The Numbers in Italian
The Italian Numbers: A Guide for Beginners My English teacher at university was an Irish woman who had lived in Italy for over a decade. One day, she admitted to us that numbers were still a pain for her. Having learned several languages myself, I know firsthand how difficult it is to master numbers in […]
The Passive Voice in Italian
The Passive Voice in Italian The passive form in Italian (or English) is used when we want to focus on the object of the action, rather than the agent who carries out the action. For example: Serena teaches the class [active form, focus on the agent = Serena] The class is taught by Serena [passive […]
What’s the Meaning of “Ce l’ho” and How to Use It
The mysterious combination of the pronoun ci and the verb avere Everybody agrees that the pronoun ci is, probably, one of the most mysterious words in Italian, and thus, I thought it would be great to dive, in this post, into the use of ci when used in conjugation with the verb avere: this is […]
Far fare? Fammi vedere! – Three Different Uses of “Fare” with the Infinitive Verb
Far fare? Fammi vedere! – Three Different Uses of “Fare” with the Infinitive Verb 1. The “fare” causativo Are you struggling to understand the construction of the Italian language that uses “fare” and infinitives? Don’t worry, it can be a bit confusing at first, but with some practice, you can easily learn to recognize and […]
The Difference between: Bene, Bravo, Bello and Buono
The Difference between: Bene, Bravo, Bello and Buono In a nutshell… Bene is an adverb and is used only after verbs – Paolo parla inglese bene (Paolo speaks English well). Bravo is used just with people and means “skilled, talented, good at” – Paolo è molto bravo a lavoro (Paolo is very good at his job). Buono refers to the interior qualities of […]
The Direct Object Pronouns in Italian
The Italian Direct Object Pronouns What’s a pronoun? Pronouns are an essential part of speech that allow us to replace something that has already been said and avoid repeating ourselves. Pronouns are widely used in conversation as they help us to be more concise and speak faster. Italian, just like English, makes extensive use of […]
The Italian Modal Verbs Explained for Beginners
The Italian Modal Verbs Explained for Beginners What’s the Difference Between the Italian Modal Verbs and Other Types of Verbs? When your teacher (or your book) is telling you “this is a modal verb,” there’s no need to panic! Saying a verb a is “modal” is just a label to remind you that, in Italian, there are […]
