A2 Idiom ニュートラル

avere un conto in sospeso

to have unfinished business

意味

Having something yet to resolve.

🌍

文化的背景

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.

意味

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.

自分をテスト

Fill in the missing words to complete the idiom.

Non posso venire alla festa perché ho un ______ in ______ con il proprietario del locale.

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: conto / sospeso

The standard idiom is 'conto in sospeso'.

Which situation best describes 'avere un conto in sospeso'?

Quale situazione è un 'conto in sospeso'?

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: Il tuo amico ti ha offeso e tu non gli hai ancora risposto.

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 ______.'

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: abbiamo un conto in sospeso con lui

We use 'avere' + 'conto in sospeso' + 'con' + person.

Match the phrase to the correct context.

Match: 1. Literal money debt, 2. Figurative grudge.

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: 1: 'Ho lasciato 5 euro da pagare al bar.' 2: 'Mi vendicherò per quello che hai fatto.'

The phrase covers both unpaid money and the desire for revenge.

🎉 スコア: /4

ビジュアル学習ツール

Where you'll hear it

🛒

Daily Life

  • Local shops
  • Bars
  • Friends
📺

Media

  • Sports news
  • Action movies
  • Crime novels

練習問題バンク

4 問題
Fill in the missing words to complete the idiom. Fill Blank A2

Non posso venire alla festa perché ho un ______ in ______ con il proprietario del locale.

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: conto / sospeso

The standard idiom is 'conto in sospeso'.

Which situation best describes 'avere un conto in sospeso'? Choose A2

Quale situazione è un 'conto in sospeso'?

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: Il tuo amico ti ha offeso e tu non gli hai ancora risposto.

An unresolved offense creates a figurative 'conto in sospeso'.

Complete the dialogue with the correct form of the phrase. dialogue_completion B1

A: 'Perché guardi male quel calciatore?' B: 'Perché l'anno scorso ci ha fatto perdere, e noi ______.'

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: abbiamo un conto in sospeso con lui

We use 'avere' + 'conto in sospeso' + 'con' + person.

Match the phrase to the correct context. situation_matching A2

Match: 1. Literal money debt, 2. Figurative grudge.

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: 1: 'Ho lasciato 5 euro da pagare al bar.' 2: 'Mi vendicherò per quello che hai fatto.'

The phrase covers both unpaid money and the desire for revenge.

🎉 スコア: /4

よくある質問

10 問

Rarely. 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.

関連フレーズ

🔗

regolare i conti

builds on

to settle the scores

🔗

mettere in conto

similar

to take into account / to expect

🔗

chiudere i ponti

contrast

to burn bridges

🔄

pendenze

synonym

pending matters

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