المعنى
To be on the verge of.
خلفية ثقافية
In Italy, 'Sto per arrivare' is often used as a polite way to say 'I am on my way,' even if the person is still 15 minutes away. It's a social lubricant to reduce the stress of lateness. Neorealist films often use 'stare per' to create a sense of impending doom or hope, focusing on the small moments before big life changes. In Rome and parts of the South, you might hear 'Stavo a dì' instead of 'Stavo per dire,' though 'stare per' remains the standard for all Italians. The phrase is central to the ritual of the Italian meal. 'La pasta sta per essere scolata' (The pasta is about to be drained) is the final call for everyone to sit down immediately.
The 'Proprio' Boost
Add 'proprio' (Sto proprio per...) to mean 'I am literally just about to'. It makes you sound very native.
No Past Participle
Never say 'Sono stato per uscire'. Use 'Stavo per uscire' for all past 'about to' situations.
المعنى
To be on the verge of.
The 'Proprio' Boost
Add 'proprio' (Sto proprio per...) to mean 'I am literally just about to'. It makes you sound very native.
No Past Participle
Never say 'Sono stato per uscire'. Use 'Stavo per uscire' for all past 'about to' situations.
Reflexive Placement
With reflexive verbs, put the pronoun at the beginning (Mi sto per...) for a more natural, conversational flow.
The 'Sto Arrivando' Lie
Be careful! If an Italian says 'Sto per arrivare', they might still be at home. It's often a polite exaggeration.
اختبر نفسك
Conjugate the verb 'stare' correctly in the present tense.
Prendi l'ombrello! ______ per piovere.
The subject is 'it' (the weather), so we use the third person singular 'sta'.
Choose the correct past form to show an interrupted action.
Scusa se non ho risposto, ______ per farti una sorpresa.
The imperfect 'stavo' is used with 'per' to describe being about to do something in the past.
Match the sentence to the situation.
Which sentence fits a person with their hand on a ringing phone?
'Sto per rispondere' means you are about to pick up the phone right now.
Complete the dialogue naturally.
A: 'Vuoi un caffè?' B: 'No grazie, ______ per andare a dormire.'
The speaker is talking about their current state of being about to go to bed.
🎉 النتيجة: /4
وسائل تعلم بصرية
Common Verbs with 'Stare Per'
Movement
- • uscire
- • arrivare
- • partire
Communication
- • dire
- • chiamare
- • scrivere
Nature
- • piovere
- • nevicare
- • tramontare
بنك التمارين
4 تمارينPrendi l'ombrello! ______ per piovere.
The subject is 'it' (the weather), so we use the third person singular 'sta'.
Scusa se non ho risposto, ______ per farti una sorpresa.
The imperfect 'stavo' is used with 'per' to describe being about to do something in the past.
Which sentence fits a person with their hand on a ringing phone?
'Sto per rispondere' means you are about to pick up the phone right now.
A: 'Vuoi un caffè?' B: 'No grazie, ______ per andare a dormire.'
The speaker is talking about their current state of being about to go to bed.
🎉 النتيجة: /4
الأسئلة الشائعة
10 أسئلةTechnically you can say 'starò per', but it is extremely rare. Stick to the present and imperfect.
No. 'Andare a' (like 'going to' in English) is common in French and Spanish but less common in standard Italian for the future. 'Stare per' is much more imminent.
No. You must use a verb. Say 'Sto per avere fame' or 'Sto per mangiare'.
'Stare per' is everyday language. 'Essere sul punto di' is more dramatic or formal, like 'on the verge of'.
Use the imperfect: 'Stavo per dirlo!'
Usually, no. It's for things happening in the next few minutes.
Yes, very often. 'Sto per presentarvi i dati' (I am about to present the data to you).
Yes, you conjugate 'stare'. 'Noi stiamo per', 'Loro stanno per'.
Yes. 'Non sto per farlo' (I'm not about to do it), though it's less common than the positive form.
Absolutely. 'Sto per arrivare' is one of the most texted phrases in Italy.
عبارات ذات صلة
essere sul punto di
synonymTo be on the point of
stare + gerundio
similarTo be doing something
accingersi a
specialized formTo prepare oneself to
mancare poco a
similarTo be close to
