How to Say “About to” in Italian

The idiomatic expression to say “I’m about to” in Italian is:

sto per + infinitive of the verb

Although the literal translation is “I stay for”, idiomatically it conveys being on the verge of doing something.

Examples

To illustrate, here are some common examples:

Sto per uscire
(I’m about to head out)

Sto per andare in palestra
(I’m about to go to the gym)

Fabrizio sta per fare la doccia
(Fabrizio is about to shower)

Photo by Caleb Wright on Unsplash

Using Reflexive Pronouns

You can also use sto per in reflexive examples:

Sto per lavarmi i denti
(I’m about to brush my teeth)

This is the contracted form of Mi sto per lavare i denti which still respects the sto per + infinitive format.

Past Tense Variation

To express that you were about to do something, switch to the imperfetto tense of stare (i.e., stavo). For example:

Stavo per chiamarti
I was about to call you

Stavo proprio per chiamarti
I was right about to call you

Adding proprio gives extra emphasis, similar to right in "right about to."

Conclusion

Sto per is a common and useful expression, so it’s worth being aware of it.