C’era una volta (once upon a time)

Common Italian collocation

Pronunciation
Literal translation	There was once
English translation	Once upon a time
You do NOT say	Una volta su un tempo

Why do we say c’era una volta?

C’era, which means there was, is the past version of c’è, meaning there is. For example, you can say:

C’era un piatto di pasta sul tavolo.	There was a plate of pasta on the table.
C’è troppo rumore qui. Andiamo via.	There is too much noise here. Let’s leave.

Since there was is singular, it’s important to note that when the object of the sentence is plural, c’era actually becomes c’erano (there were) and you have to say c’erano una volta, as in…

C’erano una volta due bambine che vivevano nella foresta.

Once upon a time there were two little girls living in the forest.

Una volta, due volte, tre volte…

Volta can be used to translate the English words once (“one time”) and twice (“two times”).

Be careful!
Time, as in “time is money”, is translated as tempo.

Potrai ascoltare la registrazione una volta sola.	You can only listen to the recording once.
Sono già andato al supermercato due volte stamattina.	I have been to the supermarket twice this morning.
C’era una volta una ragazza di nome Belle.	Once upon a time there was a girl named Belle.

Popular fairy tales titles in Italian

Here’s how to pronounce the titles of some popular fairy titles in Italian.

Cappuccetto Rosso	Little Red Riding Hood
Cenerentola	Cinderella
Il gatto con gli stivali	Puss in Boots
La principessa sul pisello	The Princess and the Pea
I tre porcellini	Three Little Pigs
La bella addormentata nel bosco	Sleeping Beauty in the Woods
Biancaneve e i sette nani	Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Pollicino	Little Thumbling
Il brutto anatroccolo	The Ugly Duckling
La sirenetta	The Little Mermaid
Raperonzolo	Rapunzel
Tremotino	Rumpelstiltskin

Examples

C’era una volta un brutto anatroccolo.	Once upon a time there was an ugly duckling.
C’era una volta un lupo cattivo.	Once upon a time there was a big bad wolf.
C’era una volta una bimba che si chiamava Cappuccetto Rosso.	Once upon a time there was a little girl named Little Red Riding Hood.
C’erano una volta tre principesse e una matrigna.	Once upon a time there were three princesses and a stepmother.

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