Phrases › Talking About Hobbies › Pratico judo da quando avevo otto anni.

Pratico judo da quando avevo otto anni.

I have been practicing judo since I was eight years old.

Pronunciation

'Judo' = JU-do (same as English). 'Avevo' = a-VE-vo.

When to use it

Use this to share a long-standing martial arts practice. The 'da quando' structure is more complex and shows B1 level confidence. Italians respect martial arts as discipline-building activities with Japanese cultural weight.

What it means

'Da quando avevo' + past (imperfetto) describes a situation from a point in the past that connects to the present: 'since I was'. Compare with 'da' + time duration: 'da venti anni'. Both structures express duration from past to present.

Variations

Ho una cintura nera di karate.

I have a black belt in karate.

Belt level is universally understood as a measure of achievement

Le arti marziali mi hanno insegnato disciplina.

Martial arts taught me discipline.

Reflects on the life lesson of the practice

Mi alleno tre sere a settimana in palestra.

I train three evenings a week at the gym.

Describes training frequency and setting

Mini Dialogue

— Da quanto pratichi sport? — Pratico judo da quando avevo otto anni. — Che cintura hai? — Cintura marrone. Spero di prendere la nera il prossimo anno.

— How long have you been practising sport? — I have been practising judo since I was eight. — What belt do you have? — Brown belt. I hope to get my black belt next year.

Cultural Note

Italy has a strong tradition in combat sports — boxing produced champions like Nino Benvenuti and Duilio Loi, while judo and karate have large practitioner communities. Italian martial arts clubs are generally affiliated with the FIJLKAM (Italian Judo, Wrestling, Karate and Martial Arts Federation).

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