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Timothy
The appropriate word for 'Now', in Italian?
Hi there, I have seen the Italian words adesso, subito and ora used to mean now/at this time/right now in English. Can anyone offer an explanation of when to use each, or when to use another word entirely?
Many Thanks,
Timothy
Jul 9, 2014 7:28 AM
Answers · 10
3
Adesso = right now, in this moment, presently
Subito = immediately, at once
Ora = now, hour
Usage examples:
Adesso/ora devo andare via = I have to go now
Adesso/ora sto lavorando = right now I'm working
Vattene subito! = Go away at once!
Ci vediamo subito dopo cena = We'll meet immediately after dinner.
July 9, 2014
2
a1) E` venuto a trovarmi mio fratello, ma e` ripartito subito.
a2) E` venuto a trovarmi mio fratello, ma adesso e` ripartito.
(a1) and (a2) have quite different meanings!
(a1) : my brother came to visit me, but stayed for a very short time.
(a2) : my brother came to visit me, but he has already gone away, I am not saying anything about /how long/ he stayed.
July 9, 2014
1
"adesso adesso" it means "right now" :)
July 9, 2014
Hi Timothy.
"Adesso" - "Subito - "Ora" are quite similar, but they probably express a different urgency level.
- "Devi farlo subito" means you have to do something right now, you can't wait anymore
- "Adesso/Ora inizio" means you start doing something but in the few hours or days, it depends on the specific activity you're talking to
July 10, 2014
Thanks so much for all of these responses..... much appreciated!
July 9, 2014
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Timothy
Language Skills
English, Italian
Learning Language
Italian
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