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Questions tagged [meaning]

For questions related to definitions and nuances of meaning of an expression or a phrase.

This tag should be used for questions asking about nuances of meaning and definitions for an expression or a phrase. For a good explanation of how to write a good question, please read this blog article.

If you are asking about the meaning of a word in a given context, please use the more specific tag instead.

For questions relating to the origin of a phrase, its evolution over time, or the earliest known citation, should be used.

645 questions
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What does "figurati" mean?

I understand that one meaning of "figurati" is something like "don't mention it", i.e. in response to "grazie". But I've seen it is used in many more contexts than that, as an expression of surprise, something like "you don't say". It's difficult…
blah
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7 answers

What does "Boh!" mean, precisely?

I often heard people saying "Boh!" especially, but not only, when I stayed in Rome. However, I'm unsure what the intended meaning of "Boh!" is, either in Rome or elsewhere. Does it mean I don't know, I don't want to say, I'm not interested, or…
Kyriakos Kyritsis
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Meaning of "magari"

My dictionary translates 'magari' as 'maybe'. However, I know that it can be used as interjection to mean something like "I wish!". My question is, when it's used in a sentence like this: Magari ci vediamo stasera Is does this mean "maybe we'll…
Groky
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9
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Sfizi as a menu category?

Sfizi on Wiktionary https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/sfizi: plural of sfizio Sfizio is defined as whimsy, fancy that doesn’t really explain what it would be as a menu category though. Any ideas?
Mou某
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1 answer

What does "ci mancherebbe altro" mean?

What does this phrase mean? What is an equivalent expression in English, and could you give some examples of usage?
blah
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9
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Meaning of 'pate' in 'una nave che pate tempesta'

I've come across the following phrase in a sixteenth century Italian book: Una nave che pate tempesta in un mar tanto orribile I'm struggling with the meaning of 'pate'. Does anybody know the English or modern Italian equivalent?
Neil D
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8
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Corretta interpretazione della frase "il processo avviene in modo totalmente trasparente all'utente"

Oggi al lavoro è sorto un dilemma non da poco circa la frase: Il processo avviene in modo totalmente trasparente all'utente. Ci siamo resi conto che circa metà delle persone presenti (me compresa) interpretava questa frase come L'utente rimane…
user525
8
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1 answer

What does ripiamo mean?

While going through some photos of when we were in Rome when Italy won the World Cup in 2006, I saw a banner reading Vi aspettavamo da 6 anni… e mo se ripiamo pure la Gioconda We get the reference to the Italy/France game from 6 years prior, and…
Jed Anderson
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Qual è il significato dell'espressione "a cacchio"?

Nel libro Le certezze del dubbio di Goliarda Sapienza ho letto: «E tu sei insopportabile con questi appuntamenti a cacchio che mi dai! Insomma, si può sapere qual è questa sorpresa che mi avevi annunciato? Spero che non sia lo scherzo - e ne…
Charo
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Meaning of "ci tengo a precisare che"

What would be the meaning of the expression "Ci tengo a precisare che"? Google Translator is giving me this expression as a translation of "I would like to point out that..." The translation does not seem to be literal. It seems like a idiomatic…
Daniel Zardo
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Significato di "arrivare in legno"

Leggendo un articolo su Garibaldi, ho trovato questo: Lo stato de inoltrata gravidanza della marchesina era di ricondursi alla sua relazione clandestina con Caroli che si voleva arrivasse in legno a notte fitta sotto le mura del giardino di Fino e…
Humberto
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Sul significato di 'progetto retrospettivo'

La mostra alla Fondazione Galleria Civica di Trento è parte di un più ampio progetto retrospettivo che include le mostre tenutesi, nel 2010, presso Villa Arson, Centre national d’art contemporain di Nizza e Salzburger Kunstverein di Salisburgo. Se…
Elberich Schneider
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Meaning of "profumi alla spina"

I know that "birra alla spina" means "draught beer" (beer served from cask/keg), but I have recently heard the term "profumi alla spina" and I was not able to find out exactly what it means. Are they provided to the client directly from a tap, as…
Alan Evangelista
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Dice? = Is that so?

I have heard the following dialogue between a politician and a gangster in a TV series: G: Lei è un vero rappresentante del popolo. P: Esatto. Solo che non rappresento quelli come lei. G: Dice? Penso che io posso anche averla votata. P: Lo…
Alan Evangelista
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Is "Hai fatto cosa?" understood as a request to repeat what done?

If I were to tell somebody what I did, and the other person asked me Hai fatto cosa? I would take it as a request to repeat what I did, similarly to Cosa hai fatto? but with cosa moved to the end of the sentence for emphasis. Does the sentence have…
apaderno
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