Italian Pronominal Verbs: Prendersela (Non Prendertela!) + Exercise
What Does Prendersela Mean? The verb prendersela means “to take something badly” or “to get offended/upset.” It’s used when someone reacts emotionally, often more than necessary. Prendersela is a pronominal verb—a type of verb that doesn’t usually have a direct...
Ce n’è & Ce ne sono: How to Use Them
What do ce n’è and ce ne sono mean? Both expressions translate as “there is / there are (of them)” in English. Ce n’è = there is (of it / of them) Ce ne sono = there are (of them) The little word “ne” is important. It’s a pronoun that replaces something already...
12 Best Italian Short Stories For Intermediate Learners
How to Use Italian Short Stories to Overcome the Intermediate Plateau (Serena’s Method) Talk and write about what you read. Retell the story out loud (even to yourself) or discuss it with a teacher or partner. Summarize chapters in writing to reinforce vocabulary...
Italian Irregular Verbs: Dire (To Say / To Tell) + Exercise
Dire Dire is one of the 20 most common Italian verbs. You’ll hear it every day in conversations, idioms, and expressions. But here’s the catch: it’s irregular. This means its conjugation doesn’t follow regular patterns — you need to memorize it by heart....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.