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How to Say ‘I can't right now, I have to go back to work.’ in Italian

Adesso non posso, devo tornare al lavoro.

ah-DESS-oh nohn POHS-soh DEH-voh tor-NAH-reh ahl lah-VOH-roh

[ah-DESS-oh nohn POHS-soh DEH-voh tor-NAH-reh ahl lah-VOH-roh]

🇮🇹 In Italy: Giving a concrete reason softens a no. It signals "not now" rather than "not you", which is what makes the counter-offer that follows natural.

Phrase Breakdown

Adesso non posso,

ah-DESS-oh nohn POHS-soh

I can't right now,

Hold the double 's' sounds, then pause at the comma.

Example

Adesso non posso, scusa.

I can't right now, sorry.

Words in this phrase

Adesso

[ah-DESS-oh]

now

At the present moment or time.

Example

Adesso vado a dormire.

I'm going to sleep now.

non

[nohn]

not

This word negates the verb that follows it.

Example

Non c'é nessuno.

There is no one.

posso

[POHS-soh]

I can

First-person singular of potere; expresses ability or possibility.

Example

Posso aiutarti dopo l'evento.

I can help you after the event.

devo tornare

DEH-voh tor-NAH-reh

I have to go back

Gives the reason. Stress DE-vo tor-NA-re.

Example

Devo tornare in ufficio.

I have to go back to the office.

Words in this phrase

devo

[DEH-voh]

I must

First person singular of needing or having to do something.

Example

Devo studiare.

I must study.

tornare

[tor-NAH-reh]

to return / go back

Verb meaning to come back or return to a state.

Example

Voglio tornare a casa.

I want to go back home.

al lavoro.

ahl lah-VOH-roh

to work.

Stress la-VO-ro and let your voice drop at the end.

Example

Sono al lavoro.

I'm at work.

Words in this phrase

[ahl]

to the

'Al' is a contraction of 'a' (to) and 'il' (the), often used to indicate flavor or type.

Example

Abbiamo ordinato il gelato al cioccolato.

We ordered the chocolate ice cream.

lavoro

[lah-VOH-roh]

work

Refers to professional activity, job duties, or working life.

Example

Lavoro e vita privata è una combinazione importante quando valuti un'azienda.

'Work and private life' is an important combination when you evaluate a company.

Guides for Italian learners

Duolingo vs Busuu: Which Is Better for Actually Improving?Duolingo vs Busuu compared: a free gamified habit versus structured levels with corrections from native speakers. Which to choose, and when to use both.

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