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September 5, 2017 Let's Learn Italian!Avere imperfetto subjunctive, chiedersi, Conversational Italian, dovere conditional tense, Essere imperfetto subjunctive, Hypothetical Phrases in Italian, Imperfetto Subjunctive Mode, Imperfetto subjunctive mood, Italian, Italian Conditional Tense, Italian conversation, Italian future tense, Italian helping verbs, Italian Hypothetical Phrases, Italian Hypothetical Possible, Italian Hypothetical Probable, Italian Imperfetto Subjunctive, Italian Imperfetto Tense, Italian learning, Italian Subjunctive Mode, Italian subjunctive mood, Language learning, learn Italian, Learn Italian language, potere conditional tense, Say it in Italian, Say Italian, Speak Italian, Stare imperfetto subjunctive, Stella Lucente, Volere conditional tenseKathryn Occhipinti
The Italian subjunctive mood can be used to make Italian hypothetical phrases and talk about love!
Speak Italian: Italian Subjunctive Mood with Italian Hypothetical Phrases
Can you speak Italian? By now, many of you have passed the beginning stages of learning to speak Italian and can read and comprehend quite a bit of the language. Meraviglioso!
But have you tried to take the next step to speak Italian fluently? Have you ever wondered about if something were to happen and just how you would express this idea in Italian?
Well, we can express hypothetical, or "if" ideas, called Italian hypothetical phrases, in several ways in Italian and often with the Italian subjunctive mood that we have been focusing on in this series!
This is the fourth blog post in the "Speak Italian" series that focuses on how to use the Italian subjunctive mood, or "il congiuntivo." This blog and the one to follow (in November 2017) will complete our list of uses for the Italian subjunctive mood. For a complete list, see our last blog, Italian Subjunctive (Part 3): Speak Italian!
Let's take that giant step from simple beginning sentences to more complex and fluid sentences in Italian! in this segment, we will discuss how to form Italian hypothetical phrases for probable and improbable "if" situations in Italian in the present. We will also learn how to use the verb chiedersi, which means "to wonder."
We will learn how to conjugate the Italian imperfetto subjunctive and how to use the Italian conditional tense to construct our improbable Italian hypothetical phrases.
An example email between two friends talking about hypothetical situations of love will start our discussion! You may remember the characters and the story in the email from our recent Italian Subjunctive Mood Practice blog posts.
In the first three blog posts in the "Speak Italian" series about the subjunctive mood ("il congiuntivo"), we have presented Italian phrases that take the Italian subjunctive mood in the present and past tenses. For a review, see our last blog, Italian Subjunctive (Part 3): Speak Italian!
In this blog post, we will focus on how to construct Italian hypothetical phrases, as well as the different Italian verb forms needed for probable and improbable situations.
Read our "real-life" dialogue for examples that can be used as "anchors" in your knowledge for when you must speak Italian. Then next time you are wondering about something, start a conversation and use Italian hypothetical phrases!
Enjoy the fourth blog post in this series, "Italian Subjunctive (Part 4): Italian Hypothetical Phrases of Love"! —Kathryn Occhipinti
Some of this material is adapted from our textbook, Conversational Italian for Travelers © 2012 by Stella Lucente, LLC, found on www.learntravelitalian.com. Special thanks to Italian instructor Maria Vanessa Colapinto.
All phrases that take the Italian subjunctive mood have been underlined in this sample email. Try to pick out the Italian hypothetical phrases and then read about how to make your own Italian hypothetical phrases in the next section.
The characters Caterina and Susanna in our dialogue are cousins who grew up together in Abruzzo and now stay in touch with each other and discuss family happenings through email. Notice the many Italian idiomatic expressions that relate to dating and love, some of which are explained after each section.
Italian Hypothetical Phrases of Love
Una breve email tra due cugine
A brief email between two cousins
Cara Susanna,
È stato bellissimo vedere te e i tuoi figli quest'estate in Abruzzo. E poi, lo shopping a Roma è stato fantastico!
It was wonderful to see you and your children this summer in Abruzzo. And afterward, the shopping in Rome was fantastic!
Se io non fossi occupata all'università, verrei a trovarvi di nuovo a Roma!
If I weren't so busy at college, I would come to visit you all again in Rome!
Forse quando la sessione di gennaio è finita, posso fare un viaggio.
Maybe when the exam session in January is over, I can take a trip.
Fammi sapere se tu sei libera per un weekend presto!
Let me know if you are free for a weekend soon!
Ma oggi sto scrivendo perché ho una buona notizia.
But today I am writing because I have good news.
La nostra cugina Anna ha incontrato un ragazzo molto simpatico quando è stata in Sicilia l'estate scorsa.
Our cousin Ann met a very nice boy when she was in Sicily last summer.
Lui si chiama Giovanni.
His name is John.
Anna mi ha mandato una foto. Mamma mia, è un figo da paura!*
Ann texted a photo to me. Wow, he is amazing!
Stanno insieme da un mese e frequentano la stessa università.
They have been (Italian: are [still]) together for a month and go to the same college.**
Secondo Anna, vanno molto d'accordo e sono gia una coppia.
According to Ann, they get along very well and are already a couple.
Se il tempo è bello, andranno al mare per il weekend a casa del papà di Giovanni.
If the weather is nice, they will go to the sea for the weekend to Giovanni's father's house.
A tutti e due piace molto la spiaggia e fare windsurf.
They both really like the beach and to go windsurfing.
Se Anna vuole andare al ristorante o al cinema, lui la porta.
If Ann wants to go to a restaurant or to the movies, he takes her.
Se lei vuole restare a casa, loro restano a casa insieme.
If she wants to stay at home, they stay at home together.
Mi sembra che siano innamorati.
It seems (to me) like they are in love.
Se Anna e il suo ex-fidanzato Paolo si fossero riconciliati, lei non sarebbe felice ora.
If Ann and her ex-boyfriend Paul had gotten back together, she would not be happy now.
Tu ricordi bene, sono sicura, come lui l'ha tradita, come le ha spazzato il cuore, e comunque erano gia agli sgoccioli da mesi prima.***
You remember well, I am sure, how he betrayed her, how he broke her heart, and anyway, they were already at the end of their relationship for months before.
Finalmente Anna si è resa conto che lui non era quello giusto per lei.
Finally, Anna realized that he was not right for her.
L'ha lasciato e ora quella storia (d'amore)**** è finita e un nuovo amore è cominciato per lei.
She left him and now that (love) story is over, and a new one (Italian: a new love) has begun for her.
Sono molto contenta per Anna!
I am very happy for Ann!
Forse tra un anno si sposano!
Maybe in a year, they (will) get married!
Scrivimi quando hai tempo!
Write me when you have time!
Tanti baci.
Lots of kisses.
Caterina.
*"Un figo da paura" refers to a young man who is handsome and sexy. Used alone, "Figo!" means "cool."
And yes, "Mamma mia!" is still in use in Italy today. Variations include "Madre santa!" or simply "Maria!"
**In this case, Italian uses the present tense for an ongoing action, whereas English uses the past tense.
***The phrase "essere agli sgoccioli" literally means "to be at the last drops" and refers to when the last of the wine in the bottle is left and drips out. This phrase is used to suggest that the relationship is dying out and the couple is only seeing each other infrequently.
**** A romantic relationship between two people is usually described as "una storia," the shortened form of "una storia d'amore," or "a love story."
Cara Caterina,
Dear Kathy,
Anch'io sono molto contenta per nostra cugina Anna!
I am also very happy for our cousin Ann!
Lei è molto bella e penso che anche Giovanni sia un bel ragazzo come dicevi.
She is very pretty, and I think he is also good looking from what (Italian: as) you have told me.
Lui sembra molto simpatico e mi sembra che lui la tratti molto bene.
He seems very nice, and it seems to me that he treats her very well.
Mi sembra che a loro piaccia molto frequentarsi.*
It seems (to me) that they like seeing each other very much.
Mi pare che non sia solo una cotta ma si piacciano da vero.
It seems to me that it is not only a crush but they really like each other.
Ma si stanno frequentando solamente da un mese!
But they have been seeing each other (English: dating) (for) only one month!**
Loro sono molto giovani, come te.
They are very young, like you.
Non si sa mai che cosa può succedere!
(Italian: One never knows) You never know what could happen!
Nè uno nè l'altro lavorano. Non hanno vissuto con un'altra persona. Non hanno soldi…
Neither one of them works. They have never lived with another person. They don't have money…
Spero che loro aspettino almeno un anno prima di cominciare a parlare di matrimonio.
I hope that they wait at least a year before starting to talk about marriage!
Sarei molto contenta se tu venissi a trovarmi a febbraio.
I would be very happy if you were to come to see me in February.
*See the next section for comments about frequentarsi
Talking about Relationships in Italian
Today in America, we "date," "go out on a date," or refer to two people who are "dating," from the first romantic encounter until they become married. After they are married, they can still have "date nights." But be careful when translating American romantic experiences into Italian! The English verb "to date" as used in America today to refer to a romantic relationship does not have a literal translation in Italian.
Of course, to "court" a woman was common in past centuries, and Italian language still reflects this. When a man tries to show he is interested in a woman, the phrase "fare la corte a…" is used from the verb corteggiare or "to court."
If a woman wants to refer to dating a man, the following phrases can be used:
"Mi vedo un ragazzo." "I'm seeing a boy."
"Esco con un ragazzo." "I'm going out with a boy."
"Il ragazzo con cui ho/avevo appuntamento." "The boy with whom I have/had an appointment."
There is another verb still in use in Italy today that refers to a man seducing, or "winning over," a woman: "conquistare a… " If a woman lets herself be "won over" or "captivated" by a man, she can use the phrase "Mi lascio conquestare a…"
If one friend wants to ask the other about his/her new love, they may say,
"Che tipo è lei?" or "Che tipo è lui?" meaning, "What is he/she like?" or, more simply, "Che tipo è?"
There are two Italian phrases commonly used to refer to two people who have become romantically involved and are getting together regularly before marriage: "to go out with someone"—"uscire con qualcuno"—or "seeing each other"—"frequentarsi."
To express a relationship between two people in Italian, and especially a close or romantic relationship, we can use the word "rapporto."
Any relationship in general is considered a "relazione." But be careful, as an "affair" outside of marriage is also a "relazione," whereas "affari" refers to more general personal and business "affairs."
Finally, we know that many times romantic love comes to an end. How do we describe a "break up" in Italian? The verbs lasciare (to leave) and lasciarsi (to leave each other) come into play. From our dialogue:
L'ha lasciato e ora quella storia (d'amore) è finita e un nuovo amore è cominciato per lei.
Below is an example sentence two people might use talk about a couple that has "broken up" or two people who have"left each other"
Loro si sono lasciati. They have broken up.
If you are one of the two people in the relationship and want to talk about "breaking up":
Ci lasciamo stasera. We (will) break up/are breaking up tonight.
Non ci lasciamo, ma… We are not breaking up but…
Ci sono lasciati il mese scorso. We broke up last month.
Speak Italian: Grammar You Will Need to Know for Italian Hypothetical Phrases
How to Make Italian Hypothetical Phrases
"If" Phrases Refer to the Present:
Periodo Ipotetico con "Se" in Presente
To express complex thoughts and feelings, human beings have developed "hypothetical phrases"—phrases that enable us to think or wonder about situations that could occur. For instance, how many times have you said, "If I had…" or "If I were…"?
When we want to express the idea that something may happen in English, we most often start with a phrase that begins with the conjunction "if."
The conjunction "if" starts a dependent clause in which we will describe a condition that could cause something else to happen. This dependent clause is then linked to a main clause that will describe the impending result or consequence that we are concerned about.
This sentence structure is the same in Italian, and the hypothetical clause in Italian starts with the word "se." An Italian hypothetical phrase is called a "periodo ipotetico."
Hypothetical phrases are composed using several different verb forms in English and Italian. For this blog post, we will talk about which Italian verb forms to use for the probable and improbable situations that may arise in the present and that are useful for every day conversation.
"Hold onto your hat!" as we say in English, because we will now start a "whirlwind tour" of the different types of hypothetical phrases that we can use to give depth to our Italian conversations. In the cases that we will present, knowledge of English will be very helpful. Read the technical information, but then focus on the actual phrases and you will soon see how thinking in English and Italian for this subject is really very similar!
Speak Italian: Italian Hypothetical Phrases of Love
You Will Need to Know…
Probable Situations
Hypothetical phrases in the present tense describe situations that are likely to happen, or probable situations.
In probable situations, the stated condition given in the "if" clause is a condition that a person may experience in the present and the consequence that will follow is a situation that will almost certainly happen.
A common example usually given for a probable hypothetical phrase relates to the weather, such as "If it rains, I will get wet when I go out." We all know that given the condition just described, the resulting situation will happen to some extent!
The "if" phrase does not need to start the sentence, although it remains the dependent clause. Here is our example sentence again: "I will get wet when I go out if it rains."
To Summarize: Italian Hypothetical Phrases for Probable Situations
Italian Hypothetical Phrases—Probable Situations
The condition described in the "if" clause and the consequence that will follow are probable;
both will almost certainly happen.
If + Present Verb > Present or Future Verb
Now read the following table, which describes the sentence structure and the verb forms to use when creating a hypothetical sentence for a probable situation. This table compares how English and Italian approach this type of speech.
Italian Hypothetical Phrases:
Probable Situations English Italian
Condition (If) If + Present Se + Present (or Future*)
(Probable Result) Present or Future Present or Future
From the table above, it is easy to see that English and Italian both express hypothetical, probable situations in a very similar way!
In both English and Italian, for the condition in the dependent clause, we start with the conjunction "if" ("se" in Italian) and then use the simple present tense.
In both English and Italian, when the dependent if/se clause starts with the present tense, the main clause that follows can use either the present or the future tense.
Italian may use the future tense for the condition, or se clause for situations that are in the more distant future but are really likely to happen (really probable). (This does not occur in English.)
*If the Italian dependent se clause is in the future tense, then the main clause that follows in Italian must also be in the future tense.
A review of the Italian future tense and the conjugations of the most commonly used Italian verbs in the future can be found in Chapters 15 and 16 of our textbook, Conversational Italian for Travelers.
To follow are some examples of the probable hypothetical situation from our dialogue, with our "if" condition and the consequence phrases underlined.
You will notice that we introduced these lines in the dialogue with the idea, or condition, that the characters Anna and Giovanni have become a couple; therefore, the consequence is that in the future, they will do everything together. And, for this couple, the consequence is almost certain to happen.
If the weather is nice, they go (will go) to the sea for the weekend to Giovanni's father's house.
If Ann wants to go to a restaurant or to the movies, he takes (will take) her.
If she wants to stay at home, they stay (will stay) at home together.
Probable Situations with a Command
Hypothetical phrases in the present tense can be used to refer to a situation and then give "advice" in the form of a direct command.
Phrases like "If you feel… (this way)" or "If you make/do… (something)" are very common in conversation. The speaker may describe a certain situation two people know to be likely, and then, without waiting for a reply, the speaker may give a command about what should be done in that situation. In the speaker's mind, perhaps, that command will virtually always solve a perceived problem.
Think about how often parents give advice to their children in this way—without first waiting to hear how the children really feel! Here is a common exchange in my house, parent to child, of course. "Dinner will be ready in a half hour. Don't eat cookies. If you are hungry, eat some fruit!"
The "if" phrase need not start the sentence in these cases, although it remains the dependent clause. Here is our example sentence again: "Eat some fruit if you are hungry!"
To Summarize: Italian Hypothetical Phrases for Probable Situations with a Command
Italian Hypothetical Phrases—Probable Situations with a Command
The condition described in the "if" clause is probable, and the "advice" given in command form will almost certainly solve a problem, and/or result in the consequence that describes the future event.
If + Present Verb > Imperative Verb
Now read the following table, which describes the sentence structure and the verb forms to use when creating a hypothetical sentence for a probable situation when giving a command. This table compares how English and Italian approach this type of speech.
with a Command English Italian
Condition (If) If + Present Se + Present (or Future)
(Advice/Probable Result) Imperative Imperative
From the table above, it is easy to see that English and Italian express hypothetical probable situations with a command in a very similar way!
In English and Italian, for our condition in the dependent clause, we start with the conjunction "if" ("se" in Italian), and then most often use the simple present tense.
For situations that are in the more distant future but are likely to happen (probable), Italian may use the future tense for the condition clause.
For the consequence in the main clause, use the command verb form in English and Italian. The English command form is easy, and for the most part, we don't even realize we are using it! Just remove the "to" from the infinitive form of the English verb. "To eat" is an infinitive in English. "Eat!" is a command.
A review of the Italian command form will not be provided here, but can be found in Chapter 9 of our textbook, Conversational Italian for Travelers. (Note: In writing, Italian emphasizes that the command form is in use with an exclamation mark at the end of the sentence.)
Below is an example of a probable situation with a command from our dialogue, with our condition and consequence phrases underlined.
Improbable Situations
Hypothetical phrases in the subjunctive mood with the conditional tense describe situations in the present that are not likely to happen and therefore are improbable.
These types of phrases are used in order to "wonder" out loud or "suppose" what could happen in a particular situation if things were "different" from what we know to be true.
In improbable hypothetical situations, the stated condition given in the "if" clause and the consequence that will follow are situations that could happen (possible), but they are very unlikely to happen and are therefore improbable.
A common example often given for an improbable hypothetical phrase relates to money, such as, "If I were rich, I would travel to Italy." Here, the condition as stated is unlikely; in general, one is usually either rich or not. This in turn makes the outcome unlikely to happen. With an improbable hypothetical phrase such as this, there may be a note of wishful thinking or irony in the statement. We are dealing with supposition, rather than a fact.
The "if" phrase does not need to start the sentence, although it remains the dependent clause. Here is our example sentence again: "I would travel to Italy if I were rich."
In fact, I always remember this type of Italian sentence with the following rule: If you start an Italian sentence with the present conditional tense, the imperfetto subjunctive mood must follow in the next phrase!
Nearly Impossible Situations
Sometimes, a situation proposed for the present is so improbable that it is actually impossible, although it may be interesting to bring up in conversation. Think about how we sometimes pretend to be someone or something we know we cannot be. By wondering about these impossible situations, we are able to reveal a little something about ourselves and the world we actually live in.
For instance, I am someone who loves cats. What comes to my mind when I think of the cats I have here in America is an "easy" life. I may convey the complicated idea of how I might enjoy an "easy" life myself by relating my own life to the lives of my cats.
If I were a cat, I would live in a nice house and not have to work.
I would live in a nice house and not have to work if I were a cat.
Or, maybe I am someone who would like to change something about my appearance, which is easier today than in the past, but the condition and consequence are still impossible for me.
If my eyes were green, I could find work as a model.
I could find work as a model if my eyes were green.
To Summarize: Italian Hypothetical Phrases for Improbable Situations
Italian Hypothetical Phrases—Improbable and Impossible Situations
The condition described in the "if" clause is improbable to varying degrees, and therefore is unlikely to result in the consequence that describes the future event one is wondering about.
If + Imperfetto Subjunctive Verb >
Present Conditional Verb
Now read the following table, which describes the sentence structure and the verb forms to use when creating a hypothetical sentence for an improbable situation when we want to wonder about something. This table compares how English and Italian approach this type of speech.
Improbable Situations English Italian
(If: Wonder) If + Subjunctive Se + Imperfetto Subjunctive
(Supposition) Conditional Present Conditional
From the table above, it is easy to see that English and Italian speakers think alike, although this may not be so evident to the English speaker at first.
Use of the subjunctive mood is becoming less common in English conversation, and even in some widely respected American newspapers and magazines.
Let's digress for a moment, and give some English examples of the subjunctive mood:
For instance, instead of "If I was…," correct English would be "If I were…" to signal that the phrase to follow is hypothetical and the consequence unlikely.
Or, instead of "If I saw…," correct use of the subjunctive would be "If I had seen…" (It is never grammatically correct to say "I seen…," despite what one may actually hear in some towns in America today!)
To make matters more complicated, the English subjunctive form of many verbs is similar to the regular past tense form.
At any rate, let's summarize how to make probable hypothetical phrases in English and Italian:
In English and Italian, for the condition we are wondering about in the dependent clause, we start with the conjunction "if" ("se" in Italian), and then use the imperfetto subjunctive mood. ( A review of the imperfetto subjunctive mood for avere, essere, and stare, and -are, -ere, -ire infinitive verbs will follow this section.)
For the consequence/supposition in the main clause, use the present conditional tense in English and Italian.
Below are some examples of phrases that used possible hypothetical situations from our dialogue, with our condition and consequence phrases underlined.
Sarei molto contenta se tu fossi venire a trovarmi a febbraio.
"Come se"and "Magari"
"Come se…"
Hypothetical phrases can start with the phrase "Come se," which translates into the phrase "as if." This phrase falls into the realm of hypothetical phrases since the comparison is with a characteristic or action that is improbable. It should be noted that, in Italian, the word "se" in this type of comparison phrase is sometimes omitted (see our last example).
Therefore, come se, is an improbable hypothetical phrase, so it must always take the imperfetto subjunctive verb form in the present tense. (In the past tense, the phrase come se takes the trapssato subjunctive form, which will be the subject of the next blog.)
In English, as in Italian, the "as if" improbable hypothetical phrase will also use the subjunctive verb form.
Common phrases that use this come se compare actions and characteristics of individuals in an attempt to make a point in a dramatic way. These "as if" phrases may be flattering:
Il mio amico inglese non ha practicamente accento quando lui parla in italiano, come se fosse un vero italiano!
My British friend has virtually no accent when he speaks Italian, as if he were a real Italian!
We often use this type of phrase to talk ironically about a situation, or to show our displeasure about something that has happened. For instance, I may be be shopping and a salesperson may try to sell me a pair of shoes that are way too expensive for my budget. (Isn't this always a problem, for both women and men?) I might say something like:
Mi mostra le scarpe più costose che ha, come se io fossi ricca!
She shows me the most expensive shoes they have, as if I were rich!"
A line from a novel by Gianrico Carofiglio, Testimone inconsapevole illustrates how this "as if" phrase can be used to emphasize an important point. The line is spoken by the main character, who is the narrator of the book. He relays the conversation he and his wife had when his wife tells him that she is filing for divorce. One of the reasons his wife gives for the divorce is that she feels humiliated because her husband thinks she has not noticed his many affairs – in effect treating her as if she were stupid. Clearly, she believes she is a smart woman, and notes with irony that he would chose to treat as if she were not. From page 16:
"Quello che l'aveva più umiliata non era la mia infedelità… ma il fatto che le avessi veramente mancato di rispetto trattandola come fosse una stupida."
"That which had humiliated her the most was not my infidelity… but the fact that I had truly lost respect for her, treating her as if she were an idiot."
"Magari" is a colorful and commonly used Italian word. Make an Italian friend and you will no doubt hear this word! Magari can be used as an adverb and in this case means, "even if." Magari is most often used as an interjection, with the rough meaning of "if only…" or "I wish…" when the "I wish" is a statement of something that is unlikely to happen.
Magari is always followed by an imperfetto subjunctive verb in the present tense (and the trapassato subjunctive in the past tense) and takes the subjunctive in English as well.
For instance , let's say I am talking to someone about my love of Italy. They may mention that I should spend my summer there. My response:
Magari, questo fosse possibile!
I wish/If only this were possible!
Finally, no discussion on Italian hypothetical phrases would be complete without mention of the verb chiedersi, which is the verb Italians use to describe the idea of "wondering if…" something might happen.
"Mi chiedo…" literally means, "I ask myself," which translates into "I wonder." At first glance, it may seem like this verb should fall into the category of improbable hypothetical phrases – especially when this verb is followed by se, such as in the phrase "I wonder if…" But, cheidersi takes the present and past tense (passato) subjunctive forms, just as the other verbs in Rule 4 that we learned about in our very first blog on the subjunctive mode.
So, you already know how to use this verb if you have read the first blog in this series!
Here are some examples for when one is wondering in the present tense about something that happened in either the present or the past. Notice the use of either the present subjunctive mood or the passato subjunctive mood.
Mi chiedo se lui sia stato un attore bravo in quel film.
I wonder if he was a great actor in that film.
Speak Italian: Italian Verb Tenses You Will Need to Know for
Improbable Italian Hypothetical Phrases
The Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood
Auxiliary Verbs – "Essere, Avere, Stare"
The most commonly used improbable hypothetical phrases begin with the words, "If I were…" or "If I had…"
So in Italian, the two most important phrases using the imperfetto subjunctive to remember are, "Se io fossi…" and "Se io avessi…" using the imperfetto subjunctive conjugations for essere and avere.
Below are the imperfetto subjunctive conjugations for the auxiliary verbs in Italian. You will notice that avere has a regular conjugation, whereas essere and stare have irregular conjugations. The stressed syllables are underlined.
In hypothetical clauses, because the imperfetto subjunctive mood is introduced by se, (se) is included in the subject pronoun column as a reminder. When conjugating these verbs, say "se" before the subject pronoun and each verb form to reinforce this way of thinking!
Avere—to have—Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood
(se) io avessi I had
(se) tu avessi you (familiar) had
(se) Lei
(se) lei/lui avesse you (polite) had
she/he had
(se) noi avessimo we had
(se) voi aveste you all had
(se) loro avessero they had
Essere—to be—Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood
(se) io fossi I were
(se) tu fossi you (familiar) were
(se) lei/lui fosse you (polite) were
she/he were
(se) noi fossimo we were
(se) voi foste you all were
(se) loro fossero they were
Stare—to stay/be—Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood
(se) io stessi I stayed/were
(se) tu stessi you (familiar) stayed/were
(se) lei/lui stesse you (polite) stayed/were
she/he stayed/were
(se) noi stessimo we stayed/were
(se) voi steste you all stayed/were
(se) loro stessero they stayed/were
Regular "-are, -ere, -ire" Conjugations
Improbable hypothetical phrases always take the imperfetto subjunctive mood in Italian, and as we have seen in the last sections.
But, the imperfetto subjunctive mood has other uses. Specifically, it is necessary with all of our many clauses that trigger the Italian subjunctive mood when we are speaking in the past tense. We will go over these rules in detail in later blogs.
For now, we will simply discuss the complete conjugation of the imperfetto subjunctive mood, which is actually quite easy. So, keep the knowledge of how to conjugate the imperfetto subjunctive mood handy for when we discuss its many uses!
Luckily, there are only a few irregular stem forms to learn for the imperfetto subjunctive mood, making it an easier tense to learn than the present, future, and conditional tenses.
Finally, the imperfetto subjunctive mood endings are always regular and will be the same for all three conjugations!
To conjugate the imperfetto subjunctive mood…
As usual, we must first make our stem from the infinitive –are, -ere, and –ire verbs. The method used to form the stems for the imperfetto subjunctive mood is easy – just drop the –re from the infinitive verb!
This will create stems that end in the letters –a for the –are verbs, -e for the –ere verbs, and –i for the –ire verbs. Then, add the following endings below to the stems for all three conjugations:
Subjunctive Mood – Imperfetto Endings
io ssi
tu ssi
Lei/lei/lui sse
noi ssimo
voi ste
loro ssero
The following table will put together our stems with our imperfetto subjunctive mood endings. A few notes about this:
When pronouncing the imperfetto subjunctive mood verbs, the stress will always be on the syllable that begins with the last two letters of the stem and will incorporate one –s letter from the ending. (Remember the rule for Italian double consonants: one consonant will go with the syllable before and the second with the syllable after, in effect also stressing the double consonant itself.) The stressed syllables are underlined in our example table below.
Notice that English uses the simple past tense to express the same idea in improbable hypothetical phrases. Or, alternatively,"were + infinitive form or gerund." Examples in English: "If I were to live…" or "If I were living…" Also, "had + past participle," such as, "If I had seen…"
Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood – Example Verb Conjugations
(to live)
(lived/were living) Vedere
(to see)
(saw/had seen) Finire
(to finish)
(finished/were finishing)
io abitassi vedessi finissi
tu abitassi vedessi finissi
Lei/lei/lui abitasse vedesse finisse
noi abitassimo vedessimo finissimo
voi abitaste vedeste finiste
loro abitassero vedessero finissero
Commonly Used Regular Verbs
Luckily, most verbs are regular in the imperfetto subjunctive mood. So, there are many, many more regular than irregular verbs! Below are some commonly used regular verbs. Practice saying them out loud and listen to how each conjugated verb sounds.
Notice that English uses the simple past tense to express the same idea in improbable hypothetical phrases. Or, alternatively, were + infinitive form or gerund. " English examples: "If I were to go…" or "If I were going…" Also, "had + past participle," such as, "If I had seen…"
Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood Conjugations – Commonly Used Regular Verbs
(to go)
(went/were going) Sapere
(to know)(knew/had known) Venire
(to come)
(came/had come) Vivere
(lived/were living)
io andassi sapessi venissi vivessi
tu andassi sapessi venissi vivessi
Lei/lei/lui andasse sapesse venisse vivesse
noi andassimo sapessimo venissimo vivessimo
voi andaste sapeste veniste viveste
loro andassero sapessero venissero vivessero
There are a few important irregular verbs to know in the imperfetto subjunctive mood. You will find them in the tables below. Practice saying them out loud and listen to how each conjugated verb sounds.
Notice that English uses the simple past tense to express the same idea in improbable hypothetical phrases. Or, alternatively, "were + infinitive form or gerund, " such as, "If I were to make…" or "If I were making…" Also, "had + past participle," such as, "If I had seen…"
Fare – to do/make – Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood
io facessi I did/ made
tu facessi you (familiar) did/made
lei/lui facesse you (polite) did/made
she/he did/made
noi facessimo we did/made
voi faceste you all did/made
loro facessero they did/made
Dare – to give – Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood
io dessi I gave
tu dessi you (familiar) gave
lei/lui desse you (polite) gave
she/he gave
noi dessimo we gave
voi deste you all gave
loro dessero they gave
Dire – to say/tell – Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood
io dicessi I said/told
tu dicessi you (familiar) said/told
lei/lui dicesse you (polite) said/told
she/he said/told
noi dicessimo we said/told
voi diceste you all said/told
loro dicessero they said/told
Grammar Note: The Italian Conditional Tense
The conditional tense is used to make a polite request, as we learned way back in Chapter 4 of our Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook, when we discussed how to use the word vorrei, which means "I would like" or "I wish." In the "Important Phrases" section of Chapter 16, we also learned how to use the word vorremmo, which means, "we would like," which comes in handy at a restaurant when ordering for the table.
Notice that the meaning of a conditional verb is rendered in English with the combination of "would + infinitive verb." The conditional tense, in summary, expresses a want or wish, an intention, a duty, or a preference.
The method used to form the stems for the Italian conditional tense is exactly the same as the method to form the Italian future tense. Also, the irregular stems for the conditional tense are identical to those for the future tense. The Italian conditional endings are always regular and will be the same for all three conjugations!
Please see Chapters 17 and 18 of the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook for a review of how to conjugate the conditional tense in Italian.
Grammar Note: Present versus Conditional Tense
The Meaning of the Modal Verbs
"Dovere, Potere, Volere"
Throughout our Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook, we have emphasized the polite forms of volere (vorrei, vorremmo) in the conditional tense and recommended using this form to make requests for oneself or for a group. The English translation for the conditional verbs in general is that of "would + infinitive verb," which describes a request or a wish, rather than a demand or an order.
Here are two examples below of the same request that might be made in a restaurant to a waiter, first in the present tense, and then in the conditional tense. The first, in the present tense, sounds more demanding and insistent. The second, in the conditional tense, sounds less forceful, as it describes a preference or wish rather than a definite need.
Voglio un tavolo vicino alla finestra. I want a table by the window.
Vorrei un tavolo vicino alla finestra. I would like/wish to have a table by the window.
Let's take a look at the other modal, or helping, verbs and see what connotation the conditional tense lends to them. For dovere, the idea relayed in the present tense is a forceful must. With devo (I must), we are led to understand that the action that follows has to be completed, no matter what else may come to pass. The conditional dovrei translates into "I should" or "I ought to," which gives a feeling of necessity but also implies a bit of indecisiveness and an uncertainty as to whether the speaker believes the action described will be completed. Here are two examples using each tense:
Devo visitare mia nonna domenica. I must visit my grandmother Sunday.
Dovrei visitare mia nonna domenica. I should visit my grandmother Sunday.
For the verb potere, the present tense "posso" translates as "I can" and can be used to ask "May I?" "Può," the present tense "polite you" form, is also used to make a polite request and in these situations means, "Could you?" The conditional form we have just learned also translates as "could" and may be heard while traveling in Italy. Here are some commonly used phrases:
Mi può auitare? Could you(polite) help me?
Potrebbe aiutarmi? Could you (polite) help me?
Ti posso aiutare? May I help you (familiar)?
Potrei aiutarla? May I help you (polite)?
Modal Verbs – "Dovere, Potere, Volere"
The imperfetto subjunctive forms of the modal, or helping verbs, are used frequently in conversation. All have regular stems, and of course, regular endings – as all imperfetto subjunctive mood verbs have regular endings! Here is a summary of the imperfetto subjunctive mood conjugations for all three modal verbs together, for easy reference.
Notice that the English translation for these verbs is in the conditional tense.
Dovere – to have to – Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood
io dovessi I should
tu dovessi you (familiar) should
Lei/lei/lui dovesse you (polite) she/he should
noi dovessimo we should
voi doveste you all should
loro dovessero they should
Potere – to can – Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood
io potessi I could
tu potessi you (familiar) could
Lei/lei/lui potesse you (polite) she/he could
noi potessimo we could
voi poteste you all could
loro potessero they could
Volere – to want – Imperfetto Subjunctive Mood
io volessi I would like
tu volessi you (familiar) would like
Lei/lei/lui volesse you (polite) she/he would like
noi volessimo we would like
voi voleste you all would like
loro volessero they would like
Conversational Italian for Travelers series of books, is a teacher of Italian for travelers to Italy in the Peoria and Chicago area. "Everything you need to know to enjoy your visit to Italy!"Join my Conversational Italian! Facebook group and follow me on Twitter at StellaLucente@travelitalian1 and start to learn Italian today for FREE!
Italian Subjunctive (Part 4) : Italian Hypothetical Phrases of Love
December 16, 2016 Let's Learn Italian!About Italian, About Italian language, All about Italian, All about Italian Conversation, Conversational Italian, Free Italian Audio, FREE Italian download, Italian, Italian Audio Practice, Italian demonstrative adjectives, Italian Dialogue, Italian reflexive verbs, Italian reflexive verbs movement, Italian shopping, Language learning, learn Italian, Learn Italian language, quello, questo, Say it in Italian, Say Italian, Speak Italian, Stella LucenteKathryn Occhipinti
Use our Italian practice tips to go shopping in Italy! Listen to our Italian dialogue about two cousins in an Italian shop!
Can you speak Italian? By now, many of you have passed the beginning stages of learning how to speak Italian and can read and comprehend quite a bit of the language. Meraviglioso!
But have you tried to take the next step to communicate in Italian fluently? Are you familiar with the vocabulary to use when shopping in Italy?
Our third Italian Practice blog includes an audio dialogue recorded with native Italian speakers! We will continue with the story of Caterina and Francesca, two Italian cousins who are living in different cities and trying to reconnect. In the dialogue that follows, Caterina visits Francesca in Rome, and they go shopping to buy Caterina some new clothes.
Click on the "PLAY" button below and listen to the Italian dialogue from Conversational Italian for Travelers, "Chapter 10 – Shopping in Milan," right on this blog. Read along on the printed page that follows the dialogue button. Afterward, click on the website link www.LearnTravelItalian.com and interact with the same recorded audio on our website. Listen to individual lines over and over again—as many times as needed!
After the dialogue, we will present information about how to use Italian reflexive verbs to refer to dressing oneself and trying on clothes. We will also describe how to use questo and quello to point out to the shopkeeper which of those wonderful Italian items will make the perfect souvenir to remember a trip to Italy!
This material is adapted from our textbook, Conversational Italian for Travelers © 2012 by Stella Lucente, LLC, found on www.learntravelitalian.com.
Italian Dialogue: Chapter 10: Shopping in Milan
Francesca Caterina, abbiamo
molto da fare oggi. Kathy, (we) have
a lot to do today.
È giovedì, e il giovedì
io vado a fare la spesa. (It) is Thursday, and on Thursdays
I go to do the grocery shopping.
E poi, la mia amica Anna
ci invita a prendere un caffé
in un bar. And then my friend Ann
invites us to (take) have coffee
in a bar.
Ti piace fare la spesa? (Do) you like to do the grocery shopping?
(lit. Is it pleasing to you…?)
Caterina Si, mi piace fare la spesa
al supermercato.
Yes, I like to do the grocery shopping at the supermarket.
Ma, mi piace di più
andare a comprare vestiti. But, I like more
to go to buy clothes.
(lit. It is pleasing to me more…)
un vestito nuovo e
vorrei comprare anche
qualcosa per mia sorella
in America. (I) need
a new dress and
also (I) would like to buy
something for my sister
in America.
Francesca Molto bene.
Andiamo a fare shopping! Very well.
Let's go shopping (for clothes)!
Ci sono molti bei negozi a Milano. There are many nice shops in
Milan.
Francesca (Dopo un po'…
Francesca e Caterina entrano
in un negozio di vestiti e
incontrano la commessa Laura.) (After awhile…
Frances and Kathy enter
a dress shop and
meet the salesgirl
Laura.)
(a Caterina): Buon giorno.
Posso aiutarla? Good day.
May (I) help you?
(polite greeting to a customer)
Caterina Cerco un vestito da sera,
carino ma elegante. (I) am look(ing) for an evening dress,
cute, but elegant.
Mi piace molto ballare.
Avete vestiti neri? I like dancing very much.
(lit. Dancing to me is pleasing…)
(Do) you all have black dresses?
(plural (voi) form of "you" used to address salespeople politely)
Laura Certamente.
Che taglia porta? Certainly.
What size (do) you take?
(polite question)
Caterina Porto la (taglia) quarantasei. (I) take (the) size 46 (Italian).
Laura Questo vestito è alla moda. This dress is in style.
Caterina Francesca, ti piace? Frances, (do) you like (it)?
Francesca Si, ma anche questo (vestito) e bello. Provali tutti e due. Yes, but also this (dress)
is nice. Try them both on.
(a Laura): Avete taglie più grande? (Do) you all have larger sizes?
Mia sorella porta la (taglia) quarantotto. My sister takes (the) size
48 (Italian).
Laura Si, questo, o forse quel vestito. Yes, this, or maybe that dress.
Francesca Caterina, ti piace questa gonna per tua sorella? Kathy, (do) you like this
skirt for your sister?
(lit. Is this skirt pleasing to you…?)
Caterina È bella, ma
a mia sorella non piace
il colore marrone. (It) is nice, but
my sister doesn't like
the color brown.
(lit. To my sister, the color brown
is not pleasing…)
Francesca E quella (gonna)? And that one (skirt)?
Caterina Oh, quella (gonna) è perfetta.
Le piace di più il rosso del marrone. Oh, that (skirt) is perfect.
She likes red more than
(lit. To her, red is more pleasing than brown.)
La prendo! I'll take it!
(a Laura): Dov'è posso trovare
il camerino? Where can (I) find
the fitting room?
Laura Eccolo. Here it is.
Francesca (Dopo pochi minuti…) (After a few minutes…)
Caterina Allora, Francesca.
Mi metto il vestito. Now, Frances.
I put on (myself) the dress.
Che pensi?
Mi sta bene? What (do you) think?
(Does it) look good on me?
(lit. Does it stay well on me?)
Francesca Ti sta benissimo!
Ma com'è l'altro? (It) looks wonderful on you!
But how (about) the other?
Caterina L'altro non mi va bene.
È troppo stretto. The other did not fit me well.
(idiomatic expression)
(It) is too tight.
(a Caterina): Desidera altro? (Do) (you) want anything else?
Caterina No, mi piacciono questi (vestiti). No, I like these (clothes).
(lit. These clothes are pleasing to me.)
Quanto costano questo vestito e questa gonna? How much is (costs) this dress and this skirt?
Laura Sono cinquantadue euro per il vestito e ventitre euro per la gonna. (They are) 52 euros for the dress and 23 euros for the skirt.
Caterina Non c'è male. That's not too bad.
Laura Ecco la cassa.
Come vuole pagare? Here is the cashier's counter.
How (do) (you) want to pay?
Caterina Posso pagare con un assegno? Can (I) pay with a check?
Laura Mi dispiace.
Non accettiamo assegni. I'm sorry.
(We) don't accept checks.
Accettiamo la carta di credito o il bancomat. (We) accept (a) credit card or (a) debit card.
Caterina Va bene. Pago in contanti. Very well. (I will) pay in cash.
Mi può dare la ricevuta, per favore? Can you give me the receipt, please?
Laura Ma, certo! Grazie mille! But certainly! Thank you very much!
Italian Dialogue Practice: What You Will Need to Know…
For Italian Dialogue You Will Need to Know…
Expressions That Describe Shopping
Many important expressions describe the act of shopping in Italian. Notice from the tables below how the phrases differ depending on the type of shopping to be done. Examples follow.
fare la spesa to do the grocery shopping
to do some grocery shopping
fare spese to do the shopping (clothes, shoes, or other personal items)
fare compere to do the shopping (any purchase) (la compera = purchase)
fare acquisti to do the shopping (any purchase) (l'acquisto = purchase)
fare shopping to do the shopping
We have seen in the dialogue for this chapter that although Americans use the simple phrase "go shopping" for any shopping that they do, Italians often "go to do the shopping," with the expression "andare a fare la spesa." This interesting expression refers only to grocery shopping. A phrase denoting the location of the shopping, such as "al supermercato" ("at the supermarket") can be used to complete the sentence. In most cases, both speakers know the place to obtain groceries, so the actual place is omitted.
If one is going to shop for non-grocery items, several phrases can be used. "Fare spese" is similar to the phrase we have just learned for grocery shopping, but it instead means "to go shopping for clothes, shoes, or other personal items," usually in the piazza or shopping district in town known to the speakers. Two phrases can be used for shopping in general, for any purchase: "fare compere" and "fare acquisti." A very popular phrase in Italy today that can be used for any type of shopping is simply "fare shopping!"
Otherwise, to shop for a specific item, use "andare a comprare" and mention what you are going to buy; for instance, complete this phrase with the word vestiti for clothes, like Caterina did in our dialogue.
Faccio la spesa. (I) do the (grocery) shopping.
Vado a fare la spesa. (I) go to do the (grocery) shopping.
Vado a comprare… (I) go to buy… (any item).
Faccio shopping. (I) go (lit. do/make) shopping (general).
Faccio shopping di vestiti. (I) go (lit. do/make) shopping for clothes.
Faccio compere. (I) go (lit. do/make) shopping (general).
Faccio acquisti. (I) make purchases (usually for non-grocery items).
Mi può mostrare… Could you (pol.) show me…
Mi fa vedere… Could you (pol.) show me…
Posso? May I?
Che taglia porta? What size do you (pol.) wear?
Porto la taglia…/Porto la… (I) take the size…/(I) take the (size)…
Qual'è la taglia italiana per What is the Italian size for
la taglia dieci americana? (the) size 10 American?
alla moda/di moda in style
di marca designer/brand name
Mi provo…/Ti provi (I) try on (myself)…/(You fam.) try on (yourself)…
Mi metto…/Ti metti… (I) put on (myself)…/(You fam.) put on (yourself)…
Mi metto… (I) am trying on (myself)…/(I) am going to try on (myself)…
Mi sta bene. (It) looks good (lit. stays well) on me.
Ti sta bene. (It) looks good (lit. stays well) on you.
Mi va bene. (It) fits me well.
La/Lo prendo! I'll take it! (fem./masc. direct object)
Le/Li prendo! I'll take them! (fem./masc. plural direct object)
For Itlaian Dialogue You Will Need to Know…
Reflexive Verbs of Dressing Oneself
Italian uses the reflexive verb mettersi (to put on oneself) to convey the ideas of "I put on the dress," "I put on my dress," and "I put my dress on." The reflexive pronoun mi (myself) is placed before the conjugated form of mettersi, as usual, and the article of clothing to be put on is then placed after the verb. The subject pronoun is omitted.
So when Caterina goes to try on her dress in our dialogue, she says, "Mi metto il vestito." Just remember the simple phrase "mi metto," and replace vestito with the article of clothing of your choice to describe your own action! To describe action in the tu (you) form, use "ti metti."
(Io) Mi metto il vestito. I put on the dress./I put the dress on./I put on my dress.
(Tu) Ti metti l'anello. You put on the ring.
Also, remember that stare is used to describe how someone feels? Well, to tell someone "It looks good on you!" follow this simple method: Conjugate stare into the third person, or "it" form, sta, then place an indirect object pronoun before the verb.
This is easier than it sounds, because for routine conversational use of the io and tu forms, Italian words we already know—mi and ti—are again used. (Mi means both me and to me, and ti means both you and to you; the same Italian words are used for both direct and indirect object pronouns for the io and tu forms.)
So when Francesca told Caterina in our dialogue, "Ti sta bene," she was saying, literally, "To you, it stays well," with the meaning, "It looks good on you."
To ask someone if an article of clothing you are wearing looks good, use, "Mi sta bene?" If clothing looks really wonderful on someone, reply, "Ti sta benissimo!"
Mi sta bene? Does it (article of clothing) look good on me?
Ti sta bene. It looks good on you.
Ti sta benissimo! It looks wonderful on you!
Finally, the expression "va bene" that we have come to know so well by now is also used to describe how an article of clothing fits on a person. If it fits well, say, "Va bene." If not, use "Non va bene," as Caterina does in our dialogue to describe a dress that did not fit her properly.
How to Describe Wearing Clothes
with the Verbs Portare, Mettersi, and Vestire
In order to say "I am wearing…" or "I take the size…" the verb portare, which is not reflexive, is usually used in the present tense. You no doubt remember that portare is commonly used to mean "to bring" or "to carry."
Porto il mio vestito preferito. I am wearing my favorite dress.
Porto la (taglia) quarantotto. I take size 48.
Portare can also be used to say "I wore" in the past tense. But perhaps because portare is used so commonly with its other meaning of "to bring" in the past tense, to describe what they wore, most Italians prefer to revert to mettersi and use its past participle messo. Here is how it works:
(Io) Mi sono messo una gonna. I wore a skirt.
Ho portato una gonna. I wore a skirt.
Another way to describe how someone was dressed, is to use the past tense verb "essere vestito(a,i,e)." This verb can be used to make generalizations, as well as to refer to a specific article of clothing. When being specific, the preposition "con" is used in these phrases, as in the examples below.
Era vestito con un abito grigio. He was dressed in a suit.
Era vestita con una gonna blu. She was dressed in a blue skirt.
Eravamo vestiti tutto in rosso per la festa. We were dressed all in red for the party.
with the Verb Indossare
The verb indossare also means "to wear" and "to put on." This verb can is used in exactly the same way as portare or mettersi. To the Italian ear, the verb indossare is said to have a more elegant sound than portare or mettersi, and perhaps this is why indossare is more common in written Italian than in conversation.
Just like the other two verbs that have the same meaning, indossare must always be followed by the article of clothing that the person is wearing.
Caterina indossa un abito rosso. Kathryn is wearing a red dress.
La signora indossava un cappotto molto elegantamente. The lady was wearing a very elegant coat.
Finally, when something fits perfectly on you or another, to really fit into Italian society, use the idiomatic expression "calzare a pennello." Calzature refers to shoes, or "footwear," so this Italian saying is the equivalent of the English saying, "It fits you like a glove" or "It fits you to a T."
Mi calza a pennello! It fits me perfectly!
Ti calza a pennello! It fits you perfectly!
Lo/la calza a pennello! It fits him/her perfectly!
Questa and Quella
The feminine demonstrative adjectives questa (this) and quella (that) have endings that follow our usual gender rules. Both have the usual –a ending for the feminine singular that changes to an –e ending in the plural, to make queste (these) and quelle (those).
It should be noted that if the singular feminine noun modified begins with a vowel, the usual –a ending of questa or quella can be dropped. The adjective and noun are then combined with an apostrophe to make conversation flow more smoothly.
Unfortunately, there is no hard-and-fast rule for when to drop the –a ending and when to keep it. As usual, listening to the language as it is spoken by a native is the best and most natural way to pick up these phrases. Here are a few examples:
Questa – This (Feminine)
Singular to Plural
questa casa this house goes to these houses queste case
questa amica this girlfriend goes to these girlfriends queste amiche
quest'altra* this other goes to these other queste altre
Quella – This (Feminine)
quella casa that house goes to those houses quelle case
quella amica that girlfriend goes to those girlfriends quelle amiche
quell'altra* that other goes to those other quelle altre
*In these last phrases, questo and quello are not followed by a noun, and so they are technically pronouns rather than adjectives… don't worry about these different labels now, though.
Questo and Quello
The masculine demonstrative adjective questo (this) uses the usual –o ending for the masculine singular, which changes to an –i ending for the masculine plural and becomes questi (these).
Notice that if the singular masculine noun to be modified begins with a vowel, the usual –o ending of questo will be dropped and the words combined with an apostrophe to make conversation flow more smoothly.
Questo – This (Masculine)
questo giorno this day goes to these days questi giorni
quest'amico this friend (male) goes to these friends (male) questi amici
Quello – This (Masculine)
The masculine demonstrative adjective quello (that) does not follow our usual gender rules but instead follows the rules for the masculine definite article "the" when it precedes a noun.
The word quello itself follows the rule for the definite article lo and is only used before the singular form of Italian masculine nouns that begin with s + consonant, z, ps, gn, or pn. This is similar to another adjective that ends in -lo, bello.
Quel (that) is used to modify all singular masculine nouns that begin with a consonant, except for those noted in the last paragraph.
An apostrophe and an additional letter –l are added, to make quell' (that) for singular masculine nouns that begin with a vowel.
For the plural masculine forms of quello, the usual –i ending is used for plural masculine nouns that begin with a consonant, to make quei (those).
The word quegli (those) is used for plural masculine nouns that begin with s + consonant, z, ps, gn, or pn, and all vowels…
This is not as complicated as it seems, because again, we are following the same rules as for the masculine definite article. The summary table is below:
quel giorno that day goes to those days quei giorni
quell'amico that friend goes to those friends quegli amici
quello zio that uncle goes to those uncles quegli zii
The above material is adapted from "Chapter 10 – Shopping in Milan" of the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook, © 2012 by Kathryn Occhipinti, courtesy of Stella Lucente, LLC.
Conversational Italian for Travelers series of books and a teacher of Italian for travelers to Italy in the Peoria and Chicago area.
More information on and photographs of Italy can be found on Facebook Stella Lucente Italian and Pinterest Stella Lucente Italian.
May 31, 2016 Italian Travel and Cultural NotesConversational Italian, Italian Food, Italian Language, Italian Restaurants, Italian Travel, Language learning, Learn about Italian food, Restaurants in Italy, Say it in Italian, Say Italian, Speak Italian, Stella Lucente, travel, Travel in Italy, travel planningKathryn Occhipinti
Visiting Italy? Follow Caterina for tips on how to order at your favorite Italian restaurant—from the Conversational Italian series of books!
Visiting Italy? Learn how to order at your favorite Italian restaurant!
After Caterina arrives in Italy, she stays with her Italian cousin Pietro and his family in Milan for a while and adapts to Italian life and the Italian language. Then, in the last unit of the book, they all go on a summer vacation together. Caterina and the family stay at a typical northern Italian lake resort in the town of Stresa on Lago Maggiore.
For those travelers who are adventurous enough to try out their Italian on their own visit to Italy, read on for some phrases that will come in handy when ordering at an Italian restaurant. Get started by speaking with the waiter. A delicious meal is soon to follow!
To listen to the dialogue from Chapter 16, when Caterina and her Italian family arrive at an Italian restaurant and begin their wonderful meal together, go to the interactive audio dialogues on our website at learntravelitalian.com/interactive.html.
Ordering at an Italian Restaurant (Part 1)
Speaking with the Waiter
Italian restaurant at the Villa d'Este hotel on Lago Como ready for lunch.
Below are some expressions that are commonly used when dining in a restaurant.
The io (I) and noi (we) forms of the verbs potere (to be able to/can) and volere (to want) are important to know in this situation, because requests are usually made for oneself or for the entire table.
We revisit the verb "Può?" for a polite way to say, "Could you?" and add "Posso?" for
"May I…?" and "Possiamo?" for "May we…?" to our list of polite phrases to use when making a request.
To the popular "io vorrei…" for "I would like," we add the conditional plural form, "Noi vorremmo…" for "We would like…" See Chapter 18 of our Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook for the full conjugation of these verbs in the conditional tense.
Posso… May I…
Possiamo… May we…
…sederci vicino alla finestra? …sit by the window?
…sederci a un'altro tavolo? …sit at another table?
…avere il menù? …see (have) the menu?
Qual'è lo speciale oggi/stasera? What is the special today/this evening?
Qual'è il piatto del giorno? What is the dish of the day? (English = special of the day)
Che cosa ha scelto/avete scelto? What have you/you all chosen?
Vorrei… I would like…
Vorremmo… We would like…
…come antipasto, l'insalata mista. …for the antipasto, mixed salad.
…come primo, le tagliatelle alla bolognese. …for the first course, tagliatelle with Bolognese meat sauce.
…come secondo, l'osso bucco. …for the second course, braised veal shank.
…come dolce, solamente frutta. …for dessert, only fruit.
Non posso mangiare niente… I cannot eat anything…
…fatto con noci/arachidi. …made with nuts/peanuts.
…molto piccante. …very spicy.
Questo è troppo caldo. This is too hot.
Questo è troppo freddo. This is too cold.
Mi può portare… Could you bring me…
Ci può portare… Could you bring us…
…dell'acqua senza gas/naturale? …some water without gas (natural water)?
…dell'acqua con gas/frizzante? …some sparkling water?
…del pane/più pane? …some bread/more bread?
…del sale e pepe? …some salt and pepper?
…un cucchiaio, un coltello, una forchetta? …a spoon, a knife, a fork?
…un tovagliolo? …a napkin?
Cin cin!/Salute!/Alla tua salute! Cheers! (To your) good health!
Adapted from Conversational Italian for Travelers, Chapter 16, "Important Phrases – Speaking with the Waiter," © 2012 by Stella Lucente, LLC.
More information on and photographs of Italy can be found on Stella Lucente Italian Facebook and Stella Lucente Italian Pinterest.
March 14, 2016 Let's Learn Italian!About Italian, About Italian language, All about Italian, All about Italian Conversation, All about Italy, amare, amore, Conversational Italian, How to say I love you in Italian, How to use reflexive italian verbs, How to use volere, Italian conversation, Italian Language, Italian Love, Italian reflexive verbs, Italian Travel, Italian travel planning, Language learning, learn Italian, Learn Italian language, Love in Italian, Mancare, Once upon a time in Italian, Say I love you in Italian, Say it in Italian, Say Italian, Speak Italian, Stella Lucente, travel, travel Italy, travel planning, Voglio bene, VolereKathryn Occhipinti
Everything you need to know to talk about love… in Italian!
But have you tried to take the next step to speak Italian fluently? Can you talk about all the things that are nearest and dearest to your heart in Italian? Can you speak Italian the way you would speak in your native language, with complex and varied sentences? This is more difficult than it may seem at first, and it's something that I am always working on! This series will focus on the situations that have come up most frequently in my everyday conversations with Italian instructors and friends. The "Speak Italian" blog series will focus on the type of sentence structure and vocabulary we all need to remember to be more fluent when we speak Italian!
To take that giant step from simple beginning sentences to more complex and fluid sentences in Italian, we must know many things; in this segment, we will discuss how to use possessive adjectives in Italian, phrases for storytelling, reciprocal reflexive verbs, and the special ways to say we love and miss someone using the Italian verbs volere and mancare!
In the "Speak Italian" blog series, a short essay or dialogue in Italian will be presented about a commonly used topic of conversation. Then, we will review the Italian grammar that is necessary to talk about the particular topic in detail. And finally, the same material will be presented in Italian and English, with blanks for the reader to fill in with descriptions from his or her own life! Remember these examples about yourself as "anchors" in your knowledge for when you must speak Italian in your next conversation!
Enjoy the third topic in this series, "Speak Italian: A Story About… Love!"
This material is adapted from our textbook, Conversational Italian for Travelers © 2012 by Stella Lucente, LLC, found on www.learntravelitalian.com. Special thanks to Italian language instructor Simona Giuggioli.
In every life, we experience many types of love—country, family, and of course, one's own true love. So it is important to learn the special Italian phrases to speak about what we love. I've adapted the story of one of my grandmothers, who emigrated from Italy in the 1920s, into a short essay about her struggles in Italy and in America, and the love that she was able to find in her life. Of course, this material has been adapted to be a learning tool, and this essay is not meant to be a complete biography.
While reading about my grandmother's three great loves—her countries, her family, and her husband—think about yourself and what you truly love. Read the grammar section if you like. Then, use the blank spaces in the form that follows to fill in the Italian for your own life!
When I was young, when I was about 7 years old, I asked my grandmother to tell me her story. And this is what she said to me:
Da bambina, quando avevo cerca sette anni, ho chiesto a mia nonna di raccontarmi la sua storia.
E questo è quello che mi ha detto:
My story is a story of many great loves. When I was young, I lived in Sicily, and I loved my town Ragusa very much. Ragusa is on top of a big mountain but is also near the sea. Every day I could see the sunrise and the sunset over the south of Sicily, and it was very beautiful! I loved Sicily very much!
La mia storia è una storia di tanti grandi amori. Quando ero giovane, ho vissuto in Sicilia e mi piaceva molto il mio paese che si chiama Ragusa. Ragusa è sopra una grande montagna ma è anche vicino al mare. Ogni giorno potevo vedere l'alba e il tramonto sopra il sud della Sicilia ed era molto bello! Mi piaceva molto la Sicilia!
I had five brothers and sisters—two brothers and three sisters. I was the oldest in the family, and when I was 12 years old, I had to leave school. I had to help my mother take care of my sisters and my brothers. Before I went to bed, every night I said to my mother, "Do you love me?" And my mother replied, "I love you very much!"
Avevo cinque fratelli—due fratelli e tre sorelle. Ero la più grande nella famiglia e quando avevo dodici anni ho dovuto lasciare la scuola. Ho dovuto aiutare mia mamma a prendersi cura delle mie sorelle e dei miei fratelli. Prima di andare a letto, ogni notte dicevo a mia mamma, "Mi vuoi bene?" E mia madre diceva, "Ti voglio molto bene!"
And at Ragusa, there was also a boy named Peter who was 2 years older than me. Peter grew up on the same street as my family. When he became older, Peter was tall and handsome, a good person, and was very nice to me. I loved him. I became his girlfriend, but in secret.
Ed a Ragusa c'era anche un ragazzo che si chiamava Pietro che aveva due anni più di me. Pietro è cresciuto nella stessa strada della mia famiglia. Da grande, Pietro è diventato alto e bello, bravo, ed era molto simpatico con me. L'amavo. Sono diventata la sua ragazza, ma in segreto.
Peter's father, Paul, was also a good person and decided to make a better life for his family and go to America. In 1916, when Peter was 16 years old, Paul brought the family to America. There was a lot of work for Paul, who was a bricklayer and helped to build many buildings that are still well known in New York today. Peter's father made a lot of money, and the family was very well off.
Il padre di Pietro, Paolo, era anche una persona perbene e ha deciso di migliorare la vita della sua famiglia e di andare in America. Nel millenovecentosedici, quando Pietro aveva sedici anni, Paolo ha portato la famiglia in America. C'era molto lavoro per Paolo, chi era un muratore e ha aiutato a costruire tanti palazzi ancora ben conosciuti a New York oggi. Il padre di Pietro ha fatto tanti soldi e la famiglia stava molto bene.
Peter also worked every day and learned his father's trade. But Peter was not happy. He wrote me in many letters that New York was ugly. He missed his beautiful Sicily. He missed me! In Sicily, I missed Peter!
Anche Pietro lavorava ogni giorno e imparava il mestiere da suo padre. Ma, Pietro non era contento. Lui mi ha scritto in tante lettere che New York era brutta. A lui mancava la sua bella Sicilia. Anche, io gli mancavo! Mentre in Sicilia, mi mancava Pietro!
This continued for many years.
Continuava cosi per tanti anni.
Finally, Peter wrote a letter to my father and asked him to take me to America to get married (marry me).
Finalmente, Pietro ha scritto una lettera a mio padre e l'ha chiesto di portarmi in America per sposarmi.
At first, my father had said, "Absolutely not!"
Al inizio, mio padre ha detto, "Assolutamente no!"
But I wanted to go to America and marry Peter. I loved Peter very much. Every day, I cried. I did not eat anything. My mother said to my father, "How sad Maria is! You must take her to America!"
Ma volevo andare in America e sposarmi con Pietro. L'amavo tanto. Ogni giorno, piangevo. Non mangiavo niente. Mia madre ha detto a mio padre, "Come triste è Maria! Devi portarla in America!"
And finally, he did it!
E finalmente, lui l'ho fatto!
Peter and I were married, and we had three children: two boys and one girl. We moved to a small town north of New York City, where there are mountains and it is very pretty.
Pietro ed io ci siamo sposati e abbiamo avuto tre figli: due figli maschi e una figla femmina. Abbiamo traslocati a un piccolo paese a nord di New York, dove ci sono le montagne ed è molto bello.
Today, I feel very fortunate and happy because I have my three great loves: my new country, my husband, and my family!
Oggi, mi sento molto fortunata e contena perché ho i miei tre grandi amori: il mio paese nuovo, mio marito, e la mia famiglia!
Speak Italian: Grammar You Will Need to Know…
Speak Italian: You Will Need to Know…
How to Use Italian Possessive Adjectives to Describe Things
The definite article (il, la, i, or le) must be added before the possessive adjective when we describe the things that we possess. In this case, both the definite article and the possessive adjective will match the gender and number of the noun that is being modified. Remember, in Italian, we do not think about who is doing the possessing, but about what is being possessed!
il mio/la mia my i miei/le mie
il tuo/la tua your (familiar) singular i tuoi/le tue
il suo*/la sua* your (polite)* singular
his, her, its i suoi*/le sue*
il nostro/la nostra our i nostri/le nostre
il vostro/la vostra your (familiar) plural i vostri/le vostre
il loro/la loro their i loro*/le loro*
*For "polite your," simply capitalize, as in, "il Suo amico" or "la Sua amica."
It should be noted that the definite article can be omitted if the speaker wants to emphasize ownership of a particular thing when using the verb essere. If someone wants to stress his ownership of a car, for instance, he would simply say, "È mia" for "(It) is mine," and omit the definite article la and the word macchina. In English, we use mine instead of my, ours instead of our, and yours instead of your after the verb "to be" in a similar way. This is called the stressed form of the possessive adjective.
Also, the expression "a casa mia," with the possessive adjective placed alone, after the noun, is idiomatic and means "at/to my house." The other possessive forms can be used as well with this phrase, as in "a casa tua" (at your house) or "a casa sua" (at his/her house). And it can always be "colpa mia," or "my fault."
How to Use Italian Possessive Adjectives with Family Members
When speaking of only one family member, do not use the definite article!
mio cugino = my cousin
When speaking of more than one family member, the definite article must be used.
i miei cugini = my cousins
If using an adjective to describe family members, the definite article must be used.
"Caterina è la mia cara cugina." = "Kathy is my dear cousin."
Singular and Plural Possessive Adjectives for Family
mio/mia my i miei/le mie
tuo/tua your (familiar) singular i tuoi/le tue
suo/sua your (polite) singular/his/her/its i suoi/le sue
nostro/nostra our i nostri/le nostre
vostro/vostra your (familiar) plural i vostri/le vostre
il loro/la loro their i loro/le loro
La Mia Famiglia Femminile/Female Members of My Family
mia madre my mother
(la) mia mamma my mom
mia sorella my sister(s) le mie sorelle
mia nonna my grandmother(s) le mie nonne
mia zia my aunt(s) le mie zie
mia figlia my daughter(s) le mie figlie
mia cugina my female cousin(s) le mie cugine
La Mia Famiglia Maschile/Male Members of My Family
mio padre my father
(il) mio papà my dad
mio fratello my brother(s) i miei fratelli
mio nonno my grandfather(s) i miei nonni
mio zio my uncle(s) i miei zii
mio figlio my son(s) i miei figli
mio cugino my cousin(s) i miei cugini
Always use il mio fidanzato or la mia fidanzata for a boyfriend/fiancé or girlfriend/fiancée who are not yet part of the family! This also applies to la mia ex moglie and il mio ex marito, my ex-wife and my ex-husband.
If a pet, or animale domestico, such as a cat or a dog, is a part of your family, use the definite article when referring to them. So, my cat or my dog would be il mio gato or il mio cane. The endings of the nouns that refer to animals do not need to be changed to match their gender. But, if it is important to emphasize that you have a male or a female animal, see below:
il gato il mio gato the cat my cat (any gender or a male cat)
il mio gato il mio gato maschio the male cat my male cat
la mia gata la mia gata femmina the female cat my female cat
il cane il mio cane the dog my dog (any gender or a male dog)
il mio cane il mio cane maschio the male dog my male dog
la mia cagna la mia cagna femmina the female dog my female dog
When speaking in Italian of two family members or objects of the same gender and number, link them with the word "and," which is "e" in Italian. The possessive pronoun does not need to be repeated. That said, the tendency in Italian is to repeat the possessive pronoun anyway.
The possessive pronoun must be used for each person/thing linked with the word "and" when the gender or number of the person/thing differs.
Note that in English, it is not necessary to repeat the word "my," although "my" can be repeated to emphasize that one is speaking of two different types of groups.
mio fratello e cugino or mio fratello e mio cugino my brother and cousin
mio fratello e mia sorella my brother and sister
mio fratello e i miei cugini my brother and my cousins
How to Talk about Siblings and Children
When talking about siblings in Italian, the idea is expressed with the Italian plural word fratelli. This masculine plural noun refers to a group of all male siblings and to a group of both male and female siblings. Therefore, the number of brothers and sisters must be specified in the next sentence—and all endings changed into either masculine or feminine.
Remember to use un fratello for one male sibling and una sorella for one female sibling.
Ho due fratelli. I have two siblings (brothers and sisters or just brothers).
Ho un fratello e una sorella. I have one brother and one sister.
Remember to use fratelli for a group of brothers and sorelle for a group of sisters.
Ho cinque fratelli. I have five siblings (brothers and sisters or just brothers).
Ho due fratelli e tre sorelle. I have two brothers and three sisters.
When talking about one's own or someone else's children in Italian, the idea is expressed with the Italian plural word figli (which otherwise means sons). This masculine word refers to a group of all male children and to a group of both male and female children. It then becomes necessary to use additional nouns to categorize the children as male or female in the next sentence, and all endings must be changed into either masculine or feminine.
Remember to use uno figlio maschio for one male child and una figlia femmina for one female child.
Ho due figli. I have two children./I have two boys and girls.
Ho un figlio maschio e una figlia femmina. I have one boy and one girl.
Remember to use figli maschi for a group of male children and figlie femmine for a group of female children.
Ho cinque figli. I have five children./I have five boys and girls.
Ho due figli maschi e tre figlie femmine. I have two brothers and three sisters.
When to use "Che" to Connect Phrases in Italian
"Che" has many meanings in Italian,and is used in many ways. This little word will come up often in spoken and written Italian. The first and probably most important meaning that is found in most every dictionary, though, is the conjunctive "that." While in English, many times we leave out the word "that" when linking two phrases together to make a complex sentence, in Italian this word can almost never be omitted.
A couple of important examples were underlined in are dialogue to make this point and are reprinted here. Learning how and when to incorporate "che" into an Italian sentence will take one a long way to becoming fluent in Italian, so listen closely for this word!
To link the phrase "this is what" to a second phrase.
And this is what (that) she said to me:
2. To mention something or someone and then give its actual name.
Mi piaceva molto il mio paese che si chiama Ragusa.
( Italian: I loved my town very much that is called Ragusa.)
I loved my town Ragusa very much.
"Che" has many meanings in Italian,and is used in many ways. Below are two more uses for the Italian word che, with two different meanings.
Che is also commonly used as an interrogative expression meaning, "What?" "Che?" "Che cosa?" and "Cosa?" all mean "What?" in Italian, and are used interchangeably. Two of the most commonly spoken phrases where che is used this way are below:
Che succede? What's happening?
Che è successo? What happened?
And by now you have no doubt heard the exclamation, "Che bello!" which means, "How beautiful!" or "How wonderful!" from anyone who has seen the rolling hills of the Italian countryside or a famous work of Italian art or architecture. Additional examples are listed below. In short, che when used in an exclamation of this type takes on the meaning of how. Of course, "Com'è bello?" means "How beautiful is it?" since the word come is the most often used to mean how in most other situations.
Che bello! How beautiful! How wonderful!
Che brutta (figura)! How ugly! How terrible!
Che fortuna! How lucky! What good fortune!
How to Say "I Love You" in Italian
"Ti voglio bene" is an idiomatic expression in Italian, which translates roughly as, "I wish you well," or better, "I care for you." It originates from the verb volersi, which takes on a different meaning than the verb volere. The meaning of this verb is not easily translated into English, but is used often in Italy for many different situations.
"Ti voglio bene" is an old expression that is still used for platonic forms of caring and loving among family members and close friends in Italy today. The expression can be used between a boyfriend and a girlfriend and is also used between a husband and a wife. Watch some older Italian movies, and you will hear this expression often!
Mi voui bene? Do you care for/about me?
Ti voglio bene. I care for/about you.
The verb amare, which means "to love," is reserved for romantic love—that one true love held between fiancée and fiancé, wife and husband.
Mi ami? Do you love me?
Ti amo. I love you.
Ti amo per sempre. I will always love you.
Finally, some phrases for when you have fallen out of love:
Non ti voglio più bene. I don't like/care for you anymore.
Non ti amo più. I don't love you anymore.
Common Phrases to Begin a Story Paragraph
Da giovane… When I was young…
Da grande… When I grew up…
Quando ero più vecchio(a)… When I was older…
Nel 1928… In 1928…
Una volta c'era… Once upon a time…
In the past there was… / Once there was…
In those days…
Per prima cosa… For the first thing…
Dapprima… Initially…
Prima…/Poi… First…/Then…
Prima o poi… Sooner or later…
Fin dall'inizio… From the beginning…
Da ora in poi… From now on…
Da allora in poi… From then on…
From that moment on…
Verbs That Take the Preposition "A"
Some Italian verbs need to be followed by the Italian word "a," which in this case means "to," before the addition of an infinitive verb to make a complete sentence. This may seem a little redundant at first, because in English, a verb in its infinitive form already includes the word "to." To the Italian speaker, though, it is natural to insert the word a after the verbs on the list that follows—the phrases just sound correct this way.
Two important phrases to remember that use this rule are "andare a trovare" ("to go to visit") and "venire a trovare" ("to come to visit"), which are used when visiting a person. The noun visitare can be used when you want to speak about a place you are visiting.
Don't memorize this list, but instead try to listen for the "a" when these phrases come up in conversation, and soon it will become natural for you, also, to say these phrases correctly.
aiutare to help Aiuto mia mamma a … cucinare la cena.
andare to go Vado a … trovare mio cugino Pietro in Italia.
cominciare to start Comincio a … cucinare la cena.
divertirsi to enjoy oneself Mi divertito a … suonare il violino.
imparare to learn Tutti imparano a … parlare italiano.
insegnare to teach Lei insegna a … parlare la lingua francese.
invitare to invite Lui l'invita a … mangiare al ristorante.
mandare to send Io mando Pietro a … prendere una pizza.
prepararsi to get ready Mi preparo a … viaggiare in Italia.
venire to come Caterina viene a … trovare i suoi cugini.
Reciprocal Reflexive Verbs, Including Sposarsi
Reciprocal reflexive verbs are used in the special situation when two people perform the same action together; this will make both people the subject of the action. Therefore, the reciprocal reflexive verbs are conjugated in their plural form, using the plural subject and reflexive pronouns: (noi) ci, (voi) vi, or (loro) si. For conversation, the noi and loro forms will be the most important to remember. To express this type of situation in English, we simply add the phrase "each other," after the verb.
Here is how this verb form works: for instance, everyone knows that "Ci vediamo" means "We (will) see each other." So if the speaker is involved in the action with someone else—we are doing the action—use the noi verb conjugation and put ci in front of the verb.
Another common phrase is "Si abbracciano e si baciano," which means "They hug and kiss each other." If two people are being talked about—they are doing the action—use the loro verb conjugation and put si in front of the verb.
A quick word about sposarsi. It is one of those reflexive verbs that translates as "to get" married. We talked about these "to get" verbs in the last blog in this series. So if a person wants to say, "I want to get married" in Italian, this would be "(Io) voglio sposarmi."
As we know, the subject pronouns are almost always omitted in conversation, and this applies to reciprocal reflexive verbs as well—hence the parentheses in the examples that follow!
Io e Francesca ci vogliamo bene. Frances and I care for each other very much.
(Noi) Ci sposiamo oggi. We (will) marry each other today.
(Noi) Ci scriviamo ogni giorno. We write each other every day.
(Noi) Ci vediamo al teatro. We (will) see each other at the theater.
(Noi) Ci vogliamo bene. We love each other very much.
Caterina e Zia Rosa si salutano. Kathy and Aunt Rose greet each other.
Michele e Francesca si volgiono bene. Michael and Frances care for each other very much.
(Loro) si vogliono bene. (They) care for each other very much.
(Loro) Si incontrano. They meet each other.
(Loro) Si telefonano ogni giorno. They telephone each other every day.
Listed below are verbs that commonly use the reciprocal reflexive form:
abbracciarsi to hug each other
aiutarsi to help each other
amarsi to love each other
baciarsi to kiss each other
chiamarsi to call each other
conoscersi to get to know each other
fidanzarsi to become engaged
guardarsi to look at each other
incontrarsi to meet each other (planned meeting)
odiarsi to hate each other
parlarsi to speak to each other
salutarsi to greet each other
scriversi to write each other
sposarsi to marry each other
telefonarsi to call each other
trovarsi to meet each other
vedersi to see each other
Passato Prossimo Verbs That Take Essere
Here is a list of the most common action verbs that take essere when forming the passato prossimo, which is the verb form used to describe going from one place to another or "passing through" life—growing/living/dying. The infinitive form is in the first column, and the corresponding past participle is listed in the third column; notice that some past participles will be regular and others irregular.
It should also be noted that all reflexive verbs, as well as piacere, take essere.
accadere to happen accaduto(a)(i,e) happened
andare to go andato(a)(i,e) went
arrivare to arrive arrivato(a)(i,e) arrived
cadere to fall caduto(a)(i,e) fell
cambiare to change cambiato(a)(i,e) changed
cominciare+ to begin cominciato(a)(i,e) began
diventare to become diventato(a)(i,e) became
entrare to enter entrato(a)(i,e) entered
finire+ to finish finito(a)(i,e) finished
iniziare+ to begin iniziato(a)(i,e) began
morire to die morto(a)(i,e) dead
nascere to be born nato(a)(i,e) born
partire to leave partito(a)(i,e) left
passare* to pass through passato(a)(i,e) past
piacere to be pleasing to piaciuto(a)(i,e) pleased
restare to remain restato(a)(i,e) remained
rompere to break rotto(a)(i,e) broken
salire* to go up salito(a)(i,e) went up
scendere* to do down sceso(a)(i,e) went down
succedere to happen successo(a)(i,e) happened
uscire to go out uscito(a)(i,e) went out
venire to come venuto(a)(i,e) came
+Some verbs, such as cominciare, finire, and iniziare, take avere except when the subject is a thing, rather than a person. So as we have learned in Chapter 11 of Conversational Italian for Travelers, "Io ho finito il libro," "Tu hai finito il libro," and "Lei/lui ha finito il libro," but "Il film è finito," for "The film is finished." Notice that in the last example, the verb itself completes the sentence and refers back to the subject. (Finire is categorized as transitive in all of the examples except the last, when it is intransitive, but don't worry about these terms!)
*Some verbs, such as passare, scendere, and salire take avere when used with a direct object, as in "Io ho sceso le scale" for "I have gone down the stairs." Otherwise, they use essere: "Lui è sceso" for "He has gotten off."
Grammar Point: Reflexive Verbs with the Passato Prossimo
All reflexive verbs form the passato prossimo with essere. Simply put the reflexive pronoun before essere and follow essere with the past participle as usual. Remember to change the ending of the past participle to reflect the gender of the person doing the action. See the example below with divertirsi (to enjoy oneself). With all the good times a visitor to Italy can expect, divertirsi is an essential verb to know in several different tenses!
Notice that the translation in English uses the verb to have, while Italian uses to be. So remember to think in Italian in this case!
Essersi divertito/To Have Enjoyed Oneself
io mi sono divertito(a) I have enjoyed myself.
I enjoyed myself.
tu ti sei divertito(a) You (familiar) have enjoyed yourself.
You (familiar) enjoyed yourself.
Lei/lei/lui si è divertito(a) You (polite)/she/he have/has enjoyed herself/himself.
You (polite)/she/he enjoyed herself/himself.
noi ci siamo divertiti(e) We have enjoyed ourselves.
We enjoyed ourselves.
voi vi siete divertiti(e) You all have enjoyed yourselves.
You all enjoyed yourselves.
loro si sono divertiti(e) They have enjoyed themselves.
They enjoyed themselves.
Grammar Point: Modal Verbs with Essere and the Passato Prossimo
We have seen how to use the modal verbs dovere, potere, and volere if the passato prossimo is formed with avere. The sequence to use is the same with essere; essere is conjugated to reflect the speaker, the past participle of the modal verb is added, and then the infinitive of the verb finishes the verb phrase.
There is one catch, though. Remember that we must change the past participle of the verbs that follow essere to reflect the gender of the speaker. In this case, the past participle is formed from the modal verb, so the ending of the modal verb must change!
Pietro è voluto partire alle sei stasera.
Peter wanted to leave at 6 tonight.
Caterina è dovuta andare a fare la spesa ieri.
Kathy had to go grocery shopping yesterday.
When to Use the Passato Prossimo versus the Imperfetto
Here is a table to clarify the differences of the uses of the passato prossimo and the imperfetto past tense verb forms. Both will describe actions or events that have taken place in the past. The circumstances that surround each event determine the form to use. When narrating a story, use the imperfetto.
Passato Prossimo Imperfetto
Past action that took place once. Past action that was habitual; done several times.
Stamattina ho telefonato a mia mamma.
This morning I called my mother. Telefonavo a mia mamma ogni mattina.
I used to call my mother every day.
Past action that was performed a specific number of times. Past action that took place over an extended period of time.
Sono andata dal medico per tre giorni di fila.
I went to the doctor for 3 days in a row. Andavo dal medico raramente quando ero giovane.
I went to the doctor rarely when I was young.
Past action that was performed within a definite time period. Past action that was performed within an indefinite time period, without a specific beginning and ending mentioned.
L'anno scorso è andato a scuola.
Last year he went to school. Da giovane, andava volentieri a scuola.
When he was young, he used to go to school gladly.
Past states of being/having of a person or a thing in a specific time frame. Past states of being/having of a person or a thing
(essere or avere used alone).
Ieri ho avuto fame tutto il giorno.
Yesterday I had hunger all day long.
(English: I was hungry.)
Caterina è stata molto felice il giorno del suo compleanno.
Kathy was very happy on her birthday. Io avevo fame.
I used to have/had hunger.
(English: I used to be/was hungry.)
Caterina era felice.
Kathy used to be/was happy.
In a compound sentence that involves two actions performed in the past, the completed action (usually given second) uses the passato prossimo. In a compound sentence that involves two actions performed in the past, the setting, or the ongoing situation (usually given first), uses the imperfetto.
Mentre nostro figlio dormiva, abbiamo guidato per molte ore.
While our son was sleeping, we drove for many hours.
How to Conjugate and Use Mancare
The verb mancare has many meanings: to miss/to lose/to lack/to be lacking/to omit/to fail. Mancare is used to convey the idea of "to miss someone" very commonly in conversational Italian, so it is important to learn the conjugation and sentence structure for this verb.
To start off, you should know that the sentence structure used for mancare is the same as for the verb piacere (see the second blog in this series). In English, we say the subject of the sentence misses someone using the direct object (example: I miss John), whereas in Italian, this phrase is turned around and the subject is the person who is being missed.
The sentence structure in Italian can use the disjunctive pronoun.
example "I miss John": John is missing to me. = Giovanni manca a me.
But more often, the Italian sentence uses the indirect object pronoun placed before the verb.
example "I miss John": (John) to me is missing. = (Giovanni) Mi manca.
To make matters more confusing to the English speaker, the subject of the sentence—which can be somebody's name, a subject pronoun, a place, or even an object—can be left out entirely as long as it is known from the context, as we see above.
But, in most cases the subject is then added to the end of the sentence for clarification.
example: "I miss John": To me is missing John. = Mi manca Giovanni.
Think about this a bit and then read the present tense conjugation below. Notice that the tu and noi forms are irregular. These are marked with an asterisk.
Mancare/To Be Missing (To)
io manco I am missing (to…)
tu manchi* you (fam.) are missing (to…)
lei/lui manca you (polite) are missing (to…)
she/he/it is missing (to…)
noi manchiamo* we are missing (to…)
voi mancate you all are missing (to…)
loro mancano they are missing (to…)
The past tense of mancare is regular in the passato prossimo and takes essere. The passato prossimo form is often used. Consider the phrase "I missed you!" This implies that a definite period of absence has passed, and now the individuals are able to finally talk about their feelings. This is the past tense form for mancare that is most commonly used during conversation.
See below for the passato prossimo conjugation of mancare:
sono sei, è, with mancato(a)
siamo, siete sono with mancati(e)
The imperfetto form of mancare is regular as well, and is used most often for narration, as in our example story. In this case, the reference is to a nonspecific amount of time that people missed each other in the past.
See below for the imperfetto conjugation of mancare:
mancavo, mancavi, mancava
mancavamo, mancavate, mancavano
The sentences below give some common examples of how to use the verb mancare, first in present tense and then in past tense, with the passato prossimo. For easier understanding, the subject pronouns are included in parentheses, but remember that they are most often left out of the sentence, unless needed for clarification.
(Tu) Mi manchi. You are missing to me. I miss you.
(Lei/Lui) Mi manca. She/he is missing to me. I miss her/him.
(Io) Ti manco? (Am I) missing to you? (Do you) miss me?
(Lei/Lui) Ti manca? (Is she/he) missing to you? (Do you) miss her/him?
(Io) Gli manco. I am missing to him. He misses me.
(Io) Le manco. I am missing to her. She misses me.
(Tu) Gli manchi. You are missing to him. He misses you.
(Tu) Le manchi. You are missing to her. She misses you.
Gli manca (Maria) . Maria is missing to him. He misses Maria.
Le manca (Maria) . Maria is missing to her. She misses Maria.
Gli manca (Paolo). Paul is missing to him. He misses Paul.
Le manca (Paolo). Paul is missing to her. She misses Paul.
(Tu) Mi sei mancato(a). You were missed to me. I missed you.
(Lei/Lui) Mi è mancato(a). She/he was missed to me. I missed her/him.
(Io) Ti sono mancto(a)? (Was I) missed to you? (Did you) miss me?
(Lei/Lui) Ti è mancato(a)? (Was she/he) missed to her/him? (Did you) miss her/him?
(Io) Gli sono mancato(a). I was missed to him. He missed me.
(Io) Le sono mancato(a). I was missed to her. She missed me.
(Tu) Gli sei mancato(a). You were missed to him. He missed you.
(Tu) Le sei mancato(a). You were missed to her. She missed you.
Gli è mancata (Maria) . Maria was missed to him. He missed Maria.
Le è mancata (Maria) . Maria was missed to her. She missed Maria.
Gli è mancato (Paolo). Paul was missed to him. He missed Paul.
Le è mancato (Paolo) . Paul was missed to her. She missed Paul.
Speak Italian: A Story about… YOUR Great Loves!
Everyone has a story to tell about themselves. What would you like others to know about what you find important in life? What are your great loves? Fill in the blanks in the Italian sentences in the exercise below, using examples from your own life.
Da bambina, quando avevo ___________________ anni, ho chiesto di raccontarmi la sua storia.
My story is a story of many great loves. When I was young, I lived in Sicily, and I loved my town of Ragusa very much. Ragusa is on top of a big mountain but is also near the sea. Every day I could see the sunrise and the sunset over the south of Sicily, and it was very beautiful! I loved Sicily very much!
La mia storia è una storia di________________________________________________________________.
Quando ero , ho vissuto e mi piaceva molto il mio paese che si chiama ______________________________________________________________________ È_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________.
Ogni giorno potevo vedere ____________________________________________________ed era molto bello! Mi piaceva molto___________________________________________________________________________________!
Avevo __________________________fratelli—_____________________fratelli e ______________________sorelle. Ero ______________________________________________________nella famiglia e quando avevo dodici anni _____________________________________________________________________________________________________.
Ho dovuto aiutare ______________________________________________________________________________. Prima di andare a letto, ogni notte dicevo a mia mamma, "Mi vuoli bene?" E mia madre diceva, "Ti voglio molto bene!"
Ed a Ragusa c'era anche un ragazzo(a) che si chiamava ______________________________che aveva __________________anni più di me. ___________________________è cresciuto nella stessa strada della mia famiglia.
Da grande, _________________è diventato(a)_______________________________________________________, ed era molto simpatico con me. L'amavo(a). Sono diventata(o) la sua ragazza(o), ma in segreto.
Il padre di _______________, Paolo, era anche una persona per bene e ha deciso di migliorare la vita della sua famiglia e di andare in America. Nel _____________________________________________, quando ____________________________aveva __________________anni, Paolo ha portato la famiglia in America. C'era molto lavoro per Paolo, chi era _________________________________e ha aiutato a ____________________________________________________________________________________________________. Il padre di ___________________________ha fatto tanti soldi e la famiglia stava molto bene.
Anche _______________________lavorava ogni giorno e imparava il mestiere da suo padre. Ma, _________________________non era contento. Lui(Lei) mi ha scritto in tante lettere che _________________________era brutta. A lui(lei) mancava la sua bella Sicilia.
Anche, io gli(le) mancavo! Mentre in ________________________, mi mancava ____________________!
Finalmente, _____________________ha scritto una lettera a __________________e
l'ha chiesto di portarmi in America per sposarmi.
Al inizio, ____________________________________________________________________________________________.
Ma volevo andare in America e sposarmi con _______________________. L'amavo tanto.
Ogni giorno, ___________________________________________________________________________________.
Mia madre ha detto a mio padre, "Come triste è _____________________!
Devi portarla(lo) in America!"
Peter and I were married, and we had three children—two boys and one girl. We moved to a small town north of New York City, where there are mountains and it is very pretty.
_______________________ed io ci siamo sposati e abbiamo avuto _______________________figli—____________________figli maschi e _______________figla femmina. Abbiamo traslocati a _______________________________________________, dove ci sono ____________________________________
ed è molto bello.
Oggi, mi sento molto fortunata e contena perché ho i miei tre grandi amori: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Speak Italian – A Story About… Love!
January 26, 2016 Let's Learn Italian!All about Conversational Italian, all about highspeed train travel, All about Italian Conversation, Conversational Italian, Describe it in Italian, Describe your day in Italian, How to, How to conjugate piacere, How to conjugate reflexive verbs in Italian, How to say I like in Italian, How to say it in Italian, How to say it takes time, how to speak Italian, how to tell time, How to tell time in Italian, How to use Italian verb piacere, How to use Italian verb volere, How to use piacere, How to use reflexive italian verbs, How to use volere, I like it in Italian, Italian, Italian Language, Italian learning, Italian preposition da, Italian preposition per, Italian Prepositions, Italian proverbs, Italian sayings, Italian verb conjugations, Italian verbs, Italian word da, Italian word per, Italy, learn Italian, piacere, reflexive verbs, Say it in Italian, Say Italian, Speak Italian, Stella Lucente, Telling time in ItalianKathryn Occhipinti
Speak Italian: Everything
you need to know …
to describe your day in Italian!
But have you tried to take the next step to speak Italian fluently? Can you describe your daily routine and talk about yourself in Italian? Can you speak Italian the way you would speak in your native language, with complex and varied sentences? This is more difficult than it may seem at first, and it's something that I am always working on!
This series will focus on the situations that have come up most frequently in my everyday conversations with Italian instructors and friends. The "Speak Italian" blog series will focus on the type of sentence structure and vocabulary we all need to remember to be more fluent when we speak Italian!
To take that giant step from simple beginning sentences to more complex and fluid sentences in Italian, we must know many things; in this segment, we will discuss how to use reflexive verbs, how to use irregular verbs to say what we like, and how to describe the passage of time.
In the "Speak Italian" blog series, a short essay or dialogue in Italian will be presented about a commonly used topic of conversation. Then, we will review the Italian grammar that is necessary to talk about the particular topic in detail. And finally, the same material will be presented in Italian and English, with blanks for the reader to fill in with descriptions from his or her own life!
Remember these examples about yourself as "anchors" in your knowledge for when you must speak Italian in your next conversation!
Enjoy the second topic in this series, "Speak Italian: All About… What I Am Doing!"
Here is a short description of what I do every day. The reflexive verbs used in Italian for daily activities (many of which often translate as "to get" in English) have been underlined.
Also underlined are the verbs for "to like" ("to be pleasing to") and "it takes time," because they follow a different pattern of conjugation than regular Italian verbs.
Do you have a schedule that you follow every day? What do you like to eat for breakfast? Where do you go? After reading my daily routine, use the blank spaces in the form that follows to fill in the Italian for your daily routine!
On the days that I have to work, I get up at 7 in the morning.
I giorni che devo lavorare, mi alzo alle sette di mattina.
My cell phone rings at 6:15 and I wake up, but I do not get up until 7!
Il mio telefonino suona alle sei e quindici e mi sveglio ma non mi alzo fino alle sette!
The first thing I do is take a shower.
Per prima cosa, mi faccio la doccia.
Then, I like to eat something for breakfast, so I make a cup of coffee and also have some bread or an Italian cookie.
Allora, mi piace mangiare qualcosa per la prima colazione, cosi faccio un caffè ed anche mangio del pane o un biscotto.
If I am not in a hurry, sometimes I will have a fried egg, toast, and orange juice instead.
Se non ho fretta, qualche volta, invece, mangio un uovo fritto, il pane tostato e bevo un bicchiere di succo di arancio.
My morning routine to get ready for work includes the usual things: I brush my teeth, wash my face, get dressed, and brush my hair.
La mia routine di mattina per prepararmi per il lavoro include le solite cose: mi lavo i denti, mi lavo la faccia, mi vesto, e mi pettino.
I always wear makeup (for men: shave) when I go out of the house and especially to work.
Mi trucco sempre (per gli uomini: mi faccio la barba) quando esco di casa e specialmente quando vado a lavorare.
But it is not easy and it takes time, usually about 20 minutes.
Ma non è facile e ci vuole tempo, normalmente quasi venti minuti.
On some days, I can put on makeup (for men: shave) quickly.
Qualche giorno, però, mi posso truccare (per gli uomini: mi faccio la barba) rapidamente.
All of this usually takes me until 8:00 and then I must take the children to school.
Per fare tutto, mi ci vuole fino alle otto e poi devo portare i miei figli a scuola.
After I have dropped off the children at school, I take the train into the city to work.
Dopo avere portato i miei figli a scuola, prendo il treno per la città per andare a lavorare.
The train is very reliable, and it takes only 30 minutes to reach the city.
Il treno è molto affidabile e ci vogliono solamente trenta minuti per arrivare in città.
On the way, I read the newspaper.
Durante il viaggio, leggo il giornale.
By 3 PM, I take the train back home.
Per le quindici, prendo il treno e torno a casa.
At 4 PM, I pick up the children from school and take them home.
Alle quattro di pomeriggio, io vado a prendere i miei figli dalla scuola e li porto a casa.
When I come home in the evening, I take off my coat and shoes and get changed into jeans or athletic wear to be more comfortable.
Quando torno a casa di sera, mi tolgo il cappotto e le scarpe e mi metto i jeans o la tuta (indumento da ginnastica) per stare più comoda.
I make dinner for my children during the workweek, but on the weekend, we usually go out to eat for dinner.
Preparo la cena per i miei figli durante la settimana lavorativa, ma il fine settimana di solito ceniamo fuori.
Later, I try to relax.
Più tardi, provo a riposarmi.
I get undressed and put on my pajamas.
Mi svesto e mi metto il pigiama.
I watch the news on the television and fall asleep at 11:30 at night.
Guardo le notizie alla televisione e mi addormento alle undici e mezzo di notte.
I start this same routine all over again the next morning!
Comincio di nuovo questa routine la mattina dopo!
Use of Prepositions: "Da," "Di," and "A"
Many Italian verbs are followed by prepositions, those "little words" that link one phrase to another for descriptive purposes; improper use of prepositions is a common issue for all non-native speakers, because one must tap into the "way of thinking" of each language to use prepositions correctly. It is often the prepositions that give away the fact that one has had to study to learn a language—no matter how well one speaks otherwise.
Learning when to use which preposition in Italian can be challenging, and often, the "rules" of preposition use do not make sense and just need to be memorized.
Da and di are two common Italian prepositions. "Da" usually means "from," and "di" usually means "of," although "di" is often used in situations where in English we would use "from."
The Italian verb "uscire," which means "to go out," or "to leave" is usually followed by da + definite article (il, lo, la, etc.), but when referring to the act of leaving one's house (casa), uscire takes the preposition di without the definite article. You might want to remember this detail by thinking of the alternate meaning of the word "casa," which is the very personal "home," and that when speaking in Italian about one's family and home in other situations, a definite article is not necessary. Also, notice from the last example below that the verb andare (to go) is always followed by the preposition "a," for "to," without the definite article.
1. Prepositions for Uscire
da + definite article
di (with reference to casa)
2. Preposition for Andare – a
Io esco dal ristorante. I go out to the restaurant to eat.
Io esco di casa. I go out of the house./I leave the house.
Io vado a casa mia. I go to my house.
Mi trucco sempre quando esco di casa e specialmente quando vado a lavorare.
I always wear makeup when I leave the house and especially when I go to work.
Use of Preposition: "Per"
The preposition "per" is used in Italian to express intent and purpose and will be used to start phrases that will then describe what you are going to do. The English translation will usually be "for" but can also be "to." When referring to time, "per" takes the place of "by" in English. The combination "stare per" means "to be about to."
Per fare tutto…
To do all this…
Per le quidici…
By 3 PM…
La mia routine di mattina per prepararmi per il lavoro include…
My morning routine to get ready for work includes…
Io sto per studiare l'italiano stasera.
I am about to study Italian tonight.
How to Tell Time
On any given day, the time we need to do things frequently comes up. We often have to ask specifically what time our transportation will be leaving or what time an event will be starting. Here are some examples of questions you may need to ask. Remember, there is no insertion of the word "does" in Italian when asking a question, the way we do in English.
A che ora…? (At) what time (does)…?
A che ora arriva l'aeroplano? At what time (does) the airplane arrive?
(lit. At what hour arrives the airplane?)
A che ora parte il treno? At what time (does) the train leave?
A che ora comincia* il viaggio? At what time (does) the trip start?
A che ora inizia* il film? At what time (does) the film begin?
A che ora finisce il film? At what time (does) the movie end?
A che ora apre il museo? At what time (does) the museum open?
A che ora chiude il museo? At what time (does) the museum close?
*Cominciare and iniziare are interchangeable in Italian.
The answers to the above questions will also use the word "at," which is the word "a" in Italian. We can mention our special times of day if they apply, such as "a mezzogiorno" or "a mezzanotte." Otherwise, the word a will be combined with the definite article (the) (l' or le). The Italian definite article l' is combined with a to make all' before the word una for the phrase "all'una," which means "at one." For all numbers greater than one, use a with the definite article le to make "alle" (alle due – ventiquattro) (at two through 24).
A mezzogiorno. At noon.
A mezzanotte. At midnight.
All'una. At one o'clock.
Alle sette. At seven o'clock.
All'una e cinque. At 1:05 AM.
Alle sette e mezzo. At 7:30 AM.
If desired, to emphasize the time of day, as in morning, afternoon, evening, or night, you can add the following expressions after stating the numerical time: "di mattina, di pomeriggio, di sera, or di notte."
Common Reflexive Verbs
Here is a list of regular direct reflexive verbs that includes all three conjugations. Reflexive forms are extremely important for conversation because they often involve activities and emotions that we encounter every day. Note that many of these verbs are not reflexive in English.
accomodarsi to make oneself comfortable preoccuparsi to worry/get worried
accorgersi to realize reprendersi to get better/to recover
addormentarsi to fall asleep rilassarsi to relax oneself
alzarsi to get up riposarsi to rest
annoiarsi to be/become bored sbagliarsi to be wrong
arrabbiarsi to become angry sbrigarsi to hurry up
asciugarsi to dry oneself scusarsi to excuse oneself
bagnarsi to get wet/to take a bath spogliarsi to get undressed
dirigersi to go over to/head over sposarsi to get married
divertirsi (a) to enjoy oneself/play with svegliarsi to wake up
fermarsi to stop oneself svestirsi to get undressed
innamorarsi to fall in love togliersi to take off
mettersi to put on (clothes) truccarsi to put on make-up
laurearsi to get a university degree vergognarsi to be ashamed
muoversi to move oneself vestirsi to get dressed/to wear
pettinarsi to comb one's hair
Also, many of the verbs that describe what we do every day, which are translated as "to get…" in English are reflexive in Italian. Let's take these commonly used verbs that mean "to get" out of the list above:
alzarsi to get up
annoiarsi to get bored
arrabbiarsi to get angry
bagnarsi to get wet / take a bath
laurearsi to get a university degree / to graduate
mettersi to put on clothing / to get (oneself) in trouble
preoccuparsi to get worried / to worry
reprendersi to get better / to recover
spogliarsi to get undressed
sposarsi to get married
vestirsi/svestirsi to get dressed/to get undressed
Ho deciso di sposarmi. I have decided to get married.
Non ti metti nei guai. Don't get (put) yourself in trouble.
Mi sono messo nei guai. I got (put) myself in trouble.
How to Conjugate Reflexive Verbs
Reflexive verbs take a reflexive pronoun before the verb. They are conjugated in the usual way, by dropping the –are, –ere, and –ire verb endings and adding the regular endings for each type of verb to the stem that remains.
Present Reflexive
Pronouns –are –ere –ire ire (isco)
io mi o o o isco
tu ti i i i isci
Lei/lei/lui si a e e isce
noi ci iamo iamo iamo iamo
voi vi ate ete ite ite
loro si ano ono ono iscono
When we use an infinitive reflexive verb in a sentence, the reflexive pronoun must come after the verb; the –si is dropped from the infinitive ending, and the reflexive pronoun is then added directly onto the stem at the end of the verb.
This is the same word order that we routinely use in English! This situation usually occurs in Italian when one of the helping verbs (dovere, potere, or volere) (to have to, to be able to, or to want) precedes a reflexive verb.
Voglio divertirmi. (I) want to enjoy myself.
Volgio riposarmi. (I) want to rest (myself).
Devo alzarmi. (I) must get (myself) up.
How to Make Sentences with Reflexive Verbs
Here are some example sentences that use the regular verbs listed on the previous page. The Italian subject pronoun "io," meaning "I" is included in the Italian examples, although, unlike the I in English, io is almost always omitted with reflexive verbs (as in most general conversation). Parentheses have been used in the Italian sentences as a reminder of this fact. In the same way, parentheses are used in the English translation to indicate Italian reflexive pronouns that are not necessary in English.
Getting up in the morning:
(Io) Mi sveglio. I wake up. (lit. I wake myself up.)
(Io) Mi alzo. I get up. (lit. I get myself up.)
(Io) Mi alzo presto. I get (myself) up early.
(Io) Mi alzo alle sei. I get (myself) up at 6 AM.
(Io) Mi alzo tardi domani. I (am going to) get (myself) up late tomorrow.
Getting ready to go out for the day:
(Io) Mi faccio il bagno. I take a bath. (lit. I make myself the bath.)
(Io) Mi lavo. I wash myself.
(Io) Mi asciugo. I dry myself off.
(Io) Mi pettino. I comb (myself) my hair.
(Io) Mi preparo per il lavoro. I get (myself) ready for (the) work.
(Io) Mi vesto. I get (myself) dressed.
(Io) Mi metto i vestiti. I put on (myself) the clothes.
(Io) Mi trucco. I put on my makeup.
(Io) Mi metto la giacca e le scarpe. I put on (myself) the jacket and the shoes.
(Io) Mi sento molto bene! I feel very well!
Vado al lavoro./Vado a lavorare. I go to work.
At the end of the day:
Torno a casa. I return home.
(Io) Mi tolgo la giacca. I take off (myself) the jacket.
Preparo la cena per la famiglia. I make the dinner for the family.
Alle nove (io) mi svesto. At nine (I) get (myself) undressed.
(Io) Mi tolgo le scarpe. (I) take off my shoes.
(Io) Mi metto il piajama e le ciabatte. I put on (myself) the pajamas and slippers.
(Io) Mi rilasso. I relax (myself).
(Io) Mi riposo. I rest (myself).
(Io) Mi addormento. I fall (myself) asleep.
How to Describe Getting Dressed
with the Reflexive Verbs Vestirsi and Mettersi
The Italian verb "vestirsi" carries the general meaning of "to get dressed." To use this verb, just conjugate it as you would any other reflexive verb to make a simple sentence. Remember that in Italian, the subject pronoun is always left out of the sentence, so it is given in parentheses below.
(Io) Mi vesto. I get dressed.
(Tu) Ti vesti. You get dressed.
(Lei/Lui) Si veste. She/He gets dressed.
When talking about putting on an article of clothing, such as a dress or suit (vestito),* for instance, Italian uses the reflexive verb "mettersi" (to put on oneself).
*A note: Don't confuse the verb vestire with the noun vestito, which means dress and also suit (pants and jacket or skirt and jacket). These words are similar but have different meanings! Also, it should be mentioned that the plural noun, vestiti, means clothing.(Other words for suit that can be used for both sexes are abito and completo.)
"Mettersi" can be used to convey the ideas of, "I put on the dress," "I put on my dress," and "I put my dress on." The reflexive pronoun mi (myself) is placed before the conjugated form of mettersi, as usual, and the article of clothing to be put on is then placed after the verb. The subject pronoun is omitted. So the final sentence for "I put on the/my dress," is, "Mi metto il vestito."
Just remember the simple phrase "mi metto" and replace il vestito with the article of clothing of your choice to describe your own action! To describe action in the tu (you) form, just conjugate mettersi normally and then add the article of clothing, as in "ti metti," or in the lei/lui (she/he) form, use "si mette," and so on.
(Lei/lui) Si mette le scarpe. She/he puts on shoes.
In order to say "I am wearing…" or "I take the size…" the verb portare, which is not reflexive, is usually used in the present tense. You no doubt remember that portare is also commonly used to mean "to bring" or "to carry."
Portare can also be used to say "I wore" in the past tense. But perhaps because portare is used so commonly with its other meaning of "to bring" in the present tense, in order to describe what they have worn, most Italians prefer to revert to mettersi and use its (irregular) past participle messo. Remember to use the helping verb essere for the passato prossimo past tense form with the reflexive verb mettersi. Here is how it works:
(Io) Mi sono messo un completo.
(Io) Mi sono messa una gonna. I wore a suit.
I wore a skirt.
Another way to describe how someone was dressed is to use the imperfetto past tense of essere with the descriptive past participle vestito(a,i,e). This type of phrase can be used to make generalizations, as well as to refer to a specific article of clothing. When being specific, the preposition "con" is used in these phrases, as in the examples below.
La signora indossava un cappotto molto elegante. The lady was wearing a very elegant coat.
How to Conjugate the Irregular Verb Piacere
The irregular verb piacere literally means to like, as in "to be pleasing to." It is the verb that Italians use when they want to express the idea that they like something. In English, when we say we like something, we mention two things: what thing is being liked and by whom. So in English, we would say, "I like the car," and fulfill these two requirements with the subject pronoun "I" and the direct object "car."
But in Italian, the indirect object is used instead of the direct object, to describe to whom the thing is liked or pleasing to. If we wanted to change up this same English phrase into the Italian way of thinking, we could say, "The car is pleasing to me." You will hopefully find the mixed Italianized-English phrase "is pleasing to" to be very helpful to understand how piacere really works!
The tricky thing about this type of phrase in Italian is that the conjugation of piacere will have to agree with the number of things that are being liked.
So, if one thing is liked, or an infinitive verb follows, piace is used.
If many things are liked, piacciono is used.
Italians then put the indirect object pronoun (mi, ti, Le, le, gli, ci, vi, or gli) before the verb, at the beginning of the sentence, to denote to whom the thing is pleasing to.
Piace—to be pleasing to: if one thing is liked/before infinitive verbs
Mi piace il vestito. The dress is pleasing to me. I like the dress.
Ti piace il vestito. The dress is pleasing to you. (fam.) You like the dress.
Le piace il vestito.
Gli/le piace il vestito. The dress is pleasing to you. (pol.)
The dress is pleasing to him/her. You like the dress.
He/she likes the dress.
Ci piace il vestito. The dress is pleasing to us. We like the dress.
Vi piace il vestito. The dress is pleasing to you all. You all like the dress.
Gli piace il vestito. The dress is pleasing to them. They like the dress.
Piacciono—to be pleasing to: if more than one thing is liked
Mi piacciono i vestiti. The dresses are pleasing to me. I like the dresses.
Ti piacciono i vestiti. The dresses are pleasing to you. (fam.) You like the dresses.
Le piacciono i vestiti.
Gli/le piacciono i vestiti. The dresses are pleasing to you. (pol.)
The dresses are pleasing to him/her. You like the dresses.
He/she likes the dresses.
Ci piacciono i vestiti. The dresses are pleasing to us. We like the dresses.
Vi piacciono i vestiti. The dresses are pleasing to you all. You all like the dresses.
Gli piacciono i vestiti. The dresses are pleasing to them. They like the dresses.
How to Conjugate Volerci for Phrases Describing Time
To describe the general passage of time that it takes to do something, an English speaker will often say, "It takes time." Volerci is used to express this idea in Italian. Volerci is called a pronominal verb because the impersonal adverb "ci" is an integral part o this verb. Volerci takes on a different meaning from volere and is used to describe the time, effort or tools needed to accomplish something. For now, now we will only discuss its meaning regarding the time it takes to do something.
To follow is the method to translate the phrase "it takes time" into Italian using the verb volerci. First, it should be noted that the impersonal adverb "ci" is always used to begin the phrase. "Volere" is then conjugated to reflect the amount of time taken, in either the third person singular or plural. This is the similar to the way we conjugate the verb piacere, except with piacere the reference is to what we like, rather than to how much time something takes.
So when saying, "It takes time," the word "time" is considered one segment of time, and the third person singular form of volere, which is "vuole," is used.
If the time "it" takes is one minute, one hour, one month, or one year—that is, if the reference is to one time segment, use "vuole."
If the time "it" takes is more than one of each time segment (plural), the third person plural form of volere, which is "vogliono," is used.
Ci vuole tempo. It takes time.
Ci vuole un minuto. Ci vogliono due minuti. It takes one minute/two minutes.
Ci vuole un'ora. Ci vogliono due ore. It takes one hour/two hours.
Ci vuole un giorno. Ci vogliono due giorni. It takes one day/two days.
Ci vuole un mese. Ci vogliono due mesi. It takes one month/two months.
Ci vuole un anno. Ci vogliono due anni. It takes one year/two years.
Commonly used questions that refer to time begin with "how much," such as, "How much time does it take?" These phrases always begin with "Quanto." We remember that "quanto" always changes to match the gender and number of the noun it is placed before and modifies. Answer using the phrases in the table given in this section!
Quanto tempo ci vuole per arrivare a Roma da Milano?
How much time does it take to get to Rome from Milan?
Quante ore ci vogliono per finire il tour?
How many hours will it take to finish the tour?
Other verbs that act like piacere, but will not be discussed here, include the following:
Dispiacere to displease/to upset
Mancare to be lacking/to miss
Occorrere to require/to need
Servire to need
How to Use Volerci for Phrases Describing Time
with Reference to People
If we want to speak in a little more complicated manner (and why not?) we can use the verb volerci* to describe how much time it will take someone to do something. Remember to place the indirect object pronouns (mi, ti, le, gli, vi, gli) before ci vuole to refer to the "someone" we are talking about.
Looking at the table below, you will notice that "a noi" is used to mean "to us" before "ci vuole." In this case, the indirect object pronoun "ci" for "to us," is not used. The word "ci" is already a part of volerci, and is always placed before the conjugated verb form. To avoid the repetition that would occur in the phrase "ci ci vuole tempo," Italians revert to "a noi."
Of course, we can always replace the word tempo in the examples below with a unit of time. Remember the rules we just learned: If one unit of time is referred to, use the verb vuole, as in the examples. If more than one unit of time is referred to, we need to use vogliono.
Mi ci vuole molto tempo. It takes me time.
Ti ci vuole molto tempo. It takes you time.
Le ci vuole molto tempo. It takes her time.
Gli ci vuole molto tempo. It takes him time.
A noi ci vuole molto tempo. It takes us time.
Vi ci vuole molto tempo. I takes you all time.
Gli ci vuole molto tempo. It takes them time.
*Volerci is a pronomial verb and takes on a different meaning from volere, as described in the previous section.
Commonly used questions that refer to time begin with "how much," such as, "How much time does it take?" These phrases always begin with "Quanto." We remember that "quanto" always changes to match the gender and number of the noun it is placed before and modifies. Answer using the phrases in the table given in the section above, but change the word time to the number of minutes or hours!
Quanto tempo ti ci vuole per arrivare a casa mia?
How much time does it take you to get to my house?
Quante ore ti ci vogliono per arrivare a casa mia?
How many hours will it take you to get to my house?
If we want to use the past tense with volerci in a phrase regarding time, we need to use the past participle voluto, with essere as the helping verb to form the passato prossimo.
For a general statement about time in the past tense, as in the examples below, use the passato prossimo verb è voluto.
Of course, we can always replace the word tempo in the examples below with a unit of time. Remember the rules we just learned: If one unit of time is referred to in the past, use the verb è voluto, as in the examples. If more than one unit of time is referred to in the past, we need to use sono voluti(e).
To make these statements negative, just put "non" at the beginning of the sentence (with the exception of the "a noi").
Below are some commonly used phrases that use volerci to refer to time in the past tense:
Non mi … ci è voluto molto tempo. It did not take me much time.
Non ti… ci è voluto molto tempo. It did not take you much time.
Non le … ci è voluto molto tempo. It did not take her much time.
Non gli… ci è voluto molto tempo. It did not take him much time.
A noi non… ci è voluto molto tempo. It did not take us much time.
Non vi… ci è voluto molto tempo. It did not take you all much time.
Non gli… ci è voluto molto tempo. It did not take them much time.
Speak Italian: All About… What YOU Are Doing!
Do you have a schedule that you follow every day? What do you like to eat for breakfast? Where do you go?
Fill in the blanks in the Italian sentence that follows each English sentence, using
the examples given previously, or instead describing what you actually do.
Watch out for those reflexive verbs—the verbs that often mean "I get," and the phrases
that translate as "I like" and "it takes time."
On the days that I am working, I get up at ___________________________________.
I giorni che devo lavorare, ______________________________________________.
My cell phone rings at _________________ and I wake up, but I do not get up until 7!
Il mio telefonino suona _________________e ___________________________,ma
_____________________________________fino_____________________________!
Per prima cosa, _______________________________________________________.
Then, I like to eat something for breakfast, so I make a cup of coffee and
have some bread or an Italian cookie.
Allora, ____________________________________qualcosa per la prima colazione,
cosi faccio_______________________________________________ed anche mangio
Se non ho fretta, qualche volta, mangio ___________________________________
e bevo _________________________________________________________________.
My morning routine to get ready for work includes the usual things:
I brush my teeth, wash my face, get dressed, and brush my hair.
La mia routine di mattina ______________________________include le solite cose:
__________________________________________________________________________.
I always wear makeup (for men: shave) when I go out of the house and especially to work. ________________________________ quando esco di casa e specialmente quando vado a lavorare.
But it is not easy and takes time, usually about 20 minutes.
Ma non è facile e ______________________, normalmente
_________________________________________________________________________.
On some days, I can put on makeup (or shave) quickly.
Qualche giorno, però, __________________________________________ rapidamente.
Per fare tutto, ___________________ fino ___________________ed poi devo portare i miei figli a scuola.
Dopo aver portato i miei figli a scuola, ________________________________________
per andare a lavorare.
Il treno è molto affidabile e _____________________ solamente ___________________ per arrivare in città.
_______________________________________________, prendo il treno e torno a casa.
_______________________, io vado a prendere i miei figli dalla scuola e li porto a casa.
Quando torno a casa di sera, __________________________________________________________________________
e ________________________________________________________________________
per stare più comoda.
Then I try to relax.
Più tardi, _________________________________________________________________.
e ________________________________________________________________il pigiama.
Guardo le notizie alla televisione e _________________________________________________________________________.
Comincio di nuovo questa routine____________________________________________ !
Conversational Italian for Travelers series of books, is a teacher of
Italian for travelers to Italy in the Peoria and Chicago area.
Join my group Conversational Italian! Facebook group and follow me on Twitter at StellaLucente@travelitalian1 and start to learn Italian today for FREE!
November 16, 2015 Let's Learn Italian!About Italian, About Italian language, All about Italian, All about Italian language, All about me in Italian, Cities in Italy, Conjugate avere in Italian, Conjugate essere in Italian, Conjugate Italian avere, Conjugate Italian essere, Conjugate Italian verbs, Conversational Italian, How to conjugate auxiliary verbs in Italian, How to conjugate avere and essere, How to describe where you are from in Italian, How to give your age in Italian, How to make complex sentences in Italian, How to name cities in Italy, How to name regions in Italy, How to say where you are from in Italian, How to say your nationality in Italian, How to use dove in Italian, How to use Italian past tense, How to use linking words in Italian, How to use passato prossimo in Italian, How to use reflexive italian verbs, Italian, Italian auxiliary verb avere, Italian auxiliary verb essere, Italian auxiliary verbs, Italian conversation, Italian imperfetto, Italian Language, Italian language about age, Italian passato prossimo, Italian past tense, Italian present tense verb conjugations, Italian present tense verbs, Italian speaking, Italian Travel, Italian travel planning, Italy travel, Language learning, learn Italian, Learn Italian language, Regions in Italy, Say it in Italian, Say Italian, Say where you are from in Italian, Speak Italian, Stella Lucente, Travel in Italy, travel Italian, travel Italy, Your age in Italian, Your nationality in ItalianKathryn Occhipinti
Speak Italian: Everything you need to know to introduce yourself… in Italian!
But have you tried to take the next step to speak Italian fluently? Can you introduce yourself and talk about yourself in Italian? Can you speak Italian the way you would speak in your native language, with complex and varied sentences? This is more difficult that it may seem at first, and it's something that I am always working on!
This series will focus on the situations that come have come up most frequently in my everyday conversations with Italian instructors and friends. The "Speak Italian" blog series will focus on the type of sentence structure and vocabulary we all need to remember to be more fluent when we speak Italian!
To take that giant step from simple beginning sentences to more complex and fluid sentences in Italian, we must know many things; in this segment, we will discuss the grammar of complex sentences, prepositions, topic-related grammar, and present and past tense verbs!
Enjoy the first topic in this series, "Speak Italian: All About…Me!"
This material is adapted from our textbook, Conversational Italian for Travelers © 2012 by Stella Lucente, LLC, found on www.learntravelitalian.com. Special thanks to Italian instructor Simona Giuggioli.
Here is a short description of my origins, family, and work. Note some names/places have been changed to protect privacy. The essay is meant to be an example piece for others, rather than a complete biography.
While reading my history, think about yourself and what you would like other people to know about you. Read the grammar section if you like. Then, use the blank spaces in the form that follows to fill in the Italian for your own life!
Mi chiamo Caterina Occhipinti.
Io sono italo-americana.
Sono (una) madre e (una) scrittrice.
Dove sono nata e ho vissuto.*
Where was born and have lived:
La mia famiglia viene dall'Italia. Sono venuti in America nel 1916.
My family is from (lit. comes from) Italy. They came to America in 1916.
Vengo dalgli Stati Uniti. Abito in America. Sono di Brooklyn.
I am from the United States. I live in America. I am from Brooklyn.
Sono nata a Brooklyn, a Long Island, vicino a New York City. Ora, abito a Chicago.
I was born in Brooklyn, on Long Island, near to New York City. Now, I live in Chicago.
Ho anche vissuto* a Boston, in California, e in Florida.
I have also lived in Boston, in California, and in Florida.
*In the past, "ho vissuto" was commonly used in Italy and can still be heard today to describe where one has lived. It is now felt by some Italian linguists that the helping verb essere should be used to express this idea – in other words, that "sono vissuto(a)" is more correct. However, please keep in mind that language is a "living thing" and often the line between right and wrong depends mostly on what people actually say every day. Even among linguists which form to use is controversial!
La mia educazione:
Mi sono trasferita da New York a Boston per l'università.
I moved from New York to Boston for college.
Ero una studentessa all'Università di Boston.
I was a student at Boston University.
Ho frequentato l'Università di Boston per un programma speciale per gli studenti di medicina.
I went to Boston University for a special program for medical students.
Ho ricevuto una laurea in "medical science" ed inglese dall'Università di Boston.
I received a degree in "medical science" and in English from Boston University.
Ho frequentato la scuola di medicina all'Univeristà di Boston per due anni ed anche a Mount Sinai a New York.
I went to medical school at Boston University for two years and also at Mount Sinai in New York.
Ho ricevuto una laurea in medicina dal Mount Sinai a New York nel 1987.
I received a degree in medicine from Mount Sinai in New York in 1987.
I miei figli:
My children:
Sono la madre di due figli, Maria e Giovanni.
I am the mother of two children, Mary and John.
Maria ha diciannove anni e Giovanni ha quattordici anni.
Mary is 19 years old and John is 14 years old.
Maria studia affari all'università di Urbana in Illinois e Giovanni studia alla scuola superiore a Peoria in Illinois.
Mary studies business at the University of Urbana in Illinois and John studies at middle school in Peoria in Illinois.
Il mio lavoro—instruttrice e scrittrice:
My work – instructor and writer
Sono un'istruttrice d'italiano.
I am an Italian language instructor.
Ero l'insegnante d'italiano per l'Italian-American Society of Peoria (la Società Italo-Americana di Peoria). Ed ora insegno anche l'italiano nella zona di Chicago.
I was the Italian teacher for the Italian-American Society of Peoria. And now I also teach Italian in the Chicago area.
Insegno l'italiano agli americani che vogliono viaggiare in Italia. Offro lezioni di gruppo e lezioni private.
I teach the Italian language to Americans that want to travel to Italy. I offer group lessons and private lessons.
Ho scritto un libro che si chiama Conversational Italian for Travelers. Questo libro è un libro di testo e ha quattrocentosessantasei pagine!
I have written a book called Conversational Italian for Travelers. This book is a textbook and has 466 pages!
Ho anche scritto un libro di esercizi, intitolato Audio Dialogue Practice Book. Gli esercizi sono per gli studenti principanti (Vol. 1) ed anche per gli studenti intermedi (Vol 2).
I have also written a book of exercises entitled Audio Dialogue Practice Book. The exercises are for beginning students (Vol. 1) and also for intermediate students (Volume 2).
Gli studenti principanti dovrebbero usare Vol. 1 e gli studenti intermedi dovrebbero usare Vol. 2 dell'Audio Dialogue Practice Book.
The beginning students should use Vol. 1 and the intermediate students should use Vol.2 of the 'Audio Dialogue Practice Books.
Dal mio libro di testo, ho scritto tre brevi libri, si chiamano Just the Grammar, Just the Verbs, e Just the Important Phrases.
From my textbook, I have written three short books called Just the Grammar, Just the Verbs, e Just the Important Phrases.
Il mio lavoro—medico:
My work – physician:
Sono (un) medico. Sono (una) radiologa.
I am a physician. I am a radiologist.
Mi occupo di medicina. Mi occupo di radiologia.
My work is medicine. My work is radiology.
Faccio medicina. Faccio radiologia.
I practice medicine. I practice radiology.
Inoltre io leggo/interpreto gli esami di MRI (risonanza magnetica) per una società che si trova in California. La società in California mi manda gli esami di MRI da interpretare via computer.
Furthermore, I read/interpret MRI exams for a company from California. The company in California sends me the MRI exams for interpretation on my computer.
How to Make Complex Sentences with "and" and "at" in Italian
(1) The English word "and" is the letter "e" in Italian.
When speaking in Italian, and linking one phrase to another using e, if the first word of the second phrase begins with the letter e as well, add the letter d to the Italian "and" to make "ed."
(2) This rule is also used for the Italian word "a," which means "to."
If the word that follows the Italian a also begins with the letter a, add the letter d to the Italian word for "to" make "ad."
(3) It is optional to use this rule if the Italian words e or a come before Italian words that begin with other vowels (i.e., vowels that are not identical to the Italian words for "and" or "to").
That said, the letter d is commonly added to e or a before words that begin with any vowel in the next phrase.
Grammar Rules for Anche, Sempre, and Inoltre
Use of anche (also) and sempre (always):
(1) Present tense: anche and sempre follow the verb.
(2) Past tense imperfetto: anche and sempre follow the imperfetto verb.
(3) Past tense passato prossimo: anche and sempre can follow the compound verb of the passato prossimo.
Example: Ho detto anche che la ragazza era bella.
(4) Option with the passato prossimo or any other compound verb tense:
anche and sempre can go between avere/essere and the past participle.
Example: Ho anche detto che la ragazza era bella.
(5) Anche and sempre belong before a person's name if you are starting a sentence with their name or a pronoun (she = lei, he = lui).
Example: Anche Franco viene al cinema stasera.
Use of inoltre (also, furthermore, moreover):
When starting a sentence, begin with inoltre for emphasis.
Grammar Rules for the Prepositions a (to) and in (in) Regarding Cities, Regions/States, Islands, and Countries
When Americans travel, we travel to a place: to Italy, to Rome, to the northeast. Italians travel directly in (in) a country, region, or large island, but to (a) a city, town, or small island. (In Italian, the word for in is the same as in English… in!) For instance, one may live in America, but a Chicago. By convention, the definite article (the) (il, la, gli, or l') is used to refer to countries, except when talking about traveling directly into them!
How to Describe where You Are from
There are two ways to ask/tell where someone is from in Italian:
di + dove + essere from + where + to be Da + dove + venire from + where + to come
In Italian, when the verb to be (essere) is used, the idea of from is expressed with di, as in, "From where are you?" In proper English, of course, we would say, "Where are you from?" The answer in Italian will also use di and will usually be followed by the town of one's birth. Notice that the subject pronoun io (I) is usually left out of the answer, as it is understood from the ending of the verb.
Di dov'è Lei? Where are you (pol.) from?
Di dove sei? Where are you (fam.) from?
Sono di Chicago. (I) am from Chicago.
The action verb venire is usually used in conversation when someone is visiting or has moved to a new place. When replying to a question that uses this phrase, use the io form of venire, which is vengo and da for from, followed by a city, town, region/state, or country. Also, remember that when speaking of a region, state, or country, the definite article (il, lo, la, l', gli) must be used. The preposition da is then combined with the definite article to make dal, dallo, dall', dalla, or dagli, which means "from the." For now, don't worry about these rules. Just look up and remember the correct way to say where you are living in case you are asked!
Da dove viene?/Da dove vieni? Where do you come from? (pol.)/(fam.)
Vengo dall'America. (I) come from America./I am from America.
Vengo dagli Stati Uniti. (I) come from the United States.
Vengo dall'Illinois. (I) come from Illinois.
Vengo dalla California. (I) come from California.
Vengo dal New Jersey. (I) come from New Jersey.
Vengo da Chicago. (I) come from Chicago.
Your Nationality
To explain where we are from, we must use adjectives that identify our country of origin. For men, adjectives of nationality end in –o and change to an –i in the plural, and for women, these same adjectives end in –a and change to –e in the plural. So, a man from Italy is italiano, but a woman is italiana.
Adjectives of nationality that have only one form for both men and women usually end in –ese.
What to do if the adjective describing nationality ends in an –e? Well, use the same –e ending for both men and women, and for the plural, change the letter –e to an –i.
Adjectives of nationality always follow the noun and are not capitalized. Or you can just state your nationality directly after the verb sono to make the sentence "I am…"
Sono americano(a). (I) am American.
How to State Your Age in Italian
Perhaps the most commonly asked question of someone is how old they are. In English, we say, "How old are you?" using the verb to be, as a statement of fact. But Italians look at this question as the number of years accumulated during a lifetime (and maybe the wisdom accumulated during these years?), so they use the verb to have, avere. The question in Italian is, "Quanti anni hai?" or literally, "How many years do you have?" This is not really an idiomatic expression, but just another way of looking at things.
Quanti anni hai? How old are you? (lit. How many years do you have?)
After this question is asked of you, the response will also use the verb avere, and you will respond:
Io ho anni. I have years.
There are a couple of rules that are necessary to make conversation flow more easily in Italian:
The tens (20, 30, 40, etc.) drop their last vowel before the word anni. In this case, the expression would be:
Io ho vent'anni. I have 20 years.
Io ho trent'anni. I have 30 years.
Io ho quarant'anni. I have 40 years.
All numbers that end in uno (21, 31, 41, etc.) drop the final –o before a noun that starts with a vowel. So, if you are 21, 31, or 41 years old, your reply would be as follows:
Io ho ventun'anni. I have 21 years.
Io ho trentun'anni. I have 31 years.
Io ho quarantun'anni. I have 41 years.
No need to remember all these rules—just look up and commit to memory your age and the ages of your immediate family members for now!
Present Tense Verbs
Endings for Regular –are, –ere, –ire, and –ire (isco)* Verbs
Drop the –are, -ere, and -ire endings from the Italian infinitive verb and add the endings below for the present tense. Reflexive verbs drop their –arsi, ersi, and -irsi endings and then are conjugated in the same way. Always add the corresponding reflexive pronoun before each conjugated form of a reflexive verb.
*capire
*finire
*preferire
*Common –ire (isco) verbs are listed—there are many others!
Conjugated Forms of Auxiliary Verbs Essere and Avere
Verbs Essere
(to be) Avere
(to have)
io sono I am ho I have
tu sei you (fam.) are hai you (fam.) have
Lei/lei/lui è you (pol.) are
he is/she is ha you (pol.) have
he has/she has
noi siamo we are abbiamo we have
voi siete you all are avete you all have
loro sono they are hanno they have
Past Tense: Passato Prossimo
(to be) Essere
Passato Prossimo Avere
(to have) Avere
io sono +stato(a) ho +avuto
tu sei +stato(a) hai +avuto
Lei/lei/lui è +stato(a) ha +avuto
noi siamo +stati(e) abbiamo +avuto
voi siete +stati(e) avete +avuto
loro sono +stati(e) hanno +avuto
(to have) –are
past participle –ere
participle –ire
io ho +ato +uto +ito
tu hai +ato +uto +ito
Lei/lei/lui ha +ato +uto +ito
noi abbiamo +ato +uto +ito
voi avete +ato +uto +ito
loro hanno +ato +uto +ito
Passato Prossimo Essere
(to be) –are
io sono +ato(a) +uto(a) +ito(a)
tu sei +ato(a) +uto(a) +ito(a)
Lei/lei/lui è +ato(a) +uto(a) +ito(a)
noi siamo +ati(e) +uti(e) +iti(e)
voi siete +ati(e) +uti(e) +iti(e)
loro sono +ati(e) +uti(e) +iti(e)
Past Tense: Imperfetto
Drop the –re ending from the Italian infinitive verb and add the endings below for the imperfetto past tense. Reflexive verbs drop their –rsi, ending and then are conjugated in the same way. Remember to always add the corresponding reflexive pronoun before each conjugated form of a reflexive verb.
Endings Past Tense
Imperfetto
io vo
Lei/lei/lui va
noi vamo
voi vate
loro vano
The auxiliary verb avere is regular but essere is irregular in the imperfetto past tense.
Avere Past Tense
(used to have)
io avevo
tu avevi
Lei/lei/lui aveva
noi avevamo
voi avevate
loro avevano
Essere Past Tense
(used to be)
io ero
tu eri
Lei/lei/lui era
noi eravamo
voi eravate
loro erano
Speak Italian: All About… YOU!
Everyone has a story to tell about themselves. What would you like others to know about you and your family? Fill in the blanks in the Italian sentences in the exercise below, using examples from your own life.
Mi chiamo (name) ________________________________.
Io sono (nationality) _______________________________.
Sono (parent/occupation) __________________________.
Dove sono nato(a) e ho vissuto:
La mia famiglia viene da (country of origin with definite article l, ll', or lla)
_____________________________________________________.
(Loro) Sono venuti in America nel (year family came to America) _________.
(Io)Sono di (town/city of birth) _____________________________________________________.
Vengo da (country of birth with definite article l, ll', gli or lla ) _____________________________________________________.
Abito in (country where you live) _____________________________________.
Sono nato(a) a (town/city of birth) ________________________________________________________________.
vicino a (nearest large city) _________________________________________.
Ora, vivo a (city currently living in)____________________________________.
Ho anche vissuto/Sono anche vissuto(a)** a (other town/city you have lived in)_____________________________________________.
in (other state/region you have lived in)_____________________________________________.
**Choose the past tense form you feel most comfortable with, as which form to use is controversial, as mentioned in the first section of this blog.
Il mio/La mia educazione:
Ho ricevuto un diploma dalla scuola superiore (name of high school) ________________________________________________________________.
Ho ricevuto la mia certificazione di (name of trade) _______________________________________________.
Mi sono trasferito(a) da (town/city) _____________________ a (town/city) _____________________________
per (college/university/work, marriage, etc.) ____________________________________________________________.
Ero uno studente/una studentessa all'Università di (town/city) _______________________________________________________.
Ho frequentato l'Università di (town/city) ________________________________________________________________
per (major)_______________________________________________________.
Ho ricevuto una laurea in (university degree) ________________________________________________________________
dall'Università di (name of university/town/city)________________________
nel (year)_____________________________.
Ho frequentato la scuola di (higher education/professional school)__________________________________________________________
al (university name)________________________________________________
per (number of years attended)____________________ anni
ed anche a (any other school attended) _______________________________________________________________.
Ho ricevuto una laurea in (profession)_______________________________
dal (professional school)___________________________________________
nel (year)_______________________________.
Sono la madre/il padre di (number of children)________ figli: (names of children):________________________________________________________
(Name of child)_______________________ ha (age of child) _____anni/mesi
(un anno/ un mese)
e (names and ages of additional children) _________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
(Name of child in college) __________________ studia (college major) _______________________________________.
all'università di (name of college)____________________________________
in (U.S. state/region) ______________________.
e (name of child in high school) _______________________________________
studia alla scuola superiore
a (city)__________________________________
in (U.S. state/region)________________________________________________.
(Name of child in grammar school) ____________________ studia alla scuola elementare.
Sono (job description/profession)*_____________________________________.
*Remember that the indefinite article (un, uno, una, un') is optional when describing a profession/what it is that you do!
Tell a little bit about what you have done and what you do in Italian!____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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