da te
The English phrase 'by you' is translated into Italian as da te.
In the context of a passive agent (the person performing the action), Italian uses the preposition da rather than a direct object pronoun.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase da te is composed of the preposition da (meaning from or by) and the unstressed pronoun te (you).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes from da te to da voi when addressing more than one person. When using the formal 'you' (Lei), the phrase becomes da Lei to maintain consistency in register.
Did you know?
- In Italian, da te does not only mean 'by you' but is the standard way to say 'at your place'. If you invite a friend da te, you are asking to go to their home.
- The word da is a linguistic hybrid, likely evolving from a combination of the Latin words unde and ad to express proximity.
- The preposition da is also the standard way to express 'at' when referring to someone's house or place of business. If you say you are 'at a friend's', you actually say you are 'da un amico'.
Examples in context
- Mi sento deluso da te.I feel let down by you.This sentence is useful for expressing feeling let down by the person you are addressing using da te.Tatoeba #12992115 by Nuel, translation #12992114 by Nuel
- Non mi sento minacciato da te.I don't feel threatened by you.This sentence is useful for expressing a lack of feeling threatened by the person you are addressing using da te.Tatoeba #13011297 by Nuel, translation #13011296 by Nuel
- Sono sempre stato intimidito da te.I've always been intimidated by you.This sentence is useful for expressing that you have always been intimidated by the person you are addressing using da te.Tatoeba #11591545 by Nuel, translation #11591544 by Nuel
- Posso passare da Lei domani per prendere il documento?May I come by your place tomorrow to pick up the document?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Francesco are discussing a gift she bought.
- FrancescoQuesto regalo è stato scelto da te?Was this gift chosen by you?
- ChiaraSì, l'ho scelto io con molto piacere.Yes, I chose it with great pleasure.
- FrancescoÈ davvero bellissimo, grazie mille.It is truly beautiful, thank you so much.
- ChiaraPrego, sono felice che ti piaccia.You're welcome, I'm happy you like it.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries da, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
