Englisch
Spanisch
Französisch
DeutschYabla Italienisch
In a previous lesson, we looked at the vowel, A. In this lesson, we'll focus on the vowel, E.
We'll talk a little bit about this vowel from an English speaker's point of view, but the truth is that the best way to start pronouncing this vowel like a native is to listen carefully to the videos and then do each exercise except multiple choice. Each has its way of aiding you. Make it your mission to focus on E.
Fill-in-the-blank. You hear a word and have to write it. Connecting the sound of E with the written E will set you on your way to getting it.
The vocabulary review always provides you with the pronunciation of each word on your list. Listen for the E. So many words will contain one! One part of the vocabulary review entails writing the Italian word.
Then we have Speak. This is an exercise you can do at any stage, and sometimes it's best to do it first. After all, you don't have to write anything. All you have to do is repeat what you hear. Then you will see it and be able to make the connections. And the best part is that you can play back what you've said and see how close it comes to the version you hear. This is good for any level!
Finally, there is Scribe. You listen and then write down what you hear, a dictation exercise, in short.
As you might have heard, there are two different pronunciations of E's in Italian. One with no diacritical accent and one with an accent: è. The one with the accent is considered open and the plain e is considered closed. This is not always easy for English speakers to discern, so be patient with yourself, but try to listen and repeat.
One of the shortest words in the Italian language is the word for "and." It's e, all by itself, no accent. Pick just about any video and you'll hear it (sometimes it goes by quickly).
Sì, e noi facciamo su e giù da Roma a Pomezia con la moto,
Yes, and we go back and forth from Rome to Pomezia on the motorcycle,
Caption 26, Amiche Anna e Marika raccontano...
Play Caption
When we see or hear two items, they are often connected by either e (and) or o (or). So this is a good way to practice this e. Find two things that go together, like fruits and vegetables.
Qui, di solito, tutti i giorni si vendono frutta e verdura e anche altre cose.
Here, usually, every day, fruits and vegetables are sold, and other things, too.
Captions 27-28, In giro per l'Italia Firenze - Part 2
Play Caption
What other things go together? Prosciutto e melone or prosciutto e mozzarella.
Prosciutto e mozzarella! -Prosciutto e mozzarella, giusto, un altro antipasto classico. Come prosciutto e melone poi del resto, però la mozzarella...
Cured ham and mozzarella! -Cured ham and mozzarella, right, another classic appetizer. Like cured ham and melon, for that matter, but mozzarella...
Captions 22-23, Anna e Marika La mozzarella di bufala - La produzione e i tagli - Part 1
Play Caption
Marito e moglie...
E poi tra moglie e marito è quasi impossibile sapere come vanno le cose.
And besides, between wife and husband, it's almost impossible to know how things go.
Caption 18, Il Commissario Manara S2EP11 - Uno strano incidente di caccia - Part 10
Play Caption
Destra e sinistra
Ci sono le botteghe a destra e a sinistra... C'è una macchina dietro!
There are shops on the right and on the left... There's a car back there!
Caption 39, In giro per l'Italia Firenze - Part 5
Play Caption
When we see è, that is, e with a grave accent (descending from left to right), then the meaning changes to "is," "it is," "he is," or "she is." In other words, it's the third person singular of the verb essere (to be).
You'll need this verb when asking and answering questions, such as "Who is that?" "What's that?"
"Chi è quella ragazza?"
"Who is that girl?"
Caption 41, Marika risponde Risposta 1 Pronomi e aggettivi interrogativi
Play Caption
Sì, è vero, è una ricetta segreta,
Yes, it's true. It's a secret recipe,
Caption 6, Adriano L'arancello di Marina
Play Caption
If you listen carefully, you might be able to hear that pronouncing è is a little different from e, but it's more important to understand the context and meaning than to get the pronunciation exactly right. It will come with time.
Sometimes we need an acute accent on an e (rising from left to right) to show which part of the word is stressed. The most common example of this is perhaps the word for "why" and "because": perché. Keep in mind that the pronunciation is not the same as è. It's more like e, but above all, it's stressed. To hear multiple examples of how it's pronounced, see the Yabla dictionary and type in the word you want to hear. Anywhere you see the audio icon, you'll hear the word spoken, either by itself, or in context by clicking on it.
Perché ti lamenti?
Why are you complaining?
Caption 7, Acqua in bocca Mp3 Marino - Ep 2
Play Caption
Ah, a proposito c'è un pane che proprio non mi piace che è quello Toscano perché è senza sale.
Ah, by the way there's a bread that I really don't like which is the Tuscan kind because it's without salt.
Captions 23-24, Anna e Marika Il pane
Play Caption
In the previous example, you will also hear different e's. Note the very slight difference between the è in c'è and the e in che. But don't worry if you don't hear the difference.
More about the double-duty word perché here.
Keep in mind that not all Italians pronounce their vowels exactly the same way. This happens in English too. Once you start hearing the differences, you'll see that it's kind of fun to guess where someone is from.
See you in the next lesson!
We've come to the final 10 adjectives of the list of 50 good-to-know Italian adjectives. If you can learn these and use them in a sentence, you will have a good basis for conversation in many situations. Of course, there are many more and we'll feature new lists from time to time.
41) simpatico (likeable, congenial, nice)
This is such a great Italian adjective, but it’s hard to translate into English. It describes a person that you want to get to know, someone who is attractive as a person, rather than physically, someone with a great personality, and a warm smile. More about simpatico here.
E poi il cuoco è uno simpatico, stava simpatico pure a te.
And besides, the cook is a nice guy. You liked him, too.
Caption 62, La Ladra EP. 8 - Il momento giusto - Part 9
Play Caption
41a) antipatico (unpleasant, troublesome, nasty)
The opposite of simpatico, antipatico can describe a person, but also behavior or a situation.
È severo e pure un po' antipatico.
He is stern and also a bit unfriendly.
Caption 41, Provaci ancora prof! S1E4 - La mia compagna di banco - Part 4
Play Caption
Ti devo dare una notizia un po’ antipatica (I have to give you some unpleasant news).
Il mio insegnante di Italiano è veramente antipatico (my Italian teacher is really not very nice).
42-42a) Educato (polite, well-behaved, good-mannered) and its opposite, maleducato (rude, ill-mannered, impolite) have nothing, or very little, to do with going to school and getting an education. They have to do with manners and behavior, and also training as regards children and animals.
È una ragazza madre ed è una persona tanto carina, tanto gentile, educata.
She's a single mother and is a very nice person, very kind, polite.
Caption 43, La Ladra EP. 1 - Le cose cambiano - Part 6
Play Caption
Non si azzardi più a chiamarmi a quest'ora, maleducato!
Don't you dare call me again at this hour, how rude!
Caption 69, Il Commissario Manara S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde - Part 12
Play Caption
In other words, educato and maleducato are generally false friends. They do not mean "educated" and "uneducated."
43) Sospettoso mostly describes a person. For something that’s suspicious-looking, the adjective sospetto is normally used. Il sospetto is a noun that means “the suspect.”
No, il barone era sospettoso e faceva assaggiare il cibo prima di mangiare alla moglie,
No, the baron was suspicious and had the food tasted, before eating it, by his wife,
Captions 14-16, Caravaggio EP1 - Part 20
Play Caption
44) affettuoso (affectionate, loving, tender)
Un tipo affascinante, simpatico, affettuoso.
A charming, friendly, affectionate type.
Caption 42, Il Commissario Manara S2EP8 - Fuori servizio - Part 10
Play Caption
45) ingenuo (naive, gullible, inexperienced, innocent)
Someone who is ingenuo isn’t all that familiar with the ways of the world. They may be too trustful and might easily get conned.
Mi crede così ingenuo da affidare a Lei un compito così delicato?
Do you think I'm so naive that I would entrust such a delicate task to you?
Caption 47, Il Commissario Manara S1EP4 - Le Lettere Di Leopardi - Part 3
Play Caption
46) tranquillo (tranquillo, calm, with no worries)
This very useful adjective covers a lot of ground, so it’s a good one to have in your Italian vocabulary. If you travel in Italy, you’ll undoubtedly hear this expression a lot: Stai tranquillo. It means, “Don’t worry.” The polite version is Stia tranquillo. It can also mean, “Stay calm.”
Lei non è incriminato di niente, deve stare tranquillo, va bene?
You haven't been incriminated of anything, you can rest easy, all right?
Caption 20, Il Commissario Manara S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde - Part 7
Play Caption
47) preoccupato (worried, concerned)
This adjective looks like it should mean “preoccupied,” but it basically means “worried.”
Sono molto preoccupato per mio figlio (I’m very worried about my son).
And someone might say to you:
Non ti preoccupare (Don’t worry).
And if the situation is formal:
Non si preoccupi (Don’t worry [formal]).
More about worrying in Italian, here.
48) intelligente (intelligent)
This is an easy cognate and it means just what you would think!
49) stupido (stupid)
This is another adjective that means just what you would imagine it would.
50) pazzo (crazy)
This is a fun word and primarily describes a person or animal. Note that just as in English we can be crazy about something or someone, Italian uses this adjective, too.
Sono pazza/pazzo di te (I’m crazy about you).
And “to go crazy” is diventare pazzo (to become crazy).
When we are talking about something, on the other hand, we need the adjective pazzesco. Pazzo is only for humans and animals.
Hai avuto un successo pazzesco, eh?
You were wildly successful, huh?
Caption 1, Provaci ancora prof! S2EP2 Una mina vagante - Part 2
Play Caption
51) furbo (clever, cunning, shrewd)
Ho detto: "Non fare il furbo".
I said "Don't be a wise guy."
Caption 39, L'Italia a tavola Interrogazione sul Piemonte
Play Caption
This adjective can either be positive or somewhat pejorative, depending on the context. It is sometimes transformed into a noun, as in the example above.
And with that, we’ve given you more than 50 (but who’s counting?) good-to-know Italian adjectives to put in your pocket. Try them out for size — practice them as you go about your day, observing your human, animal, and physical surroundings.
Learn more!
Practical examples of these adjectives can be found throughout Yabla videos available with a subscription. Yabla offers you the possibility of learning at your own pace and through videos pertaining to your interests. Expand your horizons by learning one of the most romantic languages in the world.
Let's check out this great Italian two-word adverb: a malapena. We rarely, if ever, see malapena without its preposition, so we can almost think of it as one word. Let's look at some examples in context to absorb its meaning, and then we'll unpack it.
In this first example, Imma, the deputy public prosecutor of the city of Matera, is at a dinner party at the home of one of her colleagues, the last place she wanted to be, and in fact, some of the other guests are making disparaging remarks about her.
Pensare che parlava a malapena l'italiano e mò [lucano: ora] è diventata pure PM [Pubblico Ministero].
Just think that she barely spoke Italian and now she has even become a public prosecutor.
Captions 55-56, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP2 Come piante fra sassi - Part 10
Play Caption
In this wonderful film for TV, based on a true story about teaching adults how to read and write on TV, Antonio argues with the school principal criticizing his teaching methods. He defends himself by asking her why his methods work, while hers clearly don't.
Mi sa spiegare perché a malapena sanno leggere e scrivere?
Can you explain to me why they can barely read and write?
Captions 62-63, Non è mai troppo tardi EP 2 - Part 5
Play Caption
In La tempesta, a comedy set in the Venetian city of Treviso, Paolo, a photographer, knocks at the door of his new neighbor (a woman), wanting a favor. She doesn't want to open the door.
No, io a malapena ti conosco. No. -Va bene, allora facciamo le presentazioni:
No. I hardly know you. No. -All right, then let's introduce ourselves.
Captions 50-51, La Tempesta film - Part 1
Play Caption
In the next example, the context is a bit different, as we are talking about the number of bottles of wine a new winery has produced.
Cavour impiega almeno una quindicina di anni per riuscire a produrre le prime bottiglie. Sono a malapena cento.
Cavour takes at least fifteen years to succeed in producing the first bottles. There were barely a hundred of them.
Captions 38-40, Meraviglie EP. 5 - Part 2
Play Caption
If we look up a malapena in the dictionary, we find some synonyms: a stento, a fatica, con fatica. But if we do a little more digging, we see it also means appena. If we look for the etymology, we find that malapena is malo (an adjective meaning "bad" or an adverb meaning "badly") plus pena. While la pena is a noun meaning "suffering," a malapena likely comes from appena, from the Latin "ad paene," meaning "almost." In addition, the verb penare means "to struggle." One translation of a malapena is "with difficulty." The evolution of a word, as we have seen on many occasions, is not a straight line!
So we could say a malapena means "almost" but in the negative sense, in other words, "barely." We can use it when we have gone further than "almost," but just by a hair. You made it, but you almost didn't make it! And it took an effort, a struggle, to make it by that small margin.
So if we take our video examples, one by one, we could give these alternative (though inelegant) translations:
"She almost didn't speak Italian." "She struggled to speak Italian."
"They almost don't know how to read and write." "They struggle to read and write."
"I almost don't know you."
"There were almost less than a hundred bottles." "It was a struggle to reach one hundred bottles."
We could use appena in place of a malapena in our video examples (see above):
Pensare che parlava appena l'italiano...
Mi sa spiegare perché sanno appena leggere e scrivere?
No, io ti conosco appena.
Sono appena cento [bottiglie].
Using a malapena instead of appena gives the idea more weight, more effort to reach a limit. With mal as a sort of prefix (meaning malo), there is also a hint of a negative connotation.
In a previous lesson, we looked at the adverb appena in a different context to mean "as soon as" and "just as." But we also use appena to mean "a small amount." Almost nothing!
In the following example, we can keep to the "almost" meaning by thinking that they almost didn't know each other!
Lui e lei si sono appena conosciuti, ma già si amano.
He and she just met, but they already love each other.
Captions 6-7, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep. 1 - Part 19
Play Caption
Appena in tempo, translated as "just in time," could also be interpreted as "almost late."
"Basta!" -Appena in tempo.
"Stop!" -Just in time.
Caption 33, Dixiland Coppa di cioccolato
Play Caption
Here is an example of appena used just like a malapena.
Lo conoscevo proprio appena, perché vivo in Italia da un anno e...
I barely knew him, because I've been living in Italy for a year, and...
Caption 8, Il Commissario Manara S1EP7 - Sogni di Vetro - Part 3
Play Caption
I almost didn't know him, because...
To round out this lesson about a malapena and appena, let's just add that when you are talking about something very, very slight, it's common to repeat the adverb appena.
Qui ci sono ancora le tracce del colore originario che si riescono appena appena a vedere.
Here, there are still traces of the original color which one can just barely see.
Captions 13-14, In giro per l'Italia Asciano - S. Giuliano Terme: Villa Bosniascki - Part 2
Play Caption
For sure, appena is used more often than a malapena, but now we see where they cross paths. Do a Yabla search of appena on the videos page and you will see scores of examples. See if you can single out the nuances of meaning.
Have questions or comments? Write to us. We love to hear from you!
When you are learning a language, you tend to pay attention to what people say (unless you are tuning it out). I don't know about you, but when I hear a word for the first time, I know it's a first and put a mental asterisk next to it. Often, I just say, "Hey, I have never heard that word. What does it mean?" But much of the time I can figure out what a word means just by the context.
Italians use a variety of suffixes. There are various reasons to use a suffix, and sometimes it's just a personal preference to give a little emphasis to the word. Suffixes may change according to the area of Italy, so be prepared to learn some new ones depending on where you go.
I still remember the first time I heard the suffix -uccio in Italian. Many years ago, I happened to be near Rome in a house where a group of young music students were making lunch. That was already very interesting to watch, of course. But it was summer, it was hot, and one of the girls said, Che calduccio! It stuck in my mind. Isn't the word for "hot" just caldo? That one I knew, or thought I did. Why does she say calduccio? And is it a noun or an adjective? I might have been too shy to ask about that word, but I never forgot it.
I also had to figure out that sometimes there's a fine line between adjectives and nouns, that che can mean "what," as in "What tremendous heat!" or "how," as in "How tremendously hot it is!"
In the following example, we can sense the enveloping positive heat with the suffix -uccio. So, -uccio isn't necessarily positive or negative, but it's a way of reinforcing the adjective and providing it with something personal.
Adding -uccio is a way of emphasizing the quantity, quality, or intensity of heat being felt. Caldo by itself might be felt as neutral, but adding the -uccio assures you that things are going to be cozy.
E io farò un bel calduccio.
And I will make some nice heat.
Caption 50, PIMPA S3 EP 5 Il signor Inverno
Play Caption
Sometimes -uccio is a suffix of endearment.
I have been called tesoruccio (dear/little treasure) or amoruccio (dear/little love) in the past. Translated literally, it sounds very stilted in English but it is pretty common in Italian and is a kind of equivalent of "sweetheart," darling," or "honey." It just adds some endearment and is more personal.
Tesoruccio mio, ti prego, perdonami.
Little treasure of mine, I beg you to forgive me.
Caption 33, La Ladra EP. 4 - Una magica bionda - Part 12
Play Caption
Sometimes -uccio is diminutive, such as in minimizing un difetto (a defect).
Quando si parla troppo bene delle persone, senza neanche trovargli un difettuccio... Significa essere innamorata, zia.
When you talk too positively about people, without finding even one teensy flaw... It means being in love, Aunt.
Captions 35-37, Il Commissario Manara S2EP12 - La donna senza volto - Part 1
Play Caption
We can use the suffix -uccio for emphasis with the adverb male (bad, badly). It can mean something like "kind of badly," or "pretty badly."
Com'è andata l'audizione? -Maluccio.
How did the audition go? -Pretty badly.
If the audition had gone really badly, the person might have answered: Male male, malissimo, or molto male.
There are lots of suffixes Italians use all the time, such as "-etto," "ino," "one," but It's impossible to predict, right off the bat, which suffixes go with which adjectives or nouns. You just have to listen a lot and adopt the ones that stick.
For more about parole alternate (modified or altered words) see this lesson.
Good-to-know Italian Adjectives Describing Someone’s Mood or Feelings
31) felice (happy)
Apart from its most common meaning, felice can also mean “fitting” or "well-chosen.” We can also make this adjective into its opposite by adding the prefix in: infelice = unhappy.
Sono felice di averLa conosciuta.
I'm happy to have met you.
Caption 48, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep. 1 - Part 1
Play Caption
32) triste (sad)
Il canile è un luogo molto triste per un cane.
The dog pound is a very sad place for a dog.
Caption 11, Andromeda La storia di Ulisse
Play Caption
Whereas infelice is a general state, triste more often describes a momentary feeling or something that brings on feelings of sadness, such as a sad story.
33) arrabbiato (angry)
When you eat in an Italian restaurant, you often find penne all’arrabbiata on the menu. The color is red, and it’s hot with peperoncino (hot pepper). The color red is associated with anger. The adjective comes from the verb arrabbiare (to get angry).
È arrabbiato con la moglie, allora se la prende con tutti.
He's angry with his wife, so he takes it out on everyone.
Caption 18, Il Commissario Manara S2EP11 - Uno strano incidente di caccia - Part 1
Play Caption
34) fiducioso (hopeful, confident, optimistic, trusting)
Italian doesn’t have a cognate for “hopeful,”— or rather, it does — speranzoso, but it is rarely used. As a result, fiducioso is a good bet, especially when you are optimistically hopeful. Fiducioso comes from the reflexive verb fidarsi (to trust) and the noun la fiducia (the trust).
Ma io sono fiduciosa.
But I am confident.
Caption 17, Sei mai stata sulla Luna? film - Part 13
Play Caption
35) volenteroso (willing)
Non l'ho fatta io questa palla di neve, ma sicuramente qualcuno molto più volenteroso di me.
I didn't make this snowball, but for sure, somebody much keener than me.
Captions 39-40, Francesca neve - Part 3
Play Caption
This adjective is used to describe a person who pitches in and helps, or is willing to learn. It comes from the verb volere (to want, to want to). Someone who is volenteroso will likely offer his or her services as a volunteer, a cognate to help you remember its meaning. See this Yabla lesson: Being Willing with Volentieri. When someone asks you to do something you would like to do, you can answer, Volentieri (I'd love to).
36) scoraggiato (discouraged, disheartened)
The s prefix turns incoraggiare (to encourage) into scoraggiare (to discourage), and the adjective scoraggiato comes from the past participle of the verb scoraggiare.
Sì, ma guarda, ne ho sentiti trentadue, un disastro. Sono veramente scoraggiata.
Yes, but look, I have heard thirty-two of them, a disaster. I am really discouraged.
Captions 9-10, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3EP4 Lo stagno del ranocchio - Part 10
Play Caption
37) stufo (fed up, sick and tired)
This is a great adjective to have in your toolbox, and comes from stufare (literally, “to stew”). It’s commonly used in the reflexive — stufarsi (to get fed up with) — but the adjective is good to know, too.
Fabrizio, basta. Basta. Sono stufa delle tue promesse.
Fabrizio, that's enough. Enough. I'm sick of your promises.
Captions 67-68, Il Commissario Manara S2EP9 - L'amica ritrovata - Part 5
Play Caption
38) svogliato (unenthusiastic, listless)
Svogliato has the s prefix, indicating the opposite of the original word (often making it negative) and comes from the verb volere (to want). This is a great word for when you really don’t feel like doing what you have to do.
Oh, guarda un po' se c'è un programma per riattivare un marito svogliato?
Oh, look and see if there's a program for reactivating a listless husband.
Caption 49, Il Commissario Manara S1EP3 - Rapsodia in Blu - Part 5
Play Caption
39) nervoso (tense, irritable, stressed out)
False friend alert! Nervoso really seems like a great translation for “nervous,” and it does have to do with nerves, but when you are nervous, there’s a different word (next on our list). Nervoso is more like when your kids are acting up and you have work to do and you are having trouble staying calm and collected. Irritable is a good equivalent. Stressed out works, too. See this Yabla lesson: Emozionato or Nervoso? What’s the Difference?
Non ti innervosire, mica... -No, non sono nervoso, Toscani.
Don't get stressed out... it's not as if... -No, I'm not stressed out, Toscani.
Caption 14, Il Commissario Manara S2EP5 - Mondo sommerso - Part 1
Play Caption
40) emozionato (nervous, excited, moved, touched, thrilled).
Diciamo, adesso sono un po' emozionato, è la prima volta, vedo la cinepresa, registi, ciak, cose, insomma per me è una grande emozione questo momento.
Let's say, right now, I am a bit nervous. It's my first time. I see the camera, the directors, the clapperboard, in short, for me this is a moment of great excitement.
Captions 14-16, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno Ep. 1 - Part 7
Play Caption
Learn more!
Practical examples of these adjectives can be found throughout Yabla videos. Yabla offers you the possibility of learning at your own pace through videos pertaining to your interests. Expand your horizons by learning one of the most romantic languages in the world.
Here are some good-to-know Italian adjectives that express something negative: for positive adjectives (numbers 1-10) see this lesson.
11) brutto (ugly, bad)
Brutto is the opposite of bello, and works the same way. We use brutto to talk about a movie we didn’t like, or something that is physically unpleasant to look at. Just like bello, brutto is more than ugly. It’s often used to mean "bad," for instance: un brutto incidente (a bad accident).
Che brutto incidente!
What a terrible accident!
12) cattivo (bad, mean, nasty, evil)
This is another kind of “bad,” but often has more to do with non-physical things. Someone can be una cattiva persona (a nasty person).
13) pessimo (really bad, awful)
This is a wonderful adjective to have in your repertoire when you really need to call something “awful.”
Quel risotto era pessimo. (That risotto was really awful.)
14) scorretto (unfair, unjust, rude)
This is one of those wonderful adjectives that, by merely adding the “s” prefix, becomes the opposite of the original word, in this case, corretto.
Va be', ma non ti sembra scorretto nei confronti del mio Cicci? -No.
OK, but don't you think it's unfair to my Cicci? -No.
Caption 32, La Ladra EP. 8 - Il momento giusto - Part 9
Play Caption
15) terrible (terrible, awful, horrendous)
Here’s a partially true friend. We add it because it will be an easy word to call on if you need a negative adjective. It is not the first choice for Italians, though, and usually describes something as extraordinarily intense.
Qui, in seguito a una terribile frana, non abita più nessuno.
Here, following a big landslide, no one lives here anymore.
Caption 48, Basilicata Turistica Non me ne voglio andare - Part 2
Play Caption
16) terrificante (dreadful, horrifying, terrifying, scary)
False friend alert. Terrificante does not mean “terrific.” It is a negative adjective, often used to mean “terrible,” but also “terrifying,” — inspiring fear.
Cioè, viviamo in un mondo che è brutale, terrificante... -Aspro, sì.
That is, we live in a world that's brutal, terrifying... -Bitter, yes.
Caption 6, Fellini Racconta Un Autoritratto Ritrovato - Part 8
Play Caption
17) orrendo (horrible, hideous, horrendous, dreadful, awful, terrible)
This is a strong, extreme (negative) adjective, but it’s there when you need it, as a true “friend.” Eyebrows up, eyes wide open in horror.
18) noioso (boring, annoying, tedious, irritating)
This is a great adjective because, as well as describing a boring movie, it can also describe something or someone that’s annoying you or being a nuisance:
Quel film era molto noioso. Mi sono addirittura addormentato (That film was boring. I even fell asleep).
Non essere noioso (Don’t be so irritating, don’t annoy me).
Eh, povero Dixi, il singhiozzo è noioso
Oh, poor Dixi, the hiccups are bothersome
Caption 15, Dixiland Il singhiozzo
Play Caption
19) negato (hopeless, useless, incapable, decidedly ungifted)
This is a useful adjective for admitting someone does something badly because they have no talent, no gift, not because they aren’t trying.
Negato describes a person (or possibly an animal), not an action or thing. Negato comes from the verb negare (to deny, to negate) but here, we are talking about the talent of a person.
Sono negato per la cucina. (I’m no good at cooking. I’m a disaster at cooking.)
Il maestro dice che non ha mai visto nessuno più negato di me.
The teacher says he has never seen anyone less gifted than me.
Caption 41, Questione di Karma Rai Cinema - Part 9
Play Caption
20) tirchio (stingy, miserly)
This describes a person who holds onto his or her money or possessions. However, in English, we might sooner use a noun such as “tightwad.”
Quanto sei tirchio (what a tightwad you are).
We hope these words will help you describe events, people, food, and more.
Here are some good-to-know Italian adjectives that describe size and strength:
21) grande (big, large, tall, adult, great, grand)
This is a basic adjective that covers several bases, which means there is also room for doubt about what someone means. Hand gestures help, of course. Generally speaking, grande is a very positive adjective.
22) grosso (big, large, major, coarse, arduous)
As you can see, grande and grosso are equivalents in some cases, but not all. If you say someone is grande, that’s fine. You might mean “tall” or you might mean “adult.” If you use grosso, you are talking about size, and might be implying they are also grasso (fat). Reading and watching Italian language videos will help you develop a sense for which adjective to use.
il sale grosso (coarse salt). Sale grosso is what most Italians use to salt the water for cooking pasta or vegetables. Good to know! We also need to consider the figurative meanings of both grande and grosso.
È stato un grande lavoro can imply the positive quality of a job. Grande also means “great.”
È stato un grosso lavoro implies that there was a lot of work to do.
Sometimes we describe someone as grande e grosso. In this case, it’s (often) a big, tall man with broad shoulders and possibly also a paunch. Grosso might give the impression of strength too.
È un omone grande e grosso, però è come un bambino,
He's a tall and big man, but he's like a child,
Caption 70, Il Commissario Manara S1EP4 - Le Lettere Di Leopardi - Part 2
Play Caption
23) grasso (fat, fatty, greasy, oily)
We use this adjective to describe a person or animal, but also to describe the fat content of food. Even oily or greasy hair can be described with grasso — Capelli grassi (oily hair). Boldface letters are called in grassetto because the letters are thicker than normal ones.
24) robusto (strong, sturdy, hardy, robust, heavyset)
Here’s a word to use when you don’t want to call someone grasso (fat).
Era una donna robusta. (She was a heavyset woman.)
25) forte (strong, loud, intense, gifted)
This adjective is important to know, but it can also be ambiguous sometimes. See this Yabla lesson about this ambiguity.
In estate qui il sole è molto forte.
In summer, the sun here is very strong.
Caption 40, Adriano Le stagioni dell'anno
Play Caption
Forte can also be the opposite of negato, therefore describing someone who is very good at something. Here are two examples with forte, but where it means something different in either example.
Abbassa la musica; è troppo forte. (Lower the volume of the music. It’s too loud.)
Certo che se vai tantissimo [tanto] forte, devi saper frenare per tempo!
For sure, if you go super fast, you have to know how to brake in time!
Caption 11, Dixiland In bicicletta
Play Caption
26) piccolo (small, little)
If you are ordering a beer, the waiter might ask you grande o piccola? large or small?
Una birra piccola, per cortesia (a small beer, please).
Piccola can also mean very young, just as grande, especially when used comparatively, can describe someone older, like an older brother.
Mio fratello è più piccolo di me (my brother is younger than me).
27) debole (weak)
Sono troppo debole per sollevare questo peso. I’m too weak to lift this weight.
28) sottile (thin, subtle, fine)
The cognate for sottile is “subtle,” but sottile also means "thin," as when you want thin slices of something like cheese or prosciutto.
La nostra cipolla va affettata in modo molto sottile.
Our onion is to be sliced very thinly.
Caption 6, L'Italia a tavola Penne alla Toma Piemontese - Part 2
Play Caption
29) basso (low, short, shallow, soft [in volume])
Here’s another adjective with different meanings that can lead us astray, so consequently, we have to pay careful attention to context. Sometimes it’s hard to know!
Ha il fondo piatto cosicché può navigare anche sui canali più bassi e sui fondali anche di pochi centimetri.
It has a flat bottom so it can navigate even the shallowest canals and over depths of even just a few centimeters.
Captions 20-21, In giro per l'Italia Venezia - Part 5
Play Caption
30) alto (high, loud, tall)
The same ambiguity applies to this adjective. If you know all the meanings, you can try to figure out which meaning is intended, according to context. As with basso and forte, sometimes it’s hard to be 100% sure of the meaning.
Il sole doveva già essere alto in cielo, e invece era scomparso.
The sun should have already been high in the sky, but instead it had disappeared.
Captions 14-15, Dixiland Sole dormiglione
Play Caption
Learn more!
Practical examples of these adjectives can be found throughout Yabla videos available here. Yabla offers you the possibility of learning at your own pace and through videos pertaining to your interests. Expand your horizons by learning one of the most romantic languages in the world.
In this lesson, we're going to look at two of the most common verbs in the Italian language: essere (to be) and avere (to have). They are both irregular verbs so they merit some special attention.
Here's how we conjugate essere (to be):
Io sono (I am)
Tu sei (you are)
Lei è (you are - polite form)
Lui è (he/it is)
Lei è (she/it is)
Noi siamo (we are)
Voi siete (you are plural)
Loro sono (they are)
And here is how to conjugate avere (to have):
Ho (I have)
Hai (you have)
Ha (he, she, it has)
Abbiamo (we have)
Avete (you [plural] have)
Hanno (they have)
And here's an example of how they sound, in the first person singular:
Ciao, io sono Anna e ho quasi trent'anni. -Ciao, io sono Marika e ho trentasei anni.
Hi, I'm Anna and I am almost thirty years old. -Hi, I'm Marika and I am thirty-six years old.
Captions 1-2, Amiche Anna e Marika raccontano...
Play Caption
There are some things to notice right away. If we look at the translation, we see that when we talk about age, the Italian verb is avere (to have) but in English the verb is "to be." That's a quirk. In Italian, you have an age and in English, you are an age.
The second thing we might notice is that we see an h in the word ho, but we don't hear it. Yup, most of the time, the H is silent in Italian. It has an effect on other letters when following them, but at the beginning of a word, it's silent.
The third thing we notice is that Anna doesn't say io ho quasi trent' anni. Neither does Marika. That's because it's common and correct to leave out the personal pronoun because the conjugation of the verb already indicates who we're talking about. It's not always the case, but it is something to get used to and it happens with all verbs!
As you watch this video, you'll see that sometimes the personal pronoun is present, but it's often absent! Here's an example. Anna is clearly talking about Thomas, so she doesn't have to say lui è italiano. She can say è italiano.
Il mio fidanzato si chiama Thomas, ma è italiano.
My boyfriend's name is Thomas, but he's Italian.
Caption 20, Amiche Anna e Marika raccontano...
Play Caption
They are still talking about Thomas, so Marika doesn't need the personal pronoun lui.
Ah, è proprio di Roma, alla fine.
Oh, he's really from Rome, in the end.
Caption 23, Amiche Anna e Marika raccontano...
Play Caption
Here, Marika doesn't say the equivalent of "it." It's implied from the third-person singular conjugation of the verb essere (to be).
E quindi non è proprio la vacanza scelta da me,
And so, it's not a real holiday chosen by me,
Caption 12, Amiche Anna e Marika raccontano...
Play Caption
Here's an example of the second person singular of essere (to be):
Mamma mia quanto sei bella.
Wow, you're so beautiful.
Caption 45, Volare - La grande storia di Domenico Modugno Ep. 1 - Part 27
Play Caption
Here's an example of the second-person singular of avere (to have):
Quanti anni hai? -Ventuno.
How old are you? -Twenty-one.
Caption 8, Amiche sulla spiaggia
Play Caption
Here's an example of the second-person plural of essere:
Voi siete davvero un gruppo molto bello.
You are, really, a very nice group.
Caption 17, Anna e Marika Il verbo essere - Part 1
Play Caption
And here's an example of the second-person plural of the verb avere:
...per riciclare al meglio la frutta che avete in casa
...to best recycle the fruit you have at home
Caption 92, Andromeda Marmellata anti spreco - Part 2
Play Caption
Here's an example of the first-person plural of essere:
Non riesco ancora a crederci, siamo i primi al mondo!
I still can't believe it. We're the first in the world!
Caption 6, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 23
Play Caption
And here's an example of the first person plural of avere:
Noi abbiamo amici da tutto il mondo.
We have friends from all over the world.
Caption 9, Adriano Matrimonio con Anita - Part 3
Play Caption
And to finish, here's an example of the third-person plural of essere and avere:
Il flauto, il violino spesso... sono talmente acuti che vanno al di sopra del pentagramma.
The flute, the violin, often... are so high that they go above the staff.
Caption 33, A scuola di musica con Alessio - Part 3
Play Caption
Molti di loro dormono con gli animali accanto al letto per riscaldarsi e non hanno neanche le scarpe per andare a lavorare, ma sorridono.
Many of them sleep with the animals next to the bed to warm up and they don't even have shoes to go to work, but they smile.
Captions 36-38, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 12
Play Caption
Both essere and avere are used as helping verbs, so it's pretty important to learn them. Hope this lesson has helped!
Write to us with your questions. We answer!
Let's look at three words that can mean pretty much the same thing. They all have to do with bother.
nouns: il disturbo, il fastidio, la noia
verbs: disturbare, dare fastidio, dare noia
adjectives: fastidioso, noioso
il disturbo - disturbare
The easiest word to understand is the verb disturbare. It looks similar to the English word "to disturb" and is a true cognate. But the noun il disturbo (the disturbance, the interruption) is used a lot, too.
Ci scusi il disturbo, il commissario Manara vorrebbe farle qualche domanda.
Please excuse the interruption; Commissioner Manara would like to ask you few questions.
Caption 3, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 12
Play Caption
When we feel we have overstayed our welcome or we feel it's time to leave, we can say:
Noi allora togliamo il disturbo. Dovesse venirvi in mente qualcosa, chiamateci.
We'll leave you then [we'll take away the disturbance]. If anything should come to mind, call us.
Captions 78-79, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP2 Rabbia - Part 3
Play Caption
When you have a medical problem, such as an upset stomach, you can refer to it as un disturbo (an ailment).
We've learned that it's polite to say Permesso (may I come in or "Is it permissible to come in?") when entering an office or someone's home, but sometimes there is another kind of situation, such as a phone call and you want to know if it's a good time... Disturbo (am I disturbing you)?
Carissima. -Ti disturbo? -Ma quando mai.
Dearest. -Am I disturbing you? -Not in the least.
Captions 33-34, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 7
Play Caption
We can use disturbare reflexively (disturbarsi) to mean "to go to the trouble."
Ma non ti disturbare, chiamo un taxi.
Don't go to any trouble. I'll call a cab.
Caption 12, Provaci ancora prof! S1E4 - La mia compagna di banco - Part 8
Play Caption
Il fastidio - fastidioso
Il fastidio is a noun, and we usually say dare fastidio (to be a bother, to bother), literally, "to give bother."
When a health worker is about to give you an injection, he or she might say,
Questo ti darà un po' fastidio (this will pinch just a bit).
Eh, finché sono fuori e non danno fastidio, signora.
Eh, as long as they're outside and they're not bothering anyone, Ma'am.
Caption 5, Provaci ancora prof! S2E5 Vita da cani - Part 2
Play Caption
Ma mica è un gatto, scusa. Che fastidio ti dà?
But she's not a cat, pardon me. How is she bothering you?
Caption 4, Sposami EP 2 - Part 4
Play Caption
We can also use the adjective fastidioso. This can refer to a noise, such as the noise of a blender or coffee grinder, or too much light, when you open the shutters on a sunny morning. It can be a sensation, as when you are testing for Covid and you or someone sticks a swap up your nose.
È davvero molto fastidioso. Hai ragione".
It's really very bothersome. You are right."
Caption 73, COVID-19 5) I tamponi
Play Caption
It can often refer to a very specific pain, like a mosquito bite, or the prick of a needle.
Il fastidio and fastidioso are very common words, but in certain parts of Italy, such as Tuscany, they use the la noia and noioso to mean pretty much the same thing.
Erano alberi che davano noia e basta, e quindi questo è l'ultimo rimasto,
They were trees that were a bother and nothing more, and so this was the last one remaining,
Captions 30-31, Gianni si racconta L'olivo e i rovi
Play Caption
Ah, quanto siete noiosi.
Ah, you are all so annoying.
Caption 23, Non è mai troppo tardi EP 2 - Part 16
Play Caption
For more about noioso, see this lesson, because if you look up noioso in the dictionary, it will say "boring." So the context will help you determine if something is annoying, bothersome, or boring. Sometimes it's all three. But perhaps annoying is the most similar word in terms of sound, so it might be the easiest to remember.
Now that you are tuned into these words, notice how they're used in Yabla videos. When you see and hear a sentence that can be applied to a familiar situation, write it down, say it, try to make it your own.
When we distinguish between adjectives and nouns, the presence or absence of an article plays its part. Certainly, in the Vocabulary Review exercise, included with all Yabla videos, a noun will have either a definite or indefinite article to distinguish it, and we add an article to the English translation for the same reason. But in real life, the distinction can be kind of fuzzy.
When you're just speaking Italian, without translating, the difference doesn't matter all that much, but when we translate we have to decide whether a word is a noun or an adjective.
In English, too, the line can be a bit fuzzy. Take the word "elderly." It's an adjective, but we can also use it as a noun, to identify a group: the elderly. We don't think about it, we just use the word correctly.
If we talk about an old person in Italian, we can use the adjective vecchio [m] or vecchia [f].
Passati i settant'anni, ormai è vecchio.
Being over seventy, he's already old.
Caption 29, Corso di italiano con Daniela Ormai
Play Caption
But we can use the adjective as a noun by using an article with it.
È un vecchio.
He's an old guy.
Caption 29, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 16
Play Caption
When we translate it into English, we need a noun after the adjective.
Allora le faccio entrare le tre vecchie? -Signore, le... chiamiamole signore. -Le tre vecchie signore.
So should I have the three old [women] come in? Ladies, the... let's call them ladies. The three old ladies.
Captions 68-70, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP2 Rabbia - Part 20
Play Caption
The sergeant was describing the elderly women in a somewhat pejorative way and Lojacono corrected him. So he just turned the word he was using as a noun into an adjective. We could follow the same model with the adjective giovane (young). This adjective ends in e, so we don't immediately know the gender of the young person. As a noun in the context of the following clip, it usually refers to a male.
No. -Dio bono, Dio... -Eh... giovane, stai molto calmo, eh!
No. -Dear God... -Uh... young man, stay super calm, huh!
Caption 23, Il Commissario Manara S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva - Part 10
Play Caption
When we add a noun after the adjective, we sometimes have a clue as to gender, but after that, we have to use the context to choose our noun wisely. In Italian, there are suffixes that can enhance the noun. Instead of saying una vecchia, we can say una vecchietta. That way it's clear it's a noun. We can say, instead of un giovane, un giovanotto.
We often find this noun-adjective correlation when describing people and their traits.
Pazzo (crazy)
E certamente, quello è pazzo di me.
And of course, that guy is crazy about me.
Caption 20, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 16
Play Caption
Aragona, guidi come un pazzo.
Aragona, you drive like a maniac.
Caption 13, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 4
Play Caption
Malato (ill)
E sapevate che era malato?
And did you know that he was ill?
Caption 1, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 4
Play Caption
Molti dei malati vennero ricoverati nel vicino ospedale di Santa Maria della Scala,
Many of the sick were admitted to the nearby Santa Maria della Scala hospital,
Caption 42, Meraviglie EP. 3 - Part 6
Play Caption
In this particular case, we use "the sick" to mean "sick people" in English, but we can't do it with all adjectives.
È un bastardo.
He is a bastard.
Caption 27, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP1 I Bastardi - Part 24
Play Caption
Se fossi più grande, andrei al cantiere, da quel geometra bastardo e gli darei un sacco di botte.
If I were older, I would go to the construction site, to that bastard of a construction supervisor and I'd throw a bunch of punches at him.
Captions 3-5, La Ladra EP. 7 - Il piccolo ladro - Part 3
Play Caption
Most of us have heard or uttered the adjective stupido (stupid). But we can use it as a noun, too, just like adjectives idiota, cretino, and scemo.
Sì. Sara, io sono uno stupido.
Yes, Sara, I'm an idiot.
Caption 40, Stai lontana da me Rai Cinema - Part 16
Play Caption
When people call other people names, it's not always clear how to translate them, whether as nouns or adjectives. But in either case, the insult is clear.
Stupido! Cretino! Deficiente!
Stupid! Idiot! Dumbass!
Caption 44, La Ladra EP. 6 - Nero di rabbia - Part 7
Play Caption
In Italian, as in other languages, sometimes a verb uses the same root as a noun that's related or vice versa. We don't always know which came first, the verb or the noun, but the good news is that there are plenty of verbs like this and they are pretty easy to learn.
The words we discuss in this lesson originally have to do with plants. So let's learn the Italian word for "plant" right off the bat. It's an easy one.
Pianta - piantare
La pianta is the noun and piantare is the verb.
E poi, domenica aveva in progetto di piantare il nuovo vigneto al podere dei Sassi.
And then, Sunday he had planned to plant a new vineyard at the Sassi farm.
Caption 34, Il Commissario Manara S1EP2 - Vendemmia tardiva - Part 1
Play Caption
Ehm, in questi vasi sono state piantate delle piante molto belle.
Um, in these pots, very beautiful plants have been planted.
Caption 20, In giro per l'Italia Mazara Del Vallo - Sicilia - Part 3
Play Caption
As we will see with seminare, further on in this lesson, piantare can also be used figuratively. It often means to stop or quit doing something like complaining or lying. It's a strong word to use when you are fed up with how someone is behaving.
La devi piantare di mentire.
You have to quit lying.
Caption 5, Provaci ancora prof! S1E4 - La mia compagna di banco - Part 21
Play Caption
In the previous example, the speaker wanted to include the verb dovere (to have to) but otherwise could have just said, Piantala (quit it)! It's as if he wanted to say, "You have to quit it with the lying."
There's more! If you get dropped by a friend or hired help, piantare can be a useful verb.
Pia, la mia colf, mi ha piantato. Dice che non vuole vivere in campagna.
Pia, my nanny, ditched me. She says that she doesn't want to live in the country.
Caption 21, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 1 EP1 - Casa nuova - Part 5
Play Caption
Seme - seminare
Another noun that goes nicely with its verb is il seme (the seed).
E poi da questo seme che pianti nasce, come per miracolo, una verdura, un pomodoro, ehm, del peperone.
and then from this seed that you plant, like a miracle, a vegetable, a tomato, uhm, a pepper comes up.
Captions 10-11, Professore Antonio L'orto del Vesuvio
Play Caption
We often use the verb piantare (to plant), as in the previous example, because it's generic for putting something in the ground, and it can apply to both seeds and plants, but the more accurate word to use, especially when talking about seeds for crops, is seminare (to sow).
The verb is seminare (to sow).
E usiamo i semi. Questa idea mi piace. Eccoli qui, Mirò, sono pronti da seminare.
And we'll use the seeds. I like this idea. Here they are, Mirò. They're ready to plant/sow.
Captions 42-44, Gatto Mirò EP 10 Piantiamo un albero
Play Caption
In a segment of Provaci ancora, Prof!, Camilla is driving when her daughter, Livietta, sees that a car has been following them for a while. Camilla gives her daughter instructions to tenersi forte (to hold on tight) while she tries to lose the other car. She uses the colloquial term, seminare. Think of someone sowing seeds by tossing them or throwing them.
Perché c'è una macchina che ci segue, saranno almeno dieci minuti. -Tieniti forte perché cerco di seminarla adesso.
Because there's a car following us, it must be at least ten minutes. -Hold on tight because I'm going to try to lose it now.
Captions 5-7, Provaci ancora prof! S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita - Part 20
Play Caption
And again, in another episode, Camilla is being followed and it is her daughter who notices that.
Evvai, mamma! Li hai seminati!
Go, Mommy! You lost them!
Caption 66, Provaci ancora prof! S2E4 L'amica americana - Part 19
Play Caption
Disseminare
A verb related to seminare is disseminare. This is used to mean "to spread out," or "to distribute," "to broadcast."
Smembra il cadavere e lo dissemina in punti che sono tutti riconducibili a Lei, signor Romaniello.
He dismembers the corpse and he spreads it around in places that can be traced to you, Mister Romaniello.
Captions 32-33, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1EP1 L'estate del dito - Part 27
Play Caption
Here, too, we can imagine someone holding a basket full of seeds that get sown in the field by tossing them out by the handful, scattering them, broadcasting them, so that they get spread out, they get well-distributed.
Can you think of other verbs and nouns that go together?
It's good to know some basic Italian adjectives so that you can comment on things you see, hear, smell, and taste. We'll be presenting 50 Italian adjectives that people use every day, approximately 10 by 10, so they'll be manageable. Some of these will be easy because they are similar to ones you know in English. Others will be past participles of verbs, just as in English. Yet others will be weird and different and just need to be memorized. And there will be some false friends to watch out for. For more about how adjectives work, see this lesson.
Adjectives are an essential part of speaking a language but the good news is that even if you don't know how to form a sentence or a question, just knowing the appropriate adjective can allow you to communicate something. And that's what language is all about: communication. So if nothing else, just say the appropriate adjective, all by itself, and you will get your message across.
1) bello (beautiful, great)
We can use this adjective for much more than describing a panorama or person as “beautiful.”
We also use it for a movie or book we liked, a situation like a vacation, an encounter…
Ho visto un bel film (I saw a great movie).
So it can also mean “wonderful.” And, since it’s an adjective that changes its ending according to gender and number, it can be used for both guys and gals or masculine and feminine nouns by just changing the ending from bello to bella. So it also means “handsome!”
You'll have noticed that instead of saying Ho visto un bello film, we chop off the ending when it's followed directly by the noun. We say:
Ho visto un bel film, ho letto un bel libro (I saw a great movie, I read a good book).
When you see something beautiful, you can simply say Bello! or Che bello!
Bello, l'ha fatto Lei?
b. Did you do it?
Caption 16, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep. 1 - Part 18
Play Caption
2) buono (good)
Buono is used a lot for food, for instance, when something tastes good, but it’s also used to mean “valid.” It can also describe a good person.
È una buona persona (He/she is a good person).
Note that persona is a feminine noun, so even if we are talking about a boy or man, the adjective describing persona has to take a feminine ending. Tricky, right?
See Daniela's video lesson about bello, buono, and bene.
Questo è il gelato artigianale. Più gli ingredienti sono freschi e più è buono.
This is handmade ice cream. The fresher the ingredients are, the better it is.
Captions 15-16, Andromeda in - Storia del gelato - Part 2
Play Caption
Note: Buono is one of those adjectives that has an irregular comparative. See this lesson and this one, too.
3) carino (nice, pretty, good-looking)
This is another adjective with an “o” ending, changing its ending according to gender and number. In aesthetic terms, it is less extreme than bello. However, carino is often used to mean “nice” or “kind” in describing a person, or what the person has done, for example, if you do someone a favor they didn’t ask you to do.
Eh sì. -Eh sì. Comunque Luca è stato molto carino, eh, ad accompagnare suo figlio Fabio all'istituto.
Oh yes. -Oh yes. However Luca was very sweet, no, to accompany his son Fabio to the institute.
Oh yes. -Oh yes. However, it was really nice of Luca, no, to accompany his son Fabio to the institute.
Captions 26-27, Il Commissario Manara S1EP1 - Un delitto perfetto - Part 14
Play Caption
4) gentile (kind, gentle)
Gentile is a bit more formal than carino. Carino is often used to describe people close to you, but if the bank manager was nice and polite to you, you would use the word gentile. You might also use cortese (courteous) —a great cognate!
E come no, mai una cattiva parola, sempre gentile.
For sure, never a mean word, always kind.
Caption 31, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone EP2 Rabbia - Part 3
Play Caption
5) bravo (capable, well-behaved, good at something)
Caro Olivetti, sarai anche bravo a far le macchine da scrivere, ma i tuoi interessi non sono i nostri.
Dear Olivetti, you might be good at making typewriters, but your interests are not ours.
Captions 43-44, Adriano Olivetti La forza di un sogno Ep.2 - Part 20
Play Caption
False friend alert! Forget about “brave” for the most part. Fai la brava! means “Be a good girl!”
È un bravo idraulico (he is a very capable plumber. He is a good plumber).
When I want to say, “Good for you!” I say Bravo! (for a guy) or Brava! (for a gal).
Il cane è bravo (he’s a good [well-behaved] dog–he won’t bite you).
6) ottimo (great, excellent)
This looks like “optimal,” and can also mean that sometimes, but primarily, it’s a superlative kind of adjective that means “great.” Consider this exchange:
Ci vediamo alle cinque. -Ottimo.
I’ll meet you at five o’clock. -Great.
È un ottimo posto per fare jogging.
It's a great place to go jogging.
Caption 25, Anna e Marika Villa Torlonia - Casino Nobile
Play Caption
This is the perfect comment for someone whose work you appreciated:
Ottimo lavoro!
[You did a] great job!
7) eccellente (excellent)
Here’s a great true friend or cognate. This adjective ends in e, so it doesn’t change with gender, just number.
Questo risotto era da vero eccellente (this risotto was excellent.)Queste ostriche sono eccellenti (these oysters are great.)
Eccellente can also describe a prominent or eminent person, such as someone in a high position.
8) corretto (correct, fair, right, decent)
Here is a partially false friend. If you get the right answer, la risposta è corretta. That’s easy. However, the other meaning of “fair,” — “fair-minded,” “sportsmanlike”— is less familiar to non-native speakers, but very important! For instance, corretto can describe a person as well as his or her behavior.
Pensavo che fosse una persona corretta, e invece… (I thought he was a decent, fair-minded person, but instead…)
Ma ti pare corretto, l'esaminatore che si fa venire a prendere dall'esaminando? -No. -Ma dai!
But does it seem right to you for the exam giver to have the exam taker pick him up? -No. -Come on!
Captions 8-9, La Ladra EP. 11 - Un esame importante - Part 4
Play Caption
9) favoloso (fabulous, magnificent, awesome)
Here is another true friend. We don’t use “fabulous” in English so much anymore — but some of us still remember the “fab four” (The Beatles). In contrast, Italians do use favoloso when they really mean it. Eyebrows go up, eyes get wider.
Allora, io oggi sono arrivata in questa favolosa città, Lucca, però non la conosco, quindi dove posso andare?
So, today I arrived in this fabulous city, Lucca, but I don't know it, so where can I go?
Captions 16-17, In giro per l'Italia Lucca - Part 1
Play Caption
10) magnifico (magnificent, great, terrific, cool)
Another true friend, this adjective is somewhat over-used in Italian, thus diminishing its value as a superlative:
Ci vediamo alle cinque. -Magnifico. (I’ll see you at five. -Great.)
E tu, come sempre, sei stata magnifica. -E tu un magnifico bugiardo.
And you, as always, were magnificent. -And you, a magnificent liar.
Captions 2-3, La Ladra EP. 12 - Come ai vecchi tempi - Part 14
Play Caption
Let's add one more adjective (not included in the 50) that is super easy to use, and easy to remember: fantastico. It's used just like "fantastic" in English, so when you're short on vocabulary, try this one. AND even if you say it in English, people will understand. Of course, it can also be connected with "fantasy," but that's another story.
Sarebbe fantastico andare al concerto tutti insieme. -Un sogno.
It would be fantastic to go to a concert all together. -A dream.
Caption 48, JAMS S1 EP2 - Part 7
Play Caption
We hope this has been helpful. The next group of adjectives will be about negative adjectives. Stay tuned!
Previously, we looked at ways to talk about going to work and different positions at the workplace. In Part 3, we will talk about something we often have to do in an office or other workplace, or even just in everyday life: sign documents. Since the words we are looking for are not cognates — in fact, we might be tempted to invent the word "signare," which would be wrong — let's become familiar with the right words.
The verb is firmare (to sign).
Documenti importanti da firmare, giusto.
Important documents to sign, that's right.
Caption 14, Provaci ancora prof! S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita - Part 9
Play Caption
But you can also use the noun la firma (the signature).
Il verbale senza la sua firma non serve a nulla.
The statement without her signature is useless.
Caption 5, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1EP1 L'estate del dito - Part 26
Play Caption
We often use the verb fare (to make, to do) when asking someone for their signature.
Mi fai una firma (will you sign this for me)?
We can also use the verb mettere (to put).
C'è da pagare un'ammenda, se mi mette una firma.
There's a fine to pay if you would put your signature on it for me.
Caption 17, Un medico in famiglia Stagione 3 S3 EP2 - Un nuovo medico in famiglia - Part 12
Play Caption
These days, we are often asked to create una firma digitale (a digital signature) so that we can send un documento firmato (a signed document) via posta elettronica (email) or messaggino (text). Whatever kind of computer you have, there is likely an application to facilitate this.
When you just need to initial a document, or, especially, single lines in a document, rather than providing your entire signature, someone might say:
Basta uno scarabocchio (a scribble will suffice).
Fai uno scarabocchio (initial it).
The proper, formal term, is siglare (to initial).
Did you know that Daniela has a series of lessons on how to write a formal letter in Italian? Check it out here!
Dopo la formula di chiusura, inserisco la firma del mittente.
After the complimentary closing, I insert the signature of the sender.
Captions 27-28, Corso di italiano con Daniela Lettera formale - Part 4
Play Caption
Two more important words to know, in the office or outside it are il mittente (the sender) and il destinatario (the recipient or addressee).
Let us know if there are particular things you would like to know about using Italian in the workplace. And let's not forget that more and more, English words are being incorporated into business Italian!
In our lessons, we often take Italian words and explore them, but sometimes we can switch things around and begin with an English word that's used in so many ways, such as the verb "to get." Let's look at just 1 common and useful way we can translate "to get."
In English, we might say, "I'm getting sleepy. I think I will go to bed." We use the adjective "sleepy," just as we use "hungry," and "thirsty." But in Italian, we usually use the noun, "sleepiness" or "sleep." You might already have learned the Italian for saying, "I'm hungry" (ho fame), "I'm thirsty" (ho sete), "I'm tired or sleepy" (ho sonno). But sometimes we want to talk about getting to that state. That's when we can use the verb venire.
Già mi viene sonno.
I'm already getting sleepy.
Caption 16, PsicoVip Il treno - Ep 3
Play Caption
Note that the verb used in Italian is venire (to come). We would never say it, but we could say, "To me, sleepiness is coming." In fact, using the verb venire, where in English we say "get," is common, especially in the specific instance of adjectives like the ones we have mentioned. Let's look at some examples.
Quando corro, mi viene sete.
When I run, I get thirsty.
Non ti viene fame? -Oh, sì.
Don't you get hungry? -Oh, yes.
Caption 25, PIMPA S3 Ep 21 Arriva l'autunno
Play Caption
Here's an example using the future tense of venire. Marika and Anna are about to take us to un panificio (a bakery).
Vi verrà fame eh!
You're going to get hungry huh!
Caption 32, Anna e Marika Il pane
Play Caption
And here is one in the passato remoto (the remote past tense).
Poi venne sonno anche a lui.
Then he, too, got sleepy.
Caption 6, Dixiland Cometa caduta
Play Caption
Note that in the examples above, the subject of the sentence or phrase is the condition, in other words, "the hunger," "the sleepiness," "the thirstiness."
Sometimes we don't want to use the verb "to get" in a translation because it is somewhat colloquial. So we use the verb "to become," which seems clearer. In fact, one translation of the verb "to become" is divenire, a verb that is closely related to venire.
We can combine two very common verbs into one expression that means "to get busy" or "to work hard." The expression is darsi da fare. We can detect a reflexive ending on the verb dare (to give) with darsi. If we think about it in the first person, it's, "I give myself." What do I give myself? Da fare (stuff to do).
If I am busy and can't talk to you right now, I might say, Ho da fare (I have stuff to do, I am busy).
Ho detto: "Senta, scusi, eh... io c'ho [ho] da fare, è tardissimo, -Mh.
I said, "Listen, I'm sorry, uh... I'm busy, it's really late," -hmm.
Caption 48, Francesca e Marika Gestualità
Play Caption
But if you are giving yourself stuff to do, with the verb dare (to give) it's more active.
Mi do da fare (I keep myself busy, I work hard).
If we are talking about someone else who works hard in general, we might say:
Si dà da fare (he/she works hard).
Note the accent we place on the third person singular of the verb dare to distinguish it from da, the preposition meaning "of," "to," or "from."
We also use this expression in a command form when we want someone to get to work, to do something, or to get something done.
Datti da fare! (Get to work!, Do something! Get on it!)
Datti da fare pure tu.
You get on it, too.
Caption 13, Provaci ancora prof! S2E4 L'amica americana - Part 16
Play Caption
If we are talking to more than one person, it's:
Datevi da fare.
We might be talking to a group we are included in, we'll say:
Diamoci da fare (let's get to work, let's get busy).
If we are being polite or formal to one person, it's:
Si dia da fare.
If we want to be polite to more than one person, we need to go into the third person plural:
Si diano da fare.
Tip: Note that when we are using the polite form, it's the same as the subjunctive third person (check out the conjugation chart). We can mostly get by fine without using this polite form, unless we are working in a place where our Italian-speaking employees are people we address formally.
To conclude, da fare can be part of a longer phrase such as Ho tantissime cose da fare (I have lots of things to do), but da fare can be used by itself to just mean "stuff to do."
We've talked about the short word che in previous lessons. There are so many different uses for the word! But in this lesson, we'll look at when it means "what." It's a kind of abbreviated version of che cosa (what thing).
In a recent episode of Provaci ancora, prof!, Camilla's detective friend is worried about some sleuthing she has done on her own. He asks:
Che hai fatto? Che hai toccato? Che hai preso?
What did you do? What did you touch? What did you take?
Caption 61, Provaci ancora prof! S2E4 L'amica americana - Part 15
Play Caption
He could have said:
Che cosa hai fatto? Che cosa hai toccato? Che cosa hai preso?
and it would have meant the same thing.
Oh, allora, che hai saputo?
Oh, so, what have you found out?
Caption 23, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP1 - Part 12
Play Caption
In the following example, we see both versions:
Ma che è successo? Che cos'è questo sangue?
But what happened? What is this blood?
Caption 37, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP1 - Part 15
Play Caption
Ma che dici?
But what are you saying?
Caption 47, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP1 - Part 15
Play Caption
Another way to say this is:
Ma che cosa stai dicendo (but what are you saying)?
We have (at least) three choices for saying "what."
Che dirà la gente?
What will people say?
Caption 30, Moscati, l'amore che guarisce EP 2 - Part 3
Play Caption
We can also leave out the che and only use cosa:
Cosa dirà la gente (what will people say)?
Or we can use both and say:
Che cosa dirà la gente (what will people say)?
Keep your eyes and ears open for che, che cosa, and cosa, all meaning "what!"
Let's look at some of the other roles people have in business and in the workplace. Check out Part 1 to learn about how to "go to work" in Italian and about different types of employees.
To indicate the boss In Italian, we use one word for "head": il capo.
No no, no, non è il mio ragazzo, lui è il mio capo,
No, no, no. He's not my boyfriend, he's my boss,
è il commissario Manara.
he's Commissioner Manara.
Captions 29-30, Il Commissario Manara - S1EP5 - Il Raggio Verde - Part 8
Play Caption
Of course, we have the cognate direttore that can indicate the head of a company and is used much like "director." But it is often used to mean "manager" or "managing director."
Mauro Barale, direttore delle vendite.
Mauro Barale, sales manager.
-Barale, piacere.
-Barale, a pleasure.
Lui è il nostro nuovo direttore generale.
He's our new general director.
Captions 26-27, Adriano Olivetti - La forza di un sogno Ep.2
Play Caption
If the director is the owner, the director might also be called il titolare (the owner, the head). Titolare is a term often used when it would make sense for the head of a company to also be the owner.
Ah, ma è la titolare dell'agenzia che organizza i matrimoni.
Ah, so you are the head of the agency that organizes weddings.
Caption 19, Sposami - EP 5 - Part 2
Play Caption
In the previous example, Nora is the head of the agency. Technically, her aunt is likely the owner, but in practical terms, it's Nora. Nora is a woman, so the feminine article is used, even though the noun titolare is basically masculine. The term titolare can be used loosely because we often don't know if someone actually owns the company or not. The other, more general word for "owner" is proprietario.
When a business has multiple departments, each department is called un reparto, so a department manager or supervisor may be called il caporeparto. In a hospital, a ward is called un reparto as well. In a department store, the same term, reparto, is used for a given department or section.
Poi dall'amministrazione sono passata,
Then, from administration I moved,
sempre nel reparto amministrativo, al recupero crediti.
still in the administrative department, to debt collection.
Caption 1, Antonella - La mia storia - Part 2
Play Caption
In English, "responsible" is an adjective. But its cognate responsabile is also used as a noun to describe the person who is in charge of something, such as un reparto (department).
Poi, naturalmente, in assenza di Manara, il responsabile è Lei.
Then, naturally, in the absence of Manara, you're the one in charge.
Caption 29, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP8 - Fuori servizio - Part 2
Play Caption
Instead of il responsabile, we might see or hear l'addetto, which basically means the same thing: someone assigned to that role. Just like responsabile, it can be used as either an adjective or a noun.
Lavorava qui, era addetto alla fermentazione del vino.
He worked here. He was in charge of wine fermentation.
Caption 42, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP8 - Fuori servizio - Part 1
Play Caption
Let's add to the roles one can have in the workforce. When we're talking about a shop, the salesperson or sales clerk is called il commesso or la commessa, depending on the sex of the person.
Allora, tornate dalla commessa e chiedetele
So, go back to the saleswoman and ask
se ultimamente ha venduto 'sto [questo]
if she has lately sold this
profumo a qualcuno di più adulto.
perfume to someone more adult.
Captions 35-36, Il Commissario Manara - S2EP3 - Delitto tra le lenzuola - Part 9
Play Caption
We hope we haven't filled your head with too many new words. Keep an eye out for them as you watch and learn with Yabla videos!
Most of us know what a piazza is. It means something akin to the town square. In Italy, there may be a main piazza, but there can be many others spread around a city.
La piazza è dedicata al...
The piazza is dedicated to...
all'artista e scultore Michelangelo Buonarroti.
to the artist and sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Caption 12, In giro per l'Italia - Firenze
Play Caption
If you look at the dictionary entry above, you will see that there are various connotations of the noun piazza.
Piazzare is a verb. It can mean "to place" something somewhere.
Qua abbiamo piazzato la macchina da presa.
Here, we placed the camera.
Caption 27, Fratelli Taviani - La passione e l'utopia
Play Caption
Piazzare often means to sell — to put on the market with success.
Be', questa pietruzza la posso piazzare per una bella cifra.
Well this little rock I can place/sell for a pretty penny.
Caption 42, La Ladra - EP. 1 - Le cose cambiano
Play Caption
But when we add an S to the beginning as a sort of prefix, the meaning changes. Something is set up or placed and seems stable, but then you displace it: spiazzare. It's generally used figuratively to mean "to catch someone off guard."
So, spiazzare is "to cause someone to feel less stable." You floor them, you take away their certainties, you take them by surprise.
E poi ti spiazzava.
And then she would take you by surprise.
Spiazzava te che eri al suo fianco,
She would totally surprise you, you, who were by her side,
spiazzava il pubblico.
she would floor the audience.
Ma a volte ti accorgevi che spiazzava anche se stessa...
But sometimes you would realize that she took even herself by surprise...
Captions 29-32, Illuminate - Margherita Hack - Part 11
Play Caption
E io sono abituata a condurre il gioco. Insomma, mi sento spiazzata.
And I am used to leading the game. Basically, I'm flummoxed.
Captions 77-78, Provaci ancora prof! - S1E3 - Una piccola bestia ferita
Play Caption
English
Español
Français
Deutsch 
Italiano