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Italian Phrase

Torno subito.

/ˈtɔr.no suˈbi.to/
Meaning"I'll be right back."
💡

Meaning

Literally, 'I return immediately.' In everyday speech it is used to tell someone you will be back in a very short time, similar to 'I'll be right back.'

🎯

When to use

Use this phrase when you need to step away briefly, such as leaving a conversation, a meeting, or a social gathering, and you intend to return shortly.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Tornosubito

1

Present tense of 'tornare'

Torno is the first person singular present indicative of tornare, meaning 'I return' or 'I come back'.

2

Adverb 'subito'

Subito means 'immediately' or 'right away' and is placed after the verb for emphasis.

🗨In Conversation

A

Scusa, devo prendere il telefono. Torno subito.

Sorry, I need to grab the phone. I'll be right back.

Va bene, ti aspetto.

Alright, I'll wait for you.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Torno subito.

    Do not add a period after the phrase when speaking; the period is only for written form.

  • Torno subito adesso.

    Redundant; 'subito' already means 'right now', so adding 'adesso' is unnecessary.

  • Torno subito ora.

    Similarly redundant; 'subito' and 'ora' both convey immediacy.

↔Alternatives

  • Torno fra un attimo.

    I'll be back in a moment.

  • Torno subito, non tarderò.

    I'll be right back, I won't be long.

  • Torno subito, sto per finire.

    I'll be right back, I'm about to finish.

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Cultural Tip

In Italian, brevity is appreciated in casual settings, so 'Torno subito' is a polite, concise way to excuse yourself. In more formal contexts you might add a courtesy phrase like 'Mi scusi, torno subito' to show respect.