Italian Phrase
Aspetta un attimo, ti passo la chiamata.
Meaning
Literally, ‘Hold on a moment, I’ll pass the call to you.’ It is used when you need a brief pause before transferring a phone call to another person.
When to use
Use this phrase during phone conversations, especially in informal or semi‑formal settings such as offices, customer‑service desks, or among friends who are handing a call over to someone else.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Aspettaunattimo,tipassolachiamata.
Imperative (tu) – Aspetta
‘Aspetta’ is the second‑person singular imperative of ‘aspettare’ (to wait). It is used for polite commands or requests.
Indefinite article + noun – un attimo
‘un attimo’ literally means ‘a moment’; it softens the request and signals a very short wait.
Clitic pronoun placement – ti
In the present indicative, the indirect object pronoun ‘ti’ (to you) is placed before the verb: ‘ti passo’.
Verb + direct object – passo la chiamata
‘Passare la chiamata’ is the idiomatic way to say ‘to transfer the call’. The direct object ‘la chiamata’ follows the verb.
Verb‑subject agreement – passo
‘Passo’ is the first‑person singular present of ‘passare’, matching the speaker (I will transfer).
🗨In Conversation
Ciao, posso parlare con Marco?
Hi, may I speak with Marco?
Aspetta un attimo, ti passo la chiamata.
Hold on a moment, I’ll transfer the call to you.
✕Common Mistakes
Aspetti un attimo, ti passo la chiamata.
‘aspetti’ is the present subjunctive; the correct imperative form is ‘aspetta’.
Passo ti la chiamata.
Clitic pronouns precede the verb in the present indicative; ‘ti passo’ is correct.
Aspetta il attimo, ti passo la chiamata.
The indefinite article ‘un’ is used, not the definite article ‘il’.
↔Alternatives
Un attimo, ti metto in contatto.
One moment, I’ll put you in touch.
Dammi un secondo, ti faccio parlare con lui.
Give me a second, I’ll let you talk to him.
Aspetta, ti collego subito.
Wait, I’ll connect you right away.
Cultural Tip
In Italy, transferring calls is a routine part of business etiquette. Using ‘un attimo’ shows politeness and signals that the wait will be very short. Avoid sounding too abrupt; a brief pause phrase softens the request and keeps the conversation friendly.