GRAMMAR PILLS

How to use BENE, BRAVO, BELLO and BUONO!

How to use BENE, BRAVO, BELLO and BUONO

In a Nutshell…

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

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

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

When to use BENE

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

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

Never say: il libro è bene ❌

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

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

Intensifiers of bene

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

When to use BRAVO

Bravo is an adjective which is often misused too.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bravo has a secondary meaning too.

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

Una brava persona – a person with ethical values

Common Italian expressions using “bravo”

Che bravo! – well done!

Bravo! – well done!

Bravissimo – way to go!

When to use BELLO

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

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

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

Intensifiers of bello

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

More examples with bello

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

Popular Italian expressions using “bello”

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

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

Bel? Begli? Bei? What do they mean?

When to use BUONO

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

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

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

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

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

Intensifiers of buono

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

Popular Italian expressions using buono.

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

Learn Italian the smart way with Serena’s stories

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

What verbs use the subjunctive in Italian?

The Italian Present Subjunctive: when and how to use it

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

What is the subjunctive in Italian?

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

When to use the subjunctive?

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

Main clauses vs. dependent clauses

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

A main clause is a sentence like this:

Penso che… (I think that)

Voglio che… (I want that)

Spero che.. (I hope that)

Sono felice che…(I’m happy that)

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

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

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

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

Why is it important to use the subjunctive in Italian?

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

When do you use the subjunctive in Italian?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Verbs typically used to express wishes:

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

The subjunctive with impersonal verbs

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

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

Examples

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

The subjunctive with impersonal expressions

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

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

Examples

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

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

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

Examples

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

When is the subjunctive not required in Italian?

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

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

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

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

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

The Present Subjunctive (Regular verbs)

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

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

The Subjunctive (Irregular verbs)

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

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

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

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

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

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

How many forms of the Italian subjunctive exist?

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

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

In conclusion,

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s get straight to the point…

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

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

What is the difference between lì and là?

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

Let’s look at some practical examples:

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

Common Italian Expressions with “La”

mettilo là/lì – put it there

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

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

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

essere di là – to be somewhere else

What is the difference between qui and qua?

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

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

Let’s look at some practical examples:

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

Common Italian expressions with “qui” and “qua”

vieni qui/qua – come here

mettilo qui/qua – put it here

qua/qui dentro – in here

qua/qui sotto – under here

The Italian comparatives: using CHE or DI

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

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

We call this comparativo di maggioranza:

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

We call this “comparativo di minoranza”:

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

We call this comparativo di uguaglianza:

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

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

What does it mean?

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

più … di, or
più … che

and there two ways to say less than in Italian:

meno … di, or
meno … che

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

You need to follow these rules…

When do we use “di“?

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

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

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

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

When do we use “che“?

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

For example,

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

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

verb + verb [same entity = studiare, here ]

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

noun + noun [same entity = Napoli, here]

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

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

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

Perché / Perciò / Siccome: The Difference Explained

Perché: why / because

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

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

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

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

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

Perciò: therefore, for that reason, so

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

Perciò means therefore, for that reason and so.

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

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

Perché vs perciò

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

Siccome: because, since, given that, as

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

siccome vs perché

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

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

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

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

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

The Italian Polite Form: formal vs informal “you”

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

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

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

The rule of thumb is:

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

For example,

Come (tu) stai? – How are you?

Dove (tu) abiti? – Where do you live?

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

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

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

For example,

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

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

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

Informal vs. Formal You

“Tu” is used when you address someone you know, like a kid, a colleague, or a schoolmate. Somebody we are familiar with. Also, we use tu to speak to one person. If we are addressing two or more people, we will switch to the subject pronoun voi.

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

Italian vs English

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

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

Formal You vs. she

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

For example,

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

Switching from the formal you to the informal you

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

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

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

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

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

When to use the polite form (or “Lei”) in Italian

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

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

At a job interview
At the government office

At a restaurant

At the post office or bank

When meeting your in-laws for the first time

When speaking to seniors or, in general, older people

With a salesperson in a shop (not if he is a teen or very young)

In the bakery or pastry shop

With officers, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals

A side note goes to greetings…

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

The Italian impersonal form with ‘SI’

The Italian impersonal form with “SI”

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

The impersonal form is made up by:

si + any verb conjugated in the 3rd person singular

for example,

in Italia, si + mangia bene.

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

Italian vs. English

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

More examples of the “impersonal si”

In Italia.. – in Italy..

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

Viaggiando… – by traveling…

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

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

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

impersonal forms with dovere

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

impersonal forms with potere

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

Examples with these impersonal forms

A scuola… – at school…

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

In ufficio… – at the office…

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

Use of the impersonal verb bisogna

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

For example:

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

When is “ci si” used?

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

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

But, what does “ci si” stand for?

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

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

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

si si diverte

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

The resulting form is, thus, ci si:

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

The Italian Preposition DA

The Italian Preposition “Da”

Most of the time, the Italian preposition “da” means “from,” but it can also mean “since/for,” “to,” “at,” and other things. Yes, it sounds difficult because prepositions in English and Italian do not have a binary correspondence. That is why, in my classes, I always tell my private students to learn the prepositions in context, that is, in phrases or expressions.

Da is generally used to express the following:

Origin: I’m from

Da dove vieni? – Where are you coming from?

Vengo dagli Stati Uniti – I come from the United States

I miei cugini vengono dalla Francia – My cousins are coming from France

Il treno è arrivato da Roma – The train arrived from Rome

As you can see, when the preposition “da” means from, frequently appears with the verb “venire” which means “to come”.

Venire da = to come from

Venire da is used with cities or countries, and it’s not to be confused with “essere di”, which means the same, but it’s used only with cities.

For example:

vengo da Roma (city), vengo dall’Italia (country)
sono di Roma (city)

Time: how long? Since / For

Da is used with the meaning of for or since to indicate an action that started in the past and is continuing in the present. For example:

Studio italiano dal 2019 – I’ve learned Italian since 2019
Vivo a Roma da 5 mesi – I’ve been living in Rome for 5 months
Da quanto tempo conosci Marco? – How long have you known Marco?

As you can see from the foregoing phrases, the way to say “how long..?” in Italian, is with “da quanto tempo + present tense” and not with a past tense, like in English.

Da quanto tempo sei sposato? – How long have you been married?

Da quanto tempo studi italiano? – How long have you been studying Italian?

Time: through, from…to

Da is also used with the preposition “a”, with the meaning of “from..to” or “through”

da martedì a venerdì – Tuesday through Friday
da gennaio a febbraio – January through February
dalle 10 alle 11 – 10 am through 11 am

Place (to go to someone’s place)

Going to a place, as you may know, is translated with andare in or a. However, there’s a third way to say “go to” and it’s when you are going to someone (a person) or at the place of someone. In this case, “to” is transited with the preposition “da.”

vado dal dentista – I’m going to the dentist.
vado dai miei amici – I’m going to my friends
sono andato dai miei genitori – I went visiting my parents
vado da Angela – I m visiting Angela (I’m going to Angela’s place)

Function, Purpose

Da is used in a number of different compound words. In this case, da indicates the purpose of the object.

All it takes is simply memorizing the fixed expression.

una camera da letto – a bedroom
una sala da pranzo – a living room
occhiali da sole – shades
vasca da bagno – bath tub
scarpe da tennis – basket shoes

Value

Sometimes, da appears in expressions to indicate the value of something, and it means “worth”.

un gelato da 3 euro – a 3 euro gelato
una villa da un milione di euro – a one million euro villa
un bottiglia di vino da 100 dollari – a 100 dollar bottle of wwine

Passive: By

In the passive forms, da is the translation of the agent “by” in English, which means the person by whom the action was carried out.

L’edificio è stato disegnato da Renzo Piano – The building was designed by Renzo Piano
Il progetto è stato finanziato dallo Stato – The project was funded by the state

Da + infinitive

DA often appears after the Italian adverbs molto (a lot), poco (little), niente (nothing), qualcosa (something) when they are followed by an infinitive verb.

Vuoi qualcosa da bere? – Would you like to have something to drink?
Non ho niente da fare oggi – I have nothing planned for today
Hai qualcosa da dirmi? – Do you have something to tell me?

Verbs with da

There are also a number of verbs which use the preposition da.

dipendere da – to depends on
venire da – to come from
partire da – to leave from
proteggersi da – to protect against
pretendere da – to expect from
nascondersi da – to hide from

The articuritated prepositions are: dal, dall‘, dallo, dalla, dai, dagli, dalle

You can skip this if you’re just starting out with Italian grammar.

As you may know, in Italian, simple prepositions are distinguished from articulated prepositions. A simple preposition is a single word, such as a, di, da, su, and so on. When a simple preposition joins with a definite article, the result is an articulated preposition, such as dal, degli, sul, nella, and so on.

Because most nouns in Italian are preceded by an article, this is a common thing in the grammar of the language, too.

When “da” is combined with the definite articles, it becomes

da + il = dal
da + l’ = dall’
da + la = dalla
da + lo = dallo
da + i = dai
da + gli = dagli
da + le = dalle

This is why we say

Vado dal dentista – vado (da + il) dentista
Studio italiano dal 2017 – studio italiano (da + il) 2017
Ho lezione dalle 14 alle 15 – ho lezione (da+le) 14 (a+le) 15

How to Use Passato Prossimo in Italian

How to make the Passato Prossimo

What’s the passato prossimo?

The passato prossimo tense is used in Italian to express actions and events that occurred in the past.

Usually, it appears together with time expressions such as

ieri – yesterday
stamattina – this morning

ieri sera – last night

venerdì scorso – last Friday

l’anno scorso – last year

un anno fa – a year ago

un’ora fa – one hour ago

due settimane fa – two weeks ago

ultimamente – lately
recentemente – recently

Italian vs English

The Italian passato prossimo corresponds to the English simple past and present perfect, and so we can say that it has two possible translations, as in the examples.

ho viaggiato means both I travelled and I’ve travelled
ha dormito means both he slept and he has slept
hanno studiato means both they studied and they’ve studied
sono andato means both I went and I’ve gone
siamo stati means both we were and we’ve been

How to Make the Passato Prossimo

As you can see from the above phrases, the passato prossimo is made up of two entities: an auxiliary or helping verb and a past participle.

For example,

HO PARLATO → I spoke, I’ve spoken

The first part, “ho“, is called an auxiliary. The second part, “parlato” is called a past participle. The passato prossimo is always made up of these two entities.

What’s the auxiliary and the past participle?

The auxiliary is the present tense conjugation of avere or essere.

The past participle is the second part of the verb, and it’s formed by dropping the infinitive ending (-are, -ere, -ire) and by adding the suffixes -ato, -uto, and -ito to the stem of the verb.

Examples of regular past participles:

parlare becomes parl-ato

avere becomes av-uto

finire becomes finit-ito

And so,

Ho parlato means both I spoke and I’ve spoken

Ho avuto means both I had or I’ve had

Ho finito means both I finished or I’ve finished

This is the full conjugation of the regular verbs that use “avere” as an auxiliary in the past tense.

The Passato Prossimo with “Essere”

The choice of the right auxiliary: essere or avere?

The passato prossimo is a super easy tense, but there is something that confuses most students: what auxiliary to choose between essere and avere.

The rule says that transitive verbs use the auxiliary avere and intransitive verbs use the essere auxiliary. However, since the notion of transitive and intransitive is sometimes unclear, I prefer to teach that 97% of Italian verbs default to the avere auxiliary when conjugated in the passato prossimo.

And then, there’s a number (luckily not too large) of verbs using essere as an auxiliary. The most common ones are andare (to go), arrivare (to arrive), tornare (to return), essere (to be), stare (to stay), entrare (to enter), uscire (to go out, to leave), partire (to leave for), diventare (to become), salire (to go up), scendere (to go down), nascere (to be born).

How to conjugate the “essere verbs”

When avere is used as an auxiliary, the past participle of the verb stays the same, so it doesn’t agree with the gender and number of the subject. However, when essere is used as an auxiliary, the past participle must agree with the gender and number of the subject. It means that the past participle works as an adjective and can have four different endings, including -o, -a, i, and -e.

“O” and “A” are used for the io, tu, lui/lei forms. “O” stands for masculine singular, and “A” stands for feminine singular.

“I” and “E” are used for the noi, voi and loro forms. “I” stands for the masculine plural. “E” for the feminine plural.

If you’re having trouble with this, memorize the pattern of the verbs essere and andare (two of the most commonly used Italian verbs) and apply it to the other verbs on the list above.

Note that the verb essere (=to be) has an irregular participle form, which is “stato“.

The Irregular Forms

Some verbs, just like in English, have an irregular past participle (the second entity). It means that the past participle has its own structure and is not conjugated in the regular forms. It may be helpful to remember that in Italian, the same verbs with an irregular past participle (past) in English also have an irregular conjugation.

Basic list of commonly irregular participles

fare – ho fatto (I did/I’ve done)
dire – ho detto (I said/I’ve said)
leggere – ho letto (I read/I’ve read)
scrivere – ho scritto (I wrote/I’ve written)
prendere – ho preso (I took/I’ve taken)
spendere – ho speso (I spent/I’ve spent)
chiudere – ho chiuso (I closed/I’ve closed)
mettere – ho messo (I put/I’ve put)
succedere – è successo (it happened/it has happened)
discutere – ho discusso (I discussed/I’ve discussed)
accendere – ho accesso (I turned on/I’ve turned on)
spegnere – ho spento (I turned off/I’ve turned off)
vincere – ho vinto (I won/I’ve won)
piangere – ho pianto (I cried/I’ve cried)
scegliere – ho scelto (I chose/I’ve chosen)
rimanere – sono rimasto (I stayed/I’ve stayed)
chiedere – ho chiesto (I asked/I’ve asked)
rispondere – ho risposto (I answered/I’ve answered)
vedere – ho visto (I saw/I’ve seen)

Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo: The Difference

If you are a beginner you should skip this topic for now. If you already know the Italian imperfect tense, you can have a look at this article to clarify any doubts.

Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo: The Difference

How to use the verb mettersi

How to use the verb METTERSI

Mettersi is an Italian verb that non-native speakers may struggle with. It is, nevertheless, commonly used in everyday Italian, and you may want to learn how to use it.

First of all, you might be familiar with mettere, which simply means to put. Well, mettersi, the reflexive version of mettere, is a whole different verb with a number of different meanings.

Before learning the meaning of this peculiar verb, let’s have a look at the conjugation of the verb in presente and passato prossimo of this reflexive verb.

Present Tense

mi metto
ti metti
si mette
ci mettiamo
vi mettete
si mettono

Passato prossimo (past tense)

mi sono messo/a
ti sei messo/a
si è messo/a
ci siamo messi/e
vi siete messi/e
si sono messi/e

Now, let’s dive into the most common meanings of mettersi.

To put on/to wear

Mettersi is to put on or wear something in its most basic sense.

Mi metto sciarpa e cappello – I’m wearing a scarf and a hat
Ti metti una gonna o un vestito per la cerimonia? – Are you putting on a skirt or a dress for the reception?
Luca si mette gli occhiali da sole anche in inverno – Luca is wearing shades even in the winter

To start doing something

Mettersi is also commonly used with the pattern mettersi a + infinitive verb. Mettersi indicates to begin doing something in this context. It’s very common in spoken and informal Italian.

Domani mi metto a dieta – Tomorrow I am starting a diet
Devo mettermi a pulire la casa – I need to start cleaning up
Mettiamoci a lavoro – let’s get down to business

Sometimes we can use mettersi in the context of taking up a new hobby or starting a new interest, for example

Patrizia si è messa a studiare russo – Patrizia took up Russian
MI sono messa a fare yoga – I took up yoga

To stay/to stand

Mettersi is a colloquial Italian word that implies to stay or stand.

For example,

Mettiti seduto – stay sit
Mettiti qui – stay here
Mettiti in piedi – stay still

(all the forgoing sentences are in the imperative form)

Turning out well (or badly)

Mettersi can also be used to say that things are turning out well or badly for you in the expressions mettersi bene per and bettersi male per.

Le cose si mettono bene per Franco, ha appena ricevuto una bella promozione a lavoro – Things are turning out well for Franco, he’s just got a promotion at work.
Le cose si mettono male per Federica, ha perso il lavoro e ha finito i soldi – Things are turning out badly for Federica, she lost her job and ran out of money.

Common idiomatic expressions with mettersi

In addition, the verb mettersi appears in a number of idiomatic expressions.

The following are the most well-known:

Mettersi in proprio: to set up one’s own business
Mettersi a letto: to go to bed
Mettersi in agitazione : to get worked up
Mettersi all’opera : to get down to business
Mettersi da parte: to back away, to set oneself aside
Mettersi d’accordo su/con: to agree on/with
Mettersi in cattiva luce : to appear in a bad light
Mettersi in guardia: to take one’s guard
Mettersi insieme: to start having a love affair
Mettersi in malattia: to go on a sick leave
Mettersi l’anima in pace: to send one’s mind at rest
Mettersi nei panni di qualcuno: to put oneself in somebody else’s shoes
Mettersi nei guai: to get into troubles
Mettersi in contatto con qualcuno: to reach/contact someone

How to use ECCO

How to use the adverb ECCO

Ecco is an invariable Italian adverb that can be used in a variety of meanings. Let’s take a look at some of the most common ones in the form of sample sentences that you can easily insert into your flaschards sets.

Here is / Here are

Ecco is an invariable article describing something or somebody’s appearance, replacing the phrases “here is” or “here are” in English.

For example,

Ecco i nostri amici – here are my friends
Ecco il treno – here is the train
Ecco la mia casa – here is my house

Ecco is often used in conjunction with the pronouns mi, ti, lo, la, ci, vi, li, le, which are always attached at the back of the verb), with the following meanings.

Eccomi – here I am
Eccoti – here you are
Eccolo – here it is or here he is
Eccola – here she is
Eccoci – here we are
Eccovi – here you are
Eccoli – here they are (masc.)
Eccole – here they are (fem)

Well

Sometimes, ecco is used as a filler word at the beginning of a sentence when you are figuring out what to say, and it means something close to well in English.

Ecco…volevo dirti che non posso venire stasera – Well, I was going to tell you that I can’t come tonight

Expressions with ecco

ecco appears also used in a number of common Italian idioms too, for instance:

Ecco perché – that’s why
Ecco fatto – done
Ecco tutto – that’s all
Ecco cosa succede quando…- this is what happens when…
Ecco come – this is how…

Espressioni con ESSERE & AVERE

Common expressions using ESSERE and AVERE

In Italian, the verbs “essere” and “avere” are certainly amongst the most popular ones. This is why they are widely used in many common Italian idiomatic expressions like the one following.

Bear in mind that a certain number of recurring expressions use the verb avere (to have) while English would use the verb essere (to be) and vice-versa. For instance, being hungry becomes having hunger in Italian.

The rule of thumb is to memorize the most common expressions, by making a list of the oens that use “avere” and the ones that use “essere”.

Common expressions with “avere”

avere sonno: to be sleepy
avere fame: to be hungry
avere sete: to be thirsty
avere freddo: to be cold
avere caldo: to be hot
avere 20 anni: to be 20 years old
avere fretta: to be in a hurry
avere ragione: to be right
avere torto: to be wrong
avere successo: to be successful
avere fortuna: to be lucky
avere paura di: to be afraid
avere mal di pancia: to have a stomach ache
avere mal di testa: to have a headache
aver mal di gola: to have a sore throat
avere la febbre: to have a fever

Common expressions with “essere”

essere in ritardo: to be late
essere bravo: to be good at doing something
essere buono: to be nice (food), to be good people
essere sveglio: to be awake
essere malato: to be sick
essere ammalato: to be sick
essere occupato: to be busy
essere pronto: to be ready
essere fidanzato: to be in relationship
essere sposato: to be married
essere felice: to be happy
essere triste: to be sad
essere depresso: to be depressed
essere contento: to be content
essere innamorato: to be in love

How to Use the Verb Piacere in Italian

Mi piace or non piace are phrases 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
Ti piace la cucina italiana? – Do you like Italian food?

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

In fact, the Italian translation for I LIKE, is not io piaccio, but mi piace or mi piacciono.

How to conjugate piacere?

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

piacere in the present tense

mi piace	mi piacciono	I like
ti piace	ti piacciono	you like
gli piace	gli piacciono	he likes
le piace	le piacciono	she likes
ci piace	ci piacciono	we like
vi piace	vi piacciono	you (pl.) like
gli piace	gli piacciono	they like

Piacere uses the indirect object pronouns in its conjugations, which are different from other pronouns, like the reflexive ones. Sometimes students confuse them and say “si piace”, which is wrong, instead of gli piace.

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 (an infinitive verb)

Mi piace Marco – I like Marco
Gli piace la pasta – He likes pasta
Ti piace questo dolce? – Do you like this dessert?
Ci piace passeggiare nei boschi – We like to walk in the woods

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

Ti piacciono questi fiori? – Do you like these flowers?
Non ci piacciono questi mobili – We don’t like this furniture

Let’s recap…

The equivalent in English mi piace in Italian, is “something” is pleasurable for me/to you/to him, etc…

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

So, mi piace la cucina indiana actually means Indian food is pleasurable for me.

Piacere, also, triggers always an infinitive verb (when not a noun) in Italian. I like singing is mi piace cantare (and NOT mi piace cantando)

A me piace…

Why do you use “a” before piacere, sometimes?

When the person who likes something is explicit, 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 that Luca and Lea won’t like this present
Agli italiani piace prendere il caffè al bancone – Italians like drinking coffee at the counter

How to say “I liked” – PIACERE with the passato prossimo

Just like in the present tense, piacere follows a different conjugation pattern with the passato prossimo

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

mi è piaciuto/a	mi sono piaciuti/e	I liked
ti è piaciuto/a	ti sono piaciuti/e	you liked (Did you like..?)
gli è piaciuto/a	gli sono piaciuti/e	he liked
le è piaciuto/a	le sono piaciuti/e	she liked
ci è piaciuto/a	ci sono piaciuti/e	we liked
vi è piaciuto/a	vi sono piaciuti/e	you (pl.) liked (Did you like?)
gli è piaciuto/a	gli sono piaciuti/e	they liked

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

the 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
mi sono piaciuti i negozi – I liked the shops

In the first sentence, the object that is “pleasurable” is a singular entity (un film/a movie), whereas in the second sentence, the thing that is “pleasurable” is a plural entity (i negozi/the shops)

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

Mi è piaciuta la pasta → I liked the pasta

Mi sono piaciute le tue lezioni → I liked your your classes

It’s important to note that you always need to use piacere always in the 3rd person singular or plural, no matter what tenses are being used.

Piacere with the imperfetto

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

Esempio:

Quando ero piccola mi piaceva passare le vacanze dai miei nonni – When I was little I liked to spend my vacations at my grandparents.

Piacere in the futuro semplice

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

Esempio:

Domani inizio un nuovo lavoro, ma non so se mi piacerà – Tomorrow I’ll start a new job, but I don’t know if I’ll like it

Piacere in the condizionale presente

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

Esempi:

Mi piacerebbe comprare una casa a Capri – I’d like to buy a house in Capri
Non ti piacerebbe venire con noi domani? – Wouldn’t you like to join us tomorrow?

Piacere in the congiuntivo presente

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

Esempio:

Spero che ti piaccia – I hope you like it

Other verbs similar to PIACERE

Piacere is not the only verb that uses a different conjugation (also known as impersonal conjugation). The verbs shown below are used and conjugated, just like piacere.

My advice is first to learn how to use piacere, and then to apply the very same pattern to the other verbs

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

Learn Italian the smart way with Serena’s stories

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, I promise. That’s why today we’ll cover the Italian definite articles (articoli determinativi) and especially when to use them and when not, and the key differences with the use of the English definite article, the.

Articoli determinativi (definite articles)

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

Il gatto – the cat

La casa – the house

I giardini – the gardens

Gli amici – the friends

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

Articles can be masculine or feminine, singular or plural.

Articles can take different forms depending on the noun they are preceding.

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

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

**When articles are not used in Italian**

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

Palermo, Napoli, Roma, Venezia

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

mio fratello – i miei fratelli

mia cugina – le mie cugine

mio zio – i miei zii

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

Anna (standard Italian)

La Anna (colloquial northern Italian, northern dialects)

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

Dante è padre fondatore della lingua italiana

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

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

When definite articles are used in Italian but NOT in English

Unlike in English, we use articles with possessive adjectives:

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

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

l’amore – love

l’amicizia – friendship

la pace – peace

Unlike in English, definite articles are used with titles.

La Professoressa Rossi – Professor Rossi

Il signor Franchi – Mr. Franchi

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

Buongiorno, Dottor Rossi!

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

sono le 8 e mezza – it’s 8.30

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

Mi pettino i capelli – I brush my hair

Mi metto le scarpe – I put on shoes

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

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

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

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

Oggi è mercoledì 14 aprile 2021

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

L’Italia – Italy

La Sicilia – Sicily

Il Lago di Como – Lake Como

L’Etna – Etna Mt.

Il Monte Bianco – Mont Blanc

Il Tevere – the Tiber

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

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

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

Learn Italian the smart way with Serena’s stories

1 2 3 4 ›»

GRAMMAR PILLS

How to use BENE, BRAVO, BELLO and BUONO

When to use BENE

When to use BELLO

Learn Italian the smart way with Serena’s stories

Learning Italian?

Sign-up and receive a free Italian Phrase builder lesson every month (+ my best tips to learn any language the smart way)

The Italian Present Subjunctive: when and how to use it

What is the subjunctive in Italian?

When to use the subjunctive?

When do you use the subjunctive in Italian?

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

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

Verbs typically used to express wishes:

The subjunctive with impersonal verbs

The subjunctive with impersonal expressions

When is the subjunctive not required in Italian?

The Present Subjunctive (Regular verbs)

The Subjunctive (Irregular verbs)

Learning Italian?

Sign-up and receive a free Italian Phrase builder lesson every month (+ my best tips to learn any language the smart way)

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

What is the difference between lì and là?

Common Italian Expressions with “La”

What is the difference between qui and qua?

Common Italian expressions with “qui” and “qua”

Learning Italian?

Sign-up and receive a free Italian Phrase builder lesson every month (+ my best tips to learn any language the smart way)

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

When do we use “di“?

When do we use “che“?

Learning Italian?

Sign-up and receive a free Italian Phrase builder lesson every month (+ my best tips to learn any language the smart way)

Perché / Perciò / Siccome: The Difference Explained

Perché: why / because

Perciò: therefore, for that reason, so

Siccome: because, since, given that, as

Learning Italian?

Sign-up and receive a free Italian Phrase builder lesson every month (+ my best tips to learn any language the smart way)

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

Informal vs. Formal You

Formal You vs. she

Switching from the formal you to the informal you

When to use the polite form (or “Lei”) in Italian

A side note goes to greetings…

Learning Italian?

Sign-up and receive a free Italian Phrase builder lesson every month (+ my best tips to learn any language the smart way)

The Italian impersonal form with “SI”

Use of the impersonal verb bisogna

When is “ci si” used?

Learning Italian?

Sign-up and receive a free Italian Phrase builder lesson every month (+ my best tips to learn any language the smart way)

The Italian Preposition “Da”

Origin: I’m from

Time: how long? Since / For

Place (to go to someone’s place)

Da + infinitive

Verbs with da

The articuritated prepositions are: dal, dall‘, dallo, dalla, dai, dagli, dalle

Learning Italian?

Sign-up and receive a free Italian Phrase builder lesson every month (+ my best tips to learn any language the smart way)

How to make the Passato Prossimo

What’s the passato prossimo?

How to Make the Passato Prossimo

The Passato Prossimo with “Essere”

How to conjugate the “essere verbs”

The Irregular Forms

Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo: The Difference

Learning Italian?

Sign-up and receive a free Italian Phrase builder lesson every month (+ my best tips to learn any language the smart way)

How to use the verb METTERSI

To put on/to wear

To start doing something

To stay/to stand

Turning out well (or badly)

Common idiomatic expressions with mettersi

Learning Italian?

Sign-up and receive a free Italian Phrase builder lesson every month (+ my best tips to learn any language the smart way)

How to use the adverb ECCO

Here is / Here are

**When articles are not used in Italian**