The Focus of this Lesson is The Future Tense
Saranno un po' lunghi i capelli, ma non ti stanno male!
Oggi è lunedì, sarà aperta?

"They might be long, but they do not look bad on you!"
"Today is Monday, might it be open?"

The Italian Future Tense (Indicative) is basically used to talk about a future event, but it can also be used with two other different nuances: (A) to express something in a soft way that could otherwise be considered rude or (B) to make a conjecture.

A. The Future Tense can be used to make a concession, to express something in a more polite way, making the expression less direct. The speaker, even though they accept the fact, does not want to sound too direct and impolite towards the interlocutor.

This also means that in this case the future tense can be substituted by the present, without any substantial change in the meaning.

1. Avrai fame, ma abbiamo finito di mangiare solo un'ora fa.
   "You might be hungry (or "I admit you could be hungry"), but we finished eating only one hour ago."
2. Il concerto sarà un po' caro, come dici tu, ma il ricavato andrà tutto in beneficienza.
   "The concert might be a little expensive, as you say, but the proceeds will all be donated to charity."

Saranno un po' lunghi, ma non ti stanno male. This sentence expresses the fact that though the hairs are long, the speaker does not want to sound too direct and impolite toward the interlocutor.

Language Tip: It is common to find this future form with the adverb pure (or pur, in a shorter form), meaning "perhaps," "possibly" and always coming after the verb.

1. Avrai pur fame, ma abbiamo finito di mangiare solo un'ora fa.
   "You might be hungry, but we finished eating only one hour ago."
2. Il concerto sarà pure un po' caro, come dici tu, ma il ricavato andrà tutto in beneficienza.
   "The concert might be a little expensive, as you say, but the proceeds will all be donated."

B. The Future Tense can be used to express a conjecture, something the speaker supposes to be possible or is not sure of.

1. A quest'ora i miei staranno già mangiando.
   "Mine (my parents) are supposed to be eating by now."
2. Sono già le 10: Maria sarà già arrivata in stazione.
   "It's already 10: Mary is supposed to have already arrived at the station."

Oggi è lunedì, sarà aperta? - "Today is Monday, might it be open?": this phrase express something the speaker is not sure of.

Language Tip: this particular usage of the future is more common with verbs that indicate a continuous state, like stare, "to stay," and essere, "to be," or with the combination stare + gerundio, "to stay"+ gerund (*see Lesson 11 for more information about the gerund).

Spaventapasseri, meaning "scarecrow," is a compound word, just like in English. Here, it is made up of the verb, spaventa, from the verb spaventare, "to scare," and the noun passeri, "sparrows." It is of course an element of the farming world, but nowadays it is more used in figurative expressions, especially when referring to someone who has an unkempt and funny look or an unkempt hair-style.

Ma no dai! is a colloquial expression, close to the English "No! Come on! " It is used in informal language and can also be found as Ma dai!

Ma is an adversative conjunction, while dai is a particular form of the verb dare, "to give," in the imperative voice, second person singular, which actually should be dà.

This exclamation is used when one wants to say something in contrast with the interlocutor, whether to encourage him/her or to discourage or scold him/her.

Ormai sono/è più di... followed by a time expression is a common phrase to mean "It's already been more than... " Ormai is an adverb, which synonym can be già meaning "already" or a questo punto meaning "at this point." Differently than these two synonyms ormai implies a sense of resignation for a situation that very likely is not going to change or has arrived at a point in which is no more possible to play for time.

For example:

1. Ormai dobbiamo andare (anche se vorremmo restare).
   "At this point we have to go (even though we would like to stay)."

Bottega Storica Di Barbiere (Genova, vicolo Caprettari 14)

In the old center of Genova there is a wonderful little (only ten meters square) barber's workshop. It was founded in 1882 by Mr. Giacalone and in 1922 it was restored in the actual shape by the son, Mr. Italo, in an astonishing Art Nouveau style ("Stile Liberty"). The client is literally overwhelmed by the luxurious decoration: turquoise and orange colored glass covers the ceiling. The floor and the walls are made of tiles, that, with the great mirrors, make the little space look larger and really gorgeous. Entering the shop is just like travelling back in time. In 1992 this little Art Nouveau treat risked to go lost, because no one was going to continue Giacalone's family's barber tradition. The worst could be avoided thanks to FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano), the National Trust that looks after the Italian physical heritage, that due to the lack of funds could be lost. Now the shop is one of the most visited places in Genova and is normally ran by Mr. Giugno. Anyone who is a member of the FAI has access to a 20% discount.