On Prepositions.
[See Gram. p. 209.]
These Prepositions di diétro, vicíno, intórno, dirimpétto,
infíno, will have a Dative after them.
-
- Sir,
- signóre
- if I knew
- [1]se sapére
- where you live,
- dove stare di casa
- I would take the liberty
- pigliáre libertà
- to go and pay you a visit.
- [2]veníre fare vísita.
-
- Sir,
- you would give yourself
- dare
- too much trouble;
- troppo incómodo
- however, if
- però se
- you do me that favour,
- fare favóre
- you shall be very welcome;
- éssere il benvenúto
- I live near the Temple,
- stare vicíno Témpio
- opposite
- dirimpétto
- Chancery-lane.
-
- I believe
- crédere che
- my best way
- la miglior strada
- to go to your house is to
- che possa fare per veníre da
- pass by
- voi sia di passáre
- London-bridge.
- Londra ponte
- You are in the right, sir,
- avére ragióne
- since
- giacchè
- you live behind the Tower.
- stare di diétro Torre.
-
- A poor labourer
- póvero lavoránte
- that works from
- travaglíare
- morning till night
- mattína infíno sera
- (when he is well paid
- quando éssere bene pagáto
- for his labour)
- lavóro
- lives
- vívere
- more content and satisfied,
- conténto sodisfátto
- than those who
- have great riches.
- avére gran richézza.
-
- He who shall be
- éssere
- constant even to death,
- costánte infíno morte
- shall have
- avére
- the crown of glory.
- coróna glória.
On Conjunctions which require the Subjunctive
after them.
[See Gram. p. 204.]
The following Conjunctions prima che, acciocchè,
finchè, per paura che, sin che, benchè, purchè,
a meno che, Iddío voglia che, require the Subjunctive
after them.
-
- You will speak
- parláre
- Italian well,
- Italiáno bene
- provided
- purchè
- you take pains;
- darsi pena
- I tell you so,
- direacciochè
- that
- acciochè
- you may take courage,
- pigliáre corággio
- and learn well.
- imparáre bene.
-
- I remember I told you
- ricordársi dire
- several times
- parécchie volte
- that you will never write
- mai scrívere
- Italian correctly,
- Italiáno correttaménte
- unless
- a meno che
- you study the rules.
- studiáre regola.
-
- I will take so much pains,
- darsi pena
- that
- I hope
- sperare
- I shall write it
- scrívere
- well
- before
- prima
- next summer.
- próssimo state.
-
- You will soon perceive
- présto accorgérsi
- the effects of it,
- effétto
- provided
- purchè
- you follow my directions,
- seguíre suggerimento
- though
- benchè
- you think
- sembrare
- the Italian tongue
- Italiáno lingua
- is very difficult.
- éssere diffícile.
-
- Please God
- piáccia Iddío
- it may be as you say;
- éssere come dire
- for
- perchè
- it would be
- éssere
- a great satisfaction
- grande soddisfazióne
- to me.
-
- I esteem
- stimáre
- a man
- uno
- very unhappy
- molto infelíce
- that has not the fear of God,
- avére timóre Iddío
- though
- benchè
- he should possess
- possédere
- all the treasures
- tutto tesóro
- in the world,
- mondo
- even though
- benchè
- he should have
- avére
- all the other fine qualities
- altro bello qualità
- that can make a man
- potére réndere úno
- perfect.
- perfetto.
-
- I always praised you
- sempre lodáre
- very much
- molto
- before
- prima che
- you became so idle;
- diveníre pigro
- and I told you
- dire
- several times
- più volte
- that you would lose
- pérdere
- the good opinion
- buóno opinióne
- every one had of you,
- tutto avére
- unless
- a meno che
- you should be
- éssere
- as diligent and careful
- diligénte premuróso
- as you were before.
- éssere prima.
-
- When I corrected you
- quando corréggere
- for your faults,
- colpa
- it was not
- éssere
- because
- perchè
- I did not love you;
- amáre
- on the contrary,
- al contrário
- it was to the end that
- éssere acciocchè
- you should employ your time well,
- impiegáre témpo
- and that you should be
- éssere
- more diligent
- più diligénte
- than you are
- now.
- adesso.
-
- Though
- benchè
- you began
- principiáre
- to learn Italian
- imparáre Italiáno
- before me,
- prima di me
- I hope
- speráre
- I shall speak it soon
- parláre presto
- as well as you.
- bene quanto voi.
-
- I do not believe so,
- crédere
- unless
- a meno che
- you have learned
- avére
- all the rules of the grammar.
- tutto régola grammática.
-
- Though
- benchè
- I did not learn them,
- imparáre
- yet
- pure
- I will take so much pains,
- pigliáre tanto pena
- that what I told you
- dire
- will prove true.
- éssere vero.
-
- It will be some time
- vi vorrà del tempo
- before
- prima che
- you have read them.
- léggere.
-
- Would to God
- volésse Iddío
- I had known you
- conóscere
- sooner,
- I should speak
- parláre
- Italian well now:
- Italiáno bene ora
- and although
- benchè
- I had learned
- imparáre
- when I was young,
- éssere gióvine
- yet I knew
- sapére
- but very little of it,
- pochíssimo
- when I began with you.
- quando principiáre.
-
- Perhaps
- forse
- it was not
- éssere
- your master’s fault;
- maéstro colpa
- for before
- prima che
- I composed my grammar,
- compórre grammática
- I found but few
- trováre poco
- that would learn grammatically.
- imparáre grammaticalménte.
-
- It is true
- vero
- I had a very good master,
- avére buóno maéstro
- and if I had
- se avére
- believed him,
- crédere
- I should have learned
- avére imparáto
- by rules,
- per principj
- but I found them
- ma trováre
- too tedious;
- troppo nojóso
- and would to Heaven
- volésse Cielo
- I had followed
- avére seguito
- his advice,
- consíglio
- for
- perchè
- I have a great desire
- avére gran voglia
- to speak Italian.
- parláre Italiáno.
Some Verbs signifying will, desire, leave, or fear,
will have the Conjunction che after them, and the
following Verb in the Subjunctive.
-
- I will leave you
- lasciáre
- to do that.
- fare.
-
- I wish
- desideráre
- you may be
- éssere
- as honest as
- onésto
- your father.
- padre.
-
- I ordered
- ordináre
- dinner
- pranzo
- to be ready
- éssere pronto
- immediately.
- subito.
-
- That must be done
- bisógna fare
- quickly.
- presto.
-
- God permitted
- Iddío perméttere
- it should happen.
- succédere.
-
- I am afraid
- avére paura
- you were mistaken.
- ingannársi.
We express the two Anglicisms this day se’nnight,
this day fortnight, by d’oggi a otto, d’oggi a
quindici.
-
- I believe
- crédere
- I shall go
- andáre
- into the country
- campágna
- this day se’nnight,
- d’oggi a otto
- but I hope
- speráre
- I shall come back
- ritornáre
- this day fortnight.
- d’oggi a quíndici.
-
- I am sure that
- éssere sicúro
- when once you are there,
- quando una volta éssere
- you will not return
- tornáre
- so soon
- così présto
- to town.
- città.
-
- I give you my word that
- dare paróla
- this day fortnight
- d’oggi a quíndici
- I will come to see you.
- veníre vedére.
-
- When
- quando
- will your brother go
- fratéllo andáre
- to Germany?
- Germánia?
-
- He expects to go
- contare andáre
- this day se’nnight,
- d’oggi a otto
- if it is fine weather.
- se fare bel tempo.
The word people, when taken generally for the people
of a whole country, is expressed in Italian
by the word gente.
-
- The French
- Francése
- had the name of being
- avére riputazióne éssere
- the most civil people
- civíle gente
- in the world.
- mondo.
-
- I should not like
- amáre
- to live among
- vívere fra
- the Spaniards,
- Spagnuólo
- for they are
- perchè éssere
- very jealous people;
- gelóso gente
- but I should never be tired
- ma éssere mai stanco
- of living among
- vívere fra
- the English,
- Inglése
- for I believe
- perchè crédere
- they are
- éssere
- the most civil
- civíle
- the most courteous,
- cortése
- and the most obliging
- obbligánte
- people in the world.
- gente mondo.
When the word people signifies subjects, it is expressed
in Italian by the word pópolo.
-
- A good prince
- buóno príncipe
- should prefer
- preferíre
- the happiness of his people
- felicità pópolo
- to his own.
- Happy are the people
- felíce pópolo
- who have a
- avére
- good prince
- buón
- to govern them.
- governáre.
On the Particle si, it is, they, one, &c. [See Gram. p. 211.] The Particle si is always put before a Verb, and the
Verb must be impersonal.
-
- I was told that
- dire
- you speak Italian
- parláre Italiáno
- very well.
- benissimo.
-
- They do me
- fare
- more honour than
- onóre
- I deserve;
- meritáre
- I wish it were true.
- volére vero.
-
- They say
- dire
- you are going to be married.
- stare per maritársi.
-
- They say so,
- dire così
- indeed;
- in verità
- but
- ma
- they are
- much mistaken.
- molto ingannársi.
-
- I was assured that
- assicuráre
- the lady’s father and your’s
- [1]signóra padre
- had concluded
- conchiúdere
- the articles of marriage.
- articólo matrimónio.
-
- If they say so,
- se dire così
- it is
- without
- senza
- any foundation.
- alcúno fondaménto.
-
- I am very glad
- rallegrársi
- to see you,
- vedére
- for I was told
- perchè dire
- you were gone to
- France.
- Fráncia.
-
- Pray who told you
- di grazia dire
- such a falsehood?
- tale falsità
- No matter;
- non impórta
- and we were also told,
- éssere detto
- you were to go to
- andáre
- Italy.
- Itália.
The Verb to use in English, signifies in Italian servírsi,
assuefársi, accostumársi; when it signifies
servírsi, it is commonly followed by a Noun, but
otherwise it is followed by a Verb.
-
- He who forgets
- dimenticare
- those things which
- cosa
- he desires to remember,
- desideráre ricordársi
- must use helps
- dovére servírsi ajúto
- to cultivate his memory,
- coltiváre memória
- or use
- o
- the greatest diligence
- grande diligénza
- and attention
- attenzióne
- when he is reading,
- quando léggere
- that he may retain
- ritenére
- profitable instructions;
- profittévole istruzióne
- for when they have once
- perchè quando éssere una volta
- slipt out
- uscíto
- of the memory,
- memória
- there is need of
- bisognáre
- fresh reading
- nuóva lettúra
- to recall them.
- richiamáre.
-
- All men
- tutto uómo
- desire riches,
- desideráre ricchézze
- but all do not use
- ma tutto non ne usano
- riches rightly;
- bene
- when they are come to
- quando avére acquistato
- honours and wealth,
- onóre opulénza
- they are still greedy
- ancóra avído
- to heap up more.
- accumuláre
- He who
- desires
- desideráre
- nothing,
- niente
- wants nothing:
- avér bisógno
- it is a wise man’s part
- sávio uómo
- to restrain his desires.
- dovére moderáre desidério.
The Impersonal Verb impórta, requires a Dative
Case.
-
- It much concerns
- molto impórta
- young people
- gioventù
- to avoid bad company,
- schiváre cattívo compagnía
- as they would
- come
- beware of the plague;
- guardársi peste
- it is more hurtful
- nuocévole
- to the mind,
- spirito
- than the most contagious disease
- contagióso malattía
- to the body.
- corpo.
-
- It concerns me,
- impórta
- and all men
- tutto
- to look to ourselves;
- badáre
- the world is full of
- mondo piéno
- knaves and knavery.
- furbo furbéria
- It is hard to be known,
- diffícile sapére
- and he is hard to be found,
- trováre
- who is fit to be trusted.
- fidársi.
-
- The greatest caution
- grande cautéla
- is to be used
- adopráre
- in the presence of children;
- presénza ragázzo
- masters must
- maéstro dovére
- behave themselves
- comportársi
- very warily,
- prudentémente
- lest scholars learn evil of them;
- per timóre che scoláro imparáre del male
- and it greatly concerns
- molto impórta
- boys
- gióvane
- to imitate
- imitáre
- their master’s virtues.
- maéstro virtù.
When the word to speak, is joined with truth, it is
expressed in Italian by dire.
-
- You promised me
- prométtere
- several times
- spesse volta
- you would be diligent,
- éssere diligénte
- and that you would never
- mai
- keep bad company;
- praticáre cattívo compagnia
- I perceive that
- accorgérsi
- you do not speak always the truth, for
- dire sempre verità
- I met you to-day
- incontráre oggi
- with a man
- con uómo
- whose company
- compagnía
- I forbade you.
- proibíre
- A man who
- uno
- does not delight in
- amáre
- speaking always the truth,
- dire sempre verità
- is unworthy of
- indégno
- enjoying the society of
- godére società
- honest people.
- onésto gente.
When in English a period begins by these words, I
wish, I would, we express them thus in Italian,
vorréi potér, with the following Verb in the Infinitive
Mood.
-
- I wish I could
- potére
- serve you,
- servire
- I would do it
- fare
- with all my heart.
- tutto cuóre.
-
- I wish I could
- see
- vedére
- your sister,
- sorélla
- I would give her
- dare
- something
- qualche cosa
- that was sent to me
- éssere mandáto
- for her.
-
- I wish I could
- speak Italian
- parláre Italiáno
- as well as you do,
- it would be
- éssere
- a great satisfaction
- grande soddisfazióne
- to me.
-
- I wish I could
- do
- fare
- what you desire of me,
- desideráre
- I would not refuse it you.
- ricusáre.
-
- I wish I could
- be reconciled with
- éssere riconciliáto
- your brother,
- fratéllo
- for
- perchè
- he is
- an honest man.
- galantuómo.
-
- I wish I could
- go into the country
- andáre campágna
- with you,
- I would not return soon
- ritornáre presto
- to town,
- città
- for I would visit
- andar a visitáre
- all my friends
- tutto amíco
- who are there.
-
- I wish I could
- follow
- seguíre
- your example,
- esémpio
- I would live
- better than I do.
- meglio.
Ought and must are to be rendered in Italian by the
Present of the Indicative of the Verb dovere, and
are not Impersonal.