Learn Italian: Accidenti, che freddo fa oggi!

Accidenti, che freddo fa oggi!

Damn, how cold it is today!

Breakdown of Accidenti, che freddo fa oggi!

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Questions & Answers about Accidenti, che freddo fa oggi!

Why do we use che here instead of quanto to mean "how"?

In English we say "How cold!", using "how" with an adjective. But in Italian weather expressions, freddo acts as a noun. For exclamations with nouns, you must use che (literally "What cold!"). You use quanto when exclaiming about a verb or an adjective (like Quanto è fredda l'acqua! - How cold the water is!).

Why does the verb fa come after che freddo?

In exclamatory sentences, the exclamatory word (che) and the noun it modifies (freddo) must stay glued together at the front of the phrase for emphasis. The verb (fa) naturally follows them.

A quick refresher: why do we use fa instead of è for the weather?

For general weather conditions, Italian uses the verb fare (to make) rather than essere (to be). The weather literally "makes cold." You only use essere when describing specific cold things, like Il vento è freddo (The wind is cold).

Is accidenti a bad swear word?

Not at all. While it translates to "Damn!" in this context, it is a mild, very common exclamation of surprise or emphasis (literally meaning "accidents"). It is completely safe to use in polite, everyday conversation, much like "Gosh!" or "Wow!" in English.