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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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."
This expression refers to when you're hyper, psyched, nervous, excited, revved up, buzzing, or in high gear... You can choose how to visualize it, according to the situation.
E va be', mi è successo di tutto. -No, perché sembri un po' su di giri, ecco.
Well OK, a lot happened to me. -No, because you seem a little revved up, that's it.
Captions 19-20, La Ladra EP. 10 - Un ignobile ricatto - Part 8
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In the previous example, we can see from the context (if we watch the video), that the person who is revved up is revved up in a good way. Eva (the one su di giri) had just had a romantic encounter with Dante and she was on cloud nine, but also very excited.
But in this next example, Nicola is talking about what he has to do in his job as a cop. He often has to visit homes where couples or family members are fighting. The expression is the same, but its nature is different.
Certo, entrare il quel momento dentro casa di queste persone, voi capie'... voi capite che, eh... gli umori sono abbastanza a terra, la rabbia è su di giri
Of course, entering at that moment into the home of these people, you understand... you understand that moods are way low, anger is wound up,
Captions 36-38, Nicola Agliastro Poliziotto
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In this next example, Manrico wants to seduce a woman, and thinks of "getting her going" with a drink.
Cocktailino [sic] per mandarla su di giri, eh? Cenetta, vino rosso...
Little cocktail to get her revved up, huh? Little dinner, red wine...
Captions 64-65, Sposami EP 5 - Part 16
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Now that we have seen a few practical examples of this little expression, let's unpack it.
We're including the verb essere (to be) in the expression, but often it's not included, or another verb is used, such as mandare (to send) as in one of the examples above.
Then we have su which is a preposition meaning "on" but it's also an adverb meaning "upwards" or "up" and that is how it is used here, and often refers to one's mood or state.
Di is a preposition meaning, primarily, "of."
Then we get to the important word: giri. It's the plural of giro, which is a rotation, or, in a mechanical sense, a revolution. That's where "revved up" comes from. More revolutions in less time!
On a car, the tachometer is called il contagiri (the tachometer or rev counter). To keep with the meaning of giri, we have used "revved up" as the translation. But there are so many other ways to interpret the expression, and this "motor" reference might not be appropriate in many situations!
Sometimes, su di giri describes one's heart beating fast (for whatever reason). Sometimes it's about not being able to stop talking, pacing, or tapping one's foot or pencil. It can be about not being able to calm down.
It might be a reason too skip that second cup of coffee.
No, grazie, sono un po' su di giri (no thanks, I'm already a bit wound up).
Are you old enough to remember hit singles? In other words, 45 rpms. This means 45 revolutions per minute on a turntable or record player, as we used to call it. In Italian, it's 45 giri.
Il quarantacinque giri più venduto di Italia è "In ginocchio da te" di Gianni Morandi.
The forty-five that sold the most copies in Italy is "On my Knees Before You" by Gianni Morandi.
Caption 57, L'Eredità -Quiz TV La sfida dei sei. Puntata 2 - Part 8
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The noun giro is a favorite of Italians and can mean so many things. See this lesson for some examples. If you do a search of the noun giro and its plural giri, and diminutives such as un giretto, you will get a sense of the variety of nuances connected to this word. And let's not forget the phrasal adverb in giro which has its own collection of nuances.
We'll also mention the verb girare (to turn, to go around). The verb, too, has a great many meanings and nuances, so check it out.
Usually, we understand the adjective capace to mean "capable."
Guarda che se non sei capace a dirgli di no, ti fai male!
Look, if you're not capable of telling him no, you'll hurt yourself!
Caption 20, Il Commissario Manara S1EP9 - Morte in paradiso - Part 1
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E... ma sai fare un po' di pasta fresca tu? Sei capace?
And... but do you know how to make a little fresh pasta? Are you capable?
Caption 11, Anna e Marika La pasta fresca
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But there is another, more colloquial way to use capace for predicting something, where it means something more akin to "possible." It's colloquial and used in central and southern Italy. Not everyone uses it with the subjunctive, but theoretically, the subjunctive should be used, since it has to do with uncertainty and is followed by che.
From the horse's mouth: Tuscans, when asked, say you don't need the subjunctive, and you don't even need the verb (è). They say, Capace che piove, (it might very well rain) or even Capace piove, without the che!
È capace che Iside l'ammazza [sic: l'ammazzi].
It could be that Iside kills her.
Caption 2, Sposami EP 6 - Part 20
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Certainly, if you hang out in Tuscany, you will hear this usage of the word capace.
Let's talk about a little expression that is useful in various situations. It's made up of just three words but it is easily expanded, since sometimes you just want a phrase to stand out in some way by adding words. The expression is Che ne so.
Let's unpack it.
Che can mean "that" or "what." In this case, it's "what," as when it is part of a question.
Ne is a particle that can stand for several things, such as "about it," "of it," "from it" and more. If ne is unfamiliar to you, or you don't know how to use it comfortably, check out Marika's lessons about this particella.
So is the first person singular of the verb sapere (to know).
As you have likely discovered, Italians, rather than just saying the equivalent of "I know," usually say "I know it:" Lo so, or when it's negative, non lo so (I don't know it). But in today's expression, lo (just plain "it") is replaced by ne (about it).
Since the expression is short, the personal pronoun io (I) is often added for emphasis. It doesn't add anything grammatically, but it makes it more personal. In addition, it is often preceded by e (and). Even though e means "and," it's often the equivalent of "so." Sometimes it doesn't really mean anything.
Che ne so io? or Io, che ne so? The pronoun io can go either at the beginning or the end of the expression. This is the equivalent of "How should I know?" "What do I know?" "How would I know?" The following example is one of the most common versions of this expression. Italians don't always think of this expression as being a true question so they don't necessarily use a question mark.
Addò [dove] sta Saverio? -E che ne so.
Where's Saverio? -How do I know?
Captions 14-15, Ma che ci faccio qui! Un film di Francesco Amato - Part 10
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Pasquale, chi è tutta questa gente? -E che ne so, dotto' [dottore]? Qua pare tutti i poveri di Napoli,
Pasquale, who are all these people? -And how should I know, Doc? Here it seems like all the poor people of Naples
Captions 6-7, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP 2 - Part 12
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Lojacono is looking for one of the residents of an apartment building and asks the local busybody:
Sa mica se Giacomo Scognamiglio è in casa? -E che ne so, Commissa'?
You don't happen to know if Giacomo Scognamiglio is home? -And how should I know, Chief?
Captions 67-68, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP 3 Vicini - Part 7
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In the following example, Marcello, who is not a very smart guy, but is trying his best, suggests taking a selfie together with the policemen who come to check on Michele (the father of his girlfriend) who is under house arrest.
Oh, ma che so o famo [romanesco: ce lo facciamo] un selfie insieme?
Oh, I don't know, shall we take a selfie together?
Caption 20, Liberi tutti EP3 Quanto è libero un fringuello? - Part 6
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Instead of adding a word, he removes one: ne. It's colloquial and likely Romanesco, and lots of people say it this way. Che so?
Even though we have explained each word, the expression is often merely a way of saying "I don't know," especially when you are making a suggestion, as Marcello is doing. Some people might use the word magari in the same kind of situation. It's just an intercalare (a filler word or expression). Here's an example.
Perché, diciamo... -comunque devono sostenere il peso. -Devono sostenere il peso, più che altro devono fare, che ne so, la stessa cosa per un'ora.
Because, let's say... -anyway they have to support the weight. -They have to support the weight, more than that, they have to, I don't know, do the same thing for an hour.
Captions 50-51, Francesca Cavalli - Part 2
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Here, Che ne so is paired with magari for making a suggestion.
Che ne so, magari stasera a cena? -Può darsi.
I don't know, maybe tonight for dinner? -Maybe.
Caption 93, Il Commissario Manara S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero - Part 2
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Although the expression is commonly used in the first person, it can also be a valid question to someone else, and is more literal in this case.
Eh, quando un uomo si innamora, si dimentica di tutto. -Tu che ne sai? -Così dicono tutti.
Uh, when a man falls in love, he forgets everything. -What do you know? -That's what everyone says.
Captions 38-39, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP1 - Part 11
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When you are thinking of what to cook for dinner, what to watch on TV, where to go on a Sunday afternoon, or what to give a friend as a birthday present, try suggesting it in Italian, and throw in a little "che ne so" as you would "I don't know." Have fun with it!
When you hear the common Italian expression metterci una croce sopra (to put a cross on it) you might very likely think of a cross in a cemetery, and that would make sense. You are closing the door on something, burying it, so it's dead to you, you're putting it behind you. But a little research tells us that the origin of the expression is something else entirely.
But first, let's mention a couple of variants of the expression. Many or most expressions change over time or according to region, and this one is no exception. In the following example, the verb fare (to make) is used in place of mettere (to put), but the substance doesn't change.
Per quanto riguarda Parigi, meglio... meglio farci una croce sopra.
Regarding Paris, it's better... it's better to make a cross on it [to cross it off].
Captions 21-22, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno Ep. 1 - Part 29
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And here, too, it can be fare una croce sopra or farci una croce sopra. The ci stands for "on it" and reinforces the preposition sopra (on / on top of). And in English, we can cross something off a list, or we can cross something out, by putting an X on it, for example. In other words, we use the verb "to cross out" or "to cross off," or we can mark something with an X. But we don't use the noun "cross" for this.
We visited this Italian language website for more information and learned that, although many people do think of a cross in a cemetery when hearing the above-mentioned expression, it actually comes from the field of ragioneria or accounting. In earlier times, before spreadsheets, when it seemed very unlikely that a client would pay up, the accountant would put an X in the margin to call attention to the fact that this money would never be recovered. So when you put an X next to something, you know it is futile, so you just put it behind you.
The cemetery image is not irrelevant however because, interestingly, there is another, very similar expression in Italian, which does have to do with gravestones and cemeteries. The meaning is almost identical, at least nowadays. Una pietra is "a stone," and here it refers to a tombstone or gravestone.
Quindi, perché non ci mettiamo una bella pietra sopra e ripartiamo da zero, eh?
So, why don't we put it behind us and start over from scratch, huh?
Caption 75, Il Commissario Manara S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde - Part 2
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Vabbè, su quella ormai ci ho messo una pietra sopra.
OK, I've already turned the page on that by now.
Caption 50, Sposami EP 3 - Part 7
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Some graves have crosses, some graves have stones, and some have both. As we see in the translations, there are various ways to say the same thing, depending on the context.
When talking about the old year that just ended, some of us might want to put a cross or tombstone on it. Others might have had a great year! Whatever kind of year you had in 2023, we hope 2024 brings happiness and all things good!
Sometimes, while translating a video for Yabla, a word crops up that leaves us perplexed. It doesn't appear to be in a dictionary, and even if it is, it doesn't make enough sense to be able to translate it correctly. So we start researching it on our preferred search engine. We might find the answer and that's that, but sometimes we go down some interesting rabbit holes. So this week, we'd like to share what we learned, because it relates to some good-to-know euphemisms people use when talking about money.
We're talking about the documentary series called L'Italia che piace (the Italy people like), which has recently focused on Novara, a city in northern Italy, not far from Milan. You will hear about its history in the video, but one thing gets mentioned only briefly, so we set out to learn more.
Viene costruita dalla cittadinanza, con i soldi che vengono raccolti proprio con la tassa del sesino, la tassa sull'acquisto della carne.
It's built by the citizenry, with the money that is collected, actually, by way of the "sesino" tax, the tax on buying meat.
Captions 5-8, L'Italia che piace Territori - Part 9
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The documentary mentions the building of the dome on top of the basilica in the middle of the city. It ended up being paid for in a particular way. Citizens contributed voluntarily to the project, but there was also a special tax called l’arbitrio del sesino or l'imposta del sesino. We wondered, "What's a sesino?"
A little research revealed that un sesino is a particular coin. Why is it called sesino? We might be able to guess it has something to do with the number 6 — sei. And we would be right! With a little more searching, we found, on a numismatic website:
The name of the coin un sesino indicates that the coin is equal to 6 denari.
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Along with the sesino, there were: la trillina (3 denari) and il quattrino (4 denari). These coins were used from the 14th to the 18th century in various cities.
It all starts to make sense, because whoever has lived in Italy has heard people use quattrino or quattrini to mean "money."
Se proprio vogliamo chiamarla debolezza... era un poco tirato nei quattrini, ecco.
If we really want to call it a weakness... he was a bit tight-fisted with money, that's it.
Captions 73-74, Il Commissario Manara S1EP11 - Beato tra le donne - Part 3
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In fact, in Renaissance times, un quattrino was a quarter of a fiorino in Florence. We often translate it as "a farthing." But unless you studied Italian history, you might not make that connection.
Still today, il denaro is another word for "money." Sometimes it's called il danaro. And in playing cards, denari is a suit in a Neapolitan deck of cards.
We learn in the video that this particular sesino tax was on meat. On a website about Novara, we further learn that it was un'imposta per ogni libbra di carne non bovina acquistata in città (a tax on each pound of non-bovine meat purchased in the city).
So, in short, it would seem that people had to pay one sesino for every pound of meat that wasn't beef. This was to pay for the dome of the basilica. We do wonder why the tax was just meat that wasn't beef. That will remain for another day of research.
Note there are two spellings for libra: with one b or two. Did you ever wonder why the abbreviation for pound is "lb"? The English word "pound" comes from pondo meaning "body." A unit of measure in Roman times was "libra pondo," which meant "a pound by weight." The abbreviation "lb" is derived from the libra part of the expression.
There you have it. A little extra information, which, si spera (hopefully), will whet your appetite to watch the video!
When we are thinking in English, it's hard sometimes to find the right word in Italian because we likely use phrasal verbs and expressions in English, and turning those into the right word in Italian often results in being at a loss for words. That's why it's so important to listen and repeat, and when possible, have conversations with people in Italian, even if your Italian doesn't feel "good enough." The sooner you can start thinking in Italian, even simple Italian, the sooner you will come up with the right words in a given situation.
When people talk about their problems, especially problems such as depression, an illness, or a relationship that has ended, there are certain words they use all the time, but which we might not come up with. Let's have a look.
Superare
The verb superare is a very common verb for getting over something, getting through something, getting past something.
Quando si perde qualcuno, c'è il pericolo di chiudersi in se stessi e di non superare la situazione con il supporto degli altri.
When one loses someone, there's the danger of closing oneself in and not getting over the situation with the support of others.
Captions 40-42, Marika spiega Il verbo chiudere
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This same verb is used when passing a test — superare un esame — or passing another car — superare una macchina — on the road.
Uscire
Another way people talk about getting over something, is with uscire (to come out of it). Here is a guy with cancer talking to his wife.
Che sto reagendo bene. -Che stai reagendo bene? -Sì. Dici che ce la faccio a uscire da questa situazione?
That I am reacting well. -That you are reacting well? -Yes. Do you think I will manage to get/come out of this situation?
Captions 25-26, La linea verticale EP3 - Part 5
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Another way of saying that in English would be "Do you think I will manage to survive this situation, to overcome this situation, to get past this situation?" Let's also remember that uscire means "to exit," just as l'uscita means "the exit."
Reagire
If we go back to the previous example, we see Luigi and his wife use the verb reagire. It basically means "to react." This is a very common verb for when you have to deal with something, an illness, a loss, a break-up, a disappointment. In this case, they might be talking about the fact that the therapy is working. We can translate it with "to react," but reagire is also used for not being apathetic, for example.
In the example below, the woman speaking to Michele believes he had been assaulted in prison before being sentenced to living in the commune called Il Nido (the nest). She assumes he has been feeling traumatized.
Michele, ma è una cosa bellissima che tu voglia reagire.
Michele, but it's such a wonderful thing that you want to react [to spring back].
Caption 3, Liberi tutti EP3 Quanto è libero un fringuello? - Part 1
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Reagire, in this sense, is the opposite of letting oneself go, getting depressed, or closing oneself off.
You might say to a friend who is having trouble overcoming something:
Devi reagire (you have to do something) (you have to snap out of it), (you have to get out of your funk)!
These are just a few words we can use when talking about getting well, or getting over something. Have you found words you have heard but don't quite understand? Let us know at newsletter@yabla.com or write a comment on the videos page.
The Italian expression featured in this mini-lesson is something people say when two people get together as a couple, when someone finds a new job, or when a business starts up... things like that. They say:
Se son rose, fioriranno (if they are roses, they'll bloom).
It's a poetic way of saying "Time will tell," or, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating."
Se son rose fioriranno presto.
If they're roses, they'll bloom soon.
Caption 34, La Ladra EP. 3 - L'oro dello squalo - Part 8
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Let's remember that while "rose" is singular in English, rose, in Italian, is the plural of rosa.
Quando questa rosa sarà appassita, io sparirò.
When this rose wilts, I will disappear.
Captions 36-37, La Ladra EP. 11 - Un esame importante - Part 11
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Let's note that rosa is also a color, corresponding to "pink." It's one of those colors that doesn't change in number and gender when used as an adjective, as opposed to nero (black), bianco (white), grigio (grey), and verde (green), among others, which do have to agree with the noun they modify. When rosa the color is used as a noun, it's a masculine noun because the noun colore (color) is masculine. Il colore, un colore.
I pantaloni rosa, il foulard beige, le scarpe blu... sempre lo stesso. OK?
The pink pants, the beige scarf, the blue shoes... always the same, OK?
Captions 33-34, Corso di italiano con Daniela I colori - Part 1
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If this is new to you, check out Daniela's lessons about colors.
Rosa is also a name.
If you live in a place and hear a certain word enough times, you just know what it means. But that doesn't mean that you can translate the word... The word that has perplexed us translators several times is l'accoglienza. That's because in recent times, it conjures up the image of boat people and migrants needing shelter and help as they come into the country. It is so much more than "welcoming" or "reception."
ACCOGLIENZA
Pochi anni fa, nel corso del problema dei profughi che arrivavano a Lampedusa dall'Africa, la Caritas spezzina, ci hanno [sic: ci ha] chiesto di fare accoglienza.
A few years ago, during the problem with the refugees, who arrived in Lampedusa from Africa, the Caritas of La Spezia asked us to receive some of them.
Captions 1-3, L'Italia che piace Territori - Part 6
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Accoglienza is a word Italians associate with everything people and organizations do to help refugees once they reach the shores of Italy. When refugees land on the island of Lampedusa, for example, in Sicily, it's necessary to find accommodations, temporary housing, job possibilities, health care, food, and more. All of this is accoglienza. We've seen accoglienza used this way before in Yabla videos.
In Sposami, a young Polish man wants to get married in an immigrant shelter.
Dentro il centro di accoglienza c'è una piccola cappella.
Inside the immigrant shelter, there is a small chapel.
Caption 34, Sposami EP 4 - Part 18
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So it can mean "shelter," either for the homeless, migrants, or refugees, and can also be a rehabilitation center for addicts, or where people have AA meetings. It's for anyone who needs shelter or help and is often called un centro di accoglienza (sheltering center). In the same episode of Sposami, it's called a "community center" in English. In fact, we can't know for sure what kind of shelter it is.
Ma... come mai avete scelto di sposarvi in un centro di accoglienza?
But... why did you choose to get married in a community center?
Caption 42, Sposami EP 4 - Part 18
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You will find various translations for centro di accoglienza and accoglienza itself, but we hope you have gotten the idea by now.
e infatti riuscì a scappare dal centro di accoglienza prima di essere rimpatriata.
and, in fact, she managed to escape from the refugee center before she could be repatriated.
Caption 23, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1EP1 L'estate del dito - Part 12
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ACCOGLIERE
The noun accoglienza comes from the verb accogliere.
Signorina, non è certo questo il modo di accogliere delle potenziali clienti, no?
Miss, this certainly isn't any way to welcome potential clients is it?
Caption 55, La Ladra EP. 5 - Chi la fa l'aspetti - Part 3
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Sometimes accogliere can mean "to receive."
Perché hanno proprio... sembrano quasi dei letti pronti per accogliere la salma...
Because they have actual... they almost look like beds ready to receive the corpses...
Captions 13-14, Meraviglie EP. 6 - Part 4
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And, although the English word "la reception" is used in places like hotels, accoglienza can mean "the hospitality."
In a future lesson, we will look at related verbs, such as cogliere and raccogliere!
One place tourists from all over the world want to visit, especially if they like to hike, is a place called Le Cinque Terre. This means "the five villages" and if you look at a map, you can see they are positioned in a similar way: overlooking the sea.
In fact, there is a footpath leading from one to the other. The villages are more difficult to reach by car, as they are surrounded by mountains. One of the most convenient ways to visit these villages is by train. Each town has a train station at a walkable distance from the center of town.
If you do have a car, you can leave it in La Spezia and take the local train. The road through the mountains is winding and narrow. When you take the train there are lots and lots of gallerie (tunnels), but when you come out of the tunnel, you have a lovely, quick view of the sea.
In Marika's series about the regions of Italy, Anna describes Liguria, the region where le Cinque Terre are located. Anna's "prof" is asking what there is to see in Liguria.
Tantissime cose, in particolare le Cinque Terre sono un angolo di paradiso a picco sul mare, eh, che attira visitatori e turisti da tutto il mondo.
A great many things, especially the Cinque Terre are a corner of paradise, high up above the sea, uh, which lure visitors and tourists from the world over.
Captions 77-78, L'Italia a tavola Interrogazione sulla Liguria
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This shot was taken on the hike from Corniglia to Vernazza in the month of February.
Each town has hotels or rooms to rent, and plenty of restaurants.
When talking about this area, in English, we often skip the article, and talk about "Cinque Terre," as if it were one place, a spot to visit. But now that you know some Italian, you know that it's Le Cinque Terre, because the number cinque (five) calls for the plural.
Why the name?
The name “Cinque Terre” appeared for the first time in the 15th century when this area was under the control of the Maritime Republic of Genoa. A clerk united the five villages under a single place name because they had many characteristics in common. The name “Cinque Terre” stuck. The name can be misleading, as terra means various things, but in this case, terra stands for “little medieval village.” The villages, in order from south to north are: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso.
One important characteristic of Le Cinque Terre, and the Ligurian coast in general, is the terracing. This was conceived in order to create spaces for cultivation, primarily for vineyards.
Retaining walls were built with the stone available, primarily sandstone. The soil was very sandy and scarce, but it was sifted to make a material to put between the stones for the wall. No mortar was used, which is why this kind of wall is called un muro a secco (a dry-stone wall).
E facendo questi famosi muri a secco per trovare uno spazio per piantare la vite.
And making these famous dry-stone walls in order to find space for planting the grapevines.
Captions 10-11, L'Italia che piace Territori - Part 5
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Here you can see a narrow sentiero (footpath) and muro a secco (dry-stone wall).
We decided on a lesson about Le Cinque Terre because there is a new documentary on Yabla about places to see in Italy and this week's segment focuses on, yes you guessed it, Le Cinque Terre!
All photos by Sigrid Lee except for the map, which is courtesy of Google Maps.
As we have seen and heard in Yabla videos, addressing people in Italian isn't always easy to figure out. Let's try to make some sense out of it.
In I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone, for example, Lojacono always introduces himself as ispettore (detective) Lojacono, not commissario (inspector), but some people call him commissario, just in case. The following exchange highlights the tendency of many people (often of an older generation) to address someone with a higher rank than the person actually has. That way, they feel they can avoid offending the person.
Rosa Cannavacciolo in Marino, commissario bello. -No, ispettore, sempre ispettore sono.
Rosa Cannavacciolo in Marino, kind Inspector. -No. Detective. I am still a detective.
Captions 41-42, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP 3 Vicini - Part 3
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This often means addressing someone as dottore (doctor) or dottoressa (female doctor). The idea is that you can't go wrong that way.
While ispettore or commissario are often used by themselves, we find that questore (commissioner) will likely have signor before it. That's just the way it works.
Buonasera, signor questore.
Good evening, Commissioner, sir.
Caption 10, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 28
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As Marika tells us in her video about different professions:
Ciao. Il termine "dottore" viene da "dotto", che vuole dire sapiente. Puoi diventare dottore se hai studiato tanto e hai ottenuto una laurea.
Hi. The term "doctor" comes from "dotto," which means "learned." You can become a doctor if you have studied a great deal and you have attained a degree.
Captions 3-6, Marika spiega Medico o dottore?
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In a workplace where people are formal, the boss is often addressed as dottore or dottoressa, whether or not he or she has a degree. It's a sign of respect. In the following example, the speaker is a secretary or an assistant and she is speaking to her boss, who is a notary.
Ci dica, dottore.
What is it, sir?
Caption 36, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 19
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Again, in I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone, we have a female DA. People address her as dottoressa, because they assume that she has a degree and because she has a position that warrants respect. In Italy, once you have your university degree, called un dottorato, you can be called dottore or dottoressa.
Cosa prende, dottoressa? -Un caffè.
What will you have, Ma'am? -A coffee.
Caption 6, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 8
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It's always tricky to translate these forms of address because they are so different from English usage. In the previous example, we opted for "Ma'am." But we could imagine Lojacono saying, "What will you have, DA Piras?"
If you are dealing with a professional, it is customary (in many cases) to use their professional title in addressing them. Daniela talks about this in her video lessons about writing formal letters and emails. The same can hold true when addressing someone in person.
Allora, se il destinatario possiede un titolo riconosciuto, e quindi è importante scriverlo, possiamo sostituire "signor" e "signora" con il titolo.
So, if the recipient has a recognized qualification, and therefore it is important to write it, we can replace "Mister" and "Missus" with the title.
Captions 1-4, Corso di italiano con Daniela Lettera formale - Part 3
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If the person is an architect, for example, you can say architetto instead of signore.
Architetto, Lei abita qua?
Architect, do you live here?
Caption 12, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 13
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Of course, if you don't know he is an architetto, then signore will do fine, or signor and his last name.
But this also exhibits the Italian tendency to avoid using names when addressing someone. Sometimes you don't know someone's name, so you use signore, signora, or signorina according to gender and presumed age group.
When the person being addressed is a young man, we can use giovanotto in a semi-formal way. It's perhaps used more by older folks. Younger folks might just say, ragazzo or ragazzino.
Giovanotto, ma che stiamo facendo? Il cinema?
Young man, what are we doing? Making a movie?
Caption 28, Il Commissario Manara S2EP9 - L'amica ritrovata - Part 3
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For a young woman or girl, signorina is the way to go. When in doubt, signorina is more flattering than signora.
Lei, signorina, ha un grande talento.
You, Miss, have great talent.
Caption 11, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep. 1 - Part 16
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Let's remember that language is in constant evolution. It also changes according to the region. If you are traveling in Italy, you need to keep your eyes and ears open to see how people handle addressing you and others.
If you have watched La linea verticale, you will have noticed that patients and their family members often call the surgeon, the specialist, or any lead doctor, professore, while in English, we address all doctors as "Doctor." Professore is higher up in the hierarchy than dottore. And to get into the nitty-gritty, there are occasions when we will capitalize someone's title, to give them even more importance. In Italian, this is called maiuscola di rispetto o reverenziale (capitalization out of respect or reverence). So sometimes professore will merit a capital letter and become Professore.
Buongiorno, Professore. -Come stai? -Bene, Professore, però non sento le gambe.
Hello, Doctor. -How are you? -Fine, Doctor, but I don't feel my legs.
Captions 42-44, La linea verticale EP4 - Part 5
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In certain situations, there is a mix of familiar and formal. In a business, you might call your boss dottore, but pair it with his first name. Dottor Nino, for example, or dottoressa Cecilia. The same goes for signor and signora. Lots of times, you don't know someone's last name, so you can still address them formally, by using their first name: signor Giorgio, signora Letizia, or signorina Giulia.
We have addressed the question of forms of address in past lessons, so check out these lessons:
How to address your teacher in Italian
Getting someone's attention in Italian: ascoltare and sentire
In a future lesson, we'll get into specifics about addressing people with certain jobs.
When traveling to Italy, we might arrive by plane. So let's go over some vocabulary you might need when you arrive and when you go back to the airport.
You might want to send a message to your host to say you have landed.
Questa, questa è una matta scatenata. Guardi, guardi questo telex: è appena atterrata a Saigon, senza autorizzazione, senza addebito su banca locale,
This gal, this gal is an unleashed madwoman. Look, look at this telex: She just landed in Saigon, without authorization, without access to funds at area banks,
Captions 18-20, L'Oriana film - Part 4
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Your text could just use one word and say, "Atterrati!"
If you say atterrati, you're including yourself and the other passengers on the flight (using the first person plural). You can also choose to say this in the singular: atterrata (if you are female) or atterrato (if you are a male). The verb is atterrare. We can detect the word terra in atterrare. La terra means "the earth," or "the land."
You might want to let someone know your flight is delayed.
Il volo è in ritardo (the flight is late/delayed).
Siamo in ritardo (we're late).
Il volo ha subito un ritardo (the flight underwent a delay).
Trovi? -Eh, e sei arrivata pure in ritardo.
You think so? -Yeah, you even came late.
Caption 18, La Ladra EP. 10 - Un ignobile ricatto - Part 8
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You might want to meet your host outside in front of "Arrivals." Gli arrivi.
Ah, il mio volo arriva un'ora dopo il tuo. Aspettami agli arrivi, eh.
Ah, my flight arrives one hour later than yours. Wait for me at "arrivals," huh.
Captions 60-61, Sei mai stata sulla Luna? film - Part 2
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If you have to take a taxi, you will see that the word is the same as in English, even though the official Italian word is tassì. O con il taxi e qui c'è la stazione dei taxi.
Or by taxi, and here there's the taxi stand.
Caption 40, In giro per l'Italia Firenze - Part 3
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You might hear tassì, but it's easily understandable.
Ho preso un tassì e sono scappata dal Pronto Soccorso.
I took a taxi and ran off from the emergency room.
Caption 1, La Ladra EP. 7 - Il piccolo ladro - Part 15
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When present, la metropolitana is a fast and convenient way to get around big cities, such as Rome, Milan, Naples, and Turin.
Poi, ho preso la metropolitana e sono scesa a Rho Fiera Milano;
Then I took the subway and got off at "Rho Fiera Milano,"
Caption 26, Marika spiega Expo 2015 - Part 2
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After your stay, you might go back to the airport.
Per arrivare all'aeroporto di Firenze c'è un bus, un autobus che parte dalla stazione degli autobus, che è laggiù.
To get to the Florence airport, there's a bus, a bus that leaves from the bus station, which is down there.
Captions 38-39, In giro per l'Italia Firenze - Part 3
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L'uscita (the gate) is where you show your carta d'imbarco boarding pass and passaporto (passport) and then board the plane. L'uscita comes from the verb uscire (to exit). L'imbarco comes from the verb imbarcare (to board). In turn, it comes from the noun la barca (the boat). Obviously, the term came into being before airplanes!
Attenzione, prego. Stiamo per imbarcare il volo Enitalia settantadue settanta diretto a Kingston. Tutti i passeggeri sono pregati di recarsi all'uscita B ventuno, uscita B ventuno.
Attention please. We're about to board Enitalia flight seventy-two seventy to Kingston. All passengers are requested to make their way to gate B twenty-one. Gate B twenty-one.
Captions 45-47, Provaci ancora prof! S2EP1 - La finestra sulla scuola - Part 7
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When you hear your volo (flight) announced, you might also hear a destinazione di ..... and then the city you are flying to. Or you might hear diretto a (in the direction of) as in the previous example.
No pare, ha acquistato un biglietto aereo. Stesso volo, stessa destinazione della moglie della vittima.
It doesn't seem, he did buy a plane ticket. Same flight, same destination as the victim's wife.
Captions 53-54, Provaci ancora prof! S2EP1 - La finestra sulla scuola - Part 10
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Words we have discussed in this lesson:
imbarcare (to board)
la carte d'imbarco (the boarding pass)
il passaporto (the passport)
l'aeroporto (the airport)
l'uscita (the gate)
il tassì / il taxi (the taxi)
la metropolitana / la metro (the underground, the subway)
gli arrivi (arrivals)
atterrare (to land)
a destinazione di (traveling to)
diretto a (in the direction of)
il volo (the flight)
in ritardo (late, delayed)
il ritardo (the delay)
il passaggero (the passenger)
More travel vocabulary in a future lesson. See part 1 here. And let us know if there are travel topics you would like to know more about. Write to us at newsletter@yabla.com.
When traveling, it's good to have a handle on the words we might need when getting around a new place. But depending on where we are and who we are talking with, we might hear different names for the same thing.
The word for "train" is easy. It's il treno.
Where do we catch or meet a train? Alla stazione. That's a good cognate, too. So already these two words, il treno and la stazione are essential to have in your toolkit.
One important question you might want to ask is: Dov'è la stazione (where is the train station)? Or you can keep it even simpler:
Allora, dico: "scusi, per la stazione?" Semplicissimo.
So, I say, "Excuse me, for the station?" Very simple.
Caption 18, Corso di italiano con Daniela Chiedere informazioni - Part 1
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We don't always need to speak in full sentences, and when we do try, we can easily stumble. You can even just say: La stazione?
When we're talking about the railroad in general, however, we usually say la ferrovia. The rails are made of iron, and ferro means "iron." Via is "way" or "road," so it makes sense.
Il ponte della ferrovia,
The railroad bridge,
Caption 45, Rosalba al parco della donna gatto - Part 1
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Ferrovia isn't too hard to pronounce, but when we turn it into an adjective, it's a bit trickier.
...e la ricevuta di un biglietto ferroviario di sola andata Bologna-Roma.
...and the receipt for a train ticket, one way, Bologna to Rome.
Captions 16-17, Provaci ancora prof! S2E5 Vita da cani - Part 6
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There are 3 different terms people use when they refer to a bus. The easiest one is autobus, as it contains the word "bus" we recognize.
L'autobus often refers to local transportation within a city, but it's also used generally, especially by young people.
Da qui partono gli autobus, tra l'altro, per gli aeroporti di Pisa e di Firenze...
From here, the buses leave for the Pisa and Florence airports, among other places...
Caption 47, In giro per l'Italia Firenze - Part 3
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La corriera is a term that's a bit outdated (and it was used for stagecoaches in earlier times), but if you are talking to someone of a certain age, or if you are in a remote village, corriera is a term they might use.
Mi scusi, la corriera per Milano?
Excuse me, the bus for Milan?
Caption 31, Il Commissario Manara S1EP12 - Le verità nascoste - Part 9
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Attenzione! Let's also mention that both la corriera (the bus) and il corriere (the courier) have the same origins. In earlier times, a stagecoach would carry passengers but also letters and packages. Nowadays, la corriera carries passengers and il corriere carries packages. We can detect the verb correre in the term, which hints at speed.
Usually, with la stazione, it is pretty clear you are talking about the train station, but if you are asking for the bus station, you will want to specify that. Il pullman, is a word you'll likely recognize from English.
È arrivata zia, è alla stazione dei pullman.
My aunt has arrived. She's at the bus station.
Caption 48, Il Commissario Manara S2EP11 - Uno strano incidente di caccia - Part 11
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Note that la corriera is feminine and il pullman is masculine. Often, these two terms indicate buses that go long distances, from city to city (like Greyhound in the U.S).
When there is a proper bus station, you can buy your biglietto (ticket) at la biglietteria, but more and more, there are self-service machines where you can pay in cash or by credit card. In some places, however, you have to buy your ticket at the bar or dal tabaccaio (at the tobacconist's).
Some cities have had trams since the 19th century. In some cities, they were once in vogue, then went out of vogue, but are coming back. Whoever is interested in an overview of the tramways in Italy can consult this Wikipedia article. It's called il tram in Italian (so that's easy!). It runs on rails and is (now) electric.
Bene, una volta arrivati a Napoli, prendete il tram che vi porta al porto.
Good, once you've arrived in Naples, you'll get a tram that will take you to the harbor.
Caption 28, Marika spiega I veicoli
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Other cities have a kind of bus that's powered electrically, from above. It's called il filobus (the trolley bus). Il filo is the word for "the wire".
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Here are the words we discussed in this lesson. In a future lesson, we'll dive deeper into travel vocabulary, as this list is only partial.
l'autobus (the city bus)
la corriera (the bus, the coach)
il corriere (the courier)
il pullman (the bus, the long-distance bus)
il treno (the train)
la ferrovia (the railroad)
il biglietto (the ticket)
la stazione (the station)
il filobus (the trolley bus)
.
First of all, last week, the lesson was about the participio presente (present participle). Guarda caso (it just so happens) that this week, there is a perfect example of the present participle in the segment of Liberi tutti. It's not quite an expression, but for the purposes of this lesson, we think it can pass.
Sedicente
The breakfast conversation is partially about a guy who calls himself a prince. Riccardo uses the adjective sedicente. We bring it up because it is a perfect example of the present participle used as an adjective. Remember the rule? We can replace it with che and the conjugated verb. In this case, the caption is:
C'è questo sedicente Ciro, Principe di Filicudi, che rivendica tutto il Nido.
There is this self-styled Ciro, Prince of Filicudi, who is laying claim to the entire Nest.
Captions 58-59, Liberi tutti EP2 Ci vivresti on un posto così? - Part 1
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We can translate it with "self-styled" or "so-called," depending on the context.
We just thought it was kind of fun to see this example after having talked about it so recently. We will be adding it to last week's lesson as an update.
Palle
There's another expression from the same video. This one is rather vulgar, but it's used often enough that it's good to understand what it means, even if you choose not to use it (a good choice, especially in polite company).
Di solito a quest'ora vi girano le palle almeno fino alle nove e oggi, stamattina, Fedez. E proprio perché ci girano le palle, parlavamo di Fedez.
Usually at this time your balls are spinning [you're pissed off] until at least nine o'clock and today, this morning, Fedez. And precisely because our balls are spinning, we were talking about Fedez.
Captions 39-41, Liberi tutti EP2 Ci vivresti on un posto così? - Part 1
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Girare means to turn or to spin. This expression is typically used when you are generally in a bad mood because of something that has happened.
It can get more personal with the verb rompere (to break). When someone made you mad and you can't stand it any longer, you can talk about the balls breaking. It can also be translated with "to bother."
Invece di fermare gli spacciatori, vengono a rompere le palle a noi.
Instead of arresting the drug dealers, they come and break our balls.
Caption 4, Provaci ancora prof! S1E1 - Il regalo di Babbo Natale - Part 14
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A ball-breaker is un rompipalle. The more polite version is rompiscatole (box-breaker). It can refer to someone who keeps at you, and doesn't let you alone.
As you may have noticed in other videos, Italians use images of male private parts in a whole range of expressions.
For more about using palle, especially in arguments, see this lesson.
Here, we are talking about balls. Usually, there are two, but when talking about something being boring or annoying, sometimes just one is used.
Era una palla (it was a real bore).
Provolone
In this week's episode of Sposami, Melody describes Manrico as un provolone. It's kind of a cute double-entendre. You might have heard of the cheese provola or provolone.
Certe volte è tenero, è delicato. Poi, all'improvviso, si trasforma in un, in un provolone che pensa a una cosa sola.
Certain times he is tender, he is gentle. Then, all of a sudden, he is transformed into a, into a playboy who thinks of one thing only.
Captions 54-56, Sposami EP 6 - Part 7
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But nested in the word provola or provolone is the verb provare. It means "to try," but it also means, especially as part of the compound verb provarci, to hit on someone, to flirt heavily. Check out our lesson about provarci. Un provolone hits on any and all women (typically).
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?
When you have spoken a language all your life (and are not a language nerd), there are certain things you just don't think about.
When you learn a new language, certain things are tricky, such as, for example, the Italian way of skipping the pronoun when it's not essential. Italians don't have to think about it. The verb conjugation gives you the information you need. If you have studied Latin, that's not so strange. But if you come from English, it's a challenging concept to be able to grasp.
And then there are tenses. Not all languages think of tenses in the same way. For instance, English speakers might have trouble with il passato remoto because it doesn't exist in English as distinct from the simple past. And we might translate it the same way as we translate a different tense, such as the imperfetto or the passato prossimo.
This brings us to a tense or mood that is a bit strange to English speakers. We generally feel pretty familiar with the past participle of a verb that can be used either as part of a compound tense or as an adjective. It's used in a similar way in English.
È uscito dall'ospedale, però è ancora un po' confuso.
He's out of the hospital but he's still kind of confused.
Caption 41, Il Commissario Manara S2EP2 - L'addio di Lara - Part 7
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No, m'hanno licenziato loro, perché ho confuso il mangime delle anguille con il veleno per topi.
No, they fired me, because I mistook rat poison for eel feed.
Captions 51-52, Sei mai stata sulla Luna? film - Part 19
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The present participle is something else altogether. Most of the time, we will see the participio presente (which has the -ante or -ente ending) used as an adjective or a noun. We don't think about it much because the word has entered general usage as an adjective or noun. We can identify it as a participio presente because we can replace it with che and the conjugated verb form to reach the same meaning.
Let's look at a couple of words in this category.
A present participle functioning as an adjective:
interessante (che interessa) - interesting (that interests)
promettente (che promette) - promising (that promises)
Perché un suo abitante, Martino Piccione, giovane chitarrista promettente, è sparito nel nulla senza lasciare traccia.
Because one of its inhabitants, Martino Piccione — young, promising guitarist — has vanished into thin air, without leaving a trace.
Captions 4-6, Chi m'ha visto film - Part 15
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Note that in English, these adjectives often have the -ing ending.
A present participle functioning as a noun:
il cantante ([la persona] che canta]) - the singer ([the person] who sings)
la sorgente (che sorge) - the source
l'abitante (che abita) - the inhabitant (the person who inhabits)
The tricky thing is that the -ing ending in English is also used to translate Italian words that have an -ando or -endo ending. These endings have to do with the presente progressivo (the present continuous or progressive).
Here's the example that prompted one of our viewers to ask about this:
Possiamo trovare il cerro, che è l'albero dominante il bosco,
We can find the turkey oak, which is the tree prevailing over the forest,
Caption 47, In giro per l'Italia La Valle del Sorbo
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We could say che è l'albero che domina il bosco.
Hopefully, you get the idea. You don't need to dwell on this, as you will get along fine without using the present participle as a verb most of the time. But when we come across it in a video, we need to know how to translate it (it was tricky!) and some people are just plain curious!
If you look up the verb aspettare in the dictionary, the first English translation you will find is "to wait." Or almost. You might see "to await." That is because, even though we don't use the verb "to await" much in general conversation, it's a transitive verb, and so is aspettare. They can line up. So that's something to remember.
Aspettare is transitive most of the time (except when it means something like "Hey wait!"). We don't need a preposition after it as we do in English — "to wait for." This lesson isn't about English, but let's just mention that lots of people use "to wait on" in certain contexts, and other people use "to wait for." In Italian, we don't have to worry about that.
Adesso bisogna aspettare il risultato dell'autopsia e poi finalmente potrete organizzare il funerale.
Now we have to wait for the results of the autopsy and then, finally, you'll be able to organize the funeral.
Captions 21-22, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 4
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Just as in English, we can use the imperative form aspetta! (informal singular), aspettate! (informal plural), aspettiamo (first person plural) or aspetti (formal, singular) on its own to mean "Wait!"
Aspetta, aspetta, ti levo il cerotto piano piano. Aspetta, aspetta.
Wait, wait, I'll remove the band-aid slowly, slowly. Wait, wait.
Caption 55, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 12
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Aspettate, lascio il libro sul tavolo
Wait, I'll leave the book on the table
Caption 3, Corso di italiano con Daniela Il futuro - Part 4
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Dottor Barale, aspetti!
Mister Barale, wait!
Caption 29, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep. 1 - Part 18
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In a question, let's remember again that aspettare is transitive. So if you want to ask the common question: "What are you waiting for?" you don't need the preposition.
Mai. -E che aspetti?
Never. -And what are you waiting for?
Caption 44, Questione di Karma Rai Cinema - Part 8
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When we use aspettare reflexively, in other words — aspettarsi — the meaning changes. It becomes "to expect."
Cioè, il ladro può essere entrato in biblioteca senza aspettarsi che Fazi fosse lì.
That is, the thief could have gone into the library without expecting Fazi to be there.
Caption 11, Il Commissario Manara S1EP4 - Le Lettere Di Leopardi - Part 7
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So when the verb is conjugated rather than in the infinitive, we have to look for an object pronoun (or noun). Here are two examples. The first is not reflexive so aspettare here means "to wait."
Erano cinque anni che aspettavo questo momento.
I'd been waiting five years for this moment.
Caption 16, L'Oriana film - Part 15
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If we find an object pronoun nearby (in this case mi), then we're likely looking at the reflexive version of aspettare and it will mean "to expect." And in many cases, we'll see some sort of preposition afterwards. In the examples below, first we have di and then, in the next example, we have da. We also often find the conjunction che, as in the third example below.
Grazie. -E non mi aspettavo di rivedervi così presto.
Thank you. -Uh, I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon.
Caption 21, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1EP1 L'estate del dito - Part 19
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Cosa ti aspetti da questo Real Madrid?
What do you expect from this Real Madrid [team]?
Caption 12, Spot Sky Sport con Perrotta, Totti, Marchisio
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Mi aspettavo che tu fossi più sincera,
I expected that you'd be more sincere,
Caption 30, Anna e Marika Il verbo essere - Part 4
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And, since an expectation is often tied to uncertainty, and che triggers the subjunctive, we will likely find the subjunctive form of the verb in the subordinate clause.
But... sometimes the difference is nuanced. For example, when a person is pregnant, we use "expecting" in English. In Italian, not necessarily.
We usually hear the non-reflexive form of aspettare.
È vero, aspetto un bambino da Arturo.
It's true, I am expecting a baby of Arturo's.
Caption 6, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 21
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When you're expecting a package, or sometimes a person, you'll likely use the non-reflexive version.
Senta, Lei è un bel tipo, io non lo posso negare, però io sto aspettando una persona molto importante.
Listen, you're a cute guy, I can't deny it, but I'm expecting a very important person.
Captions 6-7, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 6
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Another case in which English might use "expect," is when you invite someone and then you expect them at a certain hour. "I'll be expecting you!" Italians just use aspettare. Think of the end of a video when Marika talks about seeing you in the next video. She might say:
Io ti lascio lavorare in pace e ti aspetto nel prossimo video!
I'll leave you to work in peace, and I'll be waiting for you in the next video!
Caption 56, Marika spiega I verbi riflessivi e reciproci
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We've translated this with the verb "to wait," because there is no reflexive, but it could have been, "I'll be expecting you in the next video" or "I look forward to seeing you in the next video."
If we look at the Italian translation of the verb "to expect," we can see that there are all sorts of nuances. But what we can say is that when it's about waiting for something to arrive, as in expecting a package, expecting a child, or expecting a guest, we can use aspettare.
This is one more thing to have fun paying attention to when you watch Yabla videos!
Do you already know the 4 seasons in Italian? Here they are.
L'inverno (the winter)
La primavera (the spring)
L'estate (the summer)
L'autunno (the autumn)
Check out this beginner video.
Ciao, sono Marika e oggi ti insegnerò i giorni della settimana, le stagioni e i mesi dell'anno.
Hi, I'm Marika and today I'm going to teach you the days of the week, the seasons and the months of the year.
Captions 1-2, Marika spiega Settimana, stagioni e mesi
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Adriano talks about the 4 seasons, what to wear, the colors he associates with each, his favorites, and so on.
Oggi vi parlerò delle stagioni.
Today I'm going to talk to you about the seasons.
Caption 2, Adriano Le stagioni dell'anno
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Grammar tip: The noun la stagione is one of those nouns that ends in E. We don't think of it automatically as being feminine because it doesn't end in A as the majority of feminine nouns do. But it is indeed feminine, so when we form the plural we have to add an I at the end (there's already an e in the singular!). La stagione, le stagioni. We just have to think a bit harder when using these kinds of nouns.
So if you aren't familiar with the seasons, the videos mentioned above will help out. But in this lesson, we're going to talk about words that have to do with the seasons, or words or expressions that include the Italian word for season: stagione.
In the following example, Marika is talking about an Italian household ritual, often left to la mamma (the mom). It's a common excuse for not going out with friends on a weekend at the end of April or October. It's a thankless job, but also a good opportunity for throwing things away — eliminare (to eliminate), scartare (to discard), dar via (to give away). It's il cambio degli armadi (the closet switching), or il cambio di stagione.
Come tu ben sai, eh, l'Italia, come anche altri paesi del mondo, è soggetta alle stagioni, e quindi noi ogni sei mesi facciamo il cambio di stagione, che vuol dire che svuotiamo il nostro armadio dei vestiti invernali e le [sic] prepariamo a quelli primaverili ed estivi, oppure autunnali.
As you well know, uh, Italy, like other countries in the world, is subject to the seasons, and so every six months, we do a season change, which means that we empty our closet of winter clothes and we prepare them [sic] for the spring or summer ones, or else the fall ones.
Captions 24-27, Marika spiega L'abbigliamento - Part 1
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***A note about how things work in Italy. In apartments and homes, it's not so common for there to be built-in closets. You have to buy one, and they take up a lot of space in the bedroom. The bigger ones are often called quattro stagioni (four seasons) because you put the things up high that you don't need for the current season, and do some rotating during the year, to have the clothes you need handy.
When we talk about the seasons, we tend to first think about the more extreme ones, summer and winter, with their relative temperatures, caldo (hot) and freddo (cold). The seasons in between — spring and fall — have their characteristics, too. La primavera (spring) is often referred to as la bella stagione. La bella stagione can also simply refer to "the warm weather," or the season in which the weather is nice and warm.
A risvegliarsi dal torpore invernale, sono uomini ed animali, decisi a sfruttare la bella stagione per esplorare nuovi sentieri in una natura selvaggia, ma accogliente.
Awakening from the winter torpor are men and animals, determined to take advantage of the "beautiful season" [spring] to explore new paths in a wild but welcoming nature.
Captions 24-26, Formaggi D'autore - Part 3
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Another way to think about the in-between seasons of primavera and autunno, is by calling them "half-seasons" or "in-between seasons," La mezza stagione. This applies primarily to what to wear. La mezza stagione is when we tend to dress a cipolla (like an onion, in layers) and be ready for anything. But it can also refer to "mid-season."
Ma l'ultima neve ha i giorni contati. In un paesaggio da mezza stagione, la transizione verso la primavera è iniziata.
But the days of the last snow are numbered. In a mid-season landscape, the transition to spring has begun.
Captions 21-23, Formaggi D'autore - Part 3
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The best time to buy clothes for less is a fine stagione (at the end of the season). That's when shops have saldi (sales).
Tigrotto, non avevo più niente da mettermi e ho comprato due cosine ai saldi. -Hai fatto bene, ma...
Tiger Cub, I had nothing to wear and I bought two little things at the sales. -You did the right thing, but...
Caption 7, Il Commissario Manara S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva - Part 17
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If you are traveling to Italy and want to save money, you'll go during la bassa stagione (the off-season). Prices are cheaper. We can also talk about fuori stagione ("out of the season" or "off-season") indicating the non-tourist season.
Questa bella piscina, che non è sempre così perché siamo fuori stagione e di solito è più ricca di persone, perché è sempre pieno qua di persone. Questa casa vacanze che è, insomma, è per poter [sic] ospitare delle famiglie,
This beautiful swimming pool, which isn't always like this because we're in the off season... and usually it's more crowded with people, because here it's always full of people. This vacation rental that is, in short, is to be able to host families,
Captions 41-44, Sicilia - Marsala Casa vacanze Torre Lupa
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Thanks for reading.
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