How to say "Little Bit" in Italian?
When we were in Rome, we went to the post office to get some money exchanged. In Italian, I asked the worker if he could speak English.
He looked at me and with his fingers made a sign for small.
Then he said "Un Beate" (beat-eh), which to us translated to Yes I speak a little bit of English or Yes I know a little bit of English. He help us out and we were on our way.
However, when searching the internet I can only find words like parlo and poco for "little bit". No where can I find "Un Beate" (Excuse my horrible spelling)
Does this word exist in Italian or did I make it up?
Thanks
Mike
Fort Worth, Tx USA 2/8/13
Send Private Message
the folk probably mixed italian and English (he was trying to say "a bit" in broken English)
One (of many) informal ways to say "I speak a little bit of English" is "parlo un po' l'inglese"
Mike,
The explanation provided by Andre is also the most plausible one I can think of. He was probably trying to say "a bit", indicating a small amount with his fingers. In Italian, an "i" is sometimes pronounced like "ee" (as in "Citta).
Cheers!
No, he was saying "a bit".
I am curious. What was the exchange rate ?
Okay thanks for the information.
Just out of curiosity, how would you spell this fake word?
I ask because this was one of my wife's and I fondest memory and I want to write it down in a gift.
I do not remember the rate as it was 5 years ago. Sorry.
I think most Italians would say Un po' for a little bit. It's short for un poco. (I agree he was probably saying "A bit.")
In addition to pronouncing "bit" as "beat" he probably would have added an extra syllable at the end of English words as many Italians do (this usually amounts to emphasizing or dragging out the final consonant). So your made-up spelling is probably exactly what he said.
I should have mentioned that the extra "syllable" on the end is because virtually all Italian words end in vowels. It's difficult for them not to add vowels on the ends of English words.
Wat are you talkinga abouta Janetta? Italians donta talka lika dat.
Okay I guess I will spell it like:
un bete
Or
Un biete
Or
In buti
???
That word doesn't exist!!!
It is like those ppl whose primary language is Spanish and never learned proper English, then mix a bizarre combination of Spanish and English phonemes to create non-existent words.
I just hope Italians find our pronunciation of Italian as charming as we find their pronunciation of English! (I doubt it.)
@Janet: what usually "gives" away Anglo-Saxonic intermediate learners of Italian speaking it is their difficult with vibrating sounds and those made by articulating the tongue under the upper teeth, especially the "r" combinations. Many retain their pronunciation of the English retracted "r" (as in "Colorado").
I think you got your answer, but in a related sense, I also find that I scratch my head at some responses before realizing that they are using a form of slang, often a single word or even part of a word, rather than a longer phrase which would be a more formal response.