Log inSign up

Oddio! Ho sentito un passo nel corridoio.

Oddio! Ho sentito un passo nel corridoio.
Oh God! I heard a step in the corridor.
From Lesson 121:Negative commands (non...)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Oddio! Ho sentito un passo nel corridoio.

Why is Oddio written as a single word?
It is a blend of Oh and Dio (God). It is such a common exclamation in everyday Italian that the two words fused together into one, and the consonant d doubles in the spelling. You can still write it as two words (oh Dio), but oddio is very common and natural.
Can sentire mean things other than to hear?
Yes! The verb sentire is a multi-purpose verb for the senses. Depending on the context, it can mean to hear, to feel, or even to smell or taste. Since the speaker is talking about a footstep in a hallway, we know they heard it.
Is un passo the physical step you take, or the sound of a footstep?
It can be both. Just like in English, un passo refers to the physical action of taking a step, but it is also used to describe the sound of a footstep, which is exactly what frightened the speaker in this sentence.
Why is it nel corridoio and not just in corridoio?
Nel is the preposition in combined with the masculine article il (the). While some rooms in a house do not take an article (like in cucina for in the kitchen or in camera for in the bedroom), corridoio usually does. So, you combine in plus il to get nel.

Learn Oddio! Ho sentito un passo nel corridoio 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 →