“Ho voluto” vs. “Volevo”: What’s the Difference?
“Ho voluto” or “Volevo”? (I wanted) Some Italian verbs change meaning depending on whether they’re used in the passato prossimo or the imperfetto. These verbs include: dovere, volere, potere, and conoscere. In this article, we’ll focus on just...
Potevo vs Ho potuto: What’s the Difference?
If you’re learning Italian, chances are you’ve already come across the modal verbs potere, volere, and dovere. At first, they seem pretty straightforward—but things get a little more nuanced when you start using them in the past tense. One of the most...
Futuro nel Passato: Future in the Past (Advanced Italian)
The futuro nel passato is used when you want to talk about something that was in the future… from a past point of view. Sounds confusing? Let’s break it down. The Basic Idea In the present, you say: Domani andrò al mare.(Tomorrow I’ll go to the beach.)...
Italian Irregular Verbs: Dire (To Say / To Tell) + Exercise
Dire Dire is one of the 20 most common Italian verbs. You’ll hear it every day in conversations, idioms, and expressions. But here’s the catch: it’s irregular. This means its conjugation doesn’t follow regular patterns — you need to memorize it by heart....
How to Use Pensarci (Ci Penso) in Italian
What Does Pensarci Mean? If you’re learning Italian, you’ve probably come across the little word pensarci. At first glance, it seems simple—it looks like pensare (“to think”) plus ci (“about it” or “there”). But in real Italian, pensarci has several meanings, and...About
Ciao! I'm Serena, and I'm the creator of Smart Italian Learning. I am the head teacher of a small language school. We offer online, in-person and video courses for Italian learners, with a focus on adult English native speakers. Our courses are based on our passion for teaching and our experience as long-term adult language learners. You can meet us online, or in person in Rome.