parole difficili

Basta/Abbastanza/Mi basta: The Difference Explained

Everyone has heard at least once the words “basta! or “abbastanza” or “mi basta.”And although they all look very similar, their uses and meanings differ significantly. Let’s take a look at it now!

BASTA

Basta! means enough! stop!

It’s an invariable noun, and it’s used as an interjection or exclamation.

Sometimes we can attach an additional phrase to basta, like this:

Basta con questo rumore! – enough with this noise.
Basta parlare ad alta voce

Don’t forget that the tone you use when saying “basta” defines the message you want to get across.

Basta (enough!) can sound very harsh if you yell it at someone, or it can sound just like “that’s all.”

Basta or basta così, is a common phrase you can use at a market or restaurant, and it means that’s all.

For example:

Vuole altro, Signora? – anything else, M’am?
No, basta così, grazie – that’s all, thank you

ABBASTANZA

Abbastanza is an adverb of quantity. As all adverbs, abbastanza is an invariable word (it always stays the same).

When abbastanza is used after a verb, it means “enough“.

Stanotte non ho dormito abbastanza – I didn’t get enough sleep last night
Hai abbastanza soldi? – Do you have enough money?
Ho comprato abbastanza libri per oggi – I’ve bought enough books for today

When abbastanza is used before an adjective means “quite” or “pretty”.

Questo casa è abbastanza nuova – this house is quite new
Questa libro è abbastanza vecchio – this book is pretty old

MI BASTA/MI BASTANO

(If you’re a beginner learner, you can skip this for now.)

Mi basta is a form of the verb “bastare.” Bastare is an impersonal verb (just like the verbs piacere, mancare, and servire), which follows a different conjugation than the other regular verbs.

Bastare doesn’t have a straightforward translation into English, and it means something close to “enough” or “sufficient.”

Similar to the verb piacere, bastare gets conjugated in the third person singular and plural and with the indirect object pronouns, like in the following chart.

3rd person singular	3rd person plural	in English
mi basta	mi bastano	it's enough for me
ti basta	ti bastano	it's enough for you
gli/le basta	gli/le bastano	it's enough for him/her
ci basta	ci bastano	it's enough for us
vi basta	vi bastano	it's enough for you
gli basta	gli bastano	it's enough for them

Example sentences

Mi bastano 6 ore di sonno – six hours of sleep is enough for me
Ti basta questa formaggio per cucina la lasagna? – is this cheese sufficient to make the lasagna?
Questo mi basta – this is enough for me
Ti bastano 20 dollari? – is 20 dollars enough for you?
Ci basta questo pane – is the bread enough for us?
Gli bastano 6 ore di sonno due mesi per prepararmi all’esame? – is two months enough for him to prepare for the exam?

The verb MANCARE explained

If you want to say “I miss” in Italian, you should say “mi manca” and not “manco”.

Why so? What does the “mi” in front stand for?

**The verb “*mancare”***

The mi is an indirect pronoun and it’s used because mancare doesn’t follow a regular conjugation pattern, but it has the same construction of the verb “piacere”.

Both verbs piacere and mancare are known as “impersonal verbs”.

Impersonal verbs are conjugated with indirect objects pronouns and in the third persons singular and plural.

That’s why in Italian we can’t say “manco” (which literally would mean something like, “I am lacking”). Instead we use the forms mi manca or mi mancano, which are the third personal singular and plural conjugations of the verb mancare + the appropriate indirect pronoun.

Use the verb “mancare” with the following pattern:

Mi manca + singular noun, or verb (in the infinitive form)
Mi mancano + plural noun

Examples:

Mi manca l’italia → I miss Italy
Ti manca viaggiare? → Do you miss traveling?
Mi mancano i miei amici → I miss my friends

Mancare in the present tense

3° person singular	3° person plural	In English
mi manca	mi mancano	I miss
ti manca	ti mancano	you miss
gli manca	gli mancano	he misses
le manca	le mancano	she misses
ci manca	ci mancano	we miss
vi manca	vi mancano	you miss (pl.)
gli manca	gli mancano	they miss

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

When the person who misses something is explicit (is mentioned), the noun must be preceded by the preposition “a“:

For example,

A Marco manca l’italia – Marco misses Italy
A Lucia non manca la sua vecchia casa – Lucia doesn’t miss her old house
Ai miei amici manca viaggiare – My friends miss traveling

In all of the foregoing sentences Marco, Lucia and i miei amici are explicit.

Of course, if we wanted we could replace the person mentioned with the indirect pronouns, for example:

Gli (a Marco) manca l’italia – He misses Italy
Le (a Lucia) non manca la sua vecchia casa – She doesn’t miss her old house
Gli (ai miei amici) manca viaggiare – They miss travelling

How to say “I missed” – MANCARE with the passato prossimo

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

3° person singular	3° person plural	In English
mi è mancato/a	mi sono mancati/e	I missed
ti è mancato/a	ti sono mancati/e	you missed
gli è mancato/a	gli sono mancati/e	he missed
le è mancato/a	le sono mancati/e	she missed
ci è mancato/a	ci sono mancati/e	we missed
vi è mancato/a	vi sono mancati/e	you missed (pl.)
gli è mancato/a	gli sono mancati/e	they missed

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

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

Different uses of the mancare

mancare = non c’è (there’s not)

Mancare is a verb with many usages. One of them is when mancare is used to state that something is there or not there.

In this case the meaning of mancare is similar to the meaning of “there isn’t” and “there aren’t”.

manca = non c’è (there’s not)
non manca = c’è (there’s)
mancano = non ci sono (there are not)
non mancano = ci sono (there are)

For example:

manca una persona nel gruppo – one person is missing from the group
mancano i bicchieri a tavola – there are no glasses on the table
non manca niente – nothing is missing

Quanto manca?

Another usage of mancare is related with the time and is the translation of the English sentences “X time is left until something”

For example

mancano due settimane a Natale – there are two weeks left until Christmas
manca un’ora per arrivare – there’s one hour left until arrival
mancano 10 minuti alla fine della lezione – there are 10 minutes left until the end of class

This use of mancare is very colloquial and used in spoken in Italian and sometimes it’s hard to translate in English.

mancare vs. perdere

The verb “to miss” has two main definitions in English: either you miss something or someone with nostalgia, or you miss a train, bus, or an opportunity. The verb “to miss” in Italian, however, only has the first meaning (when you miss someone or something in a nostalgic way), not the second.

Use the verb perdere, which means to lose, to say that you missed a train or an opportunity.

ho perso il treno – I missed my train
ho perso una grande opportunità – I missed a good opportunity

How to say I miss you

Mi manchi means “I miss you” and I recommend learning this sentence as an expression as this us of the verb mancare is not common in other conjugations or tenses.

The 3 ways of saying TIME in Italian – ORA/TEMPO/VOLTA

The difference between “ora”, “tempo” and “volta”

Ora, tempo, volta all express, in different ways, the idea of time in English.

However, they can’t be used interchangeably and there’s a stark difference between all of them.

So, what’s the difference between these three words?

When ORA means time

Ora (or ore, in the plural form ) is used to ask the time

Che ora è? – What time is it?
Che ore sono? – What time is it?

(Both questions are equally used)

Ora is also used in the common expression it’s time to…

E ora di andare a letto! – It’s time to go sleep

Ora has another common meaning in Italian, which is now. In this case, ora is a synonym of adesso.

Ora andiamo a casa, ragazzi! – Now, we go home kids!

Ora is also used in the common Italian idiom non vedo l’ora, which means. I can’t wait or I look forward to.

Non vedo l’ora che arrivi l’estate – I can’t wait for the summer

When TEMPO means time

The word tempo is used to describe the abstract idea of time or the passing of time.

Il tempo vola – time flies
Hai tempo per oggi? – Do you have time for me today?
Non ho mai tempo per i miei amici – I never have time for my friends

Tempo is also used in many time expressions too, for instance

Molto tempo – long time
Molto tempo fa – a long time ago
Poco tempo fa – a short while ago
Pl tempo libero – free time

But tempo also means weather, and so it used to speak about the weather…

Che tempo fa? – How is the weather?
Il tempo è bello oggi – It’s nice/sunny today

When VOLTA means time

Volta (or volte, the plural fom) is generally used in combination with other words resulting in time expressions.

We use volte to say how many times you have done something.

Molte volte – many times
Poche volte – few times
Qualche volta – sometimes
Una volta – once
Due volte – twice
etc..

We use the word volta in expressions like the first time, the second time, etc..

Prima volta – first time
Seconda volta – second time
Etc…

And, finally, we use volta in several other time expressions like

C’era una volta – once upon time
Una volta – once
Un poco alla volta – little by little

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

Nessuno/Nessuna/Nessun = (not…any)

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

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

For example:

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

Nessuno has four possibile forms:

Nessun which is the default version for the masculine nouns.
Nessuno which is used just as a pronoun and means “no-one, nobody”.
Nessuna which is used before feminine nouns (e.g., nessuna sedia, nessuna stanza).
Nessun’ which is used before feminine nouns starting with a vowel sound (e.g., nessun’amica, nessun’ idea).

Nessuno has no plural!

For English speakers, take note of the following:

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

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

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

Nessuno/Nessuna = no one, anyone, none

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

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

For instance,

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

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

For example,

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

Niente = nothing/anything

Niente is a adverb and it means nothing or anything.

Niente only refers to things.

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

Let’s see a couple of examples:

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

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

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

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

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

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

The difference, in short,

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

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

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

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

Let’s take a look at some more examples.

Potere – external circumstances

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

Riuscire (a) – internal circumstances

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

So, when should riuscire be used instead of potere?

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

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

Non riesco a capire – I can’t understand

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

Non riesco a ricordare – I can’t remember

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

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

Other meanings of riuscire

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

For example

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

How to conjugate riuscire

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

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

The present tense

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

The passato prossimo

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

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

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

For intermediate learners

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

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

For example,

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

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

Ci vuole vs. Ci metto: The Difference between VOLERCI and METTERCI

When we want to say how long something will take, we often use the Italian expressions ci vuole or ci metto. However, the fact that they can’t be used interchangeably often leads my students to confusion.

So, what exactly is the difference between ci vuole and ci metto?

Volerci (it takes, without explicit subject)

Ci vuole has a couple of meanings.

In its primary meaning, it’s used with the meaning of “it takes” (a certain amount of time).

Ci vuole un’ora per andare in centro – it takes an hour to go downtown

The base form of the verb (the infinitive) is volerci (volere + ci), which has only two conjugations in the present tense.

ci vuole and ci vogliono

What’s the difference between the two?

Ci vuole is used when it’s followed by a singular noun or noun phrase, like:

Ci vuole un minuto – it takes one minute
Ci vuole una vita – it takes a lifetime

Ci vogliono is used when it’s followed by a plural noun or noun phrase, like:

Ci vogliono molti anni – it takes many years
Ci vogliono 5 minuti – it takes five minutes

The secondary meaning of ci vuole or ci vogliono, is “it’s necessary”.

For example,

Ci vogliono due uova in questa ricetta – it takes two eggs in this recipe
Ci vuole pazienza in questo lavoro – it takes patience in this job

Note that we can’t make the subject explicit when using “ci vuole” or “ci vogliono” in either case; we can’t say “io ci voglio” or “tu ci vuole.” This is the main difference between “volerci” and “metterci.”

How to use “volerci” in the past, future and conditional.

Of course “ci vuole” and “ci vogliono” can be conjugated in all the different tense.

Volerci in the past tense (passato prossimo) goes to

Ci è voluto/a – it took (followed by a singular noun)
Ci sono voluti/e – it took (followed by a plural noun)

Volerci in the future tense goes to

Ci vorrà – it will take (followed by a singular noun)
Ci vorranno – it will take (followed by a plural noun)

Volerci in the conditional form goes to

Ci vorrebbe – it would take (followed by a singular noun)
Ci vorrebbero – it would take (followed by a plural noun)

Metterci (it takes, with explicit subject)

Metterci has a similar meaning to volerci, but it is used differently.

Ci metto also means it takes, but it is used when the subject is explicit, unlike ci vuole. In other words, whoever is “taking the time” is obvious. So you could say “io ci metto”, “noi ci mettiamo”, etc..

As a result of the foregoing, metterci and can be conjugated in all the forms, unlike “volerci”

For example,

Ci metto 30 minuti ad andare in centro a piedi – it takes me 30 minutes to walk downtown
Ci abbiamo messo tre ore ad arrivare in cima – it took us three hours to get to the top
Quanto ci metti a prepararti? – How long does it take you to get ready?

Metterci in the present tense

ci metto – it takes me
ci metti – it takes you
ci mette – it takes her/him
ci mettiamo – it takes us
ci mettete – it takes you
ci mettono – it takes them

Ci vuole vs. ci metto

Another explanation we can give is that, while ci vuole or ci vogliono mean “it takes”, ci metto means “it takes me/you/her/him/us/them”.

How to use “metterci” in the past, future and conditional

Ci ho messo – I took me
Ci metterò – it will take me
Ci metterei – it would take me

for the complete conjugations please, check this website out.

The particle “ci”

The particle “ci” remains the same and is invariable in both verbs (volerci and metterci). In my classes, I occasionally hear those verbs conjugated incorrectly as reflexive verbs, because the ci in volerci and metterci is not a reflexive pronoun, it can’t take the forms ti, si, vi, etc.

Useful phrases

Quanto tempo ci vuole? – How long does it take?

Quanto tempo ci vuole in treno da Roma a Milano? – How long does it take from Rome to Milan by train?

Quanto tempo ci metti a (+ infinitive)? – How long does it take you to (+verb)?

Quanto tempo ci metti a preparare questo piatto? – How long does it take you to prepare this dish?

Quanto/a”x” ci vuole (or Quanti/e “x” ci vogliono?)

Quanto sale ci vuole in questo piatto? – How much salt do you need in this dish?

Quante uova ci vogliono in questa torta? – How many eggs do you need in this cake?

Mentre vs. Durante: the difference explained

MENTRE

Mentre is a conjugation that is always followed by a verb.

In English, the equivalent of mentre is “while.”

This word always requires the use of a verb conjugated in the present, past, or future.

Mentre and the past

A note goes to the use of the past with “mentre”.

As mentre implies the ongoing duration of action over a period of time, the right past tense to use is the “imperfect tense”. As a result, “mentre” can never be followed by a passato prossimo.

mentre mettevo in ordine la stanza, ascoltavo un Podcast – while tidying up the room, I was listening to a podcast.
mentre il professore spiegava, prendevo appunti – while the professor was explaining the lesson, I was taking notes
mentre cucinavo, ho ricevuto una telefonata – while I was cooking, I got a phone call

English vs. Italian

Unlike in English, “mentre” can’t ever be followed by a gerund form. If in English it’s OK to say “while doing something”, in Italian it’s not possible and you’ll need to conjugate the verb.

Using a gerund verb form after “mentre” is a typical mistake English speakers make when speaking Italian.

For example, the phrase “while taking a walk, I listen to a Podcast” is correctly translated into Italian with “mentre faccio una passeggiata, ascolto un Podcast” and not with “mentre facendo…”

DURANTE

Durante is a preposition and is the equivalent of during in English. It is always followed by a noun (and never by a verb).

Durante la cena, guardo la tv – during dinner, I watch TV

Mentre vs. durante

Let’s compare the use of mentre (+ verb) and durante (+noun) in the following sentences

Mentre passeggiavo, ho raccolto dei mirtilli buonissimi – While I was walking around, I picked some yummy blueberries
Durante la passeggiata, ho raccolto dei mirtilli buonissimi – During the walk, I picked some very good blueberries
Mentre cenavamo, abbiamo parlato di molte cose interessanti – While we were eating dinner, we talked about many interesting things
Durante la cena, abbiamo parlato di molte cose interessanti – During dinner, we talked about many interesting things

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).

Prendo or Porto: What’s the difference?

When it comes to describing movement, the difference between prendere and portare is not obvious to native English speakers. In my private classes, students frequently default to prendere when they should be using portare.

Why is this the case?

Because both the Italian verbs prendere and portare are frequently rendered as “to take” in English. As a result, while it may appear natural to always translate “take” into prendere, this is incorrect. Many times, instead of using prendere, it’s necessary to use portare.

Portare

The verb portare means “to bring” in Italian. And it’s used to describe the action of taking something or someone somewhere.

For example,

Ti porto una birra? – Can I get you a beer?
Porto mia moglie alla stazione – I’m taking my wife to the station
Porto i miei figli a scuola in macchina – I take my kids to school by car
Ti porto a casa – I’ll take you home

Portare is also used when you take something or someone with you:

Portami un regalo da Roma! – bring me a gift from Rome!
Porta la macchina – bring the car
Porta i tuoi amici alla festa – bring your friends to the party

In all the foregoing phrases, we’re taking something or someone somewhere (or to bring) In all these phrases, I couldn’t use the verb prendere, because this would have had a whole different meaning.

Prendere

In fact, prendere describes the action of taking someone or something toward us. In other words, to pick someone up, to collect, or get something.

For example,

Ti prendo alle 8 – I’ll pick you up at 8
Vado a prendere Marco all’aeroporto – I’m going to pick up Marco at the airport
Prendo i bambini da scuola alle 9 – I pick up the kids from school at 9
Devo prendere la macchina dal meccanico – I have to get the car from the mechanic

What’s a good way to learn and internalize this subtle but important difference?

Memorize these two sample phrases and use them as a guide when you make your own sentences.

Porto i miei figli a scuola – I’m taking my my children to school
Prendo i miei figli da scuola – I’m taking my children from school

Other meanings of prendere

Remember that prendere can have a variety of meanings depending on the situation.

We use prendere to say that we are having food and drinks.

Prendo un cornetto e un caffè – I’ll have a croissant and an espresso

We use prendere with the meaning of buying or getting something.

Ho preso un nuovo paio di occhiali – I’ve got a new pair of shades

We use prendere with the meaning of to catch or to grab something, like

Prendi la palla – grab the ball

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…

How to Use “Ancora” in Italian

Ancora is one of those words used in a number of different ways in Italian—and it’s very common. As always, when learning something new, it’s paramount to consider the context and the sentence in which the word is used.

In the case of ancora, I recommend memorizing a few examples for every use and then trying to re-use them by replacing the vocabulary in the examples with the vocabulary you want.

Still

The most common meaning of ancora is “still“. It implies the idea that the action described by the verb has been carried out until now. Ancora is especially used for this meaning with the present progressive (the stare + gerund form).

Stai ancora dormendo? – Are you still sleeping?

Sto ancora aspettando l’auto – I’m still waiting for the bus

Sto ancora cucinando – I’m still cooking

However, it’s common to use it with other tenses, like the present tense.

Sono ancora qui – I’m still here

Ancora dormi? – Are you still sleeping?

Again

Ancora is also used with the meaning of doing something again.

Fallo ancora – do it again

Prova ancora – try it again

Ripeti ancora – repeat again

In the foregoing sentences, ancora can be replaced by its synonym, di nuovo.

Fallo di nuovo – do it again

Prova di nuovo – try it again

Ripeti di nuovo – repeat again

Non…ancora = not…yet

When ancora appears with non, it means not…yet. This pattern is commonly used 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

Non abbiamo ancora preparato la colazione – we haven’t yet made breakfast

The position of non..ancora is always fixed in these sentences.

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

Vuoi ancora zucchero? – Do you want more sugar?

Ancora is used with this meaning, especially in the following types of sentences:

ancora due giorni – two more days

ancora un minuto – one more minute

ancora una volta – one more time

Even

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

For example,

even hotter – ancora più caldo

even chapter – ancora più economico

even less attractive – ancora meno attraente

Cosa? and Quale?: The Difference

Because the interrogative word “Quale?” is sometimes translated into English as “Which?” and sometimes with What?, it’s frequently confused with Cosa?, Che? or Che cosa? which are more common translations of What?

Cosa? = What?

Cosa is the default What? for interrogative questions when they are followed by a verb.

Cosa ascolti? – What are you listening to?
Cosa studierai dopo? – What are you going to study later?
Cosa pensi di questo film? – What do you think about this movie?

In any of the previous questions Cosa? can be replaced by Che cosa? o Che?.

As a result, the following three questions all mean the same.

Cosa ascolti? – What are you listening to?
Che cosa ascolti? – What are you listening to?
Che ascolti? – What are you listening to?

Cosa? and Che cosa? are both synonyms of Che? (when followed by a verb). It is a matter of regional preference whether to use one or the other. Cosa?, I believe, is more common in the north of Italy than in the south, for example.

In the following types of questions, Che can also be followed by a noun, but Cosa? and che Cosa che? can never be followed by a noun.

Che piatto è questo? – What dish is this?
Che lavoro fai? – What do you do for a living?
Che caffè bevi? – What coffee are you drinking?

We can’t use Che cosa? or Cosa? with nouns though.

Che cosa piatto è questo? (WRONG)
Cosa lavoro fai? (WRONG)
Cosa caffè bevi? (WRONG)

Quale? = What?

Quale means What? when is followed by the verb to be (è, sono), any other verb or a noun, if it’s used to refer to a limited choice or items of the same group (e.g. type of foods, cities, songs, etc…).

Quale vino preferisci? – What’s your favorite wine?
Quale formaggio preferisci? – What’s your favorite cheese?

Qual è is a very common chunk to ask questions what’s your favorite “x” or what’s the best “x”.

Qual è il tuo piatto preferito? – What’s your favorite dish?
Qual è il miglior libro che tu abbia letto? – What’s the best book you have ever read?
Qual è la migliore trattoria di Roma? – What’s the best trattoria in Rome?

Note that Qual? doesn’t need an apostrophe when comes before a vowel.

Quale? v Quali?

When Quale is followed by a plural noun or the plural form of essere (sono=are), it becomes Quali?

Quali sono i tuoi film preferiti? – What are your favorite movies?
Quali verdure compri di solito? – What are your favorite veggies?

In all of the preceding questions, the term Quale? refers to a limited number of options from which to choose.

Quale/Qual/Quali can be replaced by Che? in a very slangy way of speaking Italian.

Che frutta compri? (slangy Italian) – What fruit are you buying?
Quale frutta compri? (good Italian) – What fruit are you buying?

Quale? = Which (one)?

Quale also means Which? when is followed by a noun or Which one? when followed by a verb

Quale birra prendi? – Which beer are you getting?
Quale prendi? – Which one do you get?
Quale vuoi? – Which one do you want?

Quali? is the plural form of quali and it means which ones?.

Migliore and Meglio: The Difference Explained

Meglio and migliore are two words that students frequently mix up.

The reason for this is that meglio means “better”, and migliore means both “best” and “better” and this causes a little confusion when translating from English.

In Italian we can’t draw a division between best and better, like English. Instead we have to consider the word’s function in the sentence, when deciding whether to use migliore or meglio.

How to use migliore

Migliore is an adjective, and as a result is used in conjunction with a noun. When migliore comes before a singular noun, the last-e is dropped (it’s just a phonetic adjustment).

il mio miglior amico vive a Londra – my best (adjective) friend lives in London
i miei migliori studenti viaggiano spesso in Italia – my best (adjective) students often travel to Italy
Quelle fragranze sono le migliori – those fragrances are the best (adjective)!
il riposo è la miglior medicina contro lo stress – resting is the best (adjective) medicine again the stress

It’s worth noting that because migliore is an adjective, it can be singular, plural, masculine, or feminine.

Migliore is also used in comparative sentences, such as when comparing one thing to another in English Migliore means “better than” in this context.

Questo vino è migliore di quello – This wine is better than (adjective) the other
La lezione di oggi è migliore di quella ieri – Today’s lesson is better than (adjective) yesterday’s

Because it refers to a noun, migliore is also used as an adjective in these comparative sentences.

How to use meglio

Meglio is an adverb, and as the definition suggests, it follows verbs. Often meglio appears in comparative sentences too. In this case, it means better…than. Unlike migliore, meglio is invariable, so it never changes

Se non hai capito questo argomento, studiarlo meglio – If you didn’t understand this topic, study it better (adverb)
Martina sa cucinare meglio di Serena – Martina can cook better than (adverb) Serena
E’ meglio studiare un poco ogni giorno che studiare tanto una volta settimana – It is better (adverb) to study a little every day than to study a lot once a week
Conosco meglio Roma che Napoli – I know better (adverb) Rome than Naples

Peggiore and peggio

Peggiore and peggio are the antonyms of migliore and meglio. The same rules for migliore and meglio apply.

Questo è il peggior vino che abbia mai bevuto – this is the worst (adjective) wine I’ve ever drunk
Capisco peggio lo spagnolo che il francese – I understand Spanish worse (adverb) than French

Conclusion: Because both migliore and meglio mean better, this causes some confusion among my students who speak English as their first language. As a result, it’s critical to consider the word’s grammatical function in sentences rather than looking for a direct translation.

parole difficili

Basta/Abbastanza/Mi basta: The Difference Explained

BASTA

ABBASTANZA

MI BASTA/MI BASTANO

The verb MANCARE explained

The verb “mancare”

Mancare in the present tense

How to say “I missed” – MANCARE with the passato prossimo

Different uses of the mancare

mancare = non c’è (there’s not)

Quanto manca?

mancare vs. perdere

How to say I miss you

The difference between “ora”, “tempo” and “volta”

When ORA means time

When TEMPO means time

When VOLTA means time

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

Nessuno/Nessuna/Nessun = (not…any)

Nessuno/Nessuna = no one, anyone, none

Niente = nothing/anything

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

The difference, in short,

Other meanings of riuscire

How to conjugate riuscire

Ci vuole vs. Ci metto: The Difference between VOLERCI and METTERCI

Volerci (it takes, without explicit subject)

How to use “volerci” in the past, future and conditional.

Metterci (it takes, with explicit subject)

Metterci in the present tense

Ci vuole vs. ci metto

How to use “metterci” in the past, future and conditional

The particle “ci”

Useful phrases

Mentre vs. Durante: the difference explained

MENTRE

DURANTE

Perché / Perciò / Siccome: The Difference Explained

Perché: why / because

Perciò: therefore, for that reason, so

Siccome: because, since, given that, as

Prendo or Porto: What’s the difference?

Portare

Prendere

How to use the adverb ECCO

Here is / Here are

Well

Expressions with ecco

How to Use “Ancora” in Italian

Still

Again

More

Even

Cosa? and Quale?: The Difference

Cosa? = What?

Quale? = What?

Quale? v Quali?

Quale? = Which (one)?

Migliore and Meglio: The Difference Explained

How to use migliore

How to use meglio

Peggiore and peggio

**The verb “*mancare”***