A1 Collocation Neutral 1 Min. Lesezeit

Ho fretta

I am in a hurry

Jetzt üben

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use 'Ho fretta' to tell someone you are in a hurry and need to move quickly.

  • Means: I am in a hurry or I have limited time.
  • Used in: Leaving for work, missing a bus, or ending a conversation quickly.
  • Don't confuse: 'Ho fretta' (I am in a hurry) with 'Sono frettoloso' (I am a hasty person).
Clock icon + Running person = Ho fretta

Erklärung auf deinem Niveau:

Use 'Ho fretta' when you are busy and need to go. It means 'I am in a hurry'.
This phrase is used to express urgency. You can say 'Ho fretta' to explain why you cannot stay or why you need to finish a task quickly.
It is a common collocation for expressing time pressure. It is useful in both professional and casual contexts to excuse yourself from a conversation or to signal that a task needs immediate attention.
The phrase 'avere fretta' functions as a standard idiomatic expression for time-constrained behavior. It is essential for navigating social interactions where one must balance politeness with personal time management.
Functioning as a lexicalized collocation, 'ho fretta' serves as a pragmatic marker of urgency. Its usage is deeply embedded in Italian social etiquette, providing a socially acceptable mechanism to terminate interactions without causing offense.
From a sociolinguistic perspective, 'ho fretta' acts as a face-saving strategy. By externalizing the pressure onto the concept of 'fretta', the speaker mitigates the potential negative impact of rejecting a social invitation or cutting a dialogue short, maintaining interpersonal harmony.

Bedeutung

Indicating urgency or limited time.

🌍

Kultureller Hintergrund

Italians often use 'fretta' to justify being late.

💡

Use 'di'

Always use 'di' before an infinitive.

💡

Use 'di'

Always use 'di' before an infinitive.

Teste dich selbst

Complete the sentence.

Io ____ fretta.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: ho

The verb 'avere' is used with 'fretta'.

🎉 Ergebnis: /1

Visuelle Lernhilfen

Aufgabensammlung

2 Aufgaben
Wähle die richtige Antwort Fill Blank

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort:
Complete the sentence. Fill Blank A1

Io ____ fretta.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: ho

The verb 'avere' is used with 'fretta'.

🎉 Ergebnis: /2

Häufig gestellte Fragen

1 Fragen

No, always 'Ho fretta'.

Verwandte Redewendungen

🔗

In fretta

similar

In a hurry

Wo du es verwendest

🚌

Running late for a bus

Friend: Ehi, come va?

You: Ciao! Scusa, ho fretta, devo prendere il bus!

informal
💼

At the office

Colleague: Hai un minuto?

You: Ho fretta di finire questo report, possiamo parlarne dopo?

neutral

Einprägen

Eselsbrücke

Think of a 'Fret' (worry) because you are in a 'Fretta' (hurry).

Visuelle Assoziation

Imagine yourself looking at a watch repeatedly while running to catch a train.

Rhyme

Ho fretta, la vita mi aspetta!

Story

Marco is at the cafe. He sees his boss. He remembers he has a meeting. He says, 'Scusa, ho fretta!' and runs out.

In Other Languages

English 'in a hurry', French 'être pressé', Spanish 'tener prisa'. All relate to the state of being pushed by time.

Word Web

tempocorrereritardoprestovelocitàimpegno

Herausforderung

Say 'Ho fretta' to a mirror 5 times while looking at your watch.

Review in 24 hours, then 3 days, then 1 week.

Aussprache

Betonung First syllable

Double the 't' sound.

Formalitätsspektrum

Formell
Mi scusi, ho molta fretta.

Mi scusi, ho molta fretta. (Leaving a conversation)

Neutral
Ho fretta, devo andare.

Ho fretta, devo andare. (Leaving a conversation)

Informell
Ho fretta, ciao!

Ho fretta, ciao! (Leaving a conversation)

Umgangssprache
Scappo, ho fretta!

Scappo, ho fretta! (Leaving a conversation)

Derived from the Latin 'frictus' (rubbed/friction), implying the friction of moving fast.

Middle Ages:

Wusstest du?

It is related to the word 'fricative' in linguistics!

Kulturelle Hinweise

Italians often use 'fretta' to justify being late.

“Scusa, ho avuto fretta!”

Gesprächseinstiege

“

Hai fretta oggi?

Häufige Fehler

✗

Sono fretta

✓

Ho fretta

wrong conjugation
You 'have' haste in Italian, you are not 'the' haste.

L1 Interference

0 1

In Other Languages

Spanish Very Similar

Tener prisa

The structure is identical.

French moderate

Être pressé

French focuses on the state of being pressed, Italian on the possession of haste.

German moderate

Es eilig haben

German requires an object pronoun 'es'.

Japanese Different

Isogu (急ぐ)

Japanese uses a verb, not a noun-based collocation.

Arabic Different

Ana musta'jil (أنا مستعجل)

Arabic uses an adjective/participle structure.

Spotted in the Real World

🎬

(1997)

“Ho fretta!”

Character rushing through a scene.

📱

(2023)

“Ho fretta di tornare a casa.”

Commuter venting.

📚

(2020)

“Ho fretta di finire.”

Example sentence.

Leicht verwechselbar

Ho fretta vs. Frettoloso

Adjective vs Noun

Frettoloso describes a person, fretta is the state.

Häufig gestellte Fragen (1)

No, always 'Ho fretta'.

grammar mechanics

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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