ASCIUTTO vs. ASCIUGATO

Hi, there! I am Luca and this wonderful video is an Italian language lesson. In other words, this video is aimed at those people who are learning Italian as a foreign language.

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That being said, in this episode I would like to discuss a rather common error, relating to the words "ASCIUGATO" and "ASCIUTTO".

This is an error which is very often made by non-native speakers who study Italian. Basically, the error lies in the fact that many non-native speakers use these words as synonyms, as if they were interchangeable. Meaning that they may use "asciutto" in place of "asciugato" and vice versa.

The problem is that these words should be used in different ways. That is, "asciutto" is used in certain cases, whereas "asciugato" is used in other cases.

Well, I only mentioned the masculine singular form of these words. However, it's clear that each of these words has 4 forms. So we have: asciugato, asciugata, asciugati e asciugate. And: asciutto, asciutta, asciutti, asciutte.

But let's take a step back and jump straight into a real-world example!

Let's pretend that I have left my bike outside, in the streets. And let's pretend that it starts to rain. So my bike is out in streets, it rains - what happens? "La bicicletta si bagna". That is, rain drops fall on my bike, "la bicicletta si bagna". Right?! This is from the verb "bagnarsi". So: "la bicicletta si è bagnata". If I go check it, I realize that my bike "è bagnata".

If I say "si è bagnata", the word "bagnata" is part of the verb - "si è bagnata". Instead, if I say "la bicicletta è bagnata", in this case the word sounds the same, it's the same word, but it is used as an adjective. In this case, if I say "la bicicletta è bagnata", the word "bagnata" is an adjective.

Then, if it stops raining and the sun comes out... - see? Some hours pass - what happens? The bike, which was wet, "si asciuga". What does "si asciuga" mean? Without going into technical details, it essentially means that water evaporates. So if someone touches the bike, the bike is no longer wet.

So the bike "si asciuga". "Si asciuga" is from the verb "asciugarsi". You surely know the verb "asciugarsi", asciugare - asciugarsi. In this case I say: "la bicicletta si asciuga".

Basically, with respect to meaning, "si asciuga" is the opposite of "si bagna". When it rains, "la bicicletta si bagna", then, when he sun comes out, "la bicicletta si asciuga", that is, it turns back to the previous condition.

Just to be clear, when the bike is wet, on the bike you can see small water droplets, the seat is damp, etc. Then the bike dries off and you can no longer see those small water droplets on the bike, the seat is no longer damp.

If the bike dries off, I can say "la bicicletta si è asciugata". In this sentence, the word "asciugata" is part of the verb, it is a past participle which is part of the verb - "la bicicletta si è asciugata".

The mistake made by many people lies precisely here. Many people say: "La bicicletta si è asciugata, quindi adesso la bicicletta è asciugata".

Do you remember that earlier I gave you this example: "La bicicletta si è bagnata, quindi la bicicletta è bagnata"? That is, the same participle was used as an adjective.

Many non-native speakers who study Italian make such analogy and say: "La bicicletta si è asciugata, quindi potremmo dire che la bicicletta è asciugata?"

The answer is: No! It's wrong to say that. We can't say that. Because the adjective corresponding to the verb "asciugare" is not "asciugato", but "asciutto". So we should say: "la bicicletta è asciutta".

In other words, on the one hand we have the participle "asciugato", which is used as part of the verb. Instead, if we want to use an adjective, we should say "asciutto".

It's clear that these words should agree with the noun they refer to. In this case we have "bicicletta", so we should use a feminine form. So "la bicicletta si è asciugata" and "la bicicletta è asciutta".

But let's do another example where we use the verb "asciugare", not the verb "asciugarsi".

Let's pretend that, after it rained, I need to use my bike right away. So I can't wait for the sun to come out, right?! I need the bike straight away. So what should I do? I should dry it. So for example I take a piece of cloth and dry the seat.

So in this case I can say: "ho asciugato" la bicicletta. So: "Ho asciugato la bicicletta".

In the previous example I said: "La bicicletta si è asciugata", because I didn't do anything. Time passed, the sun came out, and the bike dried off.

In this case, instead, I dry the bike with a piece of cloth. So: "ho asciugato la bicicletta".

It's essential, paramount that I say "ho asciugato la bicicletta", not "Ho asciutto la bicicletta". Why should I say so? Because in this case this word is part of the verb. It is a past participle. So the past participle is "asciugato", it's not "asciutto". I can't say "ho asciutto la bicicletta", or "ho asciutta la bicicletta".

Instead, if I want to say that the bike is no longer wet, I can - indeed should - say: "La bicicletta è asciutta". In this case I use an adjective.

I'm gonna give you a more dynamic example.

Let's pretend that I were with a friend of mine and she told me: "Asciuga questa pentola, è bagnata!" I reply to her: "Ma non è bagnata, guarda che è asciutta!".

Can you see the difference? In one case, she said "Asciuga" - voice from the verb "asciugare" - and I replied: "è asciutta". I didn't say: "è asciugata".

Let's do an example which will make this difference even more clear.

I could reply to my friend: "Ma guarda che è già asciutta! L'ho già asciugata!". "Ma guarda che è asciutta, l'ho già asciugata!".

See the difference? In the first part of the sentence I said "è asciutta", because I used this word as an adjective, while in the second part I said "l'ho già asciugata" because I used this word as a past participle.

To put it simply, remember this: if you want to use the past participle of the verb "asciugare", you should say "asciugato". So if it's part of a verb, you should use the word "asciugato". It's clear that, in different cases, you'll use asciugato, asciugata, asciugati, or asciugate.

Instead, if you want to use this word as an adjective, e.g. in the phrase "è" + adjective, you should use the word "asciutto": "è asciutto", "è asciutta", "sono asciutti", "sono asciutte".

I gave you an example with an adjective with the verb "essere", right?! If you want, you can also use the word "asciutto" in a different way, that is, as an adjective. For example, I can say: "un clima asciutto". So, in this case we always use the word "asciutto". Not the word "asciugato". Similarly, you could say, I don't know: "La pentola mi sembra asciutta". I mean, you see what I'm referring to: the standard uses of adjectives.

Incidentally, this adjective, "asciutto", can also be used in a figurative way. You may not know this usage of the adjective "asciutto".

Alright! Basically, we can say that someone is "asciutto/a". What is a "persona asciutta" like? It is someone who doesn't speak much. A person of few words.

We can say, for example: "Giovanni è una persona asciutta". What does it mean? It means that Giovanni doesn't like talking that much. He is not someone who talks much.

So "persona asciutta" is the opposite of "persona loquace". It can also be used to point to the fact that this person not only doesn't talk much, but in general is reserved, quite introvert.

Next, the adjective "asciutto" can also be used in reference to a reply. For example, we can say: "Mi ha dato una risposta asciutta". What does it mean? A short answer, an answer consisting of few words.

You surely know people who give one-word replies, right? We can say that they give "una risposta asciutta". Which is kind of the same as "una risposta secca".

And in fact in Italian we can say either way. Namely: "Mi ha dato una risposta secca", or "Mi ha dato una risposta asciutta". Or we can also say: "Ha rispsoto in modo asciutto", "Ha risposto in modo secco".

Specifically, if we say that someone "risponde in modo asciutto", we mean that they say one word and makes it clear that the sentence ends there. And that they don't want to add anything, and in general they don't want to talk. If someone replies "in modo asciutto", it means that they don't want to add anything else. That it, they just say what is strictly necessary. You ask them something, they reply, but don't add anything else.

As you can see, in all these cases we use the word "asciutto", not the word "asciugato" because it's an adjective. We need an adjective. And so we use the word "asciutto".

I hope that the difference between "asciugato" and "asciutto" is clear.

Before I conclude, I'd like to say that the verb "asciugare" can also be used figuratively, in a idiomatic way. Some time ago I made a video about the idiomatic use of the verb "asciugare". I'm gonna add a card to it up here. If you feel like it, check it out!

That said - Till next time!

And may the Force of Advanced Italian be with you!