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LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Italian word of the day: ‘Congiunti’

Here's why even Italians are looking up this word in the dictionary.

Published: 27 April 2020 17:36 CEST
Italian word of the day: 'Congiunti'
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

There are reports of a sudden spike in internet searches for the word congiunti, which has also leapt to the top of trending terms on Twitter.

People in Italy have a pressing reason for wanting to know what exactly the word means: when Italy's coronavirus lockdown rules are loosened next week, the government just announced, congiunti are the only people we'll be permitted to visit.

Q&A: What are Italy's new rules on going outside in lockdown phase two?

So who are they? A congiunto is a 'relative' or 'relation', in a fairly broad sense.

It comes from the verb congiungere, 'to join together' (or 'to conjoin', to use its closest English relative), which describes the action of uniting or linking something, whether figuratively or literally.

La metropolitana congiunge la stazione al centro della città.
The underground links the station to the city centre.

È il momento di congiungere le forze per un fine comune.
Now is the time to unite forces for a common goal.

In its reflexive form ('to join oneself'), you can use the verb to describe getting married, or rather 'joining in matrimony': congiungersi in matrimonio.

Its past participle, congiunto, can be used as an adjective or a noun to describe either something that's 'joined' – like le mani congiunte, 'joined hands', or un conto congiunto, 'a joint account' – or someone you're 'joined' to: your 'relatives'.

In questa sala possono entrare solo i congiunti.
Only relatives may enter this room.

But many of the Google searches of the past 24 hours have been seeking a more specific definition: is a girlfriend or boyfriend a 'relative?

The Italian government has since offered its own definition: i congiunti, official sources indicate, should be considered “relations, in-laws, spouses, cohabitants, long-term partners and loved ones”.

Given that they'll soon make up the whole of our social circle – after six weeks of no social circle at all – we can be glad the word is so flexible.

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

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ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian expression of the day: ‘Al volo’

We’re sure you’ll learn this Italian phrase in no time.

Published: 14 June 2024 13:59 CEST
Italian expression of the day: ‘Al volo’

If you’ve ever found yourself at an Italian airport and looked up at the departure board, there’s a good chance you’re already familiar with the word volo, which is the Italian equivalent of ‘flight’ – but also the first person singular of the verb volare (to fly) in the present tense.

And if you’re a fan of classical music, you may of course have heard of Italy’s famous opera trio Il Volo (‘The Flight’).

But what do Italians mean when they say they’re going to do something al volo (hear it pronounced here)? 

Much like its closest English equivalent, ‘on the fly’, al volo has very little to do with aircraft or flying as it’s one of the most common Italian phrases to say that you’re doing something ‘quickly’ or ‘readily’, often without having prepared it or thought about it much beforehand.

Facciamoci una pasta al volo e poi usciamo.

Let’s cook some pasta on the fly and then get out.

Ho dovuto preparare la presentazione al volo perché non mi avevano avvisato della riunione.

I had to put the presentation together on the fly as I’d not been notified of the meeting. 

But usage of al volo is not limited to practical actions or tasks you may do quickly and without much thought. 

In fact, you can also pair it with the verb capire (understand), comprendere (comprehend) or imparare (learn) to say that you grasped something ‘immediately’ or ‘in no time’, meaning you won’t need any further explanation. 

Tuo figlio capisce tutto al volo. Ha un grande futuro davanti a lui, a mio parere.

Your son understands everything in no time. He’s got a great future ahead of him, in my opinion.

And if you haven’t fully understood or grasped something on your first try (which is painfully likely when dealing with Italy’s infamous red tape, even for locals), don’t worry: you’ll always have the option to ask a domanda al volo, or a ‘quick question’, to clear up your doubts. 

Another popular way to use the phrase is in relation to big opportunities, whether that be in life, in education or at work. So an opportunity that va presa al volo must be seized immediately as it’s too good to be missed. 

Finally, if you’re planning on watching Euro 2024 matches on Italian TV over the next month, you may hear football commentators use al volo multiple times while analysing a match as colpire la palla al volo means to strike it while it’s in the air, or ‘volley’ it.

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: download our app (available on Apple and Android) and then select the Italian Word of the Day in your Notification options via the User button.

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