Signification
To occupy a position temporarily.
Contexte culturel
The obsession with 'il posto fisso' (the permanent job) makes any temporary role ('scaldare il posto') feel like a waiting room for real life. Sports newspapers like 'La Gazzetta dello Sport' frequently use this to describe backup goalkeepers or bench players. Used to describe 'Governi Balneari' (summer governments) or technocrats who hold power briefly between major political shifts. In crowded Italian piazzas or cafes, asking someone to 'scaldare il posto' is a common way to build a quick social bond with a stranger.
Use it for friends
It's a very natural way to ask a friend to save your seat at a bar or event.
Watch the tone
Be careful using it about a colleague's job; it can sound like you think they aren't doing anything important.
Signification
To occupy a position temporarily.
Use it for friends
It's a very natural way to ask a friend to save your seat at a bar or event.
Watch the tone
Be careful using it about a colleague's job; it can sound like you think they aren't doing anything important.
Sports talk
Use this when talking about your favorite team's substitutes to sound like a native fan.
The 'Posto Fisso'
Remember that 'posto' is a very important word in Italy, often meaning a 'job for life'.
Teste-toi
Qual è il significato figurato di 'scaldare il posto'?
In un contesto lavorativo, cosa significa?
The phrase metaphorically describes holding a spot for someone else.
Completa la frase con la forma corretta del verbo 'scaldare'.
Mentre vado al bar, tu mi _______ il posto?
The subject is 'tu' (you), so the verb must be 'scaldi'.
Abbina la situazione alla frase corretta.
Situazione: Un calciatore che non gioca mai ma è sempre in panchina.
In sports, a substitute who doesn't play is said to 'warm the seat'.
Completa il dialogo.
A: 'Chi è quella donna nell'ufficio del capo?' B: 'È una consulente. Sta solo _______ il posto finché non torna lui.'
The context of a temporary replacement requires 'scaldando'.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Posto vs. Sedia
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesIn un contesto lavorativo, cosa significa?
The phrase metaphorically describes holding a spot for someone else.
Mentre vado al bar, tu mi _______ il posto?
The subject is 'tu' (you), so the verb must be 'scaldi'.
Situazione: Un calciatore che non gioca mai ma è sempre in panchina.
In sports, a substitute who doesn't play is said to 'warm the seat'.
A: 'Chi è quella donna nell'ufficio del capo?' B: 'È una consulente. Sta solo _______ il posto finché non torna lui.'
The context of a temporary replacement requires 'scaldando'.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
12 questionsIt depends. It's friendly when saving a seat, but can be dismissive when talking about someone's career.
Yes, the phrase doesn't change gender. 'Lei scalda il posto'.
'Posto' is the role/spot; 'sedia' is the physical chair and usually implies laziness.
Rarely. In formal contexts, use 'interim' or 'provvisorio'.
Only if you are literally talking about a car seat.
Not necessarily. It primarily means they are temporary.
You can say 'uno che scalda la panchina' or 'un panchinaro'.
Yes, it is a standard national idiom.
No, it's almost always used for people occupying spaces.
'Prendere possesso' or 'insediarsi' (to take office/settle in).
No, it's a standard idiomatic expression.
Yes, to say you *don't* want to just 'scaldare il posto'.
Expressions liées
scaldare la sedia
similarTo be lazy at work.
fare da tappabuchi
synonymTo be a stopgap.
reggere il moccolo
contrastTo be a third wheel.
tenere il posto
similarTo save a seat.
fare panchina
specialized formTo be on the bench (sports).
