I am returning to Taormina for language school for 4 weeks in October. I am doing a home-stay with a wonderful lady I met last time I was there. I had my own apartment, but a friend from class was staying with her and she invited me to dinner many times. She is a wonderful person and a wonderful cook. She does not speak English. The problem -- she serves up meals with huge portions. I can't eat that much. I do have digestive problems, also do not want to gain weight. I can't say I am on a diet, I am slender and it doesn't make sense. What is a very polite way to tell her that I can only eat a little when I arrive without saying I have some disease or health problem. (I used the health one last time and she kept urging me to see a doctor.) Help me be polite. I think I could maybe do this in English but even then wouldn't want to get into irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, etc. Thanks.
State that to serve huge portion is not "exactly" polite, you could say her with your best smile something like: "Mi duole ma non sono di pasto forte, la pregherei di volermi pertanto riservare porzioni davvero piccole. Le sono infinitamente grat@ (o/a)"
That in English sounds like: "I'm so sorry but I am not used to eat a lot, I would ask you to reserve for me really small portion. I thank you very much indeed"
In Italian this is very formal and I can sure you: very polite and delicate.
Gee: polite, but extremely old fashioned and literate. That phrase could cause bursts of laughter, if it got understood at all. I would opt for something simpler like "La ringrazio, ma non riesco a mangiare così tanto: la sua cucina è stupenda, ma io mangio poco". On the other hand, I have had contact with a person who overfed me, and I am not exactly a "light eater", but I really could not eat a 120 grams of pasta portion followed by a full portion of meat and a little vegetables: at home I would eat either the pasta or the secondo, and if I had meat I would have about 2/3 of vegetables and 1/3 meat, not the opposite. I tried to convince this person for SIX years that it was really too much, without being able to succeed. In the end, as I was coming to the decision that I would start leaving leftovers in the plate, I split up with her son (YEAH!). I guess that with some people you don't really get the message through unless you leave half the food in the plate. If you opt for this solution, tell her "Era buonissimo (squisito/eccellente/meraviglioso), ma era davvero troppo per me".
When we were out to dinner with an Italian friend, a small woman with a small appetite, she used an expression that our Italian teacher also taught us, "Non sono una buona forchetta." Literally, "I am not a good fork," but it means (if I recall correctly) that you don't have a big appetite and don't eat a lot.
The lady has become a very good friend, I don't need to be formal, just want to be kind so her feelings aren't hurt, I wouldn't be sure how to say this in English either to someone who kept overfeeding me. She is a great cook and I do love food, just not huge portions.
I agree that IKOll phrase, even if very accurate is way too formal and out of time, if someone addressed me like that I would have laughed!! No offense given Ikoll.
What about " I am not used to eat much, I do not digest well, and it is a shame because you are a fantastic cook!"
"non mangio molto, non digerisco bene, e mi dispiace perchè tu cucini davvero benissimo!"
Why don't you show her more your appreciation by asking her one or two recipes? she'll be sure, this way that you like the food and it is just your "fault" not hers. I am using the word fault because being an old fashioned Italian, she will inevitably think that you do not eat because you do not like the food.
However, in the end you'll need to leave food in the plate as I am pretty confident that none of the phrases above will work.
I had the same experience with all my neighbors in turn and some aunts, they stopped when I seriously said "No, please, it is really good, butit is really too much, I'll be forced to leave it on the plate, I cannot eat it!!"
Ahah no problem, it's ok Alice and Alessandra :-)) -- Sundaze in the first post wrote "...a wonderful lady I met last time..." + "What is a very polite way to tell her..." so I assumed that they couldn't be very close as friend and the request was to be very formal.
A part that I honestly am used to formal expressions in my ordinary way to speak. I'm sorry but I cannot do else. At the other side you're in right: persons sometime smile listen me to use terms like "desueto", "giacché", "basito", nevvero"... Anyway I'm deeply convinced that we have to preserve in some way our languages (all languages) from some new expressions / words that come out from a wrong use of them. I'd be very happy to make some example but I'm afraid to be too Off Topic and I'm sorry if I did since now.
Originally posted by Giulia da Urbino: IKOL22, I agree with you but I think that Sundaze using such a sentence would have left the lady a bit "basita" (flabbergasted)!
Giacchè la terminlogia è leggermente desueta!
Ikoll A nice gentlemen using passee terms is always welcome, expecially in an age of TVB and SMS!!
"non mangio molto, non digerisco bene, e mi dispiace perchè tu cucini davvero benissimo!"
Alessandra, that is exactly what I want to say -- nice and in fact the absolute truth. I will ask for some recipes too. Thanks to everyone else for all the ideas. Ikol22, I apologize to you for not being clear enough in my first post. Yes, I met her the last time I was there but she invited me to many meals the last time I was there and treated me as a family member -- we went on a hike together and some other activities too. I gave too much explanation of my stomach and not the relationship so I can see why you thought "formal". If Alessandra's suggestion doesn't work and I can't finish my serving, I may have to fall back on Alice's: don't finish and say "Era buonissimo squisito/eccellente/meraviglioso), ma era davvero troppo per me". Thanks to all, the kindness in this forum is wonderful.
Ok, this is just a guess: "Ti voglio bene"?? But what's SMS?
Actually, I think it would be useful to know some current instant messaging abbreviations in Italian. Some of the English ones (e.g. BTW, IMO, IMOH, AFAIK) have woven their way into the fabric of our language here (like it or not.) It's always good to be informed about these. I'm going to start a new topic here.
BTW, IMO, IMOH, AFAIK) have woven their way into the fabric of our language here (like it or not.) It's always good to be informed about these. I'm going to start a new topic here.
Ok, then what's TVB? (I kind of liked "ti voglio bene"!)
And, you know, I'm guilty of straying way off topic here, but, please indulget me in order to keep this with my original question. If we do have more conversation about this topic and SMS, let's keep it on the other thread I opened, ok?
And then, here, we can get back to small portions, if necessary.
That is so funny, Giulia. From Alice's response on the other thread, I just assumed that it was a borrowing from English language SMS and that I was just being creative and silly! Thanks much.
TVB and its brothers (TVTB etc.) actually date from several decades before personal computers and cellphones became a common item. most of my schoolmates, back in the 1980's, had their journals filld with "Simon Le Bon TVB" or "Tony Hadley TVTTB", all inscribed in pink glittery hearts.
Translation help please: ikol22 used the word "nevvero." Its not in my dictionary and none of the on-line translation services help. Perhaps it is a local dialect or archaic word? Do I need a bigger dictionary?
Topic Closed
be easier???
