# carabinieri



## devoid

Hi,

I just saw the film Heaven and in it was a policeman of some sort that they called something like 'carribineri'. Does anyone know what the correct term is?

Thanks!


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## rocamadour

devoid said:


> Hi,
> 
> I just saw the film Heaven and in it was a policeman of some sort that they called something like 'carribineri'. Does anyone know what the correct term is?
> 
> Thanks!


 
Hi devoid! 
It's "carabinieri".
Look here: http://www.carabinieri.it/Internet/


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## Necsus

Hi, devoid, welcome to the WRF!
The right term is "carabinieri" (plural).

Ops. Sorry, roc!


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## MünchnerFax

_Carabinieri_. They are the Italian military police, with also civilian duties.


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## rocamadour

Necsus, MF, 
condivido: W il "crossposting"!


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## devoid

right 
thanks everyone for the quick response!
so carabinieri is plural, carabiniere is single right?


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## MünchnerFax

devoid said:


> right
> thanks everyone for the quick response!
> so carabinieri is plural, carabiniere is single right?



Right.


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## nicocina

Hi everyone!
I think it sound strange but you think is possible to trasnlate "carabiniere" in eng? Or better, if I write "carabiniere", do english mothertongues understand how I'm speaking about?
and is traffic officer ok per "vigile urbano"?
thank you in advance


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## Sylentia

No I'm afraid english speakers won't know what you're referring to. I'm not 100% sure myself but I think _carabiniere_ can be translated in _police officer_ unless they're in charge of some other role/department that has a different name.
Traffic officer seems fine.


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## RICCARDOS

Ciao Nicocina,

It is my understanding that the Carabiniere function more like our 
"State Police" rather than traffic officers in the US.  I think "State Police" or "Government Police" would give a more accurate image to a speaker of AE.

The average US reader would probably not understand "Carabiniere".

Hope this helps.

Riccardo


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## MünchnerFax

Please read post #4.


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## nicocina

thank you so much for help! I think I'll translate "carabiniere" with police officer as Sylentia suggested, cause State police is too similar to the italian "polizia di stato" that is different from "carabiniere".
thank you all!


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## Scopa Nuova

Ciao,

Ho fare la guardia al episodii di Don Matteo. Due del atori rappresentazioni Carabinieri. Questo fammi chissà che è la schema dei polizia in Italia.

Ho l'impressione che i carabinieri sono polizia nazionale. Ci sono polizia locale in Italia?


Grazie in anticipio,

Scopa Nuova


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## rubuk

Hi SN, if I understand your question, this is what carabinieri are in Italia. And yes, we have the local police here, not exactly as the local police in the USA, but we have it, see this, this, and this. We have also:
Polizia di Stato.
Corpo della Guardia di Finanza.
Polizia Provinciale.
etc...

St.


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## Spiritoso78

Ciao Scopa Nuova,

come ben spiegatoti da Rubuk, io vorrei solo aggiungere che nelle missioni all'estero, tipo in Afganistan, Libano etc., solitatamente vengono definiti come MP (Military Police); in Italia però svolgono compiti di ordine pubblico, come da voi la Police o i Ranger...


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## Scopa Nuova

rubuk said:


> Hi SN, if I understand your question, this is what carabinieri are in Italia. And yes, we have the local police here, not exactly as the local police in the USA, but we have it, see this, this, and this. We have also:
> Polizia di Stato.
> Corpo della Guardia di Finanza.
> Polizia Provinciale.
> etc...
> 
> St.


 
Thanks rubuk,

Yes you have my question exactly right. The references were very helpful. It seems as if the carabinieri are similar to our Federal Bureau of Investigaton (FBI) although the FBI is not part of the military nor do they wear uniforms. Your Polizia di Stato is similar to our state police, your Corpo della Guardia di Finanza is a combination of our Coast Guard, Customs, Immigration and Border Patrol, and the Polizia Provinciale has the duties of our Game Wardens, and county and city police.

Given these duties why do they have the Carabinieri fighting local crime in the television series Don Matteo?

Mille Grazie
SN



Spiritoso78 said:


> Ciao Scopa Nuova,
> 
> come ben spiegatoti da Rubuk, io vorrei solo aggiungere che nelle missioni all'estero, tipo in Afganistan, Libano etc., solitatamente vengono definiti come MP (Military Police); in Italia però svolgono compiti di ordine pubblico, come da voi la Police o i Ranger...


 

Ciao Spiritiso,

Si, Capisco che i carabinieri anche sono polizia militare come i nostri polizia militare.

Figurati

SN


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## Scopa Nuova

Spiritoso78 said:


> Ciao Scopa Nuova,
> 
> ............................... in Italia però svolgono compiti di ordine pubblico, come da voi la Police o i Ranger...


 

Ciao Spiritoso,

Dunque, i carabinieri hanno responsabilità svolgere assistenza polizia nel crimine locale anche se non ci è la materia nazionale? Qui, la polizia sonno gelosi da loro responsabilite e hanno litigii su chi dove andare il caso. Ma normalmente cooperano l'uno l'altro.

Buona giornata

SN

Feel free to correct my Italian.


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## Apina

Caro Scopa Nuova,
it's difficult to explain...

Carabinieri have 2 roles: both police and military police. And if there's any similarity with FBI it's limited to the "Specialist Mobile Unit Command _Palidoro_ based in Rome, Specialist Unit Division and the ROS" (quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carabinieri#Present_day, see description)

As police, Carabinieri have an extended territorial organization and have responsibility in local crime but also traffic control, car crashes...

Carabinieri and Polizia di Stato cooperate but there is some rivalry, too. When their responsabilities overlap and both forces intervene, the solution is "chi primo arriva"!

Ciao
Apina


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## london calling

Just a thought. I really don't know if we would translate "carabinieri" into English, because in the UK at least we have nothing similar (it is after all a military corps, not a police force as we mean it in the UK, and neither is it the same as our Miltary Police). If I had to explain what they were to anybody, I would probably refer to the French "gendarmes", which the corps was originally modelled on and which may be more meaningful to a British English-speaking public.

I wouldn't translate "carabinieri" as "gendarmes", by the way.


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## Apina

It would be like trying to translate pizza!!! 

Non si può fare, semplicemente. Si può solo cercare di spiegare

Ciao

Apina


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## Scopa Nuova

Apina said:


> Caro Scopa Nuova,
> it's difficult to explain...
> 
> Carabinieri have 2 roles: both police and military police. And if there's any similarity with FBI it's limited to the "Specialist Mobile Unit Command _Palidoro_ based in Rome, Specialist Unit Division and the ROS" (quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carabinieri#Present_day, see description)
> 
> As police, Carabinieri have an extended territorial organization and have responsibility in local crime but also traffic control, car crashes...
> 
> Carabinieri and Polizia di Stato cooperate but there is some rivalry, too. When their responsabilities overlap and both forces intervene, the solution is "chi primo arriva"!
> 
> Ciao
> Apina


 
Ciao Apina,


Yea, "chi primo arriva" seems to work here too. Sounds like the Carabinieri get involved in whatever they want to get involved in. In WWII I think they were called "Black shirts" and performed similar to the "Brown shirts" in Germany. However, in 1943 they came over to the allied side, arrested Mussolini and fought the germans. But that was another time and things are different now.

In watching the *Don Matteo* TV series I was impressed in how well the Carabinieri are equipped (about as good as our SWAT teams if the TV representation is accurate) and they seem to be pretty competent in their job, except of course for the intentional comic behavior between Captain Aneschi and Maresciallo Cecchini. The whole show is about as good as any we have here.

Our FBI (national police) sometimes get involved in local crime but rarely, if ever, would they get involved in traffic control or car crashes. But I see people are about the same all over the world and can't keep out of someone else's business!

Figurati,

SN


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## Apina

Hi Scopa (but why did you choose the nickname Scopa Nuova, by the way?),

I don't usually watch Don Matteo but I think the most accurate part of the TV representation is the comic behavoir, not intentional but real!!!!
If you search in Google "barzellette sui carabinieri" you'll have more than 200.000 results...

Still they are well equipped in reality too (below quoted from it.wikipedia.org)

"Armamento.
L'armamento in dotazione all'Arma dei Carabinieri solitamente viene suddiviso in armamento ordinario (in dotazione a tutto il personale) e armamento speciale (in dotazione ad alcuni reparti).
L'armamento ordinario è composto da:

Pistola Beretta 92 FS e Beretta Cougar 8000
Pistola Mitragliatrice Beretta PM12 S2
Fucile Beretta AR 70/90
Mitragliatrice leggera FN Minimi
L'armamento speciale comprende:

Pistola Mitragliatrice Heckler & Koch MP5
Fucile ad anima liscia Franchi Spas 15 MIL
Carabina per tiratore scelto Mauser 66 SP
Fucile per tiratore scelto Accuracy International AWP"
Ciao 

Apina


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## Scopa Nuova

Apina said:


> Hi Scopa (but why did you choose the nickname Scopa Nuova, by the way?),
> It comes from an old Italian Proverbio "Scopa nuova scopa bene" A new broom sweeps clean! When I saw it it just caught my eye!
> I don't usually watch Don Matteo but I think the most accurate part of the TV representation is the comic behavoir, not intentional but real!!!! So! the Carabinieri are a bunch of jokers?
> If you search in Google "barzellette sui carabinieri" you'll have more than 200.000 results...
> 
> Still they are well equipped in reality too (below quoted from it.wikipedia.org)


 
I believe you but be careful on how much credibility you put into what you read in wikipedia. The input is mostly voluntary whatever someone wants to contribute. It's not verified. Someone with an "Agenda" could be writing propaganda. 

Thank you for your input. It gives me a better understanding when watching the series.

SN


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## Salbina

Scopa Nuova said:


> Ciao Spiritoso,
> 
> Dunque, i carabinieri hanno la responsabilità di svolgere assistenza alla polizia nel combattere il/nella lotta al crimine locale anche se non ci è la si tratta di materia nazionale?  Qui, la polizia i poliziotti sonno gelosi da delle loro responsabilità e hanno litigii litigano su chi dove andare debba prendere/affrontare il caso (oppure semplicemente indagare (sul caso)). Ma normalmente cooperano l'uno con l'altro.
> 
> Buona giornata
> 
> SN
> 
> Feel free to correct my Italian.



Hope you don't mind and you too have a nice day


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## Scopa Nuova

Salbina said:


> Hope you don't mind and you too have a nice day


 

Ciao Salbina,

Don't mind it at all. In fact I appreciate it. My Italian is gettiing a bit rusty. I need more practice.

Regards,

SN


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## Angel.Aura

*Nota di moderazione:*


> Hello dear friends,
> 
> If anybody has ideas on how (and if) to translate "carabinieri" into English is very welcome.
> Otherwise, we have discussed thoroughly the professional figure described and in this thread there are links enough to satisfy your curiosity for a long time.
> Let's stay focused on linguistic issues, please.
> 
> Thanks for your co-operation.
> 
> Laura
> _Moderatrice_


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## Alpino

Carabinieri (Arma dei Carabinieri), is the Italian Police Force with Military Status.
It is similar to Guardia Civil in Spain or National Gendarmerie in France.
It is a tradition of several european states to have a "second" national police organization with militar status.
A general word for such corps can be "*gendarmerie*".


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## Einstein

Alpino said:


> Carabinieri (Arma dei Carabinieri), is the Italian Police Force with Militar Status.
> It is similar to Guardia Civil in Spain or National Gendarmerie in France.
> It is a tradition of several european states to have a "second" national police organization with militar status.
> A general word for such corps can be "*gendarmerie*".


Unless it's indispensable in the context to make the distinction, I'd translate carabinieri as "police", otherwise it gets complicated.
If we have to distinguish, I agree with "police with militar*y* status".

Someone in an old post said "military police". This is wrong; the military police are those wth a special function for maintaining discipline in the army (I think the carabinieri have or had this role in the Italian army, but it's not the first thing that comes to mind when we hear about them).


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## Alpino

Einstein said:


> I think the carabinieri have or had this role in the Italian army, but it's not the first thing that comes to mind when we hear about them


 
You are right.
Militar Police is just a small task of Arma dei Carabinieri (small but important!).



> Unless it's indispensable in the context to make the distinction, I'd translate carabinieri as "police", otherwise it gets complicated.


 
If you have to translate "aiuto, chiama i carabinieri!" I would say "help, call police".

In a book or in a film set in Italy, you must keep "carabinieri".

If you need a single word for "police with military status" you can use "gendarmerie".


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## Giorgio Spizzi

devoid,
_so carabinieri is plural, carabiniere is single right?_
Not necessarily, he can be happily married.
(joking)
GS


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## london calling

Einstein said:


> Unless it's indispensable in the context to make the distinction, I'd translate carabinieri as "police", otherwise it gets complicated.
> If we have to distinguish, I agree with "police with militar*y* status". Yes, or, as I mentioned below, "gendarmes", although as I said above , I would not use "gendarmes" as a translation.
> 
> Someone in an old post said "military police". This is wrong; the military police are those wth a special function for maintaining discipline in the army (I think the carabinieri have or had this role in the Italian army, but it's not the first thing that comes to mind when we hear about them). I said that was wrong right from the word go!


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## gremlinkurst

I lived outside the US for thirteen years, eight years in Vietnam-War-era West Germany, and before returning to CONUS, I spent three months in Italy.  I have a pretty good knowledge base in many languages (Latin and non-Latin-based), and immediately recognized the cognate "carabinieri" for what it meant in English, "carabiners," "caribineers," or in contemporary terms, "riflemen."  They were initially known as _Arma Dei Carabinieri_ (in the kingdom of Sardinia), and are now the national military police force of Italy, policing both the military and civilian populace of that country.  Historically, this force was responsible for taking down Mussolini, and under Nazi control, when the Germans were disbanding these Italian units, many of these police "deserted" to join the Italian Resistance.  In 2001 the Carabinieri became one of five police forces, Italian federal agencies, Polizia di Stato, Guardia di Finanza, Polizia Penitenziaria, and Corpo Forestale dello Stato being the other four.  In addition to these federal agencies, there are also provincial and municipal police.

Note: When dealing with strictly factual matters like this, it is best to qualify what is posted, to separate *opinion* and *supposition* from what can be independently verified from *reputable* sources.  I'm sure that this specialized history book would provide any answers that the curious might have, should they wish to catch me in a lie: _Nei Secoli Fedele_, ummm, that's written in Italian, so…_popoli che non legge l'Italiano avrà bisogno di un traduttore_.  "Just because it's on the internet" isn't good enough, doesn't mean it's true.


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## longplay

"Carabinieri" deriva, storicamente, dal fatto che portavano una "carabina" (tipo di fucile) , credo; "lancieri a cavallo" deriva da "lancia", penso, ecc..
Attualmente sono un "corpo militare" distinto dall' Esercito (italiano) , ma con le stesse funzioni oltre a quelle di 'polizia' (fino a qualche anno fa', erano 
parte dell' Esercito Italiano).


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## stella_maris_74

Hi all,
before adding any more posts to this thread, please be aware of Moderator's note in post #26.




Angel.Aura said:


> *Nota di moderazione:*
> 
> 
> 
> Hello dear friends,
> 
> If anybody has ideas on how (and if) to translate "carabinieri" into English is very welcome.
> Otherwise, we have discussed thoroughly the professional figure  described and in this thread there are links enough to satisfy your  curiosity for a long time.
> Let's stay focused on linguistic issues, please.
> 
> Thanks for your co-operation.
> 
> Laura
> _Moderatrice_
Click to expand...


Thank you.


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## london calling

Hello and welcome, Gremlin.

We are all perfectly aware of what the _carabinieri _do and are. The issue here is not that here, it's the translation of _carabinieri_ into English. Are you suggesting _caribiners/carabineers/riflemen_ as a translation? I can't honestly say I agree with that. Or are you suggesting _National Military Police Force_ (which sounds good to me)?


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## longplay

Un generale americano in Afghanistan disse, tempo fa', a un ministro italiano "Send me more carabinieri,please!" (notizie TV). Non lo tradurrei in inglese,


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## london calling

longplay said:


> Un generale americano in Afghanistan disse, tempo fa', a un ministro italiano "Send me more carabinieri,please!" (notizie TV).


Ma il generale americano evidentemente sapeva che cosa sono i carabinieri. Se lo dico ai miei mica lo capiscono......per questo suggerivo "(Italian) gendarmes" come (diciamo) "traduzione", nel senso che qui in Europa, perlomeno, tutti sanno che cosa sono i "gendarmes" francesi ( aparte il fatto che l'Arma pare sia stata creata sulla falsariga proprio dei gendarmes francesi) , oppure bisogna dire "carabinieri" per poi spiegare che si tratta di un _National Military Police Force_, come dicevea Gremlin.


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## Wade Aznable

I think it's all up to the target audience. 
In official files of any kind, I'd really suggest to avoid translation, and to keep "Carabinieri", or "Arma Dei Carabinieri", according to the needs. 
In a more down-to-earth environment, my suggestion would be either to explain their role* (but this can be a bit long!) or, since it's phonetically and etimologically similar, use "Caribineers", which I like a lot. 

*: on the subject of their role let me also add, even if a little OT, that usually Carabinieri have a widespread presence (much more than the Police) in the country and in little towns, so in those environments usually they are the ones involved.
In bigger towns and in cities, on the other hand, I can confirm the "first-in, it's mine" approach to crime as some other poster said above, at least at the start of an investigation.


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## london calling

Wade Aznable said:


> ..... or, since it's phonetically and etimologically similar, use "Caribineers", which I like a lot. And which I don't like at all, as I mentioned below!


I notice that Wiki calls them _Carabineers_, but it's also very obvious that the article wasn't written by a native.


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## longplay

Abbiamo solo un alternativa: "Italian corps of fusiliers" (anche in GB ci sono i "fusiliers", ma bisognerebbe spiegare che sono anche un corpo di polizia).


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## Odysseus54

Secondo me e' intraducibile e va lasciato in Italiano, perche' le caratteristiche , il campo di azione ecc ecc, sono uniche a quel corpo.

E' come se si volesse tradurre in italiano il termine "Marines", "Rangers"  o "Navy SEALS".   Utilizzare termini generici come "fanti di marina", "incursori" ecc. confonderebbe le cose, secondo me.  Quelli delle specialita' militari sono nomi propri - poi magari bisogna spiegare, se richiesto dal contesto, di cosa si sta parlando.


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## london calling

longplay said:


> Abbiamo solo un alternativa: "Italian corps of fusiliers" (anche in GB ci sono i "fusiliers", ma bisognerebbe spiegare che sono anche un corpo di polizia).


Troppo complicato chiamarli _Fusiliers_ per poi spiegare che non ti riferisci all'esercito normale....


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