Episode 15 · Real Italian Conversations
Allora - why Italians say it all the time
Allora starts sentences, buys time, makes decisions and asks so what - Emma counts every one.
Laura explains allora. Emma keeps count.
Laura ·
In this lesson
| Italian | Word for word | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Allora... | so... / well... | to start or buy time |
| Allora, andiamo! | right, let's go! | to decide |
| E allora? | so what? | a little defiant |
| Dipende | it depends |
Start your next Italian sentence with allora... and nobody will notice you are thinking.
How many times did Laura say allora? Count and write it below.
The dialogue
Every line from the video, with the English meaning under the Italian.
Laura
Allora... oggi parliamo di allora.
So... today we talk about allora.
Emma
You just said it twice.
Laura
Allora... allora si usa per cominciare una frase.
So... allora is used to start a sentence.
Emma
That's four.
Laura
E anche per decidere: allora, andiamo!
And also to decide: right, let's go!
Emma
Five! But what does it actually mean?
Laura
Allora vuol dire... dipende!
Allora means... it depends!
Emma✓ Correct
Allora, andiamo al bar?
Right, shall we go to the bar?
Laura
Allora sì!
Well then, yes!
The voices in this video are synthetic and the on-screen host is generated. The Italian itself is written and checked by a native speaker.
Ready to speak, not just watch?
Practise these phrases out loud with Laura in a small group or a private lesson.
Find your Italian class