Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

Let's take a closer look at the conversation.
Do you remember how Karen says,
"How hot!"
Che caldo!
First is che, "what." Che. Che.
After this is caldo, meaning "heat," in this context. Caldo. Caldo.
Together, it's Che caldo! Literally, "What heat," but translates as "How hot!" Che caldo!
This forms an exclamation, and it's meant to elicit a response from the listener.
Karen is expecting her neighbor to respond after she says, "Che caldo!" "How hot!"
Che caldo!
Let's take a closer look at the response.
Do you remember how the neighbor says,
"Yes, it's hot today."
Sì, oggi fa caldo.
First is Sì, meaning "yes." Sì. Sì.
Next is oggi. "Today." Oggi. Oggi.
After this, fa caldo, translating as "It's hot." Fa caldo.
Caldo means "heat." Caldo. Caldo.
Fa is from the verb fare, meaning "to make." Fare.
Here, fa doesn't have this meaning. Instead, it is expressing an ongoing weather condition — in this case, caldo, "heat."
Together, Fa caldo, "It's hot." Fa caldo.
All together, Sì, oggi fa caldo. "Yes, it's hot today."
Sì, oggi fa caldo.
The pattern is
Che {weather condition}.
"How" {weather condition}.
Che {weather condition}.
To use this pattern, simply follow Che with a noun. In this lesson, you'll learn words and phrases related to the weather.
Imagine it's cold. Freddo. "Cold." Freddo. Freddo.
Say
"How cold!"
Ready?
Che freddo!
"How cold!"
Che freddo!
Using this verbal exclamation to talk about the weather is meant to elicit a response from the listener or listeners.
It's a way to start a conversation with an Italian speaker. Finding and creating speaking opportunities is an important skill, and probably more important than sharing practical observations about the weather.

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