What Is a Pronominal Verb?
A pronominal verb is a verb that includes one or more pronouns as part of its structure, forming a new verb whose meaning differs—sometimes slightly, sometimes entirely—from the base verb. In Italian, these are often formed by combining a standard verb (e.g., andare, “to go”) with pronouns like si, ci, ne, or la.
For example:
- andare = to go
- andarsene = to go away / to leave
Example Sentences
- Me ne vado — I’m leaving / I’m going away
- Quando te ne vai? — When are you leaving?
- Non voglio andarmene — I don’t want to leave
What’s Special About These Verbs?
The addition of pronouns often changes the meaning of a verb in unexpected or idiomatic ways. Sometimes, the change is subtle; other times, the new meaning is entirely unrelated to the original verb.
Take the verb sentire (“to hear”).
Add the pronouns si and la, and you get sentirsela, which doesn’t mean “to hear oneself” but rather “to feel like” or “to have the courage to do something.”
Example Sentences
- Scusa, ma non me la sento di scalare quella montagna.
Sorry, but I don’t feel like climbing that mountain. - Te la senti di uscire stasera?
Do you feel like going out tonight?
Why Are Pronominal Verbs Important?
Pronominal verbs are very common in everyday Italian, especially in informal conversations, slang, and idiomatic expressions. Understanding them is key to sounding natural and truly grasping how native speakers express themselves.
As with all verbs, context and register (formal vs. informal) matter. Some pronominal verbs are casual or slangy, while others are perfectly acceptable in more neutral or even formal settings.
Examples of Pronominal Verbs in Italian Slang
Here are some expressions you’ll hear all the time in spoken Italian:
- Non ce la faccio più — I can’t take it anymore / I’m exhausted
- Me ne frego — I don’t care (rude or defiant tone)
- Me la spasso — I’m having a blast / I’m enjoying myself
How to Conjugate a Pronominal Verb in Italian
Pronominal verbs are actually quite straightforward to conjugate. When conjugating them in Italian, the key is to first separate the pronouns from the infinitive form of the verb. Once you’ve done that, conjugate the verb as you normally would, and place the pronouns before it.
For example, take the verb andarsene. To conjugate it, separate the pronouns se and ne from the verb. Then, conjugate andare as usual and place the pronouns in the correct position before the verb form.
FARCELA (to manage) = FAR(E) + CE + LA
| Io | ce la faccio |
| Tu | ce la fai |
| Lui/Lei | ce la fa |
| Noi | ce la facciamo |
| Voi | ce la fate |
| Loro | ce la fanno |
In the conjugation of pronominal verbs, the attached pronouns ce, ne, la do not change. However, when it comes to the pronominal verbs incorporating “se” onto the infinitive (e.g., sentirsela, bersela, andarsene), you will need to decline the “se”, which stands for the reflexive pronoun, into me, te, se, ce, ve, se. Like in the verb “andarsene”
ANDARSENE (to leave, to go away) = ANDAR(E) + SI + NE
| Io | me ne vado |
| Tu | te ne vai |
| Lui/Lei | se ne va |
| Noi | ce ne andiamo |
| Voi | ve ne andate |
| Loro | se ne vanno |
List of the Most Common Italian Pronominal Verbs
Pronominal Verbs with ci
| Verb | Meaning | Example (Italian + English) |
|---|---|---|
| Entrarci (con) | To have something to do with | Questo non c’entra con la discussione. — This has nothing to do with the discussion. |
| Volerci | To take (time/effort, impersonal) | Ci vuole pazienza per imparare l’italiano. — It takes patience to learn Italian. |
| Metterci | To take (time, with subject) | Ci metto mezz’ora ad arrivare al lavoro. — It takes me half an hour to get to work. |
| Arrivarci | To get it / understand | Alla fine ci sono arrivato! — I finally got it! |
Pronominal Verbs with ne
| Verb | Meaning | Example (Italian + English) |
|---|---|---|
| Non poterne più | To not be able to put up with something anymore | Non ne posso più di questa situazione. — I can’t take this situation anymore. |
| Intendersene | To be an expert in something | Lui se ne intende di vino. — He knows a lot about wine. |
| Parlarne | To talk about something | Ne parleremo domani. — We’ll talk about it tomorrow. |
| Averne | To have some (of something) | Ne ho abbastanza, grazie. — I have enough (of it), thanks. |
| Uscirne | To get out of a difficult situation | È stato un periodo duro, ma ne sono uscito. — It was a tough time, but I got through it. |
| Andarsene | To go away / To leave | Me ne vado subito. — I’m leaving right away. |
Pronominal Verbs with sela
| Verb | Meaning | Example (Italian + English) |
|---|---|---|
| Sentirsela (di) | To feel like doing something / To have the courage | Oggi non me la sento di cucinare. — I don’t feel like cooking today. |
| Cavarsela (in/a) | To manage / do well at something or To get out of trouble / Cope well | Me la cavo bene in cucina. — I do well in the kitchen. Sei bravo a cavartela nelle situazioni difficili. — You’re good at handling tough situations. |
| Prendersela (con) | To take offense / Get irritated with someone | Perché te la prendi con me? — Why are you getting mad at me? |
| Spassarsela | To have a blast / Have fun | Ce la siamo spassati alla festa. — We had a blast at the party. |
| Sbrigarsela | To sort something out quickly | Alla fine me la sono sbrigata da solo.— I got it done by myself in the end. |
| Tirarsela | To show off / Be full of oneself | Non mi piace quando te la tiri troppo — I don’t like it when you show off too much. |
Pronominal Verbs with cela
| Verb | Meaning | Example (Italian + English) |
|---|---|---|
| Mettercela tutta | To give it your all / Do one’s best | Devi mettercela tutta per vincere. — You have to give it your all to win. |
| Avercela (con) | To be mad at / Upset with someone | Perché ce l’hai con me? — Why are you mad at me? |
Pronominal Verbs with sene
| Verb | Meaning | Example (Italian + English) |
|---|---|---|
| Fregarsene (di) | To not care about something or someone | Me ne frego di quello che pensano gli altri. — I don’t care what other people think. |
| Andarsene | To go away / Leave a place | Voglio andarmene in vacanza. — I want to go away on vacation. |
3 Essential Things to Know About Italian Pronominal Verbs
1. Verbs ending in -sela or -sene use the auxiliary verb essere
In compound tenses (like the passato prossimo), pronominal verbs ending in -ci, -sela or -sene always take essere as their auxiliary verb. As a result, the past participle agrees in gender and number with the pronoun or subject.
Examples:
- volerci – Ci è voluto molto tempo. (“It took a long time.”)
- riuscirci – Non ci sono riusciti. (“They didn’t succeed.”)
- sentirsela – Non me la sono sentita. (“I didn’t feel like it.” — agreement with feminine pronoun la)
- prendersela – Se l’è presa. (“She took it badly.”)
- andarsene – Me ne sono andata. (“I left.” — agreement with feminine subject io)
2. Some pronominal verbs require fixed prepositions
These are part of the verb’s structure and can’t be dropped. Learn them as fixed expressions.
| Verb | Preposition | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Farcela | a | To manage |
| Sentirsela | di | To have the courage / feel like |
| Avercela | con | To be upset with someone |
| Riuscire | a | To succeed / be able to |
| Smetterla | di | To stop doing something |
3. Pronominal verbs are common in informal Italian
They’re frequently used in everyday spoken Italian. Mastering them will make your speech sound more fluent and natural.
Colloquial Examples:
- Passarsela (bene/male) – To get by / Do well or badly
Come te la passi? — How are you doing? - Fregarsene – Not to give a damn
Me ne frego di quello che pensi. — I don’t care what you think. - Farcela (positive) – To manage / Succeed
Ce la facciamo a finire questo lavoro entro oggi? — Can we manage to finish this work today? - Arrivarci – To understand something (colloquial)
Me lo puoi ripetere? Non ci arrivo. — Can you repeat that? I don’t get it. - Farcela (negative) – To be fed up / Exhausted
Non ce la faccio più! — I can’t take it anymore! - Spassarsela – To have a blast
Ce la siamo spassata l’altra sera. — We had a blast the other night.
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Mastering Italian Pronominal Verbs: The Most Effective Way to Learn Them
The most effective way to learn Italian pronominal verbs is through a technique called “shadowing.” How does it work? First, it’s essential to understand how pronominal verbs function and how to conjugate them correctly. Once you have a solid grasp of the grammar, start listening for pronominal verbs in natural Italian conversations or reading them in context. Since many pronominal verbs lack a direct translation and are highly contextual, observing how native speakers use them in different situations is the best way to learn them. In other words, learning through visual and contextual examples can be highly beneficial.
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