B1 Collocation ニュートラル

stare per

to be about to

意味

To be on the verge of.

🌍

文化的背景

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.

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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.

意味

To be on the verge of.

💡

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.

自分をテスト

Conjugate the verb 'stare' correctly in the present tense.

Prendi l'ombrello! ______ per piovere.

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: Sta

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.

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: stavo

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?

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: Sto per rispondere.

'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.'

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: sto

The speaker is talking about their current state of being about to go to bed.

🎉 スコア: /4

ビジュアル学習ツール

Common Verbs with 'Stare Per'

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Movement

  • uscire
  • arrivare
  • partire
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Communication

  • dire
  • chiamare
  • scrivere
☁️

Nature

  • piovere
  • nevicare
  • tramontare

練習問題バンク

4 問題
Conjugate the verb 'stare' correctly in the present tense. Fill Blank A1

Prendi l'ombrello! ______ per piovere.

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: Sta

The subject is 'it' (the weather), so we use the third person singular 'sta'.

Choose the correct past form to show an interrupted action. Choose B1

Scusa se non ho risposto, ______ per farti una sorpresa.

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: stavo

The imperfect 'stavo' is used with 'per' to describe being about to do something in the past.

Match the sentence to the situation. situation_matching A2

Which sentence fits a person with their hand on a ringing phone?

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: Sto per rispondere.

'Sto per rispondere' means you are about to pick up the phone right now.

Complete the dialogue naturally. dialogue_completion A2

A: 'Vuoi un caffè?' B: 'No grazie, ______ per andare a dormire.'

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: sto

The speaker is talking about their current state of being about to go to bed.

🎉 スコア: /4

よくある質問

10 問

Technically 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.

関連フレーズ

🔄

essere sul punto di

synonym

To be on the point of

🔗

stare + gerundio

similar

To be doing something

🔗

accingersi a

specialized form

To prepare oneself to

🔗

mancare poco a

similar

To be close to

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