B1 Collocation ニュートラル

essere in affari

to be in business

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use 'essere in affari' to describe someone's professional involvement in commerce or a specific partnership between two parties.

  • Means: To be professionally active in trade or a business partnership.
  • Used in: Networking events, LinkedIn bios, or discussing company alliances.
  • Don't confuse: With 'avere affari', which often implies having 'dealings' or 'matters' to attend to.
🤝 (Partnership) + 💼 (Work) = Essere in affari

Explanation at your level:

At this level, you just need to know that 'affari' means 'business'. You can use 'essere in affari' to say you have a job in a shop or a company. It is a simple way to talk about work. You use the verb 'essere' (am, are, is) and the words 'in affari'. For example: 'Io sono in affari'. It is like saying 'I am a businessman'.
You can now use the phrase to describe who you work with. Use 'con' to talk about a partner. 'Sono in affari con mio fratello'. You also learn that 'affari' is always plural in this phrase. You can use it to talk about your past jobs using 'ero' (I was). It helps you describe your professional life simply during a conversation about your family or your background.
At the intermediate level, you understand that 'essere in affari' describes a professional state or a partnership. You can distinguish it from 'fare affari' (to make deals). You use it in more complex sentences, like 'Siamo in affari da molti anni e ci fidiamo l'uno dell'altro'. You also start to use it with specific sectors, like 'essere in affari nel settore della moda'. This level requires you to use the correct prepositions consistently.
You now recognize the nuances of register. You know that 'essere in affari' is appropriate for professional networking and formal emails. You can use it in the conditional or subjunctive moods: 'Se fossi in affari con lui, sarei preoccupato'. You understand that the phrase implies a level of professional legitimacy and can use it to discuss market trends or company alliances with more sophisticated vocabulary and varied sentence structures.
At this advanced stage, you appreciate the idiomatic flexibility of the phrase. You can analyze how 'essere in affari' contrasts with more technical terms like 'esercitare un'attività commerciale'. You understand the cultural implications of trust and 'clientelismo' that can sometimes be associated with business 'affairs' in certain contexts. Your usage is fluid, incorporating the phrase into high-level discussions about economics, law, or corporate strategy without hesitation.
You have a near-native grasp of the phrase's cognitive linguistics. You understand the historical evolution from the Latin 'ad facere' and how this informs the modern Italian conceptualization of 'affari' as both a burden and an opportunity. You can use the phrase ironically, metaphorically, or within complex legalistic frameworks. You are aware of the subtle prosodic shifts that can change the phrase from a simple statement of fact to a warning or a boast, demonstrating total mastery of Italian professional discourse.

意味

To be involved in commerce or professional work.

🌍

文化的背景

Business is often family-oriented. Being 'in affari' with a family member is seen as a sign of trust and stability. In Milan, 'essere in affari' is often associated with the 'aperitivo business' culture, where deals are discussed over drinks. Trust ('la parola') is sometimes more important than a written contract when people are 'in affari'. Modern Italian entrepreneurs use 'essere in affari' to describe digital partnerships and startup collaborations.

🎯

Use 'da' for duration

Always use 'da' to say how long you've been in business. 'Sono in affari da 5 anni'.

⚠️

Avoid the singular

Saying 'sono in un affare' sounds like you're in a shady movie plot. Stick to the plural 'affari'.

意味

To be involved in commerce or professional work.

🎯

Use 'da' for duration

Always use 'da' to say how long you've been in business. 'Sono in affari da 5 anni'.

⚠️

Avoid the singular

Saying 'sono in un affare' sounds like you're in a shady movie plot. Stick to the plural 'affari'.

💬

Trust is key

In Italy, being 'in affari' implies a level of personal trust. Don't use it for people you don't respect.

💡

Sector preposition

Use 'nel settore...' to specify your industry. 'Sono in affari nel settore vinicolo'.

自分をテスト

Fill in the missing preposition and verb form.

Io e mio cugino ______ ______ affari da due anni.

✓ 正解！ ✗ おしい！ 正解: siamo in

The correct phrase is 'essere in affari'. For 'io e mio cugino' (we), the verb is 'siamo'.

Which sentence is correct?

Select the most natural Italian sentence.

✓ 正解！ ✗ おしい！ 正解: Lui è in affari con una banca svizzera.

'Essere in affari con' is the standard professional collocation.

Complete the dialogue.

A: 'Perché lavori sempre con Marco?' B: 'Perché ______ ______ ______ con lui da tempo.'

✓ 正解！ ✗ おしい！ 正解: siamo in affari

The speaker is explaining a professional partnership.

Match the phrase to the situation.

You are introducing your business partner at a conference.

✓ 正解！ ✗ おしい！ 正解: Vi presento il mio socio, siamo in affari insieme.

Adding 'insieme' (together) and using 'socio' (partner) makes it very clear and professional.

🎉 スコア： /4

ビジュアル学習ツール

Essere vs Fare

Essere in affari
Stato professionale Professional state
Partnership Partnership
Fare affari
Transazione Transaction
Guadagno Profit

よくある質問

12 問

It's common in very modern/slang Milanese 'Italish', but 'Sono in affari' is the correct and professional Italian form.

'Essere in affari' is a state (being a businessman/partner). 'Fare affari' is the act of making deals or money.

It is neutral-formal. You can use it with your boss or with a friend.

No, it is always 'in affari', never 'negli affari' in this context.

Use the verb 'mettersi': 'Mi metto in affari'.

Yes, in movies you often hear 'essere in affari con la mafia', but in real life, it's mostly professional.

In this specific idiom, yes. 'Essere in affare' is incorrect.

Yes, a shop owner is 'in affari'.

Use 'con'. 'Sono in affari con lui'.

No. For 'busy', use 'essere occupato' or 'avere molto da fare'.

Yes, though 'Imprenditore' (Entrepreneur) is more common as a title, 'In affari nel settore...' is used in descriptions.

Yes, adding 'insieme' (together) is very common and natural.

関連フレーズ

🔗

fare affari

similar

To conduct business deals.

🔗

mettersi in affari

builds on

To start a business.

🔗

uomo d'affari

specialized form

Businessman.

🔗

affari di cuore

contrast

Matters of the heart.

🔗

farsi gli affari propri

contrast

To mind one's own business.

どこで使う？

👔

Job Interview

Interviewer: Da quanto tempo lavora in questo settore?

Candidate: Sono in affari nel settore IT da circa sei anni.

formal
🥂

Networking Event

Person A: Ho sentito che hai aperto una nuova società.

Person B: Sì, sono in affari con un vecchio collega dell'università.

neutral
🍝

Family Dinner

Nonna: Ma cosa fa esattamente quel tuo amico Marco?

You: È in affari con suo padre, vendono macchine d'epoca.

informal
🤝

Business Negotiation

Manager A: Saremmo interessati a collaborare con voi.

Manager B: Sarebbe un onore essere in affari con la vostra azienda.

formal
🗞️

Discussing a Scandal

Friend A: Hai letto del sindaco? Sembra che fosse in affari con persone poco raccomandabili.

Friend B: Sì, è uno scandalo incredibile.

neutral
💰

Financial Planning

Consultant: Per diversificare, dovrebbe essere in affari in diversi mercati.

Client: Capisco, ma preferisco concentrarmi sul settore immobiliare.

neutral

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Affari' as 'Affairs'. If you are 'in affairs', you are busy with the 'affairs of money'.

Visual Association

Imagine two people in sharp Italian suits shaking hands inside a giant briefcase. The briefcase represents being 'in' the world of business.

Rhyme

In affari con i cari, per guadagnare molti denari.

Story

Marco wanted to sell lemons. He met Sofia, who had a truck. They shook hands and said, 'Ora siamo in affari!' Now they travel across Italy selling the best lemonade.

Word Web

aziendasociocontrattoguadagnomercatosettoreinvestimentocommercio

チャレンジ

Write a LinkedIn-style bio sentence for yourself in Italian using 'essere in affari'.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Estar en el negocio / Estar en negocios

The choice of 'estar' over 'essere' reflects the Spanish distinction between permanent and temporary states.

French high

Être dans les affaires

French requires the definite article 'les', whereas Italian drops it ('in affari').

German moderate

Im Geschäft sein

German uses the singular noun, while Italian uses the plural.

Japanese low

ビジネスをしている (Bijinesu o shite iru)

The focus is on the action of 'doing' rather than the state of 'being'.

Arabic partial

في مجال الأعمال (Fi majal al-a'mal)

It is more descriptive and less of a direct 'to be in' idiom.

Chinese partial

在做生意 (Zài zuò shēngyì)

It combines the 'state' and the 'action' into one phrase.

Korean low

사업을 하다 (Saeobeul hada)

It lacks the 'to be in' prepositional structure found in Romance languages.

Portuguese high

Estar nos negócios

Like French, it usually requires the article ('nos' = in + the).

Easily Confused

essere in affari 対 avere affari

Learners think it means 'to be in business'.

Use 'essere in affari' for your job/partnership. Use 'avere affari' (rarely) to mean you have things to do.

essere in affari 対 essere un affare

Learners use it to describe a person's job.

'Essere un affare' means 'to be a bargain' (for an object).

よくある質問 (12)

It's common in very modern/slang Milanese 'Italish', but 'Sono in affari' is the correct and professional Italian form.

'Essere in affari' is a state (being a businessman/partner). 'Fare affari' is the act of making deals or money.

It is neutral-formal. You can use it with your boss or with a friend.

No, it is always 'in affari', never 'negli affari' in this context.

Use the verb 'mettersi': 'Mi metto in affari'.

Yes, in movies you often hear 'essere in affari con la mafia', but in real life, it's mostly professional.

In this specific idiom, yes. 'Essere in affare' is incorrect.

Yes, a shop owner is 'in affari'.

Use 'con'. 'Sono in affari con lui'.

No. For 'busy', use 'essere occupato' or 'avere molto da fare'.

Yes, though 'Imprenditore' (Entrepreneur) is more common as a title, 'In affari nel settore...' is used in descriptions.

Yes, adding 'insieme' (together) is very common and natural.

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