Ho visto un animale selvatico. Cos'era?

I saw a wild animal. What was it?

Pronunciation

Selvatico: sel-VAH-tee-ko. Stress on the second syllable.

When to use it

Use after a wildlife encounter to identify what you saw. Italians who live near national parks are often very knowledgeable about local fauna.

What it means

Ho visto is the passato prossimo of vedere (to see). Cos'era is the contraction of cosa + era — 'what was it?' in the imperfect tense, which is correct because you're describing a past state.

Variations

È pericoloso?

Is it dangerous?

Simple and essential after a wildlife encounter.

Ci sono orsi in questa zona?

Are there bears in this area?

Relevant in Trentino-Alto Adige and Abruzzo.

Ho visto un camoscio!

I saw a chamois!

Chamois are common in the Alps — a favourite for hikers to spot.

Mini Dialogue

— Ho visto un animale selvatico sul sentiero. Cos'era? — Com'era? Grande o piccolo? — Grande, con le corna. Color marrone. — Ah, era un cervo! È comune in questa zona.

— I saw a wild animal on the trail. What was it? — What was it like? Big or small? — Big, with antlers. Brown coloured. — Ah, it was a deer! It's common in this area.

Cultural Note

Italy has some of Europe's most remarkable wildlife. The Gran Paradiso National Park near Aosta has one of the densest populations of Alpine ibex (stambecco) in the world. The Marsican brown bear lives in Abruzzo — sightings are rare but real.

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