45 Italian phrases related to personality and feelings

Expressing emotions and talking about oneself is not a taboo in Italy. Italians are not afraid to open up, with friends and collogue, about themselves. That is why having a good grasp of how to express feelings and talk about one’s personality will come you in handy when in Italy. 

How to express feelings  in Italian

The most common way to express emotions and feelings in Italian is by using the verb essere plus an adjective, for instance:

• sono felice – I am happy

However, in certain expressions, Italian use the verb avere plus a noun, for instance:

• ha una bella personalità– she has a lovely personality 
• ha paura – she is afraid 

You can modify the meaning or the intensity of the adjective (or nouns) by using the adverbs molto – abbastanza – un po’, for instance

• sono un po’ nervosa oggi – I am a little nervous today

WORDS AND SENTENCES FOR FLASHCARDS

1. Avere un buon carattere – to be good-natured
2. Avere un carattere brutto – to be ill-natured
3. Avere un carattere forte – to have a strong personality
4. Avere un carattere debole – to have a weak personality
5. Essere alla mano – to be easy-going 
6. Essere disponibile – to be helpful
7. Essere simpatico – to be nice
8. Essere antipatico – to be unpleasant
9. Essere estroverso – to be extroverted
10. Essere introverso – to be introverted 
11. Essere pigro – to be lazy 
12. Essere riservato – to be reserved
13. Essere impulsivo –  to be to impulsive
14. Essere generoso – to be generous
15. Essere avaro – to be stingy
16. Essere altruista – to be altruistic
17. Essere piacevole – to be pleasent 
18. Essere felice – to be happy
19. Essere triste – to be sad 
20. Essere chiacchierone – to be chatty
21. Essere passionale – to be passionate
22. Essere ottimista – to be optimistic
23. Essere pessimista – to be pessimistic
24. Essere educato – to be polite
25. Essere maleducato – to be rude
26. Essere sensibile – to be sensitive 
27. Essere divertente – to be fun
28. Essere pensieroso – to be thoughtful
29. Essere riflessivo – to be reflective
30. Essere nervoso – to be nervous
31. Essere timido – to be shy
32. Essere noioso – to be boring
33. Essere sincero – to be sincere
34. Essere bugiardo – to be a liar
35. Essere aperto – to be open-minded
36. Essere chiuso – to be close-minded
37. Essere socievole – to be sociable
38. Essere paziente – to be patient 
39. Essere impaziente – to be impatient
40. Essere interessante – to be interesting
41. Essere tollerante – to be tolerant 
42. Essere intollerante – to be intolerant
43. Essere stressato – to be stressed
44. Essere pacifico – to be peaceful 
45. Essere preoccupato – to be worried

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