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ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian expression of the day: ‘Di fretta’

When learning this Italian phrase, take the time to make sure you get it right

Italian expression of the day: 'Di fretta'
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Dashing around in a mad panic after drinking three cups of coffee and forgetting the time. Speeding towards a traffic light that’s just about to turn red. Rushing headlong into an office to file paperwork two minutes before it closes for lunch.

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you?

If you live in Italy, the answer is probably yes. Today’s phrase, di fretta, is certainly one I’d use to describe how the Italians in my life tend to do things.

It sounds a bit like the English verb ‘fret’, meaning worry. This seems fitting, since even if doing things in this last-minute manner isn’t making you stressed, it’s probably making the people around you feel like tearing their hair out.

Di fretta (roughly pronounced ‘dee fret-tah’ – hear it here) is an adverbial phrase meaning ‘hastily’, ‘rushed’ or ‘in a hurry’. It’s a synonym of the more formal precipitosamente.

– Un lavoro fatto di fretta 

– A rushed job

In other words, it’s the opposite of piano piano, or con calma.

You could use the phrase to describe yourself:

– Non posso fermarmi a chiacchierare con te: sono di fretta!

– I can’t stop and chat with you, I’m in a rush! 

But be careful.

The similar adverbial phrase in fretta looks af if it means exactly the same thing at first. However, you can’t use it in exactly the same way. That little preposition makes a big difference.

Put simply:

Di fretta means hastily, in a rush

In fretta means quickly, rapidly

What’s the difference? See for example:

– Vado di fretta

– I’m in a rush (at the moment).

– Vado in fretta

– Literally “I go quickly” – I’m a fast walker/driver, generally speaking.

Confusion arises because in fretta can also be used when talking about someone rushing, or going too quickly – although in that case you’d usually add troppo:

– Parli troppo in fretta

– You speak too quickly (in general, and probably also right now)

Don’t panic if you get it wrong. It’s easily done, and you’ll probably still be understood. Italian native speakers themselves can sometimes say “sono in fretta” when they want to say they’re in a rush, even though it’s not grammatically correct.

Sono di fretta is the right way to tell someone you’re in a rush.

And once Italian habits start rubbing off on you, no doubt you’ll be using this one an awful lot.

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

Don’t miss any of our Italian words and expressions of the day by downloading our new app (available on Apple and Android) and then selecting the Italian Word of the Day in your Notification options via the User button.

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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.

Don’t miss any of our Italian words and expressions of the day by downloading our new app (available on Apple and Android) and then selecting the Italian Word of the Day in your Notification options via the User button.

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