The exclamation "What...!" is expressed in Italian with the help of the word
che. These phrases will surely prove to be very useful in your
Italian conversations:
- Che bei fiori! » What beautiful flowers!
- Che belle ragazze! » What beautiful
girls!
- Che buon'idea! » What a good idea!
- Che partita! » What a game!
- Che rumore! » What a noise!
The Exclamation Pronouns give a stronger emphasis to an exclamation, although
their use is not always necessary. The more usually exclamation pronouns
are:
che...!
how...! |
quanto...!
how...! how
much...! |
quanti...!
how many...! |
Examples:
- che bello! » how nice!
(masculine singular)
- che bella! » how nice!
(feminine singular)
- quanto ha mangiato! » how much
he ate!
- quanto dormono! » how much they
sleep!
- quanto vino! » how much wine!
- quanta roba! » how much stuff!
Below is a list with the "Ten more used Italian Expressions":
- Mamma mia! (My goodness!)
Italians use Mamma mia! (mahm-mah mee-ah) to
express surprise, impatience, happiness, sorrow—any strong emotion.
- Che bello! (How lovely!)
Che bello! (keh behl-loh) is used when you're
enthusiastic about something.
- Uffa! (Aargh!)
Uffa!
(oof-fah) is a clear way to show that you're annoyed, bored, angry, or fed
up.
- Che ne so! (How should I know?)
When Italians want to say that they have no idea,
they shrug their shoulders and say Che ne so! (keh neh soh).
- Magari! (If only!)
Magari (mah-gah-ree) is just one word, but it
expresses a lot. It indicates a strong wish or hope. It's a good answer if,
for instance, somebody asks you if you'd like to win the lottery.
- Ti sta bene! (Serves you right!)
Ti sta bene! (tee stah beh-neh) is the Italian way
to say "Serves you right!"
- Non te la prendere! (Don't get so upset! / Don't think about it!)
If you see that somebody is sad,
worried, or upset, you can try to console him by saying Non te la
prendere! (nohn teh lah prehn-deh-reh).
- Che macello! (What a mess!)
Figuring out the derivation of Che macello! (keh
mah-chehl-loh) isn't difficult. The literal translation is "What a
slaughterhouse!"
- Non mi va! (I don't feel like it!)
Non mi va! (nohn mee vah) is one of the first
phrases that Italian children learn. It means that you don't want to do
something.
- Mi raccomando! (Please, I beg you!)
With Mi raccomando! (mee
rahk-koh-mahn-doh), you express a special emphasis in asking for something. An
example is Telefonami, mi raccomando! (Don't forget to call me,
please!)
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