proprio
own
determiner adverb PROH-pryoh Common
Origin: from Latin proprius
Also means
really
Usage Note
Proprio means 'one's own' as a possessive determiner (il proprio lavoro) and, very commonly, 'really/exactly' as an emphatic adverb (proprio così! = 'exactly!'). The adverb is invariable; the determiner agrees in gender and number. Non proprio softens to 'not quite'.
Examples
"È proprio quello che volevo."
Natural Translation
It's exactly what I wanted.
Literal Translation
It-is really that which I-wanted.
Related Words
Explore Italian by topic
ItalianNow
5 min read