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PhrasesAt the CinemaNe ho sentito parlare molto bene.
B1

Ne ho sentito parlare molto bene.

I've heard very good things about it.

Pronunciation

sen-TI-to — stress on second syllable. The 'sen' rhymes with 'hen'.

When to use it

Say when a film has been recommended to you by others or you've seen positive word-of-mouth. A diplomatic way to express interest without personally endorsing something you haven't seen.

What it means

'Ne ho sentito parlare' uses 'ne' (of/about it) + 'sentire parlare' (to hear people talk about). It is one of the most elegant and characteristic Italian expressions for word-of-mouth recommendations. The opposite is 'ne ho sentito parlare male' (I've heard bad things about it).

Variations

Me lo hanno consigliato in molti.

Many people have recommended it to me.

Emphasises that multiple people suggested it.

Pare che sia ottimo.

It apparently is excellent.

'Pare che' + subjunctive — reports hearsay elegantly.

Dicono che valga la pena.

They say it's worth seeing.

'Dicono che' = they say — general word-of-mouth.

Mini Dialogue

— Hai visto 'Io capitano'? — No, ma ne ho sentito parlare molto bene. È il film di Garrone? — Sì, esatto. Ha vinto il Leone d'Argento a Venezia. — Allora devo assolutamente vederlo. — Ti segno il titolo così non ti dimentichi.

— Have you seen 'Io capitano'? — No, but I've heard very good things about it. Is that the Garrone film? — Yes, exactly. It won the Silver Lion at Venice. — Then I absolutely must see it. — I'll write the title down for you so you don't forget.

Cultural Note

'Io capitano' (2023, directed by Matteo Garrone) was Italy's Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film, based on the true journey of two young Senegalese men migrating to Europe. It generated enormous discussion in Italy.