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🇮🇹 Italian · Fluency Level 1

PART 3 · LESSON 25 OF 30 · 30 MINUTES

Understatement

Say less than you mean, the Italian way, over a coffee with Chiara: non male, niente di che, mica tanto.

Audio instruction: English

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THE STORY

A bar on the Zattere in Venice, the morning after a late night, two coffees at the counter.

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Words and phrases

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Allora, com'è andata ieri sera?ahl-LOH-rah, koh-MEH ahn-DAH-tah YEH-ree SEH-rahSo, how did it go last night?
Non male. Un'ombra, due cicchetti.nohn MAH-leh, oo-NOHM-brah, DOO-eh cheek-KEHT-teeNot bad. An ombra, two cicchetti.
Insomma.een-SOHM-mahSo-so.
Non male? Sei tornata alle due!nohn MAH-leh, say tor-NAH-tah AHL-leh DOO-ehNot bad? You came back at two! To a woman, a friend.
Niente di che. Abbiamo parlato di maschere.NYEHN-teh dee keh, ahb-BYAH-moh par-LAH-toh dee MAHS-keh-rehNothing special. We talked about masks.
Fino alle due? Mica tanto normale.FEE-noh AHL-leh DOO-eh, MEE-kah TAHN-toh nor-MAH-lehUntil two? Not exactly normal.
Mica era un appuntamento.MEE-kah EH-rah oon ahp-poon-tah-MEHN-tohIt wasn't a date, you know.
Certo. E Pietro lo sa?CHEHR-toh, eh PYEH-troh loh sahSure. And does Pietro know?
Pietro sa tutto. Quasi tutto.PYEH-troh sah TOOT-toh, KWAH-zee TOOT-tohPietro knows everything. Almost everything.