Three interesting verbs found in this week's videos are:
gonfiare
rosicare
ignorare
All three have very literal translations, but they have nuances, too, that are important to know for anyone looking to get comfortable speaking Italian.
The adjective gonfio comes from the verb gonfiare (to inflate). So we can talk about pumping up our tires, or blowing up a balloon.
"Andare a gonfie vele" significa che tutto procede al meglio.
"Going with full sails" [full steam ahead] means that everything is proceeding well.
Caption 27, Marika spiega Espressioni legate al mare e al mondo nautico - Part 2
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We can imagine a full sail puffing out and looking swollen.
There is a reflexive form as well, so when we get a bruise, sometimes it swells — Si gonfia.
Poi l'universo ha cominciato a gonfiarsi, a gonfiarsi come un palloncino.
Then the universe began to inflate, to inflate like a balloon.
Captions 3-4, Illuminate Margherita Hack - Part 10
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We can use the past participle as an adjective with pallone to mean "hot air balloon," figuratively speaking.
Ma che infame, mentitore, pallone gonfiato, pieno di sé.
You are wicked, a liar, a hot-air balloon, full of yourself.
Caption 55, Il Commissario Manara S1EP9 - Morte in paradiso - Part 7
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Cioè, tu hai permesso a quel pallone gonfiato di usare la mia cucina per fare la sua torta?
That is, you allowed that hot-air balloon to use my kitchen to make his cake?
Caption 18, La Ladra EP. 1 - Le cose cambiano - Part 3
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Translating is not an exact science, so we're not talking about the kind of serene mongolfiera (hot air balloon) we see floating over the countryside, but rather someone who is full of him/herself and hot air (instead of substance). Un pallone is "a big ball" (also a soccer ball), so it can also refer to someone's head if we're thinking about the shape, but un palloncino is "a balloon," so un pallone could also be a big balloon, like one of those hot air balloons. We can talk about someone spouting hot air, so although a direct translation doesn't exactly do the trick, now you get the idea! You undoubtedly know someone who is un pallone gonfiato.
This verb can be used in reference to animals, such as a dog gnawing at a bone, but it's used with people, too, when they are envious. Here's a little scene from JAMS where someone tends to be a sore loser. Once again, it is a bit tough to translate precisely. That's why we wrote a lesson about it.
No! -E mamma mia, non rosicare sempre! Abbiamo perso, no "non rosicare"! -E va be', abbiamo perso correttamente, però. -Non va bene.
No! -For heaven's sake, don't always let it gnaw at you! We lost, not "Don't let it gnaw!" -OK, so what? We lost fair and square, though. -It's not OK.
Captions 11-13, JAMS S1 EP 3 - Part 5
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Ignorare is a very interesting verb, together with the adjective, ignorante, that comes from it. It is a partially true cognate, but not totally, and that is why we are mentioning it here.
One meaning of ignorare is "to ignore," in other words, to neglect to take into consideration. But its other meaning is "not to know." There's a big difference between the two! So in the following passage, it's not totally clear which it is.
Farà male? -Vuoi la verità? Sì. -Anna. E così mi ignori la primissima regola di questo mestiere.
Will it hurt? -Do you want the truth? Yes. -Anna. And so you ignore the very first rule of this profession on me.
Captions 3-5, La linea verticale EP8 - Part 2
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In this next example, the meaning clearly has to do with not being schooled, with not knowing how to read and write, for example.
Sarò anche una povera vecchia contadina ignorante,
I might even be an old, ignorant farm woman,
Caption 25, Il Commissario Manara S1EP10 - Un morto di troppo - Part 7
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But ignorante is widely used to mean something similar to maleducato — being a boor or a lout. We can see how it is combined with other similar insults here.
Prepotente, zotico, ignorante!
Arrogant, boorish, rude!
Caption 3, La Ladra EP. 6 - Nero di rabbia - Part 6
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Can you use these words to describe someone you know or someone you've seen in televisione or al cinema?
Let's have a quick look at some of the ways the subjunctive has been used in a few of some recent Yabla videos.
One way Italian uses the subjunctive is when invoking some higher power.
In our first example the verb is assistere (to assist) which is a synonym for aiutare (to help).
Che Dio ci assista.
May God help us.
Caption 65, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
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In the following example the verb is proteggere (to protect).
Che Dio mi protegga,
God may protect me,
lo devo riportare dove l'ho preso.
I have to take it back to where I got it.
Captions 30-31, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP10 - Un morto di troppo
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We have mentioned before, but it bears repeating, that the formal imperative actually uses the third person singular subjunctive. Here Lara is using the formal imperative with the woman she is questioning.The verb is stare.
Stia tranquilla, Iolanda, lo scopriremo.
Be calm,[don't worry], Iolanda, we'll find out.
Caption 17, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP10 - Un morto di troppo
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The next example is clearly subjunctive since it is used in the English as well. The verb is essere (to be). The subjunctive deals with hypothetical situations, and come se (as if) is the signpost.
E io l'ho cresciuta come se fosse mia figlia.
And I brought her up as if she were my daughter.
Caption 62, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP10 - Un morto di troppo
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In the following example, the subjunctive is used after the word che (that), and involves doubt.
The verb is essere (to be).
Ho pensato che fosse già uscita,
I thought she had already gone out,
o che non fosse tornata per nulla.
or that she hadn't come home at all.
Captions 82-83, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP10 - Un morto di troppo
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Attenzione! Our last example is actually one of incorrect Italian. Lots of Italians get this wrong, sometimes by choice because it’s easier to say (and has become acceptable in very informal situations), but also because of ignorance.
This is a classic case where correct Italian requires one part of the phrase to be in the subjunctive, and the other part in the conditional.
In the following example, the verb that should be in the subjunctive is essere (to be). Manuela instead used the imperfetto (simple past tense). The other verb is sposare (to marry). She used the imperfetto once again, when she should have used the condizionale (conditional).
Cioè, se eri [fossi stato] più grande ti sposavo [avrei sposato]!
That is, if you were older, I would marry you!
Caption 79, La Tempesta - film - Part 5
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If Manuela had wanted to use correct grammar, she might have said:
Cioè, se fossi più grande ti sposerei.
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