Significado
Having something yet to resolve.
Contexto cultural
In regions like Sicily or Campania, the phrase can sometimes carry a heavier, more serious connotation related to family honor and historical feuds, though this is often exaggerated in movies. It is very common in small villages to have a 'conto in sospeso' at the local bar. The barista writes your name in a notebook, and you pay at the end of the week or month. Sports newspapers like 'La Gazzetta dello Sport' use this phrase constantly to build hype for matches between teams with a history of controversial refereeing or previous losses. Italians often feel they have a 'conto in sospeso' with the state (lo Stato) due to complex taxes or slow services, leading to a general sense of 'owing' or 'being owed' by the system.
Use it for Rematches
If you play a game (cards, video games, sports) and lose, say 'Abbiamo un conto in sospeso!' to challenge them to a rematch. It sounds very natural and confident.
Don't sound too aggressive
Be careful with your tone. If said with a smile, it's a friendly challenge. If said with a straight face, it can sound like a genuine threat.
Significado
Having something yet to resolve.
Use it for Rematches
If you play a game (cards, video games, sports) and lose, say 'Abbiamo un conto in sospeso!' to challenge them to a rematch. It sounds very natural and confident.
Don't sound too aggressive
Be careful with your tone. If said with a smile, it's a friendly challenge. If said with a straight face, it can sound like a genuine threat.
The 'Bar' Context
In Italy, if a barista says this to you, don't be offended. It's just a reminder of an unpaid coffee, not a personal attack on your honor.
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the missing words to complete the idiom.
Non posso venire alla festa perché ho un ______ in ______ con il proprietario del locale.
The standard idiom is 'conto in sospeso'.
Which situation best describes 'avere un conto in sospeso'?
Quale situazione è un 'conto in sospeso'?
An unresolved offense creates a figurative 'conto in sospeso'.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form of the phrase.
A: 'Perché guardi male quel calciatore?' B: 'Perché l'anno scorso ci ha fatto perdere, e noi ______.'
We use 'avere' + 'conto in sospeso' + 'con' + person.
Match the phrase to the correct context.
Match: 1. Literal money debt, 2. Figurative grudge.
The phrase covers both unpaid money and the desire for revenge.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Where you'll hear it
Daily Life
- • Local shops
- • Bars
- • Friends
Media
- • Sports news
- • Action movies
- • Crime novels
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosNon posso venire alla festa perché ho un ______ in ______ con il proprietario del locale.
The standard idiom is 'conto in sospeso'.
Quale situazione è un 'conto in sospeso'?
An unresolved offense creates a figurative 'conto in sospeso'.
A: 'Perché guardi male quel calciatore?' B: 'Perché l'anno scorso ci ha fatto perdere, e noi ______.'
We use 'avere' + 'conto in sospeso' + 'con' + person.
Match: 1. Literal money debt, 2. Figurative grudge.
The phrase covers both unpaid money and the desire for revenge.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasRarely. It almost always implies a debt or a negative unresolved issue. For a positive 'owing', use 'avere un debito di gratitudine'.
Always use 'in sospeso' for the idiom. 'Conto sospeso' usually refers to a frozen bank account.
Extremely. It is a cliché in Italian crime and action movies (poliziotteschi).
No, 'affari in sospeso' is a literal translation of 'unfinished business' and sounds like a bad dubbing of an American movie.
Use the verb 'regolare': 'regolare il conto in sospeso'.
It's better to use 'pendenze' or 'questioni irrisolte' in a professional email to avoid sounding dramatic.
No, it can simply mean a conversation that was never finished or a question that was never answered.
The plural is 'conti in sospeso'. Note that 'sospeso' usually stays singular as it describes the state of the 'accounts'.
Yes! 'Ho un conto in sospeso con me stesso' means you have personal goals or past mistakes you haven't reconciled yet.
Yes, it is a standard Italian idiom understood from North to South.
Frases relacionadas
regolare i conti
builds onto settle the scores
mettere in conto
similarto take into account / to expect
chiudere i ponti
contrastto burn bridges
pendenze
synonympending matters
