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Italian Miniphrase

 

Erik V Gunnemark and Amorey Gethin

(in preparation)

 

In the following list, in order to give the learner as little as possible to remember at this stage, only one Italian expression has been given for each idea. This is not necessarily the most common usage, but it is always completely idiomatic. In practice, of course, there are often several equally idiomatic alternatives. One of the fascinating things about learning a foreign language is that as one hears more of it, one can pick up many different ways of saying things.

 

Oblique strokes (/) separate alternatives. In the Italian / is also used to separate the different verb forms, pronouns, and genders. Where there are only two forms of verb or pronoun, the first (e.g. [verb] sta/ or [pronoun] la/) shows the formal 3rd person singular form for "you"; the second (e.g. /stai [verb] or /te [pronoun]) shows the familiar 2nd person singular. Where three forms are shown, the third is the 2nd person plural. For genders, the order is masculine singular/feminine sing./m.plural/f.plur. In some cases, in order to avoid long repetitions, only the endings of the alternative forms are given, and these are underlined, e.g. potrebbe/resti/reste, which indicates that the three forms are potrebbe, potresti, potreste.

 

 

 

 

 

ACCIDENT

     There's been a (bad) accident.                 C'è stato un (brutto) incidente.

     Bruno's had a (bad) accident.                   Bruno ha avuto un (brutto) incidente.

     It's not serious.                                         Non è grave.

 

AFRAID

     I'm afraid  not/I can't.                               Mi dispiace,  no/non posso.

     Don't be afraid or frightened.                  Non  abbia/avere/abbiate  paura.

 

AGE - See OLD

 

ALL RIGHT

     All right, or O.K.,  I'll come.                   Va bene, vengo.

     That's all right. or That's O.K.

     (after "Sorry!")                                          Di niente.

     That's all right.

     (= It doesn't matter, don't worry            

      about it.)                                                   Non importa.

     Is that all right? or Is that O.K.?

     (= Is that agreed?)                                    D'accordo?

                        Fine!                                                          Benissimo!

     O.K. See you tomorrow.                          Va bene. Ci vediamo domani.

     Are you all right?                                      Sta/Stai/State  bene?

 

BED

     I'm sleepy. I'm going to bed.                    Ho sonno. Vado a letto.

 

BIRTHDAY

     Happy birthday!                                        Tanti auguri! [especially spoken]

                                                                        Buon compleanno! [especially written]

 

BOTHER

     (Please) Don't bother.                              Non si preoccupi./Non preoccuparti.

                        It's no bother.                                           Nessun disturbo.

     (I'm) Sorry to bother you (but I

            wonder if you could help me).         Scusi/Scusa/Scusate  se  la/ti/vi disturbo (potrebbe/resti/reste

                                                                              aiutarmi?)

 

BY - See TRANSPORT

 

CALL - See NAME, SAY

 

CALM

     Keep calm!                                                Calma!

     Calm down! or Take it easy!                    Calmati!

 

CAN, COULD - See also MAY, PLEASE, HAVE, HELP & HOW

     Could or Can  I have another cup of

            coffee?                                               Posso avere un'altra tazza di caffè?

                        Certainly. or Of course.

                        or Sure.                                                     Certo.

     Could I have my key please?

            Number 22.                                        Mi da la chiave, per favore. Numero ventidue.

     Could you bring me another knife?

            This one's dirty.                                 Mi da un altro coltello, per favore. Questo è sporco.

     Can I have five kilos of potatoes.            Posso avere cinque chili di patate?

     Can I smoke here?                                    Si può fumare qui?

                        No, it's not allowed.                                No, è proibito.

                        Yes, that's all right.                                  Si, va bene.

     Can you drive?                                          Sa/Sai  guidare?

                        Yes, I can.                                                 Si.

                        No, I can't.                                                No.

 

CARE - See also LOOK

     Take care of yourself/selves.                  Attento/a/i/e  a  te/voi. [all these are familiar forms]

     I don't care.                                               Non mi importa.

 

CAREFUL

     (Be) Careful!                                            Attento/a/i/e!

 

CHANGE

     I've changed my mind.                              Ho cambiato idea.

     I must change (my clothes).                    Devo cambiarmi.

     I'd like to change my room.                     Vorrei cambiare camera.

 

CHEERS

     Cheers! (= toast)                                      Salute!

 

CHRISTMAS

     Merry Christmas!                                     Buon Natale!

 

CLOCK - See TIME

 

COLD

     I'm cold.                                                    Ho freddo.

     It's cold. (= weather)                                Fa freddo.

 

COME

     Come here.                                               Venga/Vieni/Venite  qui.

     I'm coming!                                               Vengo!

     Come in.                                                    Avanti!

     Do come in.                                              Prego, avanti!

     Where do you come from?                     Di dov'è?/Di dove  sei/siete?

                        I'm from England.

                          I'm English.                          Sono inglese.

 

COMPASS, POINTS OF

     It's in  north/south/east/west Italy.         E nell'Italia del  nord/sud/est/ovest.

     They live about 30 kilometres north

            of Milan.                                            Abitano a circa 30 chilometri a nord di Milano.

     We must go south.                                   Dobbiamo andare verso sud.

 

CONGRATULATIONS

     Congratulations!                                       Congratulazioni!

 

COST

     What does this cost? or How much is

            this?                                                    Quanto costa?

 

COULD - see CAN

 

COURSE, OF

     Yes, of course.                                         Ma certo.

 

DATES

     What's the date (today)?                          Che data è (oggi)?

     (on) 1st/2nd/30th January 1999             (-) il 1(primo)/2(due)/30(trenta) gennaio 1999 (mille novecento

                                                                              novantanove)

     What day will you arrive?                        In che giorno  arriva/i/ate?

                        The eighteenth.                                        Il diciotto.

     in 1848/2000                                            nel 1848 (mille ottocento quarantotto)/2000 (due mila)

     in the nineteen sixties                              negli anni sessanta

 

DAY - see DATES

 

DEAR

     Dear  Nina/Bruno,...                                 Cara/o  Nina/Bruno, ...

     Dear  Mrs/Miss/Mr  Rossi,...                  Gentile  signora/signorina/signor  Rossi, ...

 

DIRECTION - see WAY

 

DISTURB - See BOTHER

 

DO - See also HELP, STOP, & WORK

     Can I do something (for you)?                Ha/Hai  bisogno di aiuto?

     Don't do that!                                            Non farlo!

 

EASY - see CALM, SLOWLY

 

ENJOY - See GOOD

 

ENOUGH

     That's enough.                                           Basta (così).

 

EXACTLY

     Exactly!                                                     Esatto!

 

EXCUSE

     Excuse me.

     (= apology or preliminary to request)    Scusi/a/ate.

     Excuse me.

     (= request for permission to pass

      or enter - "May I come in?")                   Permesso.

 

FAR - see HOW FAR

 

FINE - See ALL RIGHT and HOW ARE

 

FUN - See also GOOD

     We had great fun.                                     Ci siamo proprio divertiti.

 

GIVING something to somebody - see THERE

 

GLAD - See also WELCOME

     I'm glad to hear that.                                 Sono contento/a di saperlo.

     I'll be glad to (do it).                                Con piacere.

 

GOOD

     Good  morning/day.                                 Buongiorno.

     Good  afternoon/evening.                        Buona sera.

     Good night.                                               Buona notte.

     Good!                                                        Bene.

     Have a good time. or Enjoy yourself.    Buon divertimento.

     Have a good trip or journey.                   Buon viaggio.

     Good luck!                                                Buona fortuna!

 

GOODBYE

     Goodbye.   Arrivederci.

     Bye-bye. or Cheerio.                               Ciao.

     All the best.                                               Tante belle cose.

 

GREETINGS - See HOW DO, HULLO, MEET, REGARDS, WELCOME

 

HALF - see TIME

 

HAVE

     Can I have four of  those apples/them?

      or I'll take four of those apples/them.   Mi da quattro di quelle mele./Me ne

                                                                               da quattro.

 

HAVE DONE

     Where can I have  my bicycle/this

      part  repaired?                                                Dove posso far riparare  la mia

                                                                               bicicletta/questo pezzo?

 

HEALTH - See HOW ARE

 

HELLO - See also TELEPHONE

     Hullo! or Hi!                                                               Ciao!

 

HEAR

     Sorry, I didn't hear what you said.           Scusi/a/ate  , non ho sentito quello

                                                                               che  ha/hai/avete  detto.

 

HELP

     Help!                                                                            Aiuto!

     Could you help me?                                        Potrebbe aiutarmi?

            Certainly. or Sure.                                   Certo.

     Can I help you?                                               Posso aiutarla  (signora/signorina/

                                                                               signore)?  Posso aiutarti/vi?

                                                                               [Note the pronoun la, the accusative

                                                                               of lei, with signore as well as

                                                                               signora.]

     It can't be helped. or

      There's nothing we can do.                     Non c'è niente da fare.

 

HERE - see also THERE

     Here  he is/I am!                                             Eccolo/mi!

 

HOME

     Is  he/she  at home?                                        E a casa?

     Let's go home.                                                            Andiamo a casa.

 

HOPE

     I hope so./Let's hope so.                          Spero di si./Speriamo.

     I hope not.                                                       Spero di no.

 

HOT

     I'm hot.                                                             Ho caldo.

     It's hot. (= weather)                                        Fa caldo.

 

HOW

     (Can you show me) how to do it? or How

      does one do it?                                               (Può/Puoi/Potete  farmi vedere) Come

                                                                               si fa?

 

HOW ARE

     How are you?                                                              Come  sta/stai/state?

            Very well, thank you. And you?              (Sto) Benissimo, grazie, e

                                                                                           lei/tu/voi?

            I've got a cold.                                          Ho un raffreddore.

            I've got a  headache/sore throat/

             stomach-ache.                                         Ho mal di  testa/gola/stomaco.

            Not too bad.                                             Non c'è male.

     I don't feel well.                                              Non mi sento bene.