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The Numbers in Italian

The Italian Numbers: A Guide for Beginners

My English teacher at university was an Irish woman who had lived in Italy for over a decade. One day, she admitted to us that numbers were still a pain for her. Having learned several languages myself, I know firsthand how difficult it is to master numbers in a foreign language. But whether you visit Italy on vacation or live here, you will notice that numbers are everywhere: departure dates, prices, bills, ticket numbers, and so on. That is why you should try to master them from the beginning of your learning journey.

 

Italian Numbers 1 – 100

Numbers 0 – 20

The first 19 numbers have to be learned by heart.

0 – zero

1 – uno

2 – due

3 – tre

4 – quattro

5- cinque

6 – sei

7 – sette

8 – otto

9 – nove

10 – dieci

11 – undici

12 – dodici

13 – tredici

14 – quattordici

15 – quindici

16 – sedici

17 – diciassette

18 – diciotto

19 – diciannove

20 – venti  

Numbers 20 – 100

To learn the numbers from 20 to 99, it’s preferable to learn the tens first.

20 – venti

30 – trenta

40 – quaranta

50 – cinquanta

60 – sessanta

70 – settanta

80 – ottanta

90 – novanta 

Once you’ve memorized these numbers, all you have to do now is match them to the numbers 1 through 9.

Examples:

21- ventuno

22 – ventidue

23 – ventitré 

24 – ventiquattro

25 – venticinque

26 – ventisei

27 – ventisette

28 – ventotto

29 – ventinove

Now repeat the pattern through number 99. With a couple of exceptions, this is a fairly consistent pattern.

When using the numbers 1 (uno) and 8 (otto), the decimal numbers will drop the last vowel. The reason for this is to avoid using two vowel sounds at the same time.

So you’ll say:

Vent-uno, instead of venti–uno (21)

Vent-otto, instead of venti-otto (28)

The same pattern applies for all numbers with 1 and 8 through 99.For example:

  • 58 is cinquantotto 
  • 71 is settantuno
  • 81 is ottantuno
  • etc…

Italian Numbers 100 – 999 

Unlike English, we don’t say “One Hundred” in Italian; instead, we say “cento,” which means “hundred” by itself. “Cento” is an invariable word, so it’s always the same.

To express a multiple of “cento”, add numbers 1-9 before “cento”.

100 = cento (NOT un cento)

200 = duecento 

300 = trecento

400 = quattrocento

500 = cinquecento 

600 = seicento 

700 = settecento 

800 = ottocento 

900 = novecento 

How to read the hundred in Italian:

To read the hundreds in Italian, follow this pattern.

hundreds + decimals  

for example:

112 

cento + dodici = centododici

345 

trecento + quarantacinque = trecentoquarantacinque  

450

quattrocento + cinquanta = quattrocentocinquanta 

The pattern is the same through 999! 

Italian Numbers 1000 – 1 million 

The Italian word for a thousand is “mille”.
When it comes to multiples of a thousand, mille becomes “mila”.

1000 = mille (NOT un mila)

2000 = duemila

3000 = tremila

4000 = quattromila

5000 = cinquemila

6000 = seimila

7000 = settemila

8000 = ottomila

9000 = novemila

10000 = diecimila

20000 = ventimila

70000 = settantamila

100.000 = centomila

How to read the thousands in Italian

To read the thousands in Italian you will follow this order 

thousand + hundred + decimals 

For example:

1654 

mille + seicento + cinquantaquattro  

5647

cinque + mila + seicento + quarantasette

10.220

dieci + mila + duecento + venti 

600.410

seicento + mila + quattrocento + dieci 

The pattern is the same through 999999! 

The word for  million is  milione

the word for billion is miliardo 

How to say “the years” in Italian

English speakers divide the year into two parts, so 2022 is read as twenty-two.  This is not possible in Italian.
To read a year, you should read it as a regular number.
 
So, 2022 is read duemilaventidue 

How to say a date in Italian

Let’s use the day of the Unification of Italy, as an example:

  • 17 marzo 1861 (diciassette marzo milleottocentosessantuno)

Unlike English, where you have  month + number + year, the Italian pattern goes like this: number + month + year .

Another significant difference from English is the use of ordinal numbers rather than cardinal ones (17 and not 17th)

Useful expressions with numbers
  • Una decina – a dozen
  • Centinaia di – hundreds of 
  • Migliaia di – thousands of 
The 47 Most Common -are Verbs in Italian

The 49 Most Common -ARE Verbs

The -are conjugation is the most common one in Italian.

As a beginner, a good practice to build up vocabulary in days is to make a list of the high-frequency verbs and words that Italians use every day.

When it comes to verbs, the most frequent ones are from the first group (the “are” group”).

If you don’t know what a verb is and how to conjugate it in the present form (the most common verb tense in Italian, check out this post).

Verbs ending in -are have only four irregular verbs (fare, dare, stare, andare and their derivatives). Remember, the irregular verbs are those which don’t follow the regular conjugation pattern. 

Here is a list of the top common verbs in -ARE:
  1. andare – to go (irregular verb)
  2. dare – to give (irregular verb)
  3. stare – to stay (irregular verb)
  4. fare – to do, to make (irregular verb)
  5. mangiare – to eat
  6. parlare – to speak
  7. arrivare – to arrive
  8. amare – to love
  9. trovare – to find
  10. lavorare – to work 
  11. giocare – to play
  12. iniziare – to start
  13. cominciare – to start
  14. comprare – to buy
  15. studiare – to study
  16. guardare – to watch
  17. ascoltare – to listen
  18. camminare – to walk
  19. pensare – to think 
  20. tornare – to return
  21. abitare – to live, to reside
  22. cercare – to seek, to look for
  23. telefonare – to call
  24. chiamare – to call
  25. passare – to spend time
  26. lasciare – to leave
  27. cantare  – to sing
  28. lavare – to wash
  29. incontrare – to meet
  30. dimenticare – to forget
  31. ricordare – to remember 
  32. preparare – to prepare
  33. aiutare – to help
  34. viaggiare – to travel
  35. guidare – to drive
  36. mandare – to send
  37. visitare – to visit
  38. usare – to use
  39. cucinare – to cook
  40. spiegare – to explain
  41. continuare – to continue
  42. cenare – to eat dinner
  43. pranzare – to eat lunch
  44. accettare – to accept
  45. imparare – to learn
  46. insegnare – to teach
  47. fumare – to smoke 
  48. regalare – to give as gift 
  49. litigare – to argue                                       

Smart Tip:

All the verbs in this list (except for the first four) are regular verbs, which means they follow the regular conjugation pattern in the present tense and all other verb forms. By memorizing the verb endings of one verb, you can apply the same pattern to all the remaining -are verbs. For example:

Io parl-o 

tu parl-i

lui parl-a

noi parl-iamo

voi parl-ate 

loro parl-ano

 

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 
The Italian Courtesy Form: Formal vs. Informal Speech in Italian

The Polite Form in Italian: Formal vs. Informal Speech  

Italian, like many other languages, has different forms of address that reflect the level of formality in a given situation. The use of “tu” is informal, and it’s typically used between friends, family members, or close acquaintances.

On the other hand, when addressing people you don’t know well, or in more formal settings, such as a business meeting or a letter to a government official, you would use the subject pronoun “Lei” (and conjugate the verb in the third person singular) as a sign of respect. This form is considered more formal and polite, and it shows that you are mindful of the social norms and expectations of the situation.

So, in general, choosing the right form of address and verb conjugation is an important aspect of communicating effectively in Italian, and it can convey a lot about the relationship between the speakers and the level of formality in the interaction.

Example of Informal Speech 

  • Come (tu) stai? – How are you?
  • Dove (tu) abiti? – Where do you live?
  • (Tu) confermi l’appuntamento? – Do you confirm the appointment?
  • Vieni a alla riunione? – Are you coming to meeting?

Example of Formal Speech 

  • Come (Lei) sta? – How are you? 
  • Dove (Lei) abita? – Where do you live? 
  • (Lei) conferma l’appuntamento? – Do you confirm the appointment? 
  • Viene alla riunione? – Are you coming to the meeting? 

Informal vs. Formal You

The choice between “tu” and “Lei” reflects the level of familiarity and formality in the relationship between the speakers.

“Tu”

“Tu” is used in informal and familiar contexts, for example if you addressing a child, a colleague, or a schoolmate. In general, someone you’re familiar with or somebody who is much younger than you.  Also, we use tu to speak to one person. If we are addressing two or more people, we will switch to the subject pronoun voi. 

“Lei” 

“Lei” is used in more formal and respectful situations. Generally older people or people with a title like Signor Giorgi, Signora Carli, Dottor Rossi, Avvocata Gialli, etc. or people we meet in formal settings (university professor, doctor’s appointment, an appointment with a real estate agent, etc..)

Addressing people formally, in the plural 

“Voi” and “Loro”

It’s also important to note that “voi” is the plural form of “tu” and is used when addressing two or more people in an informal setting. In a formal setting, the third person plural pronoun “Loro” should be used instead. However, the use of “loro” as a formal form of address has declined in recent years and is not as common as it once was. Therefore, it’s naturally to use “voi” both in formal and informal situations. 

Italian vs. English 

English does not mark this difference in terms of subject pronouns or conjugations.

While there is only one way to address someone in English, regardless of whether the situation is formal or informal, we ask the same questions in two different ways in Italian, depending on whether the conversation is formal or informal, as shown in the following table.

Formal You vs. She

The Italian formal you (which is “Lei”) and the subject pronoun she (which is “lei, too) shall never be confused. The first one is only used to address someone (one person), and the second one is used in a statement to refer to a third person.

For example,

  • Signora, è pronta? – Are you ready, ma’m?
  • Lei è pronta – She is ready 

What does “dare del tu” mean? 

Sometimes a formal conversation can become less formal, and you can hear someone saying: “Possiamo darci del tu?” or “Puoi darmi del tu?“.

Both phrases mean that there is a desire to reduce the formality of the setting.

Generally, we say that “dare del tu“ means using the informal subject “tu” and  “dare del Lei”  means using the formal subject “Lei.”

We typically switch from formal to informal when the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. 

Lei is both used for women and men and is often capitalized (although it is not mandatory to write it with a capital “L”).

When to Use the Polite Formin Italian

They say the lei is preferred and expected in formal settings, but defining what constitutes a formal setting in a foreign culture can be tricky. 

This is why I made a list of typical formal settings in Italy. If you ever end up in one of these situations, speaking politely or dare del Lei will be expected and appreciated. 

  • At a job interview
  • At the government office 
  • At a restaurant
  • At the post office or bank
  • When meeting your in-laws for the first time 
  • When speaking to seniors or, in general, older people
  • With a salesperson in a shop (not if he is a teen or very young)
  • In the bakery or pastry shop
  • With officers, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals 
  • A side note goes to greetings…
  • A meeting with a real estate agent 

Formal and Informal Italian Greetings 

The choice of greeting can also reflect the level of formality in a given situation. “Ciao” is a very informal greeting and is typically used between friends or close acquaintances.

In a formal setting, such as a business meeting or when addressing someone older or with a title, it would be more appropriate to use the greetings “Buongiorno” (good morning) or “Buonasera” (good evening), depending on the time of day. Similarly, when saying goodbye, the informal “Ciao” would not be appropriate in a formal setting. In these situations, it’s better to use “Arrivederci” (goodbye) as a sign of respect.

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)

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
The Italian Sentence Structure

The Basics of Italian Sentence Structure and Word Order

The Italian sentence structure is similar to English, but with a few key differences. The good news isItalian follows the same sentence order as in English, which is:

SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT .

We call this pattern SVO, for simplicity. 

The subject  stands for who’s doing the action.

The verb is the action.

The object is who the action is being done to.

For example,

  • Io compro una casa (I buy a house)

Io (I) is the subject, compro (buy) is the verb and casa (house) is the object.

  • Tu parli italiano (you speak Italian)

Tu (you) is the subject, parli (speak) is the verb and italiano (italian) is the object.

Omitting the Subject Pronouns in Italian 

And here’s where Italian differs from English.

The main difference with English is that Italian omits the subject pronouns. 

What are the so-called subject pronouns?

In English, the subject pronouns are: I, you, he, she, it, they, and so on; in Italian, io, tu, lui, lei, noi, voi, loro.

In English, you’re compelled to use the subject pronouns when speaking. 

For example, you would always say, “I work, she buys, we cook, etc.”

In Italian, however, we drop the subject pronouns that act as the subject in a sentence.

For example, in Italian we would say:

  • Compro una casa , ([I] buy a house.) and not io compro una casa 
  • Cucina la pasta ([she/he] cooks the pasta) and not lui cucina la pasta 
  • Prendiamo una birra ([we] have a beer) and not noi prendiamo una birra 

Omitting the subject pronouns is something you can’t do in English (you can’t just say “buy house,” or if you say so, it would simply become a command), but in Italian, it’s perfectly normal to omit the subject pronoun from the sentence.

That’s why we have to conjugate verbs. The conjugation is telling us who’s buying a house or cooking in the past, or, in general, who is carrying out an action in a sentence.

Conjugating a verb properly is the most important part when it comes to sentence building. In fact, the conjugation will give the direction of the sentence and will say who is carrying out the action and when and how the action is carried out (that’s why we have several verb forms).

If you don’t conjugate the verb correctly, it’s unclear who’s doing the action, don’t omit the pronoun. However, if the pronoun is essential to understanding the sentence, you should leave it in.

  • Serena parla Italiano – Serena speaks Italian 

The Position of Adjectives in Italian

Another main difference between English and Italian is that adjectives are placed before the noun in English, while in Italian they come after the noun. This means that when constructing sentences, it is important to remember to switch the word order.

For example,

  • blu rose – rosa blu
  • big house – grande case
  • small table – piccolo tavolo 

How to Make a Negative Sentence

To make a negative sentence in Italian, you can add the word “non” before the verb. For example, “parlo italiano” becomes “non parlo italiano” (I don’t speak Italiano).

The non is always placed at the beginning of a sentence.

 For example,

  •  Non mangio carne – I don’t eat meat
  • Non sono italiano – I’m non Italian
  • Non mi piace – I don’t like it

How to Ask Questions in Italian

Where’s the station? How much is the coffee Where are you from? What’s time does the train leave?

These are all questions that you’ll likely need to ask when you are in Italy or speaking Italian, and so you’re going to need to understand the basics of how to ask questions.

In English, when it comes to asking a question, you either invert the verb and the subject or introduce the auxiliary Do, Did, Does at the beginning of the question. These patterns signal you’re asking a question and not making a regular statement.

  • Are you from Rome? [inversion of the verb and subject]
  • Do you live here? [questions starting with “do”]

In Italian, the way we ask questions is slightly different. First of all, we don’t invert the order of verb and subject, and we don’t have Do/Did/Does (so these bits are not translatable in Italian).

To ask a question in Italian, we simply raise the pitch of our voice toward the end and the order of the words in the questions is the same as in a regular statements 

S+ V + O = subject + verb + object 

For example,

  • Do they speak Italian →  [loro] parlano italiano?
  • Do you come to dinner? – [tu] vieni a cena?
  • Is she married? – [lei] è sposata?

Again, it’s crucial to conjugate the verbs correctly to get the direction of a question and to omit the subject object pronouns. 

Asking Questions with the Interrogative Words

Sometimes we would introduce a question with an interrogative words such as Who/ What / When, etc..

In this case, we usually place the subject of the question at the end of the question. The pattern of this type of questions  would be:

Interrogative word + Verb + Subject

For example, 

  • Com’è il cappuccino? – How is the cappuccino?
  • A che ora parte il treno? – What time does the train leave?
  • Quanto costa il biglietto? – How much is the ticket?

Common Italian Question Words

  • Chi?- Who? Whom?
  • Che?/Cosa?- What?
  • Quando?- When?
  • Dove?- Where?
  • Perché?- Why?
  • Come?- How?
  • Qual/Quali?- Which?
  • Quanto/a/i/e?- How much?

Master the Italian Word Order 

What is a simple way to remember the order of sentence structure in Italian?

# 1 Keep in mind the S+V+O pattern. 

# 2 Conjugate the verbs correctly; this is especially important for beginners. Real-life Italian sounds more complex than that, which is probably true, and the SVO is a simplified pattern of that language. All Italian sentences, though, have this structure, so if you choose the right verbs—even just those—your message will be understood. Other parts of the phrases run the risk of becoming redundant if the conjugation is incorrect because we are unsure of who is doing the action and who is receiving it. 

#3 Read, read, read. Use Italian short stories or similar learning content. Reading will greatly improve your ability to construct sentences when speaking. Why? Easy Italian readers will expose you to the natural and fluid structure of words, verbs, and prepositions.

My recommended textbooks and tools for drilling on your conjugations and Italian sentence structure: 

        
The Apostrophe in Italian: When To Use It

The Apostrophe in Italian: When To Use It

The apostrophe is a unique feature of the Italian language. When used properly, it will help you write Italian like a native. This comprehensive guide explains when to use the Italian apostrophe (l’apostrofo) and when not to.

Definite articles (gli articoli determinativi)

We use the apostrophe in front of singular nouns (both masculine and feminine) starting with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or the constant “h”.

We never use the apostrophe before plural names, even though they start with a vowel.

  • L’amico
  • L’erba
  • L’isola
  • L’orso
  • L’uomo
  • L’hotel
  • Gli amici
  • Le erbe
  • Le isole
  • Gli orsi
  • Gli uomini
  • Gli hotel

Indefinite articles (gli articoli indeterminativi)

  • Un’amica
  • Un’esperienza
  • Un’emozione

We never use the apostrophe when “un” precedes a masculine noun

We use the apostrophe with the indefinite articles (articoli indeterminativi) only when “un” precedes a feminine noun.

  • Un uomo
  • Un albero 
  • Un uccello 

Pronouns

We use the apostrophe when the direct pronouns “lo” and “la” proceed a verb starting with a vowel or the constant “h”. 

We never uses the apostrophe with plural pronouns.

For example,

  • L’uso – I use it 
  • L’ho visto – I saw him
  • Li uso – I use them
  • Li ho visti – I saw them

We never use the apostrophe with indirect pronouns.

  • Gli ho detto – I told him
  • Le ho detto – I told her 

Interrogatives

The interrogative words such as Come?, Quando?, Cosa? Dove? Drop the last vowel when they are followed by the various forms of the verbs essere and avere. 

  • Dov’è? – Where’s it?
  • Dov’era? – Where was it?
  • Quand’è? – When is it?
  • Com’è? – How’s it?
  • Cos’hai? – What do you have?

The interrogative phrase Qual è? doesn’t use the apostrophe. 

Quello and bello

Quello and bello drop the “o” and become “quell” and “bell” when they precede singular nouns starting with a vowel.

  • Quell’albero
  • Quell’uomo 
  • Bell’albero
  • Bell’uomo

The words buon (from buono) and nessun (from nessuno) don’t use the apostrophe though. 

Imperatives 

The shortened versions of some imperative forms use the apostrophe, such as

  • Va’ – go!
  • Di’ – tell!
  • Da’ – give!
  • Sta’ – stay

The apostrophe is not used when they are combined with pronouns.

For example,

  • Dimmi – tell me
  • Dammi – give me 

 

Italian Alphabet and Complete Pronunciation of Italian

Italian Alphabet and Pronunciation Guide For Beginners and Intermediate Learners 

Why it’s Important To Practice Your Italian Pronunciation From Day 1

In over ten years of teaching Italian as a foreign language, I’ve noticed a number of patterns that are next to impossible to get rid of (or that take a great deal of time and work to unlearn). A poor pronunciation is one of these patterns. For example, I’ve noticed that advanced Italian speakers who never practiced their pronunciation when they first started out are more likely to retain that problem over time. A bad pronunciation habit picked up as a beginner will eventually turn into an automated error. And only God knows how difficult it is to unlearn mechanical mistakes.

That’s why I always encourage my clients to spend time on pronunciation drills from day one.A clear articulation of the Italian sounds will help a native speaker to understand you, even as a beginner. Poor pronunciation, on the other hand, may make it difficult to understand an intermediate or advanced Italian speaker.

How To Work On Your Italian Pronunciation 

#1 Learn the Italian pronunciation rules and apply them.

#2 Read easy graded readers in Italian, like short stories or other simplified content from your textbooks. Use only content that is accompanied by slow audio recordings, if possibile.

#3 Listen to audio sources that are accompanied by scripts. Read and listen simultaneously. Then read it aloud and use your phone to record yourself.

#4 Get this book

#5 Work with a tutor on Preply or use this online dictionary to look up the correct pronunciation of Italian words.

#5 Buy this book 

Accent vs. Pronunciation 

Don’t be afraid to speak with an accent, though; Italians from North to South speak with a number of accents and can still communicate fairly effectively.
When speaking Italian or any other foreign language, having the appropriate accent is not the most crucial aspect.
What matters most, instead, is how you pronounce certain Italian-only sounds, such as ch, gli, gn, ci, gh, and sc, among others.
 

The Italian Pronunciation

Italian is a phonetic language, and this is good news for any complete beginner. It means that you read just what is written in the vast majority cases, unlike in English.

That makes it easier to read and speak Italian as a beginner, as you won’t have to spend a lot of time on pronunciation rules. 

Most of the Italian consonants are pronounced just like in English. However, there are a few differences in the way we pronouns the vowels (a, e, i, o, u ) in Italian than in English. 

The Italian Vowels (A, E, I, O, U)

The vowels in Italian correspond to one and only sound, unlike English. There are 5 vowels in Italian. 

A is like “a” like in father.

  • Amore, amico

E is pronounced “e”, like in get or end 

  • Erba, emozione 

I is pronounced “ee” like in cheese, beach 

  • isola, fine, iniziare 

O is pronounced “o” not

  • orso, vino, gelato 

U is pronounced “oo”, like in boot or school 

  • uva, uomo, scuola 

The Italian Alphabet 

Before anything else, it’s a good idea to learn the Italian alphabet. There are 5 vowels, 16 Italian consonants, and 5 foreign consonants (k, j, y, w, x) in the Italian alphabet.  Only foreign words use the five foreign consonants.

Italian Alphabet

A is pronounced like “a” in “father”.

B is pronounced like “b” in “baseball”.

C is pronounced like “k” in “Karen” or “ch” in “chocolate” (see explanations below)

D is pronounced like “d” in “dad”

E is pronounced like “e” in “get” or “bet” 

F is pronounced like “f” in “flower”

G is pronounced like “gh” in “ghetto” or “j” in “Jordan” (see explanations below)

H is always silent 

I is pronounced like “ee” in “see” or “leave”

L is pronounced like “l” in “like”

M is pronounced like “m” in “mum”

N is pronounced like “n” in “night”

O is pronounced like “a” in “all”  or “audience”

P is pronounced like “p” in “party”

Q is pronounced like “qu” in “queen”

R is rolled on the tongue 

S is pronounced like “s” in “Simon”

T is pronounced like “t” in “table”

U is pronounced like “oo” in “school” or “boot”

V is pronounced like “v” in “very”

Z is is pronounced like “z” in “pizza” or “Mozart”

The Pronunciation Rules 

Despite most Italian consonants being pronounced just like in English, there are a few letter combinations with different pronunciations. Let’s call them “exceptions.” If you master these, you will be golden.

The sound “GLI”

This is a sound you will hear in the word “famiglia“. 

To get a good pronunciation of gli, think of the English word “million.” If you’re  still having a hard time pronouncing “gli” properly, try opening your mouth as if you were smiling when pronouncing it.

Romance language speakers have a similar sound, which is ll in Spanish (like in the word paella), ll in French (like in the word fille), and lh in Portuguese (like in the word filho). These sounds are not exactly the same as the Italian gli. Gli, on the other hand, is more exaggerated.

Words to practice the sound “gli” ​

  • famiglia (family)
  • bottiglia (bottle)​​​​​​​​
  • coniglio (rabbit)

The sound “GN”

The “gn” is similar to the sound in the word “onion.” Or, for those who are familiar with Spanish, with the sound “,” like in España. 

Words to practice the sound “GN”

  • bagno (bathroom)
  • ragno (spider)
  • castagne (chestnuts) 
  • gnocchi

The sound “C”

The “c” can have a hard sound or a soft sound. Let’s see what it means.

The hard C sound is pronounced as in the names Karen or Karl.

The hard sound of the “c” occurs when the “c” is followed by the vowels “a”, “o”, or “u”, or appears in combination with the “h” in the clusters c+h+i (chi) or c+h+e (che).

In Spanish, French, and Portuguese, this sound corresponds to “qu”

Words to practice the “hard c”

  • Cane (dog)
  • Chiesa (church) 
  • Architetto (Architect) 
  • Camera (room)
  • Cuore (heart)
  • Cuoco (cook)
  • Cavallo (horse)

The soft C sound is similar to the names Charles and Charlotte.

When the “c” is followed by an “i” or “e”, it is pronounced like in Charles.

Words to practice the “soft c”

  • Ciao (hi)
  • Circo (circus)
  • Cioccolato (chocolate) 
  • Cellulare (mobile phone)
  • Amici (friends) 
  • Centro (center)
  • Pace (peace)

The sound “G”

Just like the letter “c”, “g” can have a hard sound and a soft sound. 

The “g” followed by an “a”, “o”, and “u” or when it’s followed by “H” in the clusters g+h+i (ghi) or g+h+e (ghe) has a hard sound like in Guy. 

In Spanish, French and Portuguese corresponds  to the sound “gu”

Words for practice

  • Gatto (cat)
  • Gola (throat)
  • Gusto (taste)
  • Spaghetti 
  • Ghiaccio (ice)

When the “g” is followed by an “i” or “e”, it has a soft sound, like in George.

Words for practice

  • Gelato (ice cream)
  • Giusto (correct)
  • Giraffa (giraffe) 

Very important…

When the “C” and “G” are followed by an “H+I” or an “H+E,” the resulting sound is “hard,” like in Karl or Guy.

The sound “QU”

The “qu” sound is pronounced like in the English word “queen.”

Words for practice

  • Questo (this)
  • Quello (that)
  • Acqua (water)

The Italian “H”

The “h” is silent in Italian, and this means that it is just written but never pronounced. So, if you had to read the words “hotel” or “hobby” in Italian, you would start from the “o” and say “otel” or “obby”

Words for practice 

  • hotel
  • ho, hai, hanno (I have, you have, they have)

 The sound “SC” 

The correct pronunciation of “sc” is linked with the correct pronunciation of the letter “c”.

In fact, this constant cluster can be pronounced with a soft sound or a hard sound.  

Hard sound

Sca, sco, scu, sche, schi are pronounced just like in the word “skeleton” 

Words for practice (hard sound)

  • Scherzo (joke)
  • Bagnoschiuma (shower gel) 
  • Scarpa (shoe)
  • Oroscopo (horoscope) 
  • Bruschetta 

Soft sound 

Sci, sce, scia, scio, sciu are pronounced just like in the name “Sharon “.

Words for practice (soft sound)

  • Ascensore (elevator)
  • Sciare (to ski)
  • Sciroppo (syrup)
  • Scimmia (monkey)

Notice that when the cluster SC is followed by an i or e, it is pronounced with a soft sound, like in scimmia or scemo. However, if the cluster SC is followed by he and hi, it is pronounced with a hard sound, like in bruschetta or schiena..

The “R” sound

The Italian “r“ sound is rolled on the tongue. To roll your R, place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, just behind your two front teeth. 

To practice the “rolled r,”  you can use the English word “butter,” which already has a built-in rolled r.

Words for practice 

  • Azzurro (blu)
  • Arrivare  (to arrive)
  • Errore (mistake)
  • Rumore (noise)

It’s perfectly acceptable if you can’t roll the r perfectly.

Rolling the “r” is not a big deal in Italian. In southern Italian, the r is less rolled (and exaggerated) than in other Italian regions. I, myself, don’t have a heavily rolled R, and my accent is very standard.

Double consonants 

Double consonants are sounded double

  • Palla and NOT pala
  • Mamma and NOT mama

The difference between double consonants and single consonants is enormous.

PaLLa is a ball, while paLa is a shovel.

CaRo is expensive, caRRo is a wagon. 

One more consonant has the potential to alter the definition of a word.

It can be difficult for non-native speakers to tell when there is a double sound and when there isn’t.

The only way to learn how to pronounce and write double sounds correctly is to read a lot so that you can naturally associate a sound with the way it’s spelled.

 

How to pronounce words like papà, città, università 

In Italian, when the accent falls on the final vowel, it is accented, which means you will have to emphasize the last letter, which is always a vowel. 

 Words for practice

  • Caffè
  • Papà
  • Università 
  • Realtà
  • Novità

The Italian Intonation 

Other than pronouncing the sounds correctly, what’s going to make your Italian sound super natural is placing the stress on the right syllable. Unlike English, Italian intonation is entirely predictable, as, in the vast majority of words, the stress is placed on the second syllable.

  • man- gia– re (to eat)
  • gio-ca-re (to play)
  • di-va-no (couch)
  • ne-go-zio  (store)

This trend does not hold up to all the Italian words, though, and there are some exceptions.

Some words place the accent on the last syllable. For example, the words that end with a graphic accent mark (and that’s the only case in which you can see a graphic accent in Italian).

Many connectors place the stress at the back of the word, like

  • Perché
  • Così
  • Poiché
  • Affiché 

Some words place the accent on the third syllable. Like,

  • Zuc-che-ro
  • Ta-vo-lo
  • San-da-lo
  • Sa-ba-to

Spelling in Italian 

Italian is a phonetic language, which means that, unlike in English, you read what is written the majority of the time. Because we can recognize the orthography of a word just by listening to it, it’s rare for a native Italian speaker to ask to spell something (including a complicated last name). Italians don’t spell; in fact, we don’t even have a verb for “to spell,” so we say “fare lo spelling,” which literally means “to do the spelling.”

Disclaimer: as you can imagine, it’s impossible to keep track of all the varieties and intonations. For now, learn these general rules and combine them with listening and shadowing exercises.

This is a guide for beginners and intermediate Italian learners that don’t need to dive into the nitty-gritty of Italian pronunciation. For this reason, I didn’t cover the difference between long and short vowels in this post. Italian is spoken with an immense variety of accents. In some regions, or even cities, certain vowels are pronounced short and closed, while in others they are pronounced long and open (and that’s what generally lays a line between Southern, Central, and Northern Italian accents)—together with the pronunciation of the “s” and “z.” As a beginner or intermediate Italian learner, you don’t need to cover these aspects of the Italian language.

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

 

The Definite Articles (gli articoli determinativi)

How to Use the Definite Articles in Italian (articoli determinativi)

Building solid foundations is key in every foreign language you learn. Mastering the nitty-gritty of the basics will be your pathway to fluency, I promise. That’s why today we’ll cover the Italian definite articles (gli articoli determinativi) and especially when to use them and when not, and the key differences with the use of the English definite article, the.

Gli Articoli Determinativi (the definite articles)

The so-called articoli determinativi, or definite articles, are expressed in English as the. Unlike in English, in Italian the article the takes different forms depending on the gender and number of the noun it precedes.

For example, we say…

  • Il gatto – the cat
  • La casa – the house
  • I giardini – the gardens
  • Gli amici – the friends

In Italian, all nouns (with a few exceptions) have articles before them. It’s a general rule.

Articles can be masculine or feminine, singular or plural and take different forms depending on the noun they are preceding.

In the following charts you can see the various forms the article “the” takes in Italian. 

Exercice

Italian uses articles in front of most of nouns, however, there are few exceptions (noun used without any articles). 

When articles are not used in Italian

(If you’re a beginner you should skip this part for now). 
 

We don’t use articles in front of the names of cities.

  • Palermo, Napoli, Roma, Venezia 

We don’t use definite articles in front of singular nouns of family members, preceded by possessive adjectives (for example, my brother). However, they are used before family members when in the plural form (e.g., my brothers).

  • mio fratello – i miei fratelli
  • mia cugina – le mie cugine
  • mio zio – i miei zii 

We don’t use definite articles before the names of people (Anna, Maria, Marco). However, in the North of Italy, it’s common to use them in a colloquial form of Italian.

  • Anna (standard Italian)
  • La Anna (colloquial northern Italian, northern dialects) 

We don’t use definite articles in front of the names of famous people. 

  • Dante è padre fondatore della lingua italiana 

We don’t use articles in front of small islands. Instead, but we do use them in front of big islands or groups of islands.

  • Capri (small island)
  • Malta (small island)
  • La Sicilia (big island)
  • La Sardegna (big island)
  • Le Eolie (the Aeolian Islands)
  • Le Canarie (the Canary Islands)

When definite articles are used in Italian but NOT in English 

Unlike in English, we use articles with possessive adjectives: 

  • la mia famiglia – my family
  • la mia casa – my house
  • il mio cane – my dog 

Unlike in English, Italian uses articles in front of abstract nouns.

  • l’amore – love
  • l’amicizia – friendship
  • la pace – peace 

Unlike in English, definite articles are used with titles.

  • La Professoressa Rossi – Professor Rossi
  • Il signor Franchi – Mr. Franchi

However, you should omit the article if you are speaking directly to someone. For instance,

  • Buongiorno, Dottor Rossi!

Unlike in English, we use definite articles when saying the time.

  • sono le 8 e mezza – it’s 8.30 

Unlike English, we use articles for clothes and parts of the body, and use the definite article if a reflexive verb precedes the noun.

  • Mi pettino i capelli – I brush my hair 
  • Mi metto le scarpe – I put on shoes 

In Italian we can’t say “mi pettino i miei capelli”;  we have to say mi pettino i capelli, which in English is directly translated as “I brush myself the hair”. 

Unlike in English, Italian uses the definite articles in dates.

  • Oggi è il 14 aprile 2021 – today is April 14th 

However, we don’t use it if we mention the day of the week 

  • Oggi è mercoledì 14 aprile 2021 

Unlike in English, Italian uses the definite article in front of geographic terms such as countries, islands, seas, lakes, mountains, volcanos, or rivers. 

  • L’Italia – Italy 
  • La Sicilia – Sicily 
  • Il Lago di Como – Lake Como
  • L’Etna – Etna Mt.
  • Il Monte Bianco – Mont Blanc
  • Il Tevere – the Tiber

However, definite articles are omitted when the prepositions IN or DI precede the name of the country, or islands, or the likes. You should also omit the article if you are using the verb “andare” with the names of places. 

  • Abito in Sicilia and NOT abito in la Sicilia  
  • Vado in Italia and NOT vado in la Italia

Use these excellent books to improve your Italian grammar at your own pace

         

How to say in Italian: “How long have you been doing something?”

How to say in Italian: “How long have you been doing something?”

To ask how long someone has been doing something, Italian uses the present tense (and not the present perfect, like in English).

These types of questions are introduced by “da quando” or “da quanto tempo”, meaning how long + the presente indicativo.

For example, 

  • Da quanto tempo studi Italiano?  – How long have you been studying italian?
  • Da quanto tempo insegni italiano? – How long have you been teaching Italian?
  • Da quanto tempo lavori in questa azienda? – How long have you worked in this company?
  • Da quanto tempo abiti in Sicilia? – How long have you lived in Sicily?

To answer these types of questions in Italian, we use the presente indicativo + da  (meaning for) + a period of time. For example:

  • Studio italiano da tre anni – I’ve been learning Italian for three years 
  • Insegno italiano da 10 anni – I’ve been teaching italian for ten years 
  • Lavoro in questa azienda da tanti anni – I’ve been working at this company for many years
  • Abito in Italia da cinque anni – I’ve been living in Italy for five years.

Let’s recap:

Question

[ENG] How long have you been studying (present perfect continuous ) Italian? 

[IT] Da quanto tempo (or da quando) studi (presente indicativo) italiano? 

Answers

[ENG] I’ve been studying  (present perfect continuous) Italian for 2 years.  

[IT] Studio (presente indicativo) italiano da 2 anni. 

[ENG] I’ve been studying (present perfect continuous) Italian since 2020.

[IT] Studio (presente indicativo) italiano dal 2020.

Important: 

Notice that in English, in contrast to Italian, the same question is asked and answered using  the present perfect or the present perfect continuous tense. This often leads to confusion and mistakes can arise when English speakers are led astray by the apparent similarities in form between the English present perfect and the Italian passato prossimo, and as a result try to use the passato prossimo to refer to an action or situation that began in the past and continues into the present (for which they would use the present perfect or the present perfect continuous in English). This is wrong. The presente indicativo is the correct form to use to refer to such actions/situations — NOT the passato prossimo. 

Exercice

The Italian Present Tense

How To Use The 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 something.

English vs. Italian  

In Italian, the present tense can translate both the English simple present (e.g.I speak) and the English present continuous (e.g.I am speaking). So, if the forms appear hard, remember that the one tense will do two jobs for you.  

How do you conjugate the Italian present tense?

In Italian, unlike in English, there is a concept known as “conjugation.” It’s when the ending of a verb changes based on the subject of the action (e.g. the subject of an action can be I, you, she, etc.). Verbs in English are not conjugated since they must always be used with subjects.

The Italian present tense is formed by simply adding different endings to the verb’s stem. The stem of the verb is the part of the verb that remains after the classical ends of the infinitive *, which are, -ere, and -ire, are removed.

For example,

In English, you say: I speak. The verb (speak) doesn’t change, but the subject “I” defines who is carrying out the action. 

In Italian, we say parlO. The “o” ending is a first-person marker that indicates the subject of the action, which is “I” in this case.T

The 3 Conjugations of Italian Verbs 

The infinitive form of a verb can be found by looking it up in the dictionary. The infinitive of many Italian verbs will end in the letters –are (the most common), -ere, or -ire. As a result, we may say that Italian has three groups of verbs, each with three different conjugations:

  • 1st group verbs, the verbs ending in – ARE  (pensare, cucinare, imparare, parlare)
  • 2nd group verbs, the verbs ending in – ERE (leggere, scrivere, ripetere)
  • 3rd group verbs, the verbs ending – IRE (dormire, aprire, sentire)

Note that the first-person forms all end in -o, which is the first person marker. The tu forms always end in -i; the noi forms always end in –iamo.

6 Tips for Using the Italian Present Tense Correctly

1. Understanding the subject object pronouns
The subject pronouns are io, tu, lui, lei, noi, voi, loro. 

Important: the subject pronouns in Italian are almost always omitted. That’s why it’s crucial to choose the proper ending, the proper marker, if you want to get the right message across.

Io stands for I 

Parlo italiano (I speak Italian)

Tu stands for You or Do you? used to address on person in a question or statement 

Parli italiano? (Do you speak Italian?)

Lui / Lei stands for he, she or it (used when referring to a person, an animal or an object)

Lei parla italiano  (She speaks Italian)

Noi stands for we (I and someone else)

Io e mio marito (implied “noi”) parliamo italiano  (My wife and I speak Italian)

Voi stands for you all, used to address two or more people in a question or statement 

Parlate italiano?  (Do you guys speak Italian?)

Loro stands for they  

Maria e Luigi (implied “they”) parlano italiano  (Maria and Luigi speak Italian)

2. How to make a negative sentence in Italian 

One way to ask questions in Italian is to add a question mark to the end of the sentence in writing and to raise the pitch of the voice at the end of the sentence. The English helping verb “do” is not translated. 

Examples

  • Non parlo italiano – I don’t speak Italian
  • Non abito in Italia – I don’t live in Italy 

As you can see, the subject pronouns (io, tu, lui, etc..) are still omitted. 

3. How to ask a question in Italian 

To ask a question in Italian, add a question mark at the end of the sentence and raise the pitch of your voice at the end of the sentence. The English helping verb “do” is not translated (Do?, Does?, Did? can’t be translated).

Examples

  • Abiti in Italia? (Do you live in Italy?)
  • Parli italiano? (Do you speak Italian?)

4.Using the Present to Express the Future

The present tense in Italian can be used to express a future happening if it’s used together with an expression of the future (e.g. domani, il mese prossimo, tra una settimana).

  • Lui va a New York tra una settimana – He’s going to New York in a week
  • Domani non lavoro – I don’t work tomorrow

5. Irregular verbs 

In Italian, just like in English, we have the concept of “irregular verbs”. These  are verbs that do not follow the rules of conjugation for regular verbs. 

The verbs “essere – to be” and “avere – to have” are the most frequent irregular verbs in the present tense. There are also a number of other irregular verbs that are rather prevalent. 

A list of common Italian irregular verbs in the present tense

  • Dire – to say, to tell
  • Dare – to give 
  • Venire – to come
  • Andare – to go
  • Volere – to want 
  • Potere – can
  • Dovere – must
  • Uscire – to go out, to leave
  • Rimanere – to remain 

Most common irregular verbs in Italian 

6. The Italian courtesy form 

The Italian courtesy form is used to express politeness to the other person in a conversation. Though it’s not a required form of speech, it is considered an important part of the language. 

The Italian courtesy form is similar to the English “please” and “thank you.” We use the courtesy form, or “you polite” in Italian, when we consider it important to show respect to people we don’t know or don’t know well, older people, or people with a title (doctors, professors, etc..). The courtesy form is generally used in formal settings too. 

The Italian courtesy form is made with the subject pronoun “Lei”, the third person singular. 

Examples

  • Parla italiano? – Do you speak Italian, Sir or Madame? [formal setting, use of the “you polite”], 
  • Parli italiano? – Do you speak Italian? [informal setting, use of the “regular you”] 
  • Vuole un caffè? – Would you like a coffee? [formal setting, use of the “you polite”], 
  • Vuoi un caffè? – Would you like a coffee? [informal setting, use of the “regular you”] 

How speak politely in Italian: LEI or TU?

Common Irregular Verbs

13 Most Irregular Common Italian Verbs

What’s an irregular verb?

One of the most common difficulties for learners is learning and remembering irregular Italian verbs.

The irregular verbs are those that do not follow the standard conjugation rules, such as the verbs ending in -are, -ere, or -ire (see my blog post here). There are some in every language. The verbs to be, can, or may are common irregular verbs in English. However, there are even more in Italian. It is important to learn and memorize the irregular verbs in Italian because they are the most commonly used verbs in everyday conversation.

How to learn Italian irregular verbs 

Make a list of the most common Italian irregular verbs in your notebook or flashcards to help you remember them. Drills, too. Exercises can be found virtually anywhere, both online and offline. I recommend these fantastic resources for those who enjoy working on their Italian through textbooks.

      

List of the most common irregular verbs

The following list includes a list of the most common Italian irregular verbs in the present tense, so you can start practicing them in order to make your Italian even more fluent.

AVERE (to have)

io ho

tu hai

lui ha

noi abbiamo

voi avete

loro hanno

ESSERE (to be)

io sono

tu sei

lui, lei è

noi siamo

voi siete

loro sono

ANDARE (to go)

io vado

tu vai

lui, lei va

noi andiamo

voi andate

loro vanno

USCIRE (to leave, to go out)

io esco

tu esci

lui, lei esce

noi usciamo

voi uscite

loro escono

VENIRE (to come)

io vengo

tu vieni

lui, lei viene

noi veniamo

voi venite

loro vengono

FARE (to do, to make)

io faccio

tu fai

lui, lei fa

noi facciamo

voi fate

loro fanno

DARE (to give)

io do

tu dai

lui, lei da

noi diamo

voi date

loro dano

DIRE  (to say, to tell)

io dico

tu dici

lui, lei dice

noi diciamo

voi dite

loro dicono

SCEGLIERE  (to chose)

io scelgo

tu scegli

lui, lei sceglie

noi scegliamo

voi scegliete

loro scelgono

RIMANERE  (to remain)

io rimango

tu rimani

lui, lei rimane

noi rimaniamo

voi rimate

loro rimangono

VOLERE (to want)

io voglio

tu vuoi

lui, lei vuole

noi vogliamo

voi volete

loro vogliono

POTERE (can, may) 

io posso

tu puoi

lui, lei può

noi possiamo

voi potete

loro possono

DOVERE (to need, must / to have to)

io devo

tu devi

lui, lei deve

noi dobbiamo

voi dovete

loro devono

The irregular verbs in the present tense tend to be irregular when they are conjugated in the other tenses (past, future) and moods (conditional, subjective).

Irregular Italian Verbs Ending in “-IRE”

A number of verbs in the third conjugation are considered semi-irregular. They are the -ire verbs’ irregular verbs. This category includes some very common verbs, such as capire (to understand), finire (to finish), or pulire (to clean). These verbs add the chunk-isc to all persons except the first and second person plural (noi e voi), as shown in the example.

FINIRE (to finish) 

io fin -isc- o

tu fin -isc- i

lui, lei fin -isc- e

noi finiamo

voi finite

loro fin -isc- ono

More verbs adding the chunk “isc”: capire (to understand) , costruire (to build), pulire (to clean), preferire (to prefer), restituire (to return something), spedire (to send, to ship). 

The “isc” conjugation of Italian verbs 

Exercise

The Complete Guide to Conjugating Verbs in Italian

The Complete Guide to Conjugating Verbs in Italian

If you’ve ever taken a formal Italian class, I’m sure your teachers required you to spend a significant amount on verb conjugation drills.

parlo, parli, parla

ho parlato, hai parlato, ha parlato

parlerò, parlerai, parlerà

etc.

I understand that this is not a simple or easy task, and that it may frustrate some students, but believe me when I say that once you understand why we conjugate in Italian and why it is important, it will blow your mind.

What’s a verb?

A verb is the most important part of a sentence in Italian: it describes an action or a state of being or an occurrent.  

is or are arte parts of the conjugated verb “to be”

I speak, is the verb “to speak”

she can is the the verb “can” or “to be able”

just to name a few!

The conjugation of verbs in Italian is fairly easy. It doesn’t take much memorizing, and there are only 12 tenses.

The simplest way to conjugate Italian verbs is to identify the verb’s infinitive form (the base form of the verb) and then add the appropriate ending to it. It’s very straightforward!

Conjugating verbs: English vs Italian 

Italian verbs conjugate through the six main patterns:

IO: the first person singular (I) 

TU: second person singular (you, when you’re addressing one person) 

LUI/LEI: the third person singular (he, she or it) 

NOI: the first person plural (we) 

VOI: the second person plural (you all, when you’re addressing two or more people)

LORO: the third person plural (they) 

As a result, when conjugating a verb in Italian, you’ll have to change the verbs ending six times! 

If you’re wondering why this isn’t done in English, I’ll explain. The use of the subjects in front of the verbs is required in English. That’s why the verbs aren’t changed. The subject (I, you, we, etc.) is in charge of giving the direction of the sentence. 

To get a sense of who is performing the action described by the verb, you must say I speak or we speak instead of just “speak.” 

Meanwhile, in Italian, it’s the verbs (and their conjugations) that determine the direction of sentences. In simple terms, knowing the ending of a verb allows you to determine who is performing the action (I, you, she, your friends, etc.) and whether it occurs in the present, past, or future. 

As a result, subject object pronouns (io, tu, lui, noi, voi, loro) are unnecessary. The verb itself expresses who is carrying out the action.

For example, the “o” ending in the present tense describes an action carried out by the “I” or “io” in the present tense. 

parl-o → I  speak

studi-o  → I study

mangi-o →  I eat

For example, the “-erò” or  “-irò”ending in the future simple describes an action carried out by the “I” in the future

parl-erò → I’ll speak 

fin-irò → I’ll finish


Learn the Rules to Conjugating Italian Verbs

How do you conjugate verbs in Italian?

To conjugate a verb, in Italian, you always have to keep in mind the infinitive of the verb. We call infinitive, the base form of any verb. The base verb can be found in any dictionary. It corresponds to “to + any verb” in English.

Edit
infinitive in Italian infinitive in English
cucinare to cook
mangiare to eat
aspettare to wait
lavorare to work

To conjugate any verb in Italian, you need to add a different ending to the stem of the verb.

To get the stem of the verb, you need to remove the last three letters of the infinitive of regular verbs.

For example, 

The stem of parlare is parl-. We got the stem by removing the last three letters of the infinitive of the verb (parlare)

We can simply conjugate in various tenses by using the stem parl- and the corresponding endings to each conjugation/subject. 

parl-o →  I speak

parl-avo →  I was speaking or I used to speak

parl-erò → I’ll speak

etc.

Regular verbs

The rules I just mentioned about conjugation only apply to regular verbs.
Regular verbs are those whose conjugations follow standard patterns. Their conjugation is fairly simple. All you need to do is memorize the standard conjugations and use them.

 

Regular vs. Irregular verbs 

Irregular verbs are those that don’t follow the same rules as regular verbs. 

Some verbs in Italian are irregular, as they are in any language. A verb with an irregular conjugation pattern is one that does not follow the standard pattern of conjugation. These verbs are also among the most commonly used in spoken English.

When you conjugate irregular verbs, the stem to which you must attach the conjugation patterns changes. 

Dire is a common irregular verb that means “to say” or “to tell.” The root of the verb dire is dic-. You’ll need to add the endings to this stem. 

Making a list of the most common irregular verbs and memorizing them is the best way to deal with them.

In the following page, you’ll find the most common irregular verbs in Italian conjugated in the present tense. 

13 Most Common Irregular Verbs in Italian 

How To Conjugate A Verb In A Question?

This depends on whether  you’re addressing a person formally or informally or if you’re addressing two or more people.

You should conjugate with “tu” if you’re asking a question to someone in an informal setting (second person singular) 

  • Scusa, parli inglese? – Excuse-me, do you speak English? (parli = do you speak?)

You should conjugate with “Lei” (third person singular) which is used in Italian to address a person  you don’t know or one to whom you want to show respect) and  if you’re asking a question to a person in a formal setting. 

  • Scusi, parla inglese? – Excuse-me Sir/Madam, do you speak English? (parla = do you speak, Sir/Madam)

You should conjugate with “voi” (second person plural) if you are asking a question to two or more people, regardless of the setting..

  • Scusate, parlate inglese? –  Excuse-me, do you (all) speak English?

3 Useful Tools for Learning and Memorizing the Forms of Italian Verb Conjugations

Finally, you might want to use any of these tools to look up the conjugations of any Italian verbs.Don’t get overwhelmed by trying to master all of them; you’ll never need to.

What Are The Most Common Conjugations To Use as A Beginner?  

While there are several tenses in Italian, you don’t need to use them all as a beginner. In everyday Italian; even most native speakers use only a few tenses / conjugations

With the present simple (presente indicativo) and present perfect  (il passato prossimo) You can be conversational, at least at a beginner level, if you master these two tenses.

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