{"id":70327,"date":"2019-12-16T05:03:27","date_gmt":"2019-12-16T10:03:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/allora-italian\/"},"modified":"2025-02-12T09:52:35","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T14:52:35","slug":"allora-italian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/italian\/allora-italian\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cAllora\u201d in Italian: Meanings, Expressions and More"},"content":{"rendered":"

Allora<\/strong><\/em> is like a Swiss Army knife\u2014it has so many functions and meanings.<\/p>\n

And, it has proven to be a challenging language point for many language learners<\/a> who often hear native speakers use the word in so many colorful ways.<\/p>\n

In this post, we try to tame this beast of a word by first taking a look at what this versatile Italian word means and how it is used before explaining three reasons why allora<\/em> can be challenging to learn.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What Does Allora<\/em> Mean and How Is It Used?<\/h2>\n

As we’ll cover later on in the post, one of the reasons why allora <\/em>is challenging to nail down is because there’s\u00a0no single translation for the word.<\/p>\n

Some say allora<\/em> has no meaning. Others say allora<\/em>\u00a0can mean anything you want. They’re both correct.<\/p>\n

So, instead of looking for its translation, why not look for its function? How is allora<\/em>\u00a0being used in the statement or conversation? What is its communicative function?<\/p>\n

Allora<\/em>\u00a0as a Lone Word<\/h3>\n

One of the first ways in which allora <\/em>can be used is as a lone word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
Uses<\/strong><\/th>Explanation<\/strong><\/th>Example sentences<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
As a question<\/strong><\/td>It\u2019s like asking, \u201cSo... ?\u201d<\/td> Allora? <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
As a greeting<\/strong><\/td>Allora<\/em> can mean, \u201cHey, how\u2019s it going?\u201d<\/td> Allora! <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
As a warning or a way to get someone's attention<\/strong><\/td>Allora<\/em> can also mean, \u201cC\u2019mon!\u201d or when a mother screams it at her kids, it means something bad is about to happen if they don\u2019t pipe down.<\/td> Allora!!! <\/a>\n <\/strong><\/em> <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Your job as an Italian language learner is not just to know the translation of individual words but to read communicative intent.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why you don\u2019t go running back to your flashcards<\/a> to understand special words like allora.<\/em>\u00a0You refer to the situation, the context and the person talking.<\/p>\n

Your journey with allora<\/em>\u00a0will begin by guessing what it means in context, then slowly anticipating its use and then, finally, liberally peppering it throughout your own conversations. You\u2019ll make mistakes on this journey, but that\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n

Allora<\/em>\u00a0at the Beginning of a Sentence<\/h3>\n

It’s also very common to hear allora<\/em> used at the start of a sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t
Uses<\/strong><\/th>Explanation<\/strong><\/th>Example sentences<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
As a filler word, like \u201cuhm\u201d or \u201cuh\u201d<\/strong><\/td>Native speakers often use it to buy time. <\/td>For instance, you can use allora<\/em>\u00a0to introduce a thought that's still being formed. Imagine your friend asks you when you're free to hang out. You might respond:
\n
\n Allora<\/strong>... la prossima settimana. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Well... next week.)
\n
\nAllora<\/em>\u00a0is so flexible because the thought that follows it can be about anything. For example, when pointing to a menu to signal to the waiter what you'd like, you might say:
\n
\n Allora<\/strong>... Voglio questo, questo, questo, questo, e questo. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Well... I want this one, this one, this one, this and this one.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
As a sentence starter without a pause<\/strong><\/td>You can use allora<\/em>\u00a0at the beginning of any sentence, even when not followed by a thoughtful pause.<\/td> Allora<\/strong>, andiamo! <\/a>\n <\/em> (Okay, let\u2019s go!)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Allora<\/em>\u00a0as \u201cThen<\/strong>\u201d<\/h3>\n

\u201cThen<\/strong>\u201d is an important translation for allora<\/em>\u00a0and an important time marker in a sentence.<\/p>\n

And, just as \u201cthen\u201d has many nuances of meaning in English, so does allora.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
Uses<\/strong><\/th>Explanation<\/strong><\/th>Example sentences<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
To demonstrate a sequence of things<\/strong><\/td>Allora<\/em> can be used to show what happened first and then what happened next.<\/td> Trova un lavoro. Solo allora<\/strong> potrai pensare a sposarti. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Get a job. Only then\u00a0can you think about getting married.)
\n
\n Se sono arrivati, allora<\/strong> possiamo cominciare. <\/a>\n <\/em> (If they have arrived, then we can start.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
To give you a sense about the past, of what things were like \u201cback then\u201d or \u201cat that time\u201d<\/strong><\/td>This look-back doesn\u2019t necessarily have to be nostalgic\u2014allora<\/em>\u00a0just gives you a chance to refer back to things in the past. The look-back may notice things that have changed or ceased to exist, or it may be about things that continue to be true in the present<\/td> Pensa a come doveva essere allora<\/strong>. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Think of what it must have been like back then.)
\n
\n Guarda com'era grassa gi\u00e0 allora<\/strong>. <\/a>\n <\/em> (Look how fat she was, even then.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
As \u201csince then\u201d or \u201cever since\"<\/strong><\/td>Allora<\/em> can be used to describe when something has happened and it has brought lasting results\/changes. So, \u201cever since\u201d that event, \u201cthis\u201d is the continuing result.<\/td> Abbiamo parlato quella sera. E da allora<\/strong> siamo migliori amiche. <\/a>\n <\/em> (We talked that night. And we\u2019ve been best friends ever since.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Allora<\/em>\u00a0as \u201cSo<\/strong>\u201d<\/h3>\n

Allora <\/em>can also be used in a similar way to the word “so” in English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t
Uses<\/strong><\/th>Explanation<\/strong><\/th>Example sentences<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
As a bridge between \u201ccause\u201d and \u201cconsequence\u201d<\/strong><\/td>This is when the word is translated as \u201cso,\u201d \u201ctherefore\u201d or \u201cbecause of that.\u201d<\/td> Pioveva forte. Allora<\/strong>\u00a0sono rimasto a casa. <\/a>\n <\/em> (It was raining hard. So I stayed at home.)
\n
\n Ero cos\u00ec spaventata, allora<\/strong> ho pianto. <\/a>\n <\/em> (I was very scared, so I cried.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
As a question<\/td>Allora<\/em> can be used at the start of a question.<\/td> Allora<\/strong>, com'\u00e8 stato il viaggio? <\/a>\n <\/em> (So, how was the trip?)
\n
\n Allora<\/strong>, cosa vuoi? <\/a>\n <\/em> (So, what do you want?)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Notice from the previous two examples that allora<\/em> is used at the beginning of the sentence, similar to our examples from the earlier section. This is the reality of allora.<\/em> If you look very closely, it overlaps, and there’s no clean and clear separation of its uses.<\/p>\n

Now that we’ve covered what this word means and the many different ways it’s used in Italian, it’s time to take a look at why allora\u00a0<\/em>can be challenging for Italian learners.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Why Is Allora<\/em>\u00a0Challenging to Learn?<\/h2>\n

It’s an extremely versatile word.<\/h3>\n

Make no mistake: every language has its own words that make language learners stay up at night<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

One of the reasons allora<\/em> is so challenging to nail down has something to do with the nature of words and languages. Words can take on multiple meanings\u2014each of them valid and useful. Rare is the word with only one meaning.<\/p>\n

Take the English word \u201ctie\u201d for example. It\u2019s a pretty common word. You might use it multiple times a day to mean very different things. It\u2019s the thing you wear around your neck, it\u2019s the thing you do to your shoelaces, it\u2019s the pranking score between you and your wife. And all that\u2019s before you get to work! At the end of the day, before you go home, you might also be tied up<\/em> at the office.<\/p>\n

And, if you\u2019re an English learner who looks at this three-letter word used in different contexts, you begin to ask yourself, \u201cWhat does tie<\/em> really mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

In our case, as language learners building up our treasure chest of Italian words, we want to have a clean, one-to-one correspondence between English and Italian words. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.<\/p>\n

Allora<\/em>\u00a0is a versatile word that can mean so many different things.<\/p>\n

As mentioned above, one of the translations for allora<\/em>\u00a0is the English word \u201cso.\u201d<\/strong> (Herein lies the problem because \u201cso\u201d itself has so<\/em> many uses.)<\/p>\n

Check out the video below<\/a> by Vaporetto Italiano<\/em>\u00a0(Italian Vaporetto<\/em>) to see allora <\/em>used as “so.”<\/p>\n

<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\n

To really appreciate this, think of it the other way around. Imagine you\u2019re a native Italian speaker trying to learn the translation and uses for the word \u201cso.\u201d Can you imagine how many meanings and functions the word has in the English language?! There’s a huge number of different examples you have to go through just to get the flavor of the word.<\/p>\n

An English speaker can nonchalantly drop \u201cso\u201d at the beginning, middle or end of a sentence and leave an English learner’s head spinning.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo<\/strong>, are you gonna buy this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe won\u2019t come out of her room. She\u2019s been so<\/strong> embarrassed by the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that so<\/strong>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy? Because I said so<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo<\/strong> what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo<\/strong>, how was the movie?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was so-so<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEnglish is so<\/strong> hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Imagine trying to learn all that.<\/p>\n

Allora<\/em>\u00a0is a bit like that for Italian students.<\/p>\n

Context matters.<\/h3>\n

When it comes to meaning, context matters.<\/p>\n

Languages don\u2019t exist in a vacuum. Words are meaningful in their immediate context. English words like \u201crun,\u201d \u201cbreak,\u201d \u201cset\u201d or \u201ctake\u201d have a myriad of meanings, but they can be sufficiently understood in context.<\/p>\n

Allora<\/em> is a challenging word to nail down not only because it has multiple meanings but because native speakers tend to use it in different contexts.<\/p>\n

You can learn about some of these meanings by watching the video below<\/a> by Learn Italian with Lucrezia.<\/p>\n

<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\n

One native speaker might habitually use allora<\/em>\u00a0as a greeting<\/strong>, like when saying, \u201cHow are you?\u201d or “What’s up?” as in this video by Italian Language Hub<\/a>:<\/p>\n

<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\n

Allora<\/em>\u00a0might also be a teacher\u2019s favorite word for her noisy students.<\/p>\n

Or, it might be a mother\u2019s word of warning<\/strong> to her kids.<\/p>\n

And, just when you think you’ve got the hang of the word, somebody else will use it in a way you\u2019ve never heard before.<\/p>\n

To make matters worse, when you ask native speakers about the word\u2014like Aziz Ansari’s character in “Master of None” does in the video clip below<\/a>\u2014they\u2019ll have very different explanations, and you may begin to wonder which native speaker is right about allora.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\n

Context really matters, and this includes the speaking habits of the native speaker you\u2019re talking to.<\/p>\n

Expose yourself to as much native content as possible to absorb the different ways allora <\/i>can be used. Consider trying a virtual immersion platform. On FluentU<\/a>, for example, you can try searching for a specific word to see how it’s used by native speakers in their own media.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

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You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

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