It doesn’t matter what part of the world you’re in. You, too, have heard Domenico Modugno happily singing “Volare” at least once in your life.
Admit it; you read the last word by hearing the music in your head. But have you ever wondered what is the meaning of Volare?
If you have, this is your chance to learn both a new Italian word and the translation of a very famous song.
What does volare mean?
Volare is an Italian verb that translates to “to fly”. It ends with –are, which makes it part of the so-called “first conjugation verbs“.
If you’ve read our post on Italian verbs, you already know that with this information, you can construct the present tense of this verb, which is:
- Io volo
- Tu voli
- Lui/Lei/Esso vola
- Noi voliamo
- Voi volate
- Loro volano
Vorrei poter volare come un uccellino.
I wish I could fly like a little bird.
È volata a Berlino la settimana scorsa.
She flew to Berlin last week.
Volare also features in the expressions “volare basso” (to fly low) and “volare con la fantasia” (flying on fantasy).
Volare basso can be used both literally (flying at a low altitude) or metaphorically.
In the second case, it is used to tell someone to lower their expectations or be more humble. Volare con la fantasia, on the other hand, means letting your imagination run wild.
Quando gli uccelli volano basso, vuol dire che sta per piovere.
When birds fly low, it means it’s going to rain soon.
Ehi, vola basso amico, una cosa del genere non succederà mai!
Ehi, slow down, buddy; something like that is never going to happen!
Giovanni, credo che tu stia volando troppo con la fantasia.
Giovanni, I think you’re letting your imagination run too much.
A song to memorize the word volare
Listening to songs is a great way to learn a new language. And in this case, you have a very famous song to memorize the word volare.
“Nel blu dipinto di blu” (yes, that’s the real title) was written by Franco Migliacci and Domenico Modugno, who released it on 1 February 1958.
It won the 8th Sanremo Music Festival and third place at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Popularly known as “Volare”, this song is about a dream in which the protagonist paints himself blue and flies freely in the sky.
After a while, the world disappears, but he can’t stop dreaming of his loved one. So, he goes back, preferring to lose himself in her blue eyes rather than in the sky.
Here are the Italian lyrics of the song. Read them while you listen to them: it’ll help you memorize the words faster.
Actually, why don’t we turn this into a chance to make some practice? Try translating the lyrics in the comments, and let’s see who does the best job!
Italian lyrics:
Mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu
Poi d’improvviso venivo dal vento rapito
E incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito
Cantare, oh, oh, oh, oh
Nel blu dipinto di blu
Felice di stare lassù
Più in alto del sole ed ancora più su
Mentre il mondo pian piano spariva lontano laggiù
Una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me
Cantare, oh, oh, oh, oh
Nel blu dipinto di blu
Felice di stare lassù
Quando tramonta la luna li porta con sé
Ma io continuo a sognare negli occhi tuoi belli
Che sono blu come un cielo trapunto di stelle
Cantare, oh, oh, oh, oh
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
Felice di stare quaggiù
Più in alto del sole ed ancora più su
Mentre il mondo pian piano scompare negli occhi tuoi blu
La tua voce è una musica dolce che suona per me
Cantare, oh, oh, oh, oh
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
Felice di stare quaggiù
Nel blu dipinto di blu
Felice di stare quaggiù
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
Felice di stare quaggiù
Con te
Write your translation in the comments
Now you know the meaning of Volare and how to conjugate this verb in the present tense.
You’ve also learned a few related expressions and have a world-famous song to memorize all these things.
Try translating the lyrics in the comments to improve your language skills.
I’ll review your work and give you suggestions. Don’t be shy, and take this chance to practice Italian today!
Still translating in your head? Wanna speak Italian for real? Check out Stefano's courses to think directly in Italian and become fluent fast!
