How to write a formal (or informal) email in Italian
You may have found yourself in a situation where you need to write a letter or an email in Italian to your Italian professor, or perhaps you need to learn how to write emails for your Italian Language Certification exam, but you don’t know where to start. This guide...
The 25 Most Popular Italian Sayings About Life and Their Meanings
Learning sayings in Italian may not only help you with your learning but also give you an insight into the culture of Italy. There are many Italian sayings that are used in everyday life; Most Italian proverbs have clear cultural or regional boundaries, making them...
Telling the Time In Italian: A Simple Guide
First, the word “time” has two primary translations in Italian: tempo and ora. Tempo denotes the abstract idea of time (Il tempo vola = time flies) Ora is instead the the, by the clock (che ore sono? = what times is it?) How to Say...
Italian Imperative. A Simple Guide.
The Imperative form in Italian is used to: Give commands Offer exhortations Advise or invite someone to do something In essence, the imperative is used to tell people what to do things. Consequently, it is only conjugated for the second person singular (informal...
Essere and Stare: The Difference.
In Italian, there are two verbs that have just one equivalent in English: stare and essere. They are not interchangeable, though. The good news is that in 95% of the cases, the verb to use is essere. So, when in doubt, use essere! However, there are cases where...
Lì and là? Qui and qua? The Difference.
What is the difference between lì and là or qui or qua? If you have ever felt confused about whether to use lì or là or qui or qua when speaking in Italian, this post is for you. Let’s get straight to the point… Your question may be whether...
Italian Present Tense
What’s the present indicative tense in Italian? The Italian present tense is used to describe what is happening now or to talk about a general truth (e.g. gli Italiani parlano italiano). It’s also used to say how long you’ve been doing...
Italian Adjectives & Expressions to talk about someone’s Personality
Describing someone’s personality in one’s native language is difficult enough, let alone in a language we don’t know well. Adjectives are commonly used to describe someone’s personality. I’ve created a list of some of the most basic...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.