{"id":12557,"date":"2016-09-22T10:41:39","date_gmt":"2016-09-22T08:41:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/?p=12557"},"modified":"2016-09-22T10:41:39","modified_gmt":"2016-09-22T08:41:39","slug":"e-allora","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/e-allora\/","title":{"rendered":"E Allora?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here\u2019s another small collection of words and phrases that we use all the time in Italy, but which are often overlooked in Italian classes or text books. Learning how and where to use them will make your spoken Italian sound much more natural.<\/span><\/p>\n

Allora<\/strong> is such a habitual word that it sometimes seems impossible to start a sentence without it. It has a \u2018twin sister\u2019, dunque<\/strong>, but more about that later.
\nAllora<\/strong> has a variety of meanings, including: \u2018so\u2019, \u2018well\u2019, \u2018well then\u2019, \u2018in that case\u2019, and \u2018therefore\u2019. It can also mean \u2018then\u2019 or \u2018at that time\u2019. Here are a few examples that will give you a feeling for how it is used:<\/p>\n

\"e-allora\"<\/a><\/p>\n

so?<\/span><\/p>\n

a<\/b>llora, com\u2019\u00e8?<\/b> (so, how are things?). This is a very common way of greeting a friend. You can also use allora, come stai?<\/b> (so, how are you?) or allora, come va?<\/b> (so, how\u2019s it going)
\nFranco: \u2018Purtroppo non sono riuscito a prenotare un tavolo al ristorante <\/b>San Giorgio<\/b>\u2019<\/b> (Franco: \u2018Unfortunately I didn\u2019t manage to book a table at the San Giorgio restaurant\u2019) Laura: \u2018e allora, dove andiamo stasera?\u2019<\/b> (Laura: \u2018so\u2026, where are we going this evening?\u2019)<\/p>\n

well then?<\/span><\/p>\n

allora, <\/b>hai finito quel lavoro<\/b>?<\/b> (well then, have you finished that job?)
\ncosa, sono gi\u00e0 le nove! Allora, bisogna finirlo subito<\/b> (what, it\u2019s already nine o\u2019clock!, well then, it needs to be finished straight away)<\/p>\n

in that case, then<\/span><\/p>\n

Non sei ancora pronto? allora ti aspetter\u00f2 <\/b>altri cinque minuti<\/b> (aren\u2019t you ready yet? in that case I\u2019ll wait for you for another five minutes)
\nse non c\u2019\u00e8 pi\u00f9 pane allora bisogna fare un salto dal panettiere<\/b> (if there\u2019s no bread left then we need to pop to the bakers)<\/p>\n

since then<\/span><\/p>\n

ci siamo incontrati al bar la settimana scorsa, <\/b>e <\/b>da allora<\/b><\/u> non l\u2019ho visto<\/b> (we met at the bar last week, and I haven\u2019t seen him since then<\/u>)
\nl\u2019ho portato dall’orologiaio tre anni fa per una revisione, e da allora in poi<\/u> non ha avuto pi\u00f9 problemi<\/strong> (I took it to the watchmakers three years ago for a service, and from that time onwards<\/u> it hasn\u2019t had any more problems)<\/p>\n

at that time (and a bit of history!<\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\n

Nel 1871 Garibaldi fonda la prima associazione per la protezione degli animali in Italia. <\/b>Allora<\/b><\/u> nessuno pensava ai diritti degli animali<\/b> (In 1871 Garibaldi founded the first association for the protection of animals in Italy. At that time<\/u>, no one considered animal rights.)<\/span><\/p>\n

until then, until that time<\/span><\/p>\n

non ci ero mai stato <\/b>fino allora<\/b><\/u> (I\u2019d never been there until th<\/u>at time<\/u>)
\nnon avevo mai assaggiato un vero gelato fino allora<\/span>!<\/b> (I\u2019d never tasted a real ice cream until then<\/span>!)<\/p>\n

right then, at that very moment <\/span><\/p>\n

…e proprio allora<\/span> \u00e8 entrata Federica!<\/b> (\u2026 and at that very moment<\/span> Federica came in!)<\/p>\n

dunque …
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

As I hinted earlier, dunque<\/strong> can often be used as an alternative to allora<\/strong>. Here are some examples:<\/p>\n

penso, dunque sono<\/b> (I think, therefore I am) N.B.<\/strong> don\u2019t say penso, allora sono <\/b>… unless you want to sound like a troglodyte!<\/p>\n

dunque, andiamo in pizzeria stasera?<\/b> (well then, are we going to the pizzeria this evening?)<\/p>\n

you can use dunque<\/strong> if you are picking up the thread of a conversation e.g. dunque\u2026 mi stavi raccontando delle tue vacanze<\/b> (so\u2026 you were telling me about your holiday)<\/p>\n

you can also use it in exclamatory phrases e.g. dimmi dunque! <\/b>(tell me then!)<\/p>\n

Both dunque<\/b> and allora<\/b> are used very commonly when you are having a conversation and are thinking about what you\u2019re going to say next, a bit like saying \u2018hmm now let me think\u2026\u2019 dunque \u2026 cosa volevo dire? <\/b>(so \u2026 what did I want to say?) \u2026 ah s\u00ec<\/b> \u2026 <\/b>eccoci alla fine del blog<\/b>!<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Here\u2019s another small collection of words and phrases that we use all the time in Italy, but which are often overlooked in Italian classes or text books. Learning how and where to use them will make your spoken Italian sound much more natural. Allora is such a habitual word that it sometimes seems impossible to…<\/p>\n

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