Irregular Passato Prossimo Verbs
As you know, the passato prossimo is formed with an auxiliary verb (essere or avere) + the past participle of the main verb. But some verbs, our “rebels,” have irregular past participles that we simply need to memorize. Common Irregular Passato Prossimo...
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....
Molto vs. Tanto: The Difference
Molto and tanto are similar Italian adverbs but not interchangeable. While both mean “very” or “a lot,” molto is more neutral for factual descriptions, while tanto adds emotional emphasis to expressions. When to Use Molto...
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...
The Italian Verb Avere (to have) – Conjugation and Use
“Avere” means “to have” and is an essential verb used in various contexts to indicate possession, states, feelings, and more. It’s also an irregular verb, meaning that it doesn’t follow the regular conjugation pattern of most verbs,...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.