White nights, and other stories — Page 14

Vocabulary

Costruisco

kos-tru-IS-ko — I build or construct something

veri

VE-ri — True, real, genuine (masculine plural adjective)

propri

PRO-pri — Own, proper, actual (masculine plural adjective)

romanzi

ro-MAN-tsi — Novels, works of long fiction

miei

MIE-i — My (masculine plural possessive adjective)

sogni

SO-ɲi — Dreams, visions during sleep or imagination

voi

vo-i — You (second person plural pronoun)

conoscete

ko-no-SHE-te — You (plural) know or are acquainted with someone

vero

VE-ro — True, real, genuine (masculine singular)

certo

CHER-to — Certainly, sure, of course

incontrato

in-kon-TRA-to — Met, encountered someone or something

donne

DON-ne — Women (feminine plural noun)

tipo

TI-po — Type, kind, sort of person or thing

erano

E-ra-no — They were (third person plural imperfect of essere)

tutte

TUT-te — All, every one (feminine plural adjective/pronoun)

padrone

pa-DRO-ne — Owner, landlady, mistress of a household

ecco

EK-ko — Here is, there you go, you see

vi

vi — You (plural indirect object pronoun)

farò

fa-RO — I will make or cause something to happen

ridere

RI-de-re — To laugh (infinitive verb)

dico

DI-ko — I say or tell something

pensato

pen-SA-to — Thought, considered (past participle of pensare)

più

pyu — More, anymore (adverb of quantity or degree)

volte

VOL-te — Times, occasions (feminine plural noun)

rivolgere

ri-VOL-dʒe-re — To address, turn to, or direct speech toward someone

parola

pa-RO-la — Word, spoken utterance or expression

semplicemente

sem-pli-che-MEN-te — Simply, in a straightforward uncomplicated manner

qualche

KWAL-ke — Some, a few, any (indefinite adjective)

signora

si-ɲO-ra — Lady, woman, Mrs. (polite title for a woman)

aristocratica

a-ris-to-KRA-ti-ka — Aristocratic woman, of noble social class

strada

STRA-da — Street, road, path in a town or city

quando

KWAN-do — When (temporal conjunction or adverb)

sola

SO-la — Alone, by herself, solitary (feminine adjective)

quasi

KWA-zi — Almost, nearly, practically (adverb of approximation)

superfluo

su-PER-flu-o — Superfluous, unnecessary, needless to say

dirlo

DIR-lo — To say it, to tell it (infinitive with pronoun)

parlarle

par-LAR-le — To speak to her (infinitive with indirect pronoun)

naturalmente

na-tu-ral-MEN-te — Naturally, of course, in a natural manner

timidamente

ti-mi-da-MEN-te — Timidly, shyly, in a hesitant manner

rispettosamente

ris-pet-to-za-MEN-te — Respectfully, with deference and courtesy

appassionatamente

ap-pas-sio-na-ta-MEN-te — Passionately, with deep emotion and feeling

dirle

DIR-le — To tell her (infinitive verb with indirect pronoun)

sto

sto — I am (used in progressive constructions with gerund)

morendo

mo-REN-do — Dying, perishing (gerund of morire)

solitudine

so-li-TU-di-ne — Solitude, loneliness, state of being alone

supplicarla

sup-pli-KAR-la — To beg or implore her urgently

mandarmi

man-DAR-mi — To send me (infinitive with reflexive pronoun)

via

VI-a — Away, off; also road or street

alcuna

al-KU-na — Any, some (feminine singular indefinite adjective)

possibilità

pos-si-bi-li-TA — Possibility, chance, opportunity to do something

fare

FA-re — To do, to make (basic infinitive verb)

conoscenza

ko-no-SHEN-tsa — Acquaintance, knowledge, the act of meeting someone

nessuna

nes-SU-na — No, none, not any (feminine singular negative adjective)

donna

DON-na — Woman (feminine singular noun)

farle

FAR-le — To make or do for her (infinitive with pronoun)

capire

ka-PI-re — To understand, to comprehend something

preciso

pre-CHI-zo — Precise, exact, definite (masculine adjective)

dovere

do-VE-re — Duty, obligation; also must (modal verb infinitive)

respingere

res-PIN-dʒe-re — To reject, push away, turn someone down

preghiera

pre-GHIE-ra — Prayer, plea, earnest request or entreaty

così

ko-ZI — So, thus, like this (adverb of manner)

timida

TI-mi-da — Shy, timid (feminine singular adjective)

uomo

WO-mo — Man, human being (masculine singular noun)

sfortunato

sfor-tu-NA-to — Unfortunate, unlucky, hapless (masculine adjective)

fondo

FON-do — Bottom, depth; in fondo means essentially or after all

tutto

TUT-to — All, everything, the whole (masculine singular)

ciò

cho — That, this thing (neuter demonstrative pronoun)

chiedo

KIE-do — I ask, I request something from someone

dica

DI-ka — Say, tell (third person singular present subjunctive)

parole

pa-RO-le — Words, spoken or written expressions

fraterne

fra-TER-ne — Brotherly, fraternal (feminine plural adjective)

simpatia

sim-pa-TI-a — Sympathy, kindness, warm friendly feeling toward others

respinga

res-PIN-ga — Reject, turn away (third person subjunctive of respingere)

prima

PRI-ma — Before, first, earlier (adverb or adjective)

vista

VIS-ta — Sight, view; prima vista means at first sight

fidi

FI-di — Trust, have faith in (subjunctive of fidarsi)

ascolti

as-KOL-ti — Listen to, hear out (third person subjunctive of ascoltare)

rida

RI-da — Laugh (third person singular present subjunctive of ridere)

vuole

VWO-le — He/she wants or wishes (third person singular of volere)

incoraggi

in-ko-RAD-dʒi — Encourage, give support (subjunctive of incoraggiare)

solo

SO-lo — Only, just, alone (adverb or adjective)

anche

AN-ke — Also, too, even (additive adverb)

incontrassimo

in-kon-TRAS-si-mo — We might meet or encounter (imperfect subjunctive)

mai

ma-i — Never, ever (temporal adverb of negation or emphasis)

seguito

se-GUI-to — Afterward, following; in seguito means subsequently

state

STA-te — You (plural) are or have been (verb stare/essere)

ridendo

ri-DEN-do — Laughing (gerund of ridere)

tuttavia

tut-ta-VI-a — Nevertheless, however, yet (concessive adverb)

proprio

PRO-prio — Exactly, just, precisely (emphatic adverb)

questo

KWES-to — This (masculine singular demonstrative adjective/pronoun)

ve

ve — To you (plural indirect pronoun variant before lo/la)

raccontando

rak-kon-TAN-do — Telling, narrating (gerund of raccontare)

irritatevi

ir-ri-TA-te-vi — Don't get irritated (imperative with reflexive pronoun)

rido

RI-do — I laugh (first person singular of ridere)

fatto

FAT-to — Fact, deed; also done (past participle of fare)

siate

SIA-te — You (plural) are (present subjunctive of essere)

vostro

VOS-tro — Your own (masculine singular possessive adjective, plural you)

stesso

STES-so — Same, very, itself (emphatic adjective/pronoun)

nemico

ne-MI-ko — Enemy, adversary, opponent

aveste

a-VES-te — You (plural) had (past subjunctive of avere)

provato

pro-VA-to — Tried, attempted, experienced (past participle of provare)

forse

FOR-se — Perhaps, maybe, possibly (adverb of uncertainty)

ce

che — It, there (unstressed pronoun before ne or la)

avreste

av-RES-te — You (plural) would have (conditional of avere)

fatta

FAT-ta — Done, made (feminine past participle of fare)

fosse

FOS-se — Were, had been (imperfect subjunctive of essere)

stato

STA-to — Been, state (past participle of essere or noun)

semplice

SEM-pli-che — Simple, easy, uncomplicated (adjective)

meglio

ME-lyo — Better, best (comparative adverb or adjective)