asciugare con il phon
The English phrase 'blow dry' is translated into Italian as asciugare con il phon.
asciugare con il phon is used to describe the action of drying hair using a handheld machine that blows warm air. In a more colloquial setting, you might hear the expression fare una piega used to refer specifically to the process of blow drying and styling the hair.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb asciugare (to dry) and the prepositional phrase con il phon (with the hair dryer).
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of the verb is asciugato, which can be used as an adjective to describe hair that has been blow-dried (e.g., asciugato con il phon).
Did you know?
- The word phon is not actually an Italian word but a loanword from the German Föhn, which refers to a warm, dry wind that blows down the slopes of the Alps.
- The verb asciugare traces its history back to the Latin exsūcāre, which literally means 'to suck out the juice' from something.
- While the English word 'phone' refers to a telephone, the Italian phon specifically refers to a hair dryer. If you want to talk about a telephone, you must use the word telefono.
Examples in context
- Potrebbe asciugare i miei capelli con il phon?Would you be able to blow dry my hair?
- Mi puoi asciugare i capelli?Can you blow dry my hair?
- Mi puoi fare una piega?Can you blow dry and style my hair?
Example conversation
Francesco and Martina are getting ready for a party.
- FrancescoHai già finito di lavare i capelli, Martina?Have you finished washing your hair yet, Martina?
- MartinaSì, ora devo asciugare con il phon.Yes, now I have to blow dry it.
- FrancescoTi aiuto io a farlo?Shall I help you do it?
- MartinaNo, grazie, faccio da sola.No, thanks, I'll do it myself.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries asciugare, con, il, CC BY-SA 4.0.
