as implied in the following example.
Eh, qualcuno ha forzato i cancelli del canile comunale, sono scappati tutti i cani,
Uh, someone pried open the gates of the town dog pound, all the dogs escaped,
Captions 68-69, Il Commissario Manara S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero - Part 3
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Of course, as with many verbs, the past participle of forzare may be used as an adjective, and often is. Sforzare, on the other hand, isn't commonly used this way.
La prima settimana di libertà dopo mesi di confino forzato!
The first week of freedom after months of forced confinement!
Caption 26, Il Commissario Manara S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena - Part 1
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When your car gets towed from a no-parking zone, in Italy, it's often called rimozione forzata. This is because they will remove the car without having to ask you. You want to avoid parking in these areas, so these might be a good couple of words to know! To see what these signs look like, here's a link.
As to when to use one or the other verb, don't worry about it too much, as sometimes it depends on personal preference. It's more important to remember about the noun, as we have mentioned above. Also, keep your ears open to notice which word people use in various situations.
P.S. The use of S as a sort of prefix in Italian comes from the Latin prefix "ex!"
P.P.S. Sforza (with an "a" at the end) is not a noun, at least not a normal, common noun. It is used as a proper noun — as a family name, and in particular, it was the name of a Milanese ruling family in the Renaissance, and a power name at that.
You've probably heard about a special kind of verb found in Italian: the reflexive verb — il verbo riflessivo. It's a kind of verb that in its direct or indirect form pervades the Italian language. It's hard to get a sentence out without using one! The basic premise is that with a reflexive verb, the subject and the direct object are the same. See these video lessons about the reflexive. Since English works differently, the Italian reflexive verb can be tricky to understand, translate, and use. Let's look at the components.
Often, a reflexive verb starts out as a transitive verb, such as lavare (to wash).
On my list of things to do, one item might be:
Lavare la macchina (wash the car).
The action is "to wash" and the direct object is la macchina (the car). The car can't wash itself. We need a subject. Who washes the car in the family?
Io lavo la macchina (I wash the car).
Pietro lava la macchina (Pietro washes the car).
But in a reflexive verb, the subject and the object are the same. They coincide. In English we might say something like, I'll go and get washed up. We use "get." In Italian, we use the reflexive form of a verb. In the infinitive, we join the reflexive pronoun si to verb, leaving out the final e, and we use a detached reflexive pronoun when we conjugate the verb.
From the transitive verb lavare, we obtain lavarsi (to wash [oneself]).
One way we can recognize a reflexive verb is by the tell-tale si at the end of the infinitive form,* in this case, lavarsi. The second way to detect a direct reflexive verb, is in being able to replace the reflexive pronoun with sé stesso (oneself).
Let's make a checklist for the reflexive verb lavarsi.
1) It has the reflexive pronoun si at the end in the infinitive. √
2) I can say lavo me stesso/a (I wash myself). √
Here are some other common direct reflexive verbs. Do they pass the test?
lavarsi (to wash [oneself])
alzarsi (to get up)
vestirsi (to get dressed)
preocuparsi (to worry)
chiedersi (to wonder)
spogliarsi (to get undressed)
sedersi (to sit down)
chiamarsi (to be named)
See this lesson about reflexive verbs. It takes you through the conjugations and discusses transitive vs reflexive verbs in terms of meaning. Once you have grasped the basic reflexive verb and how to use it, let's move on to a slightly murkier version.
Something as basic as washing your face needs some understanding of the reflexive in Italian. We looked at lavarsi. That's a whole-body experience. But if we start looking at body parts, we still use the reflexive, even though it's indirect.
Instead of saying, "I wash my face," using a possessive pronoun as we do in English, Italians use the logic, "Hey, of course, it's my face on my body — I don't need to say whose face it is." So they use the reflexive to refer to the person, but add on "the face."
Mi lavo la faccia (I wash my face).
So there is a direct object in the sentence that doesn't coincide exactly with the subject (you are not your face), but it's still part of you and so we can say it's somewhat reflexive. It's indirectly reflexive. In grammatical terms, it's also pronominal, because we use the (reflexive) pronoun with the verb.
*Caveat: The pronoun si can and does have additional functions, but if the verb is reflexive, this si will be there in the infinitive, and we can look up the reflexive verb in the dictionary.
Try using the above-mentioned reflexive formula (with lavare) for other body parts. Start with yourself, and then go on to other people like your brother, or to keep it simpler, use someone's name.
i capelli (the hair)
i denti (the teeth)
i piedi (the feet)
le mani (the hands)
Examples:
Giulia si lava i capelli una volta alla settimana (Giulia washes her hair once a week).
Io mi lavo i capelli tutti giorni (I wash my hair every day).
Vado a lavarmi le mani (I'm going to wash my hands).
Let's take the indirect reflexive one step further. Sometimes instead of using a verb form like "to shower," we'll use the noun. Sometimes there isn't an adequate, specific verb to use. In English, we take a shower. Italian uses fare to mean "to make," "to do," and "to take." And since taking a shower is usually a very personal activity, having to do with one's body, we use the reflexive form of fare plus the noun la doccia (the shower) to say this. We could even leave out the reflexive (since there is a direct object - doccia:
Faccio una doccia (I take a shower, I'm going to take a shower).
It is more common, however, to personalize it, to emphasize the person involved. Italians would normally say:
Mi faccio la doccia (I'm going to take a shower).
Mi faccio una doccia (I'm going to take a shower).
Vai a farti la doccia (Go take a shower).
And just as easily, I can ask you if you are going to take a shower.
Ti fai la doccia (are you going to take a shower)?
And if we speak in the third person with a modal verb, we'll see that the infinitive of fare, in this case, has all the trappings of a reflexive verb, that tell-tale si at the end of the infinitive:
Pietro vuole farsi la doccia (Pietro wants to take a shower).
Mi faccio la doccia alle sette e mezza.
I take a shower at half past seven [seven and a half].
Caption 7, Marika spiega - L'orologio
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There is another verb we use when talking about our bodies. We have vestirsi (to get dressed) but Italians also use an indirect reflexive to mean "to wear," or, to use the basic translation of mettere — "to put on." The verb is mettersi [qualcosa] (to wear something). This verb is discussed in the lesson about wearing clothes in Italian.
Cosa mi metto stasera per andare alla festa (what am I going to wear tonight to go to the party)?
In the next lesson, we'll look at ways we use the indirect reflexive to be more expressive.
A Yabla subscriber has asked to know more about the popular short word anzi (rather, on the contrary, in fact, indeed). In fact, it's hard to pin down a one-word meaning for anzi that works all of the time. Aside from its various uses and connotations as a single conjunction, anzi is also part of important compound words such as anziché (rather than), innanzitutto (first and foremost, first of all) among others, and has some archaic definitions and grammatical categories we can safely overlook for now.
The important thing is to be able to understand and use anzi when appropriate. So let’s look at some of the ways anzi fits into sentences.
One handy way to use anzi is when you say something, and you correct yourself right away. In English you’d say “or rather,” or “I mean.” In our first example, Andromeda corrects herself on the fly. Regalare (to give as a gift) wasn’t quite the word she was looking for. Then she found it: affidare (to entrust).
Abbiamo dovuto regalare, anzi,
We had to give away, or rather,
affidare Dorian alla nonna dei miei figli.
entrust Dorian to the grandmother of my children.
Caption 19, Andromeda - e i gatti 2
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In the next example, anzi contradicts a negative statement with something positive. In this situation, it’s not even necessary to finish the sentence after anzi; we already know, because of its presence, that we’re contradicting whatever negativity came before.
Non è per niente male vivere in Italia, anzi!
It's not at all bad living in Italy, on the contrary!
Caption 54, Francesca - sulla spiaggia
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If Francesca were to complete her sentence, she’d say something like:
Non è per niente male vivere in Italia, anzi, è fantastico!
It's not at all bad living in Italy, on the contrary, it’s great!
Anzi, said with a certain inflection, raise of an eyebrow, or nod of a head, lets you avoid having to search for the right word!
In this next example, Lara’s aunt is telling her that what she believes about Luca is actually the opposite of how things really stand. So once again, anzi is used to contradict.
Penserà che sono una stupida.
He'll think I'm an idiot.
-Ma no, no, ma quando mai!
-But no, no, out of the question!
Anzi, dice sempre che sei speciale!
On the contrary, he's always saying that you're special!
Captions 8-10, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP4 - Le Lettere Di Leopardi
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In the following example, as he dreams of his vacation in Sicily, Manara first mentions two brioches, then thinks better of it and changes the quantity to four. He didn't make a mistake, and he's not exactly contradicting himself, but he is reconsidering. This is a classic example of how people use anzi.
Mi mangio due granite caffè con panna
I'll eat my two coffee Italian ices with whipped cream
e due brioche, anzi, quattro.
and two brioches, no, four.
Caption 30, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena
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Even in this classic case, there isn’t just one way to translate anzi. Other expressions can do the job:
Come to think of it, I’ll have four.
I’ll have two. No, make that four.
Actually, I’ll have four.
Then again, I’ll have four.
Better yet, I’ll have four.
Hopefully you’ve gotten the gist of some of the ways anzi works, and how useful it can be. So far, anzi has helped to change one’s mind, or someone else’s. We’ll soon be back with still more ways to use anzi. We’ll discuss how anzi can reinforce an adjective or idea, and how it can introduce a new idea related to what’s come before. And then we'll put them all together just for fun!
Ferragosto (August 15th) is one of the most important and respected holidays of the year in Italy. It's also a religious holiday, the Feast of the Assumption, a very important holiday for Catholic countries like Italy, and so there's something for everyone: beach, barbecues, religious processions, fireworks, horse races—you name it.
In recent years, things have changed somewhat. Lately, people have had less money to spend on long vacations, and laws have changed, allowing stores to stay open on holidays, so there's a bit more city life than there used to be. Still, Ferragosto is not when you want to get a flat tire (forare), or a toothache (mal di denti).
Le strade sono deserte, le serrande sono chiuse (streets are deserted, stores are shuttered). You'll see signs on those closed serrande saying chiuso per ferie (closed for vacation). Ferragosto is also one of the hottest holidays, full of sun and blue skies. People want to be at the seaside.
In a video about the culinary arts, an art critic mentions gli anni di piombo (the years of lead), the sad and scary seventies when terrorism was an everyday reality in Italy, and there was gunsmoke in the air. He gives us this image of Milan:
Sembrava che la nebbia ci fosse anche a Ferragosto.
It seemed as though there was fog even at Ferragosto (national holiday on August 15th).
Caption 26, L'arte della cucina - L'Epoca delle Piccole Rivoluzioni
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Luckily, these days Ferragosto is much calmer. In fact, Ferragosto (which can also refer to the days around the 15th of August) is the time of the year in Italy when it's hard to get certain things done because so many shops and services are chiusi per ferie. Small commissioni (errands, tasks) can get complicated, such as:
comprare il pane (buying bread)
portare la macchina dall'elettrauto (taking the car to the auto electrician)
farsi i capelli dal parrucchiere (getting your hair done at the hairdresser's)
mangiare al tuo ristorante preferito (eating at your favorite restaurant)
andare in palestra (going to the gym)
comprare l'aspirina per il mal di testa (buying aspirin for your headache)
pagare l'assicurazione della macchina (paying your car insurance)
prendere un appuntamento col dentista (making a appointment with the dentist)
spedire un pacchetto alla posta (mailing a package at the post office)
chiamare un corriere (calling a delivery service)
fare riparare la lavatrice (getting your washing machine repaired)
Italians worry about what supermarkets might or might not be open on and around Ferragosto, and they stock up on acqua minerale (bottled mineral water), birra (beer),salumi (cold cuts), carbonella (charcoal), crema solare (sunblock), and molto ancora (lots more) before heading for il mare (the seaside).
Before wishing you buone ferie, a quick reminder about le ferie. It's a noun, always used in the plural to indicate time off, leave, or vacation.
If you've kept up with Commissario Manara, you'll know how thrilled he was to finally have some ferie (time off), but invece (instead) he had to stay put and solve a crime.
Ho dovuto sudare sette camice,
I had to sweat seven shirts [I had to go to a lot of trouble],
ma alla fine la tua settimana di ferie eccola qua.
but in the end, your week of vacation, here it is.
Captions 20-21, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena
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It's very easy to confuse the meaning of the adjective feriale, which refers to just the opposite situation. Giorni feriali (workdays) include Saturdays, but not giorni festivi (Sundays and holidays). These terms are very important when you're parking your macchina (car) in order to avoid getting una multa (a fine or ticket).
So whether you're spending your ferie (time off) a casa (at home) or going in vacanza (on vacation) someplace exciting, or even if you're working, here's hoping you can relax and enjoy the rest of the summer.
Yabla non è chiuso per ferie! (Yabla is not closed for vacation!)
Just for fun:
Here is an article to help you get a feel for the Ferragosto spirit:
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