non appena
/non apˈpe.na/word by word
The English phrase 'as soon as' is translated into Italian as non appena. Wiktionary also lists appena and una volta che.
Meaning: immediately after (conj)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| non appena | /non apˈpe.na/ (word by word) |
| appena | /apˈpe.na/ |
| una volta che | /ˈu.na ˈvɔl.ta ˈke/ (word by word) |
These phrases are conjunctions used to describe an action that happens immediately after another action.
Which one should you use?
While non appena specifically means 'as soon as', the shorter form appena can also mean 'barely' or 'hardly' depending on the context. The phrase una volta che is often used to express the same meaning as 'as soon as' but emphasizes the completion of an action before the next one begins.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of non appena is /non apˈpe.na/. The word has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word appena is derived from the Latin phrase ad poenam, which literally means 'to the point of punishment' or 'with difficulty'.
Examples in context
- Sarà qui appena può.He'll be here as soon as he can.This sentence is useful for showing how to use appena to indicate timing.Tatoeba #10637762 by Guybrush88, translation #7392245 by CH
- Lo farò appena posso.I'll do that as soon as I can.Tatoeba #2972030 by Guybrush88, translation #2542520 by CK
- Lo riparerò appena posso.I'm going to fix it as soon as I can.Tatoeba #3646157 by Guybrush88, translation #2539484 by CK
- Non appena avrò ricevuto il tuo messaggio, ti risponderò immediatamente.As soon as I receive your message, I will reply promptly.
- Appena finisco di prepararmi, posso uscire con te.As soon as I finish getting ready, I can go out with you.
- Appena arrivo a casa, ti chiamo subito!As soon as I get home, I'll call you right away!
- 198 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Sofia are talking about a work meeting.
- AlessandroTi invierò il documento non appena lo ricevo.I will send you the document as soon as I receive it.
- SofiaGrazie, ne ho bisogno subito per la riunione.Thanks, I need it immediately for the meeting.
- AlessandroNon appena avrò tutto pronto, te lo mando.As soon as I have everything ready, I'll send it to you.
- SofiaPerfetto, aspetto la tua email allora.Perfect, I'll wait for your email then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “as soon as” translations and entries non appena, appena, una volta che, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (non, appena, una, volta, che) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries appena, che, non, non appena, una, una volta che, volta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
