Tempo vs. Volta - how to say "time" in Italian

24th March 2019

Tempo and volta - they both mean "time" in Italian. But be careful, they're not interchangeable - learn when to use them in this episode of 5 Minute Italian.

No.63

Listen to the episode

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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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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