GRAMMAR PILLS

Essere and Esserci: The Difference

Essere vs. esserci
Essere and esserci are different verbs.

Essere is the infinitive verb (the stem verb) meaning “to be”.

Esserci is the infinitive verb of the common forms “c’è” and “ci sono“, which state the presence and existence of something or someone. They express the idea of being in place.

For instance,

Nel giardino, c’è un albero di mele – In the garden, there is an apple tree
Nel giardino, ci sono molti fiori – In the garden, there are many flowers

A common mistake I hear is to default to the use of c’è for both plural and singular. This error, I believe, stems from the fact that it is very common in spoken American English to use both “there’s” for singular and plural nouns, which is wrong in Italian.

In Italian we use “c’è” only in front of singular nouns, and “ci sono” in front of plural nouns.

When to use “esserci” in a sentence?

Esserci is simply the infinitive form of the forms “c’è” and “ci sono”. It’s not used very often, although it often appears in conjugation with the modal verbs “deve = it has to/must” or “dovrebbe = it should”.

For example,

Deve esserci un libro sul tavolo – there must be a book on the table
Dovrebbero esserci le mie chiavi nel cassetto – my keys (there) should be in the drawer

È vs c’è

There’s a clear difference between è and c’è and they can’t be interchanged.

” È”means it is and “c’è” means there is (and ci sono means there are)

However, sometimes it’s confusing to understand when to use one or the other.

This is a simple rule to keep in mind whenever you’re in doubt

If the first bit of information in a sentence is the position of something or someone, you should use the “c’è” or “ci sono”

Sul tavolo, c’è un libro – on the table, there’s a book
A sinistra, c’è una piazza – on the left, there’s a piazza
Sotto il tavolo, c’è un gatto – under the table, there’s a cat

If the information about the position is provided but not in the initial part of the sentence, you shouldn’t use the forms “c’è” or “ci sono”.

Il libro è sul tavolo – the book is on the table
La piazza è a sinistra – the piazza is on the left
Il gatto è sotto il tavolo – the cat is under the table

The negative forms

To make the negative forms of esserci just place a “non” before “c’è” and “ci sono”.

Non c’è – there is not, there isn’t
Non ci sono – there are not, there aren’t

Interrogative questions

In English, when you’re asking a question with there’s and there’re, you’re making an inversion and saying “is there? Are there?. In Italian, we don’t have this.

All it takes to ask a question with these forms is to simply raise the pitch of your voice, as in Italian we formulate questions only with the use of intonation.

C’è and ci sono stay at the beginning of the question.

C’è un bagno qui? – Is there a restroom here?
C’è un bancomat qui vicino – Is there an ATM nearby?

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.

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 conjugation rules I just mentioned apply only to regular verbs. Regular verbs are those that follow the regular conjugations patterns.

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.

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

How To Conjugate A Verb In A Question in Italian ?

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..

Scusi, parla inglese? – Excuse-me Sir/Madam, do you 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.

Learn Italian the smart way with Serena’s stories

Do you know that there is a German-speaking region in Italy? Do you know that when hiking in the Dolomites, you can refuel at a local “malga“? And do you know what typical food in the Dolomites is like? If you don’t, you can learn everything about it in simple Italian by listening to and reading my short story “Due Amiche.”

Nessuno & Niente (How to say any, anyone and anything in Italian)

Nessuno/Nessuna/Nessun = (not…any)

Nessuno can be used both as an indefinite adjective and as a pronoun .

As an adjective, nessuno comes before a noun and is the translation of “any” in negative sentences in English.

For example:

Non ho nessun dubbio – I don’t have any doubt
Non ho nessun amico – I don’t have any friend
Non abbiamo nessuna riunione oggi – We don’t have any meetings today

Nessuno has four possibile forms:

Nessuno which is the default version for the masculine nouns.
Nessuna which is used before feminine nouns (e.g., nessuna sedia, nessuna stanza)
Nessun which is used before masculine nouns starting with a vowel (e.g., nessun amico, nessun albero)
Nessun’ which is used before feminine nouns starting with a vowel sound (e.g., nessun’amica, nessun’ idea)

Nessuno has no plural!

For English speakers, take note of the following:

Any can also be translated as “qualsiasi” in Italian. However, “any” defaults to qualsiasi only when it is used to mean “no matter which,” as in:

Quale gusto vuoi? – Which flavor do you want?
Qualsiasi – Any

Instead, any goes to nessuno/nessuna/nessun only in negative sentences, like in the phrases above.

Nessuno/Nessuna = no one, anyone, none

Nessuno is also a pronoun, and in this case it means nobody / no one, none or anybody / anyone.

When used as a pronoun, it only refers to people and is followed by a 3rd person singular verb conjugation.

For instance,

Non c’è nessuno – there isn’t anyone
Nessuno è venuto alla festa – nobody came to the party.
Nessuno di noi parla francese – none of us speak French

Note that, we don’t require a double negative if nessuno comes first in a sentence (we won’t need to use the “non” before the verb). In all other cases, use nessuno as follows: non + verb + nessuno.

For example,

Non ho incontrato nessuno per strada – I haven’t met anyone/anybody in the street

Niente = nothing/anything

Niente is a adverb and it means nothing or anything.

Niente only refers to things.

The words nulla and niente are interchangeable and have the same usage. Both are invariable entities (because they are adverbs, they remain the same and are unaffected by gender or number)!

Let’s see a couple of examples:

Ieri sera non ho mangiato niente – last night I haven’t had anything
Niente funziona qui – nothing works here
Qui non funziona niente – nothing works here

Note that, we won’t require a double negative if niente (or nulla) comes first in a sentence (we won’t need to use the “non” before the verb). In all other cases, use niente (or nulla) as follows: non + verb + niente.

The mysterious combination of the pronoun ci and the verb avere

Everybody agrees that the pronoun ci is, probably, one of the most mysterious words in Italian, and thus, I thought it would be great to dive, in this post, into the use of ci when used in conjugation with the verb avere: this is a very peculiar and common use of “ci” in Italian.

1. Ce l’ho. Non ce l’ho – I have it / I don’t have it

I am sure you might already have heard the phrase ce l’ho and wondered what it meant. Or better yet, what does the ce mean in that sentence. Well, you will be relieved to know that…it means nothing.

“Ce l’ho” translates to “I have it,” so if you’ve used “l’ho” up to this point, you’ve been wrong.

Although it doesn’t really have a specific grammatical function, we add the extra “ce” in front of “l’ho” to improve the sound of the sentence. This use, probably, stems from a desire to avoid the cacophony of using simply l’ho/le ho/li ho or its extreme brevity.

The rule applies every time the verb avere is preceded by a direct object pronoun (e.g., lo, la, li, le).

Hence, the sentences ce l’ho and non ce l’ho indicates that you have something or not.

Hai un cane? – Do you have a dog?
Ce l’ho – I have it
Non ce l’ho – I don’t have it

Of course, the ce is also added in front of all the different forms of the verb, like in the following examples:

Hai una macchina? Sì, ce l’ho! – Do you have a car? Yes, I do (I have it)
Hai le chiavi? No, non ce le ho! – Do you have your keys? No, We don’t (I don’t have them)
Avete tempo? Non ce l’abbiamo! – Do you guys have time? – No, we don’t (we don’t have it)

Ce l’ho con qualcuno – I’m angry at someone

Let’s go one step further; by adding the preposition “con” to ce l’ho, we have created a completely new sentence.

In fact, the informal Italian phrase “ce l’ho con qualcuno” means “I’m upset or I’m angry with someone.”

Ce l’ho con il mio vicino di casa, perché parcheggia la sua macchina davanti al mio portone – I am angry with my neighbor because he parks his car in front of my door.

Avercela is not to be confused with the form of avere indicating possession, because it is always followed by the preposition con.

Ce l’ho – I have it
Ce l’ho con te – I’m mad at you

Don’t forget that ci has many different other meanings, as follows:

“Ci” as a reflexive pronoun → ci svegliamo alle 6 – we wake up at 6
“Ci” as a direct object pronoun → ci conosci? – Do you know us?
“Ci” as an indirect object pronoun → ci ha regalato un biglietto gratis per il concerto – she gave us a free ticket for the concert
“Ci” as an adverb of place → ci vado il prossimo mese – I am going there next month
“Ci” as in the forms there is, there are → c’è, ci sono

The verb riuscire (and how it is different from potere)

In my experience as an Italian language teacher, students often struggle with the verb riuscire because of its widespread use in informal Italian.

The reason is that the Italian verbs potere and riuscire are both frequently used in English with “can” and so, it’s hard to distinguish them in Italian.

However, using one or the other has a significant impact on the meaning and message we want to convey; therefore, it’s critical to understand how to use riuscire and how it differs from potere.

The difference, in short,

Potere expresses the ability or inability to do something when it depends on us, other people, or external circumstances.

Non posso farlo! – I can’t do it (because of an external circumstance or because of my own wishes).

Riuscire expresses the ability or inability to do something when it depends on our physical or mental capacity to do something, so on internal circumstances.

Non riesco a farlo! – I can’t do it (I can’t do it, because I don’t have the mental or physical capacity to do it. Maybe I can’t climb the top of a mountain because I’m not physically fit or I have vertigo).

Let’s take a look at some more examples.

Potere – external circumstances

Non posso bere alcool – I can’t drink, because, for example, I’m underage or I’m pregnant (external circumstance)
Non posso mangiare frutti di mare – I can’t have seafood, maybe because I’m allergic (external circumstance, I didn’t choose it)
Non posso dirlo – I can’t say because I’ve been asked to keep a secret (external circumstance)

Riuscire (a) – internal circumstances

Non riesco a bere – I can’t drink, because maybe I don’t like it or I’m dizzy (internal circumstance)
Non riesco a mangiare frutti di mare – maybe because it disgusts me (internal circumstance)
Non riesco a dirlo – I can’t say because it’s something emotionally straining for me (internal circumstance)

So, when should riuscire be used instead of potere?

Sometimes it’s not super easy to guess, but you should first learn to watch for the patterns when reading or listening to Italian. Then you should try to copy the patterns.

However, it’s interesting to note that, because of the nature of the language, certain verbs have a propensity to use riuscire, especially those verbs that imply an internal mental or physical capacity. For example,

Non riesco a capire – I can’t understand

Non riesco a guardare dalla finestra – I can’t look out of the window (maybe because I have vertigo)

Non riesco a ricordare – I can’t remember

Non riesco a camminare così veloce – I can’t walk so fast (maybe because I have a sore leg)

Non riesco a parlare di fronte a un grande pubblico – I can’t do public speaking (maybe because I’m shy)

Other meanings of riuscire

In addition, the confusion between riuscire and potere is more evident just when they’re used in their negative form. In contrast, when riuscire is used in its positive form, it’s mainly used with the meaning of “able to do, to manage, or to succeed.”

For example

Sono riuscita a passare l’esame al prima – I was able to pass the exam

How to conjugate riuscire

Riuscire is a combination of ri+uscire, so, even though the meaning is different from “uscire”, it follows the same irregular conjugation of uscire, in all the tenses and forms.

As for the passato prossimo, riuscire uses the “essere auxiliary.”

The present tense

io riesco
tu riesci
lui riesce
noi riusciamo
voi riuscite
loro riescono

The passato prossimo

io sono riuscito/a
tu sei riuscito/a
lui è riuscito
lei è riuscita
noi siamo riusciti/e
voi siete riusciti/e
loro sono riusciti/e

In addition, remember to use riuscire with the following pattern: riuscire + a + infinitive.

Sono riuscito a correre per 60 minuti! – I was able to run for 60 minutes!
Non sono riuscito a finire i compiti! – I count’t finish my homework

For intermediate learners

If your level of Italian is intermediate or higher, you might also delve into this: riuscire is one of those verbs that triggers the use of the particle “ci“, just like pensare or credere.

Why? Because riuscire triggers the use of the pattern “a+infinitive“, which we can be replaced by “ci”.

For example,

Sei riuscito a capire? Sì, ci sono riuscito (ci replaces “a capire”)

Sei riuscito a superare l’esame? Sì, ci sono riuscito (ci replaces “a superare l’esame”)

Learn Italian the smart way with Serena’s stories

The Future Tense in Italian (and why is it different from English)

The Future Tense in Italian (and why is it different from English?)

The most important thing to remember when learning the future in Italian is that it is used less in Italian than in English.

In fact, Italian has a tendency (which comes from Latin) to use the present simple to talk about the near future or a certain future (so, using the future simple in the following examples wound sound weird).

For example,

I’m leaving tomorrow – Domani parto (near future or certain action)
Will you come tonight? – Vieni stasera? (near future or certain action)

In short, we can say that the Italian future tense does not directly translate the future with will into English. Instead, it translates the idea of a future that is not near or uncertain.

For example,

un giorno, andrò in Giappone – one day, I will go to Japan*
tra 20, useremo solo le macchina in elettriche – in 20, we will only use electric cars*
tra 10 anni, pagheremo solo con le carte di credito – in 10 years, we will only pay with credit cards*

*distant future or uncertain future

Future Simple vs. Present Simple in Italian

Whenever it comes to translating the “will” form into Italian, you should think: is this something which is going to happen, almost certainly or in the near future? If so, use the present tense in this case. Otherwise, use the proper future simple, if you’re talking about something that is unlikely to happen or will happen in the distant future (in two, ten, or twenty years, for example) or is just an assumption

Future conjugation of essere and avere

Future of ESSERE	Future of AVERE
sarò - I will be	avrò - I will have
sarai - you will be	avrai - you will have
sarà - he/she will be	avrà - he/she will have
saremo - we will be	avremo - we will have
sarete - you (all) will be	avrete - you (all) will have
saranno - they will be	avranno - they will have

Future conjugation of regular verbs

PARL-ARE (1st group verb)	RIPET-ERE (2nd group verb)	FIN-IRE (3rd group verb)
PARL-erò	RIPET-erò	FIN-irò
PARL-erai	RIPET-erai	FIN-irai
PARL-erà	RIPET-erà	FIN-irà
PARL-eremo	RIPET-eremo	FIN-iremo
PARL-erete	RIPET-erete	FIN-irete
PARL-eranno	RIPET-eranno	FIN-iranno

More uses of the Italian future tense

But there is more to it. The future tense is most commonly used to express probability or a guess (especially the future tense of the verb to be, essere). Because in English the future with will is not used in this way, you can translate this unique Italian form with a “maybe” in front of the verb or with the form “might.”

For instance,

Dov’è Marco? Non so, sarà in giardino – Where is Marco? I don’t know, it might be in the garden (or he’s maybe in the garden)
Che ore sono? Non so, saranno le 10 – What time is it? I don’t know, maybe 10
Saranno buone queste fragole? – Are these strawberries good maybe?
Sarà freddo fuori? – Is it maybe cold outside?

Irregular verbs in the future

The conjugation of the future tense is quite straightforward. There aren’t many irregular verbs, but some of those are very important. There is a group of verbs that eliminate the -e from the stem before adding the future tense endings.

Verbs which drops an-e in the future conjugation

dovrò – I’ll have to
potrò – I’ll be able to
saprò – I’ll know
andrò – I’ll go
vivrò – I’ll live
vedrò – I’ll see
cadrò – I’ll fall

And there’s a group of verbs which add two “r” in their stem before adding the future tense endings.

Verbs which add two “R” in the future conjugation

verrò – I’ll come
vorrò – I’ll want
berrò – I’ll drink
rimarrò – I’ll remain
terrò – I’ll keep

Verbs with the prepositions DI and A

Certain verbs in Italian can sometimes be found in conjunction with the prepositions di or a. For example,

iniziare a fare qualcosa or finire di fare qualcosa (in English, to start doing something or to finish doing something)

Because these Italian prepositions do not appear in the English versions of the verbs, this can cause confusion.

To clarify, let me say that prepositions are not used by all Italian verbs. Most verbs won’t be followed by a preposition. However, some very common verbs are followed by “a” or “di” and an infinitive verb.

For example, the verbs, finire di, continuare a, iniziare a, sperare di, and others.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to know whether a verb will use the prepositions di or a. The only way to remember it is to memorize which verbs use “a” and which verbs use “di.”

I hope you find the following list useful.

Verbs followed by A + infinitive

When using these verbs, follow the pattern verb + prep + infinitive, if the subject of both verbs is the same.

cominciare a – to start doing something
iniziare a – to start doing something
continuare a – to keep doing something
provare a – to try to do something
incoraggiare a – to encourage to do something
aiutare a – to help to do something
riuscire a – to manage to do something
abituarsi a – to get used to doing something
convincere a – to persuade to do something
imparare a – to learn to do something
sbrigarsi a – to hurry up to do something
mettersi a – to start doing something
andare a – to go doing something

To get a better understanding of how these verbs work, let’s put them in sentences:

Examples sentences

Ho imparato a suonare il piano a 12 (I learned to play the piano at 12)
Luca ha iniziato a giocare a tennis l’anno scorso (Luca started playing tennis last year)
Mia sorella mi ha incoraggiato a studiare italiano (My sister encouraged me to study Italian)
Non ho mai provato a cucinare questo dolce (I have never tried to cook that dessert)
Finalmente mi sono abituata a guidare negli Stati Uniti (I finally got used to driving in the United States)

Verbs followed by DI + infinitive

When using these verbs, follow the pattern verb + prep + infinitive, if the subject of both verbs is the same.

finire di – to finish doing something
terminare di – to finish doing something
smettere di – to stop doing something
cercare di – to try to do something
pensare di – to think about doing something
immaginare di – to imagine to do something
ricordare / ricordarsi di – to remember to do something
dimenticare / dimenticarsi di – to forget to do something
proporre di – to propose to do something
consigliare di – to recommend to do something
sperare di – to hope to do something
chiedere di – to ask to do something
domandare di – to ask to do something
scegliere di – to choose to do something
decidere di – to decide to do something

To get a better understanding of how these verbs work, let’s put them in sentences:

Examples sentences

Ieri ho finito di lavorare a mezzanotte (I finished work at midnight yesterday)
Ho deciso di iscrivermi a un corso di karate (I decided to sign up for a karate course)
Marco ha deciso di cambiare lavoro (Marco has decided to change his job)
Spero di superare l’esame (I hope to pass the exam)
Ho chiesto a Lucia di comprare del vino (I asked Lucia to buy some wine)

It’s worth noting that…

we only need to use propositions when our verb is followed by another verb. There are no propositions required for some of the verbs on the list because they can be followed by a direct object (a noun).

Let’s see the use of iniziare and finire with or without prepositions.

When “iniziare” is followed by a noun, it doesn’t need any preposition.

ho iniziato un nuovo libro (I began a new book)

When “iniziare” is followed by a verb, it does need the preposition “a”

ho iniziato a leggere un nuovo libro (I began reading a new book)

When “finire” is followed by a noun, it doesn’t need any preposition.

ho finito il corso di italiano ( I finished the Italian course)

When “iniziare” is followed by another verb, it does need the preposition “di”

ho finito di lavorare alle 2 (I finished working at 2)

All these verbs are followed by the prepositions di or a, only if the subject of both verbs is the same.

Spero di superare l’esame (I hope to pass the exam)

If the two verbs have different subjects, the sentence will follow the pattern: verb + che + conjugated verb

Spero che Lucia passi l’esame (I hope Lucia passes the exam)

How to use BENE, BRAVO, BELLO and BUONO!

How to use BENE, BRAVO, BELLO and BUONO

In a Nutshell…

Bene is an adverb and is used only with verbs – Paolo parla inglese bene (Paolo speaks English well)
Bravo is used just with people – Paolo è bravo! (Paolo is skilled and talented)

Buono refers to the interior qualities of things or people – Paolo è buono (Paolo is good at heart)

Bello refers to the exterior qualities of things or people – Paolo è bello (Paolo is handsome)

When to use BENE

Bene is often misused. One of the most recurring mistakes I hear from English native speakers, is using bene for good. That’s incorrect.

Good translates into “bene” just in the phrase “sto bene” = I’m good. Otherwise, it only means well.

Never say: il libro è bene ❌

Bene is also an adverb, which means that it can be used only after a verb, like the following examples:

Marco cucina bene – Marco cooks well
Lucia disegna bene – Lucia draws well

Intensifiers of bene

molto bene, benissimo = very well
strabene (colloquial) = super good

When to use BRAVO

Bravo is an adjective which is often misused too.

Bravo means, indeed, good. But, it’s just used for a person and with the meaning of talented, skilled, or good at something.

Luca è bravo a disegnare (or Luca è bravo in disegno) – Luca is good at drawing
Luca è bravo a cucinare (or Luca è bravo in cucina) – Luca is good at cooking

Note that you can use the adverb bravo in two different ways, like the above phrases.

essere bravo + a + verb – Luca è bravo a cucinare

essere bravo + in + noun – Luca è bravo in cucina

In other words, we can say that bravo is used when someone has a talent, a skill, or is simply good at doing something.

Bravo has a secondary meaning too.

Bravo is also used to indicate the moral qualities of a person.

Una brava persona – a person with ethical values

Common Italian expressions using “bravo”

Che bravo! – well done!

Bravo! – well done!

Bravissimo – way to go!

When to use BELLO

Bello means nice if applied to something (a thing), or beautiful/ handsome if applied to someone (a person).

In short, bello indicates the appearance of something or the physical quality of someone.

Questo tavolo è così bello – This table is so beautiful
Marta è una bellissima dona – Marta is a beautiful woman

Intensifiers of bello

Molto bello, bellissimo – very beautiful, awesome, gorgeous
strabello (colloquial) – super beautiful

More examples with bello

Quel palazzo è bellissimo – That building is gorgeous
Che bella città! – What a nice city!
Che bella casa! – What a beautiful home!

Popular Italian expressions using “bello”

Che bello! – That’s lovely!
Bello! – Lovely!
Bellissimo – Awesome!

BONUS for intermediate learners: do you that bello becomes begli, bei or bel sometimes? In this article, I will explain to you why.

Bel? Begli? Bei? What do they mean?

When to use BUONO

Buono means good and is used to give an opinion about the interior qualities of something or someone.

If a person is buona, we mean that this person has ethical qualities.

Marco è buono – he is good-hearted or a person with good moral qualities

If something is buono, we mean that this thing has a good quality.

Quella pasta è buona – That pasta is good
Questo prodotto è buonissimo – This product is very good
Questo legno è buono – This wood is good

Intensifiers of buono

molto buono, buonissimo – very good
strabuono (colloquiale) – super good

Popular Italian expressions using buono.

Che buono! – It’s delicious! (when referring to food or drinks)
Buono a sapersi – good to know

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What verbs use the subjunctive in Italian?

The Italian Present Subjunctive: when and how to use it

When learning Italian, you’ll surely come across a few challenging topics. Among these, one of the most notorious is the Italian subjunctive mode. Rest assured. Although it might seem difficult to grasp, it’s easier than you think.

What is the subjunctive in Italian?

The subjunctive is an Italian verb form used to express opinions, feelings, uncertainty, possibility, wishes, or doubts.

When to use the subjunctive?

Most of the time, the subjunctive is used in a dependent clause and so after a main clause.

Main clauses vs. dependent clauses

If you’re not familiar with the idea of the main clause and dependent clause, let’s have a look at it together.

A main clause is a sentence like this:

Penso che… (I think that)

Voglio che… (I want that)

Spero che.. (I hope that)

Sono felice che…(I’m happy that)

In other words, we can say that a main clause is a sentence that introduces another sentence to which it’s related.

A dependent clause is what’s following the “che”

Let’s have a look at a couple of sentences where you can see a typical use of the subjunctive.

Penso che (main clause), l’Italia sia un Paese bellissimo (dependent clause with the subjunctive) – I think Italy is a beautiful country
Spero che (main clause), che domani non piova (dependent clause with the subjunctive), successo negli studi (dependent clause) – I hope tomorrow it will not rain

Why is it important to use the subjunctive in Italian?

Learning how to use the Italian subjunctive correctly means that you will be able to communicate your feelings, opinions, and wishes to the best of your ability.

When do you use the subjunctive in Italian?

It’s easier than you think: the rule of thumb is that the use of the Italian subjunctive is determined by what comes before.

Luckily, there’s a list of verbs and phrases that express opinions, wishes, doubts, feelings, and uncertainties that we can easily memorize.

Once you learn that a certain verb, like “credo” or “penso” or “spero,” defaults to using the subjunctive (or congiuntivo, in Italian), it’ll become easier and automatic to use the subjunctive in the right place.

In the following lists, you’ll see the most common verbs or phrases that are naturally followed by a subjunctive in Italian.

Verbs typically used to express opinion, uncertainty, possibility, or doubt.

Pensare che – to think that
Credere che – to believe that
Immaginare che – to imagine that
Avere l’impressione che – to have the impression that
Supporre che – to suppose that
Dubitare che – to doubt that
Non sapere che – to not know that
Non essere sicuro che – to not be sure that
Non essere certo che – to not be certain that

Verbs typically used to express feelings, such as happiness or fear

Essere felice che – to be happy that
Essere dispiaciuto/a che – to be sorry that
Avere paura che – to be afraid that
Temere che – to be afraid that

Verbs typically used to express wishes:

Volere che – to want that
Desiderare che – to wish that
Preferire che – to prefer that
Sperare che – to hope that

The subjunctive with impersonal verbs

The subjunctive is frequently used after impersonal verbs, like the ones that don’t have an explicit subject.

basta che… – it is enough (that) . . .
bisogna che… – it is necessary (that)
vale la pena che… – it is worth (that)
si dice che… – it’s said (that)
dicono che… – they say(that)
sembra che… – it seems (that)

Examples

Si dice l’Italia sia il più bel Paese al mondo – they say Italian is the most beautiful country in the world

The subjunctive with impersonal expressions

The subjunctive is frequently used after impersonal expressions. An impersonal expression is a phrase made of the verb “to be” and any adjective.

è bene che… it is good (that)
è difficile che…- it is hard (that)
è facile che…- it is easy (that)
è giusto che…- it is right (that)
è importante che…- it is important (that)
è male che…- it is bad (that)
è meglio che…- it is better(that)
è necessario che…- it is necessary (that)
è peccato che…- it is a pity (that)
è possibile che…- it is possible (that)
è raro che…- it is rare (that)
è urgente che…- it is urgent (that)

Examples

E’ raro che un bambino studi il cinese – it’s rare for a kid to study Chinese
E’ possibile che Anna sia in ritardo – it’s possible that Anna is late

When impersonal expressions point out certainty, the indicative is used instead of the subjunctive. The following expressions require the indicative, for example.

è certo che… – it is certain (that)
è evidente che… – it is evident (that)
è ovvio che che… – it is obvious (that)

Examples

è ovvio che mente– it’s obvious that he lies

When is the subjunctive not required in Italian?

All the above verbs and expressions require the subjunctive only when the subjects of the two phrases (main clause and dependent clause) are different, like in the following two phrases (where the subject of the main clause is “io” and the subject of the dependent clause is “lei”).

Penso che lei sia molto intelligente – I think she’s very smart

Sono felice che lei abbia superato l’esame – I am happy she’s passed the exam

If the subject is the same in the main clause and in the dependent clause, we can’t use the subjunctive in the dependent clause. Instead, we would use an infinitive construction.

Lei pensa di essere molto intelligente – she thinks she’s very smart
Lei è felice di aver superato l’esame – she’s happy she has passed the exam

The Present Subjunctive (Regular verbs)

The regular conjugation of the subjunctive is very easy because the first three persons (io, tu, lei) are the same and the “noi” conjugation is identical to the one of the present tense indicative.

PARLARE (-ARE verbs)	RIDERE (-ERE verbs)	Domire (-IRE verbs)
che io parl-I	che io rid-A	che io dorm-A
che tu parl-I	che tu rid-A	che tu dorm-A
che lui/lei parl-I	che lui/lei rid-A	che lui/lei dorm-A
che noi parl-IAMO	che noi rid-IAMO	che noi dorm-IAMO
che voi parl-IATE	che voi rid-IATE	che voi dorm-IATE
che loro parl-INO	che loro rid-ANO	che loro dorm-ANO

The Subjunctive (Irregular verbs)

I have been asked often in my classes, what is that SIA there? Or, what is that ABBIA there? What about VADA or FACCIA?

They are the irregular subjunctive conjugations of essere, avere, andare, and fare, in that order.

It’s crucial to learn the irregular Italian subjunctives as they are very common in the spoken language. Remember also that the verbs that are irregular in the indicative are also irregular in the subjunctive.

This is a list of the most common irregular forms of the present subjunctive.

essere → sia
avere → abbia
andare → vada
fare → faccia
dire → dica
dare → dia
volere → voglia
dovere → debba
potere → possa
tenere → tenga
stare → stia

Of course, there are more than these. For a more thorough list, I suggest referring to your grammar books. If you don’t have it yet, I recommend using this excellent textbook: Italian verb tenses.

How many forms of the Italian subjunctive exist?

Is the present subjunctive the only subjunctive? No, but it’s the most common one.

The Italian subjunctive is a mode made of four tenses: the present subjunctive, the past subjunctive, the imperfect subjunctive, and the past-perfect subjunctive. Knowing all these tenses will help you master the Subjunctive Tense Consistency (or Consecutio Temporum), which I will tackle in a different article.

In conclusion,

Using the subjunctive is a sign of education. There are also native Italian speakers that misuse or don’t use the subjunctive correctly. You can tell they don’t have a high level of education.

Verbs that are irregular in the present indicative are also irregular in the present subjunctive.

The use of subject pronouns (io, tu, lui, noi, voi, loro) is often required, as the first three persons of the conjugation are the same (io vada, tu vada, lui vada).

Lì and là? Qui and qua? Is there any difference between them?

What is the difference between lì and là or qui or qua?

If you have ever felt confused about whether to use lì or là or qui or qua when speaking in Italian, this post is for you.

Let’s get straight to the point…

Your question may be whether there is really any significant difference between lì and là or qui and qua? The answer is “yes and no.” The truth is that difference is so negligible that, as a non-native speaker, you shouldn’t give it too much thought.

However, if you’re interested in delving deeper, let go ahead and do it!

What is the difference between lì and là?

Both lì and là mean there. They indicate something which is far from the person who is speaking. The only small difference is that “lì” is more accurate than “là“. In other words, là means there, just like lì does, but in a less accurate way.

Let’s look at some practical examples:

Lì c’era una fontana una volta – what I’m referring to here is that there was a fountain in specifically there, and I’m probably pointing it out with my finger.
Là non c’era niente 20 anni – the point I’m making is that there was nothing 20 years ago somewhere there” (but not very specifically).

Common Italian Expressions with “La”

mettilo là/lì – put it there

là dentro, là fuori, là sotto – in, out

là dentro, là fuori, là sopra – in, out, up

più in là – further on (space), later on (time)

essere di là – to be somewhere else

What is the difference between qui and qua?

Both qui and qua mean here (in this place) and follow the same rule that applies to lì and là.

Qui indicates something close to the person that is speaking and is more accurate and specific than qua.

Let’s look at some practical examples:

Qui si mangia bene – I am probably referring to my place, my house (a smaller or more specific place).
Qua si mangia bene – I am probably referring to my city or country (a wider or more general place).

Common Italian expressions with “qui” and “qua”

vieni qui/qua – come here

mettilo qui/qua – put it here

qua/qui dentro – in here

qua/qui sotto – under here

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The Italian comparatives: using CHE or DI

The Italian comparatives: using “CHE” or “DI”

The Italian comparative expresses how to say MORE THAN, LESS THAN, THE SAME AS.

We call this comparativo di maggioranza:

La casa di Maria è più grande di quella di Lucia – Maria’s house is bigger than Lucia’s

We call this “comparativo di minoranza”:

La casa di Lucia è meno grande di quella di Maria – Lucia’s house is less big than Maria’s

We call this comparativo di uguaglianza:

La casa di Maria è tanto grande come quella di Lisa – Lucia’s house is as big as Maria’s

In today’s post, I will focus on the use of the term of comparison “than“, which in Italian can take two different forms: di or che.

What does it mean?

It means that there are two ways to say more than in Italian:

più … di, or
più … che

and there two ways to say less than in Italian:

meno … di, or
meno … che

So, how do you know whether the term of comparison you need to use is “che” or “di”?

You need to follow these rules…

When do we use “di“?

We use “di” when we compare two different entities, or, in other words, two different things or people:

Milano è più cara di Venezia – Milan is more expensive than Venice (Milan/Venice)

Luisa è meno alta di Carlo – Luisa is less tall than Carlo. (Luisa/Carlo)

La cucina italiana è migliore della cucina tedesca – Italian food is better than German food (la cucina italiana/la cucina tedesca)

When do we use “che“?

We use “che” when describing one entity with two different adjectives, nouns, or verbs:

For example,

adjective + adjective [same entity = la città, here]

La città è più sporca che bella – the city is dirtier than beautiful.

verb + verb [same entity = studiare, here ]

Studiare latino è più difficile che studiare italiano – learning Latin is more complicated than learning Italian.

noun + noun [same entity = Napoli, here]

A Napoli ci sono più chiese che persone – In Naples, there are more churches than people.

We also use “che” when there is a preposition before the noun or pronoun being compared.

Vivere a Milano è meno caro che a New York – living in Milan is less expensive than living in New York City

Perché / Perciò / Siccome: The Difference Explained

Perché: why / because

Unlike in English, perché is used in both a question and an answer in Italian.

Perché hai chiamato il taxi? Perché ero in ritardo – Why did you call a cab? Because I was late.

Perché used to indicate the cause of something and the reason why it happened.

Ho chiamato il taxi, perché ero in ritardo – I called a cab because I was running late

Non sono andata in spiaggia, perché faceva freddo – I didn’t go to the beach because it was cold

Perciò: therefore, for that reason, so

If we invert all the foregoing sentences, we can replace perché with perciò.

Perciò means therefore, for that reason and so.

Ero in ritardo, perciò ho chiamato un taxi – I was late, so I called a cab

Faceva freddo, perciò non sono andata in spiaggia – It was cold, therefore I didn’t go to the beach.

Perché vs perciò

Unlike perché, perciò expresses the consequence of something, not the cause.

Siccome: because, since, given that, as

Another word which is worth learning to make your Italian more natural is siccome.

In Italian, we can’t start a sentence with “perché” or “perciò.“

If we want to indicate the cause of something at the beginning of a sentence, we have to use siccome.

Siccome ero in ritardo, ho chiamato un taxi – Since I was late, I called a taxi
Siccome faceva freddo, non sono andato in spiaggia – Because it was cold, I didn’t go to the beach.

I often hear English speakers default to using perché or come instead of siccome.

Why? Because in English, it makes sense to start a sentence with “because” or “as,” which, in a literal translation, defaults to perché or “come.” However, in Italian, it’s impossible.

Saying “perché sono in ritardo ho chiamato il taxi” would be wrong.

siccome vs perché

Just like perché, siccome expresses the cause, but perché is only used in the middle of a sentence, in a question, or in an answer. In Italian, we can’t start a phrase with “perché”. Instead, we use siccome.

In the following phrases, you can better see what I mean.

Ho chiamato il taxi, perché ero in ritardo – Siccome ero in ritardo, ho chiamato il taxi – I called a cab because I was late – As/since/because I was late, I called a cab

Non sono andata in spiaggia, perché faceva freddo – Siccome faceva freddo, non sono andata in spiaggia – I didn’t go to the beach because it was cold – Because, since, given that it was cold, I didn’t go the beach

Perché, and perciò and siccome can be only followed by verbs and are invariable words (they always stay the same).

The Italian Polite Form: formal vs informal “you”

The polite form in Italian: formal vs. informal “you”

Italian is one of those languages that changes subject pronouns (and verb conjugations) depending on whether a conversation happens in a formal or informal setting.

So, in Italian, we must speak or write politely if the situation requires it.

The rule of thumb is:

If you’re addressing friends and family or people we are familiar with, you have to use the subject pronoun TU (and conjugate the verb in the second person singular).

For example,

Come (tu) stai? – How are you?

Dove (tu) abiti? – Where do you live?

(Tu) confermi l’appuntamento? – Do you confirm the appointment?

When you’re addressing a person you don’t know, or an older person, or someone to whom you want to show respect (a doctor, a lawyer, a politician, etc.), you should use a different subject pronoun, the so-called polite “you” or polite form (or “forma di cortesia”, in Italian).

The polite form is made by using “LEI” as the subject and by conjugating the verb in the third person singular.

For example,

Come (Lei) sta? – How are you? (formal)

Dove (Lei) abita? – Where do you live? (formal)

(Lei) conferma l’appuntamento? – Do you confirm the appointment? (formal)

Informal vs. Formal You

“Tu” is used when you address someone you know, like a kid, a colleague, or a schoolmate. Somebody we are familiar with. 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” is used when you speak to someone (just one person) that we don’t know or to whom we don’t show respect (generally older people or people with a title like Signor Giorgi, Signora Carli, Dottor Rossi, Avvocata Gialli, etc.).

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

Switching from the formal you to the informal you

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 form (or “Lei”) in 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…

Italian has formal and informal greetings, and you can’t mix them up. Ciao is a very informal greeting, and you shouldn’t use it in a formal situation. If you are using the polite form, you should always say buongiorno or buonasera and arrivederci.

The Italian impersonal form with ‘SI’

The Italian impersonal form with “SI”

In Italian, we have a simple way to make a generalization or to make a sentence where the subject is not specified: the impersonal form.

The impersonal form is made up by:

si + any verb conjugated in the 3rd person singular

for example,

in Italia, si + mangia bene.

This means that in Italy, we generally eat good food.

Italian vs. English

In English, these sentences are translated by subjects such as one, they, you, or the passive voice.

More examples of the “impersonal si”

In Italia.. – in Italy..

si beve buon vino – one drinks delicious wine
si pranza tardi – they eat lunch late
si parla italiano – they speak Italian

Viaggiando… – by traveling…

si cresce – you grow
si cambia opinione sulla vita – you change your opinion about life
si diventa più maturi – you become more mature

The impersonal form with the verbs “DOVERE” and “POTERE”

The Italian impersonal form is often used with the verbs dovere and potere, indicating what it’s necessary or not necessary to or what can or cannot be done.

impersonal forms with dovere

si deve – you must/need (when the subject is not specified)
non si deve – you must/need (when the subject is not specified)

impersonal forms with potere

si può – you can (when the subject is not specified)
non si può – you can’t (when the subject is not specified)

Examples with these impersonal forms

A scuola… – at school…

si deve studiare – you need to study
non si può usare il cellulare – you can’t use your phone
si deve essere puntali – one must be punctual

In ufficio… – at the office…

si deve arrivare in orario – one must arrive on time
non si può mangiare davanti al pc – one can’t eat in front of the computer
non si può fumare – you can’t smoke

Use of the impersonal verb bisogna

The forms si deve (one must/need) or non si deve (one must not), can be replaced by the impersonal verb bisogna, which is always followed by an infinitive verb and means “it’s (not) necessary.

For example:

A scuola bisogna studiare – At school you have to study
A scuola bisogna essere puntuali – At school you have to be on time
A lavoro non bisogna fare tardi – Don’t be late at work

When is “ci si” used?

Sometimes the impersonal form appears with a “ci” in front of the “si”, like in the following phrases.

ci si diverte – one is having fun
ci si rilassa – one is relaxing
ci si sveglia!- one is waking up

But, what does “ci si” stand for?

“Ci si” marks the impersonal form of a reflexive verb conjugated in the 3rd person. Why? Because every reflexive verb is, by nature, conjugated with a “si” in the third person singular.

si diverte – he/she is having fun
si diverte – he/she is relaxing
si sveglia – he/she Is waking up

So, if we had to say that one has fun when traveling (so, if we had to make a sentence with the impersonal form with “si” of the verb divertirsi), we would end up with two “si”: one for the impersonal form and one for the reflexive form. Like this:

si si diverte

But we don’t say that. Why? Because repeating “si si” twice would result in a cacophony (a bad sound). So, to avoid this, we replace the first “si” with a phonetic “ci”.

The resulting form is, thus, ci si:

ci si diverte viaggiando – when travelling, you have fun
ci si sveglia tardi nel weekend – over the weekend, you wake up late
ci si rilassa sempre la domenica – on Sunday, you always relax

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GRAMMAR PILLS

Essere and Esserci: The Difference

Essere vs. esserci Essere and esserci are different verbs.

When to use “esserci” in a sentence?

È vs c’è

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The Complete Guide to Conjugating Verbs in Italian

Conjugating verbs: English vs Italian

Learn the Rules to Conjugating Italian Verbs

Regular verbs

Regular vs Irregular verbs

How To Conjugate A Verb In A Question in Italian ?

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

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

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Nessuno & Niente (How to say any, anyone and anything in Italian)

Nessuno/Nessuna/Nessun = (not…any)

Nessuno/Nessuna = no one, anyone, none

Niente = nothing/anything

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The mysterious combination of the pronoun ci and the verb avere

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The verb riuscire (and how it is different from potere)

The difference, in short,

Other meanings of riuscire

How to conjugate riuscire

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The Future Tense in Italian (and why is it different from English?)

Future Simple vs. Present Simple in Italian

Future conjugation of essere and avere

Future conjugation of regular verbs

More uses of the Italian future tense

Irregular verbs in the future

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Verbs with the prepositions DI and A

Verbs followed by A + infinitive

Verbs followed by DI + infinitive

It’s worth noting that…

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How to use BENE, BRAVO, BELLO and BUONO

When to use BENE

When to use BELLO

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The Italian Present Subjunctive: when and how to use it

What is the subjunctive in Italian?

When to use the subjunctive?

When do you use the subjunctive in Italian?

Verbs typically used to express opinion, uncertainty, possibility, or doubt.

Verbs typically used to express feelings, such as happiness or fear

Verbs typically used to express wishes:

The subjunctive with impersonal verbs

The subjunctive with impersonal expressions

When is the subjunctive not required in Italian?

The Present Subjunctive (Regular verbs)

The Subjunctive (Irregular verbs)

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What is the difference between lì and là or qui or qua?

What is the difference between lì and là?

Common Italian Expressions with “La”

What is the difference between qui and qua?

Common Italian expressions with “qui” and “qua”

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The Italian comparatives: using “CHE” or “DI”

When do we use “di“?

When do we use “che“?

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Essere vs. esserci
Essere and esserci are different verbs.