Italian Phrase
Tra poco ci imbarchiamo.
Meaning
The sentence means “We’ll board soon” or “We’re about to get on board in a moment.” It conveys a near‑future action, usually referring to a ship, boat, plane, or any vehicle you step onto.
When to use
Use this phrase right before you and your companions are about to get on a boat, ferry, cruise ship, or even a train/plane when you want to let others know the departure is imminent. It works well in informal travel conversations and announcements.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Trapocociimbarchiamo
Tra poco
A fixed adverbial phrase meaning “soon” or “in a short time”. It is placed at the beginning of the sentence for emphasis.
ci (reflexive pronoun)
Used with the verb *imbarcarsi* because the action is performed on oneself – “we board ourselves”. It must stay before the verb in the present tense.
imbarcarsi – present indicative, 1st pl.
The verb *imbarcarsi* (to board) conjugates as *ci imbarchiamo* in the present indicative for “we”. Note the stem change *-c- → -ch-* before the ending *-iamo*.
🗨In Conversation
Tra poco ci imbarchiamo, quindi preparate i bagagli.
We’ll board soon, so get your luggage ready.
Perfetto, ho già messo tutto nella valigia.
Perfect, I’ve already packed everything in the suitcase.
✕Common Mistakes
Tra poco ci imbarcati.
The verb must stay in the first‑person plural form *imbarchiamo*; *imbarcati* is second‑person singular past participle.
Tra poco imbarchiamo.
Do not drop the reflexive pronoun; *imbarcarsi* requires *ci* when the subject is “we”.
Presto imbarchiamo.
While *presto* can replace *tra poco*, you must keep the verb agreement: *Presto ci imbarchiamo* is correct, but *Presto ci imbarchiamo* with a missing *ci* is not.
↔Alternatives
Presto saliremo a bordo.
We’ll get on board shortly.
Tra un attimo ci imbarchiamo.
In a moment we’ll board.
Stiamo per imbarcarci.
We are about to board.
Cultural Tip
In Italian, *imbarcarsi* is traditionally used for ships and ferries, while for airplanes people often say *salire a bordo* or simply *imbarcarsi* in a more formal context. When speaking with locals, matching the vehicle type (e.g., *imbarcarsi* for a cruise, *salire sul treno* for a train) makes you sound more natural.