In this week's segment of La Ladra, Eva is pretty miffed at her son. He lied to her and probably did worse. So when he promises to do something right, she doesn't say thank you, because she expects nothing less. She uses an expression that is very handy and easy to use because it's always in the third person and can stand alone.
Ti prometto che vado a scuola in bici. OK?
I promise I'll go to school by bike. OK?
Sarà meglio.
You had better.
Captions 54-55, La Ladra - Ep. 3 - L'oro dello squalo - Part 4
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To use this expression, we use the future tense. As we have already discussed in a previous lesson, the future doesn't always actually mean the future. In this particular case, it may be hard to pin down the correct tense, but the tone is clear. You better get in line. If you don't do as you've promised, you're going to be in big trouble.
Sarà is the third person singular of the verb essere (to be). For more about this verb and this tense, see these video lessons from Daniela.
As a stand-alone expression, sarà meglio (one/you had better) works in many situations, especially if you raise your eyebrows. But it can also be part of a more complicated sentence including the subjunctive.
È da solo? Buongiorno. No, in compagnia del mio telefonino.
Are you alone? Good morning. No, in the company of my cell phone.
Allora sarà meglio che Le parli prima che squilli.
So I had better talk to you before it rings.
It would be better for me to talk to you before it rings.
Captions 42-44, La Ladra - Ep. 1 - Le cose cambiano - Part 9
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An even shorter expression uses the verb essere (to be) in the third person singular future on its own, to mean, "that might very well be." You don't have to be miffed to use this expression, but you're probably somewhat skeptical.
Hai visto che non è come sembra, ma molto meglio?
Did you see that he is not like he seems, but much better?
Sarà, ma quella bionda che abbracciava nella Spider non sembrava un fornitore di tartufi.
That might very well be, but that blonde he was hugging in the Spider didn't look like a truffle dealer.
He might very well be, but that blonde he was hugging in the Spider didn't look like a truffle dealer.
Captions 41-43, La Ladra - Ep. 3 - L'oro dello squalo - Part 3
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Practice:
As you go about your day, try experimenting with sarà meglio (you are the boss and you're not taking any flak) and sarà (you're listening but you are skeptical).
When we talk about people and life, we use certain somewhat standard words and expressions to describe the good and the bad.
Rather than using the adjectives “good” and “bad,” and their comparatives (for better or for worse), Italian tends to use the nouns il bene (goodness) and il male (evil) or, ”the good” and “the bad.”
In this week’s episode of L’Eredità quiz show, the host and contestants are talking about someone’s character. Some character traits can be either positive or negative or both, and that’s what they’re talking about here.
Nel bene e nel male.
For better and for worse.
-Nel bene e nel male, per il resto tutti pregi, insomma.
-For better and for worse, but for the rest, all positives, in short.
Caption 9, L'Eredità -Quiz TV - La sfida dei sei. Puntata 1
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In wedding vows, Italians traditionally say it a different way.
Vuoi tu, Lara Rubino, prendere il qui presente Luca Manara
Do you Lara Rubino wish to take the here present Luca Manara
come tuo legittimo sposo,
as your lawful husband,
essergli fedele sempre nella buona e nella cattiva sorte,
to be ever faithful to him in good and bad times,
nella gioia e nel dolore?
in joy and in sorrow?
Captions 45-48, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP1 - Matrimonio con delitto
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Bene and male are both nouns and adverbs.The adjective forms are buono (good) and malo (bad). See this lesson about malo.
Closely connected to bene and male are pregi e difetti (strengths and weaknesses, strong points and weak points, virtues or qualities and shortcomings or flaws). There are various ways to say this in English but Italians commonly talk about un pregio or un difetto. Links have been provided to WordReference so you can see how many nuances there are of these nouns.
Note that Adriano uses qualche (some, a few) with a singular noun, but the intention is plural. See this lesson about qualche. He could have said alcuni difetti (a few shortcomings).
La mia ragazza ha molti pregi, ma anche qualche difetto.
My girlfriend has many great qualities, but also a few defects.
È molto testarda, è un po' capricciosa...
She's very stubborn, she's a bit unpredictable...
Captions 33-34, Adriano - la sua ragazza
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Back to our quiz show... They talk about excess as being both a quality and a weakness.
È anche il suo pregio.
It's also his strong point.
L'eccesso è... -È così...
Excess is... -It’s like that...
è così, insomma... -il suo pregio e il suo difetto.
is like that, all in all... -his strong point and his weakness.
Captions 10-12, L'Eredità -Quiz TV - La sfida dei sei. Puntata 1
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Practice:
Quali sono i tuoi pregi (what are your strong points)? E i difetti (and your weak points)?
Can you talk about your job or your school, your teachers or your boss, your friends, siblings, or pets using pregi and difetti?
A subscriber has asked about the common but difficult-to-translate expression come mai.
For starters, let’s take it apart.
Come (how) is easy enough and mai (never, ever) is as well. So we would be inclined to translate come mai as “ how ever.” With a bit of moving the words around, we could come up with:
Come riuscirai mai a farlo?
How are you ever going to be able to do that?
But what we're examining in this lesson is the idiomatic expression come mai as a unit, because, yes, it can stand on its own or be inserted as is, into a question or certain kinds of statements.
It’s most easily translated as “how come?” “How come” is another way to say “why.” “How come” is actually short for “how did it come about that” and dates from the mid-1800s. We can also translate it as “how is it that...” So we could say that come mai is another way of saying perché when perché means “why.” You may ask: When does perché not mean “why?” See this lesson to find out!
Come mai often expresses surprise at things being different from what one expects, so it’s an expressive way of saying “why.” In certain contexts where there is intense surprise at someone’s actions or decisions, it can even be translated as “why on earth?”
Come mai non hai tolto la pentola dal fuoco?
Why on earth didn’t you take the pot off the burner?
But come mai can also be a less aggressive way to say perché in certain situations. After all, with come mai, you are interested in knowing the other person’s reasons for doing something. So it’s not a cold, indifferent question. You may also be giving someone the benefit of the doubt. As an example, let’s say that the other person is usually reliable, but this time they messed up. Come mai? You’re wondering about it.
The question, perché non mi hai chiamato? asked with a certain tone, can be almost accusatory or dry, but come mai non mi hai chiamato implies that I was really expecting you to have called me, and so you must have a good reason for not calling me.
Let’s look at some examples from Yabla videos.
Ma sai che anche io mi sento un po' stanca, chissà come mai.
But you know that I feel a little tired, too, who knows why?
Caption 27, Anna e Marika - Il verbo avere
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The speaker could easily have said the following, and meant pretty much the same thing:
Ma sai che anche io mi sento un po' stanca, chissà perché.
But come mai gives us the idea that she is truly wondering why she is tired. She shouldn’t be. She slept fine.
Io so perché si chiama arena.
I know why it's called an arena.
-Ah, è vero!
-Oh, that's right!
Come mai si chiama arena?
How come it's called an arena?
Captions 22-24, Marika e Daniela - Colosseo, interno
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In the above example, the speaker could easily have used perché. But come mai implies some real curiosity. It might indicate the wish to hear the long answer rather than the short one.
Let’s remember that perché can mean both “why” and “because.” Come mai, on the other hand, is mostly used in questions but also in some negative or questioning statements, such as:
Non so come mai arrivo sempre in ritardo.
I don’t know why I always come late.
Come mai never means “because.”
In the following example, Mimì of "La Bohème" is talking about a change in Alfredo’s behavior. Since she was jolted by this change, she uses come mai.
Era diventato geloso.
He had become jealous.
Non capivo come mai.
I couldn't understand why.
Captions 27-28, Anna presenta - La Bohème di Puccini
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Hopefully, you now know a bit more about using come mai. If you have more questions about this topic, let us know!
This lesson looks at some colloquial expressions from the last segment of Stai lontana da me, a romantic comedy.
When asking for confirmation of what you have said, here’s one way:
Dico bene, tesoro?
Am I saying it well [am I right/am I telling like it is], dear?
Caption 31, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
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The prefix ri is similar to “re” in English: it's used to repeat something:
No, hai ridetto Monica.
No, you re-said "Monica" [you said "Monica" again].
Caption 50, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
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Niente di niente is colloquial but used quite a bit in everyday speech. In fact, there are two instances in this segment. We can translate it colloquially: “no nothing,” or, in correct English: “nothing at all.”
E, in due anni, zero litigate.
And in two years, no fights.
-Niente di niente, è un vero paradiso.
-No nothing, it's true paradise.
Caption 55, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
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E poi a Sara non è successo più un incidente.
And then Sara hasn't had any more accidents.
-No, no, niente di niente.
-No, no, nothing at all.
Caption 70, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
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Stra is a prefix meaning “extra” or “over.” It’s used quite a bit to mean “super” or “mega” in colloquial speech, although there are more mainstream words with this prefix, such as stravecchio (very mature or old), stracotto (as an adjective, “very well-cooked”; as a noun, “meat stewed a long time”), stravedere (to think the world of), straviziare (to overindulge).
Jacopo’s client used very colloquial speech:
...Cioè perché stra-pesante, cioè una noia totale.
...That is, because super heavy duty, that is, a total bore.
Caption 57, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
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His use of cioè (that is) is very close in meaning to "I mean," in English, which some people sprinkle throughout their speech. Ciò is one of those words that in the beginning was two separate ones: ciò (this that) and è (is).
Quasi quasi literally means “almost almost.”
Quasi quasi non ci lasciavamo.
We almost didn't break up.
-Ciccì, cicciò, due palle, dottore.
-All that lovey-dovey, what a downer, Doctor,
A noi ci piaceva litigare.
we liked fighting.
Captions 58-59, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
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Some alternative translations:
We were seriously thinking of not breaking up.
We were of a mind not to break up.
Here’s an expression to justify asking someone a question. Most Italians know this expression or saying, and some use it automatically. In English, we might say, “There’s no harm in asking.”
E poi domandare è lecito e rispondere è cortesia.
Besides, asking is allowed and answering is polite.
Caption 64, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
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We can’t always be on time, so let’s look at some of the words you need when you or someone else is late. It’s not as simple as using the Italian word tardi (late).
In a recent episode of Stai Lontana da Me there has been a little car accident. This time nobody got hurt, but Sara is going to be late for work if she’s not careful.
Però è tardi.
But it's late.
Senti, mi dispiace, io prendo la metropolitana.
Listen, I'm sorry, I'll take the metro.
Ho fatto tardi.
I'm running late [or "I've gotten delayed," "It got late," "I'm late."]
Captions 11-13, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
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When she says, “È tardi,” she’s talking about the hour. She has to be at work, say, at nine, and it’s already ten to nine, and she is still far from her office. Objectively speaking, it is late!
When she says “Ho fatto tardi,” she is talking about herself and the fact that she got delayed. She is late.
Telling someone not to be late is important sometimes. Here’s one way to do this:
Ciao, mamma. Io vado da Flavia.
Hi, Mom. I'm going to Flavia's.
-Ciao, amore. -Non fare tardi.
-Bye, love. -Don't be late.
Captions 38-39, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu
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Another way to say you’re late is to use the phrasal adverb, in ritardo (late). Ritardo is a noun meaning “delay.”
In an episode of Commissario Manara, Manara’s boss is not happy with him per niente (at all).
Lei è in ritardo di ventiquattro ore.
You're twenty-four hours late.
Si può sapere che cosa aveva da fare di così urgente?
Can you let me know what you had to do that was so urgent?
Captions 16-17, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro
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The noun il ritardo is commonly used when we apologize for being late.
Buonsera a tutti.
Good evening everyone.
Scusate il ritardo, ragazzi.
Sorry I'm late, guys.
Ma aspettavate solo me?
Were you just waiting for me?
Captions 8-10, Concorso internazionale di cortometraggio - A corto di idee
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Both the adverb tardi and the noun ritardo also have verb forms: tardare and ritardare.
Non dovrebbe tardare ad arrivare.
It won’t be long before he arrives.
This doesn’t refer to a precise amount of time, and doesn’t necessarily mean someone or something is late. It just means they haven’t arrived yet.
The following is a bit more urgent and refers, most likely, to an agreed-upon hour.
Non ritardare, perché il film comincia puntuale.
Don’t be late, because the film starts punctually.
Here’s how we use comparatives and superlatives with tardi (late).
Vado a letto tardi il sabato sera.
I go to bed late on Saturday nights.
Più tardi means "later."
Ci vediamo più tardi.
We’ll see each other later.
Al più tardi means "at the latest."
Devi spedire questa lettera domani al più tardi.
You have to send this letter by tomorrow at the latest.
The opposite of in ritardo is in anticipo (ahead of schedule, early, in advance).
We can also use the verb form anticipare (to be early, to expect).
La consegna era prevista per domani, ma il pacco è arrivato in anticipo.
Delivery was scheduled for tomorrow, but the package arrived early.Per via del maltempo in arrivo, hanno anticipato il rientro.
Because of approaching bad weather, they came back early.
Just to add a little twist, another opposite of anticipare is posticipare (postpone, to delay).
Per via del maltempo in arrivo, hanno posticipato il rientro.
Because of approaching bad weather, they postponed their return.
Attenzione! Italians do not use anticipare in the sense of “looking forward to something.” See this definition of the verb to anticipate. Definition number 2 doesn’t conform to the Italian. In fact, “looking forward to something” is difficult to say in Italian, and there is no precise translation. We will tackle this conundrum in another lesson.
To sum up
Tardi (late): With the adverb tardi, we use the verb fare when talking about someone being late. When talking about the hour, we use essere (to be).
Tardare (to be late, to run late)
Il Ritardo (the delay)
Essere, arrivare in ritardo (to be late or behind schedule)
Ritardare (to run behind schedule, to be late)
In the new film on Yabla, La Tempesta, a conversation takes place down on the street. Paolo has had his car towed and doesn’t quite know how to get to work. His neighbor comments:
Nel senso, magari è la volta buona
I mean, maybe this will be the time
che ti fai una bicicletta pure tu.
that even you get yourself a bike.
Captions 4-5, La Tempesta - film
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Nel senso literally means “in the sense,” but Italians use it these days much as we use “I mean” in English. Lots of times they don’t even finish the sentence. Nel senso just stands alone, and you have to guess the rest. Nel senso can be likened to cioè (that is, meaning...), but technically, nel senso in this context should be followed by che (that) as in the following example.
Conoscendolo in che senso...?
Knowing him in what way...?
Nel senso che in paese le voci girano.
In the way that in town word gets around.
Captions 48-49, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu
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Without che (or any other conjunction) following it, it's decidedly less grammatically correct.
Il senso is a noun that covers a lot of bases, but here, it is equivalent to "the way," "the manner."
A Yabla subscriber has asked about the difference between infatti and in effetti. The question is an excellent one.
The short answer is that infatti may be translated as “in fact,” while in effetti can be translated as “actually,” or “admittedly.” You can get this kind of information from any dictionary. But the question merits a closer look.
Infatti has, over time, become a single word but like many Italian words of this type, started out being two words: in + fatti. It’s extremely similar to the English “in fact,” and, not surprisingly, it means the very same thing.
È quasi una sorella, anzi è una sorella.
She's almost a sister, or rather, she is a sister.
Infatti, parliamo allo stesso modo...
In fact, we talk the same way...
e facciamo le stesse cose.
and do the same things.
Captions 4-6, Amiche - sulla spiaggia
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Another way to say infatti is difatti. It’s less common, but used often enough, and is interchangeable with infatti. Note that these two terms use the plural ending.
The fact is, both infatti and difatti come from the Latin de facto (from the fact) which is also used in English to mean that something exists in fact, although perhaps not in an intentional, legal, or accepted way: de facto. The direct Italian translation of the Latin de facto is di fatto—two words, like the Latin. Note that this term uses the singular ending, as in the Latin.
When we go to a meeting, and it doesn’t actually take place for some reason, we can say it was nulla di fatto (nothing actually happened).
In the following example from the very first episode of Commissario Manara, introductions are being made at police headquarters. Pio, meaning pious, is an old-fashioned but common enough name in Italian. Buttafuoco’s co-worker is making a pun, saying Pio Buttafuoco is a good and maybe even religious person.
Buttafuoco. -È pio, eh di, di nome e di fatto.
Buttafuoco. -He's Pio [pious], uh in, in name and in fact.
Caption 48, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto
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Unlike infatti, in effetti is made up of two words, and though, like infatti and difatti, it comes from the Latin de facto, it’s a bit more subjective, and has to do with taking something into consideration and admitting that, “yes, that is actually so.”
In the following example, in effetti is used because one couple realizes that they have actually been absent for a good while, and so the question is more than justified.
Ma è un po' che non vi si vede. Dove siete stati?
Well, it's been awhile since we've seen you. Where have you been?
Beh sì, in effetti siamo appena rientrati dall'India.
Well yes, actually we've just gotten back from India.
Captions 7-8, Escursione - Un picnic in campagna
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In this case, they could just as easily have said:
Beh si, infatti, siamo appena rientrati dall’India.
Well yes, in fact, we just got back from India.
It’s just a different slant, like saying “in fact” instead of “actually” or “as a matter of fact.”
In effetti can be used when you’re forced to agree with someone, but not all that willingly, or when they have convinced you of something.
You might say:
In effetti... hai ragione.
Admittedly... you’re right.
The other person who knew he was right all along, and was waiting for you to realize it, might say:
Infatti, ho ragione!
In fact, I am right!
He might also just say:
Infatti.
In fact.
Infatti can be used by itself to confirm what someone has said. You’re agreeing wholeheartedly. It may not actually have to do with facts, but is used in the same circumstances in which we use “in fact,” “as a matter of fact,” “that’s a fact,” or “that’s true” in English. It’s usually expressed with an affirmative tone.
In effetti is more like a consideration. It’s more like “admittedly” or “actually.” The tone may well be one of realizing something you hadn’t considered before. You might raise your eyebrows. The adverb form of in effetti is effettivamente and can be used interchangeably for the most part.
To sum up, there are definite differences in the words discussed in this lesson, but the differences are, in effetti, fairly subtle, and so you have to pay close attention to really grasp them. For the most part, if you stick to infatti to be emphatic, and in effetti to be a bit more thoughtful, you’ll probably do fine! Listen to the tone and context in the Yabla videos to get more insight into these words.
The following Italian expression paints a picture of an outside force, either making us do something, or preventing us from doing something. It’s out of our hands.
È più forte di me, non ce la faccio, non ce la faccio.
It's stronger than me [I can't help it], I can't do it, I can't do it.
Caption 90, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP9 - Morte in paradiso
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The expression is used when you know that what you’re doing is a bit overboard, but you still do it. You can’t help it, there's a stronger force at work!
In the expression below, you are throwing your cares to the wind. You might be able to do something about the situation, but you choose not to worry about it!
E se entrano, chi se ne frega?
And if they come in, who cares?
Caption 80, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP9 - Morte in paradiso
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Fregare (to rub, to scrub, to steal, to rip off) is a widely used word, acceptable in casual speech, but should be avoided in formal situations or in writing to anyone but close friends. Originally it meant “to rub” or “scrub” but now, sfregare is more common for those meanings. Nowadays fregare has various colloquial meanings, and has become part of a very popular expression, fregarsene (to not care about something). This long verb with pronouns attached is called a verbo pronominale (pronominal verb). See this lesson to learn more about pronominal verbs.
Grammatically speaking, fregare is used reflexively in this expression, with an indirect object included that means “of it” or “about it.”
fregar(e) + se (oneself) + ne (of it)
This tiny ne is quite important, but a bit tricky to use. When the expression crops up in a video, listen carefully and read the captions to assimilate it, as it goes by rather quickly. You won’t hear Daniela and Marika using this expression in their lessons, but you will often hear it in Commissario Manara, L’oro di Scampia, Ma che ci faccio qui? and others.
Since the expression is tricky, let’s look at some examples in different conjugations and constructions.
Indicative first person singular/third person singular:
Me ne frego (I don’t care about it).
Se ne frega (he/she/it doesn’t care about it).
Imperative informal:
Fregatene (don’t be concerned about it, ignore it)! [Attenzione, the accent is on the first syllable!]
Interrogative:
Che mi frega (what do I care?)
Che ti frega (what do you care?)
Passato prossimo (past tense):
Se n’è fregato (he didn’t care about it, didn’t do anything about it). [Here the accent is on the second syllable.]
Negative:
Non me ne può fregar di meno (it can’t affect me any less, I don't give a hoot about it).
Note: In English we often use the conditional to say the same thing: "I couldn't care less."
Note the troncamento or shortening, from fregare to fregar. See Marika’s lessons on troncamento!
Avere la puzza sotto al naso or avere la puzza sotto il naso (to have a stink under their noses): These are both ways of saying “to have one’s nose in the air” (to avoid smelling the stink below). It’s a way of calling someone stuck up, or a snob.
The difference between sotto il naso and sotto al naso is a bit like the difference between “under” and “underneath.” We can use either one.
Va be', però c'hanno la puzza sotto al naso.
OK, but they have the stink underneath their noses [they're stuck up].
Caption 46, L'oro di Scampia - film
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So, now you have a few more expressions to use when the situation calls for it.
In a recent episode of Stai lontana da me, some form of the word impegno or impegnarsi appears three times in a row, each time with different connotations. Let's have a look.
The noun form impegno can refer to a commitment at work, an errand, an appointment.
Comunque abbiamo un sacco di cose in comune,
Anyway, we have a lot of things in common,
gli impegni di lavoro, l'intimo.
work obligations, underwear.
Captions 22-23, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
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It's a convenient way to be vague:
Ho un impegno (I have a [prior] commitment).
We can use the adjective form impegnato to mean "busy":
Sono impegnato al momento (I'm busy just now).
The reflexive verb form impegnarsi means "to commit" or "to make a commitment." In the video, the two people are talking about a commitment in matters of the heart:
Il terrore di impegnarsi.
The terror of commitment.
Caption 24, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
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But it can also mean "to try very hard," "to make an effort":
Mi sto impegnando molto ma i risultati sono scarsi.
I'm really trying hard, but the results are poor.
The expression senza impegno (literally "with no obligation") sometimes means, "don't feel you have to." It can also make it clear that we're talking about something very casual, which may be the case in the breakfast invitation below.
Colazione insieme? Senza impegno, eh.
Breakfast together? No obligation, huh.
Captions 25-26, Stai lontana da me - Rai Cinema
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In more commercial settings senza impegno can mean "you don't have to sign anything and there's no charge."
Ecco (here it is), from the Latin ecce or eccum, is about presenting a person, thing, or idea and inviting you to perceive it at the very moment it appears.
Ecco la primavera is a 14th century song by Francesco Landini. It’s a song about the coming of spring. We might translate the title as “Behold, Spring Has Come!” The entire Italian text with a non-literal English translation opposite may be viewed here.
So this way of calling our attention to something goes way back. Despite its very ancient origins, it’s a popular word that Italians use constantly. We say ecco to call attention to something or someone arriving, or when we find something we were looking for.
We no longer use the word “behold” in English, but we might say, “well, will you look at that,” “there you go!” In the following example, Anna gets her question about long-lasting bread answered before she asks it, so she says ecco, to acknowledge the fact.
È un pane che dura tantissimo.
It's a kind of bread that lasts a very long time.
Ah ecco! Perché volevo appunto chiedere,
Ah, there you go! Because I wanted to ask you just that,
qual è il tipo di pane che dura di più.
what type of bread lasts the longest?
Captions 61-62, Anna e Marika - Il pane
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Ecco can stand alone (just about anywhere in a sentence) as in the above example, or can precede a noun to present it, as in ecco la primavera. When a pronoun is used, on the other hand, ecco gets attached to it. This goes for all the different direct object pronouns (mi, ti, lo, la, ci, vi, li, and le).
Aha. Sì. Eccolo, eccolo, è arrivato. Sì, sì.
Aha. Yes. Here he is, here he is, he's here. Yes, yes.
Captions 13-14, Francesca - alla guida
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One common way ecco is used is with perché (why, because) to mean “that’s why” or “you see why” or even “here’s why.”
Ecco perché io non me ne voglio andare.
That's why I don't want to leave it.
Caption 5, Basilicata Turistica - Non me ne voglio andare
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Another common usage is ecco qua (here you are). It calls your visual attention to what is being presented. In the following example, a pizzaiolo (pizza maker) is removing a mouth-watering pizza from his forno a legna (wood oven)!
È quasi pronta... Ecco qua!
It's almost ready... Here it is!
Captions 26-27, Antonio - presenta la Pizzeria Escopocodisera
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Ecco is also a filler word much like “OK,” “you know,” or “that's all” that can wrap up what one has said so far:
Io vorrei semplicemente che ognuno avesse la sua porzione, ecco.
I would simply like everyone to have his portion, that's all.
Caption 19, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 - EP2 - Il mistero di Cetinka
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Or it can introduce what one is about to say, much like “look,” “this is how it is,” or “here’s the thing.”
Però, ecco, per quanto mi riguarda,
But, there you go, from my point of view,
io vedo lì una cassata siciliana!
I see a Sicilian Cassata there!
Caption 11, Susanna Cutini - Dolci delle tradizioni di Pasqua
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Ecco is often difficult or even impossible to translate accurately. But once you start listening for the word and noticing it, you'll get a feel for it, and it will start creeping into your conversation naturally. Doing a Yabla search will display a very long list of examples from videos, so you can see the different contexts in which it’s used.
Ecco! (And there you have it!)
P.S. If you neglect to pronounce the double "c" in ecco, you'll obtain eco which means "echo."
In a recent episode of Commissario Manara, two short words stick out. The first is to’. It appears to be an abbreviation, and is found in the Collins dictionary, but is missing in many other dictionaries. In fact it’s a very informal, colloquial one-word expression.
Although hard to find in a dictionary, to’ is a good word to know, as we hear it often enough in informal situations. It sounds like an abbreviation for te lo do (I'm giving it to you), but is considered to be an abbreviation for tieni (“hold [it],” or “take [it]”) or prendi (take [this]). It’s used in the act of handing something to somebody. It’s often used together with the original word tieni. Though there is no actual infinitive to identify the verb, to' is expressed as a command, as in "take this," and is only used informally.
It’s like saying “Here!”, “Here you go!” or “Here, take it.”
To’, tieni.
Here, take [it].
Luca’s friend Sergio uses it twice at the beginning of this week’s segment of Commissario Manara. He’s giving Luca some papers to sign.
To', è tutto qui, eh?
Here you go, it's all here. Huh?
Caption 1, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero
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Non manca niente. To', servizio a domicilio.
Nothing's missing. Here you go, door to door service.
Captions 3-4, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero
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The other short word that we often hear in conversation is boh.
Boh is a way of vocally shrugging your shoulders to say, “I don’t know!” or “I have no idea.” It can also be a quick but significant way of saying you don’t know what’s going on, or that something doesn’t make sense or add up.
Ma non capisco, dovrebbe essere aperto,
But I don't understand. It should be open,
ma non c'è nessuno! Boh!
but nobody's there! It makes no sense!
Captions 18-19, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro
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Pay close attention to how people say to’ and boh, as the o is quite short in duration and finishes quite suddenly. But once you get the hang of this kind of o, you’ll enjoy shrugging your shoulders and saying “Boh!”
Knowing how to divide words by syllables is a bit different in every language. These days word processors avoid the problem by making everything fit without having to divide the words at all. But word processors can get it wrong, and there are times when we really do need to know how to divide a word at the end of a line before hitting the "return" key, and Marika lays out some clear-cut rules for us.
E quindi, per andare a capo, cioè nella riga successiva,
And so, to start a new line, that is, on the next line,
bisogna seguire queste regole.
one needs to follow these rules.
Captions 35-36, Marika spiega - La divisione in sillabe
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Please see both part one and part two of Marika's video lessons to get all the information you need about dividing words into syllables.
And, just like in English, Italian uses punctuation terms as metaphors. Punto (period) indicates that there will be no further discussion!
Pensavo che stessimo lavorando insieme a quest'indagine.
I thought we were working together on this investigation.
Infatti ci stiamo lavorando insieme
In fact, we are working together,
però di Ginevra me ne occupo io, punto.
but I will take care of Ginevra, period.
Captions 20-21, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu - Part 6
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When we’re working on something and reach an impasse, we frequently have to start over. We start from scratch, we go back to square one, we go back to the drawing board. Having to start over happens quite frequently in criminal investigations, and Commissario Manara is no exception.
In one case, Luca uses an idiomatic expression/punctuation metaphor for this. In dictation, to indicate a new paragrafo (paragraph) or a new line, the term is punto e a capo (period, new line/paragraph).
Se la confessione di Perrone è vera, non abbiamo niente in mano.
If Perrone's confession is true, we're left with nothing in hand.
E siamo punto e a capo.
And we're back to square one.
Captions 5-6, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro - Part 16
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Here’s another way to say the same thing:
Già! E noi siamo di nuovo al punto di partenza.
Yeah! And we're back to the starting point [square one] again.
Caption 22, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde - Part 8
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In yet another episode, Luca seems to be losing patience with a witness or suspect, and uses daccapo to mean “from the beginning.” He could have said da capo just as easily, but it’s often used as a single word with a double c, originating from (and meaning the same as) da capo (from the beginning). Da capo is also used universally in music to indicate a repeat of the beginning of a piece.
Allora, ricominciamo daccapo, va!
So, let's start over again from the beginning, come on!
Com'è andata?
What happened?
Captions 4-5, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro - Part 15
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Check out punto (point) and capo (head) on WordReference.com for their various meanings and sfumature (nuances), and see this Yabla lesson about “Getting to the Point.”
We use the term verbo pronominale (pronominal verb) to describe long verbs like prendersela, in which pronoun particles are added on to the original verb (prendere in this case). But let’s take a closer look at what verbi pronominali (pronominal verbs) are all about.
Pronominale (pronominal) means “relating to or playing the part of a pronoun.” In Italian, un verbo pronominale (a pronominal verb) is one that has a special meaning when used together with one or two particular pronominal particelle (particles).
Grammatically speaking, a particle is simply a small word of functional or relational use, such as an article, preposition, or conjunction.
So we have a normal verb, which, when used together with certain particles, has a distinct meaning that is often, but not necessarily, related to the meaning of the original verb.
Technically, reflexive verbs can also be considered pronominal verbs because in effect, the verb is used together with a particle like the si (oneself) in alzarsi (to get up). But these verbs are a special case and not usually called “pronominal,” since they are already called “reflexive.” Learn more about reflexive verbs here.
Verbs can combine with one or two particles. The particles used to make up a pronominal verb are:
la (it)
le (them)
ne (of it, of them, from it, from them)
ci (of it, about it)
Note that La and le are direct object pronouns while ci and ne are indirect object pronouns and therefore include a preposition and an object in the one particle.
As mentioned in a previous lesson, a pronominal verb in its infinitive form has all the particles attached to it, but when used in a sentence, the pieces may be partially or totally detached, and hence a bit more difficult to locate.
Pronominal verbs may be made up of one verb plus one pronoun particle:
smetterla (to quit doing something): smettere (to quit) + la (it)
darle (to give them, to give a spanking [idiom]): dare (to give) + le (them)
farne (to do something with something): fare (to do, to make) + ne (of it, of them)
capirci (to understand [about] something): capire (to understand) + ci (of it)
Sì, ma lo sai che è la prima volta
Yes, but you know it's the first time
che in un delitto non ci capisco niente neanche io? -Hm.
that in a murder I don't understand anything about it either? -Hm.
Captions 45-46, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu
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Pronominal verbs may also be made up of one verb plus two pronoun particles (which combine with each other).
The particle ci can be combined with a second pronoun particle, such as -la or -ne, but, as we have mentioned before, ci becomes ce when combined with another pronoun particle. Therefore we have, -cela, -cene; NOT -cila, -cine.
avercela [con qualcuno] (to have it in [for somebody], to feel resentful [towards somone]) avere + ci + la
farcela (to make it, to succeed) fare + ci + la
Ce la faccio, ce la faccio, ce la faccio.
"I can do it, I can do it, I can do it."
Caption 60, Dixieland - La magia di Tribo
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Since the feminine is so often used in pronominal verbs, especially in idiomatic expressions, we can think of la (it) as standing for una cosa (something, that thing), la vita (life), la faccenda (the matter), or la situazione (the situation).
Exactly why a feminine pronoun is used in so many expressions with pronominal verbs is not cut-and-dried, and there is no quick answer. If you’re insatiably curious, check out this passage from an online book about the question (in Italian).
Pronominal verbs may be made up of one reflexive verb (which uses the particle si in the infinitive) plus a second pronoun particle such as those mentioned above: la, le, ne, or ci.
Prendersela (to get angry, to get offended, to get upset)
Fregarsene (to not care at all about something [colloquial])
Mettercisi (to put [time] into something)
In the following example, we have the pronominal verb accorgersene (to notice something, to realize something, to become aware of something). The basic (reflexive) verb is accorgersi (to notice), but the object pronoun particle ne is added as an indirect object pronoun.
Ma non è tutto lì.
But that's not all of it.
Forse la differenza ha radici più profonde.
Perhaps the difference has deeper roots.
E te ne accorgi solo quando accade.
And you only notice it when it happens.
Captions 32-34, L'oro di Scampia - film - Part 11
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In a Yabla video, Marika talks about the verb prendere (to take) and some of the expressions associated with it. Prendere is much like the English all-purpose verbs “to get” and “to have,” thus not easily taken care of with a cut-and-dried one-word translation.
One of the trickier expressions she mentions is prendersela (to get upset, to blame it [on someone], to take it personally, to take it to heart, to take it out on, to let it get to you, to take offense). Its precise meaning changes according to context. This kind of verb that contains pronouns (that when conjugated split up) is called un verbo pronominale (a pronominal verb--a verb with pronouns). More about pronominal verbs here.
But let’s take this phrasal compound verb apart to understand it better in grammatical terms.
Prendere is the infinitive of the verb.
+Se (to oneself) indicates that it’s the reflexive form, prendersi. Note that to form the reflexive infinitive of a verb, we take the e off the end and add si, but if we also have a direct object pronoun in the phrase, we use se in place of si.
+La (it) is the direct object pronoun.
=to take it onto oneself
=Prendere la seItalian inverts the indirect and direct object pronouns and connects it all together into one word: prendersela.
When we use prendersela in a sentence, we sometimes have to go hunting for the pieces because the word order might change, and prendersela will in some cases be broken up into its three elements, depending on person, tense, number, negative, imperative or question forms, and the presence of modifiers and other words.
Prendere can be the conjugated verb:
Me la prendo con te perché non fai attenzione.
I get upset with you because you’re not careful.
But more often than not, it’s used in tenses where the conjugated verb is essere (to be), as in the following example, where prendere ends up as a past participle.
"Me la sono presa con quella persona."
"I got angry at that person."
Caption 13, Marika spiega - Il verbo prendere
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In the following example, there is a negative imperative, which we form with non (not) plus the infinitive of the verb in question. In this case, it’s common to place the reflexive pronoun first, thus breaking up the compound word, and saving the infinitive for the end.
Non te la prendere, ma
Don't feel bad, but
quando sto male preferisco rimanere da solo.
when I feel sick, I prefer to be by myself.
Captions 12-13, La Ladra - EP. 7 - Il piccolo ladro
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"Dai, non te la prendere."
"Come on, don't be upset."
Caption 16, Marika spiega - Il verbo prendere
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It would not be wrong to say:
Dai, non prendertela.
Come on, don't get upset.
Just for fun:
La torta è uscita storta dal forno, e mi sono arrabbiata.
The cake came out of the oven lopsided, and I got mad.
Ma non me la potevo prendere con nessuno.
But I couldn’t blame it on anyone.
Me la sono presa solo con me stessa, perché era colpa mia.
I only blamed myself, because it was my fault.
Perché te la sei presa? Io non t’ho fatto niente, quindi non te la prendere con me!
Why did you take it personally? I didn’t do anything to you, so don’t take it out on me!
Non me la sono presa con te, me la sono presa e basta.
I’m not mad at you, I’m just upset.
Using prendersela in a sentence can be somewhat of a challenge, so... non te la prendere se non ci riesci subito (don’t get upset if you don’t succeed at it right away)!
This week Dixi is attempting to ride a bicycle.
Non c'è due senza tre.
There can't be two without three [good/bad things come in threes].
-Riproviamo?
-Shall we try again?
Caption 28, Dixieland - In bicicletta
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Three is often seen as a magic number, and the above expression is the way Italians express this. It can mean that if two bad things happen, one more will happen to make three, and the same can hold true for good things. Still another way the phrase can be interpreted is “third time’s a charm,” so it’s important not to stop after two. In fact, on the third try, Dixi does manage to stay on his little bicycle.
A related expression with numbers comes to mind that has to do with making that extra little effort at the end of something you’ve worked so hard on. It has to do with going that extra mile. It means going all the way and then some:
Abbiamo fatto trenta, facciamo trentuno.
We’ve done thirty; let’s do thirty-one.
Meanwhile, Dixi is not perfectly in control of his bike:
Attenzione! Pista!
Careful! Track [coming through]!
Caption 10, Dixieland - In bicicletta
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Pista means track, racetrack, runway, skating rink, dance floor, path or trail. If you hear someone yelling pista, it basically means they “have” the track, so you should get out of the way and in a hurry. It’s not considered impolite, but more about safety.
A proposito di sicurezza (speaking of safety), there are more and more bike paths cropping up in Italy.
E vicino al lungomare ci sta una pista ciclabile.
And next to the promenade there is a bike path.
Caption 44, Antonio - racconta Praia a Mare
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In their work, Lara and Luca use pista to indicate the track they’re on in the investigation, or the lead they’re following.
E che pista seguiamo?
And which track are we following?
Caption 25, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP8 - Morte di un buttero
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When you’ve undertaken something, you’re off and running, like in a race.
Sono in pista!
I’m off!
Per dire is a common expression. It has different variations, with different sfumature, but this is perhaps it's most synthetic variant. It's as if the speaker were saying per esempio (for example), or "let's say..." In both cases, it's practically a stand-alone expression that gets inserted in a sentence with a comma or an ellipsis.
Per dire, io prendo la pastiera napoletana,
Let's say I take the Neapolitan Pastiera:
all'interno c'è il grano, simbolo di ricchezza.
inside there's wheat, symbol of wealth.
Captions 33-34, Susanna Cutini - Dolci delle tradizioni di Pasqua
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Literally, per dire means "in order to say." Perhaps the best way to think of it is "for the sake of argument." We might even simply use "say," as in "suppose."
Let's take, say, a Neapolitan pastiera...
Suppose I take the Neapolitan pastiera...
We're primarily talking about a hypothetical example, which may or may not actually be a true-life example. Susanna's example about her grandfather happened to be true, but she was using it as an example.
Perché a Pasqua lui doveva avere lo zafferano
Because at Easter, he had to have saffron
per fare le panine pasquali. Per dire...
to make the Easter breads. Just as an example...
Captions 82-83, Susanna Cutini - Dolci delle tradizioni di Pasqua
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The useful expression fare a meno (to do without) comes up in a recent installment of L'Arte della Cucina:
L'armonia non può fare a meno dei contrasti,
Harmony can't do without contrasts,
che possono essere numerosi.
which may be numerous.
Caption 14, L'arte della cucina - La Prima Identitá
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Let's take a look at each separate word.
Fare means "to make" or "to do" (see this lesson about fare).
A is a preposition meaning any number of things, mostly "at," "to," or "in," but not specifically "with," so we need to stretch our imaginations a bit, and accept the fact that prepositions don't always correspond.
Meno has a couple of different meanings, including "minus," which in this case, makes sense.
At the same time, let's not forget that the most common translation for meno is "less," or, when there's an article in front of it, "least":
a meno che (unless)
almeno (at least)
See WordReference, for more about fare a meno.
In a recent episode of Dixiland, there's an interesting expression: tale e quale.
O forse l'autoritratto di Lolalù?
Or maybe the self-portrait by Lolalù?
"Tale e quale, Lolalù."
"Exactly like Lolalù."
Captions 43-44, Dixiland - Coppa di cioccolato
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If we take the expression apart, we have two principal words. Tale has a long list of definitions and translations. It can mean, as a noun, "that person," or as an adjective, "certain," "similar," "aforementioned," and more. Quale (which) has some different sfumature (nuances), but it mostly means "which," or "which one."
In English, we might also say "the spitting image of Lolalù." "To spit" in Italian is sputare, and in fact, sputare is also used to say pretty much the same thing: sputato a Lolalù. Tale e quale is probably easier to remember and easier to say!
Merely connecting these words together with e (and) doesn't make a whole lot of sense, so it's best to think of tale e quale as an idiomatic expression, a compound adjective, you might call it, meaning "exactly the same."
E a noi napoletani ci fa diventare tali e quali ai milanesi.
And she makes us Neapolitans become exactly like Milanese.
Caption 58, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP1 - Part 6
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Attenzione! In buying and selling, you might find this (without the conjunction): tale quale, which means "as is."
Just for fun:
Non potevo fare a meno di andare dal parrucchiere. I miei capelli erano troppo disordinati. Appena sono entrata, il parrucchiere m’ha detto: “siediti pure, ho quasi finito.” Poi ha preso in mano un phon per asciugare i capelli di un altro cliente. Devo dire che quell' asciugacapelli era tale e quale al mio. Uguale uguale!... A meno che non fosse proprio il mio, rubato da lui. Sto scherzando... figuriamoci! Avrei fatto a meno della musica che era troppo forte, ma almeno mi ha pettinato molto bene, e in fretta. Dopo, non potevo fare a meno di mangiare un bel gelato.
I couldn't do without going to the hairdresser's. My hair was too messy. As soon as I went in, the hairdresser said, "Go ahead and have a seat. I'm almost finished." Then he took the blow dryer to dry another client's hair. I have to say that that hair dryer was exactly like mine. The same, identical!... Unless it really was mine, stolen by him. I'm kidding... no way! I could have done without the music, which was too loud, but at least he styled my hair nicely, and quickly. Afterwards, I couldn't have done without having a nice ice cream cone.
In English we use the term "dozens and dozens" to indicate a rather large amount. Dozzina (dozen) certainly exists in Italian, but more often than not, Italian sticks to the metric system. Dieci is precisely ten. Una decina is around ten. Venti is twenty precisely, but poche decine is a few times "about ten" (poche is the plural for poco, therefore meaning "a few," as in a few dozen), so it could mean a quantity anywhere between about eighteen to thirty or even more.
Molte famiglie hanno degli ulivi di loro proprietà.
Many families have olive trees of their own.
Una decina, poche decine, fino a degli uliveti grandi.
Ten odd, twenty odd, up to large olive groves.
Captions 2-3, L'olio extravergine di oliva - Il frantoio
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Marika explains about approximate numbers in Italian:
Se io dico che per strada ho visto una cinquantina di alberi,
If I say that on the road I saw fifty-odd trees,
non vuol dire che io ho visto cinquanta alberi,
it doesn't mean that I saw fifty trees,
quindi esattamente cinquanta,
and therefore exactly fifty,
ma che ho visto all'incirca cinquanta.
but that I saw around fifty.
Captions 35-37, Marika spiega - Numeri moltiplicativi, distributivi
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There's a unit of weight that's no longer officially used, but which is actually extremely common in Italy, especially when referring to agricultural products. Un quintale (a quintal) is simply the equivalent of one hundred kilos. Alessio talks about the weight of olives compared to the weight of the resulting oil.
Un quintale sono cento chili e la resa...
A quintal is one hundred kilos, and the yield...
Caption 44, L'olio extravergine di oliva - Il frantoio
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Although un quintale is considerably less than a ton, it's commonly used to indicate something very heavy, just as when we say, "This thing weighs a ton!" Questo pesa un quintale!
When you don't have un metro (a tape measure, a yardstick) handy, you use alternative measuring devices. Italians often use their arms and legs to give approximate measurements. A man's stride will be around a meter. Le dita (fingers) are used to indicate how much water to put in a pot, how much wine to pour in a glass, or the thickness of a piece of meat or something similar, as in the following example.
Comunque, alta due belle dita,
In any case, two fingers (an inch) thick,
e fatta cucinare nel burro.
and cooked in butter.
Captions 13-14, L'arte della cucina - L'Epoca delle Piccole Rivoluzioni
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There are lots of ways to talk about weights and measures. As you progress with Italian, you'll undoubtedly incorporate some of these odd ways of measuring into your everyday conversation.