GRAMMAR PILLS

The “ISC” conjugation (present conjugation)

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.

the verbs like cucinare and mangiare belong to the 1st group, the “are” group
the verbs like scrivere and leggere belong to the 2nd group, the “ere” group
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)

How to use (definite) articles in Italian

HOW TO USE THE (DEFINITE) ARTICLES IN ITALIAN

Building solid foundations is key in every foreign language you learn. Mastering the nitty-gritty of the basics will be your pathway to fluency, promise. That’s why today, we’ll cover the Italian definites (articoli determinativi) and especially, when using them and when not, and key difference with the English “the”

That’s one of those topics to master, and you know why? Because Italian throws in articles all the time with a few exceptions along the way.

Gli articoli indeterminativi (definite article)

The so-called articoli determinativi or definite articles is what in English is “the”.
In Romance languages and Italian, “the” takes different forms depending on the gender and number of the noun the article is preceding.

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

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

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

Read the chart to understand how to use what.

When to use the definite articles

Italian puts articles in front of most of the nouns, with few exceptions, as in the following list.

When articles are not used in Italian

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

Palermo, Napoli, Roma, Venezia

We don’t use definite articles in front of singular nouns of family preceded by possessive adjectives. However, you should use them for the plural nouns family.

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

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

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

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

Dante è padre fondatore della lingua italiana

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

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

When definite articles are used in Italian but NOT in English

Unlike English, we use articles with possessive adjectives:

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

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

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

Unlike English, definite articles are used with titles

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

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

Buongiorno, Dottor Rossi!

Unlike English, we use definite articles when saying the time

sono le 8 e mezza – it’s 8.30

Unlike English, we use articles with clothes and parts of the body or, in other words, we don’t use the definite article if you are using reflexive verbs before.

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

Unlike English, Italian uses the articles in dates.

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

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

Oggi è mercoledì 14 aprile 2021

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

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

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

Abito in Sicilia and NOT abito in la Sicilia
Vado in Italiia and NOT vado in la Itala

Everything You Need to Know About the Italian Present Tense

How To Learn The Italian Present Tense In Detail

What is 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. It’s also used to talk about what happened in the past up to the present (Studio italiano da due anni – I’ve learned Italian for two years)

English vs. Italian

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

How to form the Italian present tense?

In Italian, unlike in English, there is a concept known as “conjugation.” It is when the ending of a verb changes based on the subject of the action (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 an ending to the verb’s stem. The stem of the verb is the chunk of the verb that remains after the ends of the infinitive* are, -ere, and -ire are removed.

Examples:

English: I speak

Italian : parl-o (the ending in “o” is the first person marker and is automatically making evident the subject of the action, which is “I” in this case).

The Three 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 conjugations:

the verbs ending in – ARE (pensare, cucinare, imparare, parlare)
the verbs ending in – ERE (leggere, scrivere, ripetere)
the verbs ending – IRE (dormire, aprire, sentire)

Note the first person forms all end in -o. This is the first person marker. The tu form of verbs always end in -i. the noi form of verbs ends in –iamo.

Italian present tense endings

3 Tips for Using the Italian Present Tense Correctly

Understanding the subject object pronouns

IO → I

parlo italiano (I speak Italian)

TU → You or Do you? used to address someone or to ask a question to someone

Parli italiano? (Do you speak Italian?)

LUI / LEI → he or she or it (used with reference to a guy, a woman, animal or object)

Lei parla italiano (She speaks Italian)

NOI→ we (I and someone else, for example, io e mio marito viviamo a Roma)

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

VOI → you’ll, used to address two or more people in a question or statement

parlate italiano? (Do you guys speak Italian?)

LORO → they

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

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.

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?)

Italian Irregular Verbs

In Italian, we have the concept of “Irregular verbs”. They 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

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.

Italian courtesy form is similar to the English “please” and “thank you.” This phrase is used in Italy because it is important to show respect to people you don’t know, older people or people with a title (doctors, professors, etc..)

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]
Parli italiano? – Do you speak Italian? [informal setting]

Do you want to know more about how to use the courtesy form in Italian? Please see my article below..

How speak politely in Italian: LEI or TU?

irregular verbs

How to master Italian reflexive verbs

What are the reflexive verbs (i verbi riflessivi)?

There two types of Italian reflexive verbs:

Proper reflexive verbs

Reflexive verbs where the subject and the object are the same or where the action is carried out by the same person that receives it.

Divertirsi → to have fun
Svegliarsi → to get up
Rilassarsi → to relax

Examples:

io mi diverto → I have fun (myself)
io mi sveglio → I wake up (myself)
io mi rilasso → I relax (myself)

Reciprocal reflexive verbs

Reciprocal reflexive verbs are ones that use the plural reflexive pronouns ci, vi, si to mean each other.

Capirsi → to understand each other
Amarsi → to love each other
Odiarsi → to hate other

Examples:

Ci capiamo molto bene → we understand each other very well
Ci amiamo → We love each other
Si odiano → they hate each other

All you need to know to use the Italian reflexive verbs correctly is that what makes then different from a regular verbs is that its infinite has a –si joint onto it (and drops the last “e”)

What does the “si” stand for?

The “si” is the so-called reflexive pronoun (pronome riflessivo) which in English stands for oneself.

The si takes differ forms when conjugated, as follows:

Does English has any reflexive verbs?

YES! Verbs, like enjoying oneself or hurting oneself, are reflexive verbs. The good news is that English reflexive verbs are also reflexive verbs in Italian.

Enjoying oneself → divertirsi
Hurting oneself → farsi male

Also, many verbs including to get (in English) are reflexive verbs in Italian. For instance:

To get angry → arrabbiarsi
To get married → sposarsi
To get sick → ammalarsi

Luckily, most Italian verbs are not reflexive ones. However, there are more reflexive verbs in Italian than English.

Common Italian reflexive verbs

Svegliarsi – to wake [oneself] up

Alzarsi – to get up

Lavarsi – to wash oneself [have a wash]

Pettinarsi – to comb one’s hair

Sedersi – to sit down

Sentirsi – to feel

Spogliarsi – to undress

Addormentarsi – to fall asleep

Truccarsi – to do the make-up

Farsi la doccia – to take a shower

Chiamarsi – to be named

Laurearsi – to graduate (from university)

Diplomarsi – to graduate (from school)

Allenarsi – to work out

Impegnarsi – to work hard

Ubriacarsi – to get drunk

Farsi la barba – to shave

Innamorarsi – to fall in love

Lamentarsi – to complain

Stressarsi – to get stressed

Innervosirsi – to get nervous

Ammalarsi – to get sick

Vestirsi – to get dressed

Annoiarsi – to get bored

How to use the Italian reflexive verbs?

The rule of thumb is keeping in mind that you are conjugating the infinite of the reflexive verb deprived of the – si.

For instance, if you are conjugating the verb rilassarsi you need to remove the “si” and to add an “e” onto the infinitive, and there it is, you have an easy to conjugate Italian infinitive verb.

Example:

RILASSARSI → RILASSARE

SVEGLIARSI → SVEGLIARE

Where to put the reflexive pronoun “si”?

First of all, the si takes on different shapes, which are mi ti si ci vi si (the reflexive pronouns/i pronomi riflessivi)

Generally, the reflexive pronouns go right before the verb:

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

Past Perfect → mi mi sono divertito/a, tu ti sei divertito/a, lui si è diverito/ lei si è divertita, noi ci siamo divertiti/e, voi vi sierte divertiti/e, loro si sono divertiti/e

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

Future Simple → io mi divertirò, tu ti divertirai, lui si divertirà, noi ci divertiremo, voi vi divertire, lor si diverteranno

Simple Conditional → io mi divertirei, tu ti divertiresti, lui si divertirebbe, noi ci divertiremmo, voi vi divertireste, loro si diverterebbero

Present Subjunctive → io mi diverta, tu ti diverta, lui si diverta, noi ci divertiamo, voi vi diverite, loro si diverano

Imperative (formal) → si diverta!

There are few exceptions in which the reflexive pronouns go at the end of the verb and attached to the verb.

Imperative (informal)→ divertiti!

Gerundio → divertendomi, etc

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

What happens in negative reflexive sentences?

The “non” always precedes the reflexive pronouns.

Italian reflexive verbs in compound tenses

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

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

Let’s see how the verb “divertirsi” is conjugated in the past perfect.

Io → subject

Mi → reflexive pronoun

Sono → helping verb

Divertito → past participle

Io mi sono divertito – I had fun

When in a compound tense (past perfect, compound future, past conditional, past subjunctive, etc.), the reflexive verbs always use a helping a verb. The helping verb still to be used is essere.

Using essere as a helping verb implies that the following past participle has to agree with the gender and number.

Examples:

Penso che Luisa si sia annoiata alla festa – I think Luisa got bored at the party
Ieri sera ci siamo divertiti a teatro – Last night we had fun at the theatre
Mi sarei svegliata tardi stamattina, ma non ho potuto – I would wake up later this morning, but I couldn’t

REFLEXIVE VERBS AND PARTS OF THE BODY

When using reflexive verbs with parts of the body, you usually don’t need to use possessive pronouns, as it would sound redundant.

The typical mistake I hear in my online Italian lessons is

Mi lavo le mia faccia – I wash my face (WRONG)

Mi lavo la faccia – I wash my face (CORRECT)

Mi lavo i miei capelli –I wash my hair (WRONG)

Mi lavo i capelli – I wash my hair (CORRECT)

Mi faccia la mia barba – I shave (WRONG)

Mi faccio la barba – I shave (CORRECT)

Italian verbs with double auxiliary

Italian verbs with a double auxiliary

What is the difference between ho cambiato and è cambiato?

HO CAMBIATO APPARTAMENTO
IL CLIMA E’ CAMBIATO

If you have an eye for details, you have already noticed that the verb cambiare can be used with two different auxiliaries (or helping verbs). Just like in the example above.

In fact, in the first phrase, the verb cambiare uses the verb avere. In the second one, it uses the verb essere.

Now, you might want to know if there is any difference between ho cambiato and è cambiato. Or if there is any difference between ha finito and è finito.

There is. Verbs like cambiare or finire can use both auxiliary depending on its function.

And, they are not the only ones. In Italian, several verbs use both the auxiliaries essere and avere depending on whether they are used in a transitive or intransitive way.

ITALIAN TRANSITIVE AND INTRANSITIVE VERBS

The use of an auxiliary or another is not random. So, how do you pick up the correct auxiliary? It’s easier than you think.

If the action expressed by the verb is transitive, it means that the correct auxiliary to use is avere. Transitive verbs always use the auxiliary avere.

A transitive verb is a verb followed by an object: this means that verb has repercussions on the object (something or someone).

Ho cambiato appartamento – I changed apartment

Cambiare here is a transitive verb in this sentence, as the verb cambiare has repercussions on the appartamento (object).

Then, when does the auxiliary essere has to be used?

The answer is when the verb of our sentence is intransitive.

An intransitive verb performs an action that has no repercussions on the object. Namely, there is not an object in the sentence.

Il clima è cambiato – the climate has changed

As you can see in this very sentence, there is no object. To make it easier to understand, there is no possible answer to the question what?

All the Italian verbs taking a double auxiliary (or helping verbs) can be transitive and intransitive.

List of the most common Italian verbs taking a double auxiliary

Cambiare – to change
Finire – to finish
Iniziare – to start
Cominciare – to start
Terminare – to finish
Aumentare – to increase
Diminuire – to diminish
Salire – to climb, to go up, to get on
Scendere – to go down, to get off
Migliorare – to improve
Peggiorare – to worsen

Examples of Italian verbs taking a double auxiliary used as transitive verbs

Ho finito il libro – I finished the book
Ho cominciato un corso – I started a course
Ho salito le scale – I climbed the stairs
Ho migliorato il mio italiano – I improved my Italian

Examples of Italian verbs that take a double auxiliary used as intransitive verbs

Il film è finito – The film is over
Il corso di italiano è cominciato ieri – the Italian course started yesterday
Sono salito sull’aereo – I got on the plane
Il clima è migliorato – the climate improved

ITALIAN VERBS TO TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER

On the last note, there is a particular category of Italian verbs that can use both auxiliaries without distinction. Those are the verbs used to talk about the weather.

Nevicare – to snow

Ha nevicato – è nevicato

Piovere – to rain

Ha piovuto – è piovuto

Grandinare – to hail

Ha grandinato – è grandinato

Tuonare – to thunder

Ha tuonato – è tuonato

Be aware that the verbs expressing weather conditions in Italian are only used in the third person singular. That’s why they are called “impersonal verbs.”

Are you having trouble being accountable for your actions? Take a 30-day language challenge

THE DOUBLE OBJECT PRONOUNS IN ITALIAN

GLIELO? GLIENE? TE LO? HOW TO USE THE DOUBLE OBJECT PRONOUNS IN ITALIAN

That’s a fun and somehow tricky topic that that many avoid – and you shouldn’t, because Italians use the double object pronouns (in Italian pronomi doppi or combinati) virtually all the time in our interactions?

The pronomi doppi are so common because they help us to make our speech more concise. The double object pronouns are vastly used in conversation.

The Italian double object pronoun in use

Hai detto a Luca quella cosa? – Have you told Luca that thing?
Gliel’ hai detto? – Have you told it him? (lit.)*

As you can see, the second sentence is way shorter and more natural than the first one. Of course, the double object pronouns are used when you know what you are talking about. As a rule, in Italian, the pronouns are used to replace something mentioned previously or that you can deduce from the context.

Other examples in use of the double object pronouns in Italian

Ti porto la bicicletta stasera – I will bring you the bike tonight
Te la porto stasera – I’ll bring it (the bike) to you tonight

Mi hai mandato la mail? – Have you sent me the email?
Me l’hai mandata? – Have you sent it to me?

Gli hai comporato l’acqua? -Have you bought him the water?
Gliel’hai comprata? – Have you bought (the water) it for him

Mi dai il tuo numero di telefono? – Can you give me your number?
Me lo dai? – Can you give it to me?

Ci presti la tua macchina? – Can you lend us your car?
Ce la presti? – Can you lend it to us?

6 things you should know about the double object pronouns

The double object pronouns are a combination of a direct and indirect object pronouns and that is a shortcut to express yourself more concisely when speaking Italian.
The indirect object pronouns mi, ti, gli, ci, and vi change to me, te, glie, ce, and ve when they are combined with the direct object pronouns, as in the above chart.
Glielo and gliela becomes gliel’ if they precede a vowel or “h” (gliel’ho detto – I told it to him)
In the negative form, the non comes right before the verb (non te lo dico – I am not telling you it)
The double object pronouns are written as two words, except for glielo, gliela, glieli, gliele and and all the pronoun combinations when they are attached to the infinitive (e.g in the imperative form)
When the pronomi combinati are used with the passato prossimo, the past participle must agree with the direct object pronoun incorporated in the double object pronouns (te l’ho scritta, glieli ho mandati..)

The double object pronouns with the passato prossimo

Me l’hai mandata? – “L'” can be una lettera, una mail, etc…
Me le hai mandate? – “Le” can be delle lettere, delle mail, etc..
Me li hai mandati? – “Li” can be dei biglietti, dei pacchi, etc..

THE PRONOUN “GLIENE”

How to use the NE in Italian

The double object pronouns incorporate also the NE. If you are familiar with the intermediate Italian grammar, you know that NE means some of it/some of them and tend to be used as answers to questions asking Quanti/How many?

Quanti pacchi gli hai dato? – How many packages did you give him?
Gliene ho dati 3 – I gave him 3 (of them)

Quanti biglietti mi dai? – How many tickets are you giving to me?
Quanti me ne dai? – How many of them are you giving (me)?

Quante fatture mi mandi? – How many invoices are you sending me
Quante me ne mandi? – How many of them are you sending (me)?

The double object pronouns and the imperative mood

The imperative mood explained

The double object pronouns are used, especially when giving a command in a concise way.

Dammelo! – Give me (it)
Dimmelo! – Tell me (it)
Mandaglielo! – Send him (it)
Non dirglielo! – Don’t tell him (it)

All the mentioned forms appear in the imperative mood, which is used to give a command in Italian. As you may notice, the imperative has the pronouns attached at the end of the verb. This is a particular feature of the imperative in Italian.

Do you want to practise with me the Italian double object pronouns? Take a master class with me.

Useful drills to practice your double object pronouns

Are you having trouble being accountable for your actions? Take a 30-day language challenge

Some learners make the mistake of committing to long and overwhelming study sessions now and then and they never build up. Because of the natural learning curve of our memory, we can’t expect to receive input on one day and remember it for life. What I think the most efficient way to learn Italian or anything else is a limited time is setting up a time to study intensively for a month, build-up, and just then, slow down. Olly Richards offers a 30-day Italian language challenge for intermediate speakers (A2-B1), consisting of a daily challenge of just 15 minutes: including a 250-word chapter of a story, audio, and transcripts with grammar explanations.

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

Are you a false beginner or intermediate Italian learner? Learn Italian with storytelling

Italian uncovered is a short story-based video course for false beginners (those who have already dubbed Italian for a while) who need a more strategic approach to Italian learning.
The video course comprises 20 chapter stories in simple Italian and includes everything beginners Italian learners need to know to navigate from a beginner to an intermediate level. This is a prooved practical course for those who need to learn at their own pace.
My two cents: make sure to break your Italian study down into short but consistent bites. In short, it’s provided that the most efficient way to study is a 20-30 minute every day or every second, instead of committing to long and sporadic study sessions.

If you want to know more about how to learn effectively, check my article here

9 smart strategies to maximize your Italian study time

A brief guide to using the Italian modal verbs (volere, dovere, potere)

How to use the Italian modal verbs: volere, dovere, potere

In Italian, as in most languages, there is a number of irregular verbs that have to be learned by heart. Some of these are highly frequent like the Italian modal verbs volere, potere, dovere.

Conjugation of the present tense of VOLRE, POTERE, DOVERE

The Italian modal verbs dovere, potere and volere, respectively express necessity, possibility or a wish (AKA if you must do something, if you can do something or if you want to do something). These verbs are also used to do things like asking permission, making requests and offers and so forth.

Dovere, potere and volere are known as “modal verbs“.

The most important rule about the Italian modals verbs is that, they always precede the infinitive verb of another verb. We can also put it differently and say that the modal verbs are always followed by a non- conjugated verb (AKA infinitive).

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 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 also used as a non-modal verb. In this case dovere has a different meaning and a noun follows it (not an infinitive verb) .

Dovere + noun: to owe

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

Dovere has not a single translation in English. When English uses the verbs need, should, must, have to , Italian uses dovere. To find out how to correctly use dovere in Italian, check how to use dovere, avere bisogno and servire in Italian.

HOW TO USE 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

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

Instead, in Italian, you should use the verb “sapere” to say that you can do something.

So cantare – I can sing
Sai cucinare? – Can you cook?
Sapete parlare russo? – Can you guys speak Russian?

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

HOW TO USE VOLERE

Volere: to want, to wish

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

Do you want to practice your Italian modal verbs? Use these drills!

Italian modal verbs in compound tenses

A compound tense is a verb resulting from the combination of an auxiliary verb and a past participle (e.g. condizionale passato, passato prossimo, futuro anteriore, congiuntivo passato, etc..)

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

The helping verb (or auxiliary) does not depend on the modal verbs, but on the infinite verbs following.

If you want to say in the past – voglio uscire – in order to choose the correct helping verb you need to take into consideration the second verb (the infinitive one), that is to say – uscire.

As you know, the helping verb of uscire is essere, so that, you will use essere as an auxiliary.

Sono voluta uscire – I wanted to leave

If you wanted to say – voglio mangiare – in the past, the result would be:

Ho dovuto mangiare – I wanted to eat

The usage of the auxiliary avere depends on the fact that the verb mangiare use avere as a helping verb.

Let’s see another example…

Ho dovuto preparare la cena – I had to prepare the dinner

Preparare is one of those verbs using avere as a helping verb, for such reason the auxiliary of dovere is avere.

Non ho potuto preparare la cena – I could not prepare the dinner
Non sono potuta andare a pranzo – I could not go to the lunch

Note that if the auxiliary preceding the modal verb is essere, the past participle of the verbs dovere, potere and volere agree with the gender and number of the subject.

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)

Any questions? Leave a comment below!

Are you a false beginner or intermediate Italian learner? Learn Italian with storytelling

If you want to know more about how to learn effectively, check my article here

9 smart strategies to maximize your Italian study time

HOW TO USE PIACERE IN ITALIAN

HOW TO USE THE VERB PIACERE IN ITALIAN

Mi piace or non piace are some of those phrases that Italians use all the time.

Ti piacciono quelle scarpe? – do you like those shoes?
Non ci è piaciuto quel film – we didn’t like that movie

As you might already have noticed, piacere (and a few other verbs that I will list at the end of this post) does not follow a regular conjugation, and it’s used differently from its equivalent in English – I like.

The Italian translation for I like, is NOT io piaccio, but mi piace or mi piacciono.

How to conjugate the verb piacere?

Piacere is conjugated just with the 3rd person plural and singular. The person who likes something (or someone) is denoted with an indirect object pronoun (mi, ti, gli/le, ci, vi, gli) and not with the regular subject pronouns (io, tu, lui, etc..)

What is the difference between piace and piacciono?

PIACE is used when the thing or person we like is a singular entity or an action (infinitive verb)

Mi piace Marco
Gli piace la pasta
Ti piace questo dolce
Ci piace passeggiare nei boschi

PIACCIONO is used when the thing or person we like is a plural entity

Ti piacciono questi fiori?
Non ci piacciono questi mobili

Are you a false beginner or intermediate Italian learner? Learn Italian with storytelling

If you want to know more about how to learn effectively, check my article here

9 smart strategies to maximize your Italian study time

Let’s recap…

When you say mi piace in Italian, what you say in English is “something” is pleasing for me/to you/to him, etc…

Mi piace / mi piacciono – I like → it’s pleasing for me
Ti piace / ti piacciono – you like → it’s pleasing for you, etc..

So, mi piace la mia città actually means my city is pleasing for me.

WHY DO WE SAY “A” MARCO PIACE..?

When the person who likes something is denoted by a noun (and not by a pronoun), the noun must be preceded by the preposition a:

A Marco piacere viaggiare – Marco likes traveling
A Lucia non è piaciuto il film – Lucia didn’t like the movie
Sono sicura che a Luca e Lea non piacerà questo regalo – I am sure Luca and Lea won’t like this present

PIACERE in the passato prossimo

Like in the present tense, piacere takes a different conjugation with the passato prossimo (and the other verbs).

The Italian for I liked is mi è piaciuto/a or mi sono piaciuti/e

As you can see from the list, the past tense combines three elements:

the corresponded indirect pronouns + the auxiliary essere + the past participle (piaciuto/a/i/e).

What’s the difference between mi è piaciuto il film (I liked the film) and mi sono piaciuti i negozi (I liked the shops)?

In the first sentence, the object that is being liked is a singular entity (a film/un film). In the second sentence, the object that is being liked is a plural entity (i negozi/ the shops)

The auxiliary and the past participles always agree in terms of gender and number with the thing that is being liked. So, if the entity being liked is a feminine noun, you will need to make sure that the participle makes the correct agreement with the subject, for example

Mi è piaciuta la pasta → I like the pasta

Mi sono piaciute le tue amiche → I like your (female) friends

Piacere in the IMPERFECT

Mi piaceva / mi piacevano
Ti piaceva / ti piacevano
Gli-le piaceva / gli-le piacevano
Ci piaceva / ci piacevano
Vi piaceva / vi piacevano
Gli piaceva / gli piacevano

Piacere in the FUTURE SIMPLE

Mi piacerà / mi piaceranno

Ti piacerà / ti piaceranno

Gli-le piacerà / gli-le piaceranno

Ci piacerà / ci piaceranno

Vi piacerà / vi piaceranno

Gli piacerà / gli piaceranno

Piacere in the PRESENT CONDITIONAL

Mi piacerebbe / mi piacerebbero

Ti piacerebbe / ti piacerebbero

Gli-le piacerebbe / gli-le piacerebbero

Ci piacerebbe / ci piacerebbero

Vi piacerebbe / vi piacerebbero

Gli piacerebbe / gli piacerebbero

Piacere in the PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

Mi piaccia / mi piacciano

Ti piaccia / ti piacciano

Gli-le piaccia / gli-le piacciano

Ci piaccia / ci piacciano

Vi piaccia / vi piacciano

Gli piaccia / gli piacciano

Other verbs similar to PIACERE

Piacere is not the only verb using a different conjugation (known also as impersonal conjugation). There is a string of verbs that are more or less used in day to day Italian that are used just like piacere.

My piece of advice is learning very how to use piacere, and that apply the very same rule the the following verbs

Servire – to need (something)
Bastare – to be enough
Mancare – to miss
Interessare – to be interested

PARTIRE and USCIRE: don’ mix them up!

PARTIRE and USCIRE

PARTIRE and USCIRE: don’t mix them up!

Today I want to shed light on the difference in the usage of two Italian verbs that my students frequently mix up

PARTIRE and USCIRE

Both partire and uscire mean leaving, getting out, or exiting, but they can be used in all situations. Each is used in some contest and with a particular nuance.

PARTIRE = to leave, to leave for

Let’s start from partire

PARTIRE means to leave, BUT, just when you are leaving a place (or person!) permanently or for a long time or a vacation.

Ho lasciato la mia città a 18 anni per studiare all’estero – I life my hometown when I was 18 for studying abroad

PARTIRE is also used with transports,

Il treno è partito due minuti fa – the train left two minutes ago
L’autobus è partito – the bus left

PARTIRE (per) is used to say you’re going on vacation or traveling for other reasons. In this case, it is accompanied by the prepositions per

Domani parto per Roma – tomorrow I am leaving for Rome
I miei genitori sono partiti per le vacanze – my parents left for vacations

USCIRE = to leave, to go out, to hang out, to exit

Let’s talk about USCIRE now

USCIRE means to leave a place (your home, your office) knowing that you’re coming back the same day generally. It’s almost always followed by the prepositions di and da

Esco di casa alle 8 → I leave (my home) every day at 8
Quando sei uscito ieri? → When did you leave yesterday?

Uscire has other meanings, though.

USCIRE is also frequently used with the meaning of hanging out or going out and it’s typically used in some sentences like the ones below.

uscire con gli amici → going out with friends
uscire a bere qualcosa → going out for drinks

Lastly, when uscire is used with the prepositions con in the combination “USCIRE CON” it means to date someone.

Esco con Marco da un po’ → I have been dating Marco for a while

PARTIRE and USCIRE in the PAST (passato prossimo)

On a side note, when you use partire or uscire in the passato prossimo, the primary Italian past tense, remember to use the auxiliary essere when conjugating them.

ESSERE VS STARE. What’s the difference?

ESSERE vs. STARE. What’s the difference?

In Italian there are two verbs have just one equivalent in English: stare and essere. They are not interchangeable, though. Let’s start by saying that in 98% of the cases, the verb to use is essere. However, there are cases where using stare is expected and mandatory. In this article, I clarify when using essere and especially when it is necessary to stare .

Essere

Essere indicates the state of being and it used to identify:

yourself and your nationality: sono Serena e sono italiana.
your job: sono un’insegnante di italiano per stranieri.
origins: sono di Milano.
physical appearance and personality: sono alta e simpatica

describing locations: Roma è una bella città.
describing objects: la mia casa è grande e luminosa.
locating 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 ragazzo nuovo a scuola – there is you a new kid in the school
Ci sono quattro sedie in cucina – there are four chairs in the kitchen

Stare

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

LOCATION

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

Oggi sto a casa – today I stay home

HEALTH

come stai?
sto bene
sto male
sto meglio

APPEARANCE

Stare bene and stare male mean that something (e.g. a piece of clothing) is looking great on you or not. Other possible translations into English are to suit, to fit.

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

IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS

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

Stare in piedi – to be standing
Stare seduto – to be sitting
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

In some of the above expressions, stare and essere are interchangeable. There is a subtle difference between them, though. ESSERE would state a quality or being a statement, while STARE would rather indicates a voluntariness in the action described.

sono in piedi – I stand / sto in piedi – I voluntarily stand
sono seduto – I sit / sto seduto – I voluntarily sit
sei calmo – you are calm person (quality) / stai calmo! – please, try to stay calm (voluntarily)

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

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 parlano al telefono – I am on the phone with Maira

STARE PER + INFINITIVE

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

La lezione sta per finire – the lesson is about to finish
Sto per uscire – I am leaving any moments

Conoscere vs Sapere : how to use them

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “SAPERE” AND “CONOSCERE”?

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

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

Italian uses two different verbs: sapere and conoscere.

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

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

WHEN TO USE “CONOSCERE”

Conoscere means to be acquainted with something or someone: a topic, a person, a place, or a subject.

Conoscere is used with people, places or things and means having good knowledge of something or someone because if you have previously experienced it.

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

Nouns always follow CONOSCERE

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

Examples:

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

WHEN TO USE “SAPERE”

The counter part of conoscere, is sapere. Sapere means to be aware of something. In short, sapere means knowing a fact, an event or a piece of information.

The clause che almost always follows sapere.

Ho saputo che Marco si è trasferito – I learned Marco moved away
Sai che Maria si è sposata? – Do you know that Maria got married?
Sai che Marco ha avuto un bambino? – Do you that Marco had a baby?

Sapere is also used in questions to ask for a specific piece of information:

Sai che ore sono? – Do you know what time is it?
Sai a che ora parte il treno? – Do you know at what time the train is leaving?
Sapete dov’è Maria? – Do you (guys) know, where Maria is?

SAPERE AS A MODAL VERB

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

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

OTHER MEANINGS OF SAPERE

Sapere also covers other meanings in Italian colloquial expressions.

You can use sapere to:

tell the taste of something with the expression “SAPERE DI”
tell an opinion with the expression “MI SA CHE…”

SAPERE DI…

Questo drink non sa di niente – This drink tastes like nothing
Questo dolce sa di cannella – This cake tastes cinnamon

MI SA CHE…

Mi sa che rimango a casa stasera – troppo freddo! – I think I stay home tonight – it’s too cold!
Mi sa che non cucino oggi – sono troppo stanca – I think I won’t cook today – too tired!

Useful links to practice this topic

How to speak politely in Italian: TU/LEI

HOW TO SPEAK POLITELY IN ITALIAN – YOU FORMAL AND INFORMAL

Italian is one of those languages that change subject pronouns (and verb conjugations) depending on how a conversation happens within a formal and informal setting.

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

The rule of thumb is..

when addressing friends and family or people we are familiar with, we use the subject pronoun TU (and we conjugate the verb accordingly)

Ciao, (tu) confermi l’appuntamento di domani? – Hi, are you confirming our appointment tomorrow?

When addressing a person we don’t know, or an older person or someone to whom we want to show respect (a doctor, a lawyer, a politician…), we use a different subject pronoun, the so-called pronoun of courtesy (pronome di cortesia in Italian) or YOU polite: LEI.

Buona sera, (LEI) conferma l’appuntamento di domani? – Hi, are you confirming our appointment tomorrow?

English, does not mark this difference in terms of subject pronouns. That’s why, for example, there is just one way to translate in English “Are you coming to dinner?”, while in Italian there are two.

Vieni a cena? – [2nd personal singular, informal]

Viene a cena? – [3rd person singular, formal]

YOU INFORMAL = TU

TU is used when you address someone we know or 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.

YOU FORMAL = LEI

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 Signor Giorgi, Signora Carli, Dottor Rossi, Avvocata Gialli, etc.

SHE AND YOU FORMAL

You formal and the subject pronoun she 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

YOU INFORMAL vs. YOU FORMAL

SWITCHING FROM “LEI” TO “TU”

Sometimes a formal conversation can become less formal, and you can hear someone saying:

Possiamo darci del tu? Or

Dammi 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 to use the informal subject pronoun TU and – dare del Lei – means to use the formal subject pronoun LEI

Lei is both used for women and men, as a pronome di cortesia

WHEN TO USE “YOU POLITE” (OR LEI) IN ITALIAN

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

Typical formal settings in Italy – if you ever ended up in one of these situations, speaking politely or dare del Lei will be expected and appreciated.

At a job interview
At 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)
At the bakery or pastry shop
With officers, doctors, lawyers and other professionals

If you are not using what you to use in Italian, you can always ask:

– possiamo darci del tu? – can we speak informally?

The typical example is when the situation you are facing is formal but the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. Therefore it’s possible to switch to a more informal way of speaking.

?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 you politely, you should say always buongiorno o buonasera and arrivederci.

The adverb ‘ANZI’. What does it mean? How to use it?

ITALIAN COMMON WORDS: ANZI

**WHAT DOES “ANZI” MEAN?**

Anzi is hard to translate in English, so its meaning can throw off non-native Italian speakers.

However, this adverb is very common in spoken Italian because it works as a shortcut to rephrase something previously mentioned.

Generally, we can say that anzi modifies or emphasizes something that was previously stated in sentences. It means, depending on the context and intonation…

instead
on the contrary
better
actually
rather

What is an adverb?

An adverb is a part of the speech that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another part of a sentence. Adverbs are an invariable part of the speech: it means that they can’t be modified. So, anzi, never changes.

HOW TO USE ANZI IN SENTENCES

Let’s in greater detail

Anzi is used to correct a previously denied statement with the meaning of “actually” or “on the contrary”

Marco non è un ragazzo superficiale, anzi, secondo me è molto intelligente – Marco is not naive, actually, I think he is very smart.

Non mi disturbi per niente, anzi, grazie per avermi chiamato- You are not disturbing me at all. Actually, thank you for calling.

Anzi is also used to modify something that we have just said and we want to rephrase. Technically, we want to change what we mentioned in the first part of the sentence. In this case, anzi has the meaning of actually, better, rather.

Facciamo l’esercizio numero 4….anzi no, il numero 5! – Let’s do exercise number 4 … actually no, number 5!
Stiamo adatta alla Pizzeria Borghese, anzi no, andiamo da Pippo – We are going to the Pizzeria Borghese, actually no, we are rather going to Pizzeria Pippo
Mi porta un Bloody Mary, per favore?Anzi no, un Mojito! – Can you bring me a Bloody Mary, please? … No, actually, I’d rather have a Mojito!

Anzi is used to emphasize or intensify something, previously mentioned: in this case, anzi has the meaning of actually, better or rather

Sei brava, anzi bravissima – you are good, actually very good.
Sei bella, anzi bellissima – you are beautiful, actually beautiful.

Anzi has a fourth meaning. When it’s is used in an answer and as an exclamation, anzi means something like figurati which is a colloquial way of saying you’re welcome or not at all in Italian

Ti dispiace se mi siedo qui? No, anzi! – Do you you mind if I sit here? Not at all!
Ti dispiace farci una foto? No, anzi!– Do you mind taking a picture of us? Not at all!

1 2 3 4

GRAMMAR PILLS

The “ISC” conjugation (present conjugation)

Regular conjugation of the 3rd group verbs

IRREGULAR CONJUGATIONS OF THE 3rd GROUP VERBS

Other common verbs using the -ISC- conjugation are

ARE YOU A BEGINNER? START ON THE RIGHT FOOT!

Get updates about my immersive experiences, podcast and smart learning projects for beginners

HOW TO USE THE (DEFINITE) ARTICLES IN ITALIAN

Gli articoli indeterminativi (definite article)

When to use the definite articles

When articles are not used in Italian

When definite articles are used in Italian but NOT in English

ARE YOU A BEGINNER? START ON THE RIGHT FOOT!

Get updates about my immersive experiences, podcast and smart learning projects for beginners

How To Learn The Italian Present Tense In Detail

What is the present indicative tense in Italian?

English vs. Italian

How to form the Italian present tense?

The Three Conjugations of Italian Verbs

3 Tips for Using the Italian Present Tense Correctly

Understanding the subject object pronouns

How to make a negative sentence in Italian

How to ask a question in Italian

Italian Irregular Verbs

The Italian courtesy form

ARE YOU A BEGINNER? START ON THE RIGHT FOOT!

Get updates about my immersive experiences, podcast and smart learning projects for beginners

What are the reflexive verbs (i verbi riflessivi)?

What does the “si” stand for?

Does English has any reflexive verbs?

Common Italian reflexive verbs

How to use the Italian reflexive verbs?

Where to put the reflexive pronoun “si”?

Italian reflexive verbs in compound tenses

REFLEXIVE VERBS AND PARTS OF THE BODY

ARE YOU A BEGINNER? START ON THE RIGHT FOOT!

Get updates about my immersive experiences, podcast and smart learning projects for beginners

Italian verbs with a double auxiliary

ITALIAN TRANSITIVE AND INTRANSITIVE VERBS

List of the most common Italian verbs taking a double auxiliary

Examples of Italian verbs taking a double auxiliary used as transitive verbs

Examples of Italian verbs that take a double auxiliary used as intransitive verbs

ITALIAN VERBS TO TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER

Are you having trouble being accountable for your actions? Take a 30-day language challenge

MAKE ITALIAN LEARNING A HABIT

GET UPDATES ABOUT MY PODCAST, IMMERSION TRIPS AND SMART LEARNING PROJECTS

GLIELO? GLIENE? TE LO? HOW TO USE THE DOUBLE OBJECT PRONOUNS IN ITALIAN

The Italian double object pronoun in use

6 things you should know about the double object pronouns

The double object pronouns with the passato prossimo

THE PRONOUN “GLIENE”

The double object pronouns and the imperative mood

MAKE ITALIAN LEARNING A HABIT

GET UPDATES ABOUT MY PODCAST, IMMERSION TRIPS AND SMART LEARNING PROJECTS

Are you having trouble being accountable for your actions? Take a 30-day language challenge

Dire And Parlare: How To Use them

What is the Meaning of Dire?

Commons expressions using verb dire

What is the Meaning of Parlare?

Commons expressions using verb parlare

How to use the Italian modal verbs: volere, dovere, potere

Conjugation of the present tense of VOLRE, POTERE, DOVERE

Examples

HOW TO USE DOVERE

HOW TO USE POTERE

HOW TO USE VOLERE

Italian modal verbs in compound tenses

ARE YOU A BEGINNER? START ON THE RIGHT FOOT!

Get updates about my immersive experiences, podcast and smart learning projects for beginners

HOW TO USE THE VERB PIACERE IN ITALIAN

How to conjugate the verb piacere?

What is the difference between piace and piacciono?

Let’s recap…

WHY DO WE SAY “A” MARCO PIACE..?

PIACERE in the passato prossimo

Piacere in the IMPERFECT

Piacere in the FUTURE SIMPLE

Piacere in the PRESENT CONDITIONAL

Piacere in the PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

Other verbs similar to PIACERE