I.one [Brit wʌn, Am wən]DETWhen one is used impersonally as an indefinite pronoun, it is translated by si or uno when it is the subject of the verb: one never knows = non si sa mai; one would like to think that… = uno vorrebbe credere che… When one is the object of the verb or comes after a preposition, it is usually translated by te o ti : it can make one ill = ti può far ammalare. - When used as an indefinite pronoun, one is very formal; it is only used when you do not mean any one person in particular, in very general statements, stock phrases and proverbs: one must eat to live, not live to eat = si deve mangiare per vivere, non vivere per mangiare; one has to look after one's health = ci si deve preoccupare della propria salute. - As a consequence, one is very often substituted with you: you can do as you like here = qui si può fare quello che si vuole. - One and its plural form ones are used instead of a noun that has already been mentioned, and after this and that : “which of these books do you want?” “the big one, please” = “quale di questi libri vuoi?” “quello grosso, per favore”; I need some new ones = ne ho bisogno di nuovi; give me that one, not this one = dammi quello, non questo. - One and ones, however, are not used after these and those, the genitive case, and cardinal numbers: I want these = voglio questi; I won't drive my car, I'll get there in John's = non userò la mia macchina, ci andrò con quella di John; I'll take four = ne prendo quattro. - For more examples and all other uses, see this entry.
one's DETWhen translating one's, remember that in Italian determiners, like possessives and most other adjectives, agree in gender and number with the noun they qualify; one's is translated by il proprio + masculine singular noun ( one's neighbour, one's dog = il proprio vicino, il proprio cane), la propria + feminine singular noun ( one's teacher, one's house = la propria maestra, la propria casa), i propri + masculine plural noun ( one's children, one's books = i propri figli, i propri libri), and le proprie + feminine plural noun ( one's friends, one's shoes = le proprie amiche, le proprie scarpe). - When one's is used as a reflexive pronoun after a verb in the infinitive, it is translated by si which is always joined to the verb to form a single word: to brush one's teeth = lavarsi i denti. - For examples and particular usages see this entry. :
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