In English, we have the noun "fruit." It's a collective or uncountable noun, so we rarely use an indefinite article or number before it. When we want to count fruit, we either refer to the fruit in question, for example, an apple or a peach, or we talk about "a piece of fruit."
Things are a little different in Italian. There is an analogous noun to "the fruit," la frutta, which is collective and uncountable.
Io mi ricordo che a casa mia si mangiava, allora, il, a mezzogiorno si mangiava: il primo, la carne, il contorno e la frutta, e la sera si mangiava la minestra.
I remember that at my house we'd eat, then, the, at noon we'd eat: the first course, meat, vegetable [side dish] and fruit, and the evening we'd eat some soup.
Captions 33-36, L'arte della cucina La Prima Identitá - Part 14
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When we want to talk about "fruits and vegetables," we say la frutta e la verdura. We're talking about two categories of plant food. Note that we use the singular in Italian. Sometimes an article is used, but not always.
Ci troviamo al piano inferiore, al piano terra del Mercato Centrale di Firenze. Qui, di solito, tutti i giorni si vendono frutta e verdura e anche altre cose.
We're on the lower level, on the ground floor of the Central Market of Florence. Here, usually, every day, fruits and vegetables are sold, along with other things, too.
Captions 26-28, In giro per l'Italia Firenze - Part 2
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Just as in English we can say "some fruit," in Italian we use un articolo partitivo (a partitive article) which combines a preposition and an article to mean "an indefinite quantity of something." In the example, la frutta is a feminine noun, so we use della.
"Della": devo comprare della frutta.
"Della": I have to buy some fruit.
Caption 18, Marika spiega Articoli partitivi - Part 2
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For more about partitive articles, see Marika's video lessons.
When we do want to talk about a piece of fruit in Italian, we turn to another noun, il frutto. It also means "the fruit," but this time it's countable and refers to one exemplar or specimen. Here, we can also use an indefinite article, or a number. We can form the plural.
Per capire se l'anguria è pronta da gustare, basta bussare sulla buccia. Un suono cupo e basso è il segnale che il frutto è maturo.
To figure out if the watermelon is ready to eat, just knock on the rind. A dull, low sound is the signal that the fruit is ripe.
Captions 5-8, Pomodori Vulcanici Pomodori del Vesuvio - Part 3
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In the previous example, a particular watermelon exemplar has been singled out, so il frutto makes sense. In the following example, the kind of fruit is not mentioned. It could be any fruit, such as una mela (an apple), una pesca (a peach), una pera (a pear), or un'albicocca (an apricot).
"Le guardie sono cadute a terra", scrive Roberto Longhi, come quattro spicchi di un frutto tagliato di netto e sono sprofondate in un sonno pesante".
"The guards fell to the ground," writes Roberto Longhi, like four wedges of a cleanly cut piece of fruit, and sank into a heavy sleep."
Captions 7-9, La pittura più bella del mondo La Resurrezione di Piero della Francesca - Part 10
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While the plural of frutta doesn't exist, we can use the plural of frutto, in other words, frutti.
E poi perché le olive vengono più piccole, le piante tendono, quando si inselvatichiscono, a fare i frutti molto più piccoli.
And also because the olives come out smaller. Plants tend, when they become wild, to produce much smaller fruit.
Captions 16-18, Gianni si racconta L'olivo e i rovi
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Frutto is also used figuratively to mean "result," just as in English.
È il frutto di una generazione artistica geniale e audace.
It is the result of a brilliant and daring artistic generation.
Caption 14, Meraviglie S2 EP3 - Part 1
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It's often employed with no article at all.
...perché tutto quello che vedete è frutto di un lavoro lentissimo.
...because everything you see is the result of a very slow process.
Caption 18, Meraviglie S2EP1 - Part 8
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Note: Frutta is not used figuratively in the same sense as frutto, and would not be appropriate here.
In a future lesson, we'll talk about different kinds of fruit and their peculiarities.
A subscriber asked: "What's the difference between tra and fra? The simple answer is "no difference." They both mean "between," "among," "in," (when talking about time), and more.
But they do sound different at the beginning with two different consonants, and to make a sentence flow better, Italians will choose one over the other, instinctively. If the noun following tra or fra starts with T or F, Italians will instinctively avoid weighing down the sentence with too many F's or too many T's. Or it might just be a personal preference that determines which version someone will use in a given situation. Let's look at some examples from Yabla videos to see if there are any patterns in choosing fra over tra and vice versa.
Our first example is from a video about prepositions, including tra and fra.
Compagnia: "Mi piacerebbe organizzare una cena tra amici".
Company: "I'd like to plan a dinner among friends."
Caption 37, Marika spiega Preposizioni semplici - Part 3
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Tra l'altro, da quello che si sa, tra poco qui arriveranno le forze dell'ordine
By the way, from what we know, the police will be arriving here in a little while,
Caption 23, Liberi tutti EP 5 Cosa c'è sotto? - Part 6
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Tra l'altro is a turn of phrase people use a lot to resume a conversation or to add some information. It can mean "by the way," or "besides," and more literally means, "among other things." In the same sentence, the speaker uses tra poco to mean "in a short while." Both tra and fra combine with adverbs to mean "in" in terms of time:
Io fra cinque minuti torno.
I'll be back in five minutes.
Caption 35, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP6 Dalla parte degli ultimi - Part 5
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While tra and fra mean the same thing, one might sound better than the other depending on the words following the preposition. In the following example, fra is preferred because the noun following it begins with t. Tra would sound "bad" coming before another word starting with t.
Ecco, prof, io fra tutti ho scelto "L'amico ritrovato" di Uhlman.
OK, professor, out of all of them, I have chosen Uhlman's "The newfound friend" [EN title: "Reunion"]
Caption 1, Provaci ancora prof! S2E4 L'amica americana - Part 7
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Fun Fact:
In the TV series "Imma Tataranni sostituto procuratore," the title of one episode is Come piante fra i sassi (like plants between the rocks). But the title of the book that the show is based on is Come piante tra i sassi (like plants between the rocks). In other words, one uses fra and one uses tra.
Communication is the most important aspect of speaking a language, so don't worry about getting this "wrong." Nobody will fault you if you choose fra over tra (or vice versa). But you might have fun doing a search of both words (on the videos page) to see how the characters in Yabla videos handle this essential preposition in either of its spellings and pronunciations. It's something to put in your stylistic toolbox if you want to refine your language fluency. When you listen to native Italians speak, pay attention to how they use tra and fra.
There are certain moments in life, and January is often one of them, when we reassess things, we try something new, or we turn over a new leaf. Did you ever wonder if there is an equivalent expression in Italian for turning over a new leaf? There is! It's voltare pagina (to turn the page). It's not exact, but it's close. Turning over a new leaf looks to the future with the adjective "new," and it implies getting a fresh start, whereas voltare pagina might imply leaving the past in the past. It can mean "to move on." It all depends on the context. Turning over a new leaf is usually applicable to one individual, whereas voltare pagina can be general or specific.
When you turn over a new leaf, it's like turning the page. Back in the day, at school, we would use loose-leaf notebooks, also called "ring binders." In Italian, these are called either raccoglitori ad anelli or quaderni ad anelli. So "leaf" is another word for "page" (or more precisely, "sheet of paper or parchment"), even though when we hear, say, or read the word "leaf," we usually think of a tree or plant with leaves. In Italian, a leaf is una foglia.
Fun fact: 2 Italian nouns, la foglia (the botanical leaf) and il foglio (page, leaf, sheet of paper including back and front) come from the same Latin word "folium," meaning "leaf" or "sheet of paper."
Il mese di gennaio è un buon momento per voltare pagina.
(The month of January is a good opportunity for turning over a new leaf.)
Il passato non torna, Albe'. Dobbiamo voltare pagina.
The past doesn't come back, Albe'. We have to turn the page.
Captions 4-5, Non è mai troppo tardi EP1 - Part 5
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Sì, lo so che non me ne dovrebbe fregare più niente, che... che dovrei andare avanti, ma, ma... non ci riesco.
Yes, I know I shouldn't give a damn anymore, that... that I should move on, but, but... I can't.
Captions 8-9, Sposami EP 3 - Part 20
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In the previous example, the speaker could have said:
Sì, lo so che non me ne dovrebbe fregare più niente, che... che dovrei voltare pagina, ma, ma... non ci riesco.
Yes, I know I shouldn't give a damn anymore, that... that I should move on, but, but... I can't.
For more about the verb voltare (to turn) and its origins, and about other related words and topics, see this lesson, especially the section titled:
"When manuscripts had leaves, not pages."
Here are two examples contrasting foglia and foglio.
Allora qua abbiamo un pittore, come vedete, che disegna foglie secche e frutta marcia.
So here we have a painter, as you see, who designs dry leaves and rotten fruit.
Captions 40-41, Caravaggio EP1 - Part 6
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Se vuoi fare contento un bambino, dagli un foglio bianco e una matita colorata.
If you want to make a child happy, give him a white sheet of paper and a colored pencil.
Captions 7-8, Questione di Karma Rai Cinema - Part 1
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Have a little fun with words that have different meanings depending on whether they end in a or o.
Thanks for reading! You can write to us at newsletter@yabla.com.
Sorting out the parts of speech in a new language can be tricky. You don't necessarily need to be able to memorize what part of speech a given word is, but it's handy to be able to figure it out. Native speakers just know, but learners need some cues sometimes. We're going to discuss the word fidanzato/a because it crops up as a past participle, adjective, or noun, and it can be challenging to figure out which it is. We'll try to make some sense out of it.
We have talked about the fine line between adjectives and nouns in another lesson, but it's a topic that comes up frequently, so we'll explore it again from another angle.
The caption that sparked this discussion is from the popular crime drama Imma Tataranni. Imma, the deputy prosecutor, is interviewing the parents of a girl who had been murdered.
Era fidanzata?
Did she have a boyfriend?
[Was she engaged/attached?]
Caption 17, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP 4 Maltempo - Part 4
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Our translation caused some confusion because it's neither parallel nor word-for-word. But it opened up a discussion about adjectives and nouns, and how to tell the difference. It also opened up a discussion about what words to use when referring to relationships. But we'll talk about that in another lesson. Let's look at what questions to ask to find out whether a word is a past participle, adjective, or noun.
The word fidanzata ends in a so it is likely feminine. The masculine would be fidanzato. Adjective or noun? There is no article in this example, so the best guess is "adjective." If it were a noun (something that is possible), it would likely have an article and possibly an adjective or possessive adjective before it.
Ci vorrebbe una bella fidanzata.
You need a nice girlfriend.
Caption 75, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno Ep. 2 - Part 17
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Eh, c'ho Giampi, ma è un fidanzato, non è un amico.
Uh, I have Giampi, but he's a boyfriend, not a friend.
Caption 45, Sposami EP 2 - Part 17
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And we can look at the verb. Italian's two main verbs, essere (to be) and avere (to have) are used as auxiliaries, but not exclusively. Avere is also a transitive verb meaning "to have," where as essere is not. Here is an example from another crime-show interview about a murder. This time the detective used the verb avere (to have), which makes things much simpler. We assume from the context that it's about a guy, but it could also be "Did she have a girlfriend?".
Aveva una fidanzata?
Did he have a girlfriend?
Caption 45, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S1EP4 Gelo - Part 7
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But here, we see the verb essere (and no article) so we can tell that fidanzata is an adjective.
Io vado, ciao. -Allora, questa amica mia è fidanzata da otto anni
I'm going, bye. -So this friend of mine, she's been engaged for eight years
Captions 75-76, Stai lontana da me Rai Cinema - Part 2
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Here, too, there is no article.
Devo dirti una cosa, Teresa. -Dimmi. -Io sono fidanzato, Teresa.
I have to tell you something, Teresa. -Tell me. -I'm engaged, Teresa.
Captions 42-44, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep. 1 - Part 19
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Here's how it works in the plural.
Per un po' siamo anche stati fidanzati.
We were also boyfriend and girlfriend for a while.
For a while, we were even engaged.
Caption 10, La Ladra EP. 11 - Un esame importante - Part 2
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When we talk about the process of getting engaged, then fidanzata/o is no longer an adjective. It's the past participle of the verb fidanzare (to get engaged). We use the reflexive particle si (oneself) and the auxiliary verb essere (to be).
Mi sono fidanzata. Evviva! -Che bello, la nonna si è fidanzata!
I got engaged. Yay! -How nice that Grandma has gotten [herself] engaged!
Captions 30-31, Provaci ancora prof! S2E5 Vita da cani - Part 17
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We hope we've cleared up some doubts about fidanzato/a and given you some tips for determining whether a word is a past participle, adjective, or noun.
In this lesson, we're going to talk about an adjective and a noun stemming from the common verb portare. Portare comes from the Latin "portāre," meaning "to carry" or "to bear" (as does the Italian verb portare). It originally referred (and still does refer) to physically carrying or bearing objects or people. One of the 2 words came up in a Yabla video, so it seemed like a good opportunity to shine a light.
Logically, the past participle portato is used in the past tense to mean "carried" or "brought." For example:
Infatti ho portato i soldi.
In fact, I brought the money.
Caption 66, Provaci ancora prof! S2E6 La strana ossessione - Part 20
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Portare takes avere as an auxiliary, a cue telling us portato is a past participle, not an adjective. It's not unusual for past participle forms of verbs to become adjectives or nouns. They are usually related in basic meaning. But in the case of portato, the meaning strayed a bit from the original one. It took on a more figurative sense. "Carrying something" was extended to mean "having an inherent tendency or suitability for something," as if the trait were "carried" within a person. Portato began to describe someone with a natural inclination toward a specific activity or field. We can imagine someone "carrying" a predisposition or "bearing" a natural gift, to go back to the meaning of portare.
In a previous lesson, we talked about being talented or not, using dotato or negato. Portato fits in as a synonym for dotato (gifted) with a slightly different vibe. Dotato might be thought of in terms of being a gift from God or some higher power, and portato, in terms of coming from within, an innate predisposition. But they are often used interchangeably.
In the following example from an Italian TV series about the Milan music conservatory, a violin student has been yelling over some drum riffs in order to hide the sound of his letting off steam. His friend compliments him on his yelling.
E bravo, sei portato.
And well done, you're a natural.
Caption 52, La compagnia del cigno EP 2 - Part 8
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If I say: Sei portato per la musica, I am saying, "You are gifted." "You're a natural." We might use it to describe someone good at learning languages, good at fixing cars, good at cooking, etc.
Invece ha detto che nostra figlia è molto portata per la danza.
But she said our daughter is very gifted in dance.
Caption 25, Provaci ancora prof! S2EP1 - La finestra sulla scuola - Part 9
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Per cosa si sente portata?
What do you feel you're good at?
What's your strong suit?
Caption 28, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep. 1 - Part 11
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Let's remember that, as adjectives, portato, portata, portati and portate have to agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.
The feminine past participle of portare evolved into the noun portata, whose core meaning relates to "that which is carried" or "the act of carrying." You might be familiar with the noun una portata in the context of courses of a meal, brought or carried to the table.
La portata evolved into meaning "the extent" or "the range," referring to the span or scope something can reach, carry, or bear, such as physical reach or figurative impact.
Sono pienamente d'accordo sulla portata metaforica del Suo discorso,
I am in full agreement about the metaphorical impact/magnitude of what you are saying,
Caption 14, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno Ep. 1 - Part 23
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Finally, we have the expression a portata di mano (literally, "within reach of one's hand"). We can shorten it to "within reach."
In inverno consiglio sempre di tenere a portata di mano un ombrello.
In winter I always recommend keeping an umbrella handy.
Caption 22, Adriano Le stagioni dell'anno
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As we see, it can mean "handy," but it can also mean "at hand," or "close at hand" in a figurative sense.
Sarebbe atroce morire proprio ora che la salvezza è a portata di mano.
It would be awful to die right now when salvation is at hand/within reach.
Captions 57-58, Vivere Un'avventura di Vittorio De Sica - Part 1
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We hope you will now know what people mean when they say someone is portato or portata, and if they ask you Hai carta e penna a portata di mano? you will know they're asking if you have paper and pen handy to write something down.
We often want to comment on another person, animal, or object regarding their appearance (or demeanor), either someone we are talking to or someone we are talking about. One word we can use for this is sembrare "to seem." It can be used by itself:
'Sti [questi] baffetti quando ti sono usciti? Sembri un uomo, eh?
When did you grow this moustache? You look like a man, huh?
Captions 46-47, Non è mai troppo tardi EP 2 - Part 3
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Although sembrare (to seem) can be used by itself, it's often personalized with an indirect object pronoun such as mi (to me), ti (to you), ci (to us), etc.
Mi sembri nervoso (you seem irritable to me).
Tu sei perfettamente vestito per questo posto e mi sembri molto a tuo agio.
You are dressed perfectly for this place, and you seem very at ease to me.
Captions 67-68, Romanzo Italiano Lazio - Part 10
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But it's also common to use the verb vedere (to see), thus shifting the focus to the speaker.
Mamma mia, come vi vedo nervosi.
My goodness, how nervous you seem.
My goodness, how nervous I see you [as being].
Caption 24, Liberi tutti EP 5 Cosa c'è sotto? - Part 3
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Però... io ti vedo strana.
But... you seem strange (you're acting weird).
Caption 12, JAMS S1 EP 5 - Part 4
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Using vedere can be connected with "looking." In English, we keep the focus on the person we're describing ("you"). In Italian, the grammatical focus is on the person commenting.
Ti vedo bene, Giorgio.
You look good, Giorgio.
Caption 2, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S1EP2 Rabbia - Part 20
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Let's look at some questions using these same formulas.
Che c'è, ti sembro troppo disinvolta forse?
What, do I seem too flippant to you perhaps?
Caption 36, La compagnia del cigno EP 2 - Part 6
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Sara (the speaker) could have said,
Che c'è, mi vedi troppo disinvolta forse?
What, do you see me as too flippant, perhaps?
Dite la verità, come vi sembro?
Tell me the truth, how do I look (to you)?
Caption 40, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S1EP1 I Bastardi - Part 16
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She could have said:
Dite la verità, come mi vedete?
Tell me the truth, how do I look (to you) [how do you see me]?
The way you want to comment will vary according to context and personal preference. But now you can choose! For more about sembrare, see this lesson.
Figuring out what the verb esistere means is not complicated if you already know a bit of Italian. The cognate, "to exist," sounds a bit formal sometimes, but in Italian, esistere is pretty ordinary. Here's an example.
[Ferrari Testarossa. Non esiste emozione più bella al mondo che guidare una Ferrari a duecentoquaranta km/h].
[Ferrari Testarossa. There is no greater emotion in the world than driving a Ferrari at two hundred and forty kilometers per hour.]
Caption 18, Autocollection EP2 - Part 2
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In the following example, a mechanic is talking about the Bianchina, a car from the sixties with no bells and whistles. It could easily be translated by using "there is. "
Qui, più semplice non esiste. [C'è] solo quello che è veramente utile. L'inutile non esiste.
Here, simpler doesn't exist, only what is truly useful. There's nothing non-essential.
In this case, there's no such thing as "simpler." There's nothing non-essential.
Captions 42-44, Autocollection EP2 - Part 9
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Even though we could use the verb "to exist," just as in Italian, we tend to use "there is" in English. In other words, we use the verb "to be" (with "there") to say whether something is present or not. If we wanted to use "exist," we would have to change the word order and put the verb after the subject.
Al contrario, esiste l'apprendimento non supervisionato che si riferisce a un approccio di apprendimento automatico in cui gli algoritmi identificano modelli e relazioni nei dati..
Conversely, there is unsupervised learning, which refers to a machine learning approach in which algorithms identify patterns and relationships in data..Captions 43-45, Vocaboliamo Intelligenza Artificiale - Part 2
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Conversely, unsupervised learning exists, referring to a machine...
The equivalent of "there is" is also very common in Italian: It's esserci (to be there, to exist), or, used in the third person singular, c'è (there is), which is a contracted version of ci è. In this case, ci means "there" or "here."
Secondo me, deve esserci un nesso.
In my opinion, there must be a connection.
Caption 28, Provaci ancora prof! S2E5 Vita da cani - Part 7
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Another way to say the same thing in Italian is:
Secondo me, ci deve essere un nesso.
In the following example, we can see that both esistere and esserci mean the same thing.
Non c'è, non esisteva nient'altro al mondo.
There isn't, there was nothing else in the world.
Caption 16, Guido Crepax Cercando Valentina - Part 10
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In fact, Italians use c'è (there is/is there) perhaps even more than English speakers do. When asking if someone is at home, or available to talk, we can use c'è, forming a question:
C'è nessuno?
Anybody home? [Is there nobody?]
Anybody here?
Caption 28, Provaci ancora prof! S1E4 - La mia compagna di banco - Part 9
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See this lesson all about the ci in c'è!
Finally, let's mention an expression with esistere. It's very easy and it's what you can say to mean "No way!" Not as a reaction of surprise, but as a way of saying an emphatic "no."
Non esiste (no way). This is a milder version and is often part of a longer phrase.
Non esiste proprio (no way in hell, not a chance, ain't gonna happen, not happening)! Proprio can mean plenty of things, but mostly "exactly" or "really."
Ma scusate, ma voi fate la dieta, volete il vino bianco? Ma, ma state scherzando? Ma non esiste proprio.
But excuse me, but you are on a diet, you want white wine? But, but are you kidding? But absolutely no way.
Captions 20-21, La linea verticale EP 7 - Part 7
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Però penso che dovrai rimandare l'appuntamento dall'estetista, facciamo straordinari oggi. -No, ma non esiste proprio. -No, esiste proprio.
But I think you will have to postpone the appointment at the beautician, we're doing overtime today. -No, no way that is happening. -No, it is really going to happen.
Captions 52-54, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP5 Rione Serra Venerdì - Part 22
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Although the noun impressione can be equivalent to the English noun "impression," it can also mean something else entirely, especially when coupled with the verb fare (to make, to do), as in fare impressione. It doesn't usually mean "to make an impression." Or rather, something does make an impression on you, but it generally has a negative connotation and can range from "to be "disconcerting," "disgusting," to "giving you the creeps," "to shock," and more. We can also use "to affect" or "to have an effect." Note that in this context, there's no article before impressione.
No, è che i topi, con rispetto parlando, mi fanno impressione.
No, it's that mice, respectfully speaking, frighten me.
No, it's that mice, respectfully speaking, give me the creeps.
Caption 56, PsicoVip Il topo - Ep 22
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Certo, fa impressione la nostra stanza così, no?
Of course, our room this way is disconcerting, right?
Of course, our room this way has quite an effect on us, right?
Caption 1, Fino a qui tutto bene Film - Part 20
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Fa impressione una ragazza così giovane che si toglie la vita.
It shocks you, a girl so young who takes her own life.
Caption 20, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP 4 Maltempo - Part 3
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Questa cosa mi ha fatto piuttosto impressione.
This thing rather shocked me.
Caption 50, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP 4 Maltempo - Part 23
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We can also use the verb dare (to give) with impressione. Here, in meaning, it is more similar to English. And in this context, we do use an article before impressione. In this case, it is neutral, neither positive nor negative.
La falcata decisa per uscire dalla stanza in meno di due secondi, senza dare l'impressione di scappare.
The determined stride to exit the room in less than two seconds, without giving the impression of running away.
Captions 49-51, La linea verticale EP4 - Part 2
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If you ask someone what impression they have or had about something, we are back to a true cognate, even if we use the verb fare. But we could also use the verb dare.
Che impressione t'ha fatto?
What impression did he make on you? [what did you think of him?]
Caption 38, Liberi tutti EP3 Quanto è libero un fringuello? - Part 4
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Collega, ho l'impressione che ti stai affezionando un po' troppo a Michele Venturi.
Colleague, I have the impression that you are becoming a little too fond of Michele Venturi.
Caption 28, Liberi tutti EP4 Ma la giacca la vuole tutta? - Part 6
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Let's go a step further and talk about the English verb "to impress." Although impressionare is a verb in Italian, it's rarely the first choice when talking about being impressed by or impressing someone. A more common way to express this in Italian is with the verb colpire (to strike). Rimanere colpito (to be struck, to be impressed). We can also use the expression fare colpo (to impress).
Quando l'ho letto, però, sono rimasto colpito, la storia era interessante.
When I read it, though, I was impressed. The story was interesting.
Captions 32-33, Fumettology Diabolik - Part 4
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Sai, io ho l'impressione che lui abbia anche fatto colpo sulla sua titolare,
You know, I have the impression that he also impressed his boss,
Captions 7-8, Sposami EP 6 - Part 18
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And here is where the expression fare figura can come in, as well. For more on figura, see this lesson.
Ma la verità è che tu ti impegni perché vuoi fare bella figura con tua moglie.
But the truth is that you make an effort because you want to impress your wife.
Captions 22-23, Sposami EP 2 - Part 19
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In both English and Italian, there is an adjective form, too: "impressive" and impressionante. Although they can be equivalent, impressionante is more akin to "amazing," "shocking," or "remarkable." Most of the time it is stronger than "impressive." In thinking of a facial expression corresponding to "impressive," we could imagine raised eyebrows. If we think of impressionante, there are raised eyebrows, but also eyes wide open in shock or surprise.
E a proposito di peso, eh, bisogna dire che arrivati al terzo anello, tutta la struttura ha cominciato a inclinarsi in modo impressionante.
And speaking of weight, uh, it must be said that starting at the third ring, the whole structure began to tilt in a remarkable way.
Captions 3-4, Meraviglie EP. 4 - Part 8
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Thanks for reading. We hope to have helped untangle the web of words that start with "impress-." Let us know if you have further questions!
We talked mainly about the verb immaginare in part 1 of this lesson, and now we'll focus on supporre.
In our first example, supporre is easily interchangeable with immaginare, both in Italian and in English.
Buongiorno a Lei, signora Baudino. Cercava me, suppongo. Prego. -Grazie, sì.
Good morning to you, Missus Baudino. You were looking for me, I suppose. Please come in. -Yes, thank you.
Captions 5-7, Provaci ancora prof! S2E6 La strana ossessione - Part 5
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In the next example, on the other hand, supporre is a bit more nuanced and we have translated it with "to assume." We're not really imagining here, we are making an assumption based on evidence, or reasoning. However, the speaker could easily have used immaginare if he had been trying to conjure up the past. The important thing to keep in mind is that "to assume" is one way to translate supporre." Another Italian verb could work here, too: ipotizzare (to hypothesize). It's used quite frequently in ordinary conversation.
Per questo motivo, possiamo supporre che proprio in questo momento, i conservatori abbiano chiamato il loro miglior pittore ad eseguire sulla parete dell'Arengario, eh, quella Resurrezione che diverrà il simbolo identitario della città.
For this reason, we can assume that right at this moment, the conservators had called their finest painter to execute, on the wall of the Arengario, uh, that Resurrection which will become the iconic symbol of the city.
Captions 49-53, La pittura più bella del mondo La Resurrezione di Piero della Francesca - Part 13
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In this next example, supporre doesn't seem to be interchangeable with immaginare, because we're talking about a supposition based on something concrete.
Questo perché la testimonianza della tua amica Camilla, ti fa supporre che la signora Predolin sia una vittima innocente.
This is because the account of your friend Camilla causes you to assume that Missus Predolin is an innocent victim.
Captions 105-106, Provaci ancora prof! S2E5 Vita da cani - Part 13
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We translated it with "to assume," but it could also be "to presume," another possible translation of immaginare.
In English, we can use the imperative of "to suppose" as in: "Suppose I were to ask you on a date. Would you say yes?" In Italian, we'd likely use the first person plural: Supponiamo (let's suppose).
Adesso supponiamo che stai passeggiando per strada e un passante ti chiede: "Mi scusi, mi potrebbe dire, per favore, che ore sono?".
Now, let's suppose you're walking down the street and a passerby asks you: "Excuse me, could you please tell me what time it is?"
Captions 28-30, Marika spiega 18 Modi di dire Sì senza dire Sì
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We hope that you have a greater understanding of the verbs immaginare and supporre and when (and how) they are used.
Did you know that Italian uses the same word — la storia — for both "story" and "history?"
Sometimes it's clear what we're talking about:
Ma ti rendi conto che questi galantuomini sono finiti sui libri di storia come gli eroi del Risorgimento, i grandi che hanno fatto l'Italia.
But do you realize that these men of honor have ended up in history books as the heroes of the Risorgimento, the greats who made Italy?
Captions 37-39, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP5 Rione Serra Venerdì - Part 19
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But more often than not, una storia means "a story," which can be interpreted in various ways, just as in English.
In ogni storia noir il poliziotto che si oppone al criminale ne è, in un certo senso, lo specchio. -Ginko è uno dei motivi di vita di Diabolik.
In every crime story, the policeman who opposes the criminal is, in a certain sense, the mirror of him. -Ginko is one of Diabolik's reasons for living.
Captions 31-32, Fumettology Diabolik - Part 5
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Often una storia represents a romantic relationship. We might say "love story" or "affair."
Hanno avuto una storia, ma si sono lasciati dopo pochi mesi.
(They had an affair, but they broke it off after a few months.)
When it's more of a fling, it's common to use the diminutive, storiella.
Me l'ha fatte pure con l'avvocato. Una storiella con un vigile urbano.
She did that to me with a lawyer, too. A fling with a traffic cop.
Captions 8-9, La Ladra EP. 3 - L'oro dello squalo - Part 12
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It's also common to use una relazione when referring to a relationship between two adults.
Gliel'ho già detto, la loro relazione era finita da un pezzo.
I already told you. Their relationship had been over for a good while.
Caption 106, Provaci ancora prof! S2E6 La strana ossessione - Part 11
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In the context of theater, television, and film, "story" isn't always called la storia. When we refer to the basic story, idea, theme, or plot outline, it's called il soggetto. In every-day Italian, however, il soggetto usually corresponds to its English cognate, "the subject."
We often find the word soggetto in the credits of a movie or TV show. An episode of Fumettology, about the comic book Diabolik, describes how the various aspects of preparing the material come together. The idea can come from a number of sources, but there is usually one writer who develops the story, theme, or plot outline, referred to as il soggetto. It might be the outline of a movie, episode, or entire series.
Spesso, una storia può avere una persona che fornisce lo spunto, poi, in genere, ce ne sono un paio d'altre che lo fanno diventare un soggetto.
Often, a story may have a person who provides the starting point, then, usually, there are a couple of others who make it become a storyline.
Captions 26-28, Fumettology Diabolik - Part 7
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Sono soggetti di, di, di anche di venti pagine. È praticamente già tutta la storia articolata, mancano giusto i dialoghi e la divisione in, in vignette,
They are storylines of, of, of even twenty pages. That's practically the whole story already laid out. Missing only are the dialogues and the division into, into vignettes,
Captions 29-31, Fumettology Diabolik - Part 7
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In the comics, il dialogo (the dialog) has to be created along with the narrative.
In a TV show or movie, there is la sceneggiatura (the script, the screenplay). In the following example, the same person came up with the story for the episode and then wrote the script or screenplay, which includes dialogue and stage directions.
[Soggetto di puntata e sceneggiatura di]
[Episode story and screenplay by]
Caption 16, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP4 Gelo - Part 1
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You'll see the noun storia come up quite often in movies and TV shows, as well as in books and articles. Note that here, we've talked about the literal meanings of the word, but we'll look at other connotations in a future lesson, so stay tuned!
One of our subscribers has asked about the difference between two verbs: immaginare and supporre. Of course, both verbs have English cognates: "to imagine" and "to suppose." But knowing when and how to use them is not always obvious. Let's focus first on immaginare, and we'll save supporre for an upcoming lesson.
Immaginare
The verb immaginare can be transitive and it matches up with the English meaning of "imagine." In an episode of Sposami, Ugo wants some comprehension from Nora. She gives him a snappy retort.
Per una volta nella vita, cerca di capirmi, prova a immaginare la situazione. -Cosa devo immaginare, Ugo? L'ho vista la scena.
For once in your life, try to understand me, try to imagine the situation. -What should I imagine, Ugo? I saw the scene.
Captions 36-38, Sposami EP 5 - Part 20
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It can be intransitive and still corresponds to English:
Ma immagina quando fra dieci, vent'anni il mercato richiederà soltanto calcolatori elettronici.
But imagine when, in ten, twenty years, the market will be asking for electronic calculators only.
Captions 27-28, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 15
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Immaginare can be used with a reflexive ending to add some personal reinforcement.
Immaginati la sorpresa quando ho scoperto che dopo tutti questi anni eri diventata... Un poliziotto? -No! Bellissima!
Imagine [for yourself] my surprise when I discovered that after all these years you had become... A cop? -No! Beautiful!
Captions 6-9, Il Commissario Manara S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena - Part 14
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In English, when we give a short answer, we usually say "I can imagine," in other words, using a modal verb before the main verb. In Italian, we can just use the verb itself with no modal verb before it.
Poi io so' [sono] passato a lavorare nello studio e mi occupo un po' di tutto... un incarico di fiducia. -Immagino.
Then I began working in the office and I handle a little bit of everything... a position of trustworthiness. -I can imagine.
Captions 54-56, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 11
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We can also use the modal verb potere (to be able to) as an option.
Non mi sono ancora ripreso da questa tragedia, ve lo confesso. -Posso immaginare.
I haven't yet recovered from this tragedy, I'll confess it to you. -I can imagine.
Captions 6-7, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP4 Gelo - Part 10
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The verb immaginare is also used like "to suppose," "to think," "to believe," and "to guess." Although we used the cognate in the translation to facilitate remembering the word, other words could work, too. This is a case in which immaginare and supporre are interchangeable.
Immagino che vorrà parlarmi di Donata Miulli.
I imagine that you will want to talk to me about Donata Miulli.
I suppose that you will want to talk to me about Donata Miulli.
I guess that you will want to talk to me about Donata Miulli.
Caption 30, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP 4 Maltempo - Part 23
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Since both verbs have to do with hypothesis rather than certainty, they often take the subjunctive when followed by the conjunction che.
Immagino che si tratti del sequestro De Carolis.
I guess [that] it is about the De Carolis kidnapping.
Caption 61, Il Commissario Manara S2EP10 -La verità nascosta - Part 7
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In English we often say, "I suppose so," "I think so," "I guess so," etc. It's important to keep in mind that in Italian, this "so" is expressed with di sì. We translated immagino di sì with "I imagine so," but it could also have been "I guess so" or "I think so."
Ma, quindi, Grazia faceva la modella? Immagino di sì. Casa sua era piena di foto di questo tipo, quindi immagino di sì.
But, so, Grazia was a model? I imagine so. Her house was full of photos like this, so I imagine so.
Captions 60-61, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP4 Gelo - Part 5
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In Part 2, we'll focus on supporre.
In a previous lesson, we talked about votare, a verb that has an additional meaning we rarely think of. Another verb that can bring some surprises (and confusion) is confondere (to confuse, to confound). If we think about it, we can break down confondere into two pieces. Fondere is "to melt," "to meld"; con is “with.” Thoughts, sensations, or things mix together and become unclear. We can no longer distinguish or understand individual elements.
The English verbs "to confuse" and "to confound" clearly have the same root: And we can also see "to fuse" and "fusion" in the noun "confusion." And we now know that con means "with." You might never think of the word "confusion" the same way again.
The cognate confusione exists in Italian. Sometimes it's equivalent to the English "confusion."
Perciò quando i soggetti sono diversi, questo potrebbe portare un po' di confusione.
So when the subjects are different, this could bring about a bit of confusion.
Captions 25-26, Corso di italiano con Daniela 3) Proposizioni subordinate finali - Part 2
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But often confusione means something more akin to "chaos" "fuss," "mess," or "commotion."
E, soprattutto, nella confusione nessuno si accorgerebbe di nulla.
And above all, in the chaos, nobody would notice anything.
Caption 16, Il Commissario Manara S2EP4 - Miss Maremma - Part 11
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Lupo ha detto che c'aspetta in palestra e poi era troppa confusione per lui.
Lupo said he'd be waiting for us at the gym and besides, it was too much commotion for him.
Captions 56-57, L'oro di Scampia film - Part 19
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Knowing these little connections may help you find the words when you need them, or at least recognize them when you see them. Or you might just enjoy being aware of the connections (or you might not care at all).
We often translate confondere as "to mix up."
The verb confondere can be used as a normal transitive verb: to confuse.
Tu mi sa che confondi la cocaina con l'aspirina.
I think you are confusing cocaine with aspirin.
Caption 10, Il Commissario Manara S2EP9 - L'amica ritrovata - Part 11
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The same past participle, confuso, can mean "confused." We can use the past participle of confondere as an adjective when we are confused — confuso. The ending has to agree in gender and number with what or who is being described.
Sei confusa, addolorata, ma lo sai che lui ti merita.
You're confused, aggrieved, but you know that he deserves you.
Captions 85-86, Il Commissario Manara S1EP11 - Beato tra le donne - Part 8
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When we get confused or mixed up, it's a process, and we go the reflexive route with the reflexive form of the verb: confondersi.
Sì, sì, è probabile, perché i nomi sono molto simili, Renzo, Gaetano... uno si può confondere.
Yes, yes. That's likely, because the names are very similar, Renzo, Gaetano... someone can get mixed up.
Captions 57-58, Provaci ancora prof! S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita - Part 13
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...e se di me non parlo e non mi ascolto, succede che poi mi confondo.
...and if I don't talk about myself and I don't listen to myself, it happens that then I get confused.
Captions 56-57, Rosalba al parco della donna gatto - Part 2
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There's an expression in Italian: confondere le acque (to muddy the water). In this case, you are not confused, but you are making something confusing on purpose. Here, confuso can be translated as "confusing."
Hanno fatto un racconto un po' confuso.
They gave a somewhat confusing account.
Caption 16, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP2 Rabbia - Part 3
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When we use the passato prossimo (which works like the present perfect), the past participle is the same as the adjective form, but the verb essere (to be) is present, too, as well as the reflexive pronoun, as opposed to a subject pronoun.
Che fai, parli ternano pure tu, adesso? -Perché mi so' [sono] confuso,
What are you doing? Are you talking Terni-ese, too, now? -Because I got confused,
Captions 59-60, Sposami EP 5 - Part 16
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So if I want to say, "You got confused," I would say, "Ti sei confuso/a".
When, in La Ladra, Eva uses the verb to talk about a spice she can’t distinguish, she uses the verb confondere but she might have meant confondersi, which can also mean "to blend in." If we want a transitive verb as a translation, "muddle" might work, too.
C'è una spezia che confonde il quadro di insieme, non so, non riesco a percepirla.
There's a spice that muddles the whole picture. I don't know, I can't manage to perceive it.
There's a spice that makes the whole picture confusing, I don't know, I'm not able to perceive it.
There's a spice that blends in with the whole picture, I don't know, I'm not able to perceive it.
Caption 32, La Ladra EP. 1 - Le cose cambiano - Part 3
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We hope you are not more confused than when you began reading this lesson!
There is already a lesson about dunque on Yabla. It primarily discusses the noun form of this word, il dunque, equivalent to il punto (the point.)
But dunque is first of all a conjunction, a somewhat more formal equivalent of quindi meaning "therefore," "so," or "then."
Immagina che tu e una persona di tua conoscenza siete saliti su di una barca, fate un giro in mare e chiacchierate. State dunque facendo la stessa cosa e nello stesso momento, quindi state condividendo questa esperienza.
Imagine you and a person you know have gotten on a boat. You go for a boat ride at the sea and chat. So you are doing the same thing at the same time, thus you are sharing this experience.
Captions 14-19, Marika spiega Espressioni legate al mare e al mondo nautico - Part 1
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We could have translated dunque as "therefore," "thus," "so," "so then," "as a result," etc.
One common way to use dunque is to introduce something you are going to say, such as an explanation, a list, or a question. In other words, you are saying, in essence, "Now I am going to tell/ask you something." So it can also be an equivalent for allora. See this lesson about allora.
In the following example, an oncologist is about to list different types of tumors or cancers. He could have said, "Allora, esistono..." Dunque has a slightly different and perhaps a more serious feel to it, as in "Now I am going to tell you something important," whereas allora is very general and can be placed in a sentence just about anywhere. Allora can also stand alone.
Dunque, eh, esistono vari tipi di tumore al rene, alcuni sono più subdoli, più insidiosi, più difficili da combattere.
Well, uh, there are various types of kidney cancer. Some are sneakier, more insidious, harder to fight.
Captions 36-38, La linea verticale EP 7 - Part 2
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Professor Camilla uses dunque as she chooses a student for an oral quiz. In this case, she is going down her list of students, so we have translated dunque as "let me see..."
E mi affiderò al caso, anzi al registro. Dunque, Ilenia.
And I will rely on chance, or rather on the register. Let me see... Ilenia.
Caption 73, Provaci ancora prof! S2E5 Vita da cani - Part 5
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Of course, at the same time, dunque can be conclusive because its original meaning is "therefore." In English, the adverb "therefore" is used less and less except in formal or technical language. It follows, then, that we use it less and less in translations. We can think of it as meaning "as a result," or "consequently." In the following example, however, we are talking about art, about history. In this case, dunque is conclusive and can be translated with "therefore."
Ecco, dunque, quale potrebbe essere stata l'occasione, il perché della Resurrezione di Piero.
That is, therefore, what the occasion could have been, the reason for Piero's Resurrection.
Captions 28-29, La pittura più bella del mondo La Resurrezione di Piero della Francesca - Part 13
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The following example is informal.
I miei genitori sono invece nonni di cinque nipoti ed io sono la zia di quattro nipoti. -Sì. Nostro figlio ha dunque... sei zii, o meglio, tre zii e tre zie, da parte mia...
My parents are, on the other hand, grandparents of five grandchildren and I'm the aunt of four nephews and nieces. -Yes. Our son has, therefore... six aunts and uncles, or better yet, three uncles and three aunts, on my side...
Captions 21-25, Giuditta e Marino presentano La nostra famiglia
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Our first instinct was to use "so." We used it at the beginning of the sentence, although the Italian has dunque at the end, or, at any rate, not at the beginning.
"Yes. So, our son has..."
But then a subscriber commented that there was no translation of dunque and suggested "then," which could possibly have worked. Instead, we inserted "let's see..." because Marino was clearly doing some calculations in his head. However, we neglected to remove "so." Another subscriber noticed that things didn't match up and wrote a comment. After considering "well", we decided that although "therefore" might not be our first choice, it is conclusive and clear in its meaning and so that's what we chose. And that is the reason for this lesson. Dunque is a great word to know, but the translation is not always clear-cut or obvious.
If you are about to make a list or explain something, dunque works great at the very beginning of a sentence. When you want it to be conclusive, it can be in the middle or at the end. It can also be used as "filler" for when you are thinking, similar to quindi and allora.
Dunque non vuoi festeggiare in compagnia?
So, don't you want to celebrate in company?
Caption 36, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno Ep. 1 - Part 18
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Trusting someone or not is important to be able to express in the language you are using. But it can be tricky in Italian because "to trust" happens to be a reflexive verb.
A reflexive verb in Italian is a particular kind of verb where the subject and object are the same and which requires a reflexive pronoun. In the infinitive, we use the reflexive pronoun si (attached to the end of the verb). For more on reflexive verbs, see this lesson.
Before discussing how fidarsi works, let's look at a passage from a recent video on Yabla — Provaci ancora prof!. Renzo realizes he has been unfairly questioning his wife Camilla's relationship with reality.
Sì, va be', forse dovrei imparare a fidarmi un po' di più.
Yes, OK, maybe I should learn to trust you a bit more.
Caption 110, Provaci ancora prof! S2E6 La strana ossessione - Part 16
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One of our subscribers wondered if fidarmi was a mistake, if it should have been fidarti, since, after all, Renzo is talking about trusting the person he is talking to. That's what makes verbs like fidarsi tricky for English speakers. Renzo left out the part where it would have been clearer. He could have said:
Sì, va be', forse dovrei imparare a fidarmi di te un po' di più.
He didn't say it, because it was clear who he was referring to and it was part of a longer conversation. It also makes for an awkward sentence.
Here is the sentence in context where Camilla speaks first.
Però almeno capisci che non sono pazza.
-Sì, va be', forse dovrei imparare a fidarmi un po' di più. -Eh, forse. -La fiducia è importante.
But at least you understand that I am not crazy.
-Yes, OK, maybe I should learn to trust you a bit more. -Yeah, maybe. -Trust is important.
Captions 109-111, Provaci ancora prof! S2E6 La strana ossessione - Part 16
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Here’s how fidarsi works:
In a simple sentence, the reflexive pronoun is placed before the verb. The tricky thing to remember is that the reflexive pronoun corresponds to the subject, in other words, the person who is doing the trusting (or not). To trust is a transitive verb in English.
Here’s the conjugation in the present tense:
Io mi fido (I trust)
Tu ti fidi (you trust)
Lui/Lei si fida (he/she trusts)
Noi ci fidiamo (we trust)
Voi vi fidate (you all trust)
Loro si fidano (they trust)
Notice the reflexive pronouns (mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si) placed before the verb. In fact, we don't normally need to include the subject at all because it's clear from the verb conjugation (note the changing endings of the verb):
Mi fido (I trust)
Ti fidi (you trust)
Si fida (he/she trusts)
Ci fidiamo (we trust)
Vi fidate (you all trust)
Si fidano (they trust)
To make these sentences negative, where you don't trust someone or something, we place non (not) before the reflexive pronoun.
Non mi fido (I don't trust)
Non ti fidi (you don't trust)
Non si fida (he/she doesn't trust)
Non ci fidiamo (we don't trust)
Non vi fidate (you all don't trust)
Non si fidano (they don't trust)
In Italian, it's common to use this short phrase as is, with no other object. The object is implied. In English, however, we use "to trust" as a transitive verb with an object.
Tanto ho capito, io il tipo l'ho inquadrato. Non mi fido.
Anyway I understand, I have that type figured out. I don't trust him.
Caption 38, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 8
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But when specifying whom or what you trust (thus including an indirect pronoun), we follow fidarsi with the preposition di (in, of).
Non devi avere paura, ci penso io a te, non ti devi preoccupare. -Io mi fido di Lei.
You shouldn't be afraid, I'll take care of you, you shouldn't worry. -I trust you.
Captions 14-16, La linea verticale EP4 - Part 6
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Io non mi fido di te.
I don't trust you.
Caption 35, Sposami EP 1 - Part 1
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It might be helpful to remember that in English we sometimes do use a preposition, saying, "I trust in you" or "I trust in God."
Here's an example of a question using a compound past tense:
Ti rendi conto di chi mi sono fidata?
Do you realize whom I trusted?
Caption 10, Provaci ancora prof! S1E2 - Un amore pericoloso - Part 24
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We have the noun la fiducia, too.
Ho pienamente riconquistato la tua fiducia?
Have I fully reconquered your trust?
Caption 83, Provaci ancora prof! S2E6 La strana ossessione - Part 15
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La fiducia does mean "the trust," but it also means "the faith" (which can also translate as la fede in Italian, especially in the context of religion). Note also that after fiducia, the preposition is in (in). It works much like the English "to have faith in someone."
Ho sempre avuto fiducia in te,
I have always had faith in you,
Caption 32, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP 2 - Part 19
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We use la fiducia with the verb avere (to have), just like in English, but we can also use the verb dare (to give), in which case it makes more sense to translate this with "to trust."
Infatti, mi sto occupando da tempo, in prima persona, di questo problema, però Lei deve darmi un po' di fiducia.
In fact, I have been working for a while now, personally, on this problem, but you have to trust me a little.
Captions 13-14, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP 4 Maltempo - Part 19
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So when I want to simply say, "Trust me" I just say: Fidati. No need to say fidati di me unless I need or want to emphasize or be clear about who should be trusted.
Non ci facciamo una figuraccia con questo Marsili, no? -Fidati. -Mi fido di più se mi dici chi te l'ha detto. -Una persona molto affidabile.
We're not going to look like idiots with this Marsili, right? -Trust me. -I trust you more if you tell me who told you. -A very reliable person.
Captions 50-53, Il Commissario Manara S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde - Part 6
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We hope we have given you a better understanding of the reflexive verb fidarsi and the noun la fiducia, both of which have to do with trust. With a little practice, you'll be able to use both of these words with confidence in your Italian conversations.
On a very basic level, "the vote" and "to vote" have cognates in Italian (il voto and votare), but a recent video on Yabla provided the spark for a little research into these words.
In the first segment of a documentary about comic books, there's a curious example of votare meaning not "to vote," but rather "to devote." It's rare enough that it needed looking up and we wondered if it might be an error. It wasn't.
La sua vita è votata al soddisfacimento di un obiettivo, che è quello di mettersi alla prova nel furto.
His life is devoted to the satisfaction of a goal, which is that of proving oneself in theft.
Captions 24-25, Fumettology Diabolik - Part 1
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Looking up this meaning for votare called up other connections.
It’s customary in some Christian religions to give up something for Lent, the forty days preceding Easter. In Italian, this is often called un voto (a vow). And let’s think of “votive” lights or candles, used to remember the dead. A votive candle signifies literally that the lighting is done in fulfillment of a vow (Latin, "votum").
Sono pinakes, tavolette votive che vengono dal tempio di Persefone, la dea della Primavera.
They're pinakes, little votive tablets that come from the Temple of Persephone, the goddess of spring.
Captions 20-21, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP2 Come piante fra sassi - Part 12
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There is a long tradition of vows in Italian history, closely tied to the history of the Roman Catholic Church. People would pledge money, acts of charity, or courage, such as going on a crusade. Symbols of these vows can be found hanging on the walls of many old Italian churches and are called ex-voti from the Latin phrase "ex-voto suscepto," meaning "from the vow made").
È vero che abbiamo fatto voto di povertà, però pure i colli dei frati tengono [napoletano: hanno] freddo, no?
It's true that we made a vow of poverty, but even the necks of friars get cold, right?
Captions 58-59, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP 3 Vicini - Part 6
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In Italian schools, students get votes, not grades.
Mettiamo che io abbia due bambini. il primo fa il dettato senza errori, che voto gli do?
Let's say I have two kids. The first one does the dictation with no errors. What grade do I give him?
Captions 54-56, Non è mai troppo tardi EP 2 - Part 22
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Thanks for reading.
Language doesn't stay the same over time. For example, lots of people say "gonna" instead of "going to," but we still write "going to," unless it's in some dialogue or in an informal circumstance. It's not something English speakers think about too much. In addition, words that used to be two words are now often spelled as one word. The word might go through a stage where a hyphen is used. Sometimes 2 different versions are both correct. A noun can become a verb and vice versa. Language is in constant evolution.
But let's talk about an Italian language phenomenon common, especially in central and southern Italy, but universal in some cases. It's about how to pronounce a consonant in a new word after the final vowel of the preceding word. This is called raddoppiamento fonosintattico (phonosyntactic doubling), also called rafforzamento fonosintattico (phonosyntactic reinforcement). Non-native speakers might not notice this as anything but simply part of the language, and we likely won't analyze it. We just try to repeat what we hear. We mention this as it might be helpful in understanding why certain words have a double letter in the middle of a word that seems to come from 2 separate words.
Examples of vocal doubling of the consonant can be as basic as the C in casa in a sentence such as Andiamo a casa (let's go home). It's often reinforced or almost doubled. If you listen carefully, you might hear it, but you also might not, unless someone shows you how it would sound without reinforcing that C. It's a nuance. If you learn Italian by listening and repeating, you don't need to worry about this at all. You might notice a difference in pronunciation among the various regions of Italy from north to south. The doubling phenomenon seems to increase as we travel southward.
Francesco, andiamo a casa.
Francesco, let's go home.
Caption 25, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP2 Rabbia - Part 5
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But sometimes this raddoppiamento fonosintattico (doubling a letter in speech), as it is called, makes its way, over time, into the written word, and we get what is called univerbazione or "univerbation," in other words, uniting two or more words into one word. In linguistic terms, it's "the diachronic process of forming a new single word from a fixed expression of several words." In English, we talk about "compound words." But in the case of Italian, the new word might be based on the sound of the letters that end the first word and begin the second one rather than just the meaning.
We have seen this in words such as daccapo instead of da capo (from the beginning), (see this lesson). Both are used.
We can presume that the adverb nemmeno was ne meno at one time but with the phenomenon of pronouncing one word after the other with a double or reinforced M, the spelling shifted to nemmeno.
Non ci voglio nemmeno pensare, nemmeno pensare.
I don't even want to think about it, not even to think about it.
Caption 88, Provaci ancora prof! S2E6 La strana ossessione - Part 15
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The list goes on and on. Language nerds might like to see this article (in Italian) about reinforced letters and univerbations in Italian.
Another classic example is soprattutto (above all). We always have to remember to double that (first) T. Originally, it was two words: sopra (above) and tutto (all). The T was doubled in speaking, and then over time, it began to be written with two T's combining into one word.
E, soprattutto, mi devo caricare delle storie degli altri, delle vite degli altri.
And, above all, I have to take on other people's stories, other people's lives.
Caption 55, Romanzo Italiano Lazio - Part 7
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Another example of radoppiamento fonosintattico, as well as univerbazione, is Oddio, which comes from Oh Dio! (oh God, oh my God). It expresses shock, agitation, or fright.
Oddio!
Oh my God!
Caption 21, La Ladra EP. 10 - Un ignobile ricatto - Part 9
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Sometimes oddio is not so strong and merits neither an exclamation point nor a capital letter at the beginning. Someone is having a memory lapse, that's all.
Gino Bresciano, oddio chi era Gino il Bresciano?
Gino the Brescian, oh God, who was Gino the Brescian?
Caption 30, Liberi tutti EP4 Ma la giacca la vuole tutta? - Part 6
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Which brings us to a recent episode of I Bastardi, where Renzo (an unsuspecting suspect) asks Detective Lojacono whether there is news about the case. Lojacono answers first with a no, and then corrects himself using oddio. He's neither shocked nor frightened. He is just re-thinking what he had said originally. The capital letter is likely because it is the beginning of the sentence.
C'è qualche novità? -No, nulla di importante. Oddio, abbiamo scoperto che Biagio aveva presentato all'ufficio brevetti una richiesta a suo nome, aveva anche versato tremila e settecento euro richiesti.
Is there some news? -No, nothing important. Or rather, we have discovered that Biagio had presented to the patent office, a request in his name, he had also paid the requested three thousand seven hundred euros.
Captions 39-43, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP4 Gelo - Part 22
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If we look up oddio in the Treccani dictionary, we see that in addition to "Oh God," another meaning is doubt or uncertainty. Yet another similar use is to correct or attenuate something said previously. So in the previous example, this definition would make more sense. Lojacono is correcting his "no, nothing important," since it is actually evidence about who might have killed Biagio and that is pretty important, contrary to what he said at first.
The 3 takeaways from this lesson are:
1) There are combinations of words that appear one way, (such as a casa) but are pronounced slightly differently because the consonant at the beginning of a word is doubled or reinforced. This is hard to detect for many of us and we don't have to worry about it. It's something we might start noticing at some point.
2) Sometimes, but not always, this doubling or reinforcement is reflected in the spelling of a word, in other words, uniting 2 words into 1. For example, in arrivederci (to seeing each other again) the R is doubled. But its relative expression a sentirci (to hear from each other again) has remained as two separate words. Interesting, right?
3) The exclamation oddio falls into both aforementioned categories and can mean something different from "Oh God" or "Oh my God." It's just something to be aware of, something that has come up in a recent Yabla video. We mentioned it because it provided the spark for this lesson.
Language nerds might like to see this article about the reinforced letters and univerbations in Italian.
Dietro is such an important word. It has its origin in the Latin "de retro." It's both an adverb and a preposition but it can also be a noun. It can be used in lots of different contexts.
In this lesson, we'd like to take a look at a relatively modern noun containing the word dietro: dietrologia, not to be confused with dietologia (the study of diets).
In the final segment of episode 4 of I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone the murderer turned out to be the son of a famous professor, rather than an ex-convict everyone assumed was the criminal. The TV news highlighted how shocking that was. The prosecutor comments to her boss on how ironic that is.
Their conversation goes like this:
La città si stupisce se uno come Renato Forgione commette un delitto, ma se lo commette uno come Varricchio rientra tutto nell'ordine normale delle cose. -Va be', dottoressa su, non facciamo dietrologia. -La conosciamo la stampa, no?
The city is stunned if someone like Renato Forgione commits a crime, but if someone like Varricchio commits it, it's all part of the normal order of things. -OK, Ma'am, come on, let's not look for hidden significance. We are acquainted with the press, right?
Captions 6-10, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP4 Gelo - Part 24
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Dietrologia is a word we haven't encountered in Yabla videos before and so we decided to delve a bit deeper to understand the term better. We learn, from an article (in Italian) about the evolution of translating the term "conspiracy theory" into Italian, that dietrologia was coined for the first time, in the April 10, 1974 issue of “Corriere della Sera” (p. 3), in an article by Luca Goldoni.
It means "the study of what's behind." This might be a good thing, but having been coined in the years following the assassination of JFK in 1963, in which there were a great many "conspiracy theories" about what "really" happened, it tends to have more to do with paranoia than with research.
There's a slang term: farsi delle pare (to be paranoid) that is closely related to fare dietrologia. In other words, "What is he or she really thinking?" "Who profits?"
Here's one idea of the term from an article that popped up from a search on the Internet. It's from this blogpost:
Italians have a word dietrologia — literally translated as “behindology.” It’s the art of looking behind the surface of things to find their meanings, the hidden meanings of things. The Italian dictionary defines dietrologia as the “critical analysis of events in an effort to detect, behind the apparent causes, true and hidden designs.”
In an article in The Economist, in a column called "Johnson," we find a similar explanation:
SPEAKING with a veteran foreign correspondent last week I learned an Italian term I hadn't known: dietrologia. The idea is that many Italians believe that the surface or official explanation for something can rarely be the real one. There's always something behind, or dietro, that surface. It's a great word.
See this definition in Italian from Treccani (in Italian).
In a future lesson, we will look at more ordinary ways to use dietro.
Although lattina and scatola can both mean "can," it's worth taking a look at the differences in usage between these two nouns.
Note we say in scatola to mean "canned," in other words, "in a can." We're talking about how these goods are packaged, not where they are at the moment.
E puoi trovare tutto quello che non ha una scadenza breve, come sale, pasta, olio, salsa di pomodoro, legumi in scatola, farine,
And you can find everything that doesn't have a short shelf life, like salt, pasta, oil, tomato sauce, canned beans and lentils, flour,
Captions 48-51, Vocaboliamo Supermercato - Part 4
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If, while I am cooking, I can't find the beans to add to my soup.
Dove sono i miei fagioli (where are my beans)?
The answer does not use in scatola in this case, but rather nella scatola. We're not talking about how they are packaged, we're talking about where the beans are.
I fagioli sono ancora nella scatola (the beans are still in the can).
—because I haven't taken them out yet.
Sometimes a can is small, such as those for tuna or cat food. In the example below, Marika tells us the tuna is canned (in scatola) to distinguish it from tonno fresco (fresh tuna). Then she mentions it being small and uses a diminutive: scatoletta.
Del tonno, semplice tonno in scatola sottolio. Questa è una scatoletta di duecentocinquanta grammi...
Some tuna, simple canned tuna, in oil. This is a small can of two hundred and fifty grams...
Captions 45-46, Marika spiega L'insalata di pasta - Part 1
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Although, as we mentioned above, una scatola can be a can, especially when referring to canned goods, it's also, or even primarily, "a box." In the next example, scatola means "box," We can imagine a box, such as a cereal box. But it could also be one of those round (or square) tins of butter cookies.
Quantità: "Abbiamo mangiato una scatola di biscotti in due".
Quantity: "We ate a box of cookies between us."
Caption 14, Marika spiega Preposizioni semplici - Part 2
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In this next example, la scatola is a large, oblong cardboard box that contains a wedding gown.
Quando lo metti nella scatola, lo devi stendere... -Permesso?
When you put it in the box, you have to lay it flat... -May I come in?
Caption 1, Sposami EP 5 - Part 10
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Scatola is a fairly generic term.
Non facevamo prima a prendere una scatola di cioccolatini?
Wouldn't it have been quicker for us to get a box of chocolates?
Caption 33, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 EP5 Lele, ti presento Irene - Part 2
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Speaking generically, we might use the noun scatola for a cardboard box, but we can also say una scatola di cartone, because cartone means cardboard. But sometimes, we just say un cartone to mean "a cardboard box."
The noun la lattina comes from la latta (the tin [the metal], the metal sheet). These days, una lattina is usually made of aluminum and is very lightweight compared to una scatola for beans or tuna. For items such as bulk olive oil, we can talk about una latta da 3 kg (a three-kilo can).
In this next example, the speaker uses the noun latta to let us know that the jingles on a tambourine used to be made from the top of a can, but especially that the can was made of metal, likely tin, since she is talking about earlier times.
E questo perché, eh, viene applicate... vengono applicati i sonagli, o cimbali, detti, eh... che una volta originariamente, pensate, erano proprio presi per... dalla latta per le sardine.
And that's because, uh, jingles, or so-called cymbals are attached, uh... that at one time, originally, imagine, they were actually taken for... from a tin for sardines.
Captions 8-10, Eleonora suona il Tamburello
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The upshot is that if you are looking for a soft drink or a beer, la lattina is the word you are looking for. If it's beans, then you'll want una scatola or una scatoletta if it's on the small side. And it's good to keep in mind that una scatola is not necessarily made of metal.
In a future lesson or video lesson, we'll discuss other types of containers.
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