A2 · The future
stare per and the other announcements
The narrow end of « going to », and nothing wider.
stare per plus the infinitive means « to be about to »: Sto per uscire — « I am just going out ».
It is not a future tense but a statement about now: minutes are meant, not days.
For an ordinary plan the present is enough: Domani lavoro, La settimana prossima parto. A time word beside it, and the matter is clear.
In spoken Italian the present is in fact the normal case; the futuro in an everyday sentence often sounds more formal than it was meant to.
Pensare di plus the infinitive states an intention: Penso di partire lunedì — « I am thinking of leaving on Monday ».
Die Form
| I am about to go out | sto per uscire |
| it is about to rain | sta per piovere |
| the film is about to start | il film sta per cominciare |
| tomorrow I am working | domani lavoro |
| I am thinking of leaving on Monday | penso di partire lunedì |
| we are arriving shortly | fra poco arriviamo |
Die Regeln im Einzelnen
stare per means the next few minutes.
Sbrigati, il treno sta per partire.Hurry up, the train is about to leave.
For a plan the present with a time word is enough.
La settimana prossima vado a Roma.Next week I am going to Rome.
pensare di plus the infinitive states an intention.
Pensiamo di restare due notti.We are thinking of staying two nights.
In conversation the present is the normal case.
Che fai stasera? — Resto a casa.What are you doing tonight? — I am staying in.
Woran man es erkennt
- sto per
- fra poco
- domani
- penso di
Beispielsätze
Il negozio sta per chiudere.The shop is about to close.
Fra poco arriviamo, non ti preoccupare.We will be there shortly, do not worry.
Domenica andiamo al mare.On Sunday we are going to the seaside.
Penso di cambiare lavoro.I am thinking of changing jobs.
Die typisch deutsche Falle
Aufgepasst
« I'm going to leave tomorrow morning » is ordinary English, and the phrase that looks like it means « any second now ». With domani beside it the sentence contradicts itself. English « going to » stretches from the next second to next year and Italian has nothing that stretches at all: the near end is stare per, and everything past the next few minutes is the plain present.
« About to » is minutes; « going to » is the plain present.
Jetzt selbst
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