Italian Polite Form: How to Use “Lei” vs “Tu”
How to Say “You” in Italian: Tu vs Lei Explained Italian, like many other languages, has different forms of address that reflect the level of formality in a given situation. The use of “tu” is informal, and it’s typically used between friends, family...
Buon Amico or Amico Buono? Understanding Adjective Placement in Italian
One of the most common questions I receive from my students is about adjective placement in Italian. Specifically, they want to know: should I say “buon amico” or “amico buono”? The answer isn’t as straightforward as you might think,...
Italian Verbs with ‘DI’ and ‘A’
Di or A? It depends. In Italian, there are a number of verbs that are followed by a preposition and an infinitive verb (e.g., iniziare a fare qualcosa or finire di fare qualcosa). Because these Italian prepositions do not appear in the English equivalents of the...
Italian Definite Articles (Articoli Determinativi)
Building solid foundations is key in every foreign language you learn. Mastering the nitty-gritty of the basics will be your pathway to fluency, I promise. That’s why today we’ll cover the Italian definite articles (gli articoli determinativi) and especially when...About
Ciao! I'm Serena, and I'm the creator of Smart Italian Learning. I am the head teacher of a small language school. We offer online, in-person and video courses for Italian learners, with a focus on adult English native speakers. Our courses are based on our passion for teaching and our experience as long-term adult language learners. You can meet us online, or in person in Rome.