SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian expression of the day: ‘Non c’è di che’

You'll be grateful you learned this phrase.

Italian expression of the day: 'Non c'è di che'
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Of course you know how to say ‘thank you’ in Italian (grazie just don’t forget to pronounce that final ‘e’).

But are you au fait with the many and varied ways to say ‘you’re welcome’?

There’s prego, to start with, but also figurati and ci mancherebbe. And here’s another one to add to your list: non c’è di che. Click here to hear it pronounced.

It means roughly ‘there’s no need’, and you say it when you want to assure someone that they have no reason to thank you – the same thing you imply when you say ‘don’t mention it’ or ‘not at all’ in English.

– Grazie per l’aiuto.
– Non c’è di che.
– Thanks for the help.
– Not at all.

– Non so come ringraziarti… 
– Prego, non c’è di che!
– I don’t know how to thank you…
– You’re welcome, don’t mention it!

It’s polite but conversational, so you’re more likely to hear it said than see it written down.

You might even hear it shortened to simply di che

All clear? You’re welcome.

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

Did you know you can get all our Italian words and expressions of the day on our new app as soon as we publish them? It takes a few seconds to download the app at the Apple or Android store, then you can select “Italian Word of the Day” in your Notification options via the “User” button.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian word of the day: ‘Meriggiare’

It’s about time to bring this word out of the shadows.

Italian word of the day: ‘Meriggiare’

Have you ever rested outdoors in a shady place in the hot hours of midday? Perhaps you had a book with you or fell asleep on a hammock. Italian has a verb for this: meriggiare.

Now admittedly, meriggiare (pronunciation available here) is a word that’s rarely used in the modern Italian language, but it does still exist.

To add to its allure, it cannot be translated into English. It’s very specific to a midday nap in the heat. Perhaps the nearest English word would be ‘nooning’, yet that is somewhat archaic. 

According to Italian dictionary Trecanni meriggiare also means to rest at home around noon, particularly after eating. It’s not just for the outdoors, and it’s similar to having a siesta.

The verb, which has the same conjugations as any other Italian verb, was first said to be introduced in Eugenio Montale’s poem Ossi di seppia (cuttlefish bones) where he wrote the following:

Meriggiare pallido e assorto…

Non rifugiarti nel’ombra…

This can translate to: 

Resting pale and absorbed…

Don’t take refuge in the shadows…

But enough of the poetry. Can you use this rare verb in everyday language?

Let’s take a look at some examples.

Io meriggio sulla mia amaca quando la temperatura è troppo calda.

I rest on my hammock when the sun is too hot.

Meriggiavano sotto gli alberi.

They rested under the trees.

Lei meriggia dopo pranzo.

She rests after lunch.

So next time you’re in need of a rest in the shade after a heavy Italian lunch, you’ll have the perfect word to describe it.

See our complete Word of the Day archive hereDo 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.

SHOW COMMENTS