by Cher Hales
M looked at me through the tiny webcam connecting us from Colorado to Las Vegas and said "Mia moglie ha perso il bambino," meaning, "My wife lost the baby." My heart dropped, and I searched for the right words to say to my tutor, who was clearly still in pain. When this situation happens with an Italian friend, family member or language partner, we want to show that we care and that we're concerned for them, but since Italian is our second language, it can be difficult to figure out if we're expressing sentiments that sound genuine to them.
When life gets tough, as it does over and over again, how can we bridge the cultural gap that opens up? What we can say when our friends and loved ones vedono tutto nero (are seeing everything black) ? While the phrases below can apply to many different situations, it's completely up to you to decide when they're appropriate. The simplest thing you can say, while they talk about what's happened, is "Capisco" (I understand). If you can tell they still want to talk, you can ask "Come ti senti?" (How are you feeling?)
