# parola di conforto



## Julie Cutie

Buongiorno a tutti!
Does anyone know how to translate "parola di conforto"?
"ha sempre una parola di conforto per tutti"
Thank you very much.


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## Dushnyoni

Julie Cutie said:


> buongiorno a tutti!
> does anyone know how to translate "parola di conforto"?
> "ha sempre una parola di conforto per tutti"
> thank you very much.


A soothing word


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## Julie Cutie

dushnyoni ti ringrazio moltissimo.
buona giornata!


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## Dushnyoni

Julie Cutie said:


> dushnyoni ti ringrazio moltissimo.
> buona giornata!


Non c'è di che. altrettanto


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## fran06

Hi,

how would you translate the whole sentence though?
"ha sempre una parola di conforto per tutti"
He has always soothing words for everyone? 

It really doesn't sound English to me.


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## Teerex51

Nothing wrong with _soothing_, but I think it'll work better with _comforting words, _or_ words of comfort._


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## rrose17

Sounds a bit like a platitude but I think I might also say _He always has a kind word for everyone._


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## london calling

Apart from the translation and the suggestions above, what comes to me naturally is something along these lines:

_He's always there if you need sympathy/comforting.
You can always rely on him to be sympathetic._


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## ain'ttranslationfun?

"He always offers (etc.) a friendly shoulder." ?


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## Paulfromitaly

I think it should be taken literally - we're talking about someone who always knows what to say, how to say it and when.
I could offer a friendly shoulder to a person in need even without saying a single word, just being there by their side but then I wouldn't actually have a kind word/words of comfort for them.


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## london calling

Not really Paul (although admittedly a friendly shoulder is wider-ranging concept than 'parole di conforto') because the shoulder is a metaphor for comfort and support of any kind: moral support, help in carrying on with whatever task you may have to hand, words of comfort, a sympathetic ear, company or, as you say, silent company.


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## rrose17

Let's split hairs shall we? To me_ a friendly shoulder_... comes with the words ..._to cry on_. So it's someone who is perhaps a really good listener rather than one offering words of comfort.


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## london calling

We can certainly beg to differ, Ron. _A shoulder to cry on_ to me still means all kinds of support and comfort to me, even if someone may well literally cry on my shoulder and all I do is listen.


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## Paulfromitaly

It has to be someone who's good with words, not simply a good listener.


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## stefano1488

Teerex51 said:


> Nothing wrong with _soothing_, but I think it'll work better with _comforting words, _or_ words of comfort._



"Words of comfort" would sound best to me, too, if you, as a native speaker, can assure us that it can be found in English.


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## london calling

As a native speaker I agree with Teerex.


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## pfaa09

"Word of confort" and not "Words"
The translation is:
"ha sempre una parola di conforto per tutti"
"There's always a word of confort for everyone"


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## london calling

pfaa09 said:


> "Word of confort" and not "Words"
> The translation is:
> "ha sempre una parola di conforto per tutti"
> "There's always a word of confort comfort for everyone"


Are you saying native speakers don't know their own language? Or are you saying all translations have to be literal? Yours for example is fairly literal but not very natural.


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## You little ripper!

fran06 said:


> Hi,
> 
> how would you translate the whole sentence though?
> "ha sempre una parola di conforto per tutti"
> He has always soothing words for everyone?
> 
> It really doesn't sound English to me.


If you want to use 'soothing', Fran, it would be better to say, _He always has a soothing word for [one and all]/everyone._


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## pfaa09

london calling said:


> Are you saying native speakers don't know their own language? Or are you saying all translations have to be literal? Yours for example is fairly literal but not very natural.


I was just trying to help.
But you're right. I will stop to do that.

Since I'm not able to cancel my membership, this is my last comment here.

Cheers


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## Teerex51

pfaa09 said:


> I was just trying to help.
> But you're right. I will stop to do that *doing that*.



I fixed that for you.


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## stefano1488

london calling said:


> Are you saying native speakers don't know their own language? Or are you saying all translations have to be literal? Yours for example is fairly literal but not very natural.



As a non-native speaker of English, I agree with you.

After all, didn't the Beatles speak of "words of wisdom", thereby using the plural when an Italian maybe would have used the singular.


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## MR1492

rrose17 said:


> Sounds a bit like a platitude but I think I might also say _He always has a kind word for everyone._



This one sounds most natural to me. And yes, I am a native speaker of American English!  

Phil


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## Teerex51

MR1492 said:


> This one sounds most natural to me


_Caro Filippo_, I agree with you and Ron;  it sounds natural and rolls off the tongue easily.
But here's the thing; the usage of this expression surely overlaps with that of _"words/word of comfort"_, but only to a certain extent.

While the OP provides virtually no context to work with, _"una parola di conforto"_ and _"una buona parola"_ _[kind word] _tend to apply to different scenarios.

Il nostro coach è un tipo molto disponibile e ha sempre una buona parola per tutti _(our coach is a very accessible guy and always has a kind word for everyone)_
Dr X, il direttore dell'ospedale da campo non dorme da tre giorni, ma ha sempre una parola di conforto per tutti_ (Dr. X, the head of the field hospital, hasn't slept in three days—but he still has words of comfort for everyone)_
Do you drift my catch?


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## MR1492

Certo, Tee, hai ragione.  Sono simili ma non sono lo stesso. 

Lacking context, it's unclear which is best. Thanks. 

Phil


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## rrose17

Teerex51 said:


> While the OP provides virtually no context to work with, _"una parola di conforto"_ and _"una buona parola"_ _[kind word] _tend to apply to different scenarios.


I see what you mean. SO President Obama having to respond to so many mass shootings in the last 7 years "ha sempre una parola di conforto per tutti" would be closer to "Always has words of comfort/comforting words for everyone." and not "a kind word". Drift received!


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## Lorena1970

"_He's always *supportive/encouraging* words for everyone_" "_*supportive/encouraging*_" non piace a nessuno...?


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## rrose17

Ciao Lorena! Your version would have to be "he always has..." rather than "he's always...". I think a little more natural using these words would be "He always has words of encouragement/support for everyone."


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## Lorena1970

rrose17 said:


> Ciao Lorena! Your version would have to be "he always has..." rather than "he's always...". I think a little more natural using these words would be "He always has words of encouragement/support for everyone."


Of course!!!!!


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