O que parece
The beginning of a suggestion.
Facciamo che... — literally, “let’s make it that...”
So, in theory, something negotiable should follow.
In theory.
O que é de verdade
A very Italian way to make a decision while leaving the other person with the impression they took part.
It is not: “Shall we do it this way?”
It is: Facciamo che...
The question mark has already been removed for organizational reasons.
A cena
It is 5:30 p.m. The meeting started at three.
There are four coffee cups, two empty bottles and a sheet on which somebody has been drawing a square for forty minutes.
One item remains.
“We should also define operational responsibilities and schedule another meeting to...”
Someone looks at the clock.
“Facciamo che you email us everything.”
Silence. “Fine.”
The meeting is over. Nobody voted. Democracy somehow survives.
O plural é fundamental
Notice facciamo: first-person plural. We. Together. As a community.
“Facciamo che you come tomorrow.” “Facciamo che you pay this one.” “Facciamo che we never mention this again.”
A wonderful grammatical form: one person decides what the other will do using a plural verb.
Uma técnica de negociação
Facciamo che... usually appears once a conversation has lasted long enough.
First, alternatives are discussed and opinions heard.
Then someone decides democratic participation has produced sufficient results.
“Facciamo che...”
Everything suddenly becomes easier.
Atenção
It is not always an order. Sometimes it is a compromise.
“I say one hundred.” “I say fifty.”
“Facciamo che it’s seventy-five and we stop talking about it.”
Nobody got what they wanted. More importantly, nobody wants to continue. Deal.
Também existe a versão infantil
Perhaps that is where the magic begins.
“Facciamo che I was the policeman and you were the thief.”
As children, facciamo che invents a reality.
Then we grow up: “Facciamo che you pay my invoice in sixty days.”
The mechanism is surprisingly similar.
Chave de leitura
Facciamo che... is a proposal whose proposal phase is already over.
Formally, there are still two of us. Grammatically, we are collaborating.
In practice, I decided.
But if you agree...
we decided together.
