brutta giornata
The English phrase "bad day" is translated into Italian as brutta giornata.
brutta giornata is used to describe a period of twenty-four hours during which many unpleasant things happen.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective brutta (ugly/bad) and the noun giornata (the duration of a day).
Which one should you use?
While brutto giorno is grammatically possible, brutta giornata is the standard way to express the experience of a bad day because giornata emphasizes the span and quality of the time passed.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because giornata is a feminine noun, the adjective must take the feminine form brutta rather than the masculine brutto.
Did you know?
- The word giornata shares a common ancestor with the Old French word jornee, which is also the root of the English word 'journey'.
- In a workplace context, a 'bad day' might be described as a giornata no, a common colloquialism where 'no' acts as an adjective meaning 'unproductive' or 'lacking'.
- If a person says they have a 'bad day' in a way that implies constant bad luck, they might refer to a giornata storta, literally meaning a 'crooked day'.
Examples in context
- Lunedì è una brutta giornata.Monday is a bad day.This sentence shows how to identify a specific day as a bad day using brutta giornata.Tatoeba #13684211 by Guybrush88, translation #13065235 by glossboss
- Tom ha avuto una brutta giornata.Tom has had a bad day.This sentence demonstrates the use of the phrase in the perfect tense with brutta giornata.Tatoeba #5537509 by dnnywld, translation #6660380 by CK
- Stavo avendo una brutta giornata.I was having a bad day.This sentence shows the phrase used in the imperfect tense with brutta giornata.Tatoeba #5693035 by Guybrush88, translation #2546790 by CK
- Oggi è stata davvero una giornata nera.Today has truly been a black day.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia arrives home looking tired and stressed.
- SofiaHo avuto proprio una brutta giornata.I've really had a bad day.
- LorenzoMi dispiace, Sofia. Cosa è successo?I'm sorry, Sofia. What happened?
- SofiaTutto è andato storto al lavoro.Everything went wrong at work.
- LorenzoDimentica questa brutta giornata e riposati.Forget this bad day and get some rest.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries giornata, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
