Questions tagged [word-usage]
Questions about correctly using a word within a particular phrase or context
763
questions
43
votes
15
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Can I say bravo to a female performer?
Everywhere in the world after a successful performance like a live music show or theater play, you can hear audience yelling "Bravo!" to the performers regardless of their gender or number. Is this ...
26
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Why do Italian road signs use the infinitive tense and not the imperative?
Why do Italian road signs use the infinitive tense in their warning, while, for example, those in English use the imperative?
Turn off lights
Spegnere le luci (and not "Spegnete le luci" or ...
- 6,083
22
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Perché "vendesi" e non "si vende"?
Gli annunci immobiliari italiani mi sono sempre sembrati molto curiosi. Perché si scrive "vendesi" o "affittasi" e non "si vende" o "si affitta"?
- 38.3k
22
votes
1
answer
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Are "che", "che cosa" and "cosa" interchangeable in simple "what questions"?
When I want to ask "what do you have for breakfast?", can I use any of the three, "che", "che cosa", or "cosa", to ask the question?
I'm not referring to specific structures like "che ore sono?".
- 2,131
20
votes
1
answer
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Preposition "a" or "al"?
I know all the rules about how to form the articulated prepositions in Italian, so I don't have to understand how to construct them, but rather I have a doubt on when to use the simple and when to use ...
- 201
16
votes
2
answers
3k
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Quando si deve togliere la "e" finale di un verbo all'infinito?
So che a volte si deve scrivere un verbo all'infinito senza la "e" finale. Per esempio, scrivere
Cerca di calmarti per poter pensare con chiarezza
invece di
Cerca di calmarti per potere pensare ...
- 38.3k
15
votes
4
answers
7k
views
What's the difference between "cominciare" and "iniziare"?
Recently, an Italian friend of mine corrected my sentence, "Sono a dieta, l'ho cominciata tre giorni fa", like this: "Sono a dieta, ho iniziato la dieta tre giorni fa." Is there any difference between ...
- 2,131
15
votes
1
answer
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“Ora” vs. “adesso”. What are the differences?
Quando si usa ora e quando adesso?
Sembra che le due parole abbiano lo stesso significato. Ci sono differenze?
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14
votes
2
answers
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views
Does Italian always use the infinitive where English uses the gerund?
A phrase like "asking questions is a sign of a curious mind" is translated in Italian as fare domande è segno di una mente curiosa; the difference is clearly that English uses the gerund where Italian ...
- 3,856
14
votes
2
answers
6k
views
“Avere senso” vs “fare senso”
My girlfriend is Italian and I've been learning Italian for some time now. I've always used "Fa senso" and she never corrected me. Recently I befriended a girl and when she heard me saying "fa senso", ...
- 385
14
votes
6
answers
25k
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The origin of "in bocca al lupo" and its usage
I know that "in bocca al lupo" means "good luck", but what's its origin and when is it used?
- 2,131
13
votes
4
answers
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Quando si usano "egli", "ella", "esso", "essa", "essi", "esse" invece di "lui", "lei" o "loro"?
Non riesco a capire in quali situazioni è necessario o conveniente usare i pronomi "egli", "ella", "esso", "essa", "essi", "esse" invece di "lui", "lei" o "loro". Potreste spiegarmelo?
- 38.3k
12
votes
4
answers
6k
views
What is the difference between albergo and hotel
Since I'm not a native Italian speaker, I don't exactly know what the difference between hotel and albergo is.
Would you mind telling me the difference, please?
- 689
12
votes
4
answers
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views
What is the Italian equivalent for "well/so"?
In English we can say:
Well/So, it's time for me to leave.
So/Well, what can I do to help you?
Well/So, what's the problem?
Is allora an equivalent of "so/well" in these cases?
- 2,131
12
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Correct usage of the verb "divertirsi"
I was talking to my Italian professoressa and we were basically discussing how our long weekend went. Being an Italian class, she expected me to describe the whole endeavor in Italiano. However, our ...
- 439
12
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Che cosa significa "giammai"?
Sto cercando di capire cosa significa la parola "giammai". Io vengo dal nord d'Italia e sinceramente non ho mai sentito nessuno usarla, proprio mai!
Sul dizionario ho trovato questo:
1 lett. Mai e ...
- 1,563
12
votes
2
answers
591
views
Quando si può dire che una parola appartiene alla lingua italiana?
Pongo questa domanda a partire da un caso pratico.
Provando a rispondere alla domanda L'espressione 'a fortiori' è italiana o latina? ho cominciato a consultare il dizionario Treccani ...
- 715
12
votes
3
answers
17k
views
La parola “smarmellare”
Nella serie televisiva Boris (2007-2010) viene usato più volte il termine “smarmellare”, detto delle luci sul set: dal contesto si capisce che si riferisce all'uso di luci forti che illuminano ...
- 35.8k
11
votes
4
answers
39k
views
What is the difference between “ti amo” and “ti voglio bene”?
Can we use “ti amo” for expressing love between siblings?
And we use “ti voglio bene” for expressing love between two passionate lovers?
- 689
11
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Filler-words in spoken Italian
In casual, spoken English, there are certain "filler-words" which are very common, but don't really add much to the actual meaning of the sentence. For example: "like, you know..., look....".
The ...
- 379
11
votes
1
answer
437
views
Form of "What?" for hearing loss
What is the Italian form of "What" meaning "I didn't hear or understand, please repeat what you said."
- 111
11
votes
1
answer
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Taci, Sta zitto!: Ways to say "shut up" / "be quiet" / "hush"
I have a general question and then a specific one.
Can someone list four or five ways to say "shut up" or "be quiet" or "hush" in Italian, perhaps ranked from most common to least common? Or most ...
- 211
11
votes
1
answer
16k
views
“Riguardo” o “riguardo a”?
Nel testo di questa domanda qualcuno ha corretto le parole “Ho un dubbio riguardo all'uso della parola...” in “Ho un dubbio riguardo l'uso della parola...” commentando “riguardo all'uso is sloppy ...
- 35.8k
11
votes
1
answer
693
views
If the subject of a sentence is normally left implicit, what does adding it to a sentence mean?
In Italian, the subject of a sentence is normally implicit.
Ho incontrato Luigi e mi ha detto di salutarti.
Siamo andati a Roma per il weekend.
Sono andate via senza dire niente; non so a che ...
- 3,856
10
votes
5
answers
857
views
È corretto dire “un terzo d'ora”?
In italiano si usano le espressioni mezz'ora e un quarto d'ora.
È corretto dire un terzo d'ora?
10
votes
5
answers
8k
views
Il termine "ospite" indica colui che ospita o colui che è ospitato?
Ospite: sta ad indicare sia chi ospita che chi è ospitato.
Ospite è il termine della lingua italiana per designare tanto chi riceve ospitalità quanto chi la dona. È una parola enantiosemica.
...
user519
10
votes
3
answers
3k
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Perché non si può dire "conduttore di un veicolo" o "materiale conducente"?
Ho osservato che:
Conducente significa ciò che conduce, e viene usato in riferimento a chi guida - conduce - un veicolo (es. "Non parlare al conducente");
Anche conduttore significa ciò che conduce, ...
- 1,387
10
votes
1
answer
114
views
Can "sciò" be used for person? If so, in which cases can it be considered acceptable?
I remember my grandmother saying sciò to keep away an animal that was getting too close to something or somebody, whatever it was a cat, a chicken, or a dog.
Can that exclamation be used also for a ...
- 3,856
10
votes
6
answers
738
views
Is "essere dietro a [infinitive]" widely understood as "star [gerund]"?
In Lombardy, I often hear phrases like sono dietro a cercare qualcosa to mean sto cercando qualcosa.
Is that widely understood, or is there another way to translate the Present Progressive used in ...
- 3,856
10
votes
3
answers
442
views
How to disambiguate the meaning of "ricaricare" when talking about mobile phones?
It seems to me that in Italian the word for "carrying out a mobile phone top-up" (UK) or "carrying out a mobile phone refill" (US), i.e., adding credit to a mobile phone's network operator account, is ...
- 173
10
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Sapere vs conoscere in "I know a language"
What is the difference between "So l'italiano" and "Conosco l'italiano"? I've seen both used in sentences.
- 2,131
10
votes
1
answer
535
views
Uso del vocabolo "pennarello"
Per motivi professionali, ho dovuto leggere gli enunciati di alcuni problemi di matematica per bambini. In uno di questi enunciati ho letto la frase
Giulio ha nel suo astuccio 18 pennarelli ma si ...
- 38.3k
10
votes
2
answers
846
views
Qual è la regola grammaticale nell'uso di "stampa" nella espressione "le conferenze stampa"?
Perché non si dice "Le conferenze stampa" e non si dice "Le conferenze di/da/della/delle stampa/e" o non si dice "Le conferenze stampe". Qual'è il ruolo grammatico di "stampa" in questa espressione. ...
- 225
10
votes
1
answer
1k
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What does "fa proprio un gran sangue" mean?
In the following quote from the film "Radiofreccia" the expression 'fare sangue' or 'fare un gran sangue' is used in referring to a character's mother. Here is the quote:
Sei stato sempre becco ...
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10
votes
1
answer
343
views
A cosa è dovuta la popolarità del termine "resilienza"?
Il termine “resilienza” ha due significati principali:
Nella tecnologia dei materiali, la resistenza a rottura per sollecitazione dinamica, determinata con apposita prova d’urto: prova di resilienza; ...
user519
10
votes
1
answer
4k
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Additional meanings of 'se'
The sentence "Scusa se non mi sono fatta più sentire" means, as I understand it: "Sorry if I didn't get in touch with you anymore". Or is there a better translation? Anyway, what seems strange to me ...
- 395
9
votes
5
answers
3k
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Difference between "darsi del tu" and "del lei"
In Italian there's the usage of "darsi del tu" (referring to your interlocutor in second person singular) and "darsi del lei" (using instead the feminine third person singular).
What's the difference?...
- 1,761
9
votes
3
answers
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Italian words for tools
What is the difference between the words attrezzi, utensili, arnesi, and strumenti? My understanding is that all of these refer to tools, with the latter being used to also describe software tools. ...
- 1,205
9
votes
3
answers
8k
views
Which one is correct: "ti raccomando" vs "mi raccomando"?
I know that both "ti raccomando" and "mi raccomando" are used with the sense of "I recommend you", but to me, coming from outside, the use of the "mi" form seems illogical and should be translated as "...
- 1,825
9
votes
3
answers
10k
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What is a typical situation to say "disgraziato"?
What is a typical situation to use "disgraziato!"?
What kind of emotion is associated with the word?
- 223
9
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Changing of meaning of "piuttosto che" over the years
When I was a kid, I learnt at school that 'piuttosto che' was used as follows
"Piuttosto che venire con voi me ne sto a casa",
whose meaning was 'instead of', a contrast between two mutual ...
- 715
9
votes
2
answers
318
views
Is it necessary to use pronouns with the verb "essere"?
I'm learning Italian (at the beginner level) and the teacher said that it is necessary to use pronouns with the verb "essere" in all cases. For example: Io sono, loro sono, etc.
Is it normal to build ...
- 91
9
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Would Italians refer to an American or foreign woman as "signora"?
I know that "signora" is, in Italian, the title for a married woman...
But, would Italians refer to a married American or otherwise foreign visitor as such?
- 91
9
votes
2
answers
264
views
Usare la 'y' per modificare i cognomi
Noto una recente tendenza della stampa satirica a terminare in 'y' alcuni cognomi; per esempio, oggi leggevo Renzy per Renzi e Alfy per Alfano.
Sapreste dire quale sia l'origine di questa ...
- 6,083
9
votes
3
answers
359
views
Is "a me mi" nowadays accepted as correct written language?
I remember when I was young that using "a me mi" was considered wrong.
For example saying a me mi piace giocare a calcio.
But I also remember that it was so largely used that it was made "legal" in ...
9
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Using vicino or vicina
Can someone explain if there is a difference in meaning or usage between vicino and vicina. As far as I can tell, they seem to be interchangeable, yet I've seen both used.
user145
9
votes
1
answer
562
views
"Non riesco a camminare dritta" versus "non riesco a camminare dritto"
When uttered by a woman, which of the following sentences is correct?
Non riesco a camminare dritta.
Non riesco a camminare dritto.
My feeling is that, since dritto is the way of walking (in a ...
- 3,856
9
votes
1
answer
179
views
Difference between 'antico', 'arcaico' and 'disusato' as categories in Italian dictionaries
Using Italian dictionaries, I have noticed that dated/archaic words are marked with different categories, and there are no explanations regarding any semantic differences.
For instance, Lo Zingarelli ...
- 409
9
votes
2
answers
770
views
L'uso del "lei" sta diminuendo in tutta Italia?
Giusto per distrarmi dalla noia lavorativa post-ferragostana, vi faccio questa domanda.
Negli ultimi anni ho notato che, almeno qui a Milano, l'uso del lei sta diminuendo sensibilmente.
Qualche ...
- 1,598
9
votes
1
answer
304
views
Nave XYZ senza articolo determinativo
Facendo ricerche su mio nonno, ammiraglio di squadra al termine della carriera militare, ho scoperto che ci si riferisce spesso (almeno per iscritto) alle navi come Nave, con la N maiuscola, seguita ...
- 1,360