WTI Magazine #40    2014 July, 23
Author : Manuela Bianchi for learnitalygroup.com      Translation by:

The arm and the mind
The human body can be another interesting starting point to discover the ways of saying and some of the most used phrases of our language. Today we'll talk about the word "braccio" (arm) that comes as always from our dear Latin language, specifically from the word "brachium".

To begin with let's remember that the plural of this word, when we use it referring to the human body or as a unit of measure is "braccia", while in all the other meanings we find the plural "bracci". But let's see some of the expressions commonly used.

It is said that one thing – a book, for instance - is brought "sottobraccio" (arm in arm), and that someone - a child for example - is brought "in braccio" (in arm). If you say "stringere tra le braccia" (tighten between your arms) you mean "to hug" somebody with great affection and friendliness, who would probably is waiting you "a braccia aperte" (with open arms). To express resignation or helplessness you say "allargo le braccia" (I widen my arms), while figuratively "alzo le braccia" (I lift my arms) means that I surrender. If somebody discourages us and make us lose heart, we say that "ci fa cadere le braccia per terra" (he/she makes our arms fall to the ground).

If you do something improvising, not prepared - as a speech, for instance - you do it "a braccio" (off the cuff). In a project or work you can say that someone was the arm and/or the mind, to highlight the use of physical or intellectual abilities. One particular phrase that is good to know, so as not to cause confusion or jealousy among foreign students, is that if someone is "nelle braccia di Morfeo" (in Morpheus' arms) it means he/she is just sleeping soundly.

In conclusion, it is interesting that if something is very expensive, for an Anglophone will cost "an arm and a leg" (un braccio e una gamba), while for an Italian "un occhio della testa" (an eye of the head. yes, it needs to be specified: the eye is from the head!).

Oggi vado al mare o in piscina? (Today am I going to the beach or to the pool?)

A frequently asked question is: why in Italian to express a complement of place you use "a" while in some other cases you use "in"? For us Italians it is easy to choose it ... spontaneously. But the Italian prepositions can be very heavy to digest for a foreign student.

So: why someone "va al mare" (goes to the sea) but if he/she goes to the swimming pool, we say "in piscina"? There is not always a precise rule, but let's try anyway to do some clarity. The preposition "a" expresses the complement of place, answering to the question "where?" or "where to?" and can be used with verbs of state or movement. Some examples: you say "sei a casa" (you're home), "lui è a scuola" (he is at school), "vado a teatro" (I go to the theater) and so on. The preposition "a" is also used with the City names: "io vivo a Roma" (I live in Rome), "io lavoro a Parigi" (I work in Paris) and so on. But wait: the preposition "in" does the same! It expresses the complement of place and answers the same questions, "where?" or "where to?", being used with verbs of state or movement. So where is the difference?

We solve part of this puzzle starting from an incorrect sentence written by a student in our Boston school: "Vivo a Francia, in Parigi" (I live in France, Paris). This is an error: in this case we use the "in" preposition introduces the nation while the "a" preposition introduces the city. So the correct form is "Vivo in Francia, a Parigi.

The preposition "in" is also used before the names of streets and of large islands or regions, for example: "Io vivo in Sicilia, esattamente a Palermo in Via della Libertà" (I live in Sicily, exactly in Freedom Alley, Palermo). It is also used with names of shops or places that end with "-ia": for example "in pizzeria", "in farmacia" (pharmacy), "in profumeria" (perfumery), "in macelleria" (butchers), "in periferia" (in the suburbs).

As often, we have to deal with cases that do not fall under any rule, as happens in the following expressions of motion in place: you can say "vado alla mostra" (I go to the exhibition), "vado a scuola" (I go to school), "vado al mare" (I go to the sea), but at the same time "vado in discoteca" (I go to the disco), "vado in Chiesa" (I go to church), "vado in montagna" (I go to the mountain), "vado in centro" (I go downtown), "vado in biblioteca" (I go to the library), "vado in banca" (I go to the bank), "vado in piscina" (I go to the swimming pool) and so on.

Unfortunately I have to confess that you will find many other exceptions, as you will be dealing with other prepositions that likewise introduce the complement of place. But let's do baby steps. The important thing is not to get discouraged, because nothing is impossible: reading and practicing, the proper use will come spontaneously to your mind!

If you want to know more about how to learn Italian, go to www.learnitalygroup.com