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PhrasesTalking About WorkFinalmente ho un contratto a tempo indeterminato!
B1informal

Finalmente ho un contratto a tempo indeterminato!

I finally have a permanent contract!

Pronunciation

'Indeterminato' = een-deh-ter-mee-NAH-to — six syllables. 'Finalmente' = fee-nal-MEN-teh — five syllables. Both carry real emotional weight.

When to use it

Share as very significant good news. A permanent contract ('contratto a tempo indeterminato') in Italy is not just a work arrangement — it is a life milestone that affects housing, family planning, and social status.

What it means

'Contratto a tempo indeterminato' = permanent open-ended employment contract. 'A tempo determinato' = fixed-term contract. 'Finalmente' = 'finally' — the adverb signals how long-awaited this milestone is. This is genuinely major news in Italian adult life.

Variations

Ero a tempo determinato da tre anni.

I was on a fixed-term contract for three years.

Context for the relief — three years of precarity before permanence.

Con l'indeterminato ho potuto fare il mutuo.

With the permanent contract I was able to get a mortgage.

Practical consequence — banks require permanent contracts for mortgages in Italy.

Il precariato è finito!

The precarity is over!

'Precariato' (precarity) is a loaded political and social term in Italy.

Mini Dialogue

— Finalmente ho un contratto a tempo indeterminato! — Auguri! Lo meritavi da tempo! — Sì! Dopo tre anni di determinato è un sollievo enorme. — Ora puoi pensare al mutuo?

— I finally have a permanent contract! — Congratulations! You deserved it for a while! — Yes! After three years on fixed-term it's an enormous relief. — Now can you think about a mortgage?

Cultural Note

The 'contratto a tempo indeterminato' is a social milestone in Italy comparable to marriage or buying a house. Without it, banks often refuse mortgages, landlords may reject rental applications, and some social benefits are inaccessible. Its achievement is genuinely celebrated.