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ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian word of the day: ‘Tregua’

You'll want to call a truce with this word.

Italian word of the day tregua
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

If you’re at a deadlock with an opponent and want to move forward, there’s one Italian word you’ll want to familiarise yourself with: tregua.

It means ‘truce’ or ceasefire, and is used to mean an armistice between warring factions or political opponents, just like in English.

Le due nazioni hanno dichiarato una tregua dopo anni di guerra.
The two nations declared a ceasefire after years of war.

Aspettiamo che concordino la tregua.
We’re waiting for them to agree to the truce.

It’s also the title of Auschwitz survivor Primo Levi’s acclaimed memoir and the sequel to his book ‘If this is a man’, translated directly as ‘The Truce’ in the UK and more loosely as ‘The Reawakening’ in America.

A man showing the circuitous route taken by Primo Levi on his return home from Auschwitz.
A map showing the circuitous route taken by Primo Levi on his return home from Auschwitz. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

But tregua has meanings in Italian than just ‘truce’.

It can also be used to refer to a break, respite or reprieve after a period of intensity – whether from extreme weather:

La pioggia non dà tregua.
The rain isn’t letting up.

Speriamo che questo caldo ci conceda un po’ di tregua.
Let’s hope this heat grants us a bit of a break.

Paolo Bonolis Avanti Un Altro GIF - Paolo Bonolis Avanti Un Altro Sdltv GIFs
 

Work:

Sta lavorando senza tregua.
She’s working relentlessly.

È una gradita tregua dallo stare seduto tutto il giorno davanti a uno schermo.
It’s a welcome respite from sitting in front of a screen all day.

Or individuals, including yourself:

Sono stremati, dovrebbe concedergli un po’ di tregua…
They’re exhausted, she should give them a break…

Dovresti darti una tregua.
You should cut yourself some slack.

See if you can get it into a conversation this week – but if not, don’t be too hard on yourself: datti un po’ di tregua.

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

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For members

ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian expression of the day: ‘Al volo’

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

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.

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