In my ‘Colloquial Italian’ blogs (see: Colloquial Italian – 1 and Colloquial Italian -2) I choose words that we Italians use all the time in everyday speech, but which are often overlooked in language classes and text books. Here then are another three words that you will hear a lot in Italy, and which, if you learn to use them properly, will make your spoken Italian sound more natural.
Proprio: is an emphatic word which has the meaning of ‘really’, ‘exactly’, or ‘just’. For example:
Questa camicia ti sta proprio bene (That shirt really suits you)
Avevi proprio ragione, quel film era veramente noioso (You were exactly right, that film was really boring)
Leo è proprio un bravo musicista (Leo is really a good musician)
Mirella è arrivata proprio adesso (Mirella has just arrived)
L’incidente è sucesso proprio così (The accident happened exactly like that)
Senz’altro: another emphatic expression meaning ‘certainly’, ‘by all means’, ‘of course’, or ‘definitely’. For example:
È stato senz’altro un esame difficile (It was definitely a difficult exam)
Marco: Posso prendere in prestito questo libro? Giulio: Sì, senz’altro! (Marco: Can I borrow this book? Giulio: Yes, of course!)
Pietro: Vieni con noi stasera in discoteca? Silvia: Sì, senz’altro! (Pietro: Are you coming to the disco with us this evening? Silvia: Yes, certainly!)
Volentieri: means ‘with pleasure’, or ‘gladly’. For example:
Marco: Venite da noi questo finesettimana? Giorgio: Sì, volentieri (Marco: Are you coming to our house this weekend? Giorgio: Yes, with pleasure)
Adriano: Ti va un buon caffè? Paolo: Sì, volentieri (Adriano: Do you fancy a nice coffee? Paolo: Yes, with pleasure)
Se ti serve una mano ti aiuterò volentieri (If you need a hand I’ll gladly help you)
Alla prossima
