How to talk about the news in Italian
A quanto pare hanno annunciato uno sciopero dei treni per venerdì.
“Apparently they've announced a train strike for Friday.”
When: Summarising news you have read but cannot confirm
The moment
You are having a morning coffee at the bar with an Italian colleague in Milan while the TV over the counter runs the day's headlines. You want to summarise a story, ask what she makes of it, and give your own view without sounding too sure of yourself.
B1 · Unit 4 · Culture & conversation
The lines
Reporting it without vouching for it
'A quanto pare' means 'apparently, from what I hear' and lets you pass a story on without standing behind it: 'A quanto pare hanno annunciato uno sciopero dei treni per venerdì.' Put it first and the whole sentence stays neutral.
A quanto pare hanno annunciato uno sciopero dei treni per venerdì.
“Apparently they've announced a train strike for Friday.”
When to use it: Summarising news you have read but cannot confirm
What you’ll hear back: Sì, l'ho letto stamattina sul giornale. (Yes, I read it this morning in the paper.)
Cushioning your own opinion
Italians rarely drop an opinion bare at the bar. 'Magari mi sbaglio, ma secondo me alla fine non cambierà granché' puts a cushion in front of your view, and 'granché' ('much at all') keeps it colloquial.
Magari mi sbaglio, ma secondo me alla fine non cambierà granché.
“Maybe I'm wrong, but I think in the end not much will change.”
When to use it: Giving your take when you would rather not plant a flag
What you’ll hear back: Mah, io invece penso che qualcosa si muoverà. (Well, I actually think something will shift.)
Words for this scene
| Italian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| Tu come la vedi? | too KOH-meh lah VEH-dee | What's your take on it? |
Io non saprei, tu come la vedi? I really wouldn't know, what's your take on it? Tip: Warmer than 'che ne pensi'; asks for a view, not a verdict. | ||
| Hai sentito cos'è successo? | eye sen-TEE-toh koh-ZEH soot-CHES-soh | Did you hear what happened? |
Hai sentito cos'è successo ieri sera in centro? Did you hear what happened downtown last night? Tip: The standard bar opener; the TV over the counter supplies the topic. | ||
| Non se ne parla d'altro. | nohn seh neh PAR-lah DAHL-troh | It's all anyone is talking about. |
Da tre giorni non se ne parla d'altro, in ufficio. For three days it's been all anyone talks about at the office. Tip: Says the story is huge without revealing which side you're on. | ||
Your objective
Sum up the story in a sentence or two, ask what they think, and give your own view without sounding too sure.
- a summary of the story
- asking their view
- your own careful view
Lines that get it done
- A quanto pare hanno annunciato uno sciopero dei treni per venerdì.
- Magari mi sbaglio, ma secondo me alla fine non cambierà granché.
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. You read online that a train strike has been called, but nothing is confirmed. How do you report it?
- A quanto pare hanno annunciato uno sciopero dei treni.
- Di sicuro hanno annunciato uno sciopero dei treni.
- Ho annunciato io uno sciopero dei treni.
- Vorrei che annunciassero uno sciopero dei treni.
Show the answer
A quanto pare hanno annunciato uno sciopero dei treni.
'A quanto pare' means apparently, so you pass the story on without vouching for it.
2. You want to give your opinion but leave yourself room to be wrong. What do you say?
- Magari mi sbaglio, ma secondo me non cambierà granché.
- Ti sbagli, secondo me non cambierà granché.
- Magari ti sbagli, ma non cambierà granché.
- Sbaglio sempre, quindi meglio non parlarne.
Show the answer
Magari mi sbaglio, ma secondo me non cambierà granché.
'Magari mi sbaglio' softens your own view; the other options aim the doubt at the other person.
3. You have finished summarising the story and want her opinion. What do you ask?
- Tu come la vedi?
- Tu dove la vedi?
- Tu come mi vedi?
- Tu che cosa guardi?
Show the answer
Tu come la vedi?
'Come la vedi' asks how someone sees an issue; the others ask about eyesight, looks or television.