The Brothers Karamazov — Page 2

Vocabulary

prima

prima — First; before something else in order

moglie

mo-lye — Wife; a married woman

apparteneva

ap-par-te-ne-va — Belonged to; was a member of a group

famiglia

fa-mi-lya — Family; a group of related people

nobile

no-bi-le — Noble; of high aristocratic social rank

abbastanza

ab-bas-tan-tsa — Enough, quite, rather; moderately so

ricca

rik-ka — Rich, wealthy; having great financial resources

distinta

dis-tin-ta — Distinguished, refined; of notable social standing

anch'essa

an-kes-sa — She too, also she; referring back to subject

proprietaria

pro-prie-ta-rya — Owner, proprietress; female owner of property

terre

ter-re — Lands, estates; tracts of owned rural property

nostro

nos-tro — Our; first-person plural possessive adjective

distretto

dis-tret-to — District; an administrative geographical subdivision

sia

si-a — May be; subjunctive form of 'essere'

potuto

po-tu-to — Been able; past participle of 'potere'

accadere

ak-ka-de-re — To happen, to occur; an event taking place

un'ereditiera

un-e-re-di-tye-ra — An heiress; woman who inherits wealth or property

bellezza

bel-let-tsa — Beauty; the quality of being very attractive

quelle

kwel-le — Those; feminine plural demonstrative adjective

ragazze

ra-gat-tse — Girls, young women; female youths

vigorose

vi-go-ro-ze — Vigorous, strong; full of physical or mental energy

intelligenti

in-tel-li-jen-ti — Intelligent, smart; having high mental capacity

comuni

ko-mu-ni — Common, frequent; occurring often or widely

generazione

je-ne-ra-tsyo-ne — Generation; a group of contemporaries born similarly

talvolta

tal-vol-ta — Sometimes, occasionally; not always but at times

riscontrabili

ris-kon-tra-bi-li — Findable, detectable; able to be encountered or found

abbia

ab-bya — Has; present subjunctive of 'avere'

sposare

spo-za-re — To marry; to take someone as a spouse

individuo

in-di-vi-dwo — Individual, person; a single human being

spregevole

spre-je-vo-le — Contemptible, despicable; deserving scorn or disgust

meschino

mes-ki-no — Mean, petty, wretched; small-minded or miserable

debole

de-bo-le — Weak, feeble; lacking strength or firmness

chiamavamo

kya-ma-va-mo — We called; first-person plural imperfect of 'chiamare'

tutti

tut-ti — Everyone, all; referring to a whole group

tenterò

ten-te-rò — I will attempt; future tense of 'tentare'

spiegarlo

spye-gar-lo — To explain it; infinitive with direct object pronoun

conosciuto

ko-no-shu-to — Met, known; past participle of 'conoscere'

giovane

jo-va-ne — Young; of relatively few years or age

donna

don-na — Woman; an adult female person

romantica

ro-man-ti-ka — Romantic; inclined toward idealized love or sentiment

dopo

do-po — After, later; indicating subsequent time or order

alcuni

al-ku-ni — Some, a few; an unspecified small number

anni

an-ni — Years; plural of 'anno', units of time

passione

pas-syo-ne — Passion; intense emotion or strong feeling

enigmatica

e-nig-ma-ti-ka — Enigmatic, mysterious; difficult to understand or interpret

gentiluomo

jen-ti-lwò-mo — Gentleman; a man of noble or refined character

avrebbe

a-vreb-be — Would have; conditional of 'avere'

benissimo

be-nis-si-mo — Very well; superlative form of 'bene'

qualsiasi

kwal-sya-zi — Any, whatever; used to mean any kind at all

momento

mo-men-to — Moment; a very brief period of time

inventò

in-ven-tò — Invented, fabricated; created or made something up

ostacoli

os-ta-ko-li — Obstacles, hindrances; things blocking progress or union

insormontabili

in-sor-mon-ta-bi-li — Insurmountable; impossible to overcome or get past

unione

u-nyo-ne — Union; the joining together of two people

finì

fi-nì — Ended, finished; third-person singular past of 'finire'

gettarsi

jet-tar-si — To throw oneself; reflexive infinitive of 'gettare'

notte

not-te — Night; the dark period between sunset and sunrise

tempestosa

tem-pes-to-za — Stormy, tempestuous; characterized by violent weather

fiume

fyu-me — River; a large natural flowing body of water

profondo

pro-fon-do — Deep; extending far down below the surface

impetuoso

im-pe-two-zo — Impetuous, rushing; moving with great force or speed

riva

ri-va — Bank, shore; the edge of a river or water

quasi

kwa-zi — Almost, nearly; not quite but very close

precipizio

pre-chi-pi-tsyo — Precipice, cliff; a steep dangerous rocky drop

perì

pe-rì — Perished, died; third-person singular past of 'perire'

unicamente

u-ni-ka-men-te — Only, solely; for one reason alone

soddisfare

sod-dis-fa-re — To satisfy, to fulfill; to meet a need or desire

proprio

pro-pryo — Own; belonging specifically to oneself

capriccio

ka-prit-cho — Whim, caprice; a sudden irrational desire or impulse

essere

es-se-re — To be; fundamental Italian infinitive verb

verità

ve-ri-tà — Truth; the quality of being true or real

quel

kwel — That; masculine singular demonstrative adjective

luogo

lwo-go — Place, location; a specific spot or area

scelto

shel-to — Chosen, selected; past participle of 'scegliere'

prediletto

pre-di-let-to — Favorite, beloved; most preferred or cherished

fosse

fos-se — Were; imperfect subjunctive of 'essere'

meno

me-no — Less; used for comparisons of lesser degree

pittoresco

pit-to-res-ko — Picturesque; visually charming or quaint in appearance

posto

pos-to — Place, spot, position; a specific location

vi

vi — There, here; locative adverbial pronoun

piatta

pyat-ta — Flat, dull; lacking elevation or interest

prosaica

pro-za-i-ka — Prosaic, mundane; lacking imagination or excitement

probabilmente

pro-ba-bil-men-te — Probably, likely; with a good chance of occurring

suicidio

swi-chi-dyo — Suicide; the act of intentionally taking one's life

sarebbe

sa-reb-be — Would be; conditional of 'essere'

mai

mai — Never, ever; used in negations or questions

avvenuto

av-ve-nu-to — Occurred, happened; past participle of 'avvenire'

fatto

fat-to — Fact, deed; something that actually happened or exists

pochi

po-ki — Few, not many; a small number of things

casi

ka-zi — Cases, instances; occurrences of a particular kind

simili

si-mi-li — Similar, alike; resembling each other in character

ultime

ul-ti-me — Last, final; most recent in a sequence

generazioni

je-ne-ra-tsyo-ni — Generations; plural of groups of contemporaries

L'azione

la-tsyo-ne — The action; an act or deed performed by someone

similmente

si-mil-men-te — Similarly, likewise; in a comparable manner

senza

sen-tsa — Without; preposition indicating absence of something

dubbio

dub-byo — Doubt; uncertainty about something being true

un'eco

u-ne-ko — An echo; a repetition or reflection of another's ideas

idee

i-de-e — Ideas; thoughts, concepts, or mental impressions

altrui

al-trwi — Others', someone else's; belonging to other people

dovuta

do-vu-ta — Due to, owed; caused by or resulting from something

all'irritazione

al-ir-ri-ta-tsyo-ne — To the irritation; a state of annoyance or agitation

causata

kau-za-ta — Caused; feminine past participle of 'causare'

mancanza

man-kan-tsa — Lack, absence; the state of being without something

libertà

li-ber-tà — Freedom, liberty; the state of being free

mentale

men-ta-le — Mental; relating to the mind or intellect

Voleva

vo-le-va — Wanted; third-person singular imperfect of 'volere'

forse

for-se — Perhaps, maybe; expressing possibility or uncertainty

mostrare

mos-tra-re — To show; to display or demonstrate something

propria

pro-prya — Own; feminine form of possessive adjective 'proprio'

indipendenza

in-di-pen-den-tsa — Independence; freedom from control or dependence on others

femminile

fem-mi-ni-le — Feminine, female; relating to women or womanhood

infischiarsene

in-fis-kyar-se-ne — To not care about it; to dismiss something entirely

distinzioni

dis-tin-tsyo-ni — Distinctions; differences or divisions between things

classe

klas-se — Class; a social or economic grouping of people

dispotismo

dis-po-tiz-mo — Despotism; cruel and oppressive exercise of power