girare
Lemma: girare
Translation: to turn; to rotate; to spin; to go around; to wander; to move about; to film; to shoot (a movie) (verb)
Etymology: From Latin 'gyrare' meaning 'to turn in a circle', which derives from 'gyrus' (circle), ultimately from Ancient Greek 'γῦρος' (gûros, circle). The English word 'gyrate' shares this same root, making it a cognate. The semantic evolution in Italian expanded from the basic meaning of circular movement to include various types of movement and even filmmaking.
Example Usage
Gira a destra alla prossima strada.
Turn right at the next street.
La Terra gira intorno al Sole.
The Earth revolves around the Sun.
Abbiamo girato tutta la città cercando un ristorante.
We went around the whole city looking for a restaurant.
Stanno girando un nuovo film in centro.
They are shooting a new film downtown.
Mi gira la testa.
I feel dizzy.
Gira a destra al semaforo.
Turn right at the traffic light.
Ho girato tutta la città per trovarti.
I went all around the city to find you.
Abbiamo girato per ore nel centro storico.
We wandered around the historic center for hours.
Stanno girando un film in piazza.
They are shooting a movie in the square.
Gira la chiave per aprire la porta.
Turn the key to open the door.
Mnemonics
- Think of a 'gyroscope' which rotates and spins - 'girare' means to turn or rotate.
- The English word 'gyrate' (to move in circles) shares the same root as 'girare'.
- For the film meaning, imagine a movie camera that needs to be turned (girare) to film a scene.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Antonyms
Example Wordforms
Cultural Context
In Italian cinema culture, 'girare' is the standard term for filming or shooting a movie. The verb is also commonly used in everyday language to describe various movements and actions, from physically turning objects to wandering around a city.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: As a verb, 'girare' (to turn) can be confused with 'guardare' (to look at, to watch) due to similar sounds at the beginning.
Confused word:
Guarda la pagina del libro.
Look at the page of the book.
Notes: The confusion often happens in rapid speech or for beginners learning Italian pronunciation.
Mnemonic: 'Girare' starts with 'gir-' like 'gyrate' (turning movement), while 'guardare' starts with 'guar-' like 'guard' (watching over something).
Explanation: 'Girare' (to turn) might be confused with 'giocare' (to play) as both are common verbs starting with 'gi-'.
Confused word:
Gioca a calcio ogni domenica.
He plays soccer every Sunday.
Notes: These verbs belong to different semantic fields but might cause confusion for beginners.
Mnemonic: 'Girare' contains 'gir' which sounds like 'gear' (something that turns), while 'giocare' contains 'gioc' which sounds a bit like 'joke' (something playful).