How to Use ‘CI’ and ‘NE’ in Italian
What are CI and NE in Italian? CI and NE are essential Italian particles (particelle pronominali) that native speakers use frequently to make their speech more concise and natural. CI generally means: there/here (indicating location) about it/on it...
Italian Indirect Object Pronouns (Pronomi Indiretti)
What is an indirect pronoun in Italian? An indirect pronoun is a specific type of pronoun that replaces the indirect object in a sentence – typically representing the person who indirectly receives the action of the verb (often preceded by “to” or...
Italian Future Tense: A Simple Guide
The future tense: Italian vs. English The most important thing to remember when learning the future in Italian is that it is used less in Italian than in English. In fact, Italian has a tendency (which comes from Latin) to use the present simple to talk about the near...
Mi Serve or Mi Servono? Learn How to Use Servire Correctly
So, What Does Mi Serve Mean? Mi serve means “I need” — but only when you’re talking about one thing you need. These expressions come from the Italian verb servire, which works very differently from English “need.” In Italian,...
Dovere, avere bisogno, servire, bisogna: The Difference
In this post, I want to discuss the differences between three Italian verbs that are often confused. Each of them expresses a need in English. However, they are used in different contexts and are not interchangeable. What’s the difference between dovere,...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.