# cosa [..] di bello?



## mimitabby

what does this mean? what are you doing for fun??


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## Leopold

"di bello" is used meaning "interesting", "special" and so on.

Dove stai di bello?
Cosa fai di bello?

Which interesting/good/beautiful places have you been to? ...

L.


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## JasonNPato

Ciao ragazzi:

Here is the context:

S: che stai facendo?

J: guardo la tv

S: che danno di bello??

I asked her what it meant, and she said it was "colloquial" but I lost her (online connection went bad) 
and forgot to ask again when she signed back on...

anyways, I think I get the general idea of this phrase. I can pick out it's basic meaning from the other context, but when is it used?...
and what, exactly, does it mean, because the literal translation does not seem to fit what I think it means??? (which, of course, I don't always expect it to, but I'd like to make sense of it at least)

Potete aiutarmi???
Sarei molto grato  ...
Grazie in anticipo,
Jason


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## Idioteque

JasonNPato said:
			
		

> Ciao ragazzi:
> 
> Here is the context:
> 
> S: che stai facendo?
> 
> J: guardo la tv
> 
> S: che danno di bello??
> 
> I asked her what it meant, and she said it was "colloquial" but I lost her (online connection went bad)
> and forgot to ask again when she signed back on...
> 
> anyways, I think I get the general idea of this phrase. I can pick out it's basic meaning from the other context, but when is it used?...
> and what, exactly, does it mean, because the literal translation does not seem to fit what I think it means??? (which, of course, I don't always expect it to, but I'd like to make sense of it at least)
> 
> Potete aiutarmi???
> Sarei molto grato  ...
> Grazie in anticipo,
> Jason



Ciao Jason!

Well, it's a typical colloquial form, as your friend told you. I would translate it "What are they broadcasting? Are they broadcasting anything funny or interesting?" I hope I was clear... Sorry, but I can't summarize it in a single sentence... anyway, it is alway referred only to television's programmes   

Ciao, Laura


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## JasonNPato

Idioteque said:
			
		

> Ciao Jason!
> 
> Well, it's a typical colloquial form, as your friend told you. I would translate it "What are they broadcasting? Are they broadcasting anything funny or interesting?" I hope I was clear... Sorry, but I can't summarize it in a single sentence... anyway, it is alway referred only to television's programmes
> 
> Ciao, Laura


 
ok...yes that makes perfect sense, and is exactly what I thought it meant...but I was confused, because, like I said, I could not make ANY sense whatsoever of why one would say "Che danno di bello" to say, essentially, "What are you watching?"

I guess I could see it being: "Are they showing anything good?", but as for the rest, it baffles me...
but thank you,
I understand it now,
and you said it is ONLY used to refer to tv programs???


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## Idioteque

JasonNPato said:
			
		

> ok...yes that makes perfect sense, and is exactly what I thought it meant...but I was confused, because, like I said, I could not make ANY sense whatsoever of why one would say "Che danno di bello" to say, essentially, "What are you watching?"
> 
> I guess I could see it being: "Are they showing anything good?", but as for the rest, it baffles me...
> but thank you,
> I understand it now,
> and you said it is ONLY used to refer to tv programs???



Yes, it's quite weird, right?  maybe it could even referred to cinemas, but it's definitely more common for tv...

Anyway, I think that you've found the perfect translation "Are they showing anything good?"... even though it sounds less colloquial...

Ciao, Laura


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## Ludik

hi jason,
the meaning is something like "what are they (people from tv) giving (you\us)". The use of the verb "dare" in this case is a "francesismo", ie it's borrowed from french.


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## disincanto

what is the meaning of:
*"Dove vai di bello ? "* 
can we ask this from boys and girls or grammatically it will be different then ?


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## shamblesuk

Are you going anywhere nice?

No difference between boys and girls, only whether you're on first name terms with them or not.


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## Necsus

Yes. It's like to say "In quale bel posto (te ne) vai?"


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## soulpaolo

Finally some one has suggested a good equivalent of the idiomatic "di bello"  Oh I'm through racking my brain about that, thanks to Shamblesuk ..or should it be "my brains"..


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## shamblesuk

Ho visto anche 'di bello' usata come un'equivalente della nostra 'interesting'

_Cos'hai fatto di bello oggi? - Did you do anything interesting today?_

Lee



			
				soulpaolo said:
			
		

> Finally someone has suggested a good equivalent of the idiomatic "di bello" Oh I'm through racking my brain  about that, thanks to Shamblesuk ..or should it be "my brains  "..


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## cbmi

Dove sei di bello? Ancora in Italia. Io sono a lavora qui si lavora tutto il giorno


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## Alberto77

Dove sei di bello? Ancora in Italia? Io sono a lavoro, qui si lavora tutto il giorno.
Where are you? Still in Italy? I'm at work, here we work all day long
ciao
alb


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## PiercedHeart

*"Che fai di bello?" *

An Italian friend asked me this question in an e-mail, but I'm not exactly sure what it means. Could someone please translate this into English? Grazie!


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## Siberia

Are you doing anything nice?
Sib


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## Hockey13

I think it's sort of like "What's good?"


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## Paulfromitaly

PiercedHeart said:


> *"Che fai di bello?" *
> 
> An Italian friend asked me this question in an e-mail, but I'm not exactly sure what it means. Could someone please translate this into English? Grazie!



What are you up to?


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## suproff

I would use "Che fai di bello?" in the same situations where I would use "What are you up to?" in English. One could also use the expression "..e che fai di bello nella vita?", meaning "What do you do for a living?"


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## Thai Basil

Can this "che fai di bello?" be using for both man saying to a man, women to a women or a women saying to a man or visa versa?
The word "bello" is what confused me.

Grazie!


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## Paulfromitaly

Thai Basil said:


> Can this "che fai di bello?" be using for both man saying to a man, women to a women or a women saying to a man or visa versa?
> The word "bello" is what confused me.
> 
> Grazie!



Yes, because _bello_ is referred to "che fai" and not to the person you're talking to.


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## lsp

Hockey13 said:


> Yeh, this confirms my suspicion. It is _very_ similar to the (I believe American English) expression "What's good?" At this point, "What's good?" is not asking you what is there that is good, it is asking you "What's up?"



Never heard that usage, Hockey13. Seems either regional or very recent, so I'd suggest English learners stick to the more tried and true.

PiercedHeart, try searching WR for "fai di bello" (keep the quotes) and you'll see other explanations and discussions about it.


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## Hockey13

lsp said:


> Never heard that usage, Hockey13. Seems either regional or very recent, so I'd suggest English learners stick to the more tried and true.
> 
> PiercedHeart, try searching WR for "fai di bello" (keep the quotes) and you'll see other explanations and discussions about it.


 
Trust me it exists pretty widespread in the youth culture. I've just asked about 15 people I know (from NJ, NY, Mass, California, Ohio, Florida, NC) my age and they all understand it perfectly as "what's up?"


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## lsp

Hockey13 said:


> Trust me it exists pretty widespread in the youth culture. I've just asked about 15 people I know (from NJ, NY, Mass, California, Ohio, Florida, NC) my age and they all understand it perfectly as "what's up?"


That doesn't change my advice to non-natives, but thanks for confirming.


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## mateintwo

There are many ways to say more or less the same in English some already mentioned. However *what’s up* contrary to the Italian phrase asks for any news in your life good or bad while the Italian expression assumes something good is happening. The most similar to *che fai di bello* may be: *Anything fun going on (in your life*)*?*


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## AlxGrim

Does "what's the skinny" make any sense? (Heard in "Jumping Jack Flash" movie).

P.S. - Please also note the very colloquial form "Che si dice?"


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## lsp

Don't forget, Jumping Jack Flash is going on 20 years old now. It's still said, but more in a kidding tone, with a "verbal wink" that's it's not very current.


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## Hockey13

mateintwo said:


> There are many ways to say more or less the same in English some already mentioned. However *what’s up* contrary to the Italian phrase asks for any news in your life good or bad while the Italian expression assumes something good is happening. The most similar to *che fai di bello* may be: *Anything fun going on (in your life*)*?*


 
What's up doesn't necessarily ask for news. This is a usual passing encounter I have with people:

Me: "What's going on?"

Other person: "What's up?"

And that's it. It's just like "hi" sometimes.


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## Feder

Come si dice in inglese "Che dici di bello?",oppure qualche altra frase che si usa dire appena si vede una persona?


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## IkHouVanPulcino

Io lo tradurrei con qualcosa come What's up, ma aspetta i madrelingua 

Simona


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## raffavita

What (good) news?


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## Flaviano Martello

What's up

is probably as good a translation as any, although of course it is very casual and informal. In the US people also say things like

How's it going?
What's going on?
What's new?
What's new with you?

None of these really translate the 'di bello' part though. I wonder if anyone can come up with something that does??


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## beauxyeux

what about "how are you doing?"
Has it got a different meaning?


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## Flaviano Martello

beauxyeux said:


> what about "how are you doing?"
> Has it got a different meaning?



No, it is more or less the same. 

How are you doing = How're you doing = (colloquial, non-standard) How ya doin?
How's it going? 

These questions are more like Come stai? because they ask the other person about their well-being.

The others I wrote ask about news, "what is happening". So the others are more like Che dici di bello?


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## raffavita

What good news non vi suona?


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## Flaviano Martello

What good news?  

would not be said in the US. It sounds very literary and archaic to me. A speaker of British English may be able to tell us how it would sound across the ocean. 

What's the good news?

presumes that there is some good news, and would be used only in a circumstance where it was obvious that there was some (the other person looks strangely overjoyed, for example).


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## raffavita

Forse any good news?


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## Flaviano Martello

Any good news?

is all right. I think I wouldn't say it under normal circumstances though. It sounds like you are asking (with some desperation) if anything might be good, if there is anything that might brighten the otherwise gloomy situation.


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## Murphy

If "che dici di bello?" is a way of asking for the other person's news, you could say (informally)

"What have you been up to lately?" (especially if you haven't seen that person for a while)

It's like saying "What's up?" (in the sense of "what's your news?")


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## beauxyeux

io di solito dico "che mi dici di bello?" "che mi racconti di bello?"
and probably yours is the nearest to italian

"What have you been up to lately?"


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## GavinW

raffavita said:


> Forse any good news?


 
Sorry, I think Flaviano was trying not to disappoint you: In English (ie also in BE) we don't refer to news, good or otherwise, in contexts when you would ask "che mi dici/racconti (di bello)". So no, "any good news" /and variants thereof) is not said...


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## Kaydee

Ciao! 

I would like to know what 'fare di bello' means....in the following context...

.."io devo andare al compleanno di mio zio. Tu che fai di bello?"

Thanks. 

Kaydee x


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## irene.acler

It's a very common, and I dare say colloquial, expression to say "what nice things are doing?" (I'm sure it's not the correct way to say it in English, so please correct me!)


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## Karl!!!!

Ciao. It means 'Are you doing anything nice/interesting/fun?' (this weekend for example). Irene.acler's translation is more literal and closer to the Italian meaning, mine is more common in England.


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## irene.acler

Thank you Karl! I didn't know the proper translation into English!


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## Salegrosso

More: if you say simply _cosa fai?_ it could sound a little bit rude, invadent, controlling.
Instead, if you say _cosa fai di bello?_ the question becomes friendly and gentle.


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## lsp

If you search "fai di bello" you will see a multitude of threads!


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## personnext

Hi,

While I understand what the words mean when they are used individually, is there any special meaning to the phrase "cosa combini di bello?"

Thanks!


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## Lady Hawk

Well yes!!!
It means "what are you up to in this period"? or What have you been doing lately?


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## Hermocrates

personnext said:


> Hi,
> 
> While I understand what the words mean when they are used individually, is there any special meaning to the phrase "cosa combini di bello?"
> 
> Thanks!



It's a colloquial idiom, literally meaning: "Have you been doing anything interesting?"

Rye


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## evrix

It's colloquial form to say hallo, to be used in not unhappy situations, something like _how are you?_
Good to be used when you meet someone you haven't for a long time, but not if it's because you're visiting him at the hospital... unless you don't want to be sarcastic


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## kjc_us

Hiya 

I'm doing beginner's Italian and just wondered - does "Che cosa fai di bello oggi?" mean "What have you been up to today?" or "What are you up to today?"

Grazie


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## Apina

It means "What are you up to today?"

"What have you been up to today?"  is "Cosa *hai fatto* di bello oggi?"


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## honeymoonchild

in the central part of italy, they even use to say: "com'è?" like in perugia, florence, marche etc.


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## kjc_us

Apina said:


> It means "What are you up to today?"
> 
> "What have you been up to today?" is "Cosa *hai fatto* di bello oggi?"


 

Thank you for clearing this up.


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## kjc_us

honeymoonchild said:


> in the central part of italy, they even use to say: "com'è?" like in perugia, florence, marche etc.


 
Just on its own? To mean how's it going/what you up to/etc? How bizarre!


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## Apina

kjc_us said:


> Just on its own? To mean how's it going/what you up to/etc? How bizarre!


 
Yes, kjc! And it's said in a lot of other ways too (maybe with slightly different meanings...):

Come va?

Come ti va?

Che si dice?

Che si fa?


and ... some are slang, other influenced by dialects, ecc.


Ciao

Apina


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## cercolumi

_______N E W____T O P I C________

Un saluto a tutti. 
Ci sono diverse discussioni su questo argomento ma non sono riuscito a trovarne una che soddisfacesse la mia curiosità.
Oggi ho incontrato al parco una mia amica, che era completamente assorbita dalla lettura di un libro.
Nell'avvicinarmi le ho chiesto:

_Cosa leggi di bello?_

Come si può tradurre ciò in inglese?

_Is that book interesting?_
_Anything interesting?_

Grazie in anticipo per l'aiuto.


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## Paulfromitaly

> *NOTA: ci sono già 60 post su questo argomento, per favore LEGGIAMOLI tutti prima di inserire un messaggio che non fa altro che ripetere quello che qualcuno ha già detto, grazie.*


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## cercolumi

Ho letto tutti i thread sull'argomento prima di postare, li ho riletti ora per due volte e non sono riuscito, ancora, a trovare il post dove viene fornita una traduzione di "cosa leggi di bello?".
I tentativi che ho fornito erano desunti da ciò che avevo letto ma sono, appunto, tentativi, in quanto non ho la certezza di come si possa tradurre correttamente.
Ti sarei grato se volessi indicarmi in quale post trovo la traduzione che mi serve.


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## Paulfromitaly

cercolumi said:


> Ho letto tutti i thread sull'argomento prima  di postare, li ho riletti ora per due volte e non sono riuscito, ancora,  a trovare il post dove viene fornita una traduzione di "cosa leggi di  bello?".
> I tentativi che ho fornito erano desunti da ciò che avevo letto ma sono,  appunto, tentativi, in quanto non ho la certezza di come si possa  tradurre correttamente.
> Ti sarei grato se volessi indicarmi in quale post trovo la traduzione che mi serve.



Per brevità ti quoto solo i 6 contributi dei madrelingua che suggeriscobo come tradurre "cosa fai di bello?", ma ce ne sono altri.
La ma nota è rivolta a chi volesse suggerire espressioni che sono già stata suggerite solo perchè non si è preso la briga di leggere tutti i post, non a chi ha fatto la domanda.



shamblesuk said:


> Ho visto anche 'di bello' usata come un'equivalente della nostra 'interesting'
> 
> _Cos'hai fatto di bello oggi? - Did you do anything interesting today?_
> 
> Lee





Siberia said:


> Are you doing anything nice?
> Sib





mateintwo said:


> There are many ways to say more or less the same in English some already mentioned. However *what’s up* contrary to the Italian phrase asks for any news in your life good or bad while the Italian expression assumes something good is happening. The most similar to *che fai di bello* may be: *Anything fun going on (in your life*)*?*





Karl!!!! said:


> Ciao. It means 'Are you doing anything nice/interesting/fun?' (this weekend for example). Irene.acler's translation is more literal and closer to the Italian meaning, mine is more common in England.





Hermocrates said:


> It's a colloquial idiom, literally meaning: "Have you been doing anything interesting?"
> 
> Rye





kjc_us said:


> Hiya
> 
> I'm doing beginner's Italian and just wondered - does "Che cosa fai di bello oggi?" mean "What have you been up to today?" or "What are you up to today?"
> 
> Grazie


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## You little ripper!

cercolumi said:


> _______N E W____T O P I C________
> 
> Un saluto a tutti.
> Ci sono diverse discussioni su questo argomento ma non sono riuscito a trovarne una che soddisfacesse la mia curiosità.
> Oggi ho incontrato al parco una mia amica, che era completamente assorbita dalla lettura di un libro.
> Nell'avvicinarmi le ho chiesto:
> 
> _Cosa leggi di bello?_
> 
> Come si può tradurre ciò in inglese?
> 
> _Is that book interesting?_
> _Anything interesting?_
> 
> Grazie in anticipo per l'aiuto.


Cercolumi, in this situation I would probably first ask:
_What are you reading?
_When s/he responds with the title of the book, I would inquire:
_Is it any good?

_


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## Connie Eyeland

Ciao, YLR!
Domande tipo _"Are you reading anything interesting?"_ / _"Are you reading a nice book?"_ suonerebbero meno naturali?
(Vedo che anche qui traducono la domanda "_Cosa leggi di bello?_" semplicemente con "_What are you reading?_")


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## You little ripper!

Connie Eyeland said:


> Ciao, YLR!
> Domande tipo _"Are you reading anything interesting?"_ / _"Are you reading a nice book?"_ suonerebbero meno naturali?
> (Vedo che anche qui traducono la domanda "_Cosa leggi di bello?_" semplicemente con "_What are you reading?_")


Connie, I would use the first one, but the second one sounds less natural to me (especially the 'nice'). An alternative might be, _Interesting book?_


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## Connie Eyeland

Yes, of course! Interesting book. "Nice book" sounds_ Itanglish_ ("bel libro").


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## Paulfromitaly

Connie Eyeland said:


> Ciao, YLR!
> Domande tipo _"Are you reading anything interesting?"_ / _"Are you reading a nice book?"_ suonerebbero meno naturali?



Ovvero quello che è GIA' stato suggerito nel post #9 e #50.


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## cercolumi

Intanto grazie ad entrambi per l'aiuto.
Vorrei solo sottolineare una differenza che mi sembra di cogliere e che giustifica la risposta #62 di YLR; mentre _what are you reading?_, come il nostro _cosa leggi di bello?_ prevede una risposta aperta, il titolo del libro o una sua descrizione (_è un libro che mi ha regalato xyz/è un libro si storia), la domanda interesting book?_ potrebbe avere invece una risposta chiusa come "Yes, thanks".
Chiedo conferme.


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## joanvillafane

Ciao cercolumi    Not necessarily.  I actually prefer the second question as a way of opening up a conversation.
We can imagine different scenarios
1:  What are you reading?  (risposta chiusa:  War and Peace)
2:  Reading anything interesting?  (risposta aperta: Oh, sì, molto interessante, uno dei migliori libri che ho mai letto, etc.)


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## Connie Eyeland

Paulfromitaly said:


> Ovvero quello che è GIA' stato suggerito nel post #9 e #50.


Avevo letto tutto il thread ma le frasi proposte mi sembravano diverse perché l'azione era diversa. Non avevo capito che la costruzione simile fosse ragione sufficiente per astenersi dal fare proposte legate al nuovo caso specifico. Scusa. Cancella pure i miei post.


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## cercolumi

Capisco ciò che mi vuoi dire Joan; quello che però volevo sottolineare con il mio intervento #67 è che "reading anything interesting?", a differenza di "cosa leggi di bello?" e di "what are you reading?" potrebbe prevedere una risposta yes/not e per questo, pur avvicinandosi forse più al significato di "cosa leggi di bello", non lo sceglierei come ideale traducente.
Mi sembra che non ci sia una perfetta versione inglese di questa formula idiomatica, è come se in italiano in un unica domanda ne racchiudessimo due, come ha ben sintetizzato YLR.
In ogni caso grazie ancora agli intervenuti.


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