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Parla piano, per favore.

Parla piano, per favore.
Speak quietly, please.
FromLesson 58inHardcore Italian

Breakdown of Parla piano, per favore.

parlare
to speak
per favore
please
piano
quietly

Questions & Answers about Parla piano, per favore.

What verb form is parla here, and who is being addressed?
It’s the affirmative imperative of parlare, addressing tu (informal singular “you”). So Parla means “Speak!” directed at one person you’re on informal terms with.
Is this informal or formal? How would I say it formally?
It’s informal (to tu). The formal version (to Lei) is Parli piano, per favore. An even more polite request is Potrebbe parlare piano, per favore?
Why is it parla and not parli?

For -are verbs, the imperative with tu ends in -a: parla (speak), compra (buy). The form parli is either:

Does piano mean “slowly” or “quietly” in this sentence?

It can mean either “slowly” or “quietly/softly.” Context usually clarifies. To be unambiguous:

  • “more slowly”: più lentamente, più piano
  • “more quietly”: più piano, a bassa voce
Can I say Parla lentamente, per favore?
Yes. Lentamente explicitly means “slowly,” so Parla lentamente, per favore avoids the “quietly vs slowly” ambiguity.
How do I make the request sound less blunt?

Use a question or add softeners:

  • Informal: Per favore, puoi parlare un po’ più lentamente? / Scusa, potresti parlare più piano?
  • Formal: Per favore, potrebbe parlare più lentamente? / Scusi, potrebbe parlare a bassa voce?
Where can per favore go in the sentence?

It’s flexible. Common options:

  • Per favore, parla piano.
  • Parla piano, per favore. Both are standard. The comma is typical when per favore comes at the end.
How do I say it to more than one person?
Use the plural imperative voi: Parlate piano, per favore.
What’s the negative form?
For tu, the negative imperative uses the infinitive: Non parlare piano (“Don’t speak quietly/slowly”). For Lei (formal): Non parli piano. For voi (plural): Non parlate piano.
Where do pronouns go with the imperative?
Why is there no subject pronoun (tu)?
Italian normally drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the subject. You could say Tu parla piano, but it adds emphasis and can sound scolding.
Does piano change form (gender/number)?
Not here. As an adverb meaning “slowly/softly,” piano is invariable. It doesn’t become piana/piani/piane.
What’s the nuance of più piano and piano piano?
  • Più piano = “more slowly/quietly.” Very common: Parla più piano, per favore.
  • Piano piano = “very slowly, gradually, step by step.” With speech it can mean “nice and slow/soft”: Me lo spieghi piano piano.
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