🤏😬

How to Say ‘We're a bit tight’ in Italian

Siamo un po' stretti

see-AH-moh oon poh STREHT-tee

[see-AH-moh oon poh STREHT-tee]

💬 Usage Tip: stretti matches the people it describes, so a group of women would say siamo un po' strette. The same word also describes tight clothes: scarpe strette "tight shoes".

Phrase Breakdown

Siamo

[see-AH-moh]

we are

First person plural of essere, used to describe who we are or what state we are in.

Example

Siamo pronti per una grande sfida.

We are ready for a big challenge.

un po' stretti

oon poh STREHT-tee

a bit tight / cramped

'Un po'' means 'a bit'. 'Stretti' means tight or cramped; hold the double 't'.

Example

Qui siamo un po' stretti.

We're a bit cramped here.

Words in this phrase

[oon]

a / an

An indefinite article meaning 'a' before a masculine singular noun.

Example

È stato un incontro molto utile.

It was a very useful meeting.

po'

[poh]

a little / a bit

Shortened form of poco in the fixed expression un po', meaning a little or a bit.

Example

Siamo un po' nervosi prima della partita.

We are a little nervous before the match.

stretti

[STREHT-tee]

tight / squeezed

Plural of 'stretto'; here means fully booked or short on space.

Example

Questa sera siamo stretti con i tavoli.

Tonight we're tight on tables.

Guides for Italian learners

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