It's easy to get confused between two similar verbs, supportare and sopportare, especially since they both look similar to the English verb "to support." As a matter of fact, they also both come from the same Latin roots: the Latin prefix "sub-" (meaning "under" or "from below") combined with "portare" (meaning "to carry"). There are other Italian and Latin words with variant spellings, so that's not so unusual, but supportare and sopportare had different evolutions and now have different meanings.
Supportare is a cognate of the English "support," in both physical and figurative senses. It gives a sense of aid, and therefore, of something positive.
La Space Station è fornita di enormi pannelli solari, pannelli fotovoltaici che generano l'energia necessaria per supportare tutta l'infrastruttura e gli astronauti a bordo della stazione orbitale.
The Space Station is equipped with huge solar panels, photovoltaic panels, which generate the necessary energy to support the entire infrastructure and the astronauts aboard the orbital station.
Captions 67-71, Space to ground EP2 Energia dell'universo. Luce - Part 2
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Ma ci sono state anche tutte delle cose che sono nate per supportare le famiglie degli operai.
But there have also been all the things that were created to support the families of the workers.
Captions 76-78, Romanzo Italiano Campania - Part 3
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There is a noun form as well: il supporto
No, io volevo ri'... chiaramente ringraziare la dottoressa Piras per il supporto che ci ha dato durante tutto il nostro processo investigativo.
No, I wanted, of course, to thank Doctor Piras for the support she gave us during our entire investigative process.
Captions 7-9, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S1EP1 I Bastardi - Part 26
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Here are some synonyms for supportare when it's physical or structural:
And here are synonyms when supportare has to do with people, ideas, projects, etc.
Although stemming from the same Latin root, sopportare has an entirely different meaning from supportare. The English word "to bear," with its different connotations, does provide some overlap, however.
Sopportare tends to express a sense of bearing something negative, enduring or tolerating an emotional burden, for example, but also a physical one.
Livietta è troppo piccola per sopportare il peso di un divorzio.
Livietta is too young to bear the burden of a divorce.
Caption 11, Provaci ancora prof! S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita - Part 19
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È quando torni dall'ufficio col muso lungo che proprio non ti sopporto.
It's when you come back from the office with a long face that I just can't stand you.
Captions 44-45, Com'è umano lui Film - Part 18
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Sopportare has some synonyms, some of which overlap with supportare. Read about one of them, reggere, in this lesson.
In everyday conversation, sopportare will likely be the verb we hear more often, especially in reference to relationships. But as English terminology gains standing in the Italian language, especially in the area of psychology and therapy, supporto is used more and more often, especially in contexts such as the following: support group = gruppo di supporto.
Insomma, il bastardo t'ha fatto un gruppo di supporto perché non suoni abbastanza bene.
So, basically, the bastard made a support group for you because you don't play well enough.
Captions 27-28, La compagnia del cigno S2 EP 2 - Part 3
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A common synonym for the noun il supporto is il sostegno.
Questo prodotto si caratterizza della fatica [sic: è caratterizzato dalla fatica] di molti uomini che hanno la capacità di trasformare scarti di produzione alimentare in un prodotto nobile, capace di dare sostegno al cammino dell'uomo.
This product is characterized by the efforts of many men who have the ability to transform food production waste products into a noble product, capable of giving support to man's stride.
Captions 13-16, L'Italia che piace Stile di vita - Part 4
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In English, we can talk about a support group, but we can also say someone is being supportive. In this case, too, we can use di supporto. Or we can say solidale.
Dobbiamo essere solidali.
Dobbiamo essere di supporto.
We have to be supportive.
Caption 56, Sposami EP 3 - Part 20
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Let's not overlook a very important adjective we use to describe a person or situation: insopportabile, used more often in its negative form. We have used "unbearable" as the English translation, but we can also use "obnoxious," "intolerable," "insufferable," and other similar adjectives.
Melissa è insopportabile,
Melissa is unbearable.
Caption 3, JAMS S1 EP1 - Part 4
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A positive form of the adjective exists as well. It's used a lot when referring to pain. Is it bearable? È sopportabile?
Ma vedi, il mondo è diviso in due categorie: quelli come te, che cercano di renderlo migliore, e quelli come me che cercano solo di renderlo sopportabile.
But you see, the world is divided into two categories: the ones like you, who try to make it better and the ones like me who just try to make it tolerable.
Captions 61-63, Il Commissario Manara S1EP6 - Reazione a Catena - Part 3
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We hope this lesson hasn't been too insopportabile. We just want to be di supporto, in other words, supportive.
Questions? Comments? Write to us at [email protected]. We love to hear from you!
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