Meaning
well
- well (used at the start of a sentence)
In a sentence
Beh, oggi resto a casa e studio un po'.
Well, today I'm staying home and studying a bit.
Beh, hai già visto il nuovo film?
Well, have you already seen the new movie?
Beh, non ho capito cosa vuoi dire.
Well, I didn't understand what you mean.
Usage notes
- Very common in speech, often written as “be’” or “beh”. It sounds informal and conversational, not formal writing.
- Use it to soften, hesitate, or react. Stronger than plain silence, but less blunt than “allora” or “insomma”.
- Often sentence-initial, but it can stand alone as a reaction. Intonation changes meaning: hesitation, surprise, resignation, or mild disagreement.