Indefinite adjectives and pronouns (tale)

The word tale lets you discuss specific but unnamed people, things, or situations. Because it ends in -e, its singular form is identical for both masculine and feminine words.

Identifying Unknown People: Tale

When placed immediately before a noun with an indefinite article (un or una), tale acts as an adjective meaning "a certain."

If you drop the noun entirely, tale acts as a pronoun. Saying un tale simply means "a certain guy," "a certain person," or "someone"—perfect for when a person's specific identity is unknown or unimportant.

Expressing Emphasis: "Such a"

Tale is also the standard word for translating "such a" or "such an" to express magnitude or disbelief.

Pay close attention to the word order. While English puts "such" before the article ("such a report"), Italian flips this: the indefinite article comes first, literally translating as "a such report" (un tale resoconto).

You can easily mix these adjective and pronoun forms to recount gossip or daily encounters:

Reacting to Strong Behaviors

Tale frequently pairs with abstract nouns to emphasize extreme traits or behaviors. You can combine una tale with formal verbs like tollerare (to tolerate) or suscitare (to provoke) to state clear boundaries or opinions about "such" situations.