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PhrasesMaking FriendsAbbiamo degli amici in comune, vero?
B1informal

Abbiamo degli amici in comune, vero?

We have some mutual friends, don't we?

Pronunciation

'Comune' = co-MU-ne, stress on second syllable. 'Abbiamo' = ab-BIA-mo.

When to use it

Use this when you have identified a shared social network connection. Finding mutual friends is a significant bonding moment in Italian culture and immediately establishes shared social context and implicit trust.

What it means

'Amici in comune' (mutual friends) is the standard Italian expression for shared friends. 'Vero?' at the end is a tag question meaning 'right?' or 'isn't it?' — it softens the statement and invites confirmation.

Variations

Il mondo è piccolo!

The world is small!

The Italian equivalent of 'what a small world!'

Quindi conosci anche Marta?

So you know Marta too?

Specific mutual friend discovery

Ci muoviamo negli stessi ambienti.

We move in the same circles.

More abstract — referring to shared social world

Mini Dialogue

— Aspetta, abbiamo degli amici in comune, vero? Conosci Federico Bianchi? — Sì! Eravamo compagni di università! — Il mondo è davvero piccolo! Io lo conosco dal liceo. — Che coincidenza! E non ci eravamo mai incontrati prima.

— Wait, we have some mutual friends, don't we? Do you know Federico Bianchi? — Yes! We were university classmates! — The world is really small! I have known him since high school. — What a coincidence! And we had never met before.

Cultural Note

Italy, despite having 60 million people, often feels like a 'paese grande' (big village) due to the tight social fabric of each region. Finding mutual friends is extremely common and immediately transforms a conversation with a stranger into a conversation with a near-friend. Social networks in Italy are dense and overlapping.