# Non è cosa da tutti



## sqlines

Hi,

How would you translate the following :

Parola di diciottenne, che di Olimpiadi davanti sa di averne altre. 

Ha lasciato il posto a una giovane perché non era in forma. Non è da tutte.

Thanks.


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## TimLA

sqlines said:


> Hi,
> How would you translate the following :
> Parola di diciottenne, che di Olimpiadi davanti sa di averne altre.
> Ha lasciato il posto a una giovane perché non era in forma. Non è da tutte.
> Thanks.


 
Well, it's been over 30 minutes, so I'll give it a try, and let the experts correct me.

Word(s) of an 18 year-old, that the coming Olympics...???know that he might be replaced??? (don't believe this one at all)
He gave up his place to someone younger because he wasn't in good form.
It's not done by everyone (Don't believe this line, I'm REALLY not sure of it)

Aiuto!!!


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## alcesta

Well, I'd say I understand it, but I am not at all sure my English is good enough to explain it...

Word(s) of an 18 year-old girl, who knows that she has/there are other Olympics in front of her/in her future...
She gave up her place to a younger one because she wasn't in good form. Not everybody would have done it in her place.

Just a try, let's wait what the native speakers say.  I have an impression it's about a girl, because of this "non è da tutt*e*".


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## TimLA

alcesta said:


> Well, I'd say I understand it, but I am not at all sure my English is good enough to explain it...
> 
> Word(s) of an 18 year-old girl, who knows that she has/there are many Olympics in front of her/in her future...
> She gave up her place to a younger one because she wasn't in good form. Not everybody would have done it in her place.
> 
> Just a try, let's wait what the native speaker say.  I have an impression it's about a girl, because of this "non è da tutt*e*".


 
Now we're cook'in!!! The expert has arrived!
I'll make some small suggestions...

Words of an 18 year-old girl who knows that she has many Olympics in front of her.
She gave up her place to a younger one because she wasn't in good form.
Not everyone would have done that in her position.


Thanks very much...and I'm sure Sqlines thanks you too!!!


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## GavinW

sqlines said:


> Hi,
> 
> How would you translate the following :
> 
> Parola di diciottenne, che di Olimpiadi davanti sa di averne altre.
> 
> Ha lasciato il posto a una giovane perché non era in forma. Non è da tutte.
> 
> Thanks.


 
"And she said this as an 18-year old who knows that other Olympics lie ahead in the future for her."



"She gave up her place to another, young athlete because she was not on form. That's not something everyone would do/That's not something every young female athlete would do" (or "...which is something you don't come across every day [in such cases]"). 

Just some possibilities that work.

EDIT: Nice one Tim! "Not everyone would have done that in her position". Yes!


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## Panpan

Ciao a tutti. Cosa vuole dire 'da' nel frase 'non e da tutti'? E 'of/from' o 'given'?
Non sono sicuro *nel quello senso* la frase vuole dire *'not everyone can do it'* 

'it is not (a skill) *of* everybody' 
o 
'it is not (a skill that) *is given* to everybody'.

Hi all. What does the 'da' mean in the phrase 'non e da tutti'? Is if of/from, or given?
I'm not sure *in which sense* the phrase means *'not everyone can do i*t' 

'it is not (a skill) *of* everybody' 
or 
'it is not (a skill that) *is given* to everybody'.

Grazie mille and many thanks
Panpan


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## sam1978

"Non *è *da tutti" is an expression that means that not all the people are able to do or get somenthing.


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## _forumuser_

Non e' da tutti = It is not something that everyone can do. 

By the way, in English you have the expression "It is not like you to do x" which is the exact equivalent of the Italian "Non e' da te fare x".


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## Panpan

'da' te meaning 'like' you?  Meaning it is not a characteristic 'of' you, rather than not a characteristic that is 'given' to you, or a way of behaving that you are usually 'given' to in this case then?  (I'm really only trying to find out if the 'da' comes from the verb 'dare' (to give) or whether it means 'of').
Thanks


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## SweetSoulSister

_forumuser_ said:


> Non e' da tutti = It is not something that everyone can do.
> 
> By the way, in English you have the expression "It is not like you to do x" which is the exact equivalent of the Italian "Non e' da te fare x".


Ciao fu 
In the Italian expression "non e' da tutti" would that mean it is not something that everyone can do because not everyone _wants_ to do this thing. Or not everyone can do it because not everyone has the strength/courage/will/power to do it?
Because in the phrase, "It is not like you to do X" to me this means you wouldn't do it because you wouldn't want to do it, you wouldn't dare do that. You could if you wanted to, you have the ability, but you don't want to. So it seems very different than "it is not something you can do".


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## sam1978

Panpan said:


> 'da' meaning 'of' in this case then?



No, I don't think so... because "of" designates a possession, if I'm not wrong...
You should look at the whole sentence, because to translate only "da" is difficult in this case... I don't think there's a corresponding term in English..


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## _forumuser_

SweetSoulSister said:


> Ciao fu
> In the Italian expression "non e' da tutti" would that mean it is not something that everyone can do because not everyone _wants_ to do this thing. Or not everyone can do it because not everyone has the strength/courage/will/power to do it?
> Because in the phrase, "It is not like you to do X" to me this means you wouldn't do it because you wouldn't want to do it, you wouldn't dare do that. You could if you wanted to, you have the ability, but you don't want to. So it seems very different than "it is not something you can do".


 
Yo SSS.  Yes, I've just complicated things with my second example...


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## Panpan

If I want to talk about a skill I did not have in the past i.e. 'It was not something I was able to do' , can I say 'non era dato me' or do I have to say 'non era da me'?
Thanks again


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## giovannino

SweetSoulSister said:


> In the Italian expression "non e' da tutti" would that mean it is not something that everyone can do because not everyone _wants_ to do this thing. Or not everyone can do it because not everyone has the strength/courage/will/power to do it?
> Because in the phrase, "It is not like you to do X" to me this means you wouldn't do it because you wouldn't want to do it, you wouldn't dare do that. You could if you wanted to, you have the ability, but you don't want to. So it seems very different than "it is not something you can do".


 
Contradictorily enough , although I agree with you about the difference in meaning I also agree with _fu_ that the use of "da" in "non è da tutti" is the same as the use of "da" in "non è da te".

"Non è da te" suggests - at least to me - that something is "out of character" in someone's behaviour. For example, if someone I know as a polite, well-spoken kid should start cursing I might say "non è da te(usare questo linguaggio)".

If you see the meaning of "non è da te" this way then I think it's not implausible to stretch the meaning to a positive sense, as in "non è da tutti..." (it is not conceivable that anybody else could...). By the way, this can also be used in a sarcastic, negative sense, as in "non è da tutti riuscire ad essere bocciati all'esame di stato tre volte di seguito".


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## Panpan

Hi giovannino.  Can you confirm that the 'da' that is the same 'da' in both phrases is the 'da' that means of, and not the 'da' that comes from the verb 'dare'.
Many thanks


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## sam1978

da is not the verb! it's just a preposition!


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## Panpan

sam1978 said:


> da is not the verb! it's just a preposition!


Fantastic, thanks! So, 'Non e da tutti' means it is not (a characteristic/ability) *of* everyone, i.e. it is not a skill that everyone *possesses*.
Thanks again for clearing that up
Panpan
(and I was right in post 4?  )


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## giovannino

Panpan said:


> If I want to talk about a skill I did not have in the past i.e. 'It was not something I was able to do' , can I say 'non era dato me' or do I have to say 'non era da me'?


 
Panpan

"Non è da..." is a set phrase which I would suggest you only use in the ways mentioned in the previous posts.
To talk about a skill you did not have in the past I would advise you to stick to the good old "non sapevo (fare una determinata cosa)", "non ero in grado di...". 
Of course other native speakers may disagree so please wait for more opinions

EDIT: Sorry, I only saw your question after posting - but I see sam1978 has already cleared things up


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## Panpan

He has, splendid fellow that he is, but thanks to all of you for your contributions.
Panpan


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## sam1978

I agree with giovannino... I think we confused Panpan...So... I hope to make all clearer:
Of course, "non è da tutti" concerns someone's skill, but it means "it's a thing that not all the people can do (or get)".

The other examples.. "non è da te" (me, lui, etc) is used when you don't expect something by someone such as in the previous examples... it can mean "I didn't expect it from you".. because the person usually has an other behaviour!
I hope to have helped you!


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## giovannino

Panpan said:


> (and I was right in post 4?)


 
Yes, you were! I apologize. For some reason I missed that post while going through the thread


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## Panpan

giovannino said:


> Yes, you were! I apologize. For some reason I missed that post while going through the thread


 My fault probably. I may have been in the middle of editing it to try and make the question clearer at the time you would otherwise have read it, but don't worry, perfect clarity was acheived by post #12.
Thanks again
Panpan


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## Annellie

Ciao a tutti. Vorrei tradurre in inglese la frase in oggetto. Il contesto è più o meno questo:
"He was a courageous and ingenious thief, who managed to escape from prison several times". _Non è cosa da tutti._
In testa continua a venirmi "It is not for everyone"  ma non sono del tutto sicura.
Mi aiutate?
Ciao!!!


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## kallaur

Which isn't so easy?


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## Archilochus

Maybe, "Which is not an easy thing to do."
Or, "Which not everyone can do."


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## sorry66

You got hand it to him.


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## Tellure

Ho trovato questa traduzione, se può applicarsi qui:
"Which is no mean feat".


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## Archilochus

"Which is no mean feat".


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## sorry66

Tellure said:


> "Which is no mean feat".


I agree this is probably what's required
In a similar vein 'which is not to be sniffed at'.


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## Paulfromitaly

Ti sarebbe bastato cercare

non è da tutti


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