ritardare
/ri.tarˈda.re/
The English phrase 'hold up' can be translated into Italian using several verbs such as ritardare, frenare or aspettare.
Meaning: to wait or delay (verb)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| ritardare | /ri.tarˈda.re/ |
| frenare | /freˈna.re/ |
| aspettare | /as.petˈta.re/ |
In Italian, the verb you choose depends on whether you are talking about a delay in a schedule or asking someone to wait. ritardare is the most common verb used when a process, schedule or movement is being held up or delayed.
Which one should you use?
Use ritardare when referring to a delay in time, such as a train being late or a person arriving behind schedule. Use aspettare when the 'hold up' is a request for someone to wait for a person or an event, rather than a delay caused by an external factor.
How do you pronounce it?
/ri.tarˈda.re/. The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- In music, the term ritardare is used globally in scores to indicate a slowing of the tempo, appearing as the abbreviation 'rit.'.
- While 'hold up' in English can mean a robbery, in Italian, a robbery is called a rapina, so using ritardare to mean 'hold up' would never imply a crime.
- The word freno, the root of frenare, literally refers to a 'bridle' used for horses, which is how the concept of 'holding up' movement originated.
Examples in context
- Aspetti un attimo, sto cercando il documentoWait a moment, I am looking for the document
- Aspetta un secondo, mi sto mettendo le scarpeWait a second, I'm putting on my shoes
- Il traffico può ritardare il nostro arrivo.The traffic can delay our arrival.
- Non voglio ritardare troppo il progetto.I don't want to delay the project too much.
Example conversation
Francesco and Chiara are meeting for lunch but Francesco is late.
- FrancescoCiao Chiara, scusa se ho dovuto ritardare il nostro incontro.Hi Chiara, sorry that I had to hold up our meeting.
- ChiaraNon preoccuparti, Francesco, sono arrivata proprio ora.Don't worry, Francesco, I just arrived.
- FrancescoC'era un incidente che ha ritardato tutto il traffico.There was an accident that held up all the traffic.
- ChiaraCapisco, andiamo a mangiare allora.I understand, let's go eat then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hold up” translations and entries ritardare, frenare, aspettare, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aspettare, frenare, ritardare, CC BY-SA 4.0.
