The Italian Gerund Explained
USING THE GERUND IN ITALIAN There are two ways to use the gerundio in Italian. It can be used by itself or in combination with the verb stare. In the letter, it expresses the continuous tenses. The gerund is made by the combination of the root of the infinite verbs and the endings […]
My podcast: 7 minutes in slow Italian
I HAVE LAUNCHED A PODCAST SERIES FOR ITALIAN LEANERS! WHY I CREATED 7 MINUTES IN SLOW ITALIAN As a Language Coach, working with a large number of students, I have realized there is a shortage of content for listening comprehension for Italian beginners or intermediate learners. As an avid language learner, the biggest obstacle […]
Ciò and cioè explained
The question I want to reply to today regards the meaning of the word ciò. I will also digress on the difference between ciò and cioè, another common and peculiar Italian word HOW TO USE CIO’ IN ITALIAN Ciò appears to have multiple meanings. Ciò is a demonstrative pronoun, and it is often used instead […]
5 common mistakes beginners make when speaking Italian
6 common mistakes learners make when speaking Italian While coaching my students over the years, there are some mistakes that I keep hearing all the time, despite the Italian level of my students. If it is true that “one learns, by making mistakes”, it is also true repeating all the time the same errors might […]
The combination of fare and an infinitive verb explained
How to use FARE + infinitive verb Faccio riparare il frigo a mio fratello or mi faccio riparare il frigo da mio fratello (I will have the fridge repaired by my brother) Your keen eye might spot the interesting usage of the verb fare and an infinitive that you have ever seen before. FARE […]
Fermare and smettere: what’s the difference?
The difference between FERMARE and SMETTERE Misusing or swapping the verbs fermare and smettere is one of the most frequent errors students of Italian as a second language do and I understand why. The confusion is drove by the fact that both verbs, in English, have only one translation: stopping. Instead, Italians have two different verbs to indicate […]
A brief guide to using the Italian modal verbs (volere, dovere, potere)
How to use the Italian modal verbs: volere, dovere, potere In Italian, as in most languages, there is a number of irregular verbs that have to be learned by heart. Some of these are highly frequent like the Italian modal verbs volere, potere, dovere. Conjugation of the present tense of VOLRE, POTERE, DOVERE The Italian modal verbs […]
5 ways to use the Italian word PROPRIO
5 ways to use the Italian word PROPRIO 1. Proprio as an adverb (really, just) As ad adverb, proprio, meaning really Quello studente è proprio bravo! Mi piace proprio il nuovo film di Sorrentino Sometimes proprio means ‘just’, especially when combined with the adverbs of time (adesso, ora ) or a numeral adjective Ho finito […]
