Do you know how to say “time” in Italian?
The word “time” can be translated in two different ways in Italian: tempo and volta.
But be careful – these can’t be used interchangeably. Learn the difference between tempo and volta in episode 63 of 5 Minute Italian.
To 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 Vocabulary
il tempo vola = time flies
il tempo = time (literally: the time)
vola = flies
Non ho tempo = I don’t have time
Non ho = I don’t have (literally: not, I have)
tempo = time
Tutto il tempo
Tutto = all
il = the
tempo = time
Tempo è denaro = time is money
il tempo = time (“the” time)
è = is
denaro = money
il tempo è un’illusione = time is an illusion
il tempo = time (literally “the time”)
è = is
un’illusione = an illusion.
Una volta = one time/once
Una = one
Volta = time
Due volte = two times/twice
Due = two
Volte = times
La prossima volta = next time
La prossima = next (literally “the next”)
Volta = time
La scorsa volta = last time
La scorsa = the last
Volta = time
Ogni volta = every time
Ogni = every
Volta = time
Molte volte = many times
Molte = Many
Volte = times
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Flashcards
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Transcript
Please note, this is not a word for word transcript.
Katie: Ciao a tutti e benvenuti a 5 Minute Italian, I’m Katie.
M: And I’m Matteo. Ciao!
K: And today we’re going to talk about the words “tempo” and “volta” in Italian. Now, these can both be translated with the word “time” in English, but in Italian, they represent quite different concepts.
So what’s the difference between “tempo” and “volta”? Before we give you the answer, let’s listen to some example sentences to see if you can figure it out.
M: Yes, here’s a phrase with “tempo”. Il tempo vola.
il tempo = time (literally: the time)
vola = flies
K: Time flies. Any more?
M: Non ho tempo
Non ho = I don’t have
tempo = time
K: I don’t have time. Any more?
M: Tutto il tempo
Tutto = all
il = the
tempo = time
K: All the time
M: il tempo è denaro
il tempo = time (literally “the” time)
è = is
denaro = money
M: il tempo è un’illusione
il tempo = time (literally “the” time)
è = is
un’illusione = an illusion.
K: Time is an illusion.
K: Now let’s listen to phrases with “volta” and see if you can figure out the difference.
M: Una volta
Una = one
Volta = time
K: One time, or once
M: Due volte
Due = two
Volte = times
K: Two times, or twice. And here we see “volte”, which finishes with an “e”. This is the plural of “volta”, because we’re talking about “times”, something that happened more than once.
M: La prossima volta
La prossima = next (literally “the next”)
Volta = time
K: Next time. Any more?
M: La scorsa volta
La scorsa = the last
volta = time
K: Last time
M: Ogni volta
Ogni = every
Volta = time.
M: Molte volte
Molte = Many
Volte = times
K: Many times. And here we see “volte” again, because we’re using “volta” in the plural.
K: So can you guess the difference? Tempo refers to clock time, in the sense of a period of time. Or even in the scientific/philosophical sense of the word, as in “time” is an illusion.
Volta is “time” in the sense of a singular occasion, one time, two times, three times, every time, next time.
One good way to tell them apart, is that “tempo” as in “clock time” is almost always singular. There is only one “clock time”. It’s time in the sense of “time is on my side” in the Rolling Stones song.
K: Time is on my side
“Volta” as in occasion, can often be plural – we can have one time, two times: una volta, due volte etc. Like the “time” in the Cindy Lauper song “time after time”.
So that’s it for today, remember you can practise chatting in Italian with us in our 5 Minute Italian facebook group, follow the link in the show notes and we’ll let you in as soon as we see your request. We’d love to see you in there and chat in Italian with you. You can also get bonus materials, like a quiz, flashcards, and see all the phrases for today’s lesson written down by going to joyoflanguages.com/italianpodcast and scrolling down to episode 63. Or just follow the link in the show notes.
Ciao for now, see you next time or as we say in Italian,
M: Alla prossima!
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