fare un salto
/ˈfa.re un ˈsal.to/word by word
To drop by in Italian is fare un salto.
The phrase is used to describe a visit that is informal, spontaneous and unplanned.
Meaning: to visit informally and spontaneously (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, fare un salto means to make a jump.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
fare un salto is a colloquial and informal expression used for casual visits. Another informal way to say this is Passare da.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to say you are dropping by a specific person's house or place, you use the preposition da after the phrase, forming fare un salto da…
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈfa.re un ˈsal.to/. The stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The word salto in this phrase shares its Latin root, saltus, with the English word 'exult', which describes a feeling of leaping for joy.
- While fare un salto means 'to drop by', the word salto also describes a 'gap' or a 'leap' in a sequence, such as skipping a page in a book.
- While fare un salto implies a quick visit, you can also use it to mean 'to run an errand' at a bank or a post office.
Examples in context
- Passo da te domani seraI'll drop by your place tomorrow night
- Ho fatto un salto da Paolo ieri mentre ero in zonaI dropped by Paolo's yesterday while I was in the area
- Passo da te tra qualche ora per portarti il tuo regalo di compleannoI'll drop by your place in a few hours to bring you your birthday present
- Ho fatto un salto da Paolo ieri mentre ero in zona, ed è stato bello rivederloI dropped by Paolo's yesterday while I was in the area, and it was nice to see him again
- Se hai tempo, puoi fare un salto da me.If you have time, you can drop by my place.
- Vado a fare un salto in ufficio più tardi.I'm going to drop by the office later.
- Posso fare un salto a casa tua domani?Can I drop by your house tomorrow?
Example conversation
Francesco and Giulia are talking on the phone about a quick visit.
- FrancescoGiulia, stasera posso fare un salto da te?Giulia, can I drop by your place tonight?
- GiuliaCertamente, Francesco, mi farebbe molto piacere.Certainly, Francesco, I would really like that.
- FrancescoPerfetto, faccio un salto verso le otto.Perfect, I'll drop by around eight.
- GiuliaVa benissimo, a dopo!That's fine, see you later!
