Log inSign up

Ho fretta: il treno è qui!

Ho fretta: il treno è qui!
I'm in a hurry: the train is here!
From Lesson 24:Idiomatic avere (avere fame, avere anni)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Ho fretta: il treno è qui!

Why does the Italian say Ho fretta instead of using the verb for "to be"?
In Italian, you use the verb avere (to have) for many physical states and feelings where English uses "to be". Fretta is a noun meaning "haste" or "hurry". So, instead of saying "I am in a hurry", Italians say "I have haste" (Ho fretta).
Does the word fretta change depending on who is in a hurry?
No! Because fretta is a noun and not an adjective, its ending doesn't change to match the person. Whether it's a man or a woman, it is always fretta. You only change the verb avere to match the person, like lui ha fretta (he is in a hurry).
Where is the word for "I" before Ho?
In Italian, you can usually drop the subject pronoun like io (I) because the verb form ho already tells us exactly who is doing the action. You would only add io to add emphasis, like "I am the one in a hurry".
Why is there an accent mark on the è in il treno è qui?
That accent is crucial! With the accent, è is the "he/she/it" form of the verb essere (to be), meaning "is". Without the accent, e just means "and".

Learn Ho fretta: il treno è qui and more in Italian

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Italian →