Learn some phrases your professor won't teach you
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| Marco: All About Italian Lesson 13 - Top Ten Italian Phrases Your Teacher Will Never Teach You |
| Marco: "Buongiorno," and welcome back to All About Italian lessons! I'm here again in the studio with… |
| Laura: Hey, "ciao! Sono la vostra Laura!" |
| Marco: "Ciao Laura!" |
| Laura: Oh, Marco, today's lesson is really fun! |
| Marco: Really? Why? |
| Laura: Because we are going to teach our listeners phrases a normal teacher will never teach them! |
| Marco: Ah, ah, you mean Italian slang! |
| Laura: Yes! As we have mentioned many times, Italian dialects can have thousands of different words with actually the same meaning for each region… |
| Marco: That's true, but today's sentences and words are part of the standard Italian! |
| Laura: This means that any Italian understands and uses them in daily life. |
| Marco: We'll see some of the most fun and useful expressions taken from Italian normal conversation. |
| Laura: Because our listeners know how it can be important to get past the slang barrier. |
| Marco: These phrases are hard to find in a dictionary and are definitely rarely mentioned during an Italian class. |
| Laura: So let's jump in! |
| Marco: Yes, let's get started! |
| ************ |
| "Tipo"/"Tipa" |
| Marco: The first word we'll go over is… |
| Laura: "Tipo," masculine, and "tipa," feminine. |
| Marco: Meaning "guy" or "girl" in English. |
| Laura: When referring to a third party, it is common to use "un tipo" or "una tipa." For example, "ho conosciuto una tipa interessante…" |
| Marco: That means "I met an interesting girl." Any other examples? |
| Laura: Sure, "il mio capo è un tipo severo," meaning... |
| Marco: "My boss is a strict guy." |
| Laura: "Tipo" substitutes for the word "ragazzo," which is quite a long word, don't you think, Marco? |
| Marco: "Ra-ga-zzo," "ti-po." Yeah, you're right! "Ragazzo" is longer! Next we have... |
| Laura: "Forte!" |
| Marco: Oh, I remember "forte." That means "cool," right? |
| Laura: Yep, when we consider it an exclamation it means "cool." However, it also has another meaning in Italian… |
| Marco: It also means "strong." |
| Laura: "Forte" is an adjective ending in "-e," which we use both for feminine and masculine nouns. Consequently, in both cases, the plural form is "forti." |
| Marco: It is a very normal exclamation that always expresses a positive opinion. Laura, let's see some practical examples… |
| Laura: Okay, "questa macchina fotografica è proprio forte!" |
| Marco: "This camera is really cool" or… |
| Laura: When someone says "parto per la Sardegna domani..." |
| Marco: "Tomorrow I'm leaving for Sardinia…" |
| Laura: You can simply answer with "forte!" |
| Marco: "Cool!" as normally happens during a conversation in English. |
| Laura: So, Marco, how is ItalianPod101.com? |
| Marco: Ah, ah, "forte!" |
| Laura: Oh, the next one is a very informal expression! |
| Marco: Really? What expression are you talking about? |
| Laura: That's "roba da matti!" |
| Marco: Ah, ah, in English, the literal meaning is "stuff for crazy!" |
| Laura: That's because it indicates someone, something, or a situation that is really bizarre. It means crazy, whether dangerous or disappointing. |
| Marco: And when should we use it? |
| Laura: Mmm, in many different situations. We can give a list of some of those moments in which you can use the exclamation "roba da matti!" |
| Marco: Oh, that's useful! Let's start! |
| Laura: When you are stuck in a traffic jam. |
| Marco: When you hear news on TV. |
| Laura: When someone is acting bizarrely. |
| Marco: When you're listening to a fun story. |
| Laura: When you are in a crowded place. |
| Marco: When you receive something unexpected. |
| Laura: During all of these moments, you can say with an irritated tone, "Roba da matti!" |
| Marco: Or in a more upbeat tone, "Sì… roba da matti!" |
| Laura: If you've lived in Italy, I'm sure you've heard someone saying "roba da matti" at least once! |
| Marco: Definitely! It is often used in casual but also formal conversations! |
| Laura: We should move to the next one… |
| Marco: Okay, that is "pedala!" |
| Laura: "Pedala" comes from the verb "pedalare…" |
| Marco: Which means "to pedal" or "to ride a bicycle." |
| Laura: "Pedala" is conveyed at the imperative form, precisely referring to "tu," which is Italian for "you." |
| Marco: The whole expression is longer. |
| Laura: Yes, Marco, that's a proverb, "hai voluto la bicicletta, adesso pedala!" |
| Marco: Literally, "You wanted a bicycle, now you have to ride it!" |
| Laura: Meaning "Don't express complaints for consequences of a choice you yourself have made." What could fit with this expression in English, Marco? |
| Marco: Mmm… Oh, I know! What probably better fits with this proverb is "you made your bed, now lie in it" or "practice what you preach." |
| Laura: Oh, interesting! Now, we can also use "pedala!" as pep talk in place of "move on" or "hurry to do something." |
| Marco: It’s a sort of provocation, but it depends on the way it is said. |
| Laura: That's totally true! Listen… (hilarious way) "pedala, pedala!" |
| Marco: Or… (Angry) "Pedala!" |
| Laura: Oh, that's scary! |
| Marco: Ah, ah! I was thinking about a friend, he's always lazy…! |
| Laura: Okay, it's time for the next slang word… |
| Marco: Ah, this one has a very fun sound. "Abbiocco!" |
| Laura: Eh? A funny sound? |
| Marco: Mmm, never mind… |
| Laura: "Abbiocco" comes from the reflexive verb "abbioccarsi…" |
| Marco: Which means "being in a state of drowsiness." |
| Laura: When someone says "che abbiocco" in Italian, it means that he or she is going "to fall asleep" or "doze off." |
| Marco: Another way it is often used is "non ti abbioccare!" meaning "Don't fall asleep!" or "Wake up!" Actually, I was told this many times in Italy! |
| Laura: Really? Why? |
| Marco: Because I was eating a lot at lunch every day, and after a heavy meal it's easier to get sleepy… |
| Laura: Ah, ah, I see! |
| Marco: Okay, next is… |
| Laura: "Beccare qualcuno." |
| Marco: Since "beccare" in Italian means "to peck" and "qualcuno" is "someone…" |
| Laura: "Beccare qualcuno" can only have the meaning of… |
| Marco: "To hit someone" or "to pick someone in a peculiar situation." |
| Laura: Usually it is used when you find out someone else did something wrong. |
| Marco: For example? |
| Laura: Mmm…okay, for example when you catch a friend who is stealing your chocolate from the fridge, you can yell… |
| Marco: "Beccato!" |
| Laura: Exactly! |
| Marco: Another example? |
| Laura: Let me think, oh, when you catch your sister taking something from your bag, you can say… |
| Marco: "Beccata!" |
| Laura: But a more passionate situation can be one where you find your boyfriend or girlfriend out with someone else! |
| Marco: Uh-oh! |
| Laura: In this case, you can shout "ti ho beccato!" |
| Marco: Or "ti ho beccata" in the case of a girlfriend! |
| Laura: Right. |
| Marco: Okay, I hope our listeners don't need to use the verb "beccare" for this specific situation! |
| Laura: Eeeeeehh, you never know… |
| Marco: Okay, now, let's go on. |
| Laura: Next is… |
| Marco: "Essere di fuori!" or “essere fuori”. |
| Laura: Yep! That means "to be a little wacky" or "to be high…" |
| Marco: Literally, it means "to be out." And trust me, it's used very, very much! |
| Laura: Oh, you can say that! |
| Marco: When can we hear it? |
| Laura: A fitting situation is when someone is doing or saying something very odd. |
| Marco: For instance? |
| Laura: If you are wearing a pair of shoes the wrong way… |
| Marco: Or if you are saying something obviously untrue, you can be told… |
| Laura: "Ma sei di fuori!" or “ma sei fuori”! |
| Marco: "Are you out of your mind?" |
| Laura: But besides this last meaning, "essere fuori" can also stand for "to be drunk." |
| Marco: "Laura ha bevuto troppo, è fuori!" means "Laura has drunk too much; she's drunk!" |
| Laura: Ah, ah, it isn't funny! "Non sono fuori!" |
| Marco: Okay, okay, we know! I was just joking! |
| Laura: I'll forgive you if you tell me the next expression! |
| Marco: Sure! That is…"mettersi insieme!" |
| Laura: "Mettersi insieme" is used when someone is starting a serious relationship. |
| Marco: The literal meaning is pretty fun…"to put together." |
| Laura: However, it is important to point out that this expression is always used at the past tense. |
| Marco: For example? |
| Laura: "Carla si è messa insieme a Nicola." |
| Marco: "Carla started a relationship with Nicola." |
| Laura: Or "mi sono messo con lei un anno fa," meaning "I started my relationship with her a year ago." Or "mi sono messo con lui un anno fa," meaning "I started my relationship with him a year ago." |
| Marco: This can be very useful when talking about relationships! |
| Laura: Yes, yes. Let's go on, now… |
| Marco: What's next? |
| Laura: The next one is "quattro gatti!" |
| Marco: If you are students of the Italian language, you probably know these two words… |
| Laura: "Quattro" |
| Marco: The number "four," and… |
| Laura: "Gatti" |
| Marco: "Cats." |
| Laura: All together, "quattro gatti" is a very common and nice expression that means.. |
| Marco: "Only a few people." |
| Laura: When you are talking about a party where there were "only a few people," you can say… |
| Marco: "Eravamo quattro gatti." |
| Laura: Or, in a normal conversation on the phone, you can say… |
| Marco: "Ciao, com'è il locale?" meaning "How is the club?" |
| Laura: "Ma…, ci sono solo quattro gatti!" meaning "There are only a few people! |
| Marco: That's fun if you imagine four cats dancing in a club! |
| Laura: Hey, Marco, don't waste time. We have the last slang word for today! |
| Marco: Oh, no! We reached the last one! What is it? |
| Laura: That's the verb "spettegolare." |
| Marco: "Spettegolare" is a slang verb, and it means "to gossip" or "to tattle." |
| Laura: One thing that many Italians really like to do. |
| Marco: Let's make an example using this verb… |
| Laura: Okay, "Alla mia amica piace proprio spettegolare." |
| Marco: "My friend really likes to gossip." |
| Laura: The person who likes to "spettegolare" is called a "pettegolo" if masculine or "pettegola" if feminine. So, Marco, you are a "pettegolo!" |
| Marco: Hey, hey, "la pettegola qui sei tu!" |
| Laura: "No, non sono pettegola io!" |
| Marco: All right, all right. Let's finish this explanation…gossip is… |
| Laura: "Pettegolezzo." |
| Marco: So the previous phrase "alla mia amica piace proprio spettegolare" can be replaced with... |
| Laura:"La mia amica è proprio una pettegola." |
| Marco: "My friend is really a gossiper." |
| Laura: This does it for today! |
| Marco: We'll be waiting for you in our next "All About Italian" lesson! |
| Laura: Stay tuned! "Ciao!" |
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