Buondì.
The always-useful online Italian-English dictionary, WordReference.com, gives three meanings for ‘insomma‘, a word you’ll often hear Italians use when they’re chatting.
It’s used for concluding what you’re saying, like ‘so’ or ‘I mean’.
“Insomma, it’s a very useful word.”
It can also mean ‘so-so’, as in:
“How are you getting one with your Italian?” “Beh, insomma…”
(‘Beh‘ is another useful ‘speech word’ – translate it as ‘Well…’)
And ‘insomma’ can also be used as an exclamation, like ‘Well!’:
“Insomma! You haven’t learnt anything, have you?”
Beh, if you don’t learn anything else today, insomma, at least try to remember those two words.
Here’s a cheat sheet:
Beh = not sure / well…
Insomma = so / well / hey!
Or use them together…
Beh… insomma! = Well… hey!
This is all by way of introduction to today’s native-speaker conversation with transcript, which includes a couple of examples of ‘insomma’.
The topic is ‘Viaggiare‘ (Traveling)
As always, I’ve added this new, free listening to the others in the series on our ‘New’ page.
And the questions from the interview are from our series of free conversation lessons, the one on ‘traveling’, obviously.
Find it here.
And yes, I know that ‘travelling’ is spelt with two ‘l’s in the UK but only one ‘l’ in the USA.
As the club now has over ten thousand ‘members’, spread out all over the world, I’m choosing my spellings at random, so as to be equitable.
And it’s marvelous/marvellous, after forty years of being a poor speller, to finally have an excuse!
Here’s another: Catalog and Catalogue.
Beh, insomma, that was just a hint for anyone who missed last week’s Summer Sale…
P.S.
Take care today, as it’s Friday 13th!
Unless you’re in Italy, of course, in which case, stand easy, you’re fine.
Don’t bother looking before crossing the road, walk under as many ladders as you like, and kick aside, with impunity, any black cats that happen to cross your path.
For the unlucky day here is Friday 17th.
Cioè not today, insomma.
A lunedì.