When Matteo gets the train from Milan to Naples, he puts something very odd in his bag.
Find out what it is and learn more about how to use the word “gli” in episode #57 of 5 Minute Italian.
To help you remember what you learnt in today’s lesson, below you’ll find bonus materials including word lists, quizzes and flashcards. But first…
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Today’s Italian words
Che cosa porti a tua mamma e tua sorella quando torni a Napoli? = What do you bring your mum and your sister when you go back to Naples?
Che cosa = what
Porti = “you bring” or “you take” (Italians don’t differentiate)
A = to
Tua mamma = your mum
E = and
Tua sorella = Your sister
Quando = when
Torni = you return
A = to
Napoli = Naples
Gli porto una zucca = I take them a pumpkin.
Gli = To them
Porto = I take
Una Zucca = A pumpkin.
E ai tuoi amici = And to your friends?
Niente, gli compro da bere = Nothing, I buy them something to drink.
Niente = nothing
Gli = for them
Compro = I buy
Da bere = to drink
More examples with “gli”
| Verb | Example |
| Dire
To say |
Che cosa gli dico?
What shall I say to them? (Literally: What to them I say?) |
| Dare
To give |
Gli ho dato il mio numero
I gave them my number (Literally: To them, I gave my number) |
| Offrire
To offer |
Gli offro una birra
I offer them a beer (Literally: To them, I offer a beer) |
| Parlare
To talk |
Gli parlo tutti i giorni
I talk to them every day (Literally: To them, I speak every the days) |
| Portare
To bring/take |
Gli porto un caffè
I bring/take them a coffee (Literally: To them, I take a coffee) |
| Fare
To make/do |
Gli faccio un caffè
I make them a coffee (Literally: for them, I make a coffee) |
| Scrivere
To write |
Gli scrivo una lettera
I write a letter to them (Literally: to them, I write a letter) |
| Prestare
To lend |
Gli presto un libro
I lend them a book (Literally: to them, I lend a book) |
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Transcript
Please note, this is not a word for word transcript.
K: Ciao a tutti e benvenuti a 5 Minute Italian. I’m Katie.
M: And I’m Matteo
K: Last week, we learnt how to use “gli” to mean “to him” or “for him”. For example. To say “I cook something for him” we say:
M: Gli cucino qualcosa.
Gli = For him
Cucino = I cook
Qualcosa = something
K: We know that the “gli” comes first in the sentence – literally, for him, I cook something. Today, we’re going to learn the other meaning of “gli” – “to them” or “for them”. Remember you can find all the bonus materials for today’s episode, including flashcards a quiz and more example sentences over at our website, joyoflanguages.com/italianpodcast and scrolling down to episode 57.
M: Ascoltiamo la conversazione. Let’s listen to the conversation.
Katie: Matteo, che cosa porti a tua mamma e tua sorella quando torni a Napoli.
Matteo: Gli porto una zucca.
Katie: E ai tuoi amici?
Matteo: Niente, gli compro da bere.
K: So you heard me ask
M: Che cosa porti a tua mamma e tua sorella quando torni a Napoli?
K: What do you bring your mum and your sister when you go back to Naples? Literally…
M:
Che cosa = what
Porti = “you bring” or “you take” (Italians don’t differentiate)
A = to
Tua mamma = your mum
E = and
Tua sorella = Your sister
Quando = when
Torni = you return
A = to
Napoli = Naples
K: We live in Milan, but Matteo is originally from Naples. When he goes home, he takes something unusual to his mum and sister. Did you catch what it was?
M: Gli porto una zucca
K: Matteo said “gli porto una zucca” I take them a pumpkin. Why do you take them a pumpkin?
M: Because the pumpkins in the North of Italy are usually much sweeter than the pumpkins in the South. But the Mozzarella is better in Naples. So when I go from Milan to Naples I take a pumpkin with me and when I go from Naples to Milan I bring some mozzarella.
K: Let’s listen to the sentence “I take them a pumpkin” again.
M:
Gli = To them
Porto = I take
Una Zucca = A pumpkin.
K: So here we see this “gli”, which means “to them”. And this is true for all groups – male, female or mixed. Here we have two women, but we still use “gli”.
In lots of learn Italian resources, you may see “to them” or “for them” as “loro”. For example “porto loro una zucca”. In reality, this use is quite outdated now – you might come across it in very formal situations, but it’s almost never used in conversations. People are much more likely to use “gli”.
M: Gli porto una zucca.
Next, I asked Matteo:
M: E ai tuoi amici?
K: And to your friends?
K: And he replied
M: Niente, gli compro da bere
K: Nothing, I buy them something to drink. Literally:
M:
Niente = nothing
Gli = for them
Compro = I buy
Da bere = to drink
K: And here we see another example of “gli” meaning “for them”, gli compro da bere – for them, I buy, to drink. This time it’s used for Matteo’s friends, a group of men and women.
M: Gli compro da bere.
K: Let’s listen to the conversation again.
Katie: Matteo, che cosa porti a tua mamma e tua sorella quando torni a Napoli.
Matteo: Gli porto una zucca.
Katie: E ai tuoi amici?
Matteo: Niente, gli compro da bere.
K: That’s it for today. If you’d like to learn more about how to use “gli” in Italian, head over at our website, joyoflanguages.com/italianpodcast and scroll down to episode 57. Alternatively, you can follow the link in the show notes for this episode. Don’t forget you can also practice chatting in Italian with us in our 5 Minute Italian Facebook group – click on join and we’ll let you in as soon as we see your request. Ciao for now, see you next time or as we say in Italian,
M: Alla prossima!
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Related episodes
#5: How to pronounce the Italian “gli”; like in famiglia
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