mi fido di te
The English phrase 'I trust you' is translated into Italian as mi fido di te.
Mi fido di te is a way to express that you trust someone. There are other ways to express similar sentiments in Italian: Ho fiducia in te means 'I have trust in you', Confido in te means 'I trust you' and Ho una gran fiducia in te translates to 'I have great trust in you'. If you specifically want to say you can count on someone, you can use Posso contare su di te (I can count on you) or its reverse, Puoi fare affidamento su di me (You can rely on me).
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb used here, fidarsi, is a reflexive verb. This means it requires the preposition di to connect the verb to the person being trusted. Depending on whom you are addressing, the ending changes: use mi fido di lei to say 'I trust you' in a formal way to a single person and use mi fido di voi to say 'I trust you' when addressing a group of people.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not omit the preposition di. Saying mi fido te is grammatically incorrect in Italian.
Did you know?
- The word fido comes from the same root as the name 'Fido', the classic name given to loyal dogs in many cultures. It implies a level of steadfastness and constancy.
- In some contexts, fidarsi can be used ironically to warn someone not to be gullible, such as saying non fidarti to mean 'don't be fooled'.
- The root of mi fido di te is the Latin word fīdus, which is the same ancestor for the English word 'fidelity'. When you say you trust someone in Italian, you are essentially saying you recognize their loyalty.
Examples in context
- Mi fido di te.I trust you.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase mi fido di te.Tatoeba #727539 by rado, translation #457741 by sacredceltic
- Ti dirò tutto perché mi fido di te.I will tell you everything because I trust you.
- Non preoccuparti, mi fido di te.Don't worry, I trust you.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro is leaving his car keys with Martina.
- AlessandroMartina, ti lascio le chiavi dell'auto.Martina, I am leaving the car keys with you.
- MartinaCerto, non ti preoccupare, Alessandro.Of course, don't worry, Alessandro.
- AlessandroSì, mi fido di te.Yes, I trust you.
- MartinaGrazie per la fiducia.Thank you for the trust.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries di, fido, mi, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
