Phrases › Calling Police › C'era un uomo con un coltello.

C'era un uomo con un coltello.

There was a man with a knife.

Pronunciation

col-TELL-oh — double 'l' makes a longer 'l' sound; stress on the second syllable.

When to use it

Use when describing an assailant's weapon to police during an emergency call or statement. Mentioning a weapon immediately changes the threat level and response protocol.

What it means

Describing weapons clearly is critical. Italian law distinguishes robbery (rapina) from theft (furto) partly on the basis of whether a weapon or threat was used — this affects the charge and penalty.

Variations

Era armato di pistola.

He/she was armed with a gun.

Use 'pistola' (handgun) or 'fucile' (rifle) depending on what you saw.

Aveva un oggetto contundente.

He/she had a blunt object.

Use when you cannot identify the weapon precisely.

Ha minacciato di usare un'arma.

He/she threatened to use a weapon.

Use when the weapon was implied but not clearly shown.

Mini Dialogue

— Come si descrive l'aggressore? — C'era un uomo con un coltello, alto, capelli scuri. — Quanti anni approssimativamente? — Forse trent'anni, giacca nera. — Abbiamo capito, stiamo mandando una pattuglia.

— How would you describe the attacker? — There was a man with a knife, tall, dark hair. — How old approximately? — Maybe thirty, black jacket. — Understood, we are sending a patrol.

Cultural Note

Italian police ask for a descrizione fisica following a set order: height, build, age, hair colour, clothing. Practising this order in advance helps you communicate clearly under stress.

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Sono stato derubato / Sono stata derubata.

Si è dato alla fuga.

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