by Serena | Oct 31, 2026 | learning tips, advanced
This is my list of the non-fiction books I have read in the last few years. Every book on this list has inspired me in one way or another. Some books were recommended to me by my lovely students too! Since I believe that reading non-fiction in Italian is an...
by Serena | Aug 7, 2025 | advanced, beginner Italian, Italian grammar
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.)...
by Serena | Dec 24, 2023 | Italian grammar, advanced, intermediate
Ci and ne are two tiny words (called particelle in Italian) that native speakers use all the time. They replace something already mentioned, so we don’t have to repeat it. They make your Italian shorter, more fluid and much more natural. They can look scary at...
by Serena | Dec 19, 2023 | Italian grammar, advanced
If you want your Italian to sound fluent and natural, you need to connect your ideas. Italians use small but powerful words to build long, flowing sentences: conjunctions (congiunzioni) and connectors (connettivi). In this guide you’ll find the most common ones,...
by Serena | Dec 19, 2023 | Italian grammar, advanced
In short: essere or avere? With a direct object (transitive use), use avere: Ho finito il libro. With no object (intransitive use), use essere: Il film è finito. Common verbs: cambiare, finire, iniziare, cominciare, aumentare, diminuire, migliorare, peggiorare,...
by Serena | Dec 17, 2023 | Italian grammar, advanced
This article will explain the meaning and use of two common Italian expressions using the verb fare. Fare bene vs. fare male These two often appear in colloquial Italian with different meanings. The most common ones are to show approval or...
