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How To Use ” CI” and “NE” in Italian

How To Use the Particles “Ci” and “Ne” in Italian

Have you been learning Italian for a while? Then, I am sure you have been faced with the quirky usage of the Italian particles ci and ne (also known as particelle pronominali in Italian). 

And you’ve been wondering dozens of times how to use ci and how to use ne.  

Maybe you have also decided to neglect ci and ne, thinking their use is not essential; but it is. Italians use ci and ne in conversations all the time, simply because they help them be more concise and convey a message faster.

That’s why mastering these two little words will take your Italian very far, in addition to making your Italian sound ten times more natural when you use them. Guaranteed.

Let’s break this topic down into simple bites for you. 

How to Use “NE”

What does ne mean? 

“Ne“, in Italian, has two main meanings.

1. the “NE pronominale”

The “ne pronominale” is simply a pronoun, which means that its function is to replace something that was previously mentioned and that, in the case of the pronoun “ne,” was introduced by the preposition “di”.

A typical example is the verb “parlare.” “Parlare” is always followed by the preposition “di.”

“Parlare di” means “talk/speak about.”

For example:

  1. Parlo spesso di studio delle lingue  (I often talk about language learning)
  2. Ne parlo spesso (I often talk about it)

In sentence number 2, the function of “ne” is to replace the part “di studio delle lingue” from sentence number 1.

That’s why the easiest way to use “ne” correctly is to memorize which verbs tend to use “ne” as a pronoun. These verbs are those that are followed by the preposition “di,” like “parlare,” and some other common verbs like in the list below.

Common verbs using the pronoun “ne”.

  • Parlare di – to speak/talk about
  • Essere sicuro di – to be sure about
  • Avere bisogno di – to need
  • Avere nostalgia di – to feel nostalgia

As you can see, all these verbs trigger the preposition “di”. That’s why we can say that “ne” can replace a sentence introduced by “di” after any of these verbs.

Examples that illustrate the use of the “ne pronominale” .

  • Che pensi di Maria? – What do you think of Maria?
  • Che ne pensi? – What do you think of her?
  • Noi parliamo di politica – We talk about politics
  • Ne parliamo – We talk about it
  • Hai bisogno di una macchina per andare a lavoro? – Do you need a car to go to work?
  • No, non ne ho bisogno – No, I am not in need of it
  • Sei sicuro di quello che hai detto? – Are you sure about what you said? 
  • Sì, ne sono sicuro – Yes, I am sure about it

In short, the Italian pronoun/particle “ne” means (and replaces) “of it” or “of them” or “about it” or “about them”.

2. The “NE partitivo”

The use of the “ne partitivo” occurs when “ne” means “some of it,” “some of them,” and indicates quantities and amounts. This use of “ne” is often triggered by questions such as “Quanto (How much)” or “Quanti (How many)” or by the verb “volere” in sentences like “Vuoi del…? (Do you want some/any…).”

  • Vuoi del formaggio? (Do you want some cheese?)/ Sì, ne voglio un po’  (I want some of it)
  • Vuoi un pezzo di torta? (Do you want a piece of cake?) / No, ne voglio due (I want two of them)
  • Quanti figli hai? (How many sons do you have?) / Ne ho due ( I have two of them)
  • Quante libri hai letto? (How many books did you read) / Ne ho letto uno (I have read just one)

In this case “ne” indicates some of something else (some of it or some of them).

How “Ce ne sono” is different from “ci sono”?

  • Ci sono means there are 
  • Ce ne sono means there are some of them

In Italian, “ce ne sono” is used to refer to something that has already been mentioned. Usually, these sentences are used as a reply to a question starting with “Quanti/e?” and followed by “ci sono.”

  • Quante finestre ci sono in questa stanza? – how many windows are there in this room?
  • Ce ne sono tre – there are three of them 

What’s the position of ne in a sentence?

Ne usually comes before the verb (ne parlo = I speak about it), except when the verb is an imperative (order) or an infinitive.

When “ne“ comes with an infinitive, the final -e of the verb is dropped.

  • Voglio parlarne – I want to talk about it
  • Parlane! – Talk about it! (imperative)

 

How to Use “CI”

What does ci mean?

“Ci” has several different meanings and functions in Italian. Let’s explore them, one by one.

1. CI: there, in that place, in there

Ci is also used with the meaning of “there”, when there has already been mentioned. For example, 

  • Sei stato a Londra? – Have you been to London?
  • Sì, ci sono stato  – Yes, I have been there
  • Quando vai in montagna? – When are going to the mountains?
  • Ci vado domenica – I’ll go there on Sunday
  • Vai a Milano ogni venerdì? – Are you going to Milan every Friday?
  • Sì, ci vado – Yes, I go there

In the foregoing sentences, the “ci” has been used to replacing Londra, la montagna and Milano in the answers. 

2. Ci=us

Ci means also “us”, whet it has the function of direct and indirect object pronouns. 

For example,

  • Ci chiami? – Can you call us?
  • Ci dai una mano? – Can you give us a hand? 
  • Dicci – Tell us

3. Ci with reflexive verbs 

Ci is also one of the reflexive pronouns typically used in the conjugations of reflexive verbs, with the 1st person plural (=noi).

For example,

  • ci svegliamo = we wake up
  • ci facciamo la doccia = we take a shower
  • ci rilassiamo = we relax 

4. CI: about it, on it, in it, with it 

This use of the particle ci is similar to the use of ne when followed by the preposition “di”. What is different is that ci is associated with the verbs followed by prepositions “a”, “in”, “su”, “con” (while ne is associated with verbs followed by the preposition di).

Most common verbs using the particle “ci”:

  • Pensare a – to think about/of
  • Credere in/a – to believe in
  • Contare su – to count on
  • Andare a/in – to go to
  • Riuscire a – to manage 
  • Fare caso a – to notice

We use the particle ci to replace something that has already been mentioned in the conversation.

  • Pensi a Maria? – Are you thinking about Maria?
  • Sì, ci penso sempre – Yes, I always think about her
  • Credi in Dio? – Do you believe in God?
  • Ci credo – Yes, I believe in him 
  • Conti su di me?  – Are you counting on me?
  • Sì, ci conto  – Yes, I count on you

Smart tip

An easy way to get a good grasp of ci and ne is to memorize the recurring combinations of verbs and particles in which they appear. For example, ne is frequently associated with the verb parlare, and ci is frequently associated with the verb pensare and credere. This will save you a lot of time and frustration. 

  • Ne parliamo (we speak about it)
  • Ci penso (I’ll think about it) 
  • Ci credo (I believe it)
  • Ci vado (I’ll go there)

*For the sake of simplicity, all of the verbs have been conjugated in the first person of the present tense.

Lì vs. Ci

Lì or ci are often mixed up by students.

The reason for this is that l can also mean there. However, it has a whole different function in the sentence.

Lì (or là) is an adverb of place and not a pronoun, like “ci.”

Lì doesn’t have the function of replacing a place it has mentioned before, but it does have the function of specifying where something is.

For example,

  • Il gatto è lì = the cat is there (here, use of the adverb)
  • Vado là = I’m going over there (here, use of the adverb)
  • Ci vado = I’m going there (here, pronoun : “ci” means in that place that it was mentioned previously in the conversation)

Pronominal verbs with CI & NE

There are a number of verbs in Italian known as “verbi pronominali” that incorporate ne, ci or both. Some examples of pronominal verbs are:

  • Tenerci
  • Andersene
  • Riuscirci
  • Farcela 

This a rather advanced topic. If you have a good level of Italian you can learn about the pronominal verbs in the next article. If you’re a beginner or intermediate learner, you can skip it for now.

Having a hard time with Italian pronouns? These textbooks might be useful.

        

The Italian Prepositions Explained

The Italian Prepositions Explained

What’s a preposition in Italian?

I like to describe prepositions as the glue that holds words together in a sentence. A preposition is a small word that connects different parts of a sentence and affects the meaning of a noun, adjective, or verb. Common prepositions in English include “in,” “at,” “by,” and “for,” among others. Similarly, common Italian prepositions include “di,” “a,” “in,” “tra,” and others.

Simple prepositions vs. Articulated prepositions

In Italian, we distinguish between simple and articulated prepositions. Simple prepositions are standalone words that do not change their form based on the gender or number of the noun they modify. The simple prepositions in Italian are “di,” “a,” “da,” “in,” “con,” “su,” “per,” “tra” (or “fra”).

Articulated prepositions, on the other hand, are formed by combining a simple preposition with a definite article, such as “il,” “lo,” “la,” “l’,” or “i,” “gli,” “le,” depending on the gender and number of the noun that follows. For example, “a” + “il” becomes “al,” “di” + “la” becomes “della,” and “su” + “i” becomes “sui.” Articulated prepositions can be modified depending on the gender and number of the noun that follows. However, “tra” (or “fra”), “con,” and “per” are not combined to form articulated prepositions.

Italian Simple Prepositions Chart 

Italian Articulated Prepositions Chart 

*In some parts of Italy, it’s possible to hear the contracted forms of the preposition “con” with the definite articles, such as “col,” “colla,” “coll’,” “coi,” “cogli,” and “colle. The prepositions “tra” and “fra” are interchangeable and have the same meaning.“Tra,” “fra,” and “per” do not merge with definite articles to form articulated prepositions.

 

How to Learn Italian Prepositions 

I have been teaching Italian to native English speakers for over 10 years, and these are my best pieces of advice on learning Italian prepositions.

  • Don’t try to learn all prepositions at once as it may not make sense. Instead, focus on learning general patterns such as using the preposition “a” before names of cities and “in” before names of countries. Don’t try to learn all the different uses of “di” or “da” as a beginner, as that will come with time and years of studying and language use.
  • Learn prepositions in context or chunks. A chunk is a recurring combination of an adjective and a preposition (such as “pieno di = full of”, pronto a = ready to”) or a preposition and a verb (such as “parlare con=to talk with”, “venire da = to leave from”, and “consigliare di=to recommend to”).
  • Every preposition has several translations in English, and the rules are defined by the context. For example, “tra” means “between” when indicating spaces, but it means “in” when indicating future time.
  • Lastly, learn prepositions through reading simplified Italian, like short stories. When you read, you will naturally be exposed to combinations of nouns and prepositions or verbs and prepositions. If you do this consistently, you will learn the order of words and the place of prepositions naturally.

The preposition “di”

Main meanings: of, “s”, some.

The most common use of “di” is when it corresponds to the English possessive “‘s” and the noun + noun structure. For example:

  • Il libro di italiano (The Italian book)
  • La casa dei miei nonni (My grandparents’ house)
  • La lezione di Serena (Serena’s lesson)
  • Il corso di italiano (The Italian course)

“Di” is also used in partitive constructions with the meaning of “some” or “any,” indicating an indefinite quantity. For example:

  • Vorrei del pane (I would like some bread)
  • Vorrei dello zucchero (I would like some sugar)
  • Hai delle uova? (Do you have any eggs?)

Typically, in this type of sentence, we use articulated prepositions (di + definite article).

“Di” is sometimes used after certain verbs that are typically followed by a second verb. In this case, it works like a connector. For example:

  • Finisco di lavorare (I finish work)
  • Spero di passare l’esame (I hope to pass the exam)
  • Ho voglia di fare una passeggiata (I feel like going for a walk)

“Di” is also used in a number of common expressions, like:

  • di giorno, in the daytime
  • di notte, at night
  •  di mattina, in the morning
  •  di pomeriggio, in the afternoon
  • di tanto in tanto, from time to time 
  • di più, more [used after verbs]
  • di fronte, in front of 
  • di fretta, in a hurry
  • d’estate, d’inverno,  in the summer, in the winter 
  • di niente, you’re welcome 

The preposition “a”

Main meanings: in, at, to

The preposition “a” can mean “in” or “to” when referring to a location you are going to, and “at” when referring to a place where you currently are.

There are no clear rules when it comes to usage, but there are a few trends to follow:

We use “a” when the verb “andare” (to go) is followed by another verb. In these sentences, “a” means “to”:

  • Vado a studiare (I’m going to study)
  • Vado a prendere il pane (I’m going to get some bread)

“A” means in or to when used before the name of a city or a town.

  • Vado a Roma (I’m going to Rome)
  • Sono a Roma (I’m in Rome) 

We use “a” or its contracted forms (articulated prepositions) when we are going to place or you’re at a place. For example:

  • Vado/sono al cinema (I’m going/I’m to the cinema)
  • Vado/sono al teatro (I’m going/I’m to the theater)
  • Vado/sono al lavoro (I’m going/I’m to work)
  • Vado/sono al mare (I’m going/I’m to the sea)

Whether to use “a” or “al/alla/ai” depends on the gender and number of the following noun. It’s helpful to learn the most common combinations (e.g., vado al mare) by heart.

“A” or “alle” is used to indicate time:

  • Alle 8 (at 8 o’clock)
  • A mezzogiorno (at noon)

Common expressions using the prepositions “a”:

  • a sinistra, to the left
  • a destra, to the right
  • al centro di, in the middle of
  • a volte, at times
  • al mare, to the beach
  • al lavoro, to work
  • al teatro, to the theater 
  • al cinema, to the movies
  • a poco a poco, little by little
  • a letto, to bed
  • all’estero, abroad 
  • a memoria, by heart
  • a causa di, because of 

The preposition “da”

What does “da” mean in Italian? 

Main meanings: from, for, since, by, to

“Da” mainly means “from” when indicating place and is combined with certain verbs like “partire da” (to leave from) and “venire da” (to come from). For example:

  • Vengo da Milano (I’m coming from Milan)
  • Parto da Roma (I’m leaving from Rome)

“Da” also means “since” or “for” when indicating how long (since when) you’ve been doing something. For instance:

  • Vivo a Roma da due anni (I’ve been living in Rome for two years)
  • Vivo a Roma dal 2018  (I’ve been living in Rome since 2018 )
  • Comincio a studiare da domani (I start studying from tomorrow)

In passive forms, “da” means “by.” For example:

  • Questa azienda è stata fondata da mio padre (This company was founded by my father)
  • Questo libro è stato scritto dalla mia insegnante (This book was written by my teacher)

“Da” means “to someone” or “at the house of someone” when used with the verbs “andare” and “essere.” The typical mistake here is to use “a” or “in” instead of “da.” For instance:

  • Vado dai miei amici (I’m going to my friends) and not vado ai miei amici 
  • Vado dal medico (I’m going the doctor’s)  and not vado al dottore

Finally, “da” is also used before an infinitive and after “molto“, “poco“, “niente“, “troppo“, “qualcosa“, and “nulla“.

  • Non c’è molto da fare (There isn’t much to do)
  • Hai qualcosa da dire (Do you have anything to say)

“Da”, together with “a”, is also used in time expressions, such as:

  • da lunedì a venerdì (Monday through Friday)
  • dalle 14 alle 15 (from 2pm to 3pm)
  • da marzo a giugno (from March to June)

Common expressions using the prepositions “da”:

da domani, starting tomorrow

da oggi, starting today

da quanto tempo..=, how long…?

da molto tempo, for a long time

da un lato, dall’altro lato, on one side, on the other side

The preposition “in”

“In” means “in” before the names of countries, regions, or states.

Example:

  • Vado in Italia (I’m going to Italy)
  • Vado in Toscana (I’m going to Tuscany)
  • Vado in Texas (I’m going to Texas)

“In” means “to” when referring to a location we are going to. This is a similar use of the preposition “a,” which is why it’s sometimes difficult to decide whether to use “a” or “in.” Unfortunately, there are no clear rules for using “in” and “a” when referring to going to a place. The best approach is to learn them in combination with the noun they are followed by.

Common expressions with “in”:

  • in chiesa (to church)
  • in palestra (to the gym)
  • in spiaggia (to the beach)
  • in montagna (to the mountains)
  • in centro (to the city center)
  • in ufficio (to the office)
  • in vacanza (on vacation)
  • io bagno (to the bathroom) 
  • in piscina (to the swimming pool)

If you want to learn more about the use of “in” and “a,” I go into further detail in this article (the difference between “in” and “a”).

“In” means “by” when talking about transport.

Example:

  • in treno (by train)
  • in macchina (by car)
  • in aereo (by plane)
  • in treno in bici (by train and bike)

The preposition “con”

The preposition “con” has only one meaning and corresponds to the English word “with”.

Example sentences with correct grammar:

  • Parlo con mia madre (I talk with my mother)
  • Vado al cinema con i miei amici (I go to the cinema with my friends)

The preposition “su”

Main meanings: on, about 

The preposition “su” means “on” when indicating location in space. For example:

  • Il libro è sul tavolo (The book is on the table)
  • Il gatto è sulla sedia (The cat is on the chair)

Another common use of “su” is when indicating the subject of something. In this case, it means “about“. For example:

  • Un film sull’Italia (A film about Italy)
  • Un libro su Michelangelo (A book about Michelangelo). 

In both cases, the preposition “su” is typically used in the form of articulated prepositions (su + definite article: sul, sulla, sui, etc.).

The preposition “per”

Main meanings: for, to 

  • Vado in palestra per due ore (I go to the gym for two hours)
  • Vado in Sicilia per due settimana (I’m going to Sicily for two weeks)

“Per” also means “to + verb” when used with the meaning of “in order to do something” and indicates an aim. For example:

  • Studio per migliorare il mio italiano (I study to improve my Italian)
  • Faccio una dieta per perdere peso (I’m on a diet to lose weight) 

The prepositions “tra/fra”

Main meanings: in, between, among 

The most common use of “tra” or “fra” is when they are used to indicate a future time. In this case, tra or fra mean “in” For example:

  • Tra due giorni (In two days)

In this case, “tra” is always followed by a period of time.

Typical mistake: using “in” instead of “tra”.

  • Vado in vacanza in una settimana. (Wrong)
  • Vado in vacanza tra una settimana. (Right)

Another use of “tra” or “fra” is when indicating space and meaning “between” or “among“. For example:

  • Firenze si trova tra Roma e Milano. (Florence is located between Rome and Milan.)

“Tra” and “fra” have the same use and are interchangeable.  

2 helpful textbooks to learn Italian prepositions:

The Most Common Italian Interrogative Words (+exercises) 

The Most Common Italian Question Words (+exercises) 

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

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

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

How to say “What?” in Italian?

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

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

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

How to say “Who?” in Italian

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

For example:

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

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

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

How to say “Why?”

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

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

 

How to say “Where?”

  • Dove vai? (Where are you going?)

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

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

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

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

How to say “When?”

When translate into “quando?”.

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

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

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

How to say “Which?”

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

For example:

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

How to say “What time?”

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

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

How to say “How?”

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

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

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

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

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

How to say “How much?, How many?”

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

Examples:

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

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

How to say “Whose?”

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

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

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

How to say “How long?”

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

Examples:

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

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

English vs. Italian

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

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

How to ask questions in Italian 

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

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

Exercise

The Numbers in Italian

The Italian Numbers: A Guide for Beginners

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

 

Italian Numbers 1 – 100

Numbers 0 – 20

The first 19 numbers have to be learned by heart.

0 – zero

1 – uno

2 – due

3 – tre

4 – quattro

5- cinque

6 – sei

7 – sette

8 – otto

9 – nove

10 – dieci

11 – undici

12 – dodici

13 – tredici

14 – quattordici

15 – quindici

16 – sedici

17 – diciassette

18 – diciotto

19 – diciannove

20 – venti  

Numbers 20 – 100

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

20 – venti

30 – trenta

40 – quaranta

50 – cinquanta

60 – sessanta

70 – settanta

80 – ottanta

90 – novanta 

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

Examples:

21- ventuno

22 – ventidue

23 – ventitré 

24 – ventiquattro

25 – venticinque

26 – ventisei

27 – ventisette

28 – ventotto

29 – ventinove

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

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

So you’ll say:

Vent-uno, instead of venti–uno (21)

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

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

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

Italian Numbers 100 – 999 

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

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

100 = cento (NOT un cento)

200 = duecento 

300 = trecento

400 = quattrocento

500 = cinquecento 

600 = seicento 

700 = settecento 

800 = ottocento 

900 = novecento 

How to read the hundred in Italian:

To read the hundreds in Italian, follow this pattern.

hundreds + decimals  

for example:

112 

cento + dodici = centododici

345 

trecento + quarantacinque = trecentoquarantacinque  

450

quattrocento + cinquanta = quattrocentocinquanta 

The pattern is the same through 999! 

Italian Numbers 1000 – 1 million 

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

1000 = mille (NOT un mila)

2000 = duemila

3000 = tremila

4000 = quattromila

5000 = cinquemila

6000 = seimila

7000 = settemila

8000 = ottomila

9000 = novemila

10000 = diecimila

20000 = ventimila

70000 = settantamila

100.000 = centomila

How to read the thousands in Italian

To read the thousands in Italian you will follow this order 

thousand + hundred + decimals 

For example:

1654 

mille + seicento + cinquantaquattro  

5647

cinque + mila + seicento + quarantasette

10.220

dieci + mila + duecento + venti 

600.410

seicento + mila + quattrocento + dieci 

The pattern is the same through 999999! 

The word for  million is  milione

the word for billion is miliardo 

How to say “the years” in Italian

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

How to say a date in Italian

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

  • 17 marzo 1861 (diciassette marzo milleottocentosessantuno)

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

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

Useful expressions with numbers
  • Una decina – a dozen
  • Centinaia di – hundreds of 
  • Migliaia di – thousands of 
The Passive Voice in Italian 

The Passive Voice in Italian 

The passive form in Italian (or English) is used when we want to focus on the object of the action, rather than the agent who carries out the action. For example:

  • Serena teaches the class [active form, focus on the agent = Serena]
  • The class is taught by Serena [passive form, focus on the object = la classe]

Passive forms can only be used with transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object). In fact, every transitive verb can be used in both active and passive constructions, as in this example:

  • Mio nonno ha costruito questa casa [active form]
  • Questa casa è stata costruita da mio nonno [passive form]

How to Make the Passive Voice 

To form the passive form in Italian, use the verb “essere” (conjugated in the corresponding tense of the active voice), followed by the past participle of the main verb, and the preposition “da” (which introduces the agent carrying out the action).

Let’s see the difference between passive and active voices in italian in a few examples

Active forms 

  1. Anna prepara i biscotti – Anna bakes cookies  
  2. Marco cucina la lasagna – Marco makes the lasagna 
  3. I bambini fanno il puzzle – The children do the puzzle 
  4. I romani hanno costruito questo ponte – The Romans built this bridge 

Passive forms

  1. I biscotti sono cucinati da Anna – The cookies are baked by Anna 
  2. La lasagna è cucinata da marco – The lasagna is made by Marco 
  3. Il puzzle è fatto dai bambini – The puzzle is done by the children 
  4. Questo ponte è stato costruito dai romani – This bridge was build by the Romans 

English vs. Italian

The passive voice is more common in romance language, e.g. italian then in English. So, although you’re not using the passive form in English that much, be prepared to listen to it a lot in Italian.

When the Passive Construction is used in Italian: 

The passive voice is especially used:

  • To emphasize the object of the action
  • In news articles
  • Scientific papers
  • Legal documents 
  • To narrate facts and events past  

Exercise [upper-intermediate]

What’s the Meaning of “Ce l’ho” and How to Use It

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 

You may have heard the phrase “Ce l’ho” and wondered what it means, or more specifically, what the “ce” means in that sentence. Well, you’ll be relieved to know that it doesn’t actually have a specific grammatical function.

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

Although the extra “ce” doesn’t serve a particular grammatical purpose, it’s added to improve the sound of the sentence. This use likely originated from a desire to avoid a cacophony (an unpleasing phonetic sound) when using just “l’ho/le ho/li ho” or its extreme brevity.

This rule applies every time the verb “avere” is preceded by a direct object pronoun (e.g., lo, la, li, le). Therefore, the sentences “ce l’ho” and “non ce l’ho” indicate whether 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)

Note that in Italian, the pronoun “l’,” which stands for “lo” (masculine singular) and “la” (feminine singular), changes to “li” (masculine plural) and “le” (feminine plural) when referring to objects in the plural form. For example, when saying “I have them” or “I don’t have them,” we would use “li” or “le” instead of “l’.” The apostrophe is used just in the singular forms with “it”. 

Examples:

  • Ce l’ho (I have it) – ce li/le ho (I have them) 
  • Ce l’hai (you have it) – ce li/le hai (you have them) 
  • Ce l’ha (he/has has it)- ce li/le ha (he/she has them) 
  • Ce l’abbiamo (we have it) – ce li/le abbiamo (we have them) 
  • Ce l’avete (you all have it) – ce li/le avete (you all have them) 
  • Ce l’hanno (they have it) – ce li/le hanno (they have them) 
English vs. Italian 

In English, when someone asks if you have something, it’s typical to reply using auxiliaries, like in the example “Do you have the keys? Yes, I do.” In Italian, however, the same structure is not used, and instead, the verb used in the question is repeated in the response, as in “Hai le chiavi? Sì, ce le ho” (do you have the keys? Yes, I have them)

2. Avercela con qualcuno – to be mad 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 

The other meanings of the particle “ci” 

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

  • “Ci” as a reflexive pronoun → Ci svegliamo alle 6 – we wake up at six 
  • “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’m going there next month
  • “Ci” as in the forms there is, there are → C’è, ci sono

 

Far fare? Fammi vedere! – Three Different Uses of “Fare” with the Infinitive Verb

Far fare? Fammi vedere! – Three Different Uses of “Fare” with the Infinitive Verb

1. The “fare” causativo 

Are you struggling to understand the construction of the Italian language that uses “fare” and infinitives? Don’t worry, it can be a bit confusing at first, but with some practice, you can easily learn to recognize and use it.

“Fare” is one of the most commonly used verbs in the Italian language and can be used in combination with another infinitive verb (such as “fammi vedere” or “lo faccio fare”). However, the translation of these phrases into English can be difficult, as it is not always straightforward.

Let’s take a look at an example to better understand this construction:

  • Faccio riparare il frigo a mio fratello translates to I will have the fridge repaired by my brother.

You may have noticed the unique use of the verb “fare” and the infinitive in this sentence.

This combination is commonly referred to as the “fare causativo,” and it is frequently used in conversational Italian to express the idea of having something done by someone else.

There are two possible constructions:

  1. Verb “fare” + action verb + “a” + person carrying out the action (e.g., “Faccio riparare il frigo a mio padre” – “I will have my fridge repaired by my father.”)
  2. Indirect object + action verb + “da” + person carrying out the action (e.g., “Mi faccio riparare il frigo da mio padre” – “I am having my fridge repaired by my father.”)

With a bit of practice, you can easily learn to recognize and use this construction in your own Italian conversations.

More examples :

  • Ho fatto pulire l’appartamento a mio marito – I had the flat cleaned by my husband
  • Mi faccio tagliare i capelli da mia zia – I have my hair cut by my auntie
  • Non preoccuparti! Lo faccio fare a mio marito – Don’t worry! I’ll have hassled do it 

Of course, this specific construction of fare+infinitive  can occur in all the different Italian tenses.

  • Mi faccio tagliare i capelli   (present tense)
  • Mi sono fatto tagliare i capelli (passato prossimo)
  • Mi facevo tagliare i capelli (imperfect)
  • Mi farò tagliare i capelli (future tense) 
  • Mi farei tagliare i capelli (present conditional)
  • Mi faccio tagliare i capelli   (present tense)
  • Fammi tagliare i capelli, mamma! (imperative)

2. Fare = make someone to do something 

Another use of  the construction “fare + infinitive” expresses the idea of getting someone to do something and is a translation of the English ‘get or make someone to do something”. For example: 

  • Fa’ leggere tuo figlio – Get your/tell your son to read 
  • Fa’ fare sport a tuo figlio – Get your/tell your son to do sport
  • Fa’ giocare tuo figlio –  Get your/tell your son to play

*in the above phrases the verb fare appears in the imperative mood.

3. Fare = Let 

Another common use of the verb “fare” and the infinitive is a translation of the English “let”  

  • Fammi vedere – Let me see
  • Fammi provare – Let me try
  • Fammi sentire – Let me hear
  • Puoi farmi vedere? – Can you let me see?
  • Mi fai sentire? Can you let me hear?

 

The Difference between: Bene, Bravo, Bello and Buono

The Difference between: Bene, Bravo, Bello and Buono

In a nutshell…

  • Bene is an adverb and is used only after verbs – Paolo parla inglese bene (Paolo speaks English well).
  • Bravo is used just with people and means “skilled, talented, good at” – Paolo è molto bravo a lavoro (Paolo is very good at his job).
  • Buono refers to the interior qualities of things or people – Paolo è buono, questo piatto è buono (Paolo is good at heart, this dish is good).
  • Bello refers to the exterior qualities of things or people – Paolo è bello, questo tavolo è bello (Paolo is handsome, this table is beautiful).

How to use bene

One of the most common mistakes I hear from English native speakers when speaking Italian is misusing the word “bene.” While it is often used to mean “good,” this usage is incorrect. In fact, “good” only translates to “bene” in the phrase “sto bene,” which means “I’m good.”

Never say: il libro è bene ❌

Otherwise, “bene” should be used as an adverb and only after a verb, such as in the sentences: 

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

Intensifiers of “bene”

  • Molto bene, benissimo = very well

How 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 and a good morale. 

Common Italian expressions using “bravo”

  • Che bravo! – Well done!
  • Bravo! – Well done!
  • Bravissimo – Way to go!

How to use bello 

Bello is a versatile Italian adjective that can describe both people and things. When applied to things, it can mean “nice” or “beautiful,” while when applied to people, it can mean “beautiful” or “handsome.” In either case, bello denotes the external qualities of the person, thing, or place being described.

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

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! 

For intermediate learners, did you know that bello can sometimes change to begli, bei or bel? In this article, I will explain why this happens. Bel? Begli? Bei? What do they mean? 

How 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
The Direct Object Pronouns in Italian

The Italian Direct Object Pronouns 

What’s a pronoun? 

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

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

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

What’s a direct object pronoun? 

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

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

For example,

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

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

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

 

The direct object pronouns MI / TI / CI / VI 

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

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

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

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

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

The stressed forms are typically used with prepositions.

For example,

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

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

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

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

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

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

The direct pronouns and the modal verbs

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

Let’s see it in practice.

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

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

The direct pronouns and the infinitive

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

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

The direct pronouns and the imperative

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

The Direct Object Pronouns with the Passato Prossimo

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

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

Let’s take a look at some examples:

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

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

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

 

The Italian Modal Verbs Explained for Beginners

The Italian Modal Verbs Explained for Beginners

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

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

Voglio – I want

Posso – I can

Devo – I have to, I need, I must

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conjugation of the modal verbs in the present tense 

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

Examples:

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

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

How to Use the Verb “Dovere”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dovere + noun: to owe 

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

How to Use the Verb “Potere” 

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

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

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

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

Examples: 

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

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

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

How to Use the Verb “VOLERE”

Volere: to want, to wish

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

The Modal Verbs with the Passato Prossimo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For example: 

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

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

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

  • Sono voluta andare  – I wanted to go

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

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

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

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

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

How to Use the Modal Verbs with the Pronouns 

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

Both structures are interchangeable and commonly used in spoken Italian.

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

Let’s recap: 

There are three modal verbs in Italian. 

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

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

The imperfetto of modals verbs 

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

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


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

The Polite Form in Italian: Formal vs. Informal Speech  

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

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

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

Example of Informal Speech 

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

Example of Formal Speech 

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

Informal vs. Formal You

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

“Tu”

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

“Lei” 

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

Addressing people formally, in the plural 

“Voi” and “Loro”

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

Italian vs. English 

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

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

Formal You vs. She

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

For example,

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

What does “dare del tu” mean? 

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

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

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

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

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

When to Use the Polite Formin Italian

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

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

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

Formal and Informal Italian Greetings 

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

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

Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo: the Difference 

Understanding the Difference Between Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo

Both the imperfetto and passato prossimo are used to describe past events. However, they are used in different situations. The passato prossimo is used when the action is completed, happened once, and has a definite starting and ending point. The imperfetto, on the other hand, is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past that lasted for an indefinite period of time without a definite start or end. It emphasizes the continuity or repetition of the action.”

When to Use the Passato Prossimo 

The passato prossimo is used to describe past actions with a time reference. The action you are describing is not a repeated action, it happened at a specific time, and you know when it started and ended. 

For example,

  • Due anni fa ho partecipato ad una competizione sciistica  – two years ago I participated in a ski competition
  • Ieri sera ho guardato un bel film  – I watched a good movie last night
  • La scorsa estate sono andato in Italia  – last summer I went to Italy
  • Lo scorso weekend sono stato allo stadio – last weekend I was at the stadium

Common time expressions using the passato prossimo

  • Ieri, ieri sera, l’altro ieri
  • Due anni fa, 10 anni fa 
  • L’anno scorso, il mese scorso, la settimana scorsa

When to Use the Imperfetto 

The are three main uses of the imperfect tense in Italian 

# 1 The Italian imperfetto tense is used to describe actions or states in the past that were continuous or repeated without a specific end point. This can include events from different periods in a person’s life, such as childhood experiences, daily routines, or long-term habits. For example, you might use the imperfect to talk about your experiences growing up, your daily activities during a specific time period, your last job, your hobbies and interests in the past.

  • Quando andavo l’università, passavo molto tempo in biblioteca – When I was in school, I spent [I used to spend, I was spending] a lot of time in the library
  • Quando avevo vent’anni, vivevo in appartamenti condivisi – In my 20s, I lived [I used to live, I was living] in shared flats.
  • Quando ho cominciato a lavorare, non guadagnavo molto – When I started working, I didn’t earn much [I was not earning much]

#2 The Imperfetto is also used to contrast past and present states or actions. In these cases, it is often introduced by the adverb “prima” which means “before.”

  • Prima le persone guardavano i film in TV, adesso guardano i film su Netflix –  Before, people used to watch movies on TV, now they watch movies on Netflix
  • Prima i bambini giocavano fuori in strada, adesso giocano con i videogiochi  – Before the children played outside in the street, now they play video game

You might also use the imperfetto to describe how things were in the past and then use the passato prossimo to describe a specific event that happened and changed things, creating a contrast between past and present.

  • Prima, giocavo a calcio ogni pomeriggio. Poi, ho rotto la gamba e ho dovuto smettere – Before, I used to play soccer every afternoon. Then, I broke my leg and had to stop.

#3 The imperfect tense is also used to describe people, objects, situations, or places in the past.

  • Maria era una bambina allegro e vivace. Viveva in una casa piccola con i suoi genitori, che erano entrambi medici all’ospedale centrale di Roma. Aveva un piccolo criceto come animale, perché la sua casa era molto piccola – Maria was a cheerful and lively little girl. She lived [she used to live, she was living] in a small house with her parents, who were both doctors at the central hospital in Rome. She had [used to have] a small hamster as a pet, because her house was very small.

Common time expressions used with imperfetto:

Some time expressions indicate that an action was regularly repeated in the past, and therefore we tend to use them with the imperfetto.

  • Ogni mattina / ogni settimana / ogni mese
  • Regolarmente / solitamente / di solito
  • Quando avevo “x” anni
  • Sempre
  • Tutti i giorni / tutti i mesi / tutti gli anni

How to Translate the Imperfetto in English 

In English grammar, it can be translated as the past continuous tense, used to describe a past action that was ongoing or repeated at a specific time in the past. For example, “I was studying” or “I used to live” or “I would go (when used I the past”

So, for example, “vivevo” can be translated into English, like:

  • I used to live…
  • I would live…(in the past)
  • I was living  

When the Passato Prossimo and the Imperfetto Are Used in the Same Sentence

It’s common in Italian to encounter the use the passato prossimo and the imperfetto in the same sentence. This is normal in Italian because, both 

Imperfetto + passato prossimo 

When used in the same sentence, the passato prossimo is used to describe the main event, while the imperfetto is used to describe the background or setting of the main event. In other words, the imperfect tense describes the “ongoing action,” while the passato prossimo describes the main event.Usually these types of sentences are introduced by “mentre  =  while,” followed by the imperfect tense.

For example,

  • Mentre lavoravo al computer, ho ricevuto una chiamata dal mio capo – While working on the computer, I received a call from my boss.

In the above sentence “mentre lavoravo” is the background or setting of the main event which is “il mio capo ha chiamato”.  

  • Stavo andando al mercato a piedi, quando ha cominciato a piovere e sono dovuto ritornare a casa – I was walking to the market when it started to rain and I had to go home. 

In the above sentence “stavo andando al mercato” is setting, while “ha cominciato a piovere” and “sono dovuto ritornare a casa” are the main events. 

How to practice the difference between the passato prossimo and imperfetto

Getting a good understanding of how the Imperfetto works in Italian can be a challenge. While learning the theory is one thing, using it correctly in actual Italian conversation is another. In my experience, one of the best ways to grasp the use of the imperfetto and passato prossimo in Italian is by reading stories. These naturally switch between the two tenses, making it easier to understand their use. You can find short stories easily on Amazon or online (I made a list of the some good short stories in Italian here) . If you’re a grammar buff (just like me), you can also consider using this textbook for reference:

  

The Italian Sentence Structure

The Basics of Italian Sentence Structure and Word Order

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

SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT .

We call this pattern SVO, for simplicity. 

The subject  stands for who’s doing the action.

The verb is the action.

The object is who the action is being done to.

For example,

  • Io compro una casa (I buy a house)

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

  • Tu parli italiano (you speak Italian)

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

Omitting the Subject Pronouns in Italian 

And here’s where Italian differs from English.

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

What are the so-called subject pronouns?

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

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

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

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

For example, in Italian we would say:

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

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

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

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

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

  • Serena parla Italiano – Serena speaks Italian 

The Position of Adjectives in Italian

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

For example,

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

How to Make a Negative Sentence

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

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

 For example,

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

How to Ask Questions in Italian

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

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

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

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

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

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

S+ V + O = subject + verb + object 

For example,

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

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

Asking Questions with the Interrogative Words

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

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

Interrogative word + Verb + Subject

For example, 

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

Common Italian Question Words

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

Master the Italian Word Order 

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

# 1 Keep in mind the S+V+O pattern. 

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

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

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

        
How to master the Italian Imperfetto

The Italian Imperfect Tense 

First things first..

What’s The Imperfect Tense? 

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

Smart tip 

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

Example,

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

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

 

Italian vs.English 

In English, the imperfect tense in usually translate with: 

I used to: 

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

I was -ing:

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

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

How to Conjugate the Imperfect Tense in Italian 

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

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

Irregular Verbs  

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

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

When Do You Use the Imperfect tense in Italian?

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

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

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

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

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

Common word prompts: prima…adesso.

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

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

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

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

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

We use the imperfetto to talk about your childhood.

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

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

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

Common prompt words: mentre 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More Uses of the Imperfect Tense in Italian

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

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

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

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

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

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

Passato Prossimo vs. Imperfetto: The Difference 

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

Passato prossimo 

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

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

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

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

For example,

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

The imperfetto (the imperfect tense) 

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

Common time expressions used with the imperfect tense

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

For example,

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

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

The imperfect continuous in Italian [advanced topic]

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