What does “farcela” mean?
Are you learning Italian and confused by the verb “farcela”? Don’t worry – this common expression is simpler than it looks!
“Farcela” essentially means “to manage,” “to succeed,” or “to be able to do it.” It expresses the idea of overcoming a challenge or completing something difficult.
How to use “farcela”
This verb is actually a combination of three elements:
- “fare” (to do/make)
- “ce” (there/it)
- “la” (it/that)
These types of verbs are known as pronominal verbs in Italian (like andarsene, prendersela, cavarsela, etc.). They combine a base verb with pronouns to create new meanings.
Conjugation in Present Tense
| Italian | English | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ce la faccio | I can do it | I manage/succeed |
| Ce la fai | You can do it | You manage/succeed |
| Ce la fa | He/She can do it | He/She manages/succeeds |
| Ce la facciamo | We can do it | We manage/succeed |
| Ce la fate | You all can do it | You all manage/succeed |
| Ce la fanno | They can do it | They manage/succeed |
When conjugated, only the “fare” part changes:
Conjugation in Past Tense (Passato Prossimo)
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Io (I) | Ce l’ho fatta | I made it / I succeeded | I managed to do it |
| Tu (You) | Ce l’hai fatta | You made it / You succeeded | You managed to do it |
| Lui/Lei (He/She) | Ce l’ha fatta | He/She made it / He/She succeeded | He/She managed to do it |
| Noi (We) | Ce l’abbiamo fatta | We made it / We succeeded | We managed to do it |
| Voi (You all) | Ce l’avete fatta | You all made it / You all succeeded | You all managed to do it |
| Loro (They) | Ce l’hanno fatta | They made it / They succeeded | They managed to do it |
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Examples in Everyday Conversation
- “Non ce la faccio a finire tutto il lavoro oggi“
(I can’t manage to finish all the work today) - “Ce la farai ad arrivare in tempo?“
(Will you manage to arrive on time?) - “Dai, ce la puoi fare!“
(Come on, you can do it!) - “Finalmente ce l’ho fatta!“
(Finally, I managed to do it!)
Common Expressions with “Farcela”
- Non ce la faccio più – I can’t take it anymore / I can’t handle it anymore
- Ce la possiamo fare – We can make it happen / We can do it
- Farcela per un pelo – To just barely make it / To scrape through
- Non farcela proprio – To really not be able to manage / To fail completely
- Ce la faremo! – We’ll make it! / We’ll succeed
