two
Due is an Italian adjective that translates to 'two' in English. It is commonly used to indicate the quantity of something or the number of people involved in a situation.
adjective
Meaning: Two
Ho due fratelli.
I have two brothers.
Meaning: Due date
La scadenza è il 30 giugno.
The due date is June 30th.
Meaning: Deserved
Ha ricevuto una punizione ben dovuta.
He received a well-deserved punishment.
A1: Ho due fratelli.
I have two brothers.
A2: Abbiamo bisogno di due uova per questa ricetta.
We need two eggs for this recipe.
A2: Il film inizia tra due ore.
The movie starts in two hours.
B1: Ho dovuto aspettare un'ora prima di entrare.
I had to wait an hour before entering.
B2: Due anni fa, avevo deciso di cambiare lavoro.
Two years ago, I had decided to change jobs.
B2: Sono stato a Roma due volte quest'anno.
I have been to Rome twice this year.
C1: Dopo aver studiato italiano per due anni, ho deciso di trasferirmi in Italia.
After studying Italian for two years, I decided to move to Italy.
C2: In due settimane di vacanza, abbiamo visitato dieci città diverse.
In two weeks of vacation, we visited ten different cities.
C2: Tra due mesi, avrò completato il mio progetto di ricerca.
In two months, I will have completed my research project.
In Italian, due is a versatile word that can be used in various contexts. For instance, it can be used to indicate the number of items, such as 'due bicchieri' (two glasses) or 'due libri' (two books). It can also be used to indicate the number of people, such as 'due amici' (two friends) or 'due fratelli' (two brothers). In both cases, due is used as an adjective and agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
Due can also be used to express time or deadlines. For example, 'il lavoro deve essere consegnato entro le due' means 'the work must be delivered by two o'clock.' In this case, due functions as an adverb and indicates a specific time frame.
Furthermore, due can be used in idiomatic expressions that have different meanings than its literal translation. For instance, 'essere alle prese con i cavoli suoi' literally means 'to deal with one's own cabbages,' but figuratively means 'to mind one's own business.' Similarly, 'fare le cose con il giusto equilibrio tra i due estremi' literally means 'to do things with the right balance between the two extremes,' but figuratively means 'to find a happy medium.'