Italian Basics

They say you can’t build a great building on a weak foundation. I tell you can’t become a fluent Italian speaker on weak foundations. That’s why I am gathering on this page my best articles for beginners learners of Italian (the page is not under construction yet).
Some students are scared by grammar.

Instead, I say to my students that knowing a little grammar can be a fantastic shortcut to optimal Italian fluency.

Why memorize words, sentences, or even whole dialogues if you can learn one rule and apply it endless times?
That’s all it takes to become undefended and smart Italian language learners.

È stato vs. era: Which one to choose?

Passato Prossimo vs. Imperfetto of essere If you’re learning Italian as a native English speaker, you might be wondering when to use è stato or è stata versus era. È stato/a is the third person singular of the passato prossimo tense of the...

Mastering Italian Vocabulary: Main Uses of ‘Pure’

What does pure mean? The word "pure," often used in spoken Italian, has two main meanings in Italian. The first meaning is "also" or "too." The second meaning is more nuanced and typically accompanies an action, indicating that it can be done without hesitation or...

Italian Partitive Articles (How to say “some” in Italian)

What is a partitive article? Partitive articles are an essential part of the Italian language and the easiest way to translate "some" in English. Unlike in English, they change their shape depending on the noun they precede because they are a combination of "di" plus...

Troppo, Troppa, Troppi, Troppe. What’s the difference?

Troppo (adverb) Troppo is invariable and thus does not change its ending when it acts as an adverb, which means that appears after a verb or before an adjective. Troppo = too much Troppo, Troppa, Troppi, Troppe (adjectives) Troppi is variable and changes its ending to...

Poco, Poca, Pochi, Poche: A Simple Guide to Italian Quantifiers

If you have ever felt confused about choosing between pochi, poche, or poca, this article is for you. English has separate words to express what in Italian is conveyed by “poco” and its variations, and that’s where the confusion comes from. To choose the correct...

Reflexive Pronouns in Italian

What are reflexive pronouns? Reflexive pronouns are those pronouns that are used in conjunction with verbs known as reflexive verbs. They are used exclusively when conjugating these verbs. Reflexive PronounIomiTutiLui, LeisiNoiciVoiviLorosiReflexive Pronouns in...

Molto, Molta, Molti, Molte: The Simplest Explanation You’ll Ever Find

Molto, molta, molti, molte: what is the difference? If you have ever felt confused about choosing between 'molti', 'molte', or 'molta', this article is for you. English has separate words to express what in Italian is conveyed by 'molto' and its variations, and that's...

How to Conjugate Verbs in Italian: A Beginner’s Guide

Learning how to conjugate verbs is indispensable for anyone who wants to communicate effectively in Italian; conjugation is the backbone of Italian phrases, supporting and giving shape to every sentence you construct. What is a verb? A verb is the most...

Italian Questions Words (+How to Use them)

When learning Italian, one of the first things you might want to know is how to ask questions. To start a question, we often use a question word, which is a special word we use to ask about where, what, how, etc. Question Words English Examples Che cosa / Cosa /...

The Verb Andare: Conjugation and Uses

Conjugating "Andare" in the Present Tense First off, it’s crucial to recognize that 'andare' is an irregular verb in Italian. Unlike regular verbs, which follow a consistent conjugation pattern, irregular verbs like 'andare' have unique forms in different tenses and...