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Lesson Introduction
A notoriously sticky topic in many cultures, age is the topic of today's podcast. Learn about asking how old someone is in Italian, and join Catherine and Marco as they discuss this dialog that explores a common social gaffe!
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sonobono says
July 24, 2008
Grazie! molto interessante! quanti anni hai, Catherina? ventisette?
Question: in this use of 'secondo te', could it be translated as 'take a guess' or would that be a different expression?
ciao, Al
catherinem says
July 24, 2008
Secondo te is more like "in your opinion."
Secondo te questi pantaloni sono troppo corti?
(In your opinion, are these pants too short?)
It can also be used sarcastically to emphasize a rhetorical question/statement. If someone has a broken arm and is lying on the floor wailing and I ask:
-Ma stai bene?
He or she can respond:
-Secondo te!?!?!
This means: what the heck do you think? (i.e. Of course not!)
To say, "take a guess" you could tell someone to indovinare:
Indovina di dove sono io.
(Guess where I'm from.)
sonobono says
July 25, 2008
Very clear explanation, Catherine, grazie tante;
but how old are you? ventisette?
Sono indovino tu dove di Boston.
ciao, Al
jitka46 says
July 28, 2008
ciao Marco! scusa ma quanti anni hai tu? Lo so che non e' gentile pero' sono troppo curiosa...grazie
marcod says
July 28, 2008
jitka46, you didn't pay attention ;) I said it in the lesson at 9'43":
ho 24 anni (quasi 25...).
e voi quanti anni avete?
jitka46 says
July 28, 2008
:D io ho 20 anni