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The Most Common Italian Interrogative Words (+exercises) 

The Most Common Italian Question Words (+exercises) 

Questions words are also those words that use at the beginning of a question to form a question. In English, they are words like “who?”, What? “When”, in Italian it’s words like Chi, Cosa, Quando, etc…

The table below feature the most common interrogative words in Italian:

Edit
EnglishItalian
What?Che cosa? Cosa? Che?
Who?Chi?
Why?Perché?
Where?Dove?
When?Quando?
Which?Quale? Quali?
What time?A che ora?
How?Come?
How much? How many?Quanto/a? Quanti/e?
Whose?Di chi?
How long?Da quanto tempo? Da quando?

How to say “What?” in Italian?

There are three ways to say “what” in Italian and whether to use or another depends on the context of the conversation.

  • Che cosa fai? (What do you do?)  
  • Cosa fai? (What do you do?)
  • Che fai? (What do you do?) 

Note that “che cosa?” and “cosa?” are interchangeable in most contexts, but “che?” is only used in informal settings.

How to say “Who?” in Italian

When “who” is used at the beginning of a question, it always translates to “Chi?”.

For example:

  • Chi ha chiamato? (Who called?)
  • Chi viene a cena? (Who’s coming for dinner?)

It’s important to note that when “chi?” is preceded by a preposition, it can have a slightly different meaning depending on the preposition used. For example,

  • “Di chi” means “Whose” as in “Di chi è questa macchina?” (Whose car is this?)
  • “A chi” means “To whom” as in “A chi devo mandare questa mail?” (To whom should I send this email?)
  • “Per chi” means “For whom” as in “Per chi è questo regalo?” (For whom is this gift?)

How to say “Why?”

“Why” translates into “Perché?” in Italian, and “perché” can also be used to mean “because”.

  • Perché non parli? (Why aren’t you speaking?) 
  • Perché non viene? (Why isn’t she/he coming)

 

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How to say “Where?”

  • Dove vai? (Where are you going?)

Typically, you drop the last “e” when dove is followed by an essere verb, for example:

  • Dov’è? (where is it?)
  • Dov’era? (where was it?)

When “dove?” is preceded by the prepositions “da” or “di”, it’s used to ask someone where are they from.

  • Da dove vieni? (Where do you come from?)
  • Di dove sei? (Where are you from?)

How to say “When?”

When translate into “quando?”.

  • Quando arrivi? (When are you arriving?)
  • Quando parti? (When are you leaving?)

When “quando?” is preceded by the prepositions “da”, it means “how long”

  • Da quando studi italiano? (How long have you been studying Italian?)

How to say “Which?”

“Which” can be translated into “Quale” in Italian when referring to singular nouns, “Quali” when referring to plural nouns, and “Qual” when followed by certain forms of the verb  “essere” (to be).

For example:

  • Quale vuoi? (Which one do you want?)
  • Qual è? (Which one is it?) 
  • Quale colore preferisci?  (Which color do you prefer?)

How to say “What time?”

  • A che ora inizia la lezione? (What time does the class start?)
  • A che ora parti? (What time are you leaving?) 

If you want to ask about the time in a more general sense, you can use “Che ora è?” or “Che ore sono?” which translates to “What time is it?” in English.

How to say “How?”

How is typically translated into “Come?”, like in the common question “Come stai?” and is used to ask information about what something or someone is like or how to do something. 

  • Come si fa la pizza? (How do you make pizza?)
  • Come si dice in italiano…? (How do you say in Italian…?)

Like dove?, in “come?” the last “e” is dropped when combined with some “essere verbs”, for example:

  • Com’è andato il viaggio? (How was your trip?)
  • Com’era il tempo ieri? (How was the weather yesterday?)

A common Italian question using come? is “Come mai?”, which means “How come?”.

How to say “How much?, How many?”

“How much” and “how many” both refer to quantities, and they can be translated respectively into “quanto/a” for singular nouns or “quanti/e” for plural nouns. Note that “quanto” must agree in gender and number with the noun being quantified.

Examples:

  • Quanto sale ci vuole in questa pasta? (How much salt is needed in this pasta?)
  • Quante persone vengono alla riunione? (How many people are coming to the meeting?)

A common question using “quanto” is “quanto costa?” (How much does it cost?)

How to say “Whose?”

“Whose?” is typically translated as “Di chi?”-

“Di chi?” is used to ask about possession or ownership of something. For example:

  • Di chi è questo libro? (Whose book is this?)
  • Di chi sono questi documenti? (Whose documents are these?)

How to say “How long?”

“How long” is translated as “Da quanto tempo” or “Da quando” in Italian, and unlike English, it is always followed by a verb conjugated in the present perfect tense.

Examples:

  • Da quanto tempo studi italiano? (How long have you been studying Italian?)
  • Da quando abiti a Torino? (How long have you been living in Turin?)

Note that in Italian, the present perfect tense is used to talk about actions that started in the past and continue up to the present moment.

English vs. Italian

What’s important to take into account is the order of words in these types of questions.  In English the questions words are followed by the auxiliary do, does, did or an inversion verb (why are you here). In Italian, questions words are followed by verbs conjugated in the appropriate subject and tense/mood. For example. 

  • English: “Where did you go?” vs Italian: “Dove sei andato?”
  • English: “When will she arrive?” vs Italian: “Quando arriverà?”

How to ask questions in Italian 

Unlike in English, questions in Italian don’t require the use of auxiliaries (do, does, did can’t be translated in Italian) or the inversion of the subject and verb. To phrase a question in Italian, all it takes is to raise the pitch of your voice towards the end of the question.

For a more in-depth explanation, check out my article here.

Exercise



The Direct Object Pronouns in Italian

The Italian Direct Object Pronouns 

What’s a pronoun? 

Pronouns are an essential part of speech that allow us to replace something that has already been said and avoid repeating ourselves. Pronouns are widely used in conversation as they help us to be more concise and speak faster. Italian, just like English, makes extensive use of pronouns.

For instance, in the sentence “I know it”, the word “it” represents a pronoun that replaces something that was already mentioned. Similarly, in the sentence “let’s meet them”, the word “them” is a pronoun that replaces the people who were mentioned before.

In Italian and many other languages, there’s a clear distinction between direct and indirect object pronouns. In this post, we’ll touch on the direct ones.

What’s a direct object pronoun? 

Direct object pronouns are used to replace a direct object, which is a part of the sentence that answers the question “what?” or “who?” For example, in the sentence “I want a coffee,” the phrase “a coffee” is the direct object because it answers the question “what?” Similarly, in the sentence “I’m going to meet my friends,” the phrase “my friends” is the direct object because it answers the question “who?”

Sometimes, when we speak we don’t need to repeat something that was previously said, and so we use a pronoun.

For example,

  • Vuoi il caffè? Sì, lo voglio → Do you want some coffee? Yes, I want it.
  • Vedi i tuoi amici stasera? Sì, li vedo → Are you seeing your friends tonight? Yes, I’m seeing them. 

For instance, instead of saying “Yes, I want some coffee” in response to “Do you want some coffee?” we can use the direct object pronoun “it” and say “Yes, I want it.” Similarly, when asked “Are you seeing your friends tonight?” we can respond with “Yes, I’m seeing them,” using the direct object pronoun “them” to replace the noun phrase “my friends.

The Direct Object Pronouns in Italian
Edit
IT / EN pronouns Examples
Mi – “me” Mi chiami? – Can you call me?
TI – “you” Ti chiamo – I’m calling you
Lo – “him” or “it masc.” Lo chiamo – I’m calling him
La – “her” or “it fem.” La chiamo – I’m calling her
Ci – “us” Ci chiami? – Can you call us?
Vi – you “pl.” Vi chiamo – I’ll call you all
Li – “them pl. masc.” Li chiamo – I’ll call them
Le – “them pl. fem.” Le chiamo – I’ll call them

 

The direct object pronouns MI / TI / CI / VI 

Pronouns can be used in statements, questions, and answers. It’s important to pay attention to the use of mi, ti, ci, and vi, as they often get mixed-up.

Here are some examples to help understand their usage in questions and answers:

  • Mi vedi? Sì, ti vedo. (Do you see me? Yes, I see you.)
  • Ci vedi? Sì, vi vedo. (Do you see us? Yes, I see you all)
  • Mi sentite? No, non ti sentiamo. (Do you all hear me? No, we don’t hear you.)
  • Ci sentite? No, non vi sentiamo. (Do you all hear us? No, we don’t hear you all)
Stressed vs. unstressed direct object pronouns (pronomi tonici vs.pronomi atoni)

Italian distinguishes between stressed and unstressed direct object pronouns or pronomi tonici and pronomi atoni (see the table below). The stressed forms are typically placed after the prepositions.

Stressed forms (pronomi tonici)Unstressed forms (pronomi atoni)
MeMi
TeTi
Lui / LeiLa, Lo
NoiCi
VoiVi
Loro Li, Le

The stressed forms are typically used with prepositions.

For example,

  • “I’m speaking with you” becomes “Parlo con te” and not “parlo con ti”
  • “I’m eating with her” becomes “Mangio con lei” and not “mangio con la” 

What’s the position of the direct object pronoun in a sentence?

The general rule is that the pronouns always precede the conjugated verbs, which is the opposite of English. For example:

  • Lo prendo – I it take 
  • Lo vedo – I him see
  • Mi chiami? – Can you me call?

However, there are a few exceptions to the general rule when the pronouns are placed after the verb. This happens with modal verbs, infinitive verbs, and the imperative form.

If you are a beginner, you can skip this part for now.

The direct pronouns and the modal verbs

With modal verbs (dovere, potere, volere), the direct pronouns can take two different positions: either before the modal verb or at the end of the infinitive following the modal verb, after dropping the last “e” of the infinitive.

Let’s see it in practice.

  • “La voglio vedere ” is the same as “Voglio vederla” – I want to see her
  • “Ti posso chiamare? is the same as “Posso chiamarti?” – Can I call you?
  • “Lo vogliamo comprarlo” is the same as “Vogliamo comprarlo” – We want to buy it 

Either way works perfectly in Italian, and there is no preference between the two forms. Italians use both equally.

The direct pronouns and the infinitive

Another exception concerns the infinitive verbs. When a verb is not conjugated, the direct pronouns are joined to the end of the infinitive after dropping the last “e.” The typical example is with modal verbs or with unconjugated verbs used after a preposition.

  • Ho bisogno di ripeterlo – I need to repeat it
  • Ho finito di leggerlo – I finished reading it
  • Ho cominciato a studiarlo – I started studying it

The direct pronouns and the imperative

  • Informal imperative: the pronoun goes at the back of the verb → mangialo! (eat it!)
  • Negative informal imperative: two possibilities, either before or at the end of the verb → non lo mangiare! / non mangiarlo! (don’t eat it!)
  • Formal imperative: the pronoun goes in front of the imperative → lo mangi! (eat it!)
  • Negative formal imperative: the pronoun goes in front of the verb → non lo mangi! (don’t eat it!)

The Direct Object Pronouns with the Passato Prossimo

If you are a beginner, you can skip for now.

If you’ve studied the passato prossimo in Italian, you’ll know that the past participle of the “avere” verbs remains the same (e.g., Ho mangiato, abbiamo finito, etc.). However, there’s a big exception to this rule when it comes to direct object pronouns.

Let’s take a look at some examples:

  • Ho preparato un dolce – L‘ho preparato (I prepared it – the object, il dolce, is masculine singular)
  • Ho preparato una torta – L’ho preparata (I prepared it, the object, la torta, is feminine singular)
  • Ho preparato gli spaghetti – Li ho preparati (I prepared them, the object, gli spaghetti masculine plural)
  • Ho preparato le tagliatelle – Le ho preparate (I prepared them, the object, le tagliatelle, is feminine plural)

As you can see from the examples, the past participle changes and agrees with the gender and number of the direct object pronoun when used with the passato prossimo of verbs that use “avere” as the auxiliary verb.

It’s important to note that singular direct object pronouns always use an apostrophe, while plural forms do not. By understanding this exception and practicing with examples, you can improve your use of direct object pronouns in the passato prossimo in Italian.

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Masculine and Feminine Common Endings in Italian 

Masculine and Feminine Common Endings in Italian 

In Italian language, nouns, pronouns, and adjectives can be assigned one of two grammatical genders: masculine or feminine. The gender of a word is arbitrary and does not always have a logical connection to the gender of the person or object it represents. 

The gender of most Italian nouns is pretty straightforward. 

Nouns ending in “O”, like “il tavolo”, “il ragazzo”, “lo zaino” are masculine, while nouns ending in “A” are feminine, like “la casa”, “la donna”, “la borsa”. 

Knowing the gender of a word is important in Italian because it affects the form of articles, adjectives, and pronouns used with it.

Nouns ending – E 

However, there’s a pretty conspicuous group of nouns ending in -E and it can be a bit tricky to determine the gender of these nouns, as the gender is often arbitrary and not related to the meaning of the noun. or example, “il fiore” (the flower) is masculine, while “la neve ” (the snow) is feminine.

There are some patterns that can help determine the gender of a noun ending in -e. However, it’s important to keep in mind that these patterns are not absolute and there may be exceptions. Here are a few general guidelines:

Nouns ending -IERE or -ORE are usually masculine.   

  • il cameriere
  • il portiere 
  • lo scrittore
  • l’imprenditore 
  • l’attore

Nouns ending  in -TRICE are usually feminine.

  • la pittrice
  • la scrittrice
  • l’attrice 

Note that nouns denoting professions that end in –ORE in the masculine form change to –TRICE in the feminine form. For example:

  • l’attore/ l’attrice
  • lo scrittore / la scrittrice
  • l’imprenditore / l’imprenditrice 

Nouns ending in -ENTE, -ANTE and -ESE can can be either masculine or feminine. The gender in this case is determined by the article.

  • il/la cantante
  • l’insegnante
  • il cliente/la cliente 
  • il/la francese

Nouns ending in -SIONE or -ZIONE are feminine.

  • la televisione
  • la passione
  • la tensione 
  • la missione 
  • la stazione
  • la comunicazione 
  • l’introduzione 

Nouns ending in -ISTA  and -ETA are invariabile in the singular form. However they decline into -ISTI/ISTE and -ETI/-ETE in the plural form.

  • il/la turista – i turisti/le turiste
  • il musicista – i musicisti/le musiciste 
  • l’atleta – gli atleti/le atlete 

More exceptions 

Words- ending in – EMA/-IMA are masculine.

  • il problema 
  • il tema
  • il sistema
  • il clima

Words winding – ISI/ESI are feminine.

  • la tesi
  • la crisi 
  • la sintesi 

Words ending in -E’/U’ are feminine

  • il caffè
  • il tè
  • la virtù
  • la gioventù 

Foreign nouns, unless they refer to a female, are generally masculine:

  • il bar
  • il sandwich
  • il cocktail 
  • il bus 
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The Reflexive Verbs in Italian

The Italian Reflexive Verbs: A Guide 

What’s a Reflexive Verb in Italian?

Reflexive verbs are verbs that require a reflexive pronoun in their conjugation and their default form (the infinitive). The reflexive pronoun reflects the action of the verb back to the subject. For example:

  • Svegliarsi = to wake oneself up
  • Divertirsi = to have fund
  • Arrabbiarsi = to get mad 

Reflexive verbs are the same as regular verbs, with the exception of the reflexive pronoun. The only difference is that reflexive verbs have the reflexive pronoun “so” added to the end of the infinitive form.

How Do You Conjugate Reflexive Verbs in Italian?

To conjugate reflexive verbs in Italian, follow these steps:

  1. Remove the “si” from the end of the infinitive form of the verb.
  2. Add an “e” to the infinitive form. 
  3. Conjugate the verb as any other regular verb 
  4. Don’t forget to use the corresponding reflexive pronouns  for the subject in front of the conjugated verb.
For example, to conjugate the reflexive verb “lavarsi” (to wash oneself):
 
  1. Remove the “si” ending → lavar 
  2. Add an “e” to the end→ lavar+ e = LAVARE
  3. Conjugate “lavare” (in any tense you want!)
  4. Add the reflexive pronouns (mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si) in front of the conjugated forms.
Lavarsi (to wash oneself) 
io mi lavo – I wash myself 
tu ti lavi – you wash yourself 
lui si lava – he washes himself
lei si lava – she washes herself 
noi ci laviamo – we wash ourselves 
voi vi lavate – you wash yourselves 
loro si lavano – they wash themselves 
 

Another way to conjugate reflexive verbs in Italian is to drop the last four letters of the infinitive form and add the appropriate conjugation endings.

For example, the reflexive verb “divertirsi” (to have fun) becomes “divert” as the root verb, and the conjugation endings can be added, such as:

Divertirsi – to have fun 
io mi diverto – I have fun
tu ti diverti – you have fun
lui si diverte – he has fun 
noi ci divertiamo  – we have fun
voi vi divertite – you have fun
loro si divertono – they have fun
 
 
Most Common Italian Reflexive Verbs
The vast majority of Italian verbs are not reflexive, however, there are more reflexive verbs in Italian than in English. This is a list of the most common ones.
 
  • Svegliarsi — to wake [oneself] up
  • Alzarsi – to get up
  • Lavarsi – to wash oneself
  • Pettinarsi – to comb one’s hair
  • Sedersi – to sit down
  • Sentirsi – to feel
  • Spogliarsi – to undress
  • Addormentarsi – to fall asleep
  • Truccarsi – to put on make-up
  • Farsi la doccia – to take a shower
  • Chiamarsi – to be named
  • Laurearsi – to graduate (from university)
  • Diplomarsi – to graduate (from school)
  • Allenarsi – to work out
  • Impegnarsi – to work hard
  • Ubriacarsi – to get drunk
  • Farsi la barba – to shave
  • Innamorarsi – to fall in love
  • Lamentarsi  – to complain
  • Stressarsi – to get stressed
  • Innervosirsi – to get nervous
  • Ammalarsi – to get sick
  • Vestirsi – to get dressed
  • Annoiarsi – to get bored
 

 

Italian Reflexive Verbs & the Past Tense 

This is an intermediate grammar topic, so if you are a beginner, you can skip it for now.

Italian grammar is made up of simple tenses and compound tenses.

A simple tense is a simple verb (made of just one verb, e.g., the present simple), while a compound tense is a verb made of a combination of a helping verb (auxiliary verb) and another verb, the past participle (e.g., the past perfect). 

When a reflexive verb appears in a compound form, for example, the past tense, the auxiliary will always be “essere”. 

To conjugate reflexive verbs into the past tense in Italian, follow this pattern:

  • Subject 
  • Reflexive pronoun (mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si)
  • Helping verb (essere)
  • Past participle

For example, the past tense (passato prossimo) of the verb “divertirsi”, “lavarsi” and “svegliarsi” would be 

Io mi sono divertito – I had fun

Ti sei lavato/a – you washed yourself 

Ci siamo svegliati/e – we woke up 

The same pattern applies for all of the other compound tenses (e.g. past perfect, compound future, past conditional, past subjunctive, etc.). In all of the compound forms, the helping verb will always be essere.

Also remember that, using essere as a helping verb implies that the past participle has to agree with the gender and number.

The pattern for conjugating reflexive verbs into other compound tenses, such as the past perfect, compound future, past conditional, past subjunctive, etc., remains the same. The auxiliary verb will always be “essere”.

It’s important to note that when using “essere” as the auxiliary verb, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.

For example, in the past perfect tense:

  • Io mi ero lavato (I had washed myself)
  • Tu ti eri lavato (You had washed yourself)
  • Lui/Lei si era lavato (He/She had washed himself/herself)
  • Noi ci eravamo lavati (We had washed ourselves)
  • Voi vi eravate lavati (You had washed yourselves)
  • Loro si erano lavati (They had washed themselves)

When are the reflexive pronouns added onto the infinitive?

In Italian, reflexive pronouns are often appended onto infinitives to indicate that the subject of the sentence is performing the action on itself. This is particularly common with modal verbs and verbs that are followed by prepositions (e.g., finire di, smettere di, continuare a, etc.).

For example, in the sentence “Voglio svegliarmi presto domani,” the reflexive pronoun “mi” is added to the end of the infinitive “svegliare”. Similarly, in the sentence “Devo smettere di arrabbiarmi per le piccole cose,” the reflexive pronoun “mi” is added to the end of the infinitive “arrabbiare”.

In Italian, when certain verbs like “voglio” (I want) and “smettere di” (to stop) are followed by an infinitive, the infinitive cannot be conjugated, but the reflexive pronoun must still be declined to match the subject of the sentence.

More examples, 

  • Continuiamo a rilassarci – We keep relaxing
  • Hai finito di lamentarti – Are you done complaining? 

In both of these examples, the reflexive pronoun is added to the end of the infinitive to express a reflexive action, even though the infinitive cannot be conjugated.

Reflexive Verbs and Negative Sentences 

The “non” always precedes the reflexive pronouns. For example:

  • Non mi diverto – I’m not having fund
  • Non mi sono arrabbiata – I didn’t get mad 

Other Conjugations of Reflexive Verbs

Present → io mi diverto, tu ti diverti, lui/lei si diverte, noi ci divertiamo, voi vi divertite, loro si divertono

Present Perfect (passato prossimo) → mi sono divertito/a, tu ti sei divertito/a, lui si è divertito/ lei si è divertita, noi ci siamo divertiti/e, voi vi siete divertiti/e, loro si sono divertiti/e

Imperfect → io mi divertivo, tu ti divertivi, lui/lei si divertiva, noi ci divertivamo, voi vi divertivate, loro si divertivano 

Future Simple → io mi divertirò, tu ti divertirai, lui/lei si divertirà, noi ci divertiremo, voi vi divertirete, loro si divertiranno

Present Conditional → io mi divertirei, tu ti divertiresti, lui/lei si divertirebbe, noi ci divertiremmo, voi vi divertireste, loro si divertirebbero 

Present Subjunctive → io mi diverta, tu ti diverta, lui/lei si diverta, noi ci divertiamo, voi vi divertiate, loro si divertano 

Imperative (formal) → si diverta! 

In a few cases, the reflexive pronouns are attached to the end of the verb.

Imperative (informal)→ divertiti!

Gerund → divertendomi, divertendoti, divertendosi, divertendoci, divertendovi, divertendosi   

Infinitive → mi piace divertirmi, ti piace divertiti, gli/le piace divertirsi, ci piace divertirci, vi piace divertirvi, gli piace divertirsi

Reflexive Verbs and Parts of the Body

When using reflexive verbs with parts of the body, possessive pronouns are usually not used as it sounds redundant.

A common mistake in Italian language is to include possessive pronouns when not necessary when using reflexive verbs with parts of the body. For example: 

  • Mi lavo le mia faccia – I wash my face (WRONG)
  • Mi lavo la faccia – I wash my face (CORRECT)
  • Mi lavo i miei capelli  – I wash my hair (WRONG)
  • Mi lavo i capelli – I wash my hair (CORRECT)
  • Mi faccia la mia barba – I shave (WRONG)
  • Mi faccio la barba – I shave (CORRECT)
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Does English Have Any Reflexive Verbs?

Yes! Like enjoying oneself or hurting oneself. And it’s worth noting that English reflexive verbs are also reflexive verbs in Italian. 

  • Enjoying oneself → divertirsi
  • Hurting oneself → farsi male

However, most times, there’s no correspondence, and what is a non-reflexive verb in English is a reflexive one in Italian.

An interesting trend is that many verbs that use “get” in English are translated with a reflexive verb in Italian: For instance,

  • To get angry → arrabbiarsi
  • To get married → sposarsi
  • To get sick → ammalarsi
What does “Stare per” Mean in Italian? A Guide

What does “Sto per” Mean in Italian? A Guide

The phrase “stare per + infinitive” is used in Italian to indicate that an action is about to happen or is imminent. 

The verb “stare” means “to stand” or “to be,” and when it is combined with the preposition “per,” and followed by an “infinitive verb”,  indicates that something is about to happen. 

For example,

  • Sto per uscire translates to “I am about to leave”.
  • Sta per piovere translates to “it about to leave”.
  • Il film sta per cominciare translates to “the movie is about to start”.

Of course, to convey the correct meaning, you must conjugate the verb “stare” according to the subject performing the action. It’s important to note that the infinitive form of the verb never changes in this type of sentence.”

For example,

  • Noi stiamo per partire – we’re about to leave
  • Marco e Maria stanno per arrivare – Marco e Maria are about to arrive (they’re on their way).

Saying “I was about to” in Italian

To say “I was about to do something” in Italian, you can use the phrase “Stavo per [infinitive verb]”.

When used in the past, the verb “stare” is conjugated in the imperfect tense and is often used to describe a situation that occurred just before an action described in the passato prossimo.”

  • Stavo per uscire di casa, ma ha iniziato a piovere – I was about to leave the house, but it started to rain
  • Stavamo per comprare casa, ma alla fine abbiamo cambiato idea – We were about to buy a house, but in the end we changed our minds

In conclusion, “stare per + infinitive” is a useful phrase in Italian that can be used to indicate that something is about to happen, a change is imminent, or to give a warning. 

It is similar to the English phrase “about to”, “on the point of” or “on the verge of.”

Stare + gerund

Another common use of the verb stare is in conjunction with the gerund form. 

The pattern “stare + gerundio” is a common construction in Italian that is used to express the idea of an action that is in progress or happening at the moment you speak.

For example, 

Sto leggendo – I’m reading [right now]

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How to master the Italian Imperfetto

The Italian Imperfect Tense 

First things first..

What’s The Imperfect Tense? 

The imperfect (or imperfetto, in Italian) is a past tense. We mainly use the imperfect tense to talk about past actions that happened as a habit, to describe the context of past actions or events, and in a few other cases.

Smart tip 

As the name says, the action described by this tense is “imperfect,” so we can say that, as a rule of thumb, we use it when we can’t apply a time reference  to the past action we want to talk about. You should picture the imperfect tense as the frame of a picture or the background to the main event. The frame is the context (descriptions, feelings, ongoing actions). The picture is of you or a specific event.

Example,

  • Quando siamo arrivati (event), pioveva (background, frame) [When we arrived, it was raining] 
  • Quando andavano all’università (background, context), ho vinto (even) una borsa di studio. [When I was in school, I got a scholarship]

Most non-romance languages don’t have an “imperfetto,” so using the imperfetto correctly in Italian can be confusing. Reading and listening to Italian will help you naturally develop a good understanding of how and when to use the imperfect. Learning the rules, as always, is just the first step.

 

Italian vs.English 

In English, the imperfect tense in usually translate with: 

I used to: 

  • I used to live in that area – Vivevo in quel quartiere 

I was -ing:

  • I  was feeling sick yesterday, so I didn’t go to work – Mi sentivo male ieri, così non too andata a lavoro. 

Sometimes, though, the imperfetto can be translated with the regular English past tense ending in – ed. 

How to Conjugate the Imperfect Tense in Italian 

I have some great news for you. The imperfect is the most regular Italian verb.

It just adds the imperfect endings –avo, -avi, -ava, -avamo, -avate, -avano to the stem of the verb. The conjugation is the same for all the verbs, no matter what group they belong to.

Irregular Verbs  

There are just four irregular imperfect verbs in Italian, which are super easy to remember.

  • Fare → facevo, facevi, faceva, facevamo, facevate, facevano
  • Bere → bevevo, bevevi, beveva, bevevamo, bevevate, bevevano
  • Dire → dicevo, dicevi, diceva, dicevamo, dicevate, dicevano
  • Essere → ero, eri, era, eravamo, eravate, erano
     

When Do You Use the Imperfect tense in Italian?

Since there is not a straightforward translation in English when it comes to the Italian imperfetto, using this verb in Italian is one of the most complex aspects of the language. However, there are some rules you can look at when deciding whether to use the imperfetto or not.

We use the imperfetto to describe your life as it used to be.

Common word prompts: prima, una volta, nel passato, negli anni “X”, quando + imperfect tense 

  • Negli anni 90, vivevo a Londra e facevo il barista nei weekend – In the 90s I was living in London and I would work as bartender over the weekends.

We use the imperfetto to make a comparison between “before and nowadays”.

Common word prompts: prima…adesso.

  • Prima i bambini giocavano in strada, adesso giocano al cellulare – Before children used to play in the streets, today the play on their phones.

We use the imperfetto to talk about the weather in the past.

  • Ieri faceva caldo – Yesterday it was hot.
  • Ieri nevica – It snowed yesterday.
  • Ieri c’era una bella giornata di sole – Yesterday, it was a sunny day.

 We use the imperfetto to give a description of a situation, a place or a thing in the past.

  • La mia città era diversa quando ero piccola: c’erano meno macchine e il traffico era più lieve – My city was very different was I was little: there were less cars and traffic.
  • Il mio primo appartamento era molto luminoso e si trovava nel centro città – My first apertamente was very bright and was in the city center.

We use the imperfetto to talk about your childhood.

Common word prompts: da piccolo/a, quando avevo + your age / Quando ero piccolo/a 

  • Quando ero piccola, mi piaceva preparare le torte con mia madre – When I was little I liked to bake with my mum.
  • Quando ero piccolo, passavo le estati a casa dei miei nonni – When I was a child, I used to spend my summers at my grandparent’s house.

We use the imperfetto to describe the context or background of a specific event.

Common prompt words: mentre 

  • Mentre passeggiavo al mare, ho ricevuto una chiamata importante – While I was walking on the beach,  I got an important phonecall 

We use the imperfetto to describe how people state of mind or health in the past.

  • Ieri sera avevo mal di testa – Last night I had a headache.
  • Ieri mattina stavo male – Yesterday morning I felt sick. 
  • Al liceo, ero innamorata di Marcello – In high school, I was in love with Marcello.

We use the imperfetto to describe the personality traits or other characteristics of people in the past.

  • Mio nonno era molto saggio – My grandfather was very wise
  • La mia insegnate d’inglese era molto preparata – My English teacher in middle school was knowledgeable

We use the imperfetto to say what people knew or meant in the past.

  • Non sapevo cosa pensare – I didn’t know what to think.
  • Non volevo dire quello – I didn’t want to say that 
  • Non sapevo che Marco e Maria stavano insieme  – I didn’t know Marco and Maria were together 

We use the imperfetto to translate the English pattern “I used to do…”

  • Vivevo a Roma quando studiavo all’università – I used to live in Rome when I was in school. 
  • Viaggiavo molto prima di avere bambini – I used to travel a lot before having children.

More Uses of the Imperfect Tense in Italian

We use the imperfetto to express a polite request in place of the present conditional (vorrei) 

  • Volevo/Vorrei chiederti una cosa – I wanted to ask you something.
  • Volevo/Vorrei chiederti un favore – I wanted to ask you for a favore
  • Volevo/Vorrei farti una domanda – I wanted to ask you a question 

We use the imperfetto if two actions happen at the exact same moment in the past, we use the imperfect.

  • Mentre scrivevo il mio diario, mio figlio disegnava nella sua camera – While I was writing in my journal, my child was drawing in his room.

We use the imperfetto if one action interrupts an ongoing action, we use the imperfect tense for the ongoing action and the passato prossimo for the interruption.

  • Mentre dormivo [ongoing action], mi hanno chiamato al telefono [interruption] e mi sono svegliata – While I was sleeping, someone called and I woke up.
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Passato Prossimo vs. Imperfetto: The Difference 

When to use the imperfect tense instead of the passato prossimo?

Passato prossimo 

The Italian passato prossimo indicates an event that occurred at some point in the past, at a specific moment. To put it another way, we know when the event started, and when it ended. The passato prossimo often appears in combination with time expressions.

Common time expressions that trigger the use of the passato prossimo:

  • Due giorni fa, un anno fa – two days ago, one year ago 
  • Ieri – yesterday 
  • L’anno scorso – last year 
  • Questa mattina – this morning 
  • Ieri sera – last night 
  • L’estate scorsa, giovedì scorso and similar phrases 
  • Ultimamente – lately 
  • L’altro ieri – the other day

If one of the above time expressions is used, we always use the passato prossimo. We would also use the passato prossimo if we didn’t say one of the above expressions, but they were still implied in the conversation.

For example,

  • Ho mangiato troppo ieri sera 
  • Due anni fa sono andato in Sud Africa
  • Ho comprato una macchina la scorsa settimana 

The imperfetto (the imperfect tense) 

The imperfect indicates an event that repeatedly occurred in the past, and we don’t know when it started or when it ended. It was an ongoing action for some time. The imperfect often appears in combination with time expressions indicating a routine or a habitual activity.

Common time expressions used with the imperfect tense

  • Normalmente – typically 
  • Di solito – usually
  • Mentre – while 
  • Ogni volta che – every time that 
  • Da piccola/da piccolo – when I was little
  • Tutto il tempo – all the time

For example,

  • Di solito andavo in quel caffè a studiare – Typically, I would go to that caffè for studying 
  • Ogni volta che andavo a Roma, andavo a trovare i miei amici – Every time I would go to Rome, I would visit my friends 

Notice that if you say, “Ho comprato una macchina” and you don’t mention the time expression, I would still understand that the action happened at the specific moment in the past. Using the imperfetto and saying “compravo una macchina” would also sound weird, as the act of buying a car is never ongoing. Saying “compravo una macchina” would sound in English like “I used to buy a car.”

The imperfect continuous in Italian [advanced topic]

This is a more advanced grammar topic. If you’re a beginner or intermediate student, you can skip it for now. The Italian imperfect continuous is a combination of the imperfect of “stare” and the gerund from. It is used to describe what was going on at a specific time in the past.
 
  • Cosa stavi facendo ieri alle 3? – What were you doing yesterday at 3? 
  • Mi stavo rilassando sul divano con I miei amici, quando i miei amici sono arrivati – I was relaxing on the couch yesterday when my friends arrived. 


Conoscere and Sapere: The Difference Explained

Conoscere and Sapere: The Difference Explained

What’s the difference between “sapere” and “conoscere”? 

If you came across this page, it’s because you have been confused by using the Italian verbs sapere and conoscere. Fair enough.

English (and other languages) uses only one verb, the verb “to know,” to cover knowledge’s meaning in all possible forms.

Instead, Italian uses two different verbs: sapere and conoscere.

Sapere and conoscere are rarely interchangeable, and they express a different form of knowledge.

Let’s see now how to use the Italian verbs sapere and conoscere and what the difference between the two of them is. 

How To Use Conoscere

Conoscere means to be acquainted with something or someone: a topic, a person, a place, or a subject. It’s used with people, places or things and means having good knowledge of something or someone because you have previously experienced it.

If you are still not sure whether to use sapere or conoscere, try this:

Conoscere is always followed by a noun.

You will never see conoscere used with another verb (which instead, is likely to happen with sapere).

Examples:

  • Conosco la geografia italiana molto bene – I know Italian geography (topic/subject) very well.
  • Conosci Luciana? – Do you know Luciana? (person)
  • Conosci un buon ristorante a Roma? – Do you know a good restaurant in Roma? (place)
  • Conosciamo molto bene la città di Lucca – We know Lucca very well (place)
  • Conosci un buon dentista in città? Do you know a good dentist (place) in town?
  • Lucia conosce la grammatica molto bene – Lucia knows grammar (topic) very well
 

How To Use Sapere 

The counterpart of “conoscere” is sapere. Sapere means to be aware of something. It means knowing a fact, an event, or a piece of information.

It’s usually used to ask for a piece of information or report it. That’s why sapere would often appear in conjunction with the chunks che / a che ora / quando / come / dove / se / perché.

For example,

  • Sai che Maria si è sposata? – Do you know that Maria got married?
  • Sai che Marco ha avuto un bambino? – Do you know that Marco had a baby?
  • Sai che ore sono? – Do you know what time it is?
  • Sai quando parte il treno? – Do you know at what time the train is leaving?
  • Sapete dov’è Maria? – Do you (guys) know where Maria is?
  • Non so come cucinare questo piatto? – I don’t know how to cook this dish
Sapere as a modal verb (sapere vs. potere)

Sapere is also used as a modal verb when an infinitive verb accompanies it. In this case, it is used to say that you know how to do something, that you have an ability or a skill.

  • So parlare molto bene italiano, ma non so cucinare – I can speak Italian, but I can’t cook!
  • Sai suonare la chitarra? – Can you play the guitar?
  • Sai nuotare? – Can you swim?

As you can see from the examples, English uses the verb “can” in these types of sentences, which often leads native English speakers to use the verb “potere” when they translate into Italian. This is wrong. Saying puoi parlare has a different meaning from sai parlare. 

Let’s have a look at it

  • Puoi parlare in Italiano? means that you’re asking someone to speak in Italian
  • Sai parlare italiano? means that you’re asking someone if he speaks Italian 
  • Puoi cucinare? means that you’re asking someone to cook
  • Sai cucinare? means that you’re asking someone if he can cook. 
 

More uses of sapere 

Sapere also covers other meanings in Italian colloquial expressions. 

You can use sapere to:

  • tell the taste of something with the expression “sapere di” 
  • tell an opinion with the expression “mi sa che…” 
Sapere di…
  • Questo drink non sa di niente – this drink tastes like nothing
  • Questo dolce sa di cannella – this cake tastes like cinnamon 
Mi sa che…
  • Mi sa che rimango a casa stasera – I think I’ll stay home tonight
  • Mi sa che non cucino oggi, sono troppo stanca – I think I won’t cook today, I’m too tired.

“Mi sa” is an invariable chunk. In fact, we CAN’T use it with different pronouns.

You can practice the difference between conoscere and sapere and other difficult grammar topics with these excellent textbooks.

         

Exercices

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