The Art of Italian

Let’s have a quick Italian grammar challenge today :)

Let’s translate this innocent little sentence...

Paolo doesn’t like Paola, but she likes him very much.

I think you should have a go... see how you fare.

Try.

Below you’ll find the solution.

Don’t cheat :)

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The problem with the verb PIACERE in Italian is that it works “in reverse”. If A likes B we say that B is pleasing to A.

In this sentence there is quite a bit going on. There is no unique way to translate it. Here are a few options:

1-A Paolo Paola non piace, ma lui a lei piace molto.

2-Paola non piace a Paolo, ma a lei lui piace molto.

3-Paola non piace a Paolo, ma lui, a lei, piace molto

4-Paola non piace a Paolo, ma lui  piace molto a lei.

The difference is were you want to put the emphasis on. This shows how flexible is Italian in the order of the words.

An interesting usage of the verb “STARE” and the verb “ANDARE”

We use the verb “stare” when we want to ask how does a piece of clothing (or an accessory) looks on us.

For example:  

A: Ho comprato questo nuovo cappello. Come mi sta?

B: Ti sta benissimo. 

(A: I Bought this new hat. How does it look on me?

B: It looks great on you!)

I bought this new hat. How does it look on me? ( How do I look with it?)

We can use this expression instead of “Come sto con questo cappello?” (”How do I look with this hat”)  when we want to bring the attention on the object rather than the person.

The expression generally refers to how the object looks on us. If we are inquiring about size, we generally use “come mi va?”  to translate “how does it fit me?”

A: Ho comprato questa maglia nuova. Come mi va?

B: È troppo piccola.

(A:I bought this new sweater. How does it fit me?

B: It’s too small)

Note that if the object is plural we need to conjugate the verb differently!

Ex: Ho comprato questi nuovi occhiali. Come mi stanno? (I bought these new glasses. How do they look on me?/ How do I look?)

There are many interesting expressions in Italian. One that we use often is “Fare quattro passi.”

It’s an informal expression to say we are going for a short stroll or a walk. 

It is almost equivalent to “andare a fare una passeggiata”, but it sounds more like a short walk and more carefree. 

For example:

1- Dopo pranzo, vado a fare quattro passi. / After lunch, I’ll go for a short walk.

2- Dov’è Maria? È andata a fare quattro passi con Marco / Where’s Maria? She’s gone for a short walk with Marco

Let’s look at a dialogue:

A: Cosa fai oggi? 

B: Vado a fare quattro passi in centro.  

(A: What do you do today?

B: I go for a short walk in the city center.)

We often use DUE instead of QUATTRO, for no  reason other than we are a little crazy... Note that fare due passi doesn’t necessarily imply a shorter walk than fare quattro passi, they are just equivalent expressions!

Examples:

1- Fa bene fare due passi dopo mangiato / It’s good to have a short walk after eating.

2- Avevo un po’ di tempo e ho fatto due passi in centro / I had some time and I went for a short walk in the city center.

Let’s see this in a dialog:

A: Ti va di fare due passi?

B: No, sono troppo stanco. 

(A: Do you feel like a short stroll?

B: No, I’m too tired.)

The verb ESSERE in Italian is often used in idiomatic expressions.

Let’s see one of these idiomatic expressions: ESSERE IN GAMBA.

While “gamba” means “leg” in Italian, this expression has nothing to do with legs...

Essere in gamba means to be skilled, talented or good at what you do, but also  to be active or able to do things despite your age.

Let’s see a few examples:

1- Paolo è un ragazzino in gamba. Ha ottimi voti in matematica e italiano. / Paolo is a skilled kid. He gets excellent marks in maths and Italian.

2- Wow! Sei così giovane e hai già finito l’università? Sei proprio in gamba! / Wow! You’re so young and you already finished your university degree? You’re great!

3-Mia nonna ha novant’anni e ancora guida la macchina. È ancora in gamba! / My grandmother is 90 and she stills drives. She’s still able to do things!

Let’s see a couple of dialogs:

A: Com’è il tuo nuovo assistente?

B: È proprio in gamba! Lavora molto e bene!

A: How’s your new assistant?

B: He’s really good! He works hard and he’s good at it!

Second example:

A: Mio nonno è in una casa di riposo adesso.

B: È un peccato che non sia più in gamba come una volta.

A: My grandfather is now in a nursing home.

B: it’s a pity he’s not able to do things (or take care of himself) like he used to.