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How to use the verb METTERSI

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

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

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

Present Tense

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

Passato prossimo (past tense)

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

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

To put on/to wear

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

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

To start doing something

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

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

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

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

To stay/to stand

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

For example,

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

(all the forgoing sentences are in the imperative form)

Turning out well (or badly)

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

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

Common idiomatic expressions with mettersi

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

The following are the most well-known:

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

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5 Italian sayings on love

1. L’amore non è bello, se non è litigarello

There is no equivalent in English, although searching, I came across a quote by Shakespeare that sums up the meaning of the Italian provarb above.

“The course of true love never runs smooth.”

When do Italians say “l’amore non è bello se non è litigarello?”

This Italian proverb pretends to ease the tension after a little quarrel by objecting that a relationship can’t always be “bella‘(or healthy) without a small fight from time to time. Of course, the hardest times make your relationship stronger. The adjective litigarello (originating from the verb litigare) is not used in any other expressions, but this one.

2. Chi s’assomiglia si piglia

Literally, those who are alike end up with each other.

The proverb originates from the Tuscany dialect and means that those who have similar features (both in their bodies and their characters) are attracted to each other.

3. Sfortunato al gioco fortunato in amore

Literally: unlucky at cards, lucky in love.

This Italian saying is often used to ease the pain of somebody who is losing while playing a game, usually playing cards.

4. Il primo amore non si scorda mai

English: You never forget your first love. The proverb explains itself.

5. Al cuore non si comanda

English: Love is blind, or you can’t rule the heart. A person who is in love might not see the faults in his/her partner the way others might see them. It sounds pretty malicious, but I have heard it a few times.

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BELLO vs. BEL/QUELLO vs. QUEL

Everybody knows that quello means that and bello means beautiful or nice.

And if you have been learning Italian for a while, you may have noticed that sometimes bello and quello are used in different forms.

In fact, it is not rare that bello becomes bel or begli or bei and quello becomes quel or quegli or quei.

Many students are not sure about the difference between bel and bello in Italian, or between quel and quello. Their use is easier than you think, and I’ll explain why in the followings sections.

Bello, bel, bei, begli

What is the difference between bello and bel/begli/bei?

When bello is positioned before a noun, it changes its ending in the same way as the definite articles (il, l’, gli, i).

In other words, the root of the adjective (be-) merges with the definite articles that would precede the noun, and so it results in the following variations:

Bel libro – nice book
Bell’albero – beautiful tree
Begli alberi – beautiful trees
Bei libri – nice books
Bella donna – beautiful woman
Belle donne – beautiful women

If the adjective bello follows the noun or the verb essere, it doesn’t follow the above rule, but it will simply change its ending just as a regular adjective does.

Questa casa è bella – this house is beautiful
Queste case sono belle – these houses are beautiful
Questo uomo è bello – this guy is handsom
Questi uomini sono belli – these guys are handsome

Quello, quel, quei, quegli

When does quello change its form and become quello/quel/ quei/quegli?

The rule for bello applies to quello too.

If quello is positioned before a noun (and so it is used as an adjective), its spelling changes by merging its root with the definite articles (il, lo, la, i, gli, le) that would normally precede the noun, as in the following examples.

Quel libro – that book
Quell’albero – that tree
Quegli alberi – those trees
Quei libri – those books
Quella donna – that woman
Quelle donne – those women

The above varieties are possible only when quello is used as an adjective.

If quello is used as a pronoun instead of an adjective, the changes only reflect gender and the number of people in the group.

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

Buono, buon

What is the difference between buon and buono?

The same rule for bello and quello applies to the adjective buono.

Buono changes its endings by following the pattern of the indefinite adjective (uno, una, un, un’), when preceding a noun.

un buon amico – a good friend
una buon’amica – a good girl-friend

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Compunds verbs: auxiliary Essere o Avere?

Tenses are normally divided into simple and compound ones, the letter result from the union of the past participle and the conjugated form of the verb essere (to be) or avere (to have). Many students have come to be with doubts concerning the use of the one or the other auxiliary.

Although it might sound confusing whether to opt for the first or second option, all you need to know can be summed up in a few rules that you need to remember whenever you need to conjugate a compound verb in Italian.

The verbs that take the auxiliary avere are the transitive verbs that take a direct object, for example:

Ho fatto una torta stasera. I have made a cake tonight.

Ho pulito la casa. I have cleaned the house.

Ho guidato l’auto. I have driven the care.

The verbs that take the auxiliary essere are the intransitive verbs such as the verbs of movement (andare, salire, scendere, tornare, arrivare), the reflexive verbs (arrabiarsi, lavarsi, vestirsi), the pronominal verbs (accorgersi, vergognarsi) and the impersonal verbs (succedere).

Sono salito sull’areo senza valigie. I got on the plane without any luggage.

Mi sono arrabbiato con i miei oggi. I got mad at my parents today.

Mi sono accorto troppo tardi di aver perso il portafogli. I realized too late that I had lost my wallet.

Cosa é successo? What happened?

There are some verbs that can take both ESSERE and AVERE.

They are the verbs that describe the weather conditions (piovere, grandinare, nevicare) or the verbs, vivere, volare e scivolare.

The Italian modal verbs, aka verbi servili, take the auxiliary AVERE when they are simple tenses, while in the compound tenses followed by an infinitive, they takes the auxiliary of the infinitive.

For example:

Sono dovuto andare mangiare. I had to go to eat.

Ho dovuto cucinare in fretta, non avevo tempo. I had to cook in a rush, I was short of time.