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How to Say ‘To be just passing through’ in Italian

Essere solo di passaggio

EHS-seh-reh SOH-loh dee pahs-SAHJ-joh

[EHS-seh-reh SOH-loh dee pahs-SAHJ-joh]

💬 Usage Tip: di passaggio works like a fixed label for someone briefly in town. Use it with any person: sono solo di passaggio "I'm just passing through".

Phrase Breakdown

Essere solo

EHS-seh-reh SOH-loh

to be only

Stress ES-se-re, and hold the double 's'. 'Solo' here means 'only'.

Example

È solo un'idea.

It's only an idea.

Words in this phrase

Essere

[EHS-seh-reh]

to be

Infinitive form of the verb 'be', indicating existence or identity.

Example

Essere o non essere è la questione filosofica, che risuona anche in Devi essere.

'To be or not to be' is the philosophical question, echoed in 'You must be'.

solo

[SOH-loh]

only / just

Used to limit the amount or number of something.

Example

Solo mezzo chilo, grazie.

Just half a kilo, thanks.

di passaggio

dee pahs-SAHJ-joh

passing through

'Essere di passaggio' means staying somewhere briefly. Stress pas-SAG-gio.

Example

Sono qui di passaggio.

I'm just passing through.

Words in this phrase

[dee]

Preposition linking nouns, often translated as of.

Example

Che tipo di ruolo è disponibile?

What kind of role is available?

passaggio

[pahs-SAHJ-joh]

passage / passing through

A passing or transit; 'di passaggio' means just passing through a place.

Example

Sono qui di passaggio per due giorni.

I'm just passing through for two days.

Guides for Italian learners

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