Italian word of the day
| Pronunciation | |
| English translation | You’re welcome, don’t mention it; you’re kidding; it’s an informal expression used to downplay a favor or to express disbelief |
| Origin | From the verb figurare, which means “to represent” or “to imagine”. Figurati is the second person singular of the imperative mood of the reflexive verb figurarsi, “to figure [something] for oneself” |
Examples
| Ciao, Gabriele. Ti disturbo? – No, figurati. Dimmi pure. | Hi, Gabriele. Am I disturbing you? – No, not at all. Ask away. |
| Grazie per l’aiuto con il trasloco. – Figurati, è stato un piacere! | Thanks for helping with the move. – Not at all, it was a pleasure! |
Figurati is used in informal context. You can use this in polite settings too with the expression si figuri.
| La ringrazio, signor Rossi. – Si figuri. | Thank you, Mr. Rossi. – You’re welcome. |
In these examples, figurati is used to say you are not bothered by someone’s request. In other contexts, it can mean “imagine that” to express disbelief.
| Hai aspettato così tanto, figurati se me ne sarei andato senza di te! | You waited so long, I would never have left without you, imagine that! |
| Mi sto divertendo un mondo. Figurati che non volevo nemmeno venire alla festa! | I’m having the time of my life. Just think, I didn’t even want to come to the party! |
| Non sono riuscita a preparare una torta, figurati organizzare una festa intera. | I couldn’t bake a cake, let alone organize an entire party. |
Figurati in Italian can also be used to translate “it doesn’t surprise me”, as in:
| Michele ha preso cinque in matematica. – Figurati, non studia quasi mai. | Michele got a five in math. – That doesn’t surprise me, he hardly ever studies. |
More free Italian resources
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