Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| affrettarsi | /af.fretˈtar.si/ |
| precipitarsi | /pre.t͡ʃi.piˈtar.si/ |
In Italian, you use these verbs to describe doing things quickly. You can also use related nouns like fretta, premura or furia to express the concept of a rushed action.
Which one should you use?
While affrettarsi is used when you want to hurry to save time, precipitarsi carries a different nuance. It implies rushing headlong into a situation or acting recklessly without thinking.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To tell a single person informally to hurry up, use the imperative affrettati. If you are in a group and want to say 'let's hurry', use the first-person plural imperative affrettiamoci. To describe an action done in a hurry, use the adverbial phrase di fretta, which is built from the noun fretta.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of affrettarsi is /af.fretˈtar.si/. It has four syllables, and the stress is on the third syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying essere in fretta to mean 'to be in a hurry'. Instead, use the correct Italian idiom avere fretta, which literally means 'to have haste'.
Did you know?
- The verb precipitarsi shares the same root as 'precipice', reflecting the image of someone rushing so fast they might figuratively fall off a cliff.
- While fretta means 'haste', the expression non avere fretta is often used as a polite way to tell a guest they are welcome to stay longer and should not feel pressured to leave.
- In Italian, you can use furia to describe a rushed action, but it implies a level of anger or violent intensity that 'hurry' does not capture in English.
Examples in context
- La indicò, esortandoli ad affrettarsi.He pointed to her, urging them to hurry.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use affrettarsi when urging someone to move faster.Tatoeba #13259665 by Nuel, translation #13259664 by Nuel
- Dai, spicciati! Stiamo aspettando!Come on, hurry up! We're waiting!
- Non bisogna affrettarsi troppo.One shouldn't hurry too much.
Example conversation
Alessandro and Sofia are leaving for a movie.
- AlessandroSofia, dobbiamo affrettarsi o perderemo l'inizio!Sofia, we have to hurry or we will miss the beginning!
- SofiaHo solo un minuto per finire di vestirmi.I only have one minute to finish getting dressed.
- AlessandroIl film inizia tra venti minuti.The movie starts in twenty minutes.
- SofiaVa bene, sto arrivando!Alright, I'm coming!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hurry” translations and entries affrettarsi, precipitarsi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
