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matteo tironi.
User deleted
Confusing words.
Hi guys, and welcome to a new article here on Easy Peasy Italian.
After having faced the seven sacred beasts of ro.... the Italian grammar (the modals volere, sapere, dovere and potere), today we will start a new series of articles based more on specific vocabulary topics: confusing words, how to untangle the tangle.
As Italy is well known for its aesthetic culture, for its good food, and basically for a lot of good things, over times we developed quite a few words to render the simple English concept of “good”, and unfortunately, they are not interchangeable.
Ok, so let's give them a brief glance before tackling them one by one:
buono
bravo
bello
there three adjectives are not always easy to grasp at fullest.
ok, if you've been studying Italian for long enough, I guess you have confused at least one of these at least once, because their meanings can overlap at times, although usually they don't, and misusing them is like the 1st mistake you spot when you hear a foreigner talking.
And this is kind of bad, especially since many of you have a high-grammar level, which would make you cut a poor figure if it doesn't come with a good lexical level.
So, let's start with our first word:
buono
this is most likely the easiest one, because it is the closer one to “good”, even if it is not as wide as its English counterpart.
For instance, if you say:
He is a good doctor
lui è un buon dottore WRONG..
that's not buono. That's bravo. I mean, the sentence does make sense, but it doesn't mean he's good at his job, rather that he is a doctor, and that in addition he's a good person (i.e. Kind and generous).
(well, some people tend to say such sentences meaning bravo, but bravo is still the most correct option and should always be used in this context)
so this is buono's first meaning:
1) kind, generous and similar adjectives. Basically, a good (insert noun relative to people like doctor), is a good......., which is also a good person. (look at the example twice if you can't grasp it)
This meaning of buono applies to people and deeds as well:
hai fatto una buona cosa
You did a good deed.(such as volounteering, for instance).
2) buono can refers to objects like this:
Conosci un buon libro da leggere?
Do you know a good book to read?
In this case, buono refers to an object, and it describes it as excelling in its own field, suitable for a certain use or of high quality.
However, the same concept CANNOT be expressed when talking about people using buono, because when buono refers to a person, it means kind.
On the other hand, this meaning can apply to actions as well.
“but wait, you said that when buono refers to actions it means good like volunteering and that stuff”, someone could object.
Indeed, but it can also mean suitable, fruitful, and excellent in a certain field. Only context can clear this up.
So if I say:
è per una buona causa
it's for a good cause.
Then, buono is the kind-volunteering-like one.
But if I say:
è stato un buon affare
it was a good deal.
Buono here has the other meaning as fruitful, (in this case) that made me earn/save a lot of money.
This ambiguity is quite easy to rule however, since context will clear this easily (isn't it the same in English after all, with good doing all the job?)
However, if I say:
è un buon libro.
No one would interpret this one as the booking being kind. Everyone would istantly think that it was of high quality.
3)buono has another niche meaning that can refer to food (and to smells) only: that tastes/smells good.
Questa torta è buona.
This cake tastes good.
Hai proprio un buon profumo stasera!
You smell so good tonight!
Beware not to confuse this adjective with gustoso (the “proper” translation for tasty”) because buono, unlike tasty, only refers to the food tasting good, while gustoso refers to the food having a strong taste (in a good way, usually).
So, let's say, strawberries are buone, but not gustose (because they do taste good, but their flavor is rather weak).
I don't know whether this makes sense to you, but here in Italy we have quite a fetish toward food and even DESCRIBING it is hard XD.
Before moving on to bravo, let's have a look to some terms derived from buono that might confuse you:
Bontà= either the good taste of some delicacy, or the good-intentions involved in a certain action.
e.g.
Permettigli di dimostrare la bontà delle sue parole.
Allow him to prove the truth in his words (lit. ….prove the goodness of his words)
Questo piatto è una bontà.
This dish is a delicacy/ is delicious.
Bonariamente= not having bad intentions (like when you make a joke about somebody but you don't mean to offend him)
bono|a/bonazzo|a= a slang way to call a sexy lass/lad.
Buonsenso= commonsense
alla buona= in an imprecise, careless way (adv), down-to-earth, simple (adj)
di buon ora= early in the morning.
Buono= coupon, bond (noun)
if you give a close look to this terms, even if it is not always obvious, the three concepts of kind/good(for objects and deeds)/tasty come in very often.
Don't ask me about bonazzo though XP it's just a slang term you'll hear often amongst youngsters.
Ok, so this one is buono. Let's move on to bravo.
bravo
Let's give a brief look at its etymology first though:
while buono comes from the pretty obvious Latin bonus (that means the same, basically), bravo's one is less obvious. According to wiktionary, it comes from a fusion of pravus(evil) and barbarus(savage)..... don't ask me why.
My guess is that the Latins saw the Germanic soldiers' bravery and forged this noun from them..... I guess. Still, bravo does not mean brave, and this is kind of weird, I know.
Bravo, which can refer to people only, has two basics aspects:
1) tha excels in a certain profession/action, skillful.
Luca è bravo a giocare a calcio
Luca is good at football.
La mia maestra è brava
My teacher is capable (good at teaching).
This is the person-version of buono, basically.
Remember, objects that work well are buono, people who work well are bravo.
2)that behaves well.
This is quite similar to buono actually, in fact it can overlap with it at times, but there definitely is a difference.
Let's say there is a guild of hit men, and the master wants to praise one of his servants for having obeyed to his orders:
Here, the master wouldn't call the acolyte “buono”, because he didn't behave well as in a kind/generous way, but he would praise him by saying bravo, because he was obedient and followed his orders. Maybe he's not even good at killing people (that would be the first bravo), still he is bravo because he obeyed.
On the other hand, let's say a soldier has been ordered by his general to kill a civilian, but he refuses to do so.
In this case, the soldier would be buono, because he is a good person since he spared the civilian, still he is not bravo because he didn't behave as someone else (the general) expected him to.
I know the difference can be subtle at times, (if someone does volunteering, he can be either called buono (because he helps people), or bravo (because he behaves as the society expects him to), and the choice of words is up to which aspect the speaker wants to emphasize).
And, here you are some phrases including bravo:
bravura= skills, the fact of being good a t something
e.g.
La sua bravura a suonare il piano è impareggiabile
His piano skills are unmatchable.
Bravata= bravado, a reckless action made by male youngsters (usually) to have fun (usually, an excuse for their faults)
e.g.
“perchè avete rotto il mio pc?”
“dai, è stata una bravata!”
“why did you break my laptop?”
“come on, it was just a bravado!”
Ok, this is it for bravo. The next one is bello, which is less tangled with the other two, but still could be messed up with by a beginner.
Bello
Bello basically boils down to three meanings, two of which are very limited
beware though, because bello is one of those tricky adjectives that change meaning depending on whether it is placed before or after the non they refer to:
1) the main one is: good looking. Eveything that is aesthetically good, is bello. This can be referred to basically everything, either objects, paintings, or even people of course (even though it is quite a straightforward and strong statement if you say someone he/she's bello, it is like saying he/she is beautiful/handsome, not a mild nice!).
When used this way, bello USUALLY goes after the name it refers to.
Ho visto un bel quadro al museo.
I saw a wonderful painting at the museum.
Sei davvero bella!
You are so beautiful!
2) in a ironic way, to say that something is.... well, not the way you expected it to be:
Let's say you booked a super-wonderful hotel in Naples (a city taken at random (yeah, how notXD)) online. The website showcased a super large pool with the tub, a comfortable fitness center and a luxury restaurant.
You take a flight, along with your high hopes toward your first journey to the peninsula, eager to enjoy the weather and...... bum. You arrive there, and the Hotel you booked looks more like a crib that an actual place where you could sleep.
The bed is pestered with bed-fleas, the pool looks more like a bog with a corpse floating in it, the fitness centre are actually the endless steep stairs to your room and the restaurant is worse than a charity canteen.
You have been bummed.
Well, then you could say:
“proprio un bell'albergo, eh?”
“what a wonderful hotel, isn't it?”
here, bello does not mean the hotel is good-looking. On the contrary, it sucks so hard you want to vomit. And bello, put BEFORE the noun, means that: something is not the way you expected it to be.
You could call a friend who betrays you a “bell'amico”, a shitty day “una bella giornata”, and so forth, but the concept stays the same: something is not the way you expected/wished it to be.
Beware because at times, for stylistic reasons, the first bello could be placed before the noun (in certain set phrases, for instance), and then only context, and emphasis, can rule which one of the two meanings is the right one, although it is almost always made obvious by the context.
This “swap” in positions occurs more often when talking about objects than when referring to people.
3) the last, very niche one, is the set phrase “bel tempo”, good weather (not raining or snowing or hailing)
and, here you are some idioms with bello to call this a day
bel gesto= at action that can be deemed by someone else as a good example. For instance, let's say you are a millionaire and you give a few millions to a charity project, that would be a “bel gesto”
fare il bello ed il brutto tempo= to have so much the control of a certain thing that you have the possibility to influence it as much as you want. For instance, your boss at works can do that, especially if he hates you XD
belloccio/a| bellimbusto/a= someone who does look handsome/beutiful, but not as much clever.
Bellamente= carelessly, without caring about the consequences in a brazen way.
e.g.
La segretaria del capo, che evidentemente se la fa con lui, se ne viene bellamente alle 10 del mattino senza che nessuno obietti nulla.
The boss' secretary, which quite obviously has an affair with him, comes to work as late as 10 am as if it were nothing and no one says a thing about this.
Il figlio del capo, dopo essere venuto a piangere miseria ed aver licenziato un sacco di gente, se ne va bellamente in giro con la sua ferrari.
The boss' son, after having acted the poor mouth with us and having fired a lot of people, brazenly shows around his ferrari.
Alla bell'è meglio= in a imprecise, coarse way, and without putting any effort in it (always used in criticisms, unlike alla buona, which can refer to something that is meant not to be made in a too torough way)
la bella vita= a life full of luxury, without working and often without deserving it.
e.g.
Quel cazzo di ladro di Craxi, dopo essersi fottuto i nostri soldi, adesso fa la bella vita in Tunisia!
That fucking thief of Craxi, after having duped our bucks, now he's living it up in Tunisy.
Oooooook, we're done. So, let's go for a super quick recap:
buono is used to express:
1)the fact of being kind (think about volunteering)
2)the fact that an object is properly working, good at what it is needed for.
3)the fact that a food tastes good.
Bravo is used to express:
1)the fact that a person is good at what he does.
2)the fact that someone behaves the way he is expected to.
Bello is used to express:
1) the fact that someone/ somebody looks good (usually after the noun, especially for people)
2)the fact that something is not the way you expected it to be (always before the noun, especially people)
3)bel tempo= good weather.
Ok, this is it. I hope you enjoy my article and find it useful.I originally planned to insert bene in this article too, but that would have made it way too long.
Till next time,
Matteo.
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confusingwords1: buono/bravo/bello level2three of the most confusing articles in existance exposed here. here their secrets are :) |
