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EURO 2020

Italian word of the day: ‘Tifoso’

We think you’ll be a fan of this Italian word.

Italian word of the day: ‘Tifoso’
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

If you’re following the Italian news at the moment, you’ll know this word is everywhere.

It might be easy to tell from the context of news reports that the word tifoso means “fan” or “supporter”. But do you know how to use the word correctly?

The verb tifare means to support, cheer for, or to root for, and it’s pretty much exclusively used when talking about sports..

– Sono qui a tifare per l’Italia

– I’m here to support Italy

So a supporter, then is un/a tifoso/a. The plural tifosi is used to describe a group of supporters (all-male or mixed gender – an all-female group would be tifose). 

These are probably going to be fans of football teams. But you may also hear people talking about tifosi in relation to other sports, too.

According to the Collins dictionary. in English the word tifoso is more often associated with motor racing fans. While in Italy, we’ve also heard it used in conversations about the Giro d’Italia.

Whatever the sport, the word implies that these particular fans will be particularly dedicated – perhaps truly fanatical.

You can also say fare il tifo, which also simply means ‘to support’ or ‘to cheer for’.

– Facciamo il tifo per voi in questa maratona

– We’ll cheer for you in this marathon

An online search may give you the impression that the word tifo, derived from the ancient Greek typhos, means typhus, or typhoid fever. This often leads people to believe that the word tifoso means “feverish”, perhaps suggesting that fans have come down with “football fever”.

But several Italian dictionaries note that it’s more likely to be connected to the other meaning of the ancient Greek typhos: smoke. As Treccani explains, enthusiastic spectators at the ancient Olympics used to celebrate the victories of their heroes by gathering around a bonfire.

You could also describe these supporters as appassionati, but you wouldn’t call them fans – even though the Italian language has adopted this English word.

‘Fan’ is more commonly used in Italian when talking about admirers of musicians or other famous people. So while you could be un fan di Madonna, you would be un tifoso di calcio (a football fan).

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ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian expression of the day: ‘Cambiare registro’

Here's the Italian phrase you'll need if you're looking for a change.

Italian expression of the day: ‘Cambiare registro’

If you live in Italy or have spent a considerable amount of time in the country, you may have overheard an Italian parent telling their child they needed to cambiare registro right after they threw a tantrum. 

If you work or have worked in Italy, you may also have had one of your superiors tell you that a cambio di registro was needed in the office. 

But what do Italians really mean when they tell someone they need to ‘change register’?

Italians use cambiare registro to tell someone that they need to change their behaviour, manners or way to approach a particular task (including work or school assignments), usually because they’re not particularly happy with the way they’re currently handling things. 

It is generally used with the verb dovere (must/have to), which must be conjugated according to the person who could do with a ‘change of register’. For instance:

Non hai passato gli ultimi tre test. Devi cambiare registro se vuoi tenere la tua paghetta settimanale.  

You failed the past three exams. You need to turn things around if you want to keep your weekly allowance.

La tua performance al lavoro e’ stata insoddisfacente questo trimestre. Devi veramente cambiare registro il prossimo mese.

Your performance at work has been unsatisfactory this quarter. You really need to turn things around next month.

You could also say that a situation you’re unhappy with needs ‘a change of register’, without addressing anyone in particular. 

Ci sono cose ovunque. C’e’ bisogno di un cambio di registro in questa casa.

There’s stuff all over the place. Changes are needed in this house.

As you can see from these examples, there’s no single way to translate the phrase into English, though ‘turning things around’ and ‘changing up’ are popular translations.

And if you’re wondering where the expression comes from, it has nothing to do with Italy’s Registry Office (or Anagrafe), nor with any other part of the country’s public administration. 

Cambiare registro was originally a music-related expression as it referred to the act of changing the tone or range (registro in Italian) of some musical instruments, including pipe organs.

But, as in the case of many other Italian phrases and expressions, its usage was later extended to daily life situations to express a need for major changes.

Do you have a favourite Italian word you’d like us to feature? If so, please email us with your suggestion.

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