Italian Grammar

9 things about Italian pronominal verbs

1. Pronominal verbs mean “related to a pronoun”, in fact, the Italian pronominal verbs are a combination of a basic verb and one or two pronouns, for instance, the verb andarsene is a combination of andare+se+ne.

2. The pronouns are joined onto the infinitive of the verb and slightly or entirely change the original meaning of the verb. That’s why sentirsela (to feel like, to have the courage) is different from sentire (to hear) or sentirsi (to feel)

3. Pronominal verbs are widely used in conversational Italian and slag.

4. They are difficult to translate into your native language, as they don’t have a sole translation, and the meaning can slightly vary from one context to the next. Let’s take the example of the verb farcela (which is a combination of fare+ce+la). It has two principal meanings: to manage and not to manage

5. They are easy to conjugate verbs, yes they are! How to conjugate a pronominal verb in Italian? First of all, make sure to separate the pronouns from the infinite. Then, conjugate the verb as usual. Place the pronouns before the verb. Lest’ use the verb FARCELA as an example:

FAR(E) + CE + LA

Ce la faccio

Ce la fai

Ce la fa

Ce la facciamo

Ce la fate

Ce la fanno

The pronouns CE, NE, LA do not change. However, when it comes to a pronominal verb including SE (sentirsela, bersela, andarsene), you will need to decline the reflexive pronouns in its double pronouns version (me, te, se, ce, ve, se)

Me ne vado

Te ne vai

Se ne va

Ce ne andiamo

Ve ne andate

Se ne vanno

6. The Italian pronominal verbs ending in -sela or -sene use “essere” as an auxiliary verb in compound tenses. As a consequence, the past participle agrees with the pronoun or subject, like in the examples

NON ME LA SONO SENTITA (agreement with the feminine pronoun la)

ME NE SONO ANDATA (agreement with the feminine subject)

7. If the pronominal verb ends in –ci, –ne, -cela, -cena the auxiliary verb to use in compound tenses is “avere”

NON CE L’HO FATTA ( agreement with the feminine pronoun la)

ME LA SONO PRESA (agreement with the feminine pronoun la)

8. Some verbs are matched with fixed prepositions

Farcela A

Sentirsela DI

Avercela CON

9. Using the Italian pronominal verbs will make you sound more natural. Let’ss see a few examples of colloquial Italian sentences using pronominal verbs:

Passarsela means “stare (bene/male)”

Come te la passi? – how are you doing?

Fregarsene means “not to give a damn about something”

Me ne frego di quello che pensi – I don’t care about what you think

Farcela (positive) means “to manage”

Ce la facciamo a finire questo lavoro entro oggi? – Can we manage to finish this work within today?

Arrivarci means “to understand something (colloquial)”

Me lo puoi ripetere? Non ci arrivo – Can you repeat it? I don’t get it

Farcela (negative) means “to be fed up, to be exhausted or to be unable to cope with something”

Non ce faccio più! – I am exhausted!

Spassarsela means “to have a blast”

Ce la siamo spassata l’altra sera- we had a blast the other night

Most common Italian pronominal verbs

CI

ENTRARCI CON – to have to do with something

ENTRARCI IN – to fit in something

VOLERCI – to take time (with no subject, impersonal)

METTERCI – to take time (with a subject)

ARRIVARCI – to understand

NE

NON POTERNE PIÙ – can’t put up with something or someone anymore

SELA

SENTIRSELA DI – to have the courage of doing something

CAVARSELA IN + nome / A + infinito – to be good enough in something

PRENDERSELA CON – to be irritated with someone

PASSARSELA (bene/male) – to be good or bad

SPASSARSELA – to have a blast

SBRIGARSELA – to sort out a situation in a short time

CAVARSELA – to come out of difficult situations, easily

TIRARSELA – to show off

CELA

METTERCELA TUTTA – to do one’s best

AVERCELA CON – to be upset with someone

SENE

FREGARSENE DI – to not care about something or someone

ANDARSENE – to go away somewhere

Italian pronominal verbs and the imperative tense

The rule of thumb is that, when it comes to giving a command or piece of advice (imperative tense), the pronouns follow the verb and are joint to it.

Smettila! – enough!
Metticela tutta! – do your best!
Vattene! – go away!
Non andartene! – don’t go!
Non avercela con me! – don’t be mad at me

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Serena

Serena is a proud polyglot, teacher and language expert. After learning 8+ foreign languages and working long hours a job she was not born for, she decided she urged a significant life change. She is now combining what she loves doing with what she is good at, helping people to learn Italian online. She has been sharing her love for Italy and the Bella Lingua across the world for the last four years. Her goal is helping enthusiastic humans to transform Italian Language Learning into a habit in their lives.

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Indirect Object Pronouns

A few days ago I asked on my Facebook Page a simple question: what the biggest struggle when learning Italian was, and I was not surprised to read that many answered “the Italian pronouns”

What is a pronoun?

A pronoun is a word like you, her, him, them, that we use to see who is affected by the action of the verb.

There two types of pronouns in Italian, direct object pronouns and indirect object pronouns

What makes indirect pronouns different from direct pronouns?

Direct pronouns answer to questions what or whom

Indirect pronouns answer to the questions to whom or for whom

Examples of direct pronouns

La mangio sempre – I often eat it
Li chiamo sempre – I always call them
L’ho cucinato oggi – I cooked it today

Examples of indirect pronouns

Le mando una mail – I send her an email
Ti voglio bene – I love you
Gli telefono tutti i giorni – I call them every day

The best thing to get the hang of the Italian pronouns is, of course, to practise them as if there was no tomorrow!

But first of all, I want to introduce indirect pronouns

Mi – to me / for me
Ti – to you / for you (familiar singular)
Gli – to him/ for him
Le – to her / for her (polite singular)
Ci – to us / for us
Vi – to you / for you (plural)
Gli – to them / for them

Examples of verbs that use an indirect object pronoun in Italian

Dire -to say / to tell
Dare – to give
Chiedere – to ask
Telefonare – to phone
Scrivere – to write
Offrire – to offer
Insegnare – to teach
Mandare – to send
Prestare – to land
Rispondere – to answer

Examples of usage

Ho detto a Luisa di comprare il pane – I said to Luisa to buy some bread
Le ho detto di comprare il pane – I said to her to buy some bread

Ho prestato la bicicletta a te la settimana scorso – I lend the bike to you last week
Ti ho prestato la bici la settimana scorso – I lend you the bike last week

Ho telefonato a Lucia e Michele – I phoned (to) Lucia e Michele
Gli ho telefonato – I phoned them

Scrivi sempre a Marco? – Do you write often to Marco?
Gli scrivi sempre? – Do you write to him often?

Things you need to know about indirect object pronouns

Unlike English, the indirect object pronouns usually precede the verb
The indirect pronouns are used with intransitive verbs
The verbs like piacere,such as, interessare, succedere, sembrare, servire, bastare use the indirect object pronouns
The indirect pronoun is attached at the end of the verb in its infinitive, gerund and imperative from

Some verbs that answer to the questions what and whom in English, respond to the questions for whom or to whom in Italian, and this is where it gets tricky.

The rule of thumb is consulting a dictionary to see if the verb needs a direct or indirect pronoun.

Some examples

Insegnare in English is to teach someone, while in Italian is insegnare a qualcuno, that is to say, to teach to someone.
As a result, the correct Italian pronoun to use is the indirect one.

Maria insegna italiano agli studenti americani – Maria gli insegna l’italiano

The same occurs with the verb “phone/call”. In English one calls someone but in Italian “qualcuno telefona a qualcuno”, that is to say, that one calls to someone

Marta telefona a Lucia – Marta calls Lucia
Marta le telefona – Marta calls her

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How to master Italian reflexive verbs

What are the reflexive verbs (i verbi riflessivi)?

There two types of Italian reflexive verbs:

Proper reflexive verbs

Reflexive verbs where the subject and the object are the same or where the action is carried out by the same person that receives it.

Divertirsi → to have fun
Svegliarsi → to get up
Rilassarsi → to relax

Examples:

io mi diverto → I have fun (myself)
io mi sveglio → I wake up (myself)
io mi rilasso → I relax (myself)

Reciprocal reflexive verbs

Reciprocal reflexive verbs are ones that use the plural reflexive pronouns ci, vi, to mean “each other” or another

Capirsi → to understand each other
Amarsi → to love each other
Odiarsi → to hate other

Examples:

Ci capiamo molto bene → we understand each other very well
Ci amiamo → We love each other
Si odiano → they hate each other

To make it easier, to start using a reflexive verb correctly everything you need to know is that, what makes different an Italian reflexive verb from a regular one is that its infinite has a –si joint onto it (and drops the last “e”)

What does the “si” stand for?

“Si” is the so-called reflexive pronoun which in English stands for oneself.

The si takes differ forms when conjugated, as follows:

Does English has any reflexive verbs?

Yes. Verbs, like enjoying oneself or hurting oneself, are reflexive verbs. The good news is that English reflexive verbs are also reflexive verbs in Italian.

Enjoying oneself → divertirsi
Hurting oneself → farsi male

Also, many verbs including to get (in English) are reflexive verbs in Italian. For instance:

To get angry → arrabbiarsi
To get married → sposarsi
To get sick → ammalarsi

Luckily, most Italian verbs are not reflexive. However, there are more reflexive verbs in Italian than English.

Most used Italian reflexive verbs

Svegliarsi – to wake [oneself] up

Alzarsi – to get up

Lavarsi – to wash oneself [have a wash]

Pettinarsi – to comb one’s hair

Sedersi – to sit down

Sentirsi – to feel

Spogliarsi – to undress

Addormentarsi – to fall asleep

Truccarsi – to do the make-up

Farsi la doccia – to take a shower

Chiamarsi – to be named

Laurearsi – to graduate (from university)

Diplomarsi – to graduate (from school)

Allenarsi – to work out

Impegnarsi – to work hard

Ubriacarsi – to get drunk

Farsi la barba – to shave

Innamorarsi – to fall in love

Lamentarsi – to complain

Stressarsi – to get stressed

Innervosirsi – to get nervous

Ammalarsi – to get sick

Vestirsi – to get dressed

Annoiarsi – to get bored

How to conjugate the Italian reflexive verbs?

The rule of thumb is keeping in mind that you are conjugating the infinite of the reflexive verb deprived of the – si.

For instance, if you are conjugating the verb rilassarsi you need to remove the “si” and to add an “e” onto the infinitive, and there it is, you have an easy to conjugate Italian infinitive verb.

Example:

RILASSARSI → RILASSARE

SVEGLIARSI → SVEGLIARE

Where to put the reflexive pronoun “si”?

First of all, the si takes on different shapes which are mi ti si ci vi si (the reflexive pronouns/i pronomi riflessivi)

Generally, the reflexive pronouns go right before the verb:

Present tense → io mi diverto, tu diverti, lui si diverte, noi ci divertiamo, voi vi divertite, loro si divertono
Past Perfect → mi mi sono divertito/a, tu ti sei divertito/a, lui si è diverito/ lei si è divertita, noi ci siamo divertiti/e, voi vi sierte divertiti/e, loro si sono divertiti/e
Imperfect Tense → io mi divertivo, tu ti divertivi, lui si divertiva, noi ci divertivamo, voi vi divertivate, loro si divertivano
Future Simple → io mi divertirò, tu ti divertirai, lui si divertirà, noi ci divertiremo, voi vi divertire, lor si diverteranno
Simple Conditional → io mi divertirei, tu ti divertiresti, lui si divertirebbe, noi ci divertiremmo, voi vi divertireste, loro si diverterebbero
Present Subjunctive → io mi diverta, tu ti diverta, lui si diverta, noi ci divertiamo, voi vi diverite, loro si diverano
Imperative (formal) → si diverta!

However, there are few exceptions in which the reflexive pronouns go at the end of the verb and attached to the verb

Imperative (informal)→ divertiti!
Gerundio → divertendomi, etc
Infinitive → mi piace divertirmi, ti piace divertiti, le piace divertirsi, ci piace divertirci, vi piace divertirvi, gli piace divertirsi

What happens in negative sentences?

The reflexive pronouns always follow the “non.”

Italian reflexive verbs in compound tenses

Italian grammar is made up of simple tenses and compound tenses.

A simple tense is a simple verb (made of just one verb, e.g. the present simple), while a compound tense is a verb made of a combination of a helping verb (auxiliary verb) and another verb, the past participle, (e.g. the past perfect).

Let’s see how the verb “divertirsi” is conjugated in the past perfect

Io → subject
Mi → reflexive pronoun
Sono → helping verb
Diverito → past participle

Io mi sono diverito – I had fun

When in a compound tense (past perfect, compound future, past conditional, past subjunctive, etc…) the reflexive verbs always use a helping a verb. The helping verb still to be used is essere.

Using essere as a helping verb implies that the following past participle has to agree with the gender and number of the subject.

Examples:

Penso che Luisa si sia annoiata alla festa – I think Luisa got bored at the party
Ieri sera ci siamo divertiti a teatro – Last night we had fun at the theatre
Mi sarei svegliata tardi stamattina, ma non ho potuto – I would wake up later this morning, but I couldn’t

REFLEXIVE VERBS AND PARTS OF THE BODY

When using reflexive verbs with parts of the body, you usually don’t need to use a possessive pronoun, as it would sound redundant

The typical mistake I hear in my online Italian lessons is

~~Mi lavo le mia faccia~~

Mi lavo la faccia – I wash my face

~~Mi lavo i miei capelli~~

Mi lavo i capelli – I wash my hair

~~mi faccia la mia barba~~

Mi faccio la barba – I shave (myself)

I hope you find this article useful. If have any questions or doubts, leave a comment below.

Happy Italian Learning

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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 have 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 objec pronoun.

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 a direct pronoun follows ci.

2. Avercela 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 – I am angry with my colleague

Avercela is not to be confused with the form of avere indicating possession, as, it is always followed by the preposition 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’è, ci sono

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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 do 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 simply describes 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

Serena

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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)

Serena

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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.

Serena

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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

Serena

http://www.italianpills.com/

How to express positive emotions in Italian

Italians have a reputation to be emotional and sentimental, and this is entirely right. No need to say, we like to express positive and (negative) emotions with friends and family and we do it often.

Have you ever wondered what the most common ways to say in Italian ‘Well Done‘ or ‘I was happy about..‘ or ‘Cool’ is? Read this to find it out.

By using the present perfect of rimanere followed by an adjective you will mean you were happy/excited/ satisfied with something

Sono rimasto soddisfatto della lezione di ieri
Lucia è rimasta molto contenta del regalo che hai ricevuto
L’insegnante rimane contento del mio livello di italiano durante ogni lezione

Don’t forget, most adjectives expressing feelings are followed by the preposition di and the verb infinitive

Essere /rimanere felice di + infinito
Essere /rimanere contento di+ infinito
Essere /rimanere soddisfatto di + infinito
Essere /rimanere scioccato di + infinito
Essere /rimanere sorpreso di + infinito
Avere paura di + infinito

Exclamations are the most colloquial way to express positive emotions

Many positive Italian exclamations are the result of the combination of CHE with adjectives

Che bello! – How beautiful!
Che buono! – How good!
Che dolce! – How sweet!
Che piacere! – How nice!
Che bel film! – What a nice movie!
Che bella donna! – What a beautiful woman!
Che giornata fantastica! –What a fantastic day!

There are also many other exclamations used in day to day Italian which take the shape of simple adjectives

Bravissimo! – Well done!
Ottimo! – Excellent!
Bello! – Beautiful!
Figo! – Cool! (very informal)
Eccezionale! – Outstanding!

Another way to express satisfaction or happiness in Italian is using the expression fare piacere a qualcuno (literally: making pleasure for someone) with the subjunctive. Fare piacere is an impersonal expression; thus it has to be conjugated in the same way you would conjugate the verb piacere:

A me fa piacere – mi fa piacere – mi ha fatto piacere
A te fa piacere – ti fa piacere – ti ha fatto piacere
A Marco fa piacere  – gli fa piacere – gli ha fatto piacere
A noi fa piacere  – ci fa piacere – ci ha fatto piacere
A voi fa piacere  – vi fa piacere – vi ha fatto piacere
A Marco e Maria fa piacere – gli fa piacere – gli ha fatto piacere

Gli fa molto piacere che tu sia arrivato
Mi fa piacere che Luca si stato promosso

Expressing positive emotions can take the shape of showing approval. The most common way to show support or approval in Italian are:

Va bene! – All right!
D’accordo! – Agreed!
Giusto! – Correct!
Certo! – Of course!
Esatto! – Precisely!

Last but not least, let’s see how to express relief in Italian:

Meno male! – Thank goodness!
Per fortuna! – Luckily!
Grazie a Dio! – Thank God!

Meno male is Italy’s most common verbal sigh of relief. This phrase is used when you want to explain that you have prevented a possible situation, like in the following examples:

Meno male che ho preso l’autobus delle 11, sennò avrei perso l’aereo.
Meno male che Lucia è arrivata in orario per l’appuntamento con il capo.

Both grazie a Dio and per fortuna are used with the same meaning. However, meno male is the expression you are most likely to hear in your Italian conversations.

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Serena

http://www.italianpills.com/

How to find the perfect online Italian tutor

I love learning languages solo, or at least I used to be. These days with my busy schedule I find it harder and harder finding the time and the focus to concentrate on language learning on my own. This is why, I have been hiring Portuguese and German online tutors to ease my

The main reasons why I hire only online tutors is connected to cost and time efficiency.
You won’t need to commute to a different place, and that entails a more efficient use of your time and money. Studying with an online Italian teacher will allow you to take your class from anywhere at nearly any time and most importantly will give you the chance to work with a native teacher based in the country where your target language is spoken.

No need to say that finding the right teacher has been quite an endeavor for me. Being an online teacher myself I am quite picky, and I do expect the same standards that I deliver. Choosing an instructor is a matter of good match. An excellent tutor for me is somebody I can work together with to push myself out of my speaking comfort zone, for example.

Thankfully, there is plenty of online tutors ready to help out there, so the question is, how do I choose the best online teacher for me?

As for myself, when I decided to use online tutors I have always asked myself a few questions:

How much time am I ready to spend working with my online teacher and how much time on my own?

If you have little time to spare on Italian language learning and you need your tutor to do (most) of the job you might opt for an experienced professional online tutor, willing to tailor your classes to your needs, learning pace and style.

If you have more time and are an experienced language learner and you have already designed your learning strategies, you will probably need just conversational Italian classes. However, when looking for conversational classes, make sure your classes are not limiting to a casual conversation: this won’t help you to take your Italian to text level. Make sure your online tutor is using different topics and authentic learning material.

Am I an experienced language student or is it the first time I am tackling language learning?

If you are an experienced student

If you are already multilingual and mastering a foreign language is a piece of cake for you, then probably you will do with an online informal tutor (somebody that provides just conversational practices) or an Italian language exchange partner. When looking for a language partner, make sure you exchange languages at the same level. Assuming Italian were your target language and you are a native English speaker with an intermediate Italian, you should look for somebody with an intermediate English level.

If you are not an experienced student

If you haven’t learned a foreign language since school you might probably need an Italian language coach or again a professional online teacher. A language coach is somebody that, not only teaches you the language but teaches how to learn the language.

What skills do I want to improve?

If you are a master

If you want to bring your Italian to the next level, you should probably look for a professional Italian online teacher. Based on my experience as a language learner I found out that casual conversation does not pave the way to progress. One thing I know for sure is that you become more fluent and comfortable with your target language when stepping out of your comfort zone. Speaking ten times about your last vacations won’t make you a better Italian speaker. However, if you try to talk about politics, environmental issues and the likes, you won’t only earn new vocabulary, but you will train your brain to use language in different contexts.

If you are halfway through

If you want just brush up your Italian or tune up your accent, then an Italian language partner or informal tutor would probably do the job. A language partner will help you to maintain your languages, however, if you want to reach native fluency you should again opt for a professional Italian instructor. Again, no pain – no gain.

If you are a beginner

You should be considering to try out a few tutors before you commit to one. You need somebody that will understand you and with put you at ease. And definitely, someone who will keep you motivated along the process.

What’s my motivation?

I am studying Italian for traveling or for business

If you are going on vacations to Italy in three months, you might probably need a full immersion course. Many teachers offer Italian for traveling online courses and that’s where you should go and select your course. If you don’t want limit yourself to learn in Italian greetings and asking the price for something you should probably commit to a regular online Italian language course.

I am studying Italian for school

If you are studying or pursuing Ph.D. in Italy or Switzerland, you probably need to focus on writing skills and terminology. You need also, to look for an instructor with specialized training in that area. Many teachers have specializations micro languages (e.g. medicine, law, etc.)

I am studying Italian for life

Studies show that learning a new language transform the way we think, opens our mind and enhance us to embrace many new opportunities from work, travels and making new friends. Speaking a language doesn’t involve just learning conversational skills, but also listening and understanding native speakers of the language you are studying. If your goal is becoming a pro, you need to commit seriously. If you can afford it, you should couple online classes with offline classes or use different tutors to get used to different accents and cultures.

That being said, what are the best place to find an online Italian tutor?

Italki

This is my hands-down favorite. Italki is a teacher marketplace where you can find and use experienced professional online teachers and informal tutors in nearly every possible language. The teachers can set their rates which usually ranks from 10 $ to 40 $ per hour. What I like about Italki is the rating system: teachers, as well students, receive rates in the shapes of ‘stars’ together with written feedback. Reading the feedback from previous students will help you to figure out what to expect from the teacher. There is also a search function for finding completely free language exchanges with other learners (“language partners,” which is tucked under the menu “Community”), so you could use this site just for that and never spend a dime.

Verbling

Verbling works pretty much like Italki, expect that the teacher is not allowed to leave a feedback to the students. The platform has its video conference platform so that you won’t need to log into Skype. You access the class through the Verbling website.

Don’t forget that the teacher you choose does not have still any idea about what kind of student you are. To make the most out of you, you should be ready to speak out about your motivation, learning approach and your goals. During a consultation meeting or trial class, prepare a set questions to help the instructor to better understand your motivation, learning approach and goals!

Serena

http://www.italianpills.com/

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

Serena

http://www.italianpills.com/

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

Serena

http://www.italianpills.com/

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

Serena

http://www.italianpills.com/

Italian phrases to use at restaurant when in Italy

In this page you will find a complete list of sentences that will make your life easier when at a restaurant in Italy.

Before going through the list, you might also want to know that..

It is customary to be seated or to make a reservation, especially at weekends.
On paying, unlikely from many other countries a tip is not expected because included in the bill under the voice coperto. However, if the service was excellent you can leave a tip to show your satisfaction for the service.
We have mostly four different types of restaurants:

the proper ristorante: a place where you can expect a full-service, a touch of gourmet, a professional staff and a higher price. It’s the place to have a more sophisticated food. The atmosphere should me more sophisticated too.

la trattoria: less pricey and less formal than a restaurant, it is usually a family owned business. It’s the place to have the traditional and comfort Italian food. The atmosphere is usually rustic.

la pizzeria: a pizzeria in Italy works just like any other restaurants. You make a reservation for a table and then you order from the menu. Often antipasti are also served.

la rosticceria (mainly in the South of Italy): it’s an informal take away place with none or few tables where Italians lie to buy ready to eat comfort fried food (arancini, calzoni, mozzarelle in carrozza and the likes)

PRENOTARE UN TAVOLO – BOOKING A TABLE

Vorrei / Vorremmo prenotare un tavolo per domani sera alle 19 – I/ We would like to book at table for tomorrow night at 7 pm

Domani a mezzogiorno – tomorrow at midday

Domani alle 13 – tomorrow at 1 pm

Un tavolo per due – a table for two

Un tavolo per tre – a table for three

Un tavolo per quattro – a table for four

ORDINARE – ORDERING

Potrei avere il menù? – Could I have the menu?

Posso vedere il menù? – Can I see the menu?

Potrei avere la carta dei vini? – Could I have the wine list?

Potrei avere il menù dei dolci? – Could I have the dessert menu?

Avete un menù per bambini? – Do you have a children’s menu?

Avete un menù del giorno? – Do you have a daily menu?

Qual è il piatto del giorno? – What is the dish of the day?

Sul menù c’è ‘un antipasto della casa’, che cos’è? – On the menu I read ‘Antipasto della casa’, what is it?

Lei cosa mi consiglia? – What would you recommend me?

Sono allergico/a a.. – I am allergic to…

Latticini – dairy products

Glutine- gluten

Sono vegetariano – I am a vegetarian

Sono vegano – I am a vegan

Non mangio carne di maiale – I don’t eat pork

Per me / Prendo / Vorrei – I’ll have…

Un antipasto di mare

Spaghetti alle vongole

Una macedonia

Una porzione di patatine fritte – a portion of..

– Una cotoletta

– Pasta

– Carne al sangue – rare meat

– Carne poco cotta – medium rare

– Carne ben cotta – well-done meat

Scusa, mi (ci) può portare… del pane? Una bottiglia d’acqua? Dell’olio? – Excuse-me, could I have some..bread? A bottle of water? Some oil?

CAMERIERE – WAITER

Siete pronti per ordinare? – Are you ready to order?

Posso portarvi da bere? – Can I get you something to drink?

L’acqua gasata o naturale? – The water sparkling or still?

PROBLEMI – PROBLEMS

La pizza è bruciata – the pizza is burned

L’insalata è scondita – the salad is undressed

La zuppa è fredda – the salad is cold

La pasta è fredda – the pasta is cold

C’è ancora molto da aspettare? – is our food long?

Stiamo aspettando da troppo tempo – we are waiting too long

PAGARE – PAYING

Il conto, per favore – The bill, please

Paga in contanti o con carta? – Do you pay cash or by card?

Pagate insieme o separatamente? – Do you pay all together or separately?

Posso pagare con carta di credito? – Can I pay by credit card?

Dividiamo il conto – Les’s split it

COSE CHE POTRESTI SENTIRE – THINGS YOU MIGHT HEAR

Posso offrirle un caffè o un amaro? – Can I buy you an espresso or a liquor?

Il pranzo /la cena è di vostro gradimento? – Did you like the meal?

Tutto apposto? – Was everything alright?

Vuole qualcos’altro? No grazie – Do you want anything else?

Serena

http://www.italianpills.com/

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Italian Grammar

Most common Italian pronominal verbs

CI

NE

SELA

CELA

SENE

Italian pronominal verbs and the imperative tense

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Examples of direct pronouns

Examples of indirect pronouns

Things you need to know about indirect object pronouns

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What are the reflexive verbs (i verbi riflessivi)?

Proper reflexive verbs

Reciprocal reflexive verbs

What does the “si” stand for?

Does English has any reflexive verbs?

How to conjugate the Italian reflexive verbs?

What happens in negative sentences?

Italian reflexive verbs in compound tenses

REFLEXIVE VERBS AND PARTS OF THE BODY

Happy Italian Learning

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GIÀ= ALREADY

GIÀ= WELL, YES

ANCORA = STILL

ANCORA = AGAIN

NON ANCORA = NOT YET

ANCORA = MORE

ANCORA = EVEN

FARE BENE

FARE MALE

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How much time am I ready to spend working with my online teacher and how much time on my own?

Am I an experienced language student or is it the first time I am tackling language learning?

What skills do I want to improve?

What’s my motivation?

1. As an adverb (invariable form)

2.As a possessive adjective

3. As an intensifier

4. As a negative intensifier meaning “at all”

5. In many colloquial expressions

GIORNATA

idiomatic expressions with GIORNATA

GIORNO

idiomatic expressions with GIORNO

how many different meanings it has?

METTERSI = PUTTING ON

TURNING OUT WELL (or BADLY)

STARTING

STAYING

IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS

PRENOTARE UN TAVOLO – BOOKING A TABLE

ORDINARE – ORDERING

CAMERIERE – WAITER

PROBLEMI – PROBLEMS

PAGARE – PAYING

COSE CHE POTRESTI SENTIRE – THINGS YOU MIGHT HEAR