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Diritto, Dritto, and Dritta

In a previous lesson, we looked at some Italian words that have to do with "right": retto and its feminine form retta. We mentioned that there are other words that can mean "right" and so in this lesson, we will look at two more: diritto, dritto. Sometimes they mean "right" and sometimes they don't, but they are very good words to know! 

 

If we look at the dictionary entry for dritto, we also find diritto, so they are very closely related and can often be used interchangeably. And sometimes it's hard to tell if someone is saying one or the other. But there are cases where you can't swap them. 

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Diritto as a noun

When you have rights (or not), then you use diritto as a masculine noun. Dritto won't work in this case!

 

Mi dice con che diritto ha fermato Stefano?

Will you tell what right you had to detain Stefano?

Caption 48, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro

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As in English, we can talk about rights in general: equal rights, civil rights, etc., thus using the plural.

 

Anch'io ho i miei diritti e la mia dignità di lavoratore.

I also have my rights and my dignity as a worker.

Caption 6, Ma che ci faccio qui! - Un film di Francesco Amato

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While a single law is una legge, law in general is referred to as diritto or giurisprudenza. Here, too, dritto won't do.

Mi sono appena iscritto alla facolta di Diritto.

I'm just enrolled in Law school.

 

Dritta as a noun

Although dritta as a noun almost surely derives from the verb dirigere, it has become a colloquial but widely used feminine noun in itself. In this case, someone is heading you in the right direzione (direction) by giving you some good advice or a tip. Diritta doesn't work here.

 

Gli ho solamente dato qualche dritta su come tenere

I just gave him a few tips on how to keep

pulito il lastricato dalla gramigna. -Ah!

the flagstones free of weeds. -Ah.

Captions 53-54, La Ladra - Ep. 7 - Il piccolo ladro

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Further noun definitions of dritto and dritta.

 

We can use the noun form dritto/dritta to describe someone who is sly, a smooth operator.

 

La dritta can also indicate the right-[hand] side, the one used to direct (dirigere). On a ship, it's the starboard side. On a medal il dritto is the "front" side. In knitting, dritto is a plain stitch.

 

Dritto as an adverb

 

Just as with "right" in English, diritto can be either an adjective or a noun, but it can also be an adverb. 

 

One thing a parent might tell a child is:

 

Valentina, sta dritta.

Valentina, stand up straight.

Caption 10, Fellini Racconta - Un Autoritratto Ritrovato

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As we found in the lesson on retto, "straight" and "right" are close cousins in English. Think of the word "upright."

 

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Giving Directions

One way we use the adverb dritto or diritto is when we give directions, so this is super important. Whether you say diritto or dritto, people will understand you just fine.

 

Here, Daniela is teaching us about giving directions.

 

OK? Allora, andare a destra, andare a sinistra,

OK? So, "to go to the right," "to go to the left,"

andare dritto, andare sempre dritto, andare tutto dritto.

"to go straight," "to go straight ahead." "to go straight ahead."

Captions 53-54, Corso di italiano con Daniela - Chiedere informazioni

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Here's an expression we have seen several times in Yabla videos, used in association with former criminals, wayward policemen, or with kids.  

 

In the following example, dritto describes the way you draw lines--you draw them straight. You behave.

 

"Rigare dritto" vuol dire comportarsi bene.

"To toe the line" [to make a straight line] means "to behave."

Caption 14, Marika commenta -La Ladra - Espressioni idiomatiche

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Check out Marika's video where she says a bit more about the expression rigare dritto or filare dritto

 

In the following example, we could also say the shot went right to the heart.

 

Un colpo di pistola dritto al cuore a distanza ravvicinata, ma...

A gunshot direct to the heart at close range, but...

Caption 16, Provaci Ancora Prof! - S1E2 - Un amore pericoloso

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There is certainly more to say about these fascinating and important words, but your head must be full by now. Keep your eyes and ears open as you watch Yabla videos. These words will be peppered all through them. Let us know your questions and doubts, and we'll get back to you. Write to us at newsletter@yabla.com

 

How to Turn a Noun into a Verb (and Back) in Italian

 

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The verb or the noun? Does it matter? No, it doesn't really matter in speaking Italian, but knowing the verb a noun comes from, or the noun a verb comes from can sometimes help us figure out a word we don't know. Or, it can help us remember a new word. In the case of the words discussed in this lesson, we start with a noun.

 

The noun il poggio:

Il poggio  the noun is likely less well-known than the verbs that stem from it. A little research on the etymology tells us that poggio comes from the Latin noun "podium" — a raised platform. Hey! We know the word "podium" in English! Poggio is synonymous with colle or collina (hill), but often refers to a rather small, rounded hill — perhaps a podium-shaped hill, like a bluff...

 

Sorge isolata su di un poggio la chiesa di Santa Maria a Mevale,

Emerging on a bluff is the remote church of Santa Maria in Mevale

costruita nell'undicesimo secolo in stile romanico,

built in the eleventh century in the Romanesque style,

in cui spicca un portale rinascimentale e il portico a cinque arcate.

in which a Renaissance portal and a five-arch portico stand out.

Captions 1-3, Itinerari Della Bellezza - Umbria 

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Fun Expression:

An expression Tuscans like to use is: poggio e buca fan pari (hill and hole come out even).

Fan is short for fanno (they make).

poggio=salita (hill = climb)

buca=discesa (hole = descent) 

salita + discesa = pianura (uphill + downhill = flatland)

 

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Places:

There are places that take their name from the noun poggio. They are usually on a hill.

A very famous town (with a famous villa) near Florence is called Poggio a Caiano and one of our Yabla videos takes place in a town called Poggiofiorito (flowering hills):

 

Scusami, ma c'ho avuto il trasloco da Poggiofiorito e ho fatto male i calcoli.

I'm sorry, but I've moved to Poggiofiorito and didn't gauge it well.

Caption 27, Un medico in famiglia - S1 EP1 - Casa nuova

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You can go a long time in Italy without hearing the noun poggio, but the verbs that come from this noun are much more common. Sometimes verbs are made from nouns by simply adding a verb ending such as  -are, -ire, or -ere

 

Poggiare:

Poggiare certainly exists as a verb. It means "to place." 

Marika uses this verb when describing how she stays safe as she looks out from her balcony.

 

Per affacciarmi al balcone, io poggio le mani sulla ringhiera.

To look out from the balcony, I place my hands on the railing.

Caption 13, Marika spiega - Il balcone

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Appoggiare:

But  appoggiare also exists. In this case the prefix a has been added, with the conventional doubling of the first consonant in the original noun. Appoggiare is a more complex verb and has several literal and figurative meanings. Appoggiare is more about support, about leaning, propping. Think of a ladder you prop against a wall. In the following example, Manara uses it reflexively.

 

E le impronte sul furgone come le spieghi?

And the fingerprints on the truck, how can you explain them?

Mi ci sono appoggiato così, per caso.

I leaned on it, just like that, by chance.

È reato?

Is that a crime?

Captions 57-59, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro

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And here, Anna, who is talking about her new baby, uses the verb appoggiare three times in the same sentence!

 

Un altro regalo molto utile che ho avuto dal papà è questo.

Another very useful gift that I had from dad [the baby's dad], is this.

È il cuscino da allattamento,

It's a nursing cushion.

ed è utile perché lo utilizzi sia quando allatti,

And it's useful because you use it both when you nurse,

te lo appoggi qui e non fai fatica con le braccia mentre allatti,

you rest it here, and your arms don't get tired while you nurse,

che per appoggiare il bambino,

and for laying the baby on,

che si appoggia qui come un principino e sta molto comodo.

who leans back here like a little prince and is very comfortable.

Captions 42-47, Anna presenta - La gravidanza

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Rather than using the more general mettere (to put) appoggiare is used to mean "to put down" or "to set down." We could also say "lay something down," implying a certain gentleness.

 

Posso entrare?

May I come in?

Sì, ecco, ecco.

Yes, here we go, here we go.

Uè, Ada... grazie. Appoggialo pure là, va. -Luca!

Hey Ada... thanks. Go ahead and set it down over there, go ahead. -Luca!

Captions 4-6, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP3 - Delitto tra le lenzuola

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L'appoggiatura:

If you play music, you might have heard of the term "appoggiatura": a note of embellishment preceding another note and taking a portion of its time. Now you know where it comes from!

 

L'appoggio:

And now we come back to a noun that comes from the verb that comes from the noun. Just like in English, "support" is both a noun and a verb.

In the following example, it's used in a physical way.

 

Mezzo passo avanti, sbilanci l'avversario

A half a step forward, get the opponent off balance,

e via la gamba d'appoggio.

and away with the supporting leg.

Captions 24-25, L'oro di Scampia - film

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But it can also be figurative.

 

Proprio perché uomini di sinistra,

Precisely because men of the left,

noi stiamo facendo una battaglia in Parlamento,

we're waging battle in Parliament,

abbiamo anche avuto l'appoggio del ministro Brambilla.

we've even had the support of minister Brambilla.

Captions 48-49, Animalisti Italiani - Walter Caporale

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We've gone from the Latin noun "podium" to the ups and downs of Tuscan hills, to propping up a baby, setting down a tray, to playing music, to judo, and to politics. Whew!

Adverbs Formed from Adjectives: Some Easy Tricks

Let’s talk about adverbs. While adjectives describe nouns, adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Many adverbs are closely connected to adjectives, especially those that answer the question, come (how). In fact, there are a good number of adverbs that can be easily formed if we are familiar with the adjectives. And just remember, while adjectives can have different endings according to number and gender, adverbs stay the same!

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Let's look at how to use adjectives to form Italian adverbs with the suffix -mente. Using -mente is similar to using "-ly" in English, in cases such as "nice — nicely," "loud —loudly," and "forceful — forcefully."

 

Of course, there are many exceptions, but here are some common and useful Italian adverbs that will be easy to remember since they are formed by adding -mente to the root form of the adjective.

 

In order to build Italian adverbs with -mente, you just have to follow this very simple formula:

 

Feminine form of the adjective + mente

 

For example, if we want to form an adverb with the adjective ultimo (last), we just need to take the feminine form of that adjective (ultima) and add the suffix -mente, like this:

ultima (last) + mente = ultimamente (lastly, lately)
chiaro (clear) + mente = chiaramente (clearly)

 

L'ho detto chiaramente ai suoi collaboratori, prima di prendere qualsiasi iniziativa...

I told your colleagues very clearly: before taking any initiative at all...

Caption 19, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro

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Let’s look at some more examples:

Vero (true)  + mente = veramente (truly, really)

 

Le dimensioni sono veramente compatte. -Sì, sì.

The dimensions are really compact. -Yes, yes.

Caption 29, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep. 1

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Onesto (honest): onesta + mente = onestamente (honestly)

 

Giacomo, onestamente non ci aspettavamo questa cosa.

Giacomo, honestly, we didn't expect this thing.

Caption 53, Questione di Karma - Rai Cinema

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More adverbs like these:

Lento (slow) + mente = lentamente (slowly)
Stupido (stupid) + mente = stupidamente (stupidly)
Ironico (ironic) + mente = ironicamente (ironically)
Serio (serious) + mente = seriamente (seriously)
Raro (rare) + mente = raramente (rarely)

 

You might have noticed that all these adjectives ended in o. This means they have both a masculine and feminine ending, and apart from lento, they also happen to be similar to their English equivalents. Some adjectives, however, end in e, and therefore have the same ending in both the masculine and feminine. When this is the case, the adverb will simply add -mente to the adjective without changing it. 

 

Let's take the adjective semplice (simple).

Semplice (simple) + mente = semplicemente (simply)

 

If, on the other hand, the adjective ends in -le or -re, we drop the final vowel e before adding the suffix -mente:

 

Here are some very common and essential adverbs in this category.

Speciale (special) - e: special + mente = specialmente (especially)
Gentile (kind) -e: gentil + mente = gentilmente (kindly)
Normale (normal) -e: normal + mente = normalmente (normally)

 

Practice:
Can you turn these common and useful Italian adjectives into adverbs, keeping in mind the three ways we talked about in this lesson?

probabile (probable)
tranquillo (calm)
felice (happy)
fortunato (lucky)
sicuro (sure)
musicale (musical)
forte (strong)
rapido (fast, rapid)
veloce (fast)
cortese (courteous)
coraggioso (courageous)
scientifico (scientific)
possibile (possible)
comodo (comfortable)
maggiore (greater)
ulteriore (additional)

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You'll find the solutions here.

Thanks for reading!
Don't forget to send your questions and topic suggestions to newsletter@yabla.com.

A presto!

Meglio Tardi che Mai: Better Late than Never

We can’t always be on time, so let’s look at some of the words you need when you or someone else is late. It’s not as simple as using the Italian word tardi (late).

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In a recent episode of Stai Lontana da Me there has been a little car accident. This time nobody got hurt, but Sara is going to be late for work if she’s not careful.

 

Però è tardi.

But it's late.

Senti, mi dispiace, io prendo la metropolitana.

Listen, I'm sorry, I'll take the metro.

Ho fatto tardi.

I'm running late [or "I've gotten delayed," "It got late," "I'm late."]

Captions 11-13, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema

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When she says, “È tardi, she’s talking about the hour. She has to be at work, say, at nine, and it’s already ten to nine, and she is still far from her office. Objectively speaking, it is late!

When she says “Ho fatto tardi,” she is talking about herself and the fact that she got delayed. She is late.

 

Telling someone not to be late is important sometimes. Here’s one way to do this:

 

Ciao, mamma. Io vado da Flavia.

Hi, Mom. I'm going to Flavia's.

-Ciao, amore. -Non fare tardi.

-Bye, love. -Don't be late.

Captions 38-39, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu

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Another way to say you’re late is to use the phrasal adverb, in ritardo (late). Ritardo is a noun meaning “delay.”

In an episode of Commissario Manara, Manara’s boss is not happy with him per niente (at all).

 

Lei è in ritardo di ventiquattro ore.

You're twenty-four hours late.

Si può sapere che cosa aveva da fare di così urgente?

Can you let me know what you had to do that was so urgent?

Captions 16-17, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro

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The noun il ritardo is commonly used when we apologize for being late.

  

Buonsera a tutti.

Good evening everyone.

Scusate il ritardo, ragazzi.

Sorry I'm late, guys.

Ma aspettavate solo me?

Were you just waiting for me?

Captions 8-10, Concorso internazionale di cortometraggio - A corto di idee

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Both the adverb tardi and the noun ritardo also have verb forms: tardare and ritardare.

Non dovrebbe tardare ad arrivare.
It won’t be long before he arrives.

This doesn’t refer to a precise amount of time, and doesn’t necessarily mean someone or something is late. It just means they haven’t arrived yet.

 

The following is a bit more urgent and refers, most likely, to an agreed-upon hour.

Non ritardareperché il film comincia puntuale.
Don’t be late, because the film starts punctually.

 

Here’s how we use comparatives and superlatives with tardi (late).

Vado a letto tardi il sabato sera.
I go to bed late on Saturday nights.

Più tardi means "later."

Ci vediamo più tardi.
We’ll see each other later.

Al più tardi means "at the latest."

Devi spedire questa lettera domani al più tardi.
You have to send this letter by tomorrow at the latest.

 

The opposite of in ritardo is in anticipo (ahead of schedule, early, in advance).
We can also use the verb form anticipare (to be early, to expect).

La consegna era prevista per domani, ma il pacco è arrivato in anticipo.
Delivery was scheduled for tomorrow, but the package arrived early.

Per via del maltempo in arrivo, hanno anticipato il rientro.
Because of approaching bad weather, they came back early.

 

Just to add a little twist, another opposite of anticipare is posticipare (postpone, to delay).

Per via del maltempo in arrivo, hanno posticipato il rientro.
Because of approaching bad weather, they postponed their return.

 

Attenzione! Italians do not use anticipare in the sense of “looking forward to something.” See this definition of the verb to anticipate. Definition number 2 doesn’t conform to the Italian. In fact, “looking forward to something” is difficult to say in Italian, and there is no precise translation. We will tackle this conundrum in another lesson.

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To sum up

Tardi (late): With the adverb tardi, we use the verb fare when talking about someone being late. When talking about the hour, we use essere (to be).
Tardare (to be late, to run late)
Il Ritardo (the delay)
Essere, arrivare in ritardo (to be late or behind schedule)
Ritardare (to run behind schedule, to be late)

Getting What We Want from Volere

The Italian word for “to want” is volere. See Daniela’s lesson about volere and other modal verbs.

 

Ma insomma, adesso, tu che cosa vuoi veramente?

Well, all things considered, now, you, what do you really want?

Caption 27, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena

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But it’s not always as easy as just conjugating the verb, like in the above example. English speakers actively want things, or want to do things, but Italians, more often than not, use the noun form voglia (desire) with avere (to have) as the action. We often translate aver voglia as “to have the desire,” or “to feel like”.

 

Se non ho più voglia mi fermo.

If I don't feel like it anymore, I stop.

Caption 8, Gianni si racconta - L'olivo e i rovi

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When we want to be polite, we use the conditional of volere, just like the English “I would like” rather than “I want.”

Vorrei parlare con il commissario.
I’d like to speak with the commissioner.

But when we’re done with being polite, and want to be more insistent, we forget about the conditional and go with the indicative. Imagine someone raising their voice a bit.

 

Voglio parlare col commissario. -Il commissario è di servizio.

I want to talk to the Commissioner. -The Commissioner is busy.

-Voglio parlare con il commissario!

-I want to speak to the Commissioner!

Captions 43-44, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro 

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We can also use the conditional with the noun form voglia, but the conditional is applied to the active verb, in this case, avere (to have). This is not a polite form like in the example with vorrei above. It’s true conditional. In the following example, I know very well no one is going to let me sleep for twelve hours, but it sure would be nice! Translating it with “love” instead of “like” gets the idea across.

Avrei voglia di dormire dodici ore.
I’d love to sleep for twelve hours.

Another common way volere is used in Italian is as the equivalent of “to take” or “to need” in English. Note that in this case ci means “for it,” not “us,” as you might be led to believe!

 

Allora, per le bruschette ci vuole: il pane.

So, for the "bruschettas" we need: bread.

Caption 7, Anna e Marika - La mozzarella di bufala - La produzione e i tagli

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In a previous lesson we used metterci to talk about how long something takes. We can use volere in a similar way. While with metterci, we can be personal:

Io ci metto cinque minuti.
It takes me five minutes.

With volere, it’s impersonal and refers to anyone.

Ci vuole tanto tempo per attraversare Milano in macchina.
It takes a lot of time to get across Milan by car.

This kind of sentence also works in the conditional:

Ci vorrebbero tre ore per attraversare Milano in macchina!
It would take three hours to get across Milan by car!

Sometimes problems add up and finally you might say, “That’s all we need” or “that’s all we needed.” That’s when it’s time for non ci voleva (that's not what was needed).

 

Un tubo in bagno che perde,

A leaky pipe in the bathroom,

proprio non ci voleva.

that's really not what was needed [the last thing I needed].

Caption 31, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu

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And just for fun:

Il turno di notte ancora! Non ci voleva. I have to go to work, ma non ci ho voglia! Avrei voglia di andare in città a fare quello che voglio. Se vuoi, puoi venire con me. C’è un bel film che vorrei vedere, peccato che ci vuole troppo tempo per arrivarci  in tempo. Ci vorrebbe un ora buona!

The night shift again! That’s the last thing I needed. I have to go to work but I don’t feel like it. I’d love to go to the city and do what I want. If you want, you can come with me. There’s a great film that I would like to see; too bad it takes too long to get there in time. It would take a good hour!

 

Vocabulary