English translation of "si metteva buono buono" - "he would listen very attentively/with particular interest"

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158 months ago

Barbara Cochran (a guest user) asked this question:

Language pair:	Italian > English
Subject:	Other
Level of diffculty:	Easy / medium
Word or term in question:	si metteva buono buono
Context:	La domenica, prima che venisse gente, secondo l'ormai antica tradizione di casa, suonavo..
Keywords:	...per lui. Mi ascoltava con molta comprensione. Era un profano di musica, specie di quella da camera. Aveva gusto e orecchio per l'opera, che aveva seguita tutta la vita. Ma con me, si metteva buono buono ascoltare perfino Bach....Son talking about playing the piano for his father before teh guests would arrive.

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Complete list of answers and comments

158 months ago

wrote:

he would listen very attentively/with particular interest

My comment:

"But when I played, he would listen with particular interest to my renditions of Bach..."

The asker rated this answer best

158 months ago

Matt Reinhart wrote:

He set himself (to listen) really well

My comment:

He set himself to listen even Bach really well (very attentively-would also work)

buono buono can be translated as really well, it is a construction that exists in italian but not in english, the repetition of adjectives to mean "really" or "very much" - the reflexive can also be translated using the passive, but

158 months ago

Josephine Cassar wrote:

he very patiently listened to my playing even Bach

My comment:

Seems to imply this person did not think highly of the one playing

158 months ago

Josephine Cassar wrote:

he very patiently listened to my playing even Bach

My comment:

Seems to imply this person did not think highly of the one playing

158 months ago

Robert Tucker wrote: