Conoscere vs. Sapere: The Difference and How to Use Them
What’s the difference between “sapere” and “conoscere”? Although both “sapere” and “conoscere” translate to “to know” in English, in Italian they have distinct meanings and are rarely...
Italian Imperfect Tense: How To Use It
The Italian Imperfect Tense (Imperfetto) The imperfetto is a past tense in Italian. You’ll mostly use it to: 1. Talk about things that used to happen regularly in the past (our past lives, so to speak!). We use the imperfetto for habits or repeated...
How to Say “I Should Do (Something)” in Italian
How to Say “Should” in Italian In Italian, the word “should” is expressed using the present conditional of the verb dovere (to have to, must). This is how you convey advice, recommendations, or mild obligations — just like in...
What Does “Ce l’ho” Mean in Italian?
Wondering why Italians say “ce l’ho” instead of just “l’ho”? Or why it’s “ce l’hai” and not simply “l’hai”? Bella domanda—this post will explain exactly why. Ce l’ho / Non ce l’ho → I have...
Italian Question Words: A Simple Guide
Question words are those used at the beginning of a sentence to form a question. In English, these include words such as ‘Who?’, ‘What?’, and ‘When?’. In Italian, equivalent words are ‘Chi?’, ‘Cosa?’, 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.