Best Italian Magazines for Learning Italian
Italian magazines are an excellent way to learn the language and improve your Italian skills. You will be exposed to new words, phrases, and idioms. Plus reading them can make you feel like you’re in the country. Easy Magazines for Intermediate Italian Learners ...
Perché, Perciò, Siccome: The Difference
Perché: why / because Unlike in English, perché is used in both a question and an answer in Italian. Perché hai chiamato il taxi? Perché ero in ritardo – Why did you call a cab? Because I was late. Perché used to indicate the cause of...
Lasciare, Partire, Uscire, Andare via – The Difference
In this article I want to shed light on the difference in the usage of four Italian verbs that my students mix up all the time! lasciare – to leave (permanently) partire – to leave for/from uscire – to leave, to go out, to hang out andare via...
How to Use ‘Proprio’ in Italian
1. Really, just As ad adverb, proprio, meaning really. Quello studente è proprio bravo! Mi piace proprio il nuovo film di Sorrentino Sometimes proprio means ‘just’, especially when combined with the adverbs of time (adesso, ora ) or a numeral adjective Ho...
Giocare vs. Suonare (the difference with English)
The English for the verbs ‘giocare’ and ‘suonare’, is ‘to play’. The French for both, is jouer. Nevertheless, giocare and suonare in Italian come with different meanings. What’s the difference? Giocare suggests the idea of...
Understanding the use of ‘Anzi’ in Italian
What does ‘anzi’ mean? Anzi is hard to translate in English, so its meaning can throw off non-native Italian speakers. However, this adverb is very common in spoken Italian because it works as a shortcut to rephrase something previously mentioned....
Smettere vs. Fermare: What’s The Difference?
Misusing or swapping the verbs smettere and fermare is one of the most frequent errors Italian learners make, and I understand why. The confusion is driven by the fact that both verbs, in English, have only one translation:to...
Più, di più, in più: The Difference
What does ‘più’ mean in italian? Più is a common Italian word meaning ‘more’. However, sometimes it appears in combination with ‘di’ or ‘in.’ These forms are not interchangeable, are used for different focuses, and, of...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.