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How to Say ‘Excuse me, but aren't we going a bit out of the way?’ in Italian

Mi scusi, ma non stiamo allungando un po'?

mee SKOO-zee ma nohn STYAH-moh ahl-loon-GAHN-doh oon poh

[mee SKOO-zee ma nohn STYAH-moh ahl-loon-GAHN-doh oon poh]

🇮🇹 In Italy: Framing it as a question with non stiamo "aren't we" lets you raise a suspicion without accusing the driver, which keeps things calm. An outright accusation tends to escalate fast.

Phrase Breakdown

Mi scusi,

mee SKOO-zee

Excuse me,

This is the formal 'excuse me'. Stress 'SCU': mi SCU-si.

Example

Mi scusi, dov'è il bagno?

Excuse me, where's the bathroom?

Words in this phrase

[mee]

Reflexive part of 'mi scusi', literally 'excuse me'.

Example

Mi scusi, dov'è la stazione?

Excuse me, where is the station?

scusi

[SKOO-zee]

Excuse me

A polite way to get someone's attention, commonly used to apologize or make a request.

Example

Scusi, dov'è la stazione?

Excuse me, where is the station?

ma non stiamo

ma nohn STYAH-moh

but aren't we

'Ma' means 'but'. Link it smoothly to 'non stiamo'.

Example

Ma non stiamo andando troppo veloce?

But aren't we going too fast?

Words in this phrase

[ma]

But

Used to indicate contrast or exception in a statement.

Example

Vorrei prendere il treno, ma è troppo tardi.

I would like to take the train, but it's too late.

non

[nohn]

not

Used to make a statement negative.

Example

Non voglio pagare tanto.

I don't want to pay so much.

stiamo

[STYAH-moh]

we are

First-person plural of stare, often used for health or general condition.

Example

Stiamo bene dopo qualche giorno di riposo.

We are well after a few days of rest.

allungando un po'?

ahl-loon-GAHN-doh oon poh

taking the long way a bit?

This politely suggests the route is longer than needed. Hold the double 'l'.

Example

Il tassista sta allungando un po'.

The taxi driver is taking the long way a bit.

Words in this phrase

allungando

[ahl-loon-GAHN-doh]

lengthening / taking the long way

Gerund of 'allungare' (to lengthen); here, making the route longer.

Example

Stiamo allungando il viaggio.

We are lengthening the trip.

[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.

po'

[poh]

a little / a bit

A common expression to soften what you say, making it less strong.

Example

Mi sento un po' meglio oggi.

I feel a little better today.

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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