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...
Lasciare, Partire, Uscire, Andare via – The Difference
In this article I want to shed light on the difference in the usage of four Italian verbs that my students mix up all the time! lasciare – to leave (permanently) partire – to leave for/from uscire – to leave, to go out, to hang out andare via...
Mastering Italian: Fa Bene/Fa male
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...
Mi manca? Mi manchi? A Guide to the Use of ‘Mancare’
If you want to say “I miss” in Italian, you should say “mi manca” and not “manco”. Why so? What does the “mi” in front stand for? Understanding the use of ‘mancare’ in Italian The mi is an indirect pronoun and it’s used because mancare...
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,...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.