dammi i soldi
In Italian, the phrase 'give me money' is expressed as dammi i soldi.
The phrase dammi i soldi is a direct command and can sound aggressive, rude or even threatening depending on the tone of voice used.
What does it mean word for word?
The word dammi is a combination of the imperative form of 'dare' (to give) and the indirect object pronoun 'mi' (to me).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
If you are speaking to a stranger or someone in a position of authority, use mi dia i soldi instead of the informal dammi i soldi. For much more polite ways to request money, such as asking for a loan, you can use formal phrases like Mi permetta di chiederle un prestito, Potrebbe, per cortesia, concedermi un prestito? or Sarei grato se potesse darmi un prestito.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Italian, dammi i soldi uses the definite article 'i' (the), making it literally 'give me the money' rather than just 'give me money'.
Did you know?
- If you use the word soldi in a very informal setting, you might hear people use the slang term grana, which literally translates to 'grain' but means 'money'.
- While soldi is the common word for 'money', it derives from the solidus, a gold coin used in the late Roman Empire.
- The word soldi is almost always used in the plural. Using it in the singular soldo usually means 'not a single cent' in the expression non ho un soldo.
Examples in context
- Dammi i soldi!Give me money!This example shows the direct command dammi i soldi.Tatoeba #3272098 by Guybrush88, translation #11229347 by Aznay
- Mi permetta di chiederle un prestito di 100 euro per pagare il taxi.Allow me to ask you for a loan of 100 euros to pay for the taxi.
- Dammi i soldi che ti ho prestato.Give me the money I lent you.
- Smettila di giocare e dammi i soldi.Stop playing and give me the money.
Example conversation
Martina and Francesco are arguing about a lost bet.
- MartinaHai perso la scommessa, quindi dammi i soldi.You lost the bet, so give me the money.
- FrancescoNon ce li ho proprio adesso, Martina.I really don't have them right now, Martina.
- MartinaNon scherzare, dammi i soldi subito!Don't joke, give me the money immediately!
- FrancescoVa bene, te li porterò domani.Fine, I will bring them to you tomorrow.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
