How to Use Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo in Italian
What’s the Difference between Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo? Both the imperfetto (imperfect) and passato prossimo (present perfect) are used to describe past events in Italian. However, they are used in different contexts and convey...
The Verb “Piacere” in Italian: A Simple Guide for Beginners
How to Conjugate Piacere As you might already know, piacere (and a few other verbs that I will list at the end of this post) doesn’t follow a regular conjugation pattern, and it’s used differently from its equivalent in English – to...
Italian Verbs with ‘DI’ and ‘A’
Di or A? It depends. In Italian, there are a number of verbs that are followed by a preposition and an infinitive verb (e.g., iniziare a fare qualcosa or finire di fare qualcosa). Because these Italian prepositions do not appear in the English equivalents of the...
Italian Definite Articles (Articoli Determinativi)
Building solid foundations is key in every foreign language you learn. Mastering the nitty-gritty of the basics will be your pathway to fluency, I promise. That’s why today we’ll cover the Italian definite articles (gli articoli determinativi) and especially when...
The Difference Between “Volerci” and “Metterci” in Italian
When expressing how long something takes in Italian, we use either “ci vuole” or “ci metto,” but they function differently. Volerci Volerci is a verb with two main meanings: To take time – It expresses how much time is required for...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.