How to use (definite) articles in Italian
HOW TO USE THE (DEFINITE) ARTICLES IN ITALIAN Building solid foundations is key in every foreign language you learn. Mastering the nitty-gritty of the basics will be your pathway to fluency, promise. That’s why today, we’ll cover the Italian definites (articoli determinativi) and especially, when using them and when not, and key difference with the […]
The adverb ‘ANZI’. What does it mean? How to use it?
ITALIAN COMMON WORDS: ANZI WHAT DOES “ANZI” MEAN? Anzi is hard to translate in English, so its meaning can throw off non-native Italian speakers. However, this adverb is very common in spoken Italian because it works as a shortcut to rephrase something previously mentioned. Generally, we can say that anzi modifies or emphasizes something that was […]
Fare bene & fare male: how to use them
FARE BENE and FARE MALE: how to use them This article will explain the meaning and use of two common Italian expressions using the verb FARE. Fare bene and fare male These two often appear in colloquial Italian with different meanings. The most common ones are to show approval or disapproval to someone – hai fatto bene […]
THA PAST CONDITIONAL MOOD IN ITALIAN
THA PAST CONDITIONAL MOOD IN ITALIAN In Italian, there is a present conditional, and there is a past conditional. The key difference between the present conditional and the past conditional is that the first comprises one element, and the second includes two elements, the auxiliary ) and past participle. The auxiliary will be the present conditional of avere […]
The direct object pronouns
THE ITALIAN OBJECT PRONOUNS What’s a pronoun? Pronouns are parts of speech replacing something that has already been said and we don’t want to repeat. Because of its nature, pronouns are widely used in conversation, as they allow us to be faster and be more concise when speaking. Italian has many pronouns, just like English. […]
How to use the Italian prepositions IN and A
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “IN” AND “A” IN ITALIAN One of the most common mistakes in Italian (for foreign learners) concerns the use of the preposition a and in. And it is totally normal. In fact, in some cases, specific rules are telling you how to use the preposition in and when using the preposition a. However, the truth is that in most […]
Ciò and cioè explained
The difference between ciò and cioè explained The question I want to reply to today regards the meaning of the word ciò. I will also dig into 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 […]
How to use dovere, avere bisogno and servire in Italian
DOVERE / AVERE BISOGNO DI / MI SERVE / BISOGNA This week I want to unravel the mystery in using three different Italian verbs that have a similar translation into English. Because of this, they are sometimes tricky to use. I am talking about the verbs dovere – avere bisogno di – servire. They all express […]
