Part One
Fillers words are words that ‘fill in’ silence when people are speaking. They are very common in informal language, and they come in handy when you’re thinking about what to say next.
Today we’ll learn the most common Italian filler words.
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
1. Allora = so, then
Allora, dove volete andare stasera? – So where do you want to go tonight?
A: Non ho voglia di andare al cinema. B: Ok allora andiamo in spiaggia!
A: I don't feel like going to the cinema. B: Ok then let's go to the beach!
2. Bene = ok, well
- A: Abbiamo finito. B: Bene, allora vado. – A: We're done. B: Well, then I'll go.
- Bene, almeno abbiamo finito di fare le valigie – Well, at least we're done packing.
3. Be’, beh = well
Beh, è sempre meglio controllare – Well, it's always best to check.
Beh? Che cosa aspetti? – Well? What are you waiting for?
4. Boh = I don’t know, no idea, don’t ask me
A: Ma che fine ha fatto Stephanie? B: Boh, e che ne so! – A: But what happened to Stephanie? B: No idea, how should I know!
A: Pensi che ce la faremo a vedere la città in tre giorni? B: Boh, ci possiamo provare. – A: Do you think we will be able to see the city in three days? B: Dunno, we can try.
5. Che dire = what else is there to say, what can I/we say.
Che dire, spero di rivederti presto! – What can I say, hope to see you again soon!
6. Cioè = that is (to say), namely, I mean
‘Cioè’ can be compared to the English words 'like'/'I mean'. Overusing this word is often synonymous with poor language proficiency, so it's best not to overuse it.
- Cioè… senza pasta il pranzo non ha senso – That is to say… without pasta, lunch is meaningless.
- Hai bisogno di una guida per vedere bene Torino… e cioè io! – You need a guide to see Turin well… namely me!
- Cioè, cosa si aspettava? – I mean, what was he expecting?
7. Comunque = anyway, in any case
Comunque, sono contenta di avervi conosciuto e spero che veniate a trovarmi in Italia! – Anyway, I'm glad we met and I hope you’ll come visit me in Italy!
8. DAI: don’t worry, come on!
Dai, vedrai che andrà tutto bene – Don’t worry… everything will be all right.
Dai, andiamo a vedere un film dell’orrore! – Come on, let's go see a horror movie!
9. Diciamo (solo) che, ti/vi dico solo che = let’s say that, let’s just say
A: Ti sei divertita ieri sera? B: Diciamo che è stata un’esperienza interessante … – A: Did you have fun last night? B: Let's say it was an interesting experience...
A: Allora? Com’è andata? B: Ti dico solo che più di cento persone mi hanno già contattato per partecipare al mio seminario! – A: So? How did you go? B: Let’s just say that more than a hundred people have already contacted me to attend my seminar!
10. Dunque = so
Dunque? Cosa ti ha detto? – So? What did he tell you?
Dunque... dove eravamo rimasti? – So… where did we leave off?
'Allora’ can be used instead of ‘dunque’ with the same meaning.
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Thanks for reading, I'll see you all next month!
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