A2 · 50 Wörter

Words for everything

The linking words, quantity words and set phrases that turn up in every other sentence.

Near the end of this list sits appena, and it is the one word here that English cannot answer with a single word of its own. Three jobs live inside it, and what tells them apart is where it stands and which verb it stands with. In front of a past participle it means « just », a moment ago: è appena uscito is he has just gone out. At the head of a clause it means « as soon as »: appena arrivo, ti chiamo, as soon as I get there I will ring you — and note that Italian is content to put a future tense there, appena arriverò, where English insists on a present. Beside a plain verb it means « barely »: si sente appena is you can hardly hear it, and appena in tempo is only just in time. There is even a doubled appena appena for the narrowest margin of all. English keeps the three senses apart with three unrelated expressions, so a reader who has learned appena as « just » will read the other two kinds of sentence fluently, confidently and wrongly.

Die Wörter

Adverb (20)

inveceby contrastAdverbA2

Lui lavora molto, lei invece riposa.He works a lot; she, by contrast, takes it easy.

quindisoAdverbA2

Era tardi, quindi siamo andati via.It was late, so we left.

dunquethereforeAdverbA2

Non risponde, dunque non è in casa.He is not answering, therefore he is not at home.

perciòthat is whyAdverbA2

Era malato, perciò non è venuto.He was ill, that is why he did not come.

altrimentiotherwiseAdverbA2

Parti adesso, altrimenti perdi il treno.Leave now, otherwise you will miss the train.

almenoat least (no less than)AdverbA2

Ci vogliono almeno due ore.It takes at least two hours.

circaabout (approximately)AdverbA2

Il viaggio dura circa un’ora.The journey takes about an hour.

piuttostoratherAdverbA2

Prenderei piuttosto il treno.I would rather take the train.

tantoso much (of something)AdverbA2

Non mangiare tanto pane.Do not eat so much bread.

intantomeanwhileAdverbA2

Intanto puoi leggere il giornale.Meanwhile you can read the paper.

appostaon purposeAdverbA2

Non l’ha fatto apposta.He did not do it on purpose.

insommain shortAdverbA2

Insomma, non è andata bene.In short, it did not go well.

addiritturaeven (going so far as)AdverbA2

Ha addirittura pagato per tutti.He even paid for everybody.

purtroppounfortunatelyAdverbA2

Purtroppo non posso venire.Unfortunately I cannot come.

perlomenoat least (if nothing else)AdverbA2

Perlomeno ha telefonato.At least he telephoned.

ormaiby nowAdverbA2

Ormai è troppo tardi.It is too late by now.

appenajust (a moment ago)AdverbA2

È appena uscito.He has just gone out.

finoraso farAdverbA2

Finora tutto è andato bene.So far everything has gone well.

perfinoeven (including)AdverbA2

Perfino i bambini l’hanno capito.Even the children understood it.

semmaiif anythingAdverbA2

Semmai ci vediamo domani.If anything, we will see each other tomorrow.

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