Menu

foundations

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

 

The Italian Modal Verbs Explained for Beginners

The Italian Modal Verbs Explained for Beginners

What’s the Difference Between the Italian Modal Verbs and Other Types of Verbs?

When your teacher (or your book) is telling you “this is a modal verb,” there’s no need to panic!  Saying a verb a is “modal” is just a label to remind you that, in Italian, there are three (modal) verbs that have a lot in common and are kind of different from the other verbs.

Voglio – I want

Posso – I can

Devo – I have to, I need, I must

What do they have in common? Simple. They are followed by infinitive verbs (e.g. non conjugated verbs) 

An infinitive verb is a base form of any verb, the way you look it up in a dictionary.

So, we can say that modal verbs are always followed by infinitive verbs. 

  • Voglio vivere in Italia – I want to live in Italy
  • Posso aprire la porta? – Can I open the window?
  • Devo andare – I must go or I need to go or I have to go  

A common mistake made by beginner Italian learners is to use a conjugated verb after a modal verb, such as in the incorrect phrase “Voglio vado = I want I go,” which should be corrected to “Voglio andare”. The correct way to say  “I want to go” in Italian, is by using the infinitive form of the verb “andare” after the modal verb “voglio.”

How to Conjugate an Volere / Potere / Dovere  in the Present Tense?

The Italian modal verbs dovere, potere, and volere express necessity, possibility, and desire, respectively. They are also used to request permission, make requests, and offer assistance. Modal verbs are always followed by an infinitive and are irregular, so they need to be memorized. Since they are high-frequency verbs, it’s crucial to know their conjugations.

Conjugation of the modal verbs in the present tense 

Edit
VOLERE (want, wish) POTERE (can, may) DOVERE (need, have to, must)
io voglio
tu vuoi
lui/lei vuole
noi vogliamo
voi volete
loro vogliono		 io posso
tu puoi
lui/lei può
noi possiamo
voi potete
loro possono		 io devo
tu devi
lui/lei deve
noi dobbiamo
voi dovete
loro devono

Examples:

  • Voglio andare al supermercato (modal verb + infinitive + object) – I want to go to the grocery store.
  • Devo comprare della cioccolata (modal verb + infinitive + object) – I need to buy some chocolate.
  • Non posso aspettarti (modal verb + infinitive ) –  I can’t wait for you.

Let’s see now how to use the Italian modal verbs in-depth…

How to Use the Verb “Dovere”

Dovere + infinitive:  must, to have to, to need to 

  • Devo andare in palestra – I must (need, have to) go to the gym.

Dovere is a common Italian verb that has three possible translations into English:

  • I must
  • I have to
  • I need to
English vs. Italian 

In English, “I must” and “I need to” have different meanings. However, Italian does not make this distinction. To express the obligation implied by “must” in English, the only option in Italian is to pronounce “devo” more emphatically.

  • Devo studiare – I need to study
  • DEVO studiare – I must study

So, remember that there’s no formal difference between “I must,” “I need,” and “I have to” in Italian. They can all be translated with the verb dovere.

Dovere can also be used as a non-modal verb with a different meaning than its modal form. When used as a non-modal verb, “dovere” is followed by a noun instead of an infinitive verb. In this case, “dovere” means “to owe”

Dovere + noun: to owe 

  • Ti devo 5 euro per la piazza – I owe you 5 euros for the pizza

How to Use the Verb “Potere” 

Potere means “can or may” when asking for permission or being allowed (or not allowed) to do something.

  • Posso uscire un momento? – Can I leave for a second?
  • I bambini non possono guardare la tv di sera tardi – Children are not allowed to watch TV late.
English vs. Italian [sapere vs. potere]

Potere does not express the ability to do something, as it does in English. 

To express the ability to do something in Italian, you should use the verb “sapere” which means “to know how to” or “to be able to”.

Examples: 

  • Io posso parlare italiano means “I am allowed to speak Italian” or “I might be able to speak Italian”.
  • Io so parlare italiano means “I can speak Italian” or “I know how to speak Italian.”
  • Posso cantare means “I’m allowed to sing”.
  • So cantare means “I can sing” or “I know how to sing”.

Avoid the common mistake of using potere in these types of sentences. If you ask someone “puoi cucinare?” – you are actually requesting him or her to cook.

  • Puoi cucinare? – Will you cook? (I want you to cook) 
  • Sai cucinare? – Can you cook? (Do you know how to cook?)

How to Use the Verb “VOLERE”

Volere: to want, to wish

  • Voglio mangiare giapponese – I want  to eat Japanese
  • Voglio il sushi e la tempura – I want sushi and tempura

The Modal Verbs with the Passato Prossimo

Conjugating modal verbs with the passato prossimo (and other compound tenses*) needs a special construction.

A compound tense is a verb resulting from the combination of an auxiliary verb and a past participle (e.g. past conditional, compound future, past perfect, etc..)

How to Conjugate an VOLERE / POTERE / DOVERE  in Passato Prossimo?

If you have already learned the passato prossimo (the main past tense in Italian), you know that it’s a combination of an auxiliary and a past participle (e.g. ho parlato = I spoke, I’ve spoken).

But, what’s the correct auxiliary to use with modal verbs in the passato prossimo? 

When using a modal verb in the past tense, the correct auxiliary to use depends on the main verb that follows the modal verb. In general, both “essere” and “avere” can be used as auxiliary verbs with modal verbs in the passato prossimo.

The auxiliary verb used depends on the main verb that follows the modal verb.

If the main verb is transitive and takes a direct object, such as “mangiare” (to eat), the auxiliary verb used will be “avere”. If the main verb is intransitive and does not take a direct object, such as “andare” (to go), the auxiliary verb used will be “essere”.

For example: 

If you want to say in Italian – I wanted to eat, you need to chose the correct auxiliary of the verb “mangiare = to eat“, which is avere.

So, I wanted to eat goes to “ho voluto mangiare”

However, if you wanted to say – I wanted to go, you’d need to choose the correct auxiliary of the verb “andare = to go“, which is essere.

  • Sono voluta andare  – I wanted to go

The same rule applies for dovere and potere, of course. For example: 

  1. Ho dovuto preparare la cena – I had to prepare the dinner. 
  2. Sono dovuta andare in aeroporto in autobus – I had to go to the airport by bus.
  3. Non ho potuto preparare la cena – I could not prepare dinner.
  4. Non sono potuta andare a pranzo – I could not go to the lunch.

In the above examples, “preparare” is transitive and thus uses “avere” as its auxiliary in the passato prossimo, while “andare” is intransitive and takes “essere” as its auxiliary in the passato prossimo.

Note that when the auxiliary verb preceding the modal verb is essere, the past participle of the modal verb agrees in gender and number with the subject of the sentence.

  • Sono dovuta andare via – I had to leave  (dovuta, feminine singular).
  • Ci siamo alzati tardi – we got up late  (alzati, masculine plural)
  • Non siamo potuti venire – we could not come (potuti, masculine plural)

How to Use the Modal Verbs with the Pronouns 

This is more advanced topic, if you are a beginner Italian learner, you can skip it for now. 
 
Modal verbs in Italian allow for the position of pronouns to be flexible. In Italian, a pronoun usually comes before the verb, unlike in English where it comes after. However, with modal verbs, the pronoun can come before the modal verb or after the infinitive verb that follows the modal verb.  For example:
  • Voglio comprarlo – I want to buy it [pronoun attached onto the infinitive]
  • Lo voglio comprare –  I want to buy it [pronoun before the modal verb]

Both structures are interchangeable and commonly used in spoken Italian.

If you don’t understand well the idea of pronouns in Italian, I encourage you to visit this page: The Italian Direct Pronouns 

Let’s recap: 

There are three modal verbs in Italian. 

They are volere, potere, and dovere. And we call them modal verbs to remind us that they are different from the majority of other verbs in Italian, because:

  • they are irregular.
  • they are always followed by an infinitive verb.
  • they can use both essere and avere as auxiliaries in compound tenses, like the passato prossimo 
  • when they come in conjunction with a pronoun, the pronoun can either precede the modal verb or be joined onto the end of the infinite that follow the modal verb. 

The imperfetto of modals verbs 

If this is easy for you, you might be interested in learning about the difference of usage of the modal verbs between the passato prossimo and the imperfetto.

What’s The Difference Between “Dovevo & Ho Dovuto?”


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.

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.

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?

Essere and Stare: what’s the difference?

Essere & Stare: What’s the Difference? 

In Italian, there are two verbs that have just one equivalent in English: stare and essere. They are not interchangeable, though. 

The good news is that in 95% of the cases, the verb to use is essere. So, when in doubt, use essere! However, there are cases where use stare is expected and mandatory. 

In this article, I clarify when to use essere and especially when it is necessary to use stare. 

How to use ESSERE

You should use essere to talk about:
 
  • yourself and your nationality: sono Serena e sono italiana
  • your job: sono un’insegnante di italiano per stranieri
  • origins: sono di Milano
  • your physical appearance and personality: sono alta e sono simpatica

Essere also indicates the state of being and is used to:

  • describe locations: Roma è una bella città.
  • describe objects: la mia casa è grande e luminosa.
  • locate objects: dove è la mia borsa? E‘ sulla sedia

Essere is also widely used in combination with “ci” in the verb esserci (c’è/ci sono, in English, there is/there are). Esserci states the existence of someone or something. 

  • C’è un bambino nuovo a scuola – there is a new kid in the school
  • Ci sono quattro sedie in cucina – there are four chairs in the kitchen

How to use STARE

Stare has a variety of uses, some of which are idiomatic expressions. We can generally say that stare indicates location, health, and appearances. It is also used in a good number of idiomatic expressions and with the present continuous tense.

Location

In this case, stare means rimanere (to remain or to stay in English).

  • Oggi sto a casa – I’m staying home today

Health

  • come stai? – How’re you?
  • sto bene  – I’m good 
  • sto male – I’m not good 
  • sto meglio  – I’m better 

Appearance

Stare bene and stare male mean that something (e.g. a piece of clothing) looks great on you or not. In English you would say “it suits me/you, etc”.

  • Questa giacca mi sta benissimo – this jacket looks great on me!
  • Quel capello ti sta male – that hat does not suit you 

Idioms 

Stare means to be in a variety of idiomatic expressions, as in the following examples:

  • Stare in piedi – to be standing/to stand 
  • Stare seduto – to be seated 
  • Stare zitto/a – to be quiet
  • Stare attento – to pay attention
  • Stare calmo – to stay calm 
  • Stare a cuore – to have at heart 
  • Stare con – to be in a relationship with someone

Stare vs essere 

In some of the above expressions, stare and essere are interchangeable. There is a subtle difference between them, though. Essere states a quality or a statement, while stare implies a voluntariness in the action described.

  • sono in piedi – I stand / sto in piedi – I voluntarily stand
  • sono seduto – I’m seated / sto seduto – I’m voluntarily seated 
  • sei calmo – you are calm person (quality) / stai calmo! – please, try to stay calm (voluntarily)
The Present Continuous with stare

The present continuous describes an action that is happening at the moment that you speak, right now. The present continuous in Italian is expressed by the present tense of the verb stare plus the gerund. 

  • Sto cucinando – I am cooking
  • Sto parlando al telefono – I am on the phone with Maira

Stare + Per + Infinitive 

When stare appears in combination with per and an infinitive, it describes an action that will happen in the near future.

  • La lezione sta per finire – the lesson is about to finish
  • Sto per uscire – I am leaving at any moment
How to use the Italian prepositions IN and A

The difference between the prepositions “A” and “IN”

One of the most common mistakes in Italian (for foreign learners) concerns the use of the preposition a and in.

And it is totally normal.

In fact, in some cases, specific rules are telling you how to use the preposition in and when using the preposition a. However, the truth is that in most cases, there is not a specific rule.

Smart Tip

The best way to master the  propositions is to learn them in “chunks”.

A “chunk” (or a collocation) is a recurring combination of words and prepositions (or words and verbs)

For example: andare al cinema, andare all’università, etc…

The preposition “A”

A is used before the names of cities.

  • Vado a Venezia
  • Vivo a Palermo

A becomes AD before the names of cities that starts with a vowel. 

  • Vivo ad Amburgo
  • Vivo ad Alessandria 

A is also used in front of  names of small states, such as:

  • Vado a San Marino
  • Vado a Gilbirteterra 

A is used in front of the names of small islands, for examples:

  • Vado a Malta
  • Vado a Ibiza

A is used with cardinals points:

  • A Sud, a Nord, a Est, a Ovest

A is also used with some verbs when they are followed by another action (and the infinitive verb is used), for example:

  • Continuare a – continuo a studiare più tardi 
  • Cominciare a (iniziare a) – comincio a lavorare alle 9 del mattino
  • Aiutare a  – mi aiuti a pulire?
  • Essere abituato a – non sono abituato a parlare in pubblico 
  • Riuscire a – non riesco a dormire

 

THE USE OF THE PREPOSITION “IN“

IN is used before nouns of countries:

  • Vivo in Italia
  • Vivo in Germania

If the countries is grammatically plural, such as, the United States or the Netherlands, the correct Italian prepositions to use are nei, negli.

  • Vivo negli Stati Uniti
  • Vivo nei Paesi Bassi

IN is used too with the names of regions or states:

  • Vivo  in Lombardia
  • Vivo in Texas

IN is used with names of the big islands, for instance

  • Vivo in Sicilia
  • Vivo in Sardegna

IN is used with the names of the streets or squares.

  • Vivo a Londra, in Oxford Street
  • Vivo a Milano, in via Petrarca

IN is finally used with the name of shops or places ending in –ia.

Vado…

  • in farmacia
  • in pizzeria
  • in gelateria
  • in macelleria
  • in periferia
  • in profumeria
  • in campagna

There are rules and trends when it comes to deciding whether to use the preposition in or a, but sometimes it is difficult to pick up the right one. Thus it’s better off to learn by heart the most common expressions using these prepositions.

Common Idioms Using The Preposition “IN”

In chiesa

in campagna, in montagna, in spiaggia

in macchina, in bici

in palestra, in piscina

in bagno

in ufficio

in centro, in città

in discoteca

in vacanza

in edicola

Common Idioms Using The Preposition “A”

a messa, a scuola, a lavoro, a teatro

a piedi

a letto, a tavola

a colazione, a pranzo, a colazione

a lezione

a destra, a sinistra

al bar, al ristorante, al cinema, al mare, al lago

all’università

a Nord, a Sud, a Est, a Ovest

The “ISC” conjugation (present conjugation)

The “ISC” Conjugation of Italian Verbs

Today I am writing again for the series absolute beginners Italian to discuss the verbs with which you use the “-isc” form to conjugate the present tense.

What’s a present tense?

It’s the most common verb and we use it to talk about

  • what happens in the present when we are speaking – Vado a lezione 
  • habitual actions – finisco di lavorare ogni giorno alle 18
  • general true – Gli italiani viaggino molto 

As you already know, there are three groups of verbs.

  1. the verbs like cucinare and mangiare belong to the 1st group, the “are” group 
  2. the verbs like scrivere and leggere belong to the 2nd group, the “ere” group
  3. the verbs like dormire and aprire belong to the 3rd group, the “ire” group

The “-isc” conjugation regards only the third group.

We can easily say that the “-isc” conjugation is a semi-irregular conjugation of the verbs of the 3rd grup (e.g. the verbs ending in -ire)

While most of the “ire” verbs follows a regular conjugation, like in the example

Regular conjugation of the 3rd group verbs 

  • io dorm-o
  • io dorm-i
  • lui dorm-e
  • noi dorm-iamo
  • dorm-ite
  • dorm-ono

There are a bunch of verbs (not many of them, I have to say) that insert -isc – in the conjugation for all the persons, except “noi” e “voi” – who are conjugated regularly.

What is a “conjugation”?  

it’s a list of six forms of the verb for a particular form. There are different endings for each tense (e,g. present, past, future). The ending of a verb gives away its subject (e.g., I, you, she, etc) – In English, the verbs change very little; that’s why it’s obligatory to say the subject with the verbs ( I work, you work). 

IRREGULAR CONJUGATIONS OF THE 3rd GROUP VERBS


Pronunciation rule

The first person singular (io preferisco – I prefer ) and third person plural (loro preferiscono) have a hard sound of the combination “sc,” which should be pronounced like “skateboard.”
Instead, the second and third person singular (tu preferisci – you prefer / Lui preferisce – he prefers) you should pronounce them as in “shoot.”

 

Other common verbs using the -ISC- conjugation are

  • finire – to finish (finisco, ..)
  • pulire – to clean (pulisco,..)
  • spedire – to ship (spedisco,)
  • costruire – to build (costruisco,..)
  • chiarire – to clear (chiarisco,..)
  • digerire – to digest (digerisco,..)
  • contribuire – to contribute (contribuisco,..)
  • fiorire – to blossom (fiorisco,..)
  • guarire – to recover (guarisco,..)
  • inserisci – to insert (inserisco,..)
  • reagire – to react (reagisco,..)
  • restituire – to return sth back (restituisco,..)
  • unire – to unite (unisco, ..)
  • Is there any way to tell when to use the -isc- conjugation?

Unfortunately, there is no rule but a trend.
The verbs whose fifth lase letter is a vowel in the infinite tends to use the -isc- conjugation, but it’s not always true.

  • FINIRE  – (to finish)
  • PULIRE  – (to clean)
  • SPEDIRE – (to ship)
  • PROIBIRE – (to prohibit)

However, if the fifth last letter in the infinite happens to a consonant, the verb follows the regular conjugation.

  • APRIRE –  (to open)
  • DORMIRE – (to sleep)
  • OFFRIRE  – (to offer)
  • SEGUIRE –  (to follow)
Dire And Parlare: the differences

Dire And Parlare: How To Use them 

How to say to talk in Italian? Is it dire or parlare? Mm..let’s see. 

Italian is a beautiful language that has many words that are not present in other languages. Dire and parlare are two Italian verbs that are often confused. However, they have, of course, different meanings.

In this post, I will go over the two words and give you a few examples of correct usage examples.

What is the Meaning of Dire?

Dire is usually translated as to say or tell, and it is the verb to use when someone else says something to you or you say something to someone else. Unlike parlare, dire doesn’t involve an exchange or a conversation. 

Unlike parlare, dire is a transitive verb and takes a direct object and an indirect object. In fact, we say, to say something to someone.

Dire qualcosa (direct object) a qualcuno (indirect object)

  • Ho detto a Maria di telefonarmi quando torna a casa – I told Maria to call me when she’s back home
  • Mi hai detto la verità? – Did you tell me the truth 
Commons expressions using verb dire 
  • Come si dice? – How do you say it?
  • Dire cavolate (colloquial) – to talk nonsense
  • Dire una bugia – to lie
  • Dire la verità – to tell the truth 
  • Devo dire che – I must say that..
  • Dire di sì – to say yes
  • Dire di no – to say no

What is the Meaning of Parlare?

Parlare can be translated as either talk or speak, and it is the verb to use when you talk with someone else, you have a conversation. It also notes the general idea of speaking. 

Parlare is an intransitive verb, which in short means that is followed by a preposition. Parlare is typical followed by the preposition con and di 

parlare con means to speak or talk with someone 

parlare di means to speak or talk about someone or something  

  • Ieri ho parlato con Graziella di quel fatto lì – Yesterday I talked with Graziale about that thing 
Commons expressions using verb parlare 
  • parlare a gesti – to gesture 
  • parlare a raffica – to talk non-stop 
  • parlare una lingua straniera – to speak a foreign language
  • parlare bene o male di qualcuno – to speak well or badly of someone 
  • parlare al telefono – to speak or talk on the phone 
  • parlare del più e del meno – to speak about everything and anything 
  • parlare ad alta voce – to be loud
  • parlare a bassa voce – to speak softly 

Examples

  • Ieri ho parlato con Patrizia, mi ha detto che è d’accordo la nostra idea.
  • Hai parlato con Gianni?
  • Mi piace parlare con la gente in treno