Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use 'stare per' to describe an action that is just seconds or minutes away from happening.
- Means: To be about to do something or on the verge of an event.
- Used in: Daily plans, weather changes, or interrupting someone before they leave.
- Don't confuse: With 'stare + gerund' which means you are doing it right now.
Erklärung auf deinem Niveau:
Bedeutung
To be on the verge of.
Kultureller Hintergrund
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.
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.
Teste dich selbst
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.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Common Verbs with 'Stare Per'
Movement
- • uscire
- • arrivare
- • partire
Communication
- • dire
- • chiamare
- • scrivere
Nature
- • piovere
- • nevicare
- • tramontare
Aufgabensammlung
5 AufgabenPrendi 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.
🎉 Ergebnis: /5
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenTechnically 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.
Verwandte Redewendungen
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
Wo du es verwendest
Catching a train
Viaggiatore A: Corri! Il treno sta per partire!
Viaggiatore B: Lo vedo, siamo quasi al binario!
Phone interruption
Amico 1: Ehi, hai un minuto?
Amico 2: Scusa, sto per entrare in galleria, ti richiamo dopo.
Weather warning
Mamma: Prendi l'ombrello, sta per piovere.
Figlio: Hai ragione, il cielo è nerissimo.
At the restaurant
Cameriere: I vostri piatti stanno per arrivare.
Cliente: Grazie mille, abbiamo molta fame.
Office deadline
Collega: Hai finito il report?
Tu: Sì, sto per inviarlo proprio adesso.
Dating
Persona A: Ti piace il posto?
Persona B: Sì, stavo per dirti la stessa cosa!
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
Think of 'STARE' as 'Standing' and 'PER' as 'Prepared'. You are Standing Prepared to act!
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine a cat wiggling its butt right before it pounces. That wiggle is the 'stare per' moment.
Rhyme
Se l'azione sta per arrivare, 'stare per' devi usare!
Story
Marco is at the door. He has his keys in his hand (Sto per uscire). Suddenly, the sky turns black (Sta per piovere). He drops his keys (Stanno per cadere). He realizes he's about to have a very bad day.
In Other Languages
It is very similar to the Spanish 'estar a punto de' and the French 'être sur le point de'. English uses 'to be about to'.
Word Web
Herausforderung
For the next 5 minutes, look around your room and say out loud three things that are 'about to' happen (e.g., the candle is about to go out, the phone is about to ring).
Review 'stare per' today, then in 3 days, then in a week. Focus on the 'stavo per' (past) form as it's the trickiest.
Aussprache
The 'a' is open and the 'r' is slightly rolled.
Short 'e', similar to 'pet' but without the 't'.
Formalitätsspektrum
Mi accingo a partire. (Leaving a place)
Sto per uscire. (Leaving a place)
Vado, eh! (Leaving a place)
Scappo! (Leaving a place)
Derived from the Latin 'stare' (to stand) + 'per' (for/through). It reflects a shift from physical posture to temporal aspect.
Wusstest du?
The verb 'stare' is so important in Italian that it has largely replaced 'essere' for expressing health (Come stai?) and location in many dialects.
Kulturelle Hinweise
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.
“Tranquillo, sto per arrivare! (Don't worry, I'm almost there!)”
Neorealist films often use 'stare per' to create a sense of impending doom or hope, focusing on the small moments before big life changes.
“La guerra sta per finire. (The war is about to end.)”
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.
“Stavo a uscì quando m'hai chiamato.”
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.
“A tavola! La pasta sta per essere servita!”
Gesprächseinstiege
C'è qualcosa che stavi per fare oggi ma poi hai cambiato idea?
Guarda fuori dalla finestra. Sta per piovere o c'è il sole?
Cosa stai per fare dopo questa lezione?
Hai mai avuto la sensazione che qualcosa di brutto stesse per accadere?
Häufige Fehler
Sto per la cena.
Sto per cenare.
L1 Interference
Sono per uscire.
Sto per uscire.
L1 Interference
Sto per uscendo.
Sto per uscire.
L1 Interference
Ho stato per dire...
Stavo per dire...
L1 Interference
In Other Languages
Estar a punto de
Italian 'stare per' is more versatile than Spanish 'estar por'.
Être sur le point de
French uses 'être' (to be) while Italian uses 'stare' (to stay/stand).
Im Begriff sein, ... zu tun
Italian uses a verb construction where German often uses a simple adverb.
...tokoro da (ところだ)
Japanese uses a noun-based construction, Italian a verb-based one.
على وشك (ala washak)
Arabic uses a fixed phrase 'on the edge' rather than a conjugated verb.
就要...了 (jiùyào...le)
Chinese relies on particles and adverbs rather than auxiliary verb conjugation.
-(으)려던 참이다 (ryeodeon cham-ida)
Korean emphasizes the 'intention' aspect more strongly.
Estar para / Estar prestes a
The usage is nearly identical across both languages.
Spotted in the Real World
“Sta per piovere, e io non ho l'ombrello.”
A song about being unprepared for life's changes.
“Stavo per dirti che sei bellissima.”
A moment of reflection during a party.
“Il segreto sta per essere svelato.”
Building tension in the mystery.
“Sto per svenire per il caldo!”
Common hyperbole during Italian heatwaves.
“Dottore, stavo per chiamarla.”
Catarella reporting to Montalbano.
Leicht verwechselbar
Learners often think 'stare a' means 'about to' because of the 'a' in English 'about to'.
Remember: 'Per' is for 'Pending' actions. 'Stare a' is usually regional or part of other idioms.
Both use the verb 'stare'.
If it's happening NOW, use -ando/-endo. If it's happening in 5 seconds, use 'per'.
Häufig gestellte Fragen (10)
Technically you can say 'starò per', but it is extremely rare. Stick to the present and imperfect.
grammar mechanicsNo. '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.
comparisonsNo. You must use a verb. Say 'Sto per avere fame' or 'Sto per mangiare'.
common mistakes'Stare per' is everyday language. 'Essere sul punto di' is more dramatic or formal, like 'on the verge of'.
usage contextsUse the imperfect: 'Stavo per dirlo!'
practical tipsUsually, no. It's for things happening in the next few minutes.
usage contextsYes, very often. 'Sto per presentarvi i dati' (I am about to present the data to you).
usage contextsYes, you conjugate 'stare'. 'Noi stiamo per', 'Loro stanno per'.
grammar mechanicsYes. 'Non sto per farlo' (I'm not about to do it), though it's less common than the positive form.
grammar mechanicsAbsolutely. 'Sto per arrivare' is one of the most texted phrases in Italy.
practical tips
