Significado
Forgetting something temporarily.
Contexto cultural
The 'interrogazione' (oral exam) is a staple of Italian education. Students are expected to speak for 15-30 minutes. 'Vuoti di memoria' are so common that teachers often allow students to 'scena muta' (stay silent) for a moment to recover. Italians are generally very forgiving of memory lapses in social settings. Admitting to a 'vuoto' is seen as more polite than pretending you didn't forget. In many classic Italian films, a 'vuoto di memoria' is used to show the vulnerability of the 'macho' character or the stress of the 'mamma'. In Southern Italy, you might hear more expressive body language (tapping the forehead) accompanying the phrase to emphasize the 'emptiness'.
Shorten it!
In casual speech, just say 'Ho un vuoto'. Everyone will understand you mean memory.
Don't say 'Ho un bianco'
Even though English speakers say 'I have a blank', Italians never use 'bianco' for this. Stick to 'vuoto'.
Significado
Forgetting something temporarily.
Shorten it!
In casual speech, just say 'Ho un vuoto'. Everyone will understand you mean memory.
Don't say 'Ho un bianco'
Even though English speakers say 'I have a blank', Italians never use 'bianco' for this. Stick to 'vuoto'.
Use it to buy time
If you need a few seconds to think in an Italian conversation, say 'Un secondo, ho un vuoto...'. It sounds very natural.
Ponte a prueba
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the phrase.
Durante l'interrogazione, lo studente ______ un vuoto di memoria.
The phrase always uses the verb 'avere'. In this context, the past tense 'ha avuto' is the most natural.
Which of these is the most natural way to say 'I blanked out' in a neutral context?
Come si dice 'I had a memory blank'?
'Vuoto di memoria' is the standard idiomatic expression.
Fill in the missing part of the dialogue.
A: 'Come si chiama quel ristorante?' B: 'Ah, non lo ricordo, ______.'
In casual conversation, Italians often shorten the phrase to just 'ho un vuoto'.
Match the phrase to the most appropriate situation.
In which situation would you say 'Ho avuto un vuoto di memoria'?
A 'vuoto' is a temporary retrieval failure of information you already know.
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Ayudas visuales
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosDurante l'interrogazione, lo studente ______ un vuoto di memoria.
The phrase always uses the verb 'avere'. In this context, the past tense 'ha avuto' is the most natural.
Come si dice 'I had a memory blank'?
'Vuoto di memoria' is the standard idiomatic expression.
A: 'Come si chiama quel ristorante?' B: 'Ah, non lo ricordo, ______.'
In casual conversation, Italians often shorten the phrase to just 'ho un vuoto'.
In which situation would you say 'Ho avuto un vuoto di memoria'?
A 'vuoto' is a temporary retrieval failure of information you already know.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasIt is neutral. You can use it in a job interview or with friends.
Yes, 'buco' (hole) is a very common informal synonym.
'Dimenticare' is the general verb for forgetting. 'Avere un vuoto' is the sudden feeling of a blank mind.
Always use 'avere' (to have).
Usually, no. Forgetting keys is 'dimenticare le chiavi'. A 'vuoto' is for information like names, dates, or words.
It is 'vuoto di memoria' (no article before memoria).
Say 'Ho avuto un vuoto totale'.
Yes, it is standard Italian used from North to South.
No, if you are confused, say 'sono confuso'. Use 'vuoto' only when you can't remember a specific thing.
I vuoti di memoria.
Frases relacionadas
sulla punta della lingua
similarOn the tip of the tongue.
perdere il filo
similarTo lose the thread (of a conversation).
dimenticare
builds onTo forget.
ricordarsi
contrastTo remember.
