Meaning
probe, sound out
- to explore, investigate, or sound out opinions or intentions
- to probe physically (e.g., depths or ground) with a tool
In a sentence
Prima di fare un'offerta formale, vogliamo sondare il terreno.
Before making a formal offer, we want to test the waters.
Il direttore ha sondato la disponibilità dei colleghi a fare straordinari.
The director sounded out colleagues' willingness to work overtime.
Non abbiamo ancora sondato l'opinione pubblica su questo tema delicato.
We have not yet probed public opinion on this sensitive topic.
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| sondare | infinitive |
| sondo | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| sondi | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| sonda | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| sondiamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| sondate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| sondano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| sondavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| sondavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| sondava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| sondavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| sondavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| sondavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| sondai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| sondasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| sondò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| sondammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| sondaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| sondarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| sonderò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| sonderai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| sonderà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| sonderemo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| sonderete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| sonderanno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| sondi | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| sondi | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| sondi | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| sondiamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| sondiate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| sondino | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| sondassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| sondassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| sondasse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| sondassimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| sondaste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| sondassero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| sonderei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| sonderesti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| sonderebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| sonderemmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| sondereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| sonderebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| sonda | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| sondiamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| sondate | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| sondando | gerund |
| sondato | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Takes 'avere' as its auxiliary in compound tenses.
- Very common figuratively in journalism and business: 'sondare il terreno' means 'to test the waters'.