Category: GRAMMAR PILLS

How many Italian words starting with Q do you know?

How many Italian words starting with Q do you know? Probably not so many.

Here is a list of tricky “Q” words to be familiar with if you want to boost up your Italian vocabulary.

Qualsiasi/qualunque

First and foremost, qualsiasi and qualunque are indefinite adjectives that have the same meaning, thus, there is no difference in its usage. They are interchangeable and it will be totally up to you, opting for one or another.

Why these words are difficult to use? The reason is, they have no exact translation in English and so, they might be confusing in Italian.

How to use qualsiasi and qualunque in Italian?

Qualsiasi and qualunque have four possible translations in English.

ANY

Most of the times qualsiasi (or qualunque) is used to refer to a thing or number of things, no matter how much or how many.

Per qualsiasi ragione – for any reasons
Puoi venire a qualsiasi ora – you can come anytime
Quale colore vuoi? Qualsiasi – What colour do you chose? Any.

WHATEVER

When qualsiasi (or qualunque) means whatever, it is mandatory to conjugate in the subjunctive the verb following it

Qualsiasi cosa tu dica, ti sostengo – Whatever you say, I support you
Qualsiasi cosa accada, gli saro vicino – Whatever happens, I will be by his side

ORDINARY (adj.)

Qualsiasi (or qualunque) means ordinary or casual when placed after the noun that is referring to

Un paese qualsiasi – an ordinary village
Noi non abbiamo un prodotto qualsiasi – we don’t have an ordinary product

EVERY

In some expressions, qualsiasi (or qualunque) can be used with the meaning of every

Lo voglio a qualunque costo – I want it at all (every) costs
Da qualsiasi parte – everywhere

Qualora

Qualora is one of those words you don’t hear very often, but when you use it will give your Italian a rather sophisticated touch.

The meaning of qualora is very similar to if, describing a hypothetical situation. Hence, when using qualora instead of if?

You can use qualora if you want to speak Italian more elegantly (qualora belongs to a higher standard of the Italian language) or to translate into Italian the English conjunctions “in the event that…” or “in case that… “

Qualora vincesse le elezioni… – if/in case/in the event she wins the elections
Qualora cambiassi idea… – if/in case/ in the event you change your mind

Quandanche

Quandanche is another sophisticated Italian word meaning even if or even though. It is followed by a subjunctive verb.

Synonyms of quandanche are sebbene, benche.

Quandanche cambiasse idea, non cambierebbe la situazione – Even though he changed his mind, the situation would not change

The mysterious combination of the pronoun ci and the verb avere

Everybody agrees that the pronoun ci is, probably, one of the most mysterious word in Italian, and thus, I thought it would be great to discuss in the post, the use of ci when occurring with the forms of the verb avere.

1.Ce l’hai? Ce l’ho! Non ce l’ho!

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

When someone asks you, if you have something, you can either answer by saying you have it or not. In the same way, in Italian, when indicating the possession of an object previously mentioned (in a question, for instance), the combination of the verb avere (to have) and the direct object pronoun (it), is required.

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

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

What is the function of the ce in the examples? Well, it has not a specific grammar function, nevertheless, it is obligatory to have it there when combining a form of avere with a direct prounoun.

ce le abbiamo – we have them
ce li avete – do you (all) have them?
non ce l’ho avuto mai – I haven’t ever had it

This use, probably, stems from a desire to avoid the cacophony of using simply l’ho/le ho/li ho or its extreme brevity.

The only rule to apply is, to transform ci in ce, as it always happens when ci is followed by a direct pronoun.

2. Avercela con con qualcuno

There is another colloquial and common construction of the pronoun ci with avere and occurs, precisely, with the pronominal verb avercela, which means, to be angry with someone.

Con chi ce l’hai? – With whom are you angry?
Ce l’ho con il mio collega Marco? – I am angry with my colleague Marco

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

Avercela has quite the same meaning of the verb arrabbiarsi, a verb you might already be familiar with. What’s the difference between the two? Well, I’d just say avercela is far more colloquial than arrabbiarsi. Thus, it’s up to you which one to use.

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

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

Fermare and smettere: what’s the difference?

Misusing or swapping the verbs fermare and smettere is one of the most frequent errors students of Italian as a second language di and I understand why. The confusion is drove by the fact that both verbs, in English, have only one translation: stopping.

Instead, Italians have two different verbs to indicate the action of stopping. One verb is fermare and the other one is smettere. How different are they? Well, they are used with a different meaning and this depends on the nature of the action they are describing.

Let’s have a look at their usage:

fermare is the action of stopping something or someone.

We can also say that the verb fermare simplydescribes a movement that is physically stopped by an intervention from outside.

EXAMPLE

Ho fermato quella ragazza che mi piaceva tanto per chiederle il numero (I stopped that girl that I liked so much to ask for her phone number)

Ho fermato la macchina (I stopped the car)

As you might have noticed, when the action described by the verb is transitive (meaning the verb is followed by a direct or indirect object like la macchina or la ragazza,the verb is normal. However, if the action is intransitive (meaning that the verb does not have a direct object ) the verb takes the reflexive form.

EXAMPLE

L’autobus si è fermato (The bus stopped)
Mi sono fermato al bar perché c’erano i miei amici (I stopped by the bar because some friends of mine were there)

Smettere means stopping doing something and does not involve an idea of movement.
In short, it has the meaning of ceasing or quitting and is always followed by the preposition di and an infinitive verb.

Smettere can never be followed by a noun (~~ho smesso di lavoro~~)

EXAMPLE

Vorrei smettere di fumare (I’d like to quit smoking)
Ho smesso di lavorare per dedicarmi alla mia famiglia (I stopped working to spend more time with my family)

Attenzione! Smettere has an irregular past tense: ho smesso, hai smesso, etc

How to use correctly the adverbs già and ancora?

Let’s start from già, which has two different meanings.

GIÀ= ALREADY

The most common use of già is when is used with the sense of already.

In the vast majority of times, già comes together with a passato prossimo, just like in English and is always placed between the auxiliary verb and the past participle

Hai già fatto colazione? (Have you already had breakfast?)
Sono già stato in Italia (I have already been to Italy)

GIÀ= WELL, YES

Già has a second meaning, which expresses the idea adding a feeling of resignation to the expression ‘of course..’

Dovresti smettere di fumare! (You should quit smoking)
Già… ! (Well, yes)

What about ancora?

ANCORA = STILL

The meaning of ancora that many of you certainly already know is still, implying the idea that the action described by the verb has been carried out until now.

Stai ancora dormendo? (Are you still sleeping?)

ANCORA = AGAIN

However, ancora is widely used with meaning of doing something again

In this case, the adverb can be replaced by the synonyms di nuovo, nuovamente

Fallo ancora! (Do it again!)

Prova ancora! (Try it again!)

NON ANCORA = NOT YET

When ancora is coming together with the negative adverb non it means not yet. Notice the position of the adverbs with the passato prossimo

Non ho ancora mangiato oggi (I haven’t eaten yet today)
Non sono ancora stato in Italia (I haven’t been to Italy yet)

ANCORA = MORE

When Italians mean to add a quantity of something to something else, (e.g. more coffee, more sugar, more salt, more days off, etc…they would use ancora (and not più)

Voglio rimanere qui ancora due giorni (I want to stay here two more days)
Vuoi ancora zucchero? (Do you want more sugar?)

ANCORA = EVEN

Lastly, Italians use ancora followed by the adverbs più or meno when they want to say even more (or less)

Oggi fa ancora più freddo di ieri (Today is even colder than yesterday)

What does QUELLO and BELLO have in common?

Everybody knows that quello means that and bello means nice , however you might have noticed that, from time to time, quello and bello are in used in a different shape, like bel e quel or begli and quegli

How come?

Well, let’s start from quello

First thing first, you should be able to distinguish when quello is used as a pronoun (replacing a noun) and when used as adjective (accompanying a name).

In the first case, quello has four different possible endings, -o/-a/-i/e, according to the noun to which it refers

Quello è il mio gatto – That one is my cat
Quelle sono le mie amiche – those are my girlfriends

In the second case, when quello is an adjective, it changes its endings, by merging its root with the definite articles {il, lo, la, i, gli, le) that would normally precede a noun, as in the following examples:

Quei ragazzi
Quegli amici
Quell’uomo
Quel ragazzo
Quella donna
Quelle ragazze

The adjective bello follows exactly the same pattern of quello

Bei ragazzi
Begli amici
Bell’uomo
Bel ragazzo
Bella donna
Belle donne

The rule I have just mentioned, it to be applied just when quello and bello are positioned before a noun, that is to say that they must be adjectives to the noun.

5 things you need to know about Possessives in Italian

1. The key difference with English

In English possessives are never used with articles. Instead, in Italian, they are always accompanied with articles (except for some cases I will touch upon below).

The possessive adjectives agree in terms of gender and number with the nouns they are proceeding

la mia borsa
il mio libro
la sua ragazza
il suo lavoro

2. When are the articles omitted?

The articles are omitted when referring to family members when they are singular

Mia madre
Mio padre
Mia sorella
Mio fratello
Mio zio

Nevertheless, the article is always used:

– when referring to more than one relative:

le mie sorelle
i miei fratelli
i miei zii

– when an adjective accompanies the singular relative

la mia amata madre
il mio caro padre
il mio carissimo zio

– and with the possessive loro

la loro madre
il loro padre
le loro sorelle

3. The possessive adjective is always placed before the nouns

However, in some cases when it follows the noun, it is used to emphasize or stress the emotional meaning of the sentence.

Mamma mia!
Questa è casa mia!

4. In certain idiomatic expressions, possessives are used as nouns

I miei (My parentes)
I tuoi (Your parents)
Alla nostra! (Cheers)

5. Finally, when the possessive is used as a pronoun (not attached to a noun, but replacing a noun) the articles are often omitted

Di chi è questa borsa? (E’ mia!)
Di chi è questa casa? (E’ sua!)

Fare bene & fare male: how to use them

In this article, I will explain how to use two expressions with the verb fare which are often used in spoken Italian to show approval or disapproval towards something: fare bene and fare male

FARE BENE

Fare bene expresses approval or satisfaction towards somebody. For example, a friend tells you that he quit his job because could not put up with his boss anymore

Sai, ho deciso di lasciare il mio lavoro in ditta..non ce la facevo più! –
You know, I decided to quit my job at the company…I couldn’t stand it anymore!

Hai fatto bene, si vedeva che non stai più bene
you did well, one could see you were not well anymore

Another example:

hai fatto così bene a cambiare casa, quel quartiere è diventato così pericoloso! – you did so well to change home, that area became so dangerous!

Also, depending on how much you want to emphasize your approval you can use

Hai fatto benissimo – you did incredibly well
Hai fatto molto bene – you did very well

Remember that fare bene is always followed by the preposition a and an infinitive verb

Fare bene (accordingly conjugated) + a + infinitive

FARE MALE

In the same way, when you want express disapproval or dissatisfaction you can use the contrary expression fare male. Let’s see an example…

Sono andato a Cuba in bassa stagione e ha piovuto tutto il tempo…
hai fatto male a scegliere un periodo di bassa stagione, è vero che costa meno, ma è molto più probabile che piova

I went to Cuba and it rained all time long..
you made a mistake by choosing low season time to go there, it is true that cheaper, but there is better chance to find a poor weather

Also,

ho fatto così male a comprare quel vestito così costoso…non ne valeva la pena! – I made a big mistake by buying that very expensive dress…it was not worth it!

Fare male (accordingly conjucated) + a + infinitive

Depending on the level of your disapproval, you can use

Hai fatto malissimo – you made a huge mistake
Hai fatto molto male – you made a big mistake

FARE BENE e FARE MALE in different contexts

You might have heard the combinations fare bene and fare male in a different context and with a different meaning.

It’s the case when we want to say that something is good or bad for our physical and mental health. In this case, they are used in the third person singular e plural. Let’s see some examples

fumare fa male – smoking is not good for you health
fare attività fisica fa molto bene – working out is good for your health
mangiare almeno cinque frutti al giorno fa benissimo alla salute – eating at least five fruits a day it’s very good for your health

Finally, if you want to say that something is hurting you, just use the expression

mi fa male + singular body part
mi fa male la schiena – my back is hurting

mi fanno male + plural body parts
mi fanno male le gambe – my legs are hurting

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

If you have even felt confused whether using lì or là and qui or qua, when speaking in Italian, this post is for you!

Let’s get straight to the point…

is there really any difference between lì and là or qui and qua? The answer is, yes and no.

When during my Italian online lessons, the students ask me if there is any difference between the two of them, I answer yes, there is a difference, but is a small one.

Lì / Là

First and foremost, both là and lì means there and are indicating something that is far from the person that is speaking.

However, whereas là indicates something that is far from the person who is speaking and more approximate, lì indicates something that is far from the individual who is speaking BUT with less approximation. In short, lì is more accurate than là.

In addition to this, lì and là often appear in spoken Italian together with the pronoun quello meaning ‘that one over there’.

Chi è quello là ? – Who is that one there?

popular expressions with LA’ and LI’

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)

Qui / Qua

Both qui and qua means here (in this place), and follow the same rule that applies for lì and là.

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

For instance, if I say:

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

Qui and qua often appears in spoken Italian with the pronoun questo.

Chi è questa qua ? – Who is this one?

Popular 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)

5 ways to use the Italian word PROPRIO

1. As an adverb (invariable form)

As ad adverb, proprio, meaning really

Quello studente è proprio bravo!
Mi piace proprio il nuovo film di Sorrentino

Sometimes proprio means ‘just’, especially when combined with the adverbs of time (adesso, ora ) or a numeral adjective

Ho finito di cenare proprio adesso – (just now)
Maria mi ha chiamato proprio due minuti fa – (just a few minutes ago)

2.As a possessive adjective

As a possessive adjective proprio has to change its ending and thus becomes proprio, propria, proprie, propri, depending on the noun that it is referring to. Proprio used in the third person is considered just like suo/sua/suoi/sue and loro.

Marco lava la propria macchina – his car

Lucia Accompagna a scuola i propri figli – his kids

Most importantly, its usage is required when the sentence is impersonal, meaning that the subject of the sentence is not specified.

Ognuno deve pensare alla propria saluto e al proprio benessere

Bisogna pensare ai propri interessi

3. As an intensifier

When proprio comes together with other possessive adjectives has an intensifying function and describe one’s ownership of something

Vivo nella mia propria casa – my own house

E’ il suo proprio lavoro – his own job

4. As a negative intensifier meaning “at all”

Non mi piace proprio! – I don’t like it at all

Oggi non mi sento proprio bene! – I don’t feel well at all

Non voglio proprio vederlo! – I don’t reale want to see him

5. In many colloquial expressions

Lavorare in proprio – to be self-employed
Mettersi in proprio – to start one’s own business
Non proprio – not really
Proprio così! – exactly

GIORNO and GIORNATA: how to use them

Today I thought about writing about of the most frequent doubts students of Italian have when it comes to using the word giorno, that is to say, the difference between the word giorno and the word giornata, how and why they differ and how to use.

Giorno and giornata are essentially synonyms, with slight differences in usage.

GIORNATA

Giornata is used when referring to the approximate duration of the day from morning to evening or when speaking about the weather or characteristics of day

Che bella giornata oggi! ~~Ho passato un bel giorno!~~

Una giornata soleggiata ~~Un giorno soleggiato~~

Ho passato una bella giornata ~~Ho passato un bel giorno.~~

Ho avuto una giornata pienissima ~~Ho avuto un giorno pienissimo~~

The word giornata is often accompanied by a specification or an adjective

Giornata is also used when referring to a special celebration or commemoration, often with a social or political aim such as

Giornata della musica. ~~Giorno della musica.~~
Giornata delle lingue moderne nel mondo. G~~iorno delle lingue moderne nel mondo.~~
Giornata della donna. ~~Giorno della donna.~~

Giornata is also the amount of hours worked in a day, thus it is used to say something about the working day.

Che giornata faticosa a lavoro!
Questa giornata non finisce più!

And, of course, there are several idiomatic expressions including giornata

idiomatic expressions with GIORNATA

Fare le cose in giornata, doing something by the end of the day
È a una giornata di macchina, it’s a day by car
Giornata lavorativa, working day
Vivere alla giornata, to live one day to the next

GIORNO

Giorno is used when referring to the astronomical days, indicating the 24 h period.

Giorno is more generic and is used when referring to several days or a duration of time

Vado in vacanza per 10 giorni.
Ho preso 3 giorni di ferie.

and it is used in several idiomatic expressions also

idiomatic expressions with GIORNO

Ogni giorno/settimana/mese/anno, every day/week/month/year
Da un giorno all’altro, from one day to the next
Tutto il giorno, all day long
Uno di questi giorni, one of these days

HOW TO USE THE ITALIAN VERB METTERSI

Mettersi is an Italian verb that a non-native speaker might find difficult to use. However, it is widely used in spoken Italian and you might want to know how to use it.

First things first, the verb mettersi is a reflexive verb and when it appears in a compound verb, e.g. passato prossimo the helper verb is essere.

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

how many different meanings it has?

Mettersi has at least four different meanings which can be summed up in the below categories of examples.

METTERSI = PUTTING ON

TO PUT ON a piece of clothing or accessories

Mi metto sciarpa e cappello per uscire oggi, fa proprio freddo – I ‘m putting on a scarf and a hat to go out today, it’s really cold
Ti metti una gonna o i pantaloni per la cerimonia? – Are you putting on a skirt or a pair of trausers for the cerimony?
Luca si mette gli occhi da sole anche in inverno – Luca is putting on shades even in the winter

TURNING OUT WELL (or BADLY)

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 finished the money

STARTING

Mettersi means to start doing something, when is used with the preposition “a“ followed by an infinite verb.

Domani mi metto a dieta – Tomorrow I am starting a diet
Patrizia si è messa a studiare russo – Patrizia started to learn Russian
Matteo si mette a fare i compiti – Matteo starts to do his HW

STAYING

Mettersi means to stay mainly I the Italian slang

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

IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS

Also, mettersi is a popular verb in Italian idiomatic expressions, such as

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

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 contact

Mettersi in fila: to start to queue

Beato me! Beati loro! Che significa?

Cosa significa beati loro?

Beato è un aggettivo che indica o una persona che prova una perfetta felicità o la buona sorte di qualcuno.

Beato lui che va ogni mese in vacanza! – How lucky he is to go on vacation every month!
Massimo ha lasciato il suo lavoro in banca e adesso vive beato e contento alle Bahamas – Massimo left his bank job and now he is happily living in Bahamas!

Beato si usa spesso nella seguente costruzione con i pronomi tonici

Beato me! – How lucky I am (lucky me)

Beato te! – How lucky you are (lucky you)

Beato lui / Beata lei! – How lucky he/she is (lucky him/her)

Beati noi! – How lucky we are (lucky us)

Beati voi! – How lucky you are (lucky you)

Beati loro! How lucky they are (lucky them)

DOVERE, VOLERE, POTERE: how to say in Italian to must, to want and to can

We use modal verbs to express a necessity, a possibility or a volition (if you must do something, if we can do something or if we want to do something).

We also use modal verbs to do things like asking permission, making requests and offers and so forth.

The Italian modal verbs always precede the infinitive of another verb and indicate a mode

voglio andare al supermercato (modal verb + infinitve + object)
devo comprare la cioccolata (modal verb + infinitve + object)
non posso aspettare (modal verb + infinitive )

What do they mean in English?

DOVERE

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

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

Dovere + object: to owe

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

POTERE

Potere: to ask for permission or being allowed (or not allowed) to do something

Posso uscire un momento? – Can I leave for a second?
I bambini non posso guardare la tv di sera tardi – Children are not allowed to watch TV late

Potere does not express the ability to do something, like English. In Italian, is always the verb SAPERE that does it:

so cantare – I can sing
sai cucinare? – Can you cook?
sapete parlare russo? – Can you guys speak Russian?

VOLERE

Volere: to want

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

Modal verb and compound tenses

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

Since each modal verbs is followed by an infinitive verb (Posso entrare? Voglio mangiare!), when it comes to conjugating the modal verb you always need to choose the correct auxiliary (essere or avere) of the infinitive verb following the modal verbs:

Sono dovuta uscire – I had to leave

Uscire is a verb of motion that in compound tenses take essere as a helping verb (or auxiliary), for such reason the auxiliary of dovere is essere, in such case.

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

Preparare is a transitive verb taking avere as helping verb, for such reason the auxiliary of dovere is avere, in such case.

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

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

sono dovuta andare via – I had to leave
ci siamo alzati tardi – we got up late
non siamo potuti venire – we could not come

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

Anzi è un avverbio che non ha una traduzione esatta in inglese e in molte altre lingue straniere. Diciamo pure che il suo uso è spesso di difficile comprensione per i non nativi. Tuttavia, l’avverbio anzi è usato frequentamene nella lingua italiana, soprattutto nella lingua parlata perciò molti si chiederanno quando e come si usa. Vedi i tre usi più comuni:

Si usa per correggere un’affermazione già precedentemente negata:

Non è stupida, anzi, secondo me è molto intelligente.
Non mi disturbi per niente, anzi, grazie per avermi chiamato.

Si usa per modificare quello che è stato già detto:

Facciamo l’esercizio numero 4….anzi no, il numero 5!
Andiamo al cinema? Anzi no, andiamo a teatro?
Mi porta un Bloody Mary?….Anzi no, un Mojito!

Si usa per introdurre un’espressione rafforzativa:

Sei brava, anzi bravissima!
Sei bella, anzi bellissima!

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