Italian Word of the Day: Capatina (quick visit)

The word capatina in Italian means a quick or flying visit. It is the diminutive form of capata (capata + -ina), which means exactly the same thing but, for some reason, isn’t used with the same frequency as capatina.

/ca·pa·tì·na/
cover image with the word “capatina” and a two people talking in the background

Because it is a feminine noun, capatina takes the following definite and indefinite articles:

la capatina

una capatina

le capatine

delle capatine

Capatina is normally accompanied by the verb fare (to make / do), which means to make a quick visit, to drop by or to pop in. Here are a few places where one might fare una capatina:

  • fare una capatina in città = to pop into town
  • fare una capatina in ufficio = to drop by the office
  • fare una capatina al bar = to stop by the café
  • fare una capatina a casa = to pop home

Faccio una capatina in salumeria. Ti serve niente?

I’m going to stop by the delicatessen. Do you need anything?


Waist up portrait of two contemporary business people talking while walking towards camera in office hall
Faccio una capatina in bagno prima di tornare in ufficio. = I’m going to pop to the bathroom before going back to the office.

A very common synonym is salto (jump), so instead of fare una capatina, you can say fare un salto (lit. to make a jump).

Faccio un salto in ufficio e poi ti raggiungo.

I’m going to drop by the office and then I’ll join you.


Did you know that…?
Capata, which derives from the word capo (head), also means “a blow given with one’s head”.


Ethics statement: Below you will find affiliate links. If you buy something after clicking the link, we will receive a small commission. To know more about our ethics, you can visit our full disclosure page. Thank you!

Lingopie (affiliate link) is the Netflix of language learning application that uses real TV shows and movies to help you learn a new language. You can choose a show to watch based on your fluency level, and use the interactive subtitles to get instant translations to help you learn quickly.

Are you interested in improving your Italian in a fun and stress-free manner? Then we highly recommend Serena Capilli's short stories in Italian (affiliate link), designed for beginners, advanced beginners, and lower intermediate learners (A1-B1 CEFR). These stories have been optimised for English speakers in search of a fun, laid-back learning experience! Read our full review here.


Leave a Comment