If you're learning Italian, you'll definitely come across the verb cancellare. It's a common and practical word that you'll use in many different situations. Don't worry, it's not a complicated verb, and once you get the hang of it, you'll find it very useful.
§ What Does Cancellare Mean?
- DEFINITION
- To remove or obliterate.
That's the simplest way to put it. Think of it as getting rid of something, making it disappear, or taking it away. It's a broad term, which is why it's so frequently used. You can use it for physical things, digital things, or even abstract concepts.
§ When Do People Use It?
Let's break down some common scenarios where you'll hear or use cancellare:
- Deleting something: This is probably the most common use in today's digital world. Think about deleting an email, a file on your computer, or a photo from your phone.
- Erasing something: If you're writing with a pencil and make a mistake, you'll use an eraser to "cancellare" what you wrote. The same applies to a whiteboard.
- Canceling an appointment or reservation: This is a very practical use. If you can't make it to a doctor's appointment or a dinner reservation, you'll "cancellare" it.
- Crossing something out: Imagine you're making a list and you want to remove an item from it. You can "cancellare" it by drawing a line through it.
- Abolishing or revoking something: In a more formal context, cancellare can mean to officially do away with a rule, a law, or even a debt.
Devo cancellare alcune email vecchie. (I need to delete some old emails.)
Puoi cancellare la lavagna, per favore? (Can you erase the whiteboard, please?)
Ho dovuto cancellare il mio appuntamento dal dentista. (I had to cancel my dentist appointment.)
Per favore, cancella il mio nome dalla lista. (Please cross my name off the list.)
Il governo ha deciso di cancellare quella vecchia legge. (The government decided to abolish that old law.)
As you can see, cancellare is quite versatile! Pay attention to the context, and you'll quickly understand its specific meaning in each situation. It's a regular -are verb, so its conjugations are straightforward once you know the pattern. Practice using it in different sentences, and it will become second nature to you.
How Formal Is It?
"Dobbiamo annullare la riunione prevista per domani."
"Puoi cancellare il mio nome dalla lista, per favore?"
"Ho dovuto disdire l'appuntamento dal dentista."
"Mamma, puoi togliere questo disegno dal frigorifero?"
"Abbiamo fatto saltare la festa all'ultimo minuto."
Curiosidade
The Latin root 'cancellare' refers to the lattice-like pattern of lines used to cross out text, making it illegible. This directly led to the modern meaning of 'to cancel' or 'to delete'.
Exemplos por nível
Puoi cancellare il mio nome dalla lista?
Can you delete my name from the list?
Devo cancellare questo messaggio.
I need to erase this message.
Il professore ha deciso di cancellare l'esame.
The professor decided to cancel the exam.
Non riesco a cancellare questa macchia.
I can't remove this stain.
Per favore, cancella il tuo errore.
Please, cross out your mistake.
Hanno cancellato il volo a causa del maltempo.
They cancelled the flight due to bad weather.
Voglio cancellare la prenotazione.
I want to cancel the reservation.
Dobbiamo cancellare i vecchi file.
We need to delete the old files.
Colocações comuns
Frases Comuns
Devo cancellare questo file.
I need to delete this file.
Ha cancellato tutti i suoi messaggi.
He deleted all his messages.
Non puoi cancellare il passato.
You cannot erase the past.
Ho dovuto cancellare l'appuntamento.
I had to cancel the appointment.
Puoi cancellare il mio nome dalla lista?
Can you remove my name from the list?
Dobbiamo cancellare questo errore.
We must correct this error.
Hanno cancellato la prenotazione all'ultimo minuto.
They cancelled the reservation at the last minute.
Vorrei cancellare i dati personali.
I would like to delete personal data.
Non è possibile cancellare questa operazione.
It is not possible to undo this operation.
Per favore, cancella il tuo nome dalla lavagna.
Please, erase your name from the board.
Expressões idiomáticas
"Cancellare un appuntamento"
To cancel an appointment
Ho dovuto cancellare un appuntamento dal dentista. (I had to cancel an appointment at the dentist.)
neutral"Cancellare una prenotazione"
To cancel a reservation
Dobbiamo cancellare la nostra prenotazione per l'hotel. (We need to cancel our hotel reservation.)
neutral"Cancellare dalla mente"
To erase from one's mind (to forget)
Cerca di cancellare dalla mente quel brutto ricordo. (Try to erase that bad memory from your mind.)
neutral"Cancellare il passato"
To erase the past
Non puoi cancellare il passato, ma puoi imparare da esso. (You can't erase the past, but you can learn from it.)
neutral"Cancellare un debito"
To cancel a debt (to forgive a debt)
La banca ha deciso di cancellare il mio debito. (The bank decided to cancel my debt.)
formal"Cancellare un errore"
To erase an error (to correct an error)
Ho usato la gomma per cancellare l'errore. (I used the eraser to correct the error.)
neutral"Cancellare un nome dalla lista"
To cross a name off the list
Per favore, cancellare il mio nome dalla lista degli invitati. (Please, cross my name off the guest list.)
neutral"Cancellare un messaggio"
To delete a message
Ho cancellato il messaggio per sbaglio. (I deleted the message by mistake.)
neutral"Cancellare tutto"
To erase everything (to clear everything)
Ho premuto il tasto per cancellare tutto. (I pressed the button to erase everything.)
neutral"Cancellare la lavagna"
To erase the blackboard
Puoi cancellare la lavagna, per favore? (Can you erase the blackboard, please?)
neutralComo usar
When you want to express the idea of removing something, like an item from a list or information from a document, cancellare is the verb you're looking for. It's often used when you're literally erasing something.
A common mistake is confusing cancellare with togliere. While both mean 'to remove', cancellare implies erasing or striking something out, whereas togliere is more general and means 'to take off' or 'to remove' in a broader sense. For instance, you would cancellare a word from a page, but you would togliere a book from a shelf.
Memorize
Mnemônico
Think of 'cancel a rare' event. When you cancel something, you remove it from your plans or schedule.
Associação visual
Imagine a giant eraser (gomma) scrubbing away a word written on a blackboard (lavagna). The word 'cancellare' is being performed by the eraser.
Word Web
Desafio
Try to use 'cancellare' in a sentence related to your daily life. For example: 'Devo cancellare l'appuntamento.' (I need to cancel the appointment.) Or 'Ho cancellato la foto.' (I deleted the photo.)
Origem da palavra
From Latin 'cancellare'
Significado original: To make like a lattice; to cross out with lines, to cancel
Indo-European, Italic, RomanceContexto cultural
In Italy, 'cancellare' is a very common and practical verb used in daily life. You'll hear it often in conversations about scheduling, digital interactions, and even art restoration when referring to the removal of old layers or damage. It's a fundamental word for anyone managing their schedule or digital information.
Pratique na vida real
Contextos reais
Deleting computer files or data
- Devo cancellare questo file (I need to delete this file).
- Ho cancellato per sbaglio la foto (I accidentally deleted the photo).
- Vuoi cancellare la cronologia (Do you want to clear your history)?
Canceling appointments or reservations
- Ho dovuto cancellare l'appuntamento dal dentista (I had to cancel the dentist appointment).
- Puoi cancellare la prenotazione dell'hotel (Can you cancel the hotel reservation)?
- Non dimenticare di cancellare la riunione (Don't forget to cancel the meeting).
Erasing writing or mistakes
- Per favore, cancella la lavagna (Please erase the whiteboard).
- Ho cancellato l'errore dalla lista (I erased the mistake from the list).
- Usa una gomma per cancellare la matita (Use an eraser to rub out the pencil).
Eliminating something negative or unwanted
- Dobbiamo cancellare questo debito (We need to erase this debt).
- Cerca di cancellare i brutti ricordi (Try to erase the bad memories).
- La medicina può cancellare il dolore (The medicine can eliminate the pain).
Removing an item from a list or record
- Puoi cancellare il mio nome dalla lista (Can you remove my name from the list)?
- Dovremmo cancellare questa voce dal registro (We should remove this entry from the record).
- Ho cancellato la voce non necessaria (I removed the unnecessary item).
Iniciadores de conversa
"Hai mai cancellato qualcosa per sbaglio che non avresti dovuto (Have you ever accidentally deleted something you shouldn't have)?"
"Qual è la cosa più difficile che hai dovuto cancellare dalla tua vita (What's the hardest thing you've had to remove from your life)?"
"Quando è l'ultima volta che hai dovuto cancellare un appuntamento importante (When was the last time you had to cancel an important appointment)?"
"C'è qualcosa che vorresti poter cancellare completamente dalla tua memoria (Is there anything you wish you could completely erase from your memory)?"
"Come gestisci la cancellazione di eventi all'ultimo minuto (How do you handle canceling last-minute events)?"
Temas para diário
Descrivi una situazione in cui hai dovuto cancellare piani importanti. Come ti sei sentito e cosa hai imparato (Describe a situation where you had to cancel important plans. How did you feel and what did you learn)?
Pensa a qualcosa che vorresti cancellare dalla tua vita, sia un'abitudine che un oggetto. Spiega perché (Think of something you'd like to remove from your life, whether it's a habit or an object. Explain why).
Scrivi di un momento in cui hai cancellato un errore o hai corretto qualcosa di sbagliato. Come ti ha fatto sentire (Write about a time you erased a mistake or corrected something wrong. How did it make you feel)?
Rifletti su come la possibilità di 'cancellare' le cose (digitalmente o fisicamente) influenzi la tua vita quotidiana (Reflect on how the ability to 'delete' things (digitally or physically) impacts your daily life).
Immagina di poter cancellare un solo giorno della tua vita. Quale giorno sarebbe e perché (Imagine you could erase just one day from your life. Which day would it be and why)?
Teste-se 24 perguntas
Imagine you made a mistake on your shopping list. Write a short sentence saying you need to remove an item. Use 'cancellare'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Devo cancellare un articolo dalla lista.
You wrote something wrong in your notebook. Write a simple sentence saying you need to erase the word. Use 'cancellare'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Devo cancellare la parola sbagliata.
Your friend's name is on a list, but they can't come. Write a sentence telling someone to remove their name. Use 'cancellare'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Per favore, cancella il suo nome dalla lista.
Cosa deve fare la persona con la nota?
Read this passage:
Ho scritto una nota. Ora devo cancellare una parte. È un errore piccolo. Non è un problema.
Cosa deve fare la persona con la nota?
The passage clearly states 'devo cancellare una parte' (I need to erase a part).
The passage clearly states 'devo cancellare una parte' (I need to erase a part).
Cosa NON deve fare lo studente subito?
Read this passage:
La maestra dice: 'Non cancellare la tua risposta. Pensa bene.'
Cosa NON deve fare lo studente subito?
The teacher says 'Non cancellare' (Do not erase), meaning the student should not erase immediately.
The teacher says 'Non cancellare' (Do not erase), meaning the student should not erase immediately.
Perché il mio amico deve cancellare l'appuntamento?
Read this passage:
Il mio amico ha un appuntamento. Poi deve cancellare l'appuntamento perché è malato. È triste.
Perché il mio amico deve cancellare l'appuntamento?
The passage says 'deve cancellare l'appuntamento perché è malato' (he has to cancel the appointment because he is sick).
The passage says 'deve cancellare l'appuntamento perché è malato' (he has to cancel the appointment because he is sick).
The correct order is 'I must cancel the message'.
The correct order is 'Can you erase the word here?'.
The correct order is 'They cancelled the party'.
Choose the best translation for 'cancellare' in this context: 'Devo cancellare l'appuntamento.'
'Cancellare' often means to cancel, especially with appointments or events. 'To remove or obliterate' is the general definition, but 'to cancel' is the specific meaning here.
Quale parola è un sinonimo di 'cancellare' in alcuni contesti?
'Eliminare' can be a synonym for 'cancellare' when referring to removing something.
Completa la frase: 'Non dimenticare di ___ il nome dalla lista.'
In this context, 'cancellare' means to erase or remove a name from a list.
La frase 'Ho cancellato la foto dal mio telefono' significa che ho aggiunto la foto.
'Cancellato' means 'deleted' or 'removed', so the statement is false. The photo was removed, not added.
Se dico 'Dobbiamo cancellare questo errore', significa che dobbiamo correggerlo o toglierlo.
When used with 'errore' (error), 'cancellare' means to correct or remove the error.
Il verbo 'cancellare' può essere usato per dire 'to build a new house'.
'Cancellare' means to remove or obliterate, not to build. To build would be 'costruire'.
Choose the best synonym for 'cancellare' in the context of deleting a computer file.
'Eliminare' is a direct synonym for deleting or removing something, especially in a digital context. The other options mean 'to write', 'to add', and 'to modify'.
Which of these phrases correctly uses 'cancellare' to describe removing a mistake from a document?
The sentence 'Devo cancellare questo errore prima di stampare' translates to 'I need to erase this mistake before printing,' which is the correct usage. The other options mean 'to write', 'to read', and 'to find' this error.
In a formal context, which word is a more appropriate substitute for 'cancellare' when referring to the annulment of a contract?
'Annullare' specifically means to annul or cancel, often used in legal or formal contexts like contracts. While 'cancellare' could imply a similar action, 'annullare' is more precise for such situations. The other options mean 'to sign', 'to confirm', and 'to register'.
The phrase 'cancellare i dubbi' means to eliminate doubts.
Yes, 'cancellare i dubbi' is a common idiom meaning to clear or eliminate doubts.
If you 'cancellare un appuntamento', it means you are rescheduling it.
No, 'cancellare un appuntamento' specifically means to cancel an appointment, not to reschedule it. Rescheduling would be 'spostare un appuntamento' or 'riprogrammare un appuntamento'.
When referring to a scar disappearing over time, you can use 'cancellare' to describe this process.
Yes, 'cancellare' can be used in a figurative sense to mean something fading away or being obliterated, such as a scar becoming less visible or 'cancellarsi'.
/ 24 correct
Perfect score!
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