Let's talk about some adverbs of time and how Italians use them. Some adverbs of time have multiple meanings and need context to be understood and used precisely.
We can detect the noun notte (night) as part of the time adverb stanotte. The beginning, on the other hand, is sta, a short form of questa (this).
Non ti dispiace se rimango qui stanotte, vero?
You don't mind if I stay here tonight, do you?
Caption 4, Il Commissario Manara S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro - Part 9
Play Caption
But sometimes, the same adverb stanotte refers to "last night."
E mio marito non è rientrato stanotte e non ha nemmeno avvertito...
And my husband didn't come home last night and he didn't even let me know...
Caption 16, Il Commissario Manara S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena - Part 2
Play Caption
We can use the same form to talk about the evening: stasera. Normally, we'd say that stasera means "this evening" but in English, we often use "tonight" when referring to the dinner hour, so sometimes "tonight" is the best translation.
La lista della spesa per la cena di stasera.
The shopping list for tonight's dinner.
Caption 2, Anna e Marika La mozzarella di bufala - La produzione e i tagli - Part 1
Play Caption
While we say things like "I'm going out tonight," Italians will choose stasera over stanotte, unless we are talking about something happening in the middle of the night. But let's remember that sera generally means "evening."
Ma', stasera esco. -Dove vai?
Mom, tonight I'm going out. -Where are you going?
Caption 53, Acqua in bocca Un amico per Pippo - Ep 1
Play Caption
Also, let's take the opportunity to remind ourselves that buonasera is a greeting upon arrival, whereas buonanotte is when you're leaving (and perhaps headed for bed).
You may already be familiar with the word for "yesterday." It's ieri. Just in case stanotte might not be clear enough, we have the choice of using ieri notte to mean "last night." If you are just getting up in the morning, you'll probably use stanotte to talk about the night before, but if it is later in the day, ieri notte makes sense.
Ieri notte tre ladri hanno pensato bene di svaligiare un atelier di abiti da sposa.
Last night, three thieves had the bright idea of cleaning out a wedding gown studio.
Caption 40, La Ladra EP. 2 - Viva le spose - Part 13
Play Caption
If we say ieri sera, we can translate it with either "last night" or "yesterday evening," depending on how we think of it. But sera is generally used until late, let's say, until bedtime, whenever that is.
E voi due ieri sera eravate in casa? Sì, stavamo guardando la televisione.
And you two last night were at home? Yes, we were watching television.
Captions 47-48, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP4 Gelo - Part 2
Play Caption
We have said that ieri means "yesterday," but what about the day before yesterday?
One way to say this is l'altro ieri (the other yesterday).
Quando l'hai vista l'ultima volta? -L'altro ieri.
When did you last see her? -The day before yesterday.
Captions 5-6, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP4 Gelo - Part 5
Play Caption
Some people invert the words and say ieri l'altro.
Of course, we can also say due giorni fa (2 days ago).
E quando l'hai vista l'ultima volta? -Due giorni fa.
And when did you see her last? -Two days ago.
Captions 50-51, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP4 Gelo - Part 4
Play Caption
If we don't need to be precise, we can say "the other day."
No, scusa l'altro giorno non t'ho potuto richiamare, ma dovevi dirmi qualcosa di lavoro?
No, sorry, the other day I couldn't call you back, but did you have something about work to tell me?
Captions 29-30, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP1 L'estate del dito - Part 16
Play Caption
When we're referring to the past with these adverbs of time, we'll want to use the passato prossimo (which works like the present perfect) tense. The exception is when we use the verb essere (to be). In this case, we might also use the imperfetto.
Note that we don't say il giorno prima di ieri to correspond to "the day before yesterday!" But if that's all you can think of, people will understand. They'll probably say, "Oh, sì, l'altro ieri."
Let's talk about a word that is used a lot in Italian to mean more than its one-word, traditional translation. We're talking about sotto (under, underneath, below). Not only is it a preposition, but it's also an adverb and sometimes a noun. It can combine with other words to take on a new meaning, and in this lesson, we will just mention a few of the common ways it's used to mean something different than what we might expect.
Sotto is often preceded by qua, qui, or là when indicating something either close by or further away, but in a downward direction.
E qua sotto c'è il fiume Tevere.
And down here is the river Tiber.
Caption 19, Anna e Marika - Trattoria Al Biondo Tevere
Play Caption
When we talk about the stories or floors in a building or house, we can use sotto to indicate a lower floor. Usually, in this context, it's preceded by di (of).
Andiamo giù a vedere che cosa c'è al piano di sotto.
Let's go down to see what's on the lower floor.
Caption 23, In giro per l'Italia - Firenze
Play Caption
When you want to talk about downstairs, you can also use sotto.
Ah, perché non è di sotto?
Ah, because she's not downstairs?
Caption 4, Sposami - EP 4 - Part 9
Play Caption
Vai di sotto!
Go downstairs!
Sometimes sotto means "in front of," usually referring to a house, a building, or... one's nose. Lots of people live on the upper floors of apartment buildings, so you have to go down to get to the front of the building.
Appena ha visto i carabinieri sotto casa Sua,
As soon as you saw the carabinieri in front of your house,
se n'è scappato tipo "Fuga di mezzanotte".
you ran away, "Midnight Express" style.
Captions 8-9, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore - S1 EP2 Come piante fra sassi
Play Caption
Sotto il profilo is used to mean something to the effect of "in terms of" or "as regards." Il profilo is a true cognate and friend of "the profile," but it's used figuratively here.
Rita abbia dedicato la sua vita a fare crescere la sua anima
Rita devoted her life to nurturing her soul,
e non soltanto sotto il profilo della ricerca scientifica, eh.
and not only in terms of her scientific research, uh.
and not only as regards her scientific research, uh.
Captions 41-43, Illuminate - Rita Levi Montalcini
Play Caption
Here, the Italian expression uses the preposition sotto, but the English one uses the preposition "on."
Eh... eh, non è questione di non avere nessuno sottomano,
Uh... uh, it's not a question of not having anyone on hand,
è che è molto difficile trovare la donna giusta.
it's that it's very difficult to find the right woman.
Captions 28-29, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro
Play Caption
Sottomano can also mean "handy," or "close by."
Non ho il numero sottomano ma lo posso cercare nella rubrica.
I don't have the number handy, but I can look it up in my address book.
When you are talking about a 2-piece outfit, such as pyjamas, bikini, or athletic wear, you can refer to the bottoms as il sotto (the bottom part).
We have just scratched the surface of sotto but if you absorb all these meanings (or even one or two), you will be one step closer to becoming fluent.
Why not check out Marika's video about adverbs of place (avverbi di luogo)? Attenzione: Sometimes what are considered adverbs in Italian might be considered prepositions in English.
Rispondere, with its English cognate "to respond" seems like it would be a very easy verb to use, and sometimes it is, indeed, easy. The verb rispondere translates as both "to respond" (its cognate) and "to answer" (a verb English inherited from the Old Norse "andsvar").
As with many verbs, by using a modal verb, we can keep the main verb in the infinitive, thereby avoiding the need to remember how to conjugate it.
Senti... Posso parlare con Luca?
Listen... Can I speak with Luca?
No, Luca non può rispondere, ha avuto un problema.
No, Luca can't answer, he had a problem.
Captions 49-50, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro
Play Caption
If we don't include an object in the sentence, there are no complications. In the following example, we could also have translated rispondere with "to respond."
Va bene, allora seguo anch'io la normale procedura
All right, then I will also follow normal procedure
e prima di rispondere chiamo il mio avvocato.
and before I answer, I'll call my lawyer.
Captions 25-26, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP8 - Fuori servizio
Play Caption
1) What if the speaker used the conjunction che (after prima) as an alternate way to say the same thing?
Once we start involving an object in our sentence (such as "the question"), we have to keep in mind that rispondere is an intransitive verb (meaning it doesn't take a direct object), so if I want to say, "I answer the question" in Italian, I have to use a preposition after the verb followed by an indirect object (in this case, la domanda (the question). Think: "I respond to the question."
Rispondo alla domanda (I answer the question/I respond to the question).
Se la sente di rispondere a qualche domanda? -Sì.
Do you feel you can answer a few questions? -Yes.
Caption 38, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP4 - Le Lettere Di Leopardi
Play Caption
2) Can you ask this same question to someone you are on familiar terms with?
Non ha risposto alla mia domanda. Che cosa vuole?
You haven't answered my question. What do you want?
Caption 40, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep. 1
Play Caption
3) Can you say the same thing informally?
In English, "to respond" is intransitive and "to answer" is transitive, so we use them two different ways and we rarely have to think about it. We might think of using "to respond" in more formal situations.
I can respond to your letter or I can answer your letter.
But when we are translating from English to Italian, we have to remember that we need a preposition after rispondere.
We can also use rispondere where the indirect object is a person, perhaps expressed with a personal pronoun, as in the following example. In this case, we use "to answer" in our translation. "To respond" wouldn't work.
Toscani, per favore rispondimi. È importante, dai.
Toscani, please answer me. It's important. Come on.
Caption 56, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP9 - L'amica ritrovata
Play Caption
Memorizing rispondimi is a good idea. You never know when someone is going to faint and it's also handy to have when arguing with someone. Above all, remember that mi stands for a me (to me) so we do have a preposition (in this case a [to]).
4) How would you say the same thing to a person you don't know very well? And for the record, you wouldn't say dai. Can you think of an alternative?
In the following clip, we have an indirect object pronoun in the Italian, but none in the English. These days, we might say "I didn't pick up," "I didn't answer the phone," I didn't answer your call," "I didn't return your call." But we probably wouldn't say "I didn't answer you" unless it were an email or a letter. In this context, we think of answering the phone, not the person.
Sì, lo so, mi hai chiamato cento volte, però io non ti ho risposto
Yes, I know, you called me a hundred times, but I didn't answer
perché ho avuto un sacco di cose da fare, Teresa.
because I had a bunch of things to do, Teresa.
Captions 23-24, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP10 - Un morto di troppo
Play Caption
5) The above clip is very informal, between brother and sister, but he could have said he hadn't answered the phone. How could he have phrased it?
There are plenty of instances in which Italians insert an indirect object pronoun, where in English, none is called for. It's just something to be aware of.
We hope this lesson has provided some clarity about using the verb rispondere. If you have more questions, don't hesitate to write to us at newsletter@yabla.com
1) Va bene, allora seguo anch'io la normale procedura e prima che risponda, chiamo il mio avvocato.
1b) Va bene, allora seguo anch'io la normale procedura e prima che risponda io, chiamo il mio avvocato.
2) Te la senti di rispondere a qualche domanda? -Sì.
3) Non hai risposto alla mia domanda. Che cosa vuoi?
4) Agente Toscani, mi risponda, per favore. È importante, la prego.
5) Sì, lo so, mi hai chiamato cento volte, però io non ho risposto al telefono/alla tua chiamata perché ho avuto un sacco di cose da fare, Teresa.
Dare is an extremely common verb. It basically means "to give." But it also gets used as a sort of catch-all.
We've seen it many times in its informal, imperative form, all by itself:
Dai, dai, dai, dai che ti ho preparato una cosa buonissima che ti piace moltissimo.
Come on, come on, come on, come on, because I made you something very good, that you like a lot.
Caption 74, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP1 - Matrimonio con delitto - Part 3
Play Caption
As we see, it doesn't mean "to give" in this case. It means something like "come on." As "come on," it has plenty of nuances.
Dai is often used as a filler, as part of an innocuous and fairly positive comment, and can mean something as generic as "OK." Let's keep in mind that va be' also means "OK!" Va be' is short for vabene (all right).
Mi dispiace, Massimo, ma dobbiamo rimandare il pranzo. Va beh, dai, se devi andare... facciamo un'altra volta.
I'm sorry, Massimo, but we have to postpone our lunch. OK, then, if you have to go... we'll do it some other time.
Captions 65-66, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena - Part 2
Play Caption
Dai is also used to express surprise and/or skepticism. In this case, it is often preceded by ma (but). We see this in last week's segment of Commissario Manara, when Luca figures out that Marta might be the target of a shooting. She feigns skepticism.
E se per caso il bersaglio non fosse stata la Martini, ma fossi stata tu? Io? Ma dai!
And if by chance the target hadn't been Martini, but had been you? Me? Yeah, right!
Captions 5-7, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP6 - Sotto tiro - Part 13
Play Caption
In English we use the verb "to have" when giving commands: "Have a seat," "Have a drink," "Have a look." In Italian, though, the verb avere (to have) is rarely used in these situations. And there isn't just one Italian verb that is used, so it may be practical to learn some of these expressions one by one.
We use the verb dare when asking someone to do something like check (dare una controllata), or have a look (dare un'occhiata).
Dai un'occhiata, dai un'occhiata...
Have a look around, have a look around...
Caption 43, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro - Part 1
Play Caption
Let's not forget the literal meaning of dare, which can easily end up in the informal imperative.
E che fai, non me lo dai un bacetto, Bubbù?
And what do you do, won't you give me a little kiss, Bubbù?
Caption 41, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP10 - Un morto di troppo - Part 1
Play Caption
And to echo a recent lesson, and give another example of a verbo pronominale (a phrasal verb using particelle or short pronoun-related particles) — this time with dare — we have darsela. We have the root verb dare (to give) plus se (to oneself, to themselves, to each other) and la (it). It's hard to come up with a generic translation, as it depends on the other words in the expression, but here are two different ones from Yabla videos. Maybe you can come up with other examples, and we will be glad to dare un'occhiata. The phrasal verb here is darsela a gambe (to beat it, or run away on one's legs).
È che è molto difficile trovare la donna giusta. Secondo me, se la trovi, te la dai a gambe.
It's that it's very difficult to find the right woman. In my opinion, if you find her, you'll high-tail it out of there.
Captions 29-30, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro - Part 9
Play Caption
Here's a colorful example from this week's episode of La Ladra:
Aldo Piacentini e la, la, la Barbara Ricci, insomma, i presunti amanti,
che se le davano di santa ragione.Aldo Piacentini and, uh, uh, uh Barbara Ricci, anyway, the presumed lovers,
who were really beating the crap out of each other.Captions 45-46, La Ladra Ep. 5 - Chi la fa l'aspetti - Part 14
Play Caption
The meaning of se le davano isn't very obvious, so let's try taking it apart. Se is a reciprocal indirect pronoun, "to each other"; le is the plural generic direct object pronoun, "them"; and dare, in this case, can stand for "to deliver". In English it might not mean much, but for Italians the meaning is quite clear.
We could say they are giving each other black eyes, if we want to use the original meaning of dare.
Di santa ragione adds emphasis or strength, and might be translated as "the holy crap," "the hell," or "really."
In case you haven't gotten the chance, check out this lesson about verbi pronominali.
Spanish
French
German
Chinese
English
English 
Español
Français
Deutsch
Italiano
