# Sono tornato a casa da pochi minuti



## Fabrypoz

Hi there,
come state? spero benissimo.
How should I say in english the following sentence:
"Ti chiedo scusa per il ritardo, sono tornato a casa da pochi minuti"  ?

Thanks in advance for your help
bye bye

Fabry


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## TimLA

Fabrypoz said:
			
		

> Hi there,
> come state? spero benissimo.
> How should I say in english the following sentence:
> "Ti chiedo scusa per il ritardo, sono tornato a casa da pochi minuti" ?
> 
> Thanks in advance for your help
> bye bye
> 
> Fabry


 
Formally:
I beg your pardon for my tardiness, I will return home in a short period of time

The "normal" way(s) to say it:
Sorry I'm late, I'll be home in a couple of minutes.
Sorry I'm late, I'll be home in a bit.

Tim

Edit: Oops, sorry. Thanks LSP


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## lsp

TimLA said:
			
		

> Formally:
> I beg your pardon for my tardiness, I will return home in a short period of time
> 
> The "normal" way(s) to say it:
> Sorry I'm late, I'll be home in a couple of minutes.
> Sorry I'm late, I'll be home in a bit.
> 
> Tim


I think it's: I just got home a few minutes ago.


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## Fabrypoz

thanks guys, 

Can I say:
"Sorry for my late, I got back at home a few minutes"


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## lsp

Fabrypoz said:
			
		

> thanks guys,
> 
> Can I say:
> "Sorry for my late, I got back at home a few minutes"


No, fabry, you need to say _Sorry I'm late, I got back home a few minutes ago._ Note - back is optional.


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## brian

Fabrypoz said:
			
		

> Ti chiedo scusa per il ritardo, sono tornato a casa da pochi minuti




I have read in my Italian grammar book, on a section about temporal phrases (_da_ vs. _per_), that:

1)  "present tense + _da_ + time expression" indicates an action begun in the past, still going on in the present.

Ex: Studio l'italiano da due anni = I've been studying Italian for two years (and am still studying Italian).

2) "past tense + _per_ + time expression" indicates an action begun in the past and which has been completed already.

Ex: Ho studiato l'italiano per due anni = I studied Italian for two years (and no longer study Italian).


So can past tense + _da_ + time expression indicate an action done in the _remote_ past and which continued into the _recent_ past or even the present?

Ex: Ti chiedo scusa per il ritardo, sono tornato a casa da pochi minuti =? I apologize for my lateness, I had gone home for a few minutes.


Italian prepositions give me headaches.


Brian


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## lsp

brian8733 said:
			
		

> ...So can past tense + _da_ + time expression indicate an action done in the _remote_ past and which continued into the _recent_ past or even the present?
> 
> Ex: Ti chiedo scusa per il ritardo, sono tornato a casa da pochi minuti =? I apologize for my lateness, I had gone home for a few minutes.


No, sorry, Brian. That's not the meaning. I had gone home for a few minutes (when something else happened...) Ero tornata a casa per pochi minuti, ecc.


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## Fabrypoz

ragazzi siete sempre molto disponibili...
grazie grazie grazie per gli aiuti che mi date(^_^)

un grosso ciao
Fabry


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## lsp

Fabrypoz said:
			
		

> ragazzi siete sempre molto disponibili...
> grazie grazie grazie per gli aiuti che mi date(^_^)
> 
> un grosso ciao
> Fabry


Non c'é di che. Inoltre, toccherà a te, prima o poi


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## brian

Then to say "I returned/went home for a few minutes," one would say, "Sono tornato a casa _per_ pochi minuti"?  And to say "I had returned/gone home for a few minutes," one would say, "Ero tornato a casa _per_ pochi minuti"?  And to say "I have been/come/returned home for a few minutes," one would say, "Torno a casa _da_ pochi minuti"?

Thanks for the help.


Brian


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## lsp

Yes, yes, and not entirely. 


> And to say "I have been/come/returned home for a few minutes," one would say, "Torno a casa _da_ pochi minuti"?



"I have been home for a few minutes" is different than "I returned home for a few minutes (and I'm now about to go out again)."

Sono tornato a casa da pochi minuti
I have been home for a few minutes

I returned home for a few minutes
Sono tornato a casa per pochi minuti


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## Fedora

brian8733 said:
			
		

> Then to say "I returned/went home for a few minutes," one would say, "Sono tornato a casa _per_ pochi minuti"?  And to say "I had returned/gone home for a few minutes," one would say, "Ero tornato a casa _per_ pochi minuti"?  And to say *"I have been/come/returned home for a few minutes,*" one would say, "Torno a casa _da_ pochi minuti"?
> 
> Thanks for the help.
> 
> 
> Brian


But these all mean different things :*"I have been/come/returned home for a few minutes

**1. I have been home for a few minutes*: You're at home but you just got  there and you've only been there for a few minutes. Italian: Sono tornato a casa da pochi minuti ?? 

*2. I have come home for a few minutes: *You went home for a few minutes but you'll be leaving soon. Italian: Sono tornato per pochi minuti ? 

*3. I have returned home for a few minutes*: You left but you had to go back home for a few minutes but you'll be leaving soon. Italian: Sono tornato per pochi minuti? 

Number 1 is different than numbers 2 and 3. 

Fedora  


Please correct my mistakes


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## brian

Ah, much clearer now...thank you!

If I wanted to say, "I will be returning home _for_ a few minutes," I would say, "Tornero' a casa _per_ pochi minuti"?

But how would I say, "I will be returning home _in_ a few minutes"?


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## lsp

brian8733 said:
			
		

> Ah, much clearer now...thank you!
> 
> If I wanted to say, "I will be returning home _for_ a few minutes," I would say, "Tornero' a casa _per_ pochi minuti"?
> 
> But how would I say, "I will be returning home _in_ a few minutes"?


_fra_ pochi minuti


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## Elisa68

brian8733 said:
			
		

> Ah, much clearer now...thank you!
> 
> If I wanted to say, "I will be returning home _for_ a few minutes," I would say, "Tornero' a casa _per_ pochi minuti"?
> 
> But how would I say, "I will be returning home _in_ a few minutes"?


Tornerò a casa _tra_ pochi minuti.

Edit: sorry Lsp.


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## lsp

Elisa68 said:
			
		

> Tornerò a casa _tra_ pochi minuti.
> 
> Edit: sorry Lsp.


No problem. To clarify, tra/fra... six of one (as we say, meaning there is no difference between the two. It comes from six of one, half dozen of another, if anyone's curious)?


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## Elisa68

Yes, tra/fra...six of one.


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## Fedora

lsp said:
			
		

> Six of one (as we say, meaning there is no difference between the two. It comes from six of one, half dozen of another, if anyone's curious)?



I've never heard of this saying before. Is that a northern /north eastern thing?

Thanks,
Fedora


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## lsp

Fedora said:
			
		

> I've never heard of this saying before. Is that a northern /north eastern thing?
> 
> Thanks,
> Fedora


_dunno_, never realized it wasn't that common. You could Google it, but the definition is that the two things being compared are the same (), or wait and see what other foreros might offer on the subject of usage.


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## queentr48

Buondi'
Sono tornato a casa da pochi minuti = I got home a few minutes ago or I just got home.
This is my suggestion. "da" in this case is not the same as "fra" or "Tra", "da pochi minuti" more like "a few minutes ago"
TR


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## lsp

queentr48 said:
			
		

> Buondi'
> Sono tornato a casa da pochi minuti = I got home a few minutes ago or I just got home.
> This is my suggestion. "da" in this case is not the same as "fra" or "Tra", "da pochi minuti" more like "a few minutes ago"
> TR


We must have misled you somewhere, queen. We've been saying that _tra & fra_ are the same, but _da_ is very different.


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## usa_scott

My two cents' worth says that "da" will work and that neither "tra" nor "fra" will.

Non e' un opinione nativo pero eh?


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## brian

Grazie, a tutti, per il nostro aiuto.

Scott, I believe the suggestion of _tra_/_fra_ was meant only for my question of how to ask, "I will be returning home _in_ a few minutes," not for the original post with _da_.  Or do you think _da_ will work for my sentence instead of _tra/fra_?


Brian


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## lsp

usa_scott said:
			
		

> My two cents' worth says that "da" will work and that neither "tra" nor "fra" will.
> 
> *Non e' un opinione nativo pero eh?*


What's Elisa68, chopped liver?


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## lsp

brian8733 said:
			
		

> Grazie, a tutti, per il *v*ostro aiuto.
> 
> Scott, I believe *the suggestion of tra/fra was meant only for my question of how to ask, "I will be returning home in a few minutes," not for the original post with da.*  Or do you think _da_ will work for my sentence instead of _tra/fra_?
> 
> 
> Brian


You were on the right track, don't get confused!


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## moodywop

I think I know what the problem is with the structure in the thread title. Basically in English you can only say "I got home a few minutes ago". In Italian we can say either "Sono tornato a casa pochi minuti fa" or "Sono tornato a casa da pochi minuti". The "da" in the second sentence puzzles English natives.
Italians have the opposite problem: they try to translate the second sentence literally.
Maybe it would be interesting for you to see it from the perspective of Italian kids studying English.

Now picture a high school in a rough neighbourhood at the foot of Mt Vesuvius. After persuading the kids to put away their MP3 players and cellphones (I bribe them by promising that in the last five minutes we'll do a cloze exercise by using the lyrics to one of their favourite songs) I start doing a bit of contrastive grammar regarding the "I've known him for 2 years/since 2004" structure, which they've already encountered in dialogues and simple passages. (I leave the more difficult "I've been studying for/since X" structure for a later lesson)

The brief grammar notes in their coursebook tell them that when talking about "duration" they should use the present perfect where they would use the present simple in Italian. Typical examples:

_Lo conosco dal 2000/da sei anni = I've known him since 2000/for 6 years_

They're also told that _da quando = since, _not _since when _(unless it's interrogative):

_Ci conosciamo da quando eravamo a scuola = we've known each other since we were at school_

Unfortunately the structure in this thread is very similar, so they produce sentences like:

_He has left for a few minutes _

when what they meant to say was_ he left a few minutes ago. _They were translating _se n'è andato da pochi minuti_ literally, changing _da _to _for _as they learnt to do in the _lo conosco da... _example.


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## usa_scott

brian8733 said:
			
		

> Grazie, a tutti, per il nostro aiuto.
> 
> Scott, I believe the suggestion of _tra_/_fra_ was meant only for my question of how to ask, "I will be returning home _in_ a few minutes," not for the original post with _da_.  Or do you think _da_ will work for my sentence instead of _tra/fra_?
> 
> 
> Brian



Good clarification, Brian. I was suggesting the latter as you've indicated: "_...da_ will work for my sentence instead of _tra/fra_?" 

Yes, this is what I believe. Specifically, I believe "Sono tornato a casa da pochi minuti" will work but "Sono tornato a casa tra/fra pochi minuti" will not work. The latter might not be technically incorrect but I believe that common usage indicates the former is a preferable choice.


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## Fedora

usa_scott said:
			
		

> Good clarification, Brian. I was suggesting the latter as you've indicated: "_...da_ will work for my sentence instead of _tra/fra_?"
> 
> Yes, this is what I believe. Specifically, I believe "Sono tornato a casa da pochi minuti" will work but "Sono tornato a casa tra/fra pochi minuti" will not work. The latter might not be technically incorrect but I believe that common usage indicates the former is a preferable choice.


HI usa_scott, 

The question about tra / fra was referring to this sentence *"I will be returning home in a few minutes". *In this case tra/fra are the correct ones to use . To sum up the discussion: 

"I will be returning home for a few minutes,"  "Tornero' a casa _per_ pochi minuti" 

  I have returned home for a few minutes  Sono tornato _per _pochi minuti


I came home a few minutes ago  Sono tornato a casa _da_ pochi minuti


"I will be returning home _in_ a few minutes" Tornerò a casa _tra/fra_ pochi minuti.


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## usa_scott

Fedora said:
			
		

> HI usa_scott,
> 
> The question about tra / fra was referring to this sentence *"I will be returning home in a few minutes". *In this case tra/fra are the correct ones to use . To sum up the discussion:
> 
> "I will be returning home for a few minutes,"  "Tornero' a casa _per_ pochi minuti"
> 
> I have returned home for a few minutes  Sono tornato _per _pochi minuti
> 
> 
> I have been home for a few minutes  Sono tornato a casa _da_ pochi minuti
> 
> 
> "I will be returning home _in_ a few minutes" Tornerò a casa _tra/fra_ pochi minuti.



Eccoci! Bravo! Grazie!


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## moodywop

usa_scott said:
			
		

> . Specifically, I believe "Sono tornato a casa da pochi minuti" will work but "Sono tornato a casa tra/fra pochi minuti" will not work. The latter might not be technically incorrect but I believe that common usage indicates the former is a preferable choice.


 
It's not so much that it's incorrect as that it doesn't make sense to us as "tra/fra" is normally used with a future tense:

_Sarò di ritorno fra un po' = I'll be back in a while_


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## moodywop

Fedora said:
			
		

> I have been home for a few minutes  Sono tornato a casa _da_ pochi minuti
> .


 
Strictly speaking:

_I've been home for a few minutes = Sono a casa (solo) da pochi minuti_

_I came home a few minutes ago = Sono tornato a casa da pochi minuti/ pochi minuti fa_


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## Fedora

moodywop said:
			
		

> Strictly speaking:
> 
> _I've been home for a few minutes = Sono a casa (solo) da pochi minuti_
> 
> _I came home a few minutes ago = Sono tornato a casa da pochi minuti/ pochi minuti fa_



Yes I'm sorry. I pasted the wrong one there. That particular example was from the very first post. There are so many sentences here that I guess it got a little confusing  

Thank you!!


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