Grammar

How to Conjugate Verbs in Italian: A Beginner’s Guide

How to Conjugate Verbs in Italian: A Beginner’s Guide

Learning how to conjugate verbs is indispensable for anyone who wants to communicate effectively in Italian; conjugation is the backbone of Italian phrases, supporting and giving shape to every sentence you construct.  What is a verb?  A verb is the most...

Italian Questions Words (+ How to Structure a Question)

Italian Questions Words (+ How to Structure a Question)

When learning Italian, one of the first things you might want to know is how to ask questions. To start a question, we often use a question word, which is a special word we use to ask about where, what, how, etc. Question Words English Examples Che cosa / Cosa /...

The Verb Andare: Conjugation and Uses

The Verb Andare: Conjugation and Uses

Conjugating "Andare" in the Present Tense First off, it’s crucial to recognize that 'andare' is an irregular verb in Italian. Unlike regular verbs, which follow a consistent conjugation pattern, irregular verbs like 'andare' have unique forms in different tenses and...

The Italian Verb ‘Potere’: Conjugations and Uses

The Italian Verb ‘Potere’: Conjugations and Uses

Conjugation of Potere (Present Tense) ItalianEnglishExamplesPossoI can / Can I?Posso aiutarti? (Can I help you?)PuoiYou can / Can you?Perché non puoi venire alla riunione? (Why can’t you join the meeting?)PuòHe/She can / Can he, she?Lui può andare in palestra oggi....

Italian Pronunciation Made Easy (for English Speakers)

Italian Pronunciation Made Easy (for English Speakers)

Why it's Important To Practice Your Italian Pronunciation From Day 1 In over ten years of teaching Italian as a foreign language, I've noticed a number of patterns that are next to impossible to get rid of (or that take a great deal of time and work to unlearn). A...

Passato Prossimo with Direct Object Pronouns

Passato Prossimo with Direct Object Pronouns

The basic rule is that when using the passato prossimo tense with the auxiliary verb 'avere', the past participle—the second part of the verb—usually does not change. It remains the same regardless of the subject's gender and number.  Lei ha comprato Noi abbiamo...

Most Common -IRE Verbs in Italian

Most Common -IRE Verbs in Italian

There are two types of "-ire" verbs in Italian. Some, like "dormire" (to sleep), are considered regular and follow the conjugation pattern seen in the first chart. Others, such as "capire" (to understand), are considered "irregular" and follow the conjugation pattern...

Most Common -ERE Verbs in Italian

Most Common -ERE Verbs in Italian

Present Tense of 'scrivere' (regular verb)  IoscrivoI write or I'm writing TuscriviYou write you're writingLui/LeiscriveHe/she writes or he/she is writingNoiscriviamoWe write or we are writingVoiscriveteYou all write or you're all writingLoroscrivonoThey write or they...

Sapere or Potere: Don’t mix them up again! 

Sapere or Potere: Don’t mix them up again! 

In Italian, 'potere' is more commonly used to express possibility or permission, but NOT skill or ability. To express the skill or ability to do something, the verb 'sapere' is used, which means 'to know how to.'  For example, 'so nuotare' translates to 'I can...