Unit 99 Guidebook: discuss abstract concepts
KEY PHRASES
Discuss abstract concepts
Quali sono i tuoi obiettivi?
What are your objectives?
What are your objectives?
Abbiamo solo due possibilità.
We only have two possibilities.
We only have two possibilities.
Vieni da me se hai delle difficoltà.
Come to me if you have difficulties.
Come to me if you have difficulties.
Quella è la tua responsabilità.
That is your responsibility.
That is your responsibility.
Quali qualità cerchi in una persona?
Which qualities do you look for in a person?
Which qualities do you look for in a person?
Avete delle grandi capacità.
You have great potential.
You have great potential.
TIP
Piano
Piano is a multipurpose word in Italian. It has tons of meanings!
It can mean softly when you are describing the way someone's doing something.
Lei canta piano.
She sings softly.
She sings softly.
As a noun, piano means floor or story when you're talking about buildings.
Viviamo al primo piano.
We live on the first floor.
We live on the first floor.
L'edificio è alto venti piani.
The building is twenty stories tall.
The building is twenty stories tall.
But piano can also mean plan!
Quali sono i tuoi piani dopo il diploma?
What are your plans after graduating?
What are your plans after graduating?
Ho cambiato i miei piani.
I changed my plans.
I changed my plans.
And finally, piano is also a shorter way of saying pianoforte, the musical instrument.
TIP
Ho preso la mia decisione
There are a lot of nouns that end in ‑ion in English that end in ‑ione in Italian.
La situazione non è facile.
The situation is not easy.
The situation is not easy.
Questa è un'occasione speciale.
This is a special occasion.
This is a special occasion.
Mia sorella ha preso una decisione importante.
My sister made an important decision.
My sister made an important decision.
These words are usually feminine.
La versione inglese è perfetta.
The English version is perfect.
The English version is perfect.
La tua presentazione è davvero interessante.
Your presentation is very interesting.
Your presentation is very interesting.
And the plural forms of these words usually end in ‑ioni.
Quelle sono decisioni buone.
Those are good decisions.
Those are good decisions.
Non mi piacciono queste situazioni.
I don't like these situations.
I don't like these situations.
TIP
Avete delle grandi capacità
Italian words that end in ‑tà like società don't change their ending in the plural!
Qual è il livello di difficoltà?
What is the level of difficulty?
What is the level of difficulty?
Vieni da me se hai delle difficoltà.
Come to me if you have difficulties.
Come to me if you have difficulties.
La loro società è molto diversa.
Their society is very different.
Their society is very different.
Le autorità hanno fermato una terza persona.
The authorities have stopped a third person.
The authorities have stopped a third person.
These words are easy to remember, though — they all match up with English words ending in ‑ty (like society and authority).