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How to Say ‘It's just a little something’ in Italian

È solo un pensierino

eh SO-lo oon pen-syeh-REE-noh

[eh SO-lo oon pen-syeh-REE-noh]

🇮🇹 In Italy: Italians routinely play down their own gifts, even generous ones. It's a modesty ritual, and the polite response is to insist you love it.

Phrase Breakdown

È solo

eh SO-lo

It's just

'È' means 'it is' and has an open, stressed 'e'. 'Solo' means 'only' or 'just'.

Example

È solo un'idea.

It's just an idea.

Words in this phrase

[eh]

Third-person singular of 'essere'; used to describe a person, company, or situation.

Example

Quando dici È in È molto umana, stai descrivendo l'azienda.

When you say 'È' in 'È molto umana,' you are describing the company.

solo

[SO-lo]

Only

Exclusively limited to a certain condition.

Example

Solo se sei pronto puoi andare.

Only if you are ready can you go.

un pensierino

oon pen-syeh-REE-noh

a little gift / a small thought

'Pensierino' is the diminutive of 'pensiero' (thought). People use it modestly to mean a small gift. The stress falls on '-RI-': pen-sie-RI-no.

Example

Ti ho portato un pensierino.

I brought you a little something.

Words in this phrase

[oon]

Indefinite article used before a masculine singular noun.

Example

In Un buon equilibrio, Un introduce l'idea di un balance positivo.

In 'Un buon equilibrio,' 'Un' introduces the idea of a positive balance.

pensierino

[pen-syeh-REE-noh]

a little gift

Diminutive of 'pensiero' (thought); a small token gift.

Example

Ti ho portato un pensierino.

I brought you a little something.

Guides for Italian learners

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