First of all, let us group the passato prossimo and the passato remoto together, because their difference is just in the point in time they refer to, not in the quality of the action they express.

The kind of action the passato prossimo and the passato remoto express is a completed action which occurred at some point in the past. Whereas the passato prossimo is mainly used in conversation to refer to recent or less recent past actions, the passato remoto is used instead for remote past actions. In addition, the passato remoto is the only tense used in fiction.

Un’ora fa ha chiamato Maria.

Maria called an hour ago.

Mercoledì scorso sono andato al cinema con Francesco.

Last Wednesday I went to the cinema with Francesco.

Il mese scorso siamo andati in vacanza alle Barbados.

Last month we went to Barbados on holiday.

Tre anni fa prenotammo una stanza d’albergo vicino al mare.

Three years ago we reserved a hotel room near the sea.

Nel 1946 l’Italia diventò una Repubblica.

In 1946 Italy became a Republic.

(From a novel:) Laura si svegliò di soprassalto e guardò l’orologio.

Laura woke up with a start and took a look at her watch.

There is much debate among Italians about how remote an action has to be to require a passato remoto. There are two factors to consider: a regional one and an emotional one.

Regarding regional differences, people in Northern Italy tend to prefer the passato prossimo, even for actions that took place long ago. They would rather say (see example above):

Tre anni fa abbiamo prenotato una stanza d’albergo vicino al mare

Three years ago we booked a hotel room near the sea.

In the South, it is the other way round: many Neapolitans and Sicilians would rather say (see examples above):

Il mese scorso andammo in vacanza alle Barbados.

Last month we went on vacation to Barbados.

Mercoledì scorso andai al cinema con Francesco.

Last Wednesday I went to the movies with Francesco.

The emotional factor refers to the emotional proximity felt by the speaker relating a past action, which means that the past action is felt to still have an impact on the present regardless of how remote in the past it actually is. In this case, the passato prossimo would rather be used. For example, one would not normally use the passato remoto in sentences like:

Sono nato in un piccolo paesino della Sicilia. (The speaker is obviously still alive)

I was born in a small village in Sicily.

Ci siamo sposati nell’agosto del 1980. (They are still married)

We got married in August 1980.

Now let us now consider how the IMPERFETTO works. It has got at least three main functions:

1) DESCRIPTION OF A PAST SITUATION:

Ero un ragazzo introverso: parlavo poco e passavo il tempo leggendo romanzi d’avventura.

I was an introverted boy: I spoke little and spent my time reading adventure novels.

Nel 1990 vivevamo in Francia.

In 1990 we lived in France.

La nostra casa si trovava su una collina, e poco sotto iniziava una strada che portava al mare, da cui si poteva vedere un isolotto vulcanico.

Our house was located on a hill, and just below began a road that led to the sea, from where one could see a volcanic holm.

2) REPEATED OR HABITUAL PAST ACTION:

Da bambino, andavo in montagna tutti gli anni.

When I was a child, I used to go to the mountains every year.

Quando tornavo a casa, mi aspettava sempre dietro la porta per farmi uno scherzo.

When I used to return home, she used to always wait behind the door in order to play a trick on me.

3) DURATIVE PAST ACTION (that is, actions where the stress in on duration):

Mi fissava con rabbia.

He was staring at me with anger.

Ieri Paolo, mentre studiava, ascoltava la musica. (parallel durative actions, often introduced by time subordinators such as “mentre”; see below)

Yesterday Paolo, while he was studying, listened to music.

Now let us finally see the passato remoto/passato prossimo tenses in contrast to the imperfetto.

I said that the passato prossimo/passato remoto group refers to completed actions that took place at some point in the past. In contrast, the imperfetto focuses on the duration of an action rather than on its completeness (which is irrelevant here). This contrast is particularly evident when the tenses are used in combination, as in the following examples:

- passato prossimo/passato remoto + passato prossimo/passato remoto

(= A series of completed past actions, one following the other in temporal succession)

Sono tornato a casa e l’ho chiamata. (with the passato prossimo)

I came back home and I called her.

Prima accesi la TV e poi mi misi a letto. (with the passato remoto)

First I turned on the TV and then got into bed.

Graphically speaking, we can see each passato prossimo/passato remoto action as a single vertical arrow (the point in time) hitting the time line. So, the first example could be represented as follows:

- imperfetto + imperfetto

(= Parallel durative actions)

Mentre ascoltava la radio, fumava una canna.

While he was listening to the radio, he was smoking a joint.

Graphically speaking, these actions in the imperfetto can be seen as two parallel horizontal segments along the time line. So, the example could be represented as follows:

- imperfetto + passato prossimo/passato remoto

Mentre parlavo con Maria, è squillato il telefono.

While I was talking to Maria, the telephone rang.

Anna passava per quella strada proprio nell’istante in cui l’auto esplose.

Anna was going by that street just at that moment when the car exploded.

Finally, we can combine the above symbols in the following representation of the first example:

Instructions: In the sentences below, fill the appropriate conjugation and tense of potere, riuscire a, or sapere.

1. (io)  __________  portarti al centro commerciale ma devi andare a casa in autobus.

2.  Non _________ trovare le mie chiavi perche’ la mia scrivania è in disordine.

3.  (io) __________ giocare a tennis come un professionista, ma, scusami, domani non _______  giocare.  Ho un colloquio.

4. (tu) _________  prestarci la tua macchina?  La nostra non parte.

5. Fagli un’offerta che non (lui) _________ rifiutare.

6. Non (loro) ____________  accettare i tuoi soldi – sono troppo orgogliosi!

7. Sapevo che __________ spiegargli tutta la situazione, però quando l’ho visto stamattina ho cominciato a tremare e non ____________ dire una parola.

8. Quando sono ritornato a casa, sapevo di non ________ entrarci.  Ho capito di aver lasciato le chiavi sul tavolo e non ________ proprio.

9.  Ho tentato di aprire la porta molte volte con la chiave, ma alla fine non ___________.

10.  (io) __________ guardare i bambini mentre ti fai la doccia.

11. (io) ___________ aprire il barratolo.  Ho le mani bagnate.

12.  Ho tentato di aprire la porta del mio ufficio, ma non ________ perché avevo la chiave sbagliata. Ho frugato nelle tasche, ma non ___________ trovare quella giusta, e poi ho capito di averla lasciata sul tavolo della cucina. Si, __________ vederla dalla finestra ma _________ prenderla!  Mannaggia!  Non _______ entrarci!  Ma allora ho pensato che _________ telefonare a mia madre per un aiuto.

13. Mi ricordo l’estate scorsa.  Cercavo questo paesino chiamato Villari e mi sono perso.  Ho chiesto ad un passante, ma non (lui) _________ aiutarmi perche’ anche lui era uno sconosciuto li.  Ho telefonato ad Aldo per un aiuto, presumendo che conoscesse la zona, e, per fortuna, alla fine (lui) ___________ aiutarmi a trovare questo posto.

Answers:

The answer key is located in the comments below.  If you have a question or require an explanation, leave a comment, and one of us will respond shortly!

Use of essere:

Essere can express existence, which refers to an intrinsic quality or a condition, both temporary and permanent, and can be followed by an adjective (felice, depresso, annoiato, stanco, allergico, malato, etc.):

Sei una persona magnifica.
You are a wonderful person.

Sono stanchissimo. Posso riposarmi un minuto?
I’m very tired. Do you mind if I rest for a moment?

Come sei brutto con questo maglione rosa!
How ugly you are with that pink sweater on!

Essere can also be used to express a state, indicating the place where one is (as a synonym for the verb trovarsi):

Sarò a Roma il prossimo fine-settimana.
I will be in Rome next week-end.

Non piangere. Sono qui per aiutarti.
Don’t cry. I am here to help you.

Sono in piedi davanti a voi; non mi vedete?
I’m standing still in front of you; can’t you see me?

Quanti saremo alla festa?
How many of us will be at the party?

Cultural Note: In the south of Italy, it’s not uncommon to hear people use ‘stare’ with adjectives, as in “sto stanco”, “sto depresso”, to indicate a temporary condition, as well as with a locative meaning, as in “sto a casa”, “sto per strada”. Nevertheless, these are regional, non-standard usages (derived from the Spanish language) which are considered inappropriate by native speakers themselves in official contexts and in writing.

Use of stare:

Stare indicates a temporary physical condition, as an answer to the question, “Come stai?” (and is followed by an adverb: sto bene/benissimo, sto male/malissimo, sto meglio di ieri, sto peggio di ieri ecc.):

Come stai oggi?
How are you today?

Sto benissimo, grazie!
I’m very well, thanks!

Let’s look at the following example where both verbs are used in contrast:

Come stanno i tuoi genitori? (‘come’=interrogative adverb, so ‘stare’ is used)
Sono esausti; hanno viaggiato tutta la giornata. (‘esausto’=adjective, so ‘essere’ is used)

How are your parents?
They’re exhausted; They travelled all day long.

Stare can also be used to describe a physical position, indicating the stillness and persistence of a condition, as a synonym for the verb ‘restare’ (stay):

Sto qui ad aspettarti da un’ora!
I’ve been waiting here for you for an hour!

Sta’ zitto! Ho mal di testa!
Shut up! [literally: stay silent] I’ve got a headache!

Stava con le mani sui fianchi.
She was akimbo.

With adjectives that can express both intrinsic qualities and physical positions, the contrast in meaning between “essere” and “stare” becomes more evident:

Sii fermo e risoluto e avrai successo in ogni situazione.
Be firm and resolute and you’ll succeed every time.

Sta’ fermo un attimo! Mi stai innervosendo!
Hold still for a moment! You are annoying me!

In the following example, we can see a clear contrast between the indication of a position and the persistence of that position:

Dov’è seduta tua madre? Non la vedo.
Where is your mother seated? I can’t see her.

Dille di stare seduta ancora un po’.
Tell her to stay seated a little longer.

Other grammatical uses of stare and essere:

Stare is used to form the present and past progressive (il presente progressivo and il passato progressivo):

Sto andando al supermercato.
I’m going to the supermarket. (That is, you are going right now)

Non ti arrabbiare! Stavamo solo scherzando!
Don’t be mad! We were only joking!

Essere is used, along with avere, as the auxiliary verb in compound tenses such as the passato prossimo:

Sono stato alla biblioteca oggi.
I was at the library today.

Sono arrivati alle 5 di mattina.
They arrived at 5am.

NB: Take note that stato is the past participle for essere and stare.

Essere is also used in passive constructions:

Le piccole squadre come la nostra sono sempre penalizzate!
Small teams like ours are always penalised!

Stare per + infinitive means to be about to do something:

Il treno sta per partire.
The train is about to depart.

created and edited by Vittorio Tavini
and Keith Preble

In order to clear up any confusion, let’s look at how can is used:

In English

In English, can is used to express ability, permission, and logical possibility:

ability: I can swim well.

permission: Can I have something to drink?

logical possibility: I can see your house from the window.

In Italian

In Italian, can can be expressed with the verbs sapere + infinito, riuscire a + infinito, or potere.  Let’s study this in greater detail:

capacità:

In Italian, acquired skill/ability is expressed with the verb, sapere + infinitive (can or to know how to do something):

So nuotare bene!

I can swim well!

Capability can also be expressed with riuscire, if the skill/ability that is acquired is temporary in nature:

Riesco a sentirti da qui.

I can hear you from here.

permesso:

Permission or permesso is expressed with the verb, potere:

Puoi prendere il libro se ti serve.

You can take the book if you need it.

possibilità logica:

Potere can be used to express a logical possibility:

Si può vedere la torre da questa finestra.

One can see the tower from this window.

Therefore, potere does not possess the idea of skill/ability that can possesses — and in order to express this idea we use two verbs, according to whether the skill/ability is acquired or temporary in nature:

In genere so cantare benissimo, ma in questo momento non ci riesco perché sono raffreddato.

Usually I know how to sing/can sing very well, but right now I am not able to because I have a cold.
[In general, I can sing well, but at this moment in time I am not capable of it because I am sick]

In the example above, there’s an implication that the speaker attempted to sing.

Let’s look at this example:

In genere so cantare benissimo, ma in questo momento non posso perché sono raffreddato.

Usually I know how to sing very well, but right now I cannot because I have a cold.
[In general, I can sing well, but at this moment in time it is impossible for me because I am sick]

In this example above, the speaker made no attempt to try to sing since he/she knew full well that it would be an impossibility.

In the first example where we contrast sapere and riuscire (a + infinito), we can see a contrast between an acquired skill (so cantare) versus a momentary incapacity (non ci riesco). In the second example, there’s a contrast between an acquired skill versus an objective obstacle (the cold which sprang up on the speaker).

It helps to practice because it can be confusing — click here for some exercises.

created by Vittorio Tavini and Keith Preble

In compound tenses:

- Modals take the auxiliary (il verbo ausiliare), avere, when they are used by themselves in the passato prossimo:

Le ho voluto tanto bene.

I loved her so much.

- Modals, when followed by an infinitive, take the auxiliary, essere or avere, that the infinitive would take:

Ho voluto comprare una giacca nuova.

I wanted to buy a new jacket.

Sono dovuta andare al supermercato.

I had to go to the supermarket.

- When modals are followed by reflexive verbs:

- if the reflexive pronoun is attached to the infinitive, avere is used:

Ha dovuto sposarsi in chiesa perché sua madre ci teneva tanto!

She had to get married in church because it was very important to her mother.

- if the reflexive pronoun comes before the auxiliary, then essere is used:

Si è dovuta sposare in chiesa perché sua madre ci teneva tanto!

She had to get married in church because it was very important to her mother.

- When modals are followed by essere, the auxiliary, avere, is used:

Ho dovuto essere a casa per le cinque.

I had to be at home by five o’clock.

When modals are used in the imperfetto, they can often indicate or describe an uncertainty of an action’s outcome, but that outcome does not necessarily nor does it always remain so. This is best explained with examples, as seen below:

dovere:

Dovevo finire il lavoro entro le cinque; per questo ho perfino saltato il pranzo. Alla fine l’ho consegnato perfettamente in orario!

I had to finish the work by five o’clock; for this I even skipped lunch.  In the end I handed it in perfectly on time.
[Initially there was trepidation that the assignment would not be completed, but in the end, the subject perserveres]

Dovevo finire il lavoro entro le cinque, ma era così tanto che alla fine non ce l’ho fatta.

I had to finish the work by five o’clock, but it was too much that in the end I didn’t manage to do it.
[Initially there was trepidation that the assignment would not be completed, and, in the end, it was not -- it proved to be too much]

potere:

Potevo andare sul sicuro regalandogli l’ennesimo libro, e allora non mi sono scervellato più di tanto: sono andato in libreria e gli ho comprato il solito romanzo d’avventura.

I could play it safe giving him the umpteenth book, and then I didn’t wrack my brains too much: I went to the bookstore and bought him the usual adventure novel.
[I knew that I could play it safe and ended up doing so by buying the usual gift]

Potevo andare sul sicuro regalandogli l’ennesimo libro, ma mi sembrava banale: alla fine ho rischiato e gli ho comprato un vaso cinese.

I could play it safe giving him the umpteenth book, but it seemed banal to me: in the end I took a risk and bought him a Chinese vase.
[I knew that I could play it safe but changed my mind in the end and decided to take a risk and buy a vase]

volere:

Volevo risolvere la situazione senza litigare, e lei lo ha percepito fin da subito e si è calmata.

I wanted to resolve the situation without arguing, and she detected it right away and calmed down.
[I desired to resolve the situation, and in the end it resolved as I wanted - without arguing]

Volevo risolvere la situazione senza litigare, ma lei ha cominciato a rinfacciarmi delle cose assurde e allora ho perso le staffe e ho preso a urlarle contro.

I wanted to resolve the situation without arguing, but she started to hold some absurd things against me and then I lost my temper and started to show at her.
[I desired to resolve the situation without arguing, but it didn't go the way I wanted, and we fought]

When modals are used in the passato prossimo, they refer to an action that has been realized within a given context:

Ho dovuto finire il lavoro entro le cinque perché alle sei avevo un appuntamento importante.

written by Keith Preble & Vittorio Tavini
last updated: 6 may 2011

In Italian, visitare means to visit but in specific circumstances and contexts. Be careful when using it to describe visiting people, because it gives the impression of a visit to or by your doctor and generally means to examine or to see.  If you say that you’re going to visit Maria and use visitare,  it gives the impression that Maria is your doctor and is giving you a check-up — see the examples below:

Oggi mio nonno ha preso un appuntamento dal medico. Vuole essere visitato dato che non sta molto bene.
Today my grandfather made an appointment at the doctor’s. He wants to be examined since he is not feeling well.

But, you can use visitare to mean to visit when you talk about going to cities, towns, museums, attractions, etc:

Quando sei andato a Roma, hai visitato molti musei interessanti?
When you went to Rome, did you visit many interesting museums?

As you know, in Italian the preposition, a, precedes cities and town (Vado a Londra | I am going to London).  With visitare, it is a common error to use the preposition, a, but this must be avoided with visitare since it is transitive (with the direct objects — those cities and towns — are receiving the action of the verb):

Sono andato a Londra e ad Amsterdam. Hai mai visitato Londra? È bellissima!
I went to London and Amsterdam. Did you ever visit London? It’s very beautiful!

When talking about visiting people, use andare/venire a trovare qualcuno, which literally means “to go/to come to find someone“. However, the usage between the two differs:

1. When you’re speaking to the person to whom you are visiting (or plan to visit or have visited, etc.), you use venire a trovare
2. When you’re talking about visiting someone, and you are not addressing the person to whom you plan to visit directly, use andare a trovare.

Note the placement of the object pronoun — it generally attaches to the infinitive, trovare. Let’s look at some examples:

Marta: Ho parlato con Luigi! È molto ansioso!
Marta: I spoke with Luigi. He’s very anxious!

Roberto: La madre di Luigi andrà presto a trovarlo?
Robert: Luigi’s mom is visiting him soon?

Marta: Che fai questa estate?
Marta: What are you doing this summer?

Roberto: Vado a trovare Luigi. Passa un’estate a Barcellona, e mi ha invitato a passare l’estate con lui.
Roberto: I’m going to visit Luigi. He’s spending a summer in Barcelona, and he invited me to spend the summer with him.

Marta: Dov’è andato Marco?
Marta: Where did Marco go?

Roberto: Marco è andato a trovare Luisa. Ha deciso di andare perché non è mai stato a Palermo.
Roberto: Marco visited Luisa. He decided to go because he has never been to Palermo.

Marta: Non ci vediamo più.
Marta: We do not see each other any more.

Roberto: Vieni a trovarmi! Mi manchi!
Roberto: Visit me! I miss you!

Downloads:
Download a pdf version of this lesson by clicking here.

Let’s look at the differences between direct and indirect speech:

Direct speech (underlined) is that which is actually spoken by a particular person.  Remember that discorso diretto is made up of two parts:  the frase principale that introduces the direct speech and the direct speech, the part that is enclosed in the quotation marks:

Marco disse, “Non mi va di uscire stasera.“
Marco said, “I don’t feel like going out tonight.”

In the example above, the words in the quotation marks are those actually spoken by Marco and is the direct speech (discorso diretto).  This is what we call direct speech or discorso diretto.

Indirect speech is where the words of another are reported by others, for example:

Marco disse che non gli andava di uscire stasera.
Marco said he didn’t feel like going out tonight.

Do you see the difference?  In example #1, we know that it is Marco who is expressing his desire to stay home because of the words he expresses within the quotation marks.  In example #2, we know that Marco is expressing his desire to stay home because it is being reported by another — in other words, discorso indiretto!

Discorso indiretto with interrogatives

The discorso indiretto has a few caveats with interrogative sentences.  If the discorso diretto is in the form of a question, and the answer to that question could be either yes or no, then the conjunction, se, is used:

diretto: Marcello mi ha chiesto: “Vuoi andare al cinema?”

indiretto: Marcello mi ha chiesto se voglio andare al cinema.

The same interrogative transfers over in the discorso indiretto:

diretto: Annalisa mi ha domandato:  ”Quando vai al cinema?“

indiretto:  Annalisa mi ha domandato quando vado al cinema.

Change of tenses in the discorso indiretto

The confusing part is how the tenses are used.  Let’s study the rules below:

- The tenses remain unchanged when the frase principale (principal phrase) is in the presente or passato prossimo if the passato prossimo refers to an event in the recent past (He says, He just said):

diretto: Marco dice, “Per avere successo in vita devo sempre studiare.”

indiretto: Marco dice che per avere successo in vita deve sempre studiare.

diretto: Marco ha appena detto, “Per avere successo in vita devo sempre studiare.”

indiretto: Marco ha appena detto che per avere successo in vita deve sempre studiare.

- If the direct speech is introduced by passato remoto or the presente storico (Marco disse, “…” ), then the present tense of the direct speech (underlined) becomes the imperfetto:

diretto: Marco disse, “Non mi va di uscire oggi.”

indiretto: Marco disse che non gli andava di uscire in quel giorno.

- When the direct speech is in the passato prossimo or the passato remoto, then the trapassato prossimo is used:

diretto: Matteo mi disse, “Non sono uscito ieri notte.”

indiretto: Matteo mi ha detto che non era uscito ieri notte.

- The imperfetto remains unchanged in indirect speech unless the action of the direct speech takes place before that of the the independent clause, in which case the trapassato prossimo or congiuntivo trapassato is used, depending on the verb (NB: some verbs may requires the subjunctive):

diretto: Marco mi disse, “Non uscivo ieri notte.”

indiretto: Marco mi disse che non usciva la notte prima.

diretto: Marco mi consigliò: “Non uscivo ieri notte.”

indiretto: Marco mi consigliò che non avesse uscito la notte prima.”

- The trapassato prossimo and the congiuntivo trapassato remain unchanged in indirect speech:

diretto: Marco mi disse, “Non ero uscito ieri notte.”

indiretto: Marco mi disse che non era uscito ieri notte.

- The futuro semplice of the direct speech becomes the condizionale passato in indirect speech:

diretto: Marco disse, “Non andrò al cinema domani.”

indiretto: Marco disse che non sarebbe andato al cinema l’indomani.

- The futuro anteriore of the direct speech becomes the congiuntivo trapassato:

diretto: Marco disse, “Sarò andato al cinema prima che ritornerai.”

indiretto:  Marco disse che fosse andato al cinema prima che avresti ritornato.

- If the direct speech is in the present or past subjunctive, then the indirect speech is expressed in the imperfetto or trapassato congiuntivo:

diretto: Marco disse, “Sono contento che tu venga al cinema con noi!”

indiretto: Marco disse che era contento che tu venissi al cinema con noi!”

diretto: Marco disse, “Sono contento che tu sia venuto al cinema con noi!”

indiretto: Marco disse che era contento che tu fossi venuto con noi!”

The chart below outlines the change of tenses and may serve as a quick reference when you’re unsure:

In all of the examples below, they could be re-written without using the imperative. The imperative, though, adds a sense of urgency and immediacy to your Italian and makes your phrases stronger without necessarily making them sound rude or discourteous.

At cafes and bars, you will often hear the baristas and waiters/waitresses use commands such as Mi dica (literally: Tell me, but is not as abrasive as in English, and means What would you like?) or Senta (literally: Listen, but in some contexts it is a polite way of getting someone’s attention or alerting them that you are about to impart to them some important information).

In Italian, the imperative can be used in the following situations. Remember to use the correct form — formal or informal — depending upon the situation and context:

to give permission

Mamma, posso prendere un biscotto adesso?

Sì, Giuseppe, mangiane solo uno!

to give a command or an order

Alla dogana il funzionario americano ordinò, “Signori, firmino il modulo con il nome completo.”

to get someone’s attention

Guido sta camminando per la strada quando vede che un estraneo che fa cadere il suo portafoglio. “Guardi, signore! L’è caduto il tuo portafoglio!” esclamò Guido.

to relay instructions or directions

Mariella: “Maria, come preparo questa zuppa?”
Maria: “Prima, riempi la pentola con l’acqua, aggiungi il sale, e lascia bollire…”

to advise

Marco: “Giacomo, sono sempre stanco. Cosa posso fare per dormire meglio?”
Giacomo: “Non andare a letto alle 3 di mattina e non alzarti alle 6!”

Try to incorporate the imperative in your conversation, and do not be afraid to use it with strangers, remembering to use formal commands with people you do not know!  Many avoid using it, but it can be a simple way of making a request, especially when you’re at a bar trying to order a coffee, asking for more towels at your hotel and what not!

Please note that I will add more examples as time permits!  Thanks for your patience!

In Italian, there is a group of verbs known as verbi fraseoligici or phraseological verbs.  These verbs combine with infinitives or gerunds to form a unique verb predicate that differs in function from the verb when used on its own.  Let’s look at the differences with the verb, finire:

Marco ha finito il libro perché deve leggere due altri libri.

Marco finished the book because he has to read two other books.

In the example above, we can infer that Marco has completed his task of reading the book.  However, if we say:

Marco ha finito di leggere il libro perché vuole mangiare qualcosa..

Marco has finished/stopped reading the book because he wants to eat something.

We cannot say for certain that the book is finished (perhaps he has another couple of chapters to go?), only that, for the moment, he has stopped reading because he wants to do something else.  He maybe pick up the book again later.  This nuance is important to understanding the difference between the verb used on its to that of the phraseological version.  You can see this nuance with other verbs — let’s look at stare per + infinitive:

Scusa, non posso parlare adesso.  Sto per uscire con i miei amici perché vogliamo vedere il nuovo film di Tom Cruise, e comincia fra poco.

Excuse me, I can’t talk now.  I am about to go out with my friends because we want to see the new Tom Cruise film, and it starts soon.

In the example above, my departure (to go and meet my friends) is imminent, and it’s evident that I’m on my way out the door.  But if I say:

Scusa, non posso parlare adesso.  Esco con i miei amici perché vogliamo vedere il nuovo film di Tom Cruise, e comincia fra poco.

Excuse me, I can’t talk now.  I am going out with my friends because we want to see the new Tom Cruise film, and it starts soon.

In the example without stare per, there is no imminent departure (although it is possible that I am heading out the door), only the idea that I am going out with my friends.  These verb/infinitive (or verb/gerundio) couplings help clarify how actions are unfolding.

I verbi fraseologici are divided into five categories:

• progressive actions (that is, actions that are already under way)
• imminent actions (actions that are about to take place but have not yet begun)
• the start of an action (an action that has started but is not in a state of continuation)
• the continuation of an action (an action that will keep happening/taking place)
• the end of an action

Progressive actions

Progressive actions are pretty straightforward — they indicate actions which are happening now (or, in past tenses, an action that was happening at that point in time).  In Italian these are conveyed using stare + gerundio.  In some parts of Italy, stare a + infinito is also used, although this form is very dialectical and should be avoided in standard Italian (although you will hear it often in the south of Italy):

Sto guardando la nuova puntata di Annozero.  Ti chiamo più tardi?

I am watching the new episode of Annozero.  I’ll call you later?

Progressive actions can also be expressed with andare and venire + gerundio when you want to express an action that repeats, is frequent or to signal more intensity/importance to that action:

Marco va spiegando agli studenti la lezione.

Marci is explaining the lesson (repeatedly) to the students.

Imminent actions

An imminent action is one that is about to commence or take place and can be expressed in Italian with the following expressions:

essere lì lì per + infinito | to be on the verge of doing something

Ero lì lì per chiamare Maria quando ha squillato il mio telefonino!  Che sorpesa!  Era proprio Maria!

I was on the verge of calling Maria when my mobile rang!  What a surprise!  It was Maria calling!

stare per + infinito | to be about to do something

accingersi a + infinito | to prepare to do something

prepararsi a + infinito | to get ready to do something

Start of an action

The start of an action is one that has just begun, but one that has not yet progressed too far.  In Italian, the following expressions can be used:

cominciare a + infinito | to start to do something

iniziare a + infinito | to begin to, to start to do something

Peccato che inizi a piovere!  Volevo giocare a tennis con Marco ma è impossibile giocare quando il campo da tennis è bagnato.

It’s a pity that it is starting to rain!  I wanted to play tennis with Marco but it is not possible to play when the tennis court is wet.

mettersi a + infinito | to take up something

darsi a + infinito | to take to doing something

prendere a + infinito | to start doing something

Continuation of an action

The continuation of an action is one that has begun and will keep going.  In Italian, this can be expressed with the following:

continuare a + infinito | to continue to do something

andare avanti a + infinito | to keep doing something

seguitare a + infinito | to keep on doing something

ostinarsi a + infinito | to persist in doing something

End of an action

These verbs convey that an action has ended.  Notice in the verbs below the use of the pronoun, la — when the verbs are used with the la they are more colloquial in nature and adds more emphasis, urgency and insistence to the phrase:

smettere/smetterla di + infinito | to stop doing something (forever)

finire/finirla di + infinito | to finish doing something (for the moment)

piantar(la) di + infinito | to stop doing something

Annalisa, piantala di dare fastidio a tuo fratello! Vai in camera tua e lascialo studiare!

Annalisa, stop bothering your brother!  Go to your room and let him study!

When the pronominal versions of the verb are used, avere is used in compound tenses, and the past participle agrees with the pronoun, la.

Marcello and I will respond to your comments and will leave corrections and tips for improving your writing!

For example:

il bicchiere | cup

lo studente | student

la macchina | car

l’ambiente | environment

l’emozione | emotion

Gender and number of nouns in Italian can usually be identified by the final vowel. Let’s look at the word, bambino:

bambino -> masculine, singular

bambina -> feminine, singular

bambini -> masculine, plural

bambine -> feminine, plural

As you can see, the final vowel tells us the gender and the number.  In Italian:

- nouns that end in -o are generally masculine:

il burro, il ragazzo, il libro

- nouns that end in -a are generally feminine:

la mela, la ragazza, la pesca

- almost all nouns that end in -i are feminine (these are of Greek origin):

la crisi, l’analisi, la tesi

- nouns that end in -amma or -ema, also of Greek origin, are masculine:

il programma, il problema, il tema, il sistema

- nouns that end in -tà and almost all nouns that end in -ù are feminine:

la carità, la città, la tribù, la gioventù

- nouns that end in -e can be the most perplexing, as their gender can be either masculine or feminine - if you are in doubt, consult the dictionary or check to see which definite article or articulated preposition is used:

la voce, la carne, il dolce, il latte

- nouns that end in -ione are generally feminine (but il maglione):

la formazione, la stazione, l’abitazione, la pressione, la decisione

The plural of Italian nouns follows these rules:

- nouns that end in -o change to -i:

il bambino -> i bambini

il libro -> i libri

- nouns that end in -a change to -e, unless nouns is masculine (as is common with many nouns that denote profession or are of Greek origin):

la ragazza -> le ragazze

il collega -> i colleghi

il programma -> i programmi

- Remember that the noun, la mano, even though it is feminine, ends in -i:

la mano -> le mani

- Nouns (masculine and feminine) that end in -e become -i:

lo studente -> gli studenti

la voce -> le voci

il dolce -> i dolci

- Nouns that end in consonants (typically words borrowed from other languages) or accented vowels are generally invariable and have the same form in the singular and plural:

il caffè -> i caffè

la città -> le città

il film -> i film

- Abbreviated feminine nouns also have the same form in the singular and plural:

l’auto -> le auto

la bici -> le bici

This is a series of posts on gender and number.  Part II will go into some more of the complexities — if you feel that we have left something important out, please leave a comment.

• General rules: http://ilgur.com/2010/02/19/lesson-004-definite-article-larticolo-determinativo
• Use of the article with people: http://ilgur.com/2008/09/04/lesson-160-use-of-the-definite-article-with-people
• Use of the article with geography: http://ilgur.com/2008/08/06/lesson-158-using-the-definite-article-with-geography
• Additional rules: http://ilgur.com/2006/11/30/lesson-70-more-on-the-definite-article-larticolo-definito

Below are some general rules on when the definite article is omitted in Italian:

- The article is generally omitted when nouns are used adverbially, such as in prepositional phrases:

in fretta | in a hurry
in comune | in common
a babbo morto
in manette | in handcuffs
di sera | in the evening
di notte | at night
senza zucchero | sugarless

- Often the article omitted with verb + noun expressions, such as:

avere fame | to be hungry
prendere freddo | to catch a chill
fare freddo | to be cold (outside)
cambiare casa | to move (house)

- In many idiomatic expressions, the definite article is left out:

salvare capra e cavoli | to have it both ways
fare piedino | to play footsie
rendere pan per focaccia | to give tit for tat

- When the preposition, di, is followed by a material, the article is not used:

di legno
d’oro
di cotone

- In expressions that use the preposition, da, the definite article is omitted:

vaso da notte | chamber pot
biglietto da dollaro | dollar bill
nano da giardino | garden gnome
carte da gioco | playing cards

- You’ll see articles omitted in newspaper headlines, advertisements and classifieds; this is done, presumably, to save space and to make headlines and ads shorter for our shorter attention spans; recently on La Nuova Sardegna, the following headline was posted: “Marea nera lungo le coste della Sardegna” | Black tide along the coast of Sardinia

- The definite article is omitted with interrogative adjectives (or determiners), indefinite adjectives, and demonstratives:

Che macchina vuoi comprare?

What car do you want to buy?

Non voglio questa casa!

I don’t want this house!

Quella roba costa troppo!

That thing costs too much.

Domani compro qualche francobollo.

Tomorrow I am buying some stamps.

The rules are pretty straightforward:

Si impersonale constructions do not have complements, as seen in the examples below:

Si vive bene in Italia.
Si mangia veloce alla mensa.

Si impersonale constructions always have the verb in the third person singular (see the examples above), but si passivante constructions have a direct object (un complemento diretto). If the noun is singular, then a verb in the third person singular is used. When the noun is plural, the verb in the third person plural is used:

In Norvegia si spendono molti soldi.  [plural]
In America non si compra la pasta fresca. [singular]

Si passivante constructions are actually passive phrases. We can re-write the two phrases used above:

In Norvegia vengono spesi molti soldi.
In America non è comprata la pasta fresca.

However, if the passive phrase contains an agent (da + noun/pronoun), then a si passivante construction cannot be used:

INCORRECT: Si vendono solo le mele verdi dai supermercati.

When you use reflexive verbs with il si impersonale, the reflexive si becomes ci in order to avoid the use of si si:

Non ci si dimentica.
One does not forget.

Solo le mele verdi sono vendute dai supermercati.
Only green apples are sold by supermarkets.

In English, news is a noncount noun, much like the nouns milk, water, air, etc.

In English, a noncount noun might refer to:

1. a group or collection of certain things: mail, equipment, machinery, furniture, makeup, money, change
2. an item made up of smaller parts that cannot be counted: hair, sugar, rice, salt, sand, coffee, tea
3. an activity or abstraction that is comprised of other individual activities or attributes: work, housework, homework, advice, information, news, music
4. certain liquids: water, milk, soup, juice, coffee, tea
5. certain foods: bread, meat, chicken, fish, cheese, cotton, wool, cooper, glass
6. some nouns relating to the environment: air, land, oxygen, smoke, steam, wind, heat

In Italian grammar, the plural partitive could be considered the plural form of the indefinite article: un, una, un’ and uno.

Partitive constructions are used to express an indeterminate parts of a whole (that is, you know it’s more than one but you don’t know exactly how many more): some milk (not the whole container), some pencils (not the entire case), some films (but not all of them), etc.

The partitive is generally more common in the plural, although it is used in the singular with some nouns, specifically noncount nouns (della birra, del latte, della crema, del pane, del formaggio, del vino, del caffè, etc.)*.

Partitives generally translate as some, some (of them), or any (usually in questions or negative sentences but take care — any can be a tricky word to translate from English to Italian.) Partitives can be used with both count nouns (like books, pens, cars, etc.) or noncount nouns (such as things that cannot counted, are abstract, or are mainly in the singular — wine, cheese, barley, bread, beer, milk, etc.).In Italian, the partitive is used with articulated forms of the preposition, di:

di + il = del

di + lo = dello

di + l’ = dell’

di + i = dei

di + gli = degli

di + la = della

di + le = delle

Here are some examples of the partitive used between count and noncount nouns:

Mangiamo del pane. (noncount)

Let’s eat some bread.

Vuoi dei biscotti? (count)

Do you want some cookies?

Hai mangiato della pasta? (noncount)

Did you eat some pasta?

Vorrei dello zucchero, per favore. (noncount)

I would like some sugar, please.

Vendono delle mele deliziose! (count)

They are selling some delicious apples!

Alcuni/alcune are used in the plural to denote the partitive. The singular forms, alcuno/a, are often used only as a partitive construction in negative constructions (although, according to many sources, this usage is not common):

Abbiamo comprato alcune carte per giocare a Poker.
We bought some cards in order to play Poker.

When listing a long list of partitives, they can often be left out for brevity, however it is not required:

Hanno comprato degli alberi, dei fiori, e dei semi.
They bought some trees, some flowers and some seeds.

or:

Hanno comprato alberi, fiori e semi.

Qualche + singular noun has the meaning Some + noun.  It can also be used instead of the preposition, di, but only with singular nouns (although the meaning is plural):

Qualche professore dà troppi compiti.
Some teachers give too much homework.

Partitives with the preposition, di, are not used in negative sentences:

Non ho soldi.
I don’t have any money.

Alcuno can be used to convey any in negative partitive constructions in order to avoid a double negative:

Non ho alcun tempo.
I don’t have any time.

Non state risparmiando alcuni soldi.
You are not saving any money.

Partitives are optional in questions, with the definite article sometimes omitted:

Vuoi dei dolci?
Want some candies?

Vuoi (i) dolci?
Want some candies?

Nessuno (and its variants: nessuna, nessun’, nessun) can be used in negative constructions, but, like qualche, they are used only with singular nouns although their meaning conveys the plural (notice how nessuno acts like the indefinite article):

Giovanna compra dei biglietti.
Giovanna is buying some tickets.

Giovanna non compra nessun biglietto.
Giovanna is not buying any tickets.

The articulated preposition, di, is typically avoided when the partitive occurs within a prepositional phrase. Alcuni/alcune make an excellent substitute or simply use nothing at all:

Siamo andati ad alcune feste durante il weekend.
We went to some parties during the weekend.

Sono andato al cinema con amici.
I went to the cinema with (some) friends.

The partitive of del, dello, and della is avoided with emotions, feelings and sensations that cannot be quantified, such as paura, speranza, gioia:

Ho paura!

not: Non ho della paura.(incorrect)

However, the partitive can be used with spirito, ingegno, buon senso and coraggio, to name a few.

*Of particular note with noncount nouns (in Italian, they use the term nome massa) when preceded by an indefinite article (un, una, uno) indicate a particular kind, aspect or quality of that noun. Remember that a nome massa is a noun that indicates an single entity of something — it works the same in English for the most part, with nouns like sugar, bread, wine, cheese. For example, the word, riso, in Italian, means rice. As in English, if you want to talk about one piece of rice, you have to quantify and/or qualify: a grain of rice, un chicco di riso. If you want to talk about a specific kind of rice, say for it has a certain quality, taste or other notable aspect, then you would use the indefinite article (un, una, uno) to convey this, and not the partitive: un riso saporito.

revised: 29 april 2010

In Italian, the definite article + cui is used to form the genitive, or, in English, the relative pronoun, whose.

Let’s look at some sentences in English where whose is used as a relative pronoun:

Your brother, whose car never starts, wants to buy a new one next week.
John, whose daughter studies at La Spienza in Rome, also teaches there.
I don’t want to go visit John, whose parents hate me!

Now let’s translate the first example into Italian:

Tuo fratello, la cui macchina non parte mai, vuole comprarne una la prossima settimana.

Notice immediately how the definite article agrees with the noun that follows it and not with the antecedent (tuo fratello). Whose can also be formed with del quale, della quale, dei quali, delle quali since one of the preposition’s (di) roles is possession (la matita di Marco = Marco’s pencil). In the examples below, both methods will be shown.

In Italian, whose can be formed with:

definite article + cui (agrees in gender and number with the thing/person possessed)

il quale (agrees in gender and number with the antecedent)

When il quale, del quale and its variants are used in this way, they follow the noun that they depend upon. Unlike il cui/la cui/i cui/le cui, il quale must agree in gender and number with the antecedent (as we learned in Lesson 201):

definite article + cui: Giovanni, la cui figlia studia alla “Sapienza” a Roma, insegna lì.
il quale: Giovanni, la figlia del quale studia alla Sapienza a Roma, insegna lì.

definite article + cui: Non voglio andare a trovare Marianna, i cui genitori mi odiano!
il quale: Non voglio andare a trovare Marianna, i genitori della quale mi odiano!

Using this construction might seem confusing, and you might be asking yourself why we don’t just use the possessive adjectives. This construction can become staid and repetitive, and Italian, especially when written, is better expressed without needless repetition.

In order to understand how to use il cui, it’s often best to look at combining two phrases. Below are two sentences that stand well on their own, but what if you wanted to combine them?

Rome has great public transport.
Its traffic problems are among the worst in Europe.

The first thing that you need to look for is finding a common element between the two sentences. The common element between them is the city, Rome. In the second sentence, Rome is expressed with the possessive adjective, its. While Rome is not stated in the second sentence, we know from the context that we are talking about Rome. Whose is a relative pronoun that can be used to combine phrases when the common element between two phrases is expressed via possession.

If we combine the two sentences about Rome, we come up with:

Rome, whose traffic problems are among the worst in Europe, also has great public transport.

and translated into Italian:

definite article + cui: Roma, i cui problemi di traffico sono tra i più peggiori in Europa, possiede anche buoni mezzi pubblici.

or

il quale: Roma, i problemi di traffico della quale sono tra i più peggiori in Europa, possiede anche buoni mezzi pubblici.

In interrogatives, whose is expressed with di chi:

Di chi è la macchina?
Whose car is it?

As we stated before, the preposition, di, is used to express possession (la macchina di Giovanni = John’s car).  Di chi can also be used as a relative pronoun when there’s no antecedent present:

Non so di chi sia quel portafoglio.
I don’t know whose wallet it is.

Downloads:
Download a copy of a lesson as a pdf by clicking here.

Downloads:
You can download a pdf of this lesson by clicking here.

Talking on the phone is rough for many reasons:

• You can’t rely on body language for non-verbal cues — you know, raised eyebrows, quizzical looks, and other expressions that help you to understand what a person is (or is not saying). If you can’t see the person via a video camera or some kind of video phone/conferencing, you might not pick up on the other person’s confusion (and vice versa).
• People tend to be less patient on the phone and talk faster. If you are phoning a call centre, the nature of the call is going to be more formal and less relaxing than if you were calling a friend or a family member.

That being said, talking on the phone can present a problem. Therefore, it is important to practice speaking Italian over the phone when you can.

Below is a list of some useful words and expressions that you might encounter when talking on the phone — learning them, using them and hearing them will help make you more prepared for talking on the phone (I will add to this list as I come across other expressions or if others make suggestions):

Pronto! | Hello!
This is the form of Hello that you will hear often when someone answers the phone

Buongiorno | Good day
You might hear this followed by the name of the place/business that you are calling

Un momento, per favore | One moment, please
You might hear this after you give certain details about yourself while the person on the other end of the line looks up information in a computer or verifies some data that they’ve asked you for

Attenda in linea, per favore | Please hold (literally: Wait on the line, please)
This formal command will often be spoken if the wait will be more than just a moment.

Mi dica? | May I help you? (literally: Tell me, formal command)
This formal command is often made an interrogative and is a polite way of asking “May I help you?” or “How can I be of assistance?” You’ll hear it on the phone but also at restaurants, hotels, cafes and bars.

In cosa posso esserle utile? or In cosa posso aiutarla? | How can I be of help?
This is another way in which you might be asked over the phone how the person you are calling can be of assistance. Notice the use of the formal pronouns.

Desidera? | May I help you?
Used in the third person formal of the present is another way of asked what you wish over the phone. You will hear this often also while out and about at restaurants, hotels, cafes, etc.

Other useful words and expressions:

il telefono | telephone
il telefonino, il cellulare | mobile (phone)
telefonare (a qualcuno) | to phone, to call someone
fare and comporre (for numbers) or chiamare (when dialing people, countries) | to dial

Fa’ 06 555 555 e parla con tua nonna! È una vita che non le hai parlato.
Dial 06 555 555 and speak with your grandmother! It’s been a while since you spoke to her.

Ho composto il numero che mi hai dato ma non era quello giusto! Mi hai dato il numero del meccanico invece di darmi quello del medico!
I dialed the number that you gave me, but it wasn’t right! You gave me the mechanic’s number instead of giving me that of the doctor!

Quando chiamo mio nonno in America, c’è sempre un costante fruscio in sottofondo
When I call my grandfather in America, there is always a constant noise in the background.

sbagliare numero | to dial the wrong number

Cazzo! Ho sbagliato numero e adesso la mia scheda telefonica è esaurita!
Fuck! I dialed the wrong number, and now my phone card is used up!

chiamare | to call
la chiamata | call, phone call
la telefonata | phone call
fare una telefonata (a + qualcuno) | to call someone

Non dimenticare di fare una telefonata all‘idraulico! Il rubinetto sgocciala ancora.
Don’t forget to call the plumber! The faucet is still leaking.

In Italian, it is often useful to spell things, especially your name if it is not an Italian one, in a phonetic manner since you cannot show your passport or write it out for the person with whom you are talking while on the phone. Below is a common way of spelling in Italian — it might help to brush up on how to pronounce the alphabet (the link will take you to another site that has a great page on pronouncing the alphabet). Make sure that you pronounce the places and names below. Irregular stresses are indicated with an underline:

A come Ancona | A as in Ancona or A like Ancona…
B come Bari
C come Como
D come Domodossola
E come Empoli
F come Firenze
G come Genova
H come “acca” or Hotel
I come Imola
J come Jolly
K come Kursaal (or Kappa)
L come Livorno
M come Milano
N come Napoli
O come Otranto
P come Palermo
Q come Quarto
R come Roma
S come Savona
T come Torino
U come Udine
V come Venezia
W come Washington or “vu doppia”
X come Xilofono
Y come Yogurt
Z come Zara

Grazie comes from the Italian noun, la grazia.

When saying Thanks or Thank you in Italian, you have to remember that when you modify the noun with an adjective, that the adjective must be in the plural.

See below on the many different ways of saying Thanks:

• Grazie | Thank you
• Molte grazie | Many thanks
• Grazie mille | Thank you very much (literally: A thousand thanks)
• Mille grazie | Thank you very much
• Grazie tante  | Thank you so much, Thanks so much (also used ironically, sarcastically: Thank a lot)
• Grazie infinite | Thank you so much
• Grazie di tutto | Thanks for everything
• Grazie di cuore | Sincerest thanks

If you want to be ironic when saying Thanks then you would say, Grazie tante | Thanks a lot:

Marco: Scusa, Maria, ho dimenticato di comprare il latte.
Marco: Excuse me, Maria, I forgot to buy milk.

Maria: Grazie tante, Marco! E adesso? Lo sai che non bevo mai il caffè senza latte.
Maria: Thanks a lot, Marco! And now what do I do?  You know that I never drink coffee without milk.

When thanking someone directly, the person to whom you are addressing simply follows grazie:

Grazie, Marcello. Ho imparato tante cose nuove sulla lingua italiana.
Thanks, Marcello. I learned so many new things about the Italian language.

Grazie with prepositions

Grazie is also used with the following prepositions:

a | to express to:

Grazie a Marco ho trovato le mie chiavi.
Thanks to Marco I found my keys.

The preposition, a + tonic pronoun or a + person/people, is used when you are thanking someone who you are not addressing:

Grazie a Maria ho trovato il mio gatto.
Thanks to Maria I found my cat.

You also use a + tonic pronoun, te (informal) or Lei (formal), when someone thanks you, and you want to thank them back without repeating their name:

Marco: Grazie, Maria. Sei troppo buono!
Marco: Thanks, Maria. You are too good!

Maria: No, grazie a te!
Maria: No, thank you!

This is also important when thanking God (don’t forget that Dio is capitalized):

Grazie a Dio!
Thank God!

per or di | to express for with nouns — remember, with the preposition, di, you must articulate it with the definite article of the noun that follows:

Grazie per il regalo! Mi piace molto!
Thanks for the gift. I like it a lot.

Grazie del regalo! Mi piace molto! (this construction is preferred)
Thanks for the gift. I like it a lot.

Grazie per fare/per aver fatto in Italian

In English, ”Thanks for + doing something”  may refer both to the present and the past.  In Italian, a common mistake is to use Grazie per + infinito to express “Thanks for doing something” in English. This construction doesn’t exist in Italian and should be avoided.  To thank someone for doing something at the time of speech, use the following constructions:

Grazie per il fatto che mi stai aiutando a cercare il gatto. Ti offrirò una cena quando lo troveremo!
Thanks for helping me look for my cat! I’ll offer you a dinner when we find him!
[You are thanking this person for helping you look for your cat: an action that is still in progress]

Grazie che mi stai aiutando a cercare il gatto. Ti offrirò una cena quando lo troveremo!
Thanks for helping me look for my cat! I’ll offer you a dinner when we find him!
[You are thanking this person for helping you look for your cat: an action that is still in progress]

In both of the examples above, note the use of the present progressive to express an action that is taking place in the moment that it is spoken!

Use per aver fatto* to express a result of an action that has already been completed at the time of speech.  In Italian, this construction is used to thank someone who has done something for you:

Grazie per aver trovato il mio gatto! Ti sono debitore!
Thanks for finding/having found my cat! I owe you one!

[The cat has been found, and you are thanking this person for something that has been done]

According to some, the difference between using di or per + infinitive (or di/per aver + past participle) is a matter of style and/or how it “sounds”. For more information, read this — notice the differing of opinion between the two responders.

written by Keith Preble and Vittorio Tavini

The chart above shows the definite articles in Italian. The definite article is “the” in English. As you can see, Italian has various forms of “the” depending upon the gender and number of the noun it modifies, and its form is determined by the first letter of the noun (and also in some cases the adjective) that follows the definite article.

Some points to remember:

Il is the masculine, singular form for “the” and is used before consonants except for nouns that begin with a s + consonant, ps, gn, y or z. These nouns use the “lo” form of the definite article:

il ragazzo, i ragazzi
il burro, i burri note that this noun is typically collective and used only in singular
il tempo, i tempi

lo studente, gli studenti
lo zio, gli zii
lo sport, gli sport
lo yogurt, gli yogurt
lo gnocco, gli gnocchi
lo psicotico, gli psicotici

L’ is the form for masculine and feminine singular plural “the” when the noun begins with a vowel. Such as:

l’albergo, gli alberghi
l’ecologo, gli ecologi
l’ambiente, gli ambienti

l’anatra, le anatre
l’automobile, le automobili
l’ondata, le ondate
l’informazione, le informazioni

L’ is also the definite article used for words which may start with a consonant but have a vowel-like sound:

l’mp3, gli mp3 mp3 (generally in foreign words)

La is the definite article for feminine nouns:

la mela | the apple
la torta | the cake
la scarpa | the shoe

When an adjective precedes the nouns and follows the definite article, the “rules” change. The first letter of the word following directly after the definite article determines its form:

L’informazione è utile.
The information is useful.

La nuova informazione è utile.
The new information is useful.

Normally the l’ is the definite article for informazione. Because it is preceded by an adjective that begins with a consonant (in this case, an n), it uses a different form of the definite article.

Some other examples:

The other day
L’altro giorno (il giorno -> il altro giorno -> l’altro giorno)

The new student
Il nuovo studente (lo studente -> lo nuovo studente -> il nuovo student)

As you can see, because the article precedes an adjective that begins with a vowel, it requires the l’ form of the definite article.

For information on definite articles and how they combine with prepositions, click here.

As you can see in the chart above, the -are verbs take their endings from the second and third conjugation, while the -ere and -ire verbs take their ending from the first conjugation. Also note the -isc- verbs, which retain the -isc- when conjugated in the present subjunctive.

The tricky part about the subjunctive is the plural forms (noi, voi and loro). The singular forms are always identical. Many irregular verbs in the present indicative (indicativo presente) are also irregular in the present subjunctive, for example, the verb, potere:

In English, we’re pretty loose with how we use coming and going, but in Italian, you have to be careful which you chose because it can affect the meaning of your sentences. Let’s look at what these two verbs mean:

1. Andare means “to go“, but more specifically it is movement towards a place. It’s important to note that the person to whom you are speaking is generally not included of your movement.
   

   Vado al cinema.
   I’m going to the cinema.

   When followed by an infinitive, the preposition, a, must be used: andare a + infinitive.

2. Venire means “to come“, but more specifically, it means moving and going towards a place where the person to whom you are speaking is located.
   

   Vengo a Londra.
   I’m coming to London.
   (where the person to whom you are speaking is already located)

   When followed by an infinitive, the preposition, a, must be used: venire a + infinitive.

Sometimes, seeing the verbs used in their context can help to explain better the grammar — let’s look at this conversation below between two friends, Marta and Enrico:

Marta: Enrico, vai al cinema stasera?

Marta: Enrico, are you going to the cinema tonight?

Enrico: Sì, certo. Devo vedere il nuovo film di Tarantino. Volete venire?

Enrico: Yes, of course. I have to see the new Tarantino film. Do you want come?

Marta: Beato te. Purtroppo non possiamo venire. Mia suocera viene da Milano stasera, e mio marito e io andiamo a cenare fuori con lei.

Marta: Lucky you. Unfortunately, we can’t come. My mother-in-law is coming from Milan this evening, and my husband and I are going to dine out with her.

Enrico: Peccato che non veniate al cinema.

Enrico: It’s a pity that you are not coming.

Marta: Forse mio marito e io ci andremo questo fine settimana. Buon film e divertiti!

Marta: Perhaps my husband and I will go this weekend. Enjoy the film and enjoy yourself!

In the first sentence, if Marta had said vieni instead of vai, she would have been implying that she, too, would have been at the cinema. Using andare, signals that she and Enrico will not be at the same location.

In the second sentence, Enrico asks “Volete venire?“, which means “Do you want to come with me to the theater?” If Enrico had asked “Volete andare?“, what he is really asking is “Do you also want to go to the movies, but not with me?” You might ask “Vuoi andare?” if you are asking if the person really want to go to see the film, not with the speaker.

When Marta says “non possiamo venire” what she is saying is: “We are not able to come and join you at the theater” (you being Enrico). If she had used andare, she would have been saying “we are not able to go to see the movie” at any theater, regardless if it was the one that Enrico would be at or not.

When a person comes from one place and goes to another, you use venire da, which means “I left from one place and will arrive where the person the speaker is addressing is located.” For example, if you are in Rome, and I said, “Vengo da Milano“, it means “I’ve left from Milan and am coming to you, the speaker, who is in Rome“. In the example above, Marta’s mother-in-law is arriving from Milan to Marta’s location.

In the second to last sentence, Enrico says “…non veniate al cinema” he is saying “It’s a pity that you are not coming to join me at the theater“. If andare were used, the meaning changes: “It’s a pity that you are not going to some theater to see this movie“.

In the last statement, Marta says “…ci andiamo questo weekend“, meaning “Perhaps we’ll go this weekend” meaning “Perhaps we’ll go to see the movie at some cinema this weekend but you won’t be there, Enrico, because you’ve already seen the movie and presumably you don’t want to see it a second time.” If Marta used veniamo, she would have been implying that Enrico, too, might joining them.

Talking is her favorite thing to do – she never stops.

In the sentence above, talking, is a present participle that is being used as a noun. This is the gerund in English. They can also be phrases — take the same example above slightly re-worded:

Talking smack is her favorite thing to do while watching the football game.

Talking now has a direct object, smack and is a noun phrase that is used as the subject of the sentence above.

In Italian, the gerund form of the verb is never used in this way — it has a more limited scope and function. In Italian, the gerund form ends in either -ando or -endo, for example: parlando, correndo. It is most commonly used with the verb, stare, to form the present progressive (or the past progressive, when used in the imperfect). The gerundio can also be used with andare and venire.

The gerund can be used on its own to express an action that is happening concurrently to another one, much in the same way that the imperfect does. For example:

Andando al supermercato, ho visto Luca.
= Mentre andavo al supermercato, ho visto Luca.

(While) Going to the store, I saw Luca.
While I was going to the store, I saw Luca.

This kind of construction is typically used when the subject of the gerundio and the main clause are the same (io, in the example above). Be careful not to combine conjunctions (like mentre) with the gerundio — this is agrammatical because the gerundio when used in this way implies mentre, and also the gerundio when used on its own is not a proper verb. NB: However, the gerundio can be used with a variety of tenses, such as the present, future, present perfect, etc.

This same construction can also be used to express the English, by + present participle, for example:

By working many hours, Giorgio became the boss of his department.
Lavorando molte ore, Giorgio è diventato il capo del suo dipartimento.

Take note that the gerundio cannot be used when the main clause is passive.

The gerundio (semplice or composto) can be used in subordinate clauses to express different states and conditions, for example:

a condition (if):

Comprando una nuova macchina, posso vendere la vecchia.

Buying a new car, now I can sell the old one.
If I buy a new car, I can sell the old one.

modal, expressing how someone/something is:

Essendo bravo a scrivere, Marco ha deciso di fare il giornalista.

Being capable in writing, Marco decided to be a journalist.

a cause (since):

Parlando il tedesco, ho deciso di andare a lavorare in Germania

Speaking German, I decided to go to work in Germany.
Since I speak German, I decided to go to work in Germany.

a contrast (even if) with pure:

Pur trovando le chiavi, non potrei arrivare in orario al lavoro.

Even finding my keys, I couldn’t arrive on time to work.
Even if I find my keys, I couldn’t arrive on time to work.

time (while):

Andando al teatro, ho visto i miei migliori amici.

(While) going to the theater, I saw my best friends.

manner (by):

Studiando sempre, e bene, si è laureata presto.

By always studying well, she graduated early.

The gerundio also has a past form that is composed of the gerundio of avere or essere along with a past participle — you use avere or essere depending upon the past participle:

essendo andato | having gone:

Essendo andata al supermercato ieri, Marta ha dimenticato di comprare del latte.

Having gone to the supermarket yesterday, Marta forgot to buy some milk.

avendo giocato | having played

Avendo giocato a tennis con Michele, Giovanni è tornato a casa e ha fatto la doccia.

Having played tennis with Michele, Giovanni returned home and took a shower.

The compound gerundio refers to an action that has taken place before the action of the main clause, instead of being contemporaneous to the action of the main clause with the gerundio semplice.

Remember: when using the essere form of the compound gerund, make sure that the past participle used with essere agrees with the subject that it refers to. If the subordinate clause which contains the compound gerundio contains a direct object pronoun, the past participle agrees with the pronoun instead of the subject of the main clause.Also, the compound forms of the gerund are only used in writing and are not common in spoken Italian.

When perché has un valore causale,  it is followed by the indicative:

Voglio dormire perché sono stanco.
I want to sleep because I am tired

Un valore causale indicates a cause or a reason, as in the example above — I want to sleep for the very reason that I am tired.

When perché has un valore finale, it isfollowed by the subjunctive:

Vado a casa perché possa domire.
I’m going home so that I can sleep.

Un valore finale expresses an aim, a goal or a purpose — I am going home with the express goal of sleeping.

In writing, affinché is often used to replace perché in order to avoid any ambiguity between the valore causale and the valore finale. There are several other common conjunctions (congiunzioni) that require the subjunctive – you can learn more about them here.

It always refers only to people, and it typically follows the noun it modifies:

Mia madre mi dice sempre che devo evitare i problemi altrui.

My mother always tells me that I have to avoid the problems of others.

Non mi piace fumare in casa altrui.

I don’t like to smoke at other people’s houses.

Madre: Dani, non toccare la roba altrui!

Danilo: Mi spiace, mamma!

Mother: Dani, don’t touch other people’s things.

Danilo: Sorry, mom!

When the possession is that of an indefinite pronoun or the subject is impersonal (si), proprio is obligatory to express possession:

Tutti vogliono possedere le proprie case.

Everyone wants to own their own home.

Durante una vacanza si rilassa meglio con la propria stanza invece di condividere.

During a vacation one relaxes better with one’s own room instead of sharing.

In order to avoid ambiguity when the possessors are of the same person (third person singular or plural: suo and loro) and only if the subject of the sentence and the possessor are the same — the use of proprio signals to the reader or speaker that the possessor and subject are one and the same:

Marcello deve andare a Napoli per aiutare Annalisa con un progetto. Marcello non userà la propria macchina — non vuole partire.

Marcello has to go to Naples to help Annalisa with a project. Marcello will not use his (own) car — it doesn’t want to start.

In the example above, if sua were to be used, it would signal that the car is Annalisa’s. The use of propria reinforces to the reader whose car is being used (in this case, Marcello’s)

Proprio can also be used to express own, as in: my own, his own, your own, etc. as a means of reinforcing the standard possessivo:

Ora che ho i soldi, voglio la mia propria bici! Non mi piace dividere con mia sorella.

Now that I have money, I want my own bike. I don’t like sharing with my sister.

Pensare di means to think, in the sense of having an opinion or a belief about something:

Luisa: Marco, cosa pensi della guerra americana in Afghanistan?

Luisa: Marco, what do you think about the American war in Afghanistan?

Marco: Davvero, Luisa, non mi piace. Qualche volta penso che non ne valga la pena.

Marco: Really, Luisa, I don’t like it. Sometimes I think that it is not worth it.

In the example above, Luisa is asking for Marco’s opinion on the war in Afghanistan.

You might also see and hear the question Che ne pensi? or Cosa ne pensi? — remember, though, to use the ne, there generally should be something in which the ne can refer back to. See the example below:

Olivia: Marco, hai letto sui giornali che Lodo Alfano era bocciato?

Olivia: Marco, did you read in the papers that Lodo Alfano was overturned?

Marco: Sì, certo. Cosa ne pensi?

Marco: Yes, of course. What do you think about it?
(ne = del fatto che il Lodo Alfano è stato bocciato)

Pensare a, on the other hand, means to think about a particular person of thing:

Maria pensa sempre a Marco. Crediamo che sia innamorata di lui!

Maria is always thinking about Marco. We believe that she is in love with him!

Vittorio: Samuele, sembri distratto? Tutto a posto?

Vittorio: Samuel, you seem distracted? Everything ok?

Samuele: Ah, scusa. Pensavo alla guerra in Afghanistan ed agli italiani che sono morti di recente.

Samuele: Ah, pardon. I was thinking about the war in Afghanistan and the Italians that died recently.

In this first example:

I miei nonni sono partiti quando ho telefonato.

My grandparents left when I phoned.

In the example above, your grandparents left after you phoned — two past events that happened at the same time at some point in the past in a quick succession (that is, two completed actions). If you say:

I miei nonni sono partiti quando telefonavo.

My grandparents left when I was telephoning.

In the example above, your grandparents left as the phone was ringing – perhaps in too much of a rush to grab the phone or perhaps they did not hear it as they were leaving.  But when we substitute the trapassato prossimo for the passato prossimo in the first clause, the meaning changes:

I miei nonni erano partiti quando ho telefonato.

My grandparent had left when I phoned.

In the second example, your grandparents are already gone when you phone, having left at some point in the past before you called them on the phone.

Remember that the trapassato prossimo refers to a past event that happened before another past event. The more recent event in the past is expressed with the passato prossimo, passato remoto or the imperfetto.

With the trapassato prossimo you’ll often see specific points in the past referenced (ieri, all’una, due giorni fa, etci.), as this helps to differentiate between the more recent past (such as the passato prossimo or the imperfetto) and the less recent event represented by the trapassato prossimo. A question posed by one reader was how do they know which tense to use?  Use the tense which conveys that meaning that you wish to communicate.

The trapassato prossimo can be used:

-in dependent clauses – often certain adverbs and conjunctions will signal the use of the trapassato prossimo, such as siccome (since), già (already), quando (when), dopo che (after), etc., which indicate that some action has taken place or explicitly through the context:

Mia moglie mi ha telefonato stamattina dopo che avevo lasciato un messaggio per lei ieri notte.

My wife phoned me this morning after I had left a message for her last night.

Avevo già buttato il giornale quando me l’hai chiesto.

I had already thrown out the newspaper when you asked me for it.

-in independent clauses — when used in this manner, it must be inferred that the action which took place happened in the past before another action, through the use of a specific point in time or through the context:

Ieri sono andato in palestra ma volevo andare con Marco. Purtroppo era andato di mattina.

Yesterday I went to the gym but wanted to go with Marco. Unfortunately, he had gone in the morning.

Danilo: Marco, perchè non hai comprato una nuova macchina invece di riparare quella vecchia?

Marco: Ah, sì, hai ragione. Non ci avevo pensato.

Danilo: Marco, why didn’t you buy a new car instead of repairing that old one?

Marco: Ah, yes, you’re right. I hadn’t thought of it.

Don’t forget that past participle agrees with its subject in gender and number when the auxiliary is essere.

Ci is used with noi.
Vi is used with voi.
Si is used with loro.

Remember: With compound tenses reciprocal verbs require essere (just like reflexive verbs), and the past participles must agree in gender and in number with the subject.

Let’s look at some examples below:

Non ci parliamo.
We are not talking to each other.

Vi fate i regali per Natale?
Are you exchanging gifts for Christmas (with each other)?

Si guardano con disgusto.
They are looking at each with disgust.

Ci siamo incontrati al centro commerciale.
We ran into each other at the mall.

Vi siete aiutati ieri sera?
Did you help each other yesterday evening?

Si sono lasciati due settimane fa.
They broke up two weeks ago.

Any verb can have this construction, but below is a common list of verbs that can express actions reciprocally:

abbracciarsi | to hug, to embrace each other
aiutarsi | to help each other
baciarsi | to kiss each other
capirsi | to understand each other
farsi regali | to exchange gifts (with each other)
guardarsi | to look at each other
incontrarsi | to run into each other
innamorarsi | to fall in love with each other
lasciarsi | to leave each other; to break up (a relationship)
parlarsi | to talk to each other
salutarsi | to greet each other
scriversi | to write to each other
telefonarsi | to phone each other
vedersi | to see each other

to hire, to employ
to take something on, such as a responsibility, a task, etc.
to assume, as in to assume the shape of something

The past participle of assumere is assunto. Avere is used in compound tenses. Assumere is irregular in the passato remoto. Go to Italian-Verbs.com to see the verb conjugated in all its tenses and moods.

Let’s look at some examples of the verb’s usage:

Il capo mi ha avvisato che devo assumere dieci nuovi assistenti per questo nuovo progetto.

The boss informed me that I have to hire 10 new employees for this new project.

Perchè Marcello ha assunto responsabilità di organizzare la nostra vacanza? È meglio se lo aiutiamo?

Why did Marcello assume the responsibility for organizing our vacation? Isn’t it better if we help?

L’uomo misterioso ha assunto la forma di un cane per nascondersi dalla polizia.

The myterious man assumed the form of a dog in order to hide from the police.

To assume in the sense of to suppose, when one might say “He assumes that we are going to Europe,” requires different verbs –  supporre or presumere.

Let’s look at some examples:

Presumo che non ci vediamo più?

I assume that we are not going to see each other anymore?

Hai supposto che avessi rubato i soldi perché ho avuto un passato difficile?

You assumed that I had stolen the money because I had a difficult past?

Presumere and supporre both have irregular past participles: presunto and supposto, respectively. Avere is used for both verbs in compound tenses.

The verb, sopportare (pp: sopportato) means to support, as in: to tolerate, to bear, to stand, to put up with someone or something.

This verb can also mean to support in the context of supporting weight or traffic (such as describing roads and bridges, architectural structures, etc.):

Il tetto non riesce a sopportare il peso della struttura.

The roof is not able to support the weight of the structure.

The verb, supportare (pp: supportato) means to support,  as in: to support, to back.

Let’s look at some examples:

Non riesco a sopportare tuo fratello. È una persona cattiva!

I can’t stand your brother. He is a wicked person!

Luisa sopporta la visione del programma solamente perché a te piace molto

Luisa tolerates watching the program only because you like it a lot.

Ti supporto e la tua decisione di tornare all’università.

I support you and your decision to return to college.

La società non supporta più questo programma.

The company doesn’t support this program anymore.

NB: Avere is used in compound tenses for both verbs.

In English, since can be a preposition, adverb or a conjunction.  Let’s look at how this all works in Italian:

Since as a preposition:

As a preposition, since is translated with the preposition, da — this is usually with time expressions:

Suono il flauto da 13 anni.

I have been playing the flute for thirteen years.

Faccio il professore dal 2003.

I have been a teacher since 2003.

Notice the use of the present tense + da — you can read more about that here.

Since as a conjunction:

As a conjunction, since is expressed in two ways:

1) from the time when | da quando, dal tempo in cui: This usage is similar to since as a preposition except that this is used as a conjunction  - remember in this construction as a conjunction, it must join two clauses.

Suono il flauto da quando avevo 13 anni.

I have been playing the flute since I was thirteen.

2) because, given that | visto che, dato che, poiché

Non andiamo al cinema visto che sei stanco.

We are not going to the cinema seeing that (since) you are tired.

Dato che non sei abituato al caldo, forse è meglio non uscire questo pomeriggio.

Given that you are not used to the heat, perhaps it is better not go out this afternoon.

Poiché nevicava, ho deciso di stare a casa. Le strade sono pericolose!

Since it was snowing, I decided to stay home. The streets are dangerous.

NB: Visto che and dato che can be used synonymously.

Since as an adverb:

Since can also be used adverbially. In English, since can mean subsequently and usually refers to some previous point in the past. It can also refer to a definite point in the past that relates to the present or can be synonymous with “ago”:

When since means subsequently, use da allora:

Non l’ho vista da allora.

I have not seen her since.

Da allora ci siamo visti ogni estate.

We’ve seen each other every summer since.

Take note of these English expressions using since and their approximate Italian equivalents:

not long since | da poco, da poco tempo
ever since | da allora
long since | da molto, da molto tempo, da un pezzo
many years since | molti anni fa

When divorcing someone (such as your husband/wife), you must use the preposition, da, before the person that you are divorcing:

Ho divorziato da mia moglie.

I divorced my wife.

The reason for this construction is that divorziare is an intransitive verb — this means that the direct object never follows the verb.

This verb can also be used generally, too:

I miei genitori stanno divorziando.

My parents are divorcing.

Abbiamo divorziato dopo un anno perché mia moglie mi ha tradito.

We divorced after a year because my wife was unfaithful to me.

One such error reared its ugly head yesterday when chatting with my friend, Adriano. And that error was my use of the verb, riflettere — below is a conjucation of the verb in the present tense:

Riflettere, like many Italian verbs, is both transitive and intransitive. As a transitive verb, riflettere means “to reflect” — remember that as a transitive verb it must have a direct object. The verb is used in this way when something reflects something – such as a mirror, which reflects light. Or perhaps the blacktop which reflects heat, etc.

The verb can also be used transitively in a figurative way – such as a work of art or work of writing which might reflect the historical period or a specific mood.

Le pozzanghere riflettono la luce del sole.

The puddles are reflecting the sunlight.

Le opere di Hemingway riflettono lo spirito del tempo del Novecento.

The works of Hemingway reflect the zeitgeist of the 20th century.

As an intransitive verb, riflettere means to reflect in the sense of to think, to ponder, to consider, or to weigh.

Devo riflettere bene prima di fare una decisione.

I have to think it over before making a decision.

Dopo aver molto riflettuto ha deciso di divorziare da suo marito.

After much thought she decided to divorce her husband.

When used reflexively, it can mean to have repercussions or to affect:

Le scelte economiche dei politici si rifletteranno su tutti i disoccupati.

The politicians political choices will have repercussions on all the unemployed.

It can also mean to be reflected:

Che bello! Le nuvole si riflettono nell’acqua del lago!

How beautiful! The clouds are reflected in the water of the lake.

Another point to consider is that this verb has two past participles: riflesso, for when the verb is used transitively, and riflettuto for when the verb is used intransitively or reflexively.Avere is used in compound tenses regardless of whether the verb is used transitively or intransitively.

The way that you discover the intended meaning is through the context in which the verb is used, and even then it might not seem clear.  Let’s look at some examples:

Lo aveva salutato qualche minuto prima per andare a comprare il pane.

She said good-bye to him some minutes before in order to go buy bread.

This is a good example of how context of the sentence can help us to know which meaning of the verb is intended. Because she is going to buy bread, it is more logical that she is saying good-bye as she is leaving to go out to do some shopping.

And this example:

Diecimila fedeli hanno salutato il Papa quando è arrivato in centro.

10,000 parishoners greeted the Pope when he arrived downtown.

Again, the context helps in determining the meaning of the verb. It tends to be more logical to greet someone upon their arrival. Little clues such as this will help you in using and understanding the verb.

Some points to remember:

Salutare is also a transitive verb and requires avere in compound tenses. Remember that the person or thing to which you are greeting/saying good-bye to is a direct object in Italian, not an indirect object.

Salutare is a regular verb in in Italian; the past participle is salutato.

Be careful not to confuse the verb, salutare, which the adjective which can mean healthy/wholesome or beneficial.

Useful expressions using the verb, salutare:

- venire a salutare | to visit, to drop by

Sono venuto a salutarti ieri sera ma non sei stato a casa.

I dropped by yesterday evening but you were not at home.

- salutarsi | to greet each other; to say good-bye to each other; to exchange greetings

- salutarsi con una stretta di mano | to shake hands

- non salutarsi più to no longer be on speaking terms

Non ci salutiamo più.

We are no longer on speaking terms.
We do not speak to each other anymore.

- Salutamela! | Tell her I said hi!

As an interrogative pronoun (pronome interrogativo):

Chi is commonly found in questions, and, as such, it is an interrogative pronoun. It can function as the subject or as an indirect object or object of the preposition (complement indiretto):

Chi vuole andare al cinema?

Who wants to go to the movies?

Chi ha comprato quella macchina blu?

Who bought that blue car?

Con chi vedi il film?

With whom are you seeing the film?

Da chi vai domani sera?

To whose house are you going tomorrow?

Readers often ask – how do you know if it is the subject or the indirect object/object of the preposition. First, when chi functions as an indirect object/object of the preposition, it will have a preposition before it (di, da, con, etc.). Second, the form of the verb can also be something other than the third person singular (see the last two examples above). Otherwise, when chi is the subject, the verb is always in the third person singular (see the first two examples above).

Chi di + tonic pronoun noi, voi or loro can have the meaning Which of in questions:

Chi di noi…? | Which of us…

Chi di voi…?| Which of you…

Chi di loro…? | Which of them…

For example:

Chi di noi va alla festa di Daniela?

Which of us is going to Daniela’s party?

It’s possible that you could have phrases such as Chi di me (Which of me…) if you’re being existential or philosophical (you might hear it in songs or see it in poetry), but it’s generally used in the plural (noi, voi, loro).

Di chi can mean whose when forming questions:

Di chi è questo?

Whose is this?

Di chi sono questi?

Whose are these?

Di chi sono queste chiavi?

Whose keys are these?

Chi is heard often over the telephone, as in the following expressions:

Chi parla?

Who’s calling?

Con chi sto parlando?

With whom am I speaking?

As a relative pronoun (pronome relativo):

Chi can also be used as a relative pronoun (pronome relativo) as either the subject or an indirect object/object of the preposition (complemento indiretto). It has the following meanings:

the person who, the one who
the man/woman who/whom
the people/those who/whom
someone who/somebody who
anyone who (in negative phrases)

It should be pointed out that chi does not require an antecedent and is often considered a “double pronoun” because it is both the antecedent and the relative pronoun simultaneously. Chi can also be preceded by prepositions in the following combinations:

a chi

Lascerò la mia eredità a chi si comporterà meglio nei miei riguardi.

I will leave my inheritance to those who behave better towards me.

con chi

I miei figli giocano con chi c’è al parco.

My children play with who is there at the park.

da chi

Il governo prende da chi può pagare.

The government takes from whoever is able to pay.

di chi

Quel giornalaccio parla di chi vive scadalosamente.

That rag talks about whoever lives scandalously.

in chi

Ho fiducia in chi dice la verità.

I trust those who tell the truth.

per chi

Ho votato per chi è sembrato il più onesto.

I voted for whoever seemed the most honest.

su chi

Gennaro è sfortunattissimo alle corse. Punta sempre su chi perde.

Gennaro is unlucky at the track. He bets always on those who lose.

tra/fra chi

Sceglierò a chi dare i miei regali solamente tra chi mi porterà in vacanza con lui

I will choose who to give my gifts only among those who will bring me on vacation with them.

Remember that a relative pronoun joins a relative clause to the main clause. Chi does not require an antecedent (unlike che and cui) as it functions as both the relative pronoun and antecedent at the same time.

Another important aspect of chi is the fact that, since it lacks an antecedent, it usually describes an unknown person. In English, we might say something like I have to find someone who can write in French. We don’t know who exactly we will find.

Here are some examples in Italian:

Devo trovare chi sa scrivere in francese.

I have to find someone who knows how to write in French.

Non posso ricordarmi chi è arrivato con Emilio.

I can’t remember who arrived with Emilio.

Chi spende sempre non risparmia mai.

Those who always spend never save.

Chi dice cazzate sembrerà stupido.

He (or she) who talks nonsense will seem stupid.
Those who talk nonsense will seem stupid.

Non mi piace chi mente.

I don’t like those who lie.

Chi can also mean whoever, anyone:

Assuma chi vuole. Lei è il capo.

Hire anyone/whoever you want. You are the boss.

Chi di + noi/voi/loro can also be used as a relative pronoun to mean Those of us/you/them who:

Chi di voi vuole sapere di più della situazione politica può consultare al mio sito web.

Those of you who want to know more about the political situation can visit my web site.

Chi (…chi) can also mean: some people…others.  Chi can also be used correlatively, that is two pronouns that refer to two distinct groups of the same thing, as in English we might say “some” or “some people” and “others”:

C’è chi viaggia, chi sta a casa.

Some people travel, others stay home.

When studying relative pronouns, it’s important to understand how they differ so that you can use them correctly — if you listen to spoken Italian on TV, on the radio or among your Italian friends, you’ll find that they don’t use che for every sentence. Italian is a language that is spoken well when it is varied.

If you’re unsure of when to use cui or when to use chi, one important distinction is that cui requires an antecedent. You might become confused because both and cui and chi can be preceded by preposition. Take a look at the example below:

Dottore Giambattista, da cui sono andato ieri, ha studiato a Milano con mio padre.

Doctor Giambattista, who I went to yesterday, studied in Milan with my father.

You cannot use chi in this example for one very important reason – da cui refers back to Dottore Giambattista. We know who we are speaking about, Dr. Giambbatista (the antecedent).

Let’s look at the example below:

Annalisa: Vai da un medico specifico?

Annalisa: Are you going to a particular doctor?

Marco: Vado da chi riesce a curare la mia malattia.

Marco: I am going to whomever is able to cure my illness.

We use da chi instead of cui because there’s no antecedent – we don’t know which doctor Marco will see because Marco hasn’t said (perhaps even he doesn’t know or even care). However, if we have an antecedent, then we must use cui:

Marco: Vado a visitare Dottor Giambattista da cui va mia madre.

Marco: I’m going to see Dottor Giambattista whom my mother goes to.

Downloads:
Click here to download a pdf version of this lesson.

Generally, anche does not start a sentence in Italian, especially when it modifies a personal form of the verb – use instead inoltre or oppure. Or, alternatively, you can place anche later in the sentence:

Vai anche al cinema.
Inoltre vai al cinema.
Oppure vai al cinema.

You too are going to the cinema.

Anche precedes impersonal forms of the verb (such as infinitives, gerunds and participles) and as such could be the start of a sentence (see the first example with the infinitive as the subject of the sentence) :

Anche leggere nel buio non è sano.

Also reading in the dark is not healthy.

Marco sta anche correndo per mettersi in forma.

Marco is also running to get into shape.

Giovanni è un tipo molto studioso. Riesce a studiare anche mangiando.

Giovanni is a very studious type. He is able to study while also eating.

As we pointed out previously, anche generally does not to begin a sentence. However, this rule does not apply when anche modifies the subject. If the subject is a pronoun (io, tu, noi, etc. — nota bene: with io, anche contracts: anch’io) then the subject pronoun must be used in the phrase (as you know, subject pronouns are typically omitted):

Anche tu vieni da me?

You also are coming to my house?

This sentence means: You, too, along with the others are coming to my house?

Note the difference between the phrase above and this one:

Vieni anche da me?

You are also coming to my house?

This sentence means: You are also coming to my house along with doing other things (such as shopping, making a cake, babysitting, etc.)

Anche can be used in to add reinforcement, especially when there is a link between two things or between two distinct actions:

Hai letto ‘Il giorno della civetta’ ed anche ‘La scomparsa di Marjorana’?

Did you read ‘The Day of the Owl’ and also ‘The disappearance of Marjoana’?

Stefano è andato al teatro ed anche uscito ieri sera.

Stefano went to the theatre and also went out yesterday evening.

Anche can be used on its own to affirm a response to a question that was already asked without repeating Sì:

Marco: Cerchi il mio libro? | Are you looking for my book?

Anna: Sì.

Marco: E la mia rivista? | And my magazine?

Anna: Anche. | Yes, that too or And your magazine.

The placement of anche can change the meaning of a sentence, and this is especially true in compound tenses. Anche precedes the element which it modifies. Be sure that you place anche where you want it to make the most sense. In the first example, anche modifies the verb, that is past participle, letto:

Ho anche letto il giornale.

Along with doing other things (washing the car, walking the dog, shopping) I also found time to read the paper.

In the second example, anche modifies the noun, il giornale:

Ho letto anche il giornale.

Along with reading other things (such as a new book I bought at the bookstore, my child’s report card, an email) I also read the paper.

• dare nell’occhio to attract attention

  Quella donna dà molto nell’occhio con la sua camicia stretta!
  That woman is attracting a lot of attention with that tight shirt.
  

• tagliare la corda to slip away, to sneak off
  
  Mentre il professore era distratto, ne approfittai per tagliare la corda e andai a fumare.
  While the teacher was distracted, I profited from it in order to slip away and went to smoke.
  
• gettare la spugna to throw in the towel (i.e. to give up)

  Che fai, Maria?? Perché insisti a voler salvare il tuo matrimonio? Faresti meglio a gettare la spugna ed a divorziare dal tuo marito infedele e bugiardo!
  What are you doing, Maria?? Why do you insist on wanting to save your marriage? You would do better to throw in the towel and divorce your unfaithful and lying husband.
  

• fare un buco nell’acqua to fail

  Dopo aver studiato per una settimana, ho fatto un buco nell’acqua e mi tocca rifare l’esame l’anno prossimo.
  After having studied for a week, I failed and it’s my turn to retake the exam next year.
  

• perdere la faccia to lose face (see also: salvare la faccia: to save face)

  Il giornale ha rivelato che il politico ha commesso tante indiscrezioni. Sembra che abbia perso la faccia dopo troppi scandali.
  The newspaper revealed that the politician committed so many indiscretions. It seems that he lost face after too many scandals.
  

• essere nato con la camicia to be born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth

  Giovanni non lavora mai, ma non è una sorpresa. Quando si è nati con la camicia, non non ce n’è bisogno.
  Giovanni never works, but it is not a surprise. When one is born with a silver spoon in their mouth, there’s no need.

• mangiare la foglia to smell a rat; to see through something (such as a trick, swindle)

  Uno sconosciuto mi ha telefonato e ha detto che ho vinto la lotteria. Ho mangiato la foglia!
  A stranger phoned me and told me that I won the lottery. I smelled a rat!

• avere la testa fra le nuvole to have one’s head in the clouds

  La professoressa vuole aiutare Marco che non è mai attento e ha sempre la testra fra le nuvole.
  The teacher wants to help Marco, but he never pays attentions and always has his head in the clouds.
  
  could also say: essere distratto

• raccontare (dire) per filo e per segno to narrate in detail

  Giuseppe ama raccontare i suoi aneddoti d’infanzia per filo e per segno.
  Giuseppe loves to tell his childhood anecdotes in detail.

• piantare in asso to leave in the lurch

  Il mio amico mi ha piantato in asso. Adesso devo viaggiare da solo in Germania, e non parlo tedesco.
  My friend left me in the lurch. Now I have to travel by myself to Germany, and I don’t speak German.

• salvare capra e cavoli to have it both ways

  Giovanni vuole continuare a vedere Maria e anche vuole rimanere sposato a Marcella. Come può salvare capra e cavoli?
  Giovanni wants to continue to see Maria and he also wants to remain married to Marcella. How can he have it both ways?
  

For more modi di dire, check out this page from Wikipedia Italia.

1. Marco drinks like a fish.
2. The fish is swimming upstream.

• il granchio crab
  
  Il piatto di granchio era buonissimo!
  The plate of crab was very good!
  
  Mi dispiace, ma non è corretto. Purtroppo hai preso un granchio.
  I’m sorry, but it is not correct. Unfortunately, you blundered.
  
  prendere un granchio to blunder, to mess up (as in: to make a mistake)
  
  
• seminare to sow
  
  Ogni anno seminiamo il campo a frumento.
  Every year we sow the wheat field.
  
  Mia madre ha gridato, “Non seminare zizzania con tua sorella!”
  My mother shouted, “Don’t stir things up with your sister!”
  
  You’ll often hear the expression, Non seminare zizzania*, which means “to sow discord” but more colloquially it means “Don’t make/cause trouble” or “Don’t stir things up” – you might hear mothers say this to their young children.
  
  *darnel (la zizzania) is also known as “fake wheat” – it is a weed that resembles wheat and. when eaten in large quantities, can cause hallucinations and even death.
  
  
• la frittata omelet
  
  Quella frittata non era difficile da preparare. Riesco a insegnarti se vuoi?
  That omelet is not difficult to make. I can teach you if you want?
  
  Non rivoltare la frittata! Marco mi ha detto la verità!
  Don’t twist the argument! Marco told me the truth!
  
  The expression, rivoltare la frittata, means “to twist an argument”; literally it means “to flip an omelet”.
  
  
• il terremoto earthquake
  
  Il terremoto nell’Aquila ha causato molti danni.
  The earthquake in Aquila caused a lot of damage.
  
  Non mi piace quando il figlio di Nada viene da me. È un terremoto, e passo il resto del giorno sistemare la casa.
  
  I don’t like when Nada’s son comes to my house. He is a terror, and I spend the rest of the day cleaning the house.
  
  Literally, an earthquake is when the earth shakes/rumbles causing a lot of damage as the result of tectonic stresses in the earth’s crust. Figuratively, it can mean “whirlwind” or “hellion” to describe a child who can’t sit still and makes a mess!
  
  
• la marea tide
  
  L’alta marea arriva alle due del pomeriggio.
  The high tide arrives at 2pm.
  
  Mamma mia! C’è una marea di lavoro che devo fare prima di poter scappare.
  Mamma mia! There is a flood of work that I have to do before being able to leave.
  
  La marea can mean “tide”, such as the one encountered at the ocean. It can also be used to indicate a “flood” of something, such as a sudden onslaught of work or a large number of tasks.
  
  
• pungente sharp
  
  Quel coltello è molto pungente. Stai attento!
  That knife is very sharp. Watch out!
  
  Maria dice sempre cose cattive di noi. I suoi commenti sono sempre pungenti!
  Maria always says bad things about us. Her comments are always biting.
  
  The adjective, pungente, which mean “sharp” when describing objects like knives, a broken piece of glass, etc. But it can also mean “biting” or “cutting” when describing someone’s words or actions.
  
  
• la perla pearl
  
  Ti piacciono le perle? Sono da Cina.
  Do you like the pearls? They are from China.
  
  Mio marito ed io abbiamo passato una bella vacanza nelle montagne – la nostra cabina era una propria perla!
  My husband and I spent a beautiful vacation in the mountains – our cabin was a true pearl!
  
  La perla can mean “pearl”, like the jewel that comes from oysters. It can also be used to describe something or someone of unique beauty or quality.
  
  
• la forchetta fork
  
  Ho lasciato cadere la forchetta per terra.
  I dropped the fork on the ground.
  
  Mario è una forchetta e mangia e prepara solo i migliori piatti.
  Mario is a gourmet and eats and prepares only the best dishes.
  
  We all know of the fork (la forchetta) that we eat with. But when we describe a person as una forchetta it means that they enjoy eating or they’re a gourmet.
  
  
• il verme worm
  
  Quando piove ci sono sempre tanti vermi.
  When it rains, there are always so many worms.
  
  Giovanni è proprio un verme — ha fatto tante cose che non sono etiche.
  Giovanni is really a worm — he has done so many things that are not ethical.
  
  Essere un verme is an expression that means “to be a worm” in the sense of being vile and contemptible.
  
  
• la cozza mussel
  
  Il mio piatto preferito è gli spaghetti con le cozze.
  My favorite dish is spaghetti with mussels.
  
  Non fare le cozze! Muoviti – il film comincia fra un’ora!
  Don’t be lazy! Move it — the film starts in an hour!
  
  Le cozze (mussels) are a shellfish that you can eat. They don’t move much in the ocean and are just simply “there”, and thus came about the expression, fare le cozze, which means “to be lazy” or “to be indifferent”.
  

Let’s compare the two following sentences:

Active voice: John hit the ball.
Passive voice: The ball is hit by John.

In the active sentence, John is the subject, and the ball is the direct object – the receiver of the action (hitting). In the passive sentence, the subject is the ball, and John is now the agent.  In Italian the agent is always preceded by the preposition, da.  Note all passive phrases need or have agents.

The Italian passive voice is formed exactly the same way as in English. The passive can be formed with essere or venire. The only caveat with venire is that it cannot be used passively in compound tenses.  Take note that the past participles in passive phrases must agree with the subject, not the agent!

Passive sentences in Italian follow this basic pattern below:

subject of the sentence + essere/venire + participio passato + (da + person/agent)

Present/Presente:

The car is bought by Jane.
La macchina è comprata da Giovanna.
La macchina viene comprata da Giovanna.

Passato Prossimo (Only essere can be used passively with the passato prossimo!):

The car has been bought by Jane.
The car was bought by Jane.
La macchina è stata comprata da Giovanna.

Passato Remoto:

The car was bought by Jane.
La macchina venne comprata da Giovanna.
La macchina fu comprata da Giovanna.

Imperfect/Imperfetto:

The car was bought by Jane.
The car was being bought by Jane.
La macchina era comprata da Giovanna.
La macchina veniva comprata da Giovanna.

Remember, that the imperfect also has the meaning, “used to“:

The cheese used to be eaten by the mice until we bought a cat.
Il formaggio era mangiato dai topi finchè abbiamo comprato un gatto.

Trapassato Prossimo:

The car had been bought by Giovanna.
La macchina era stata comprata da Giovanna.

Future/Futuro:

The car will be bought by Jane.
La macchina sarà comprata da Giovanna.
La macchina verrà comprata da Giovanna.

Conditional/Condizionale:

The car would be bought by Jane.
La macchina sarebbe comprata da Giovanna.
La macchina verebbe comprata da Giovanna.

The passive can also be formed with andare + past participle, but this implies an obligation or necessity, and is synonymous with dovere essere + past participle (has to be, must be):

The bills must be paid.
I conti devono essere pagati.
I conti vanno pagati.

Venire can only be used passively with these tenses:

presente indicativo
presente congiuntivo
passato remoto
imperfetto
congiuntivo imperfetto
futuro semplice
condizionale

Let’s look at some guidelines:

1. Che is both an interrogative pronoun and an interrogative adjective, while Che cosa and Cosa are only interrogative pronouns:

   Che macchina vuoi comprare?
   What car do you want to buy?

   Che cosa macchina vuoi comprare? = WRONG
   Cosa macchina vuoi comprare? = WRONG

2. Che is used in many idiomatic expressions where cosa and che cosa do not apply — notice that in the examples below Che functions as an adjective:

   Che tempo fa? How’s the weather
   Che ora è? What time is it?
   Che ore sono? What time is it?

3. Cosa and che cosa are used in some expressions below:

   Che cosa non va? What’s wrong?
   Cosa non va? What’s wrong?

   Che cosa c’è? What’s the matter?
   Cosa c’è? What’s the matter?

   in this expression, Che is permitted, although tends to be more informal for use among friends and family: Che c’è? What’s the matter?

4. Che, Che Cosa, and Cosa can be usually used interchangeably when they are all being used as pronouns and not in any of the expressions referenced above:

   Che vuoi fare oggi?
   Che cosa vuoi fare oggi?
   Cosa vuoi fare oggi?

   What do you want to do today?

5. Italian, like English, also uses Che, Che cosa, and Cosa in the sense of Che dici or Che hai detto (as in English when we might say “What?” when we’ve misheard something) when something that has been said seems unbelievable, was not heard or not understood properly.

   However, this use is informal (and somewhat rude, even in English). The more appropriate way of saying What? in this context is to ask Prego? (Pardon?) or to ask the speaker politely to please repeat themselves.
   

• l’allarme (m.): This word can mean alert, warning or the more literal siren – such as what you might hear from a fire truck or an ambulance. Can also mean alarm when referring to one’s burglar alarm. You will often hear this word in news reports and new stories when alarming news is brought to the attention of viewers.

• dare l’allarme: to give/to raise the alarm; to warn; you’ll often see the expression lanciare l’allarme

  E le associazioni dei coltivatori lanciano già l’allarme siccità.
  And the association of farmers are already sounding the drought warning.

• sounare l’allarme: to sound the alarm

• l’allarme rosso: red alert

• il falso allarme: false alarm
• mettere in allarme: to alarm

  Le notizie mi hanno messo in allarme.
  The news alarmed me.

• la sveglia: This is the Italian word for alarm clock.
• puntare la sveglia (per): to set the alarm (for + certain time)

  Hai puntato la sveglia per le 7?
  Did you set the alarm for 7?

• suonare: to go off (when referring to your alarm clock)

  La sveglia ha suonato alle 5 di mattina.
  The alarm clock went off at 5 AM.

• l’iniezione (f.): this refers to an injection, or a ‘shot’, that one would receive at the doctor’s office or hospital

  Il cane del vicino mi ha morso, e poi sono andato dal medico per un’iniezione.
  The neighbor’s dog bit me, and then I went to the doctor for a shot.

• il colpo: refers to a shot from a gun

  Ho sentito due colpi e poi silenzio.
  I heard two shots and then silence.
  

• il colpo: can also refer to a shot in sports, too

  ‘Bel colpo!’ ha gridato l’allenatore.
  ‘Great shot!’ the trainer shouted.

• la congettura: referring to a guess or a conjecture

  La sua congettura era sbagliata. Il maggiordomo era innocente.
  Her shot was wrong. The butler was innocent.

• la foto: referring to a photo

  Le foto di mio fratello sono nella rivista, National Geographic.
  My brother’s shots are in the magazine, National Geographic.

• il sorso: refers to a shot of liquor

  un sorso di vodka
  un sorso di whiskey

• la probabilità: refers to a shot that one might experience in a game of chance

  È una probabilità su due che il mio cavallo vince!
  It’s a 2 to 1 shot that my horse wins.

• la ripresa: a cinematic shot, a kind of shot relating to the movies and cinema

  Le riprese di Roma erano bellissime e hanno descritto in maniera appropriata i caratteri dei personaggi.
  The shots of Rome were beautiful and described appropriately the nature of the characters..

The verb has the following meanings in English, of which I highlighted the most important ones that you’re likely to encounter (see the post on the differences between prendere and portare):

1. to take, in the sense of picking something up, taking something

   Hai preso il mio portafoglio? Non posso trovarlo!
   Did you take my wallet? I can’t find it!
   

2. to catch, something moving or in motion

   Ho preso al volo il vaso prima che abbia colpito il pavimento.
   I caught the vase in mid-air before it hit the floor.

3. to take, a form of transportation

   Abbiamo preso il treno a Milano.
   We took the train to Milan.

4. to take, a particular street

   No, no! Ti ho detto…devi prendere la prima strada a sinistra, non a destra!
   No, no! I told you, you have to take the first street on the left, not the right!

5. to take, one’s medicine or drugs

   Mamma deve prendere la sua medicina ogni sera prima di andare a letto.
   Mom has to take her medicine every evening before going to bed.

   Giovanni ha smesso di lavora da quando ha cominciato a prendere droghe.
   Giovanni has stopped working since he started to take drugs.

6. to get, in the sense of purchasing something

   Mio padre prende sempre L’Espresso perché adora gli articoli.
   My father always gets L’Espresso because he adores the articles.

7. to get, to catch, in the medical sense, such as catching a cold, virus, illness
8. to have, to eat, usually in a bar, restaurant or caffe

   Quando il cameriere arriva, digli che prenderò un’insalata.
   When the waiter arrives, tell him that I’ll have a salad.

   Prendiamo un caffè con Luigi! Non l’ho visto per un settimana.
   Let’s have coffee with Luigi. I haven’t seen him for a week.

Here are some useful expressions with prendere — if you know of one that I’ve missed and think it is worth adding, leave a comment or email it to me:

• farsi prendere to get caught
• prendere una decisione to make a decision
• prendere posto to take one’s seat
• prendere alla lettera to take literally
  
• prendere in giro to tease/make fun of, to make a fool out of, to take for a “ride”

  Abbiamo preso in giro Emilio dopo che ha pianto al cinema.
  We teased Emilio after he cried at the movies.
  
  

• prendere in affitto to rent
  
• prendere una telefonata to take a phone call
• prendere da + qualcuno to take after someone

  Maddai, prendi da tuo padre! Sei sempre maleducato con gli sconosciuti!
  Jesus, you take after your father! You are always so rude with strangers.

• prendere a fare to start doing
• prendere in prestito to borrow
• prendere tempo to stall (for time)
• farsi prendere da to get involved in
• prendere qualcuno per qualcun altro to mistake someone for somebody else

  Ho preso uno sconosciuto per il mio amico, Roberto.
  I mistook a stranger for my friend, Roberto.

• prendere il polso to take one’s pulse

  L’infermiera mi ha preso il polso.
  The nurse took my pulse.
  

Mettere also has a past participle that is irregular (messo). It is also irregular in the passato remoto:

Below are some uses for the verb, mettere. There may be other meanings (colloquial or otherwise), so you might also check a good dictionary:

Before studying this lesson, you might want to brush up on the following:

• indicative tenses and the imperative (presente, passato prossimo, imperfetto, passato remoto, traspassato prossimo, trapassato remoto, futuro anteriore)
• present conditional
• present subjunctive
• past conditional
• imperfect and plupurfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto e trapassato)

Se introduces the condition (If...) and is usually set off by a comma (,). The phrase that follows or precedes the se clause is referred to as the consequence:

The se clause (the condition) can start the phrase or end it, and the meaning is generally the same (as seen above).

Daylight saving time restarts on March 29, 2009 in Italy.

Vocabolario

• l’ora legale daylight saving time

• l’ora solare solar time (when daylight saving time ends and our clocks move back)
• l’orologio, gli orologi clock, clocks
• l’orologio portatile watch
• l’orologio portatile da polso wrist watch
• l’orologio portatile da tasca pocket watch
  *also, l’orologio can also mean watch
• la lancetta, le lancette hand, hands (on a clock)
• avanti = ahead, forward; can also mean ‘fast’:

  Il mio orologio è avanti di dieci minuti.
  My watch is 10 minutes fast.

• indietro back; can also mean ‘slow‘:

  Il mio orologio è indietro di cinque minuti.
  My watch is 5 minutes slow.

• portare l’orologio avanti di un’ora to turn the clock forward an hour
  
  
• spostare (in) avanti le lancette dell’orologio/degli orologi to turn the clock forward an hour
  
• portare l’orologio indietro di un’ora to turn the clock back an hour

• spostare indietro le lancette dell’orologio/degli orologi to turn the clock back an hour

Below are the various uses for, che:

1. relative pronoun (remember, as a relative pronoun, che is used as a the direct object or the subject of the dependent clause):
   • Hai trovato i guanti che volevo comprare?
   • Did you find the gloves that I wanted to buy?

2. interrogative pronoun
   • Che fai domani?
   • What are you doing tomorrow?

3. interrogative adjective
   
   • Che macchina hai adesso?
   • What car do you have now?

4. indefinite pronoun (as a synonym for qualcosa di)
   • Giovanni ha un che di strano con le ragazze – ogni volta che parla con loro diventa rosso in viso e gli si agitano le mani.

   • Giavanni has some shyness with the girls — every time that he talks with them he turns red in the face and fidgets with his hands.

5. esclamative adjective
   • Che bastardo!
   • What a bastard!

6. conjunction when used with comparisons
   • Tua sorella è più avventurosa che tranquilla.
   • Your sister is more adventurous than calm.

7. conjunction when it introduces a consequence
   • Marcello è così noioso che nessuno vuole chiaccherare con lui.
   • Marcello is so boring that no one wants to chat with him.

8. conjunction when it introduces a subjective or objective clause (such as what one might encounter with the subjunctive)
   • Credo che il mio capo sia cattivo.
   • I believe that my boss is mean.

   • È importante che tu finisca i compiti.
   • It is important that you finish your homework.

9. conjunction when it introduces a purpose (you must do something for a reason or to achieve a certain result)
   • Va’ in macchina che non devi camminare fino al supermercato
   • Take the car so that you do not have to walk all the way to the supermarket.

10. conjuction when it introduces an exhortation (with the verb being in the subjunctive), which is a command, an invite, or a permission but with a subtler, more elegant and more mannered tone (you’ll see this more in written Italian — in spoken Italian it might seem somewhat snobbish):
    • Un cliente dell’avvocato arriva all’ufficio. La segretaria gli dice che il suo cliente apsetta. L’avvocate dice all’segretaria: “Che entri” (This construction is most often used in the third person singular and plural)

    • The lawyer’s client arrives at the office. The secretary tells him that his client is waiting. The lawyer says to the secretary: “Let him enter”

11. conjunction when it expresses a cause (as a synonym for perché):
    • Devi lavorare domani che è lunedì.
    • You have to work tomorrow because it is Monday.

    • Accendi la luce che non posso leggere.
    • Turn on the light because I cannot read.

12. conjunction when it indicates time (as a synonym for quando):
    • Vado a letto che il sole tramonta.
    • I go to bed when the sun sets.

    • Il cane abbaia che il postino recapita la mail.
    • The dog barks when the postman delivers the mail.

I hope that my research which culminated in this blog post is helpful to you. If you have questions or notice inaccuracies, please leave a comment as I want this post to be clear and concise and free of errors where possible (plus, I don’t want to confuse people on the issue).

Below are some rules and examples using cui.

Cui is almost always preceded by a simple preposition:

• a (is optional — typically the preposition, a, is omitted)
• di
• da
• in
• con
• su
• per
• tra/fra (usage differs slightly when using this preposition — see below)

Cui is a relative pronoun that replaces indirect objects (complemento indiretto). Like che, cui requies an antecedent when used as a relative pronoun. Cui can mean whom (with people), which, and that, and in some cases, it can mean where.

• dà, third personal singular from the verb, dare
  
  Do not confuse the imperative of dare, da’, which is an apostrophe and not an accent.

  Gianni dà dei soldi a tua sorella.
  Gianni is giving some money to your sister.

  da, the preposition

  Vado dal medico stamattina.
  I’m going to the doctor’s this morning.
  

• è, third personal singular of the verb, essere

  Oggi è domenica.
  Today is Sunday.

  e, the conjunction, and
  
  Vorrei due mele e delle fragole, per favore.
  I would like two apples and some strawberries, please.

• là, an adverb, meaning there

  Il cane è là — vicino all’albero.
  The dog is over there — near the tree.

  la, the definite article and direct object pronoun, meaning her

  La fontana di Trevi si trova a Roma.
  The Trevi Fountain is located in Rome.

  La compro per mia madre. (la = la pentola)
  I am buying it for my mother.

• lì, synonymous with là, also meaning there
  li, direct object pronoun, third person plural, meaning them

  Sono appena venuto di lì.
  I just came from there.

  Li vedo stasera al cinema.
  I am seeing them tonight at the cinema.
  
  

• né, negative conjunction, meaning neither/nor
  ne, adverb and pronoun with various meanings and uses

  La tua situazione è né positiva né negativa.
  Your situation is neither positive nor negative.

  Ne ho letto sul giornale. (Ne = il governo; Ho letto del governo sul giornale)
  I read about it in the paper.

• sé, pronoun

  Non ha molta stima di sé.
  She does not have much self-esteem.

  se, conjunction, meaning if (used a lot in hypothetical situations)

  Se vieni, andiamo! Il film comincia alle 8!
  If you are coming, let’s go! The film starts at 8!

• sì, which means “Yes”

  Sì, vado a Roma a giugno.
  Yes, I’m going to Rome in June.

  si, reflexive/reciprocal pronoun, also used with the formation of impersonal expressions

  Mia figlia si veste ogni mattina adesso. (reflexive)
  My daughter dresses herself every morning now.

  Si sono visti ogni mattina alla stazione. (reciprocal)
  They saw each other every morning at the station.

  Si vota di solito con il proprio partito. (impersonal)
  One usually votes with one’s party.

• tè, the drink, tea

  Preferisci un tè caldo o un tè freddo?
  Do you prefer a hot tea or a cold tea?
  
  te, disjunctive pronoun, also a double object pronoun for the second person, singular

  Amo te!
  I love you.

  Ho pagato te due settimane fa!
  I paid YOU two weeks ago!

  La mia vita è vuota senza di te.
  My life is empty with you.

  Te l’ho comprato al negozio. Ti piace?
  I bought it for you at the store. Do you like it?

Can you think of any other words that might create problems, either because of accents or apostrophes? Please leave a comment!

• Buying

  The verb, comprare (to buy), is your first and obvious choice. It’s a regular verb in the present (compro, compri, compra, compriamo, comprate, comprano), has a regular past participle (comprato), and takes avere in compound tenses – it shouldn’t give you any trouble.

• Giving

  In Italian, you’ll often here the word regalare used. This verb means “to gift a gift”. When giving a gift to someone, an indirect object pronoun is used or, when referring to a specific person, the preposition, a, precedes:

  Ho regalato tre buste di caffè speciale ai miei genitori.
  I gave (as a gift) three packages of special coffee to my parents.

  You can also use the expression fare un regalo a qualcuno (to give a present to someone). The expression, in regalo, means “as a present” or “as a gift”.

• Receiving

  A good verb for receiving is the verb, ricevere. It is regular in the present tense and has a regular past participle (ricevuto). You’ll often hear expressions from children and young adults to the effect of “Ho ricevuto un regalo orribile…” or something to that effect. You will also hear “Ho ricevuto un pc in regalo” (I received a PC as a present).

• Exchanging:

  If you receive a present that you want to exchange, the verbs cambiare or sostituire will be helpful:

  Mia sorella vuole sostituire la camicia che ho comprato perché non le piace il colore.
  My sister wants to exchange the shirt that I bought because she does not like the color.

• Returning

  When a gift has to be returned to the store, use the verbs, restituire (-isc- verb) or riportare to express that something must be returned. Both are regular verbs in the present tense with regular past particples:

  Restituisco questo regalo perché non mi piace.
  I am returning this gift because I do not like it.

  Mia nonna ha riportato il maglione. Non le piacciono i maglioni di lana.
  My grandmother returned the sweater. She does not like woolen sweaters.

Below is a list of verbs that describe common, daily activities that one might do — take note that many of them are reflexive verbs in Italian:

- abbottonare, abbottonarsi | to button up

Fernando, abbottonati! Fa freddo fuori!

Fernando, button up! It’s cold outside!

- allacciarsi | to buckle (clothing, your seatbelt)

Ragazzi, allacciatevi le cinture di sicurezza!

Boys, buckle your seatbelts!

- alzarsi | to get up, to stand up

Dopo aver sentito la sveglia, mi sono alzato e ho fatto la doccia.

After having heard the alarm, I got up and took a shower.

- asciugarsi | to dry oneself (remember, if you’re drying off your 2 year old, you would not use this reflexively)

Ti sei asciugato dopo aver fatto la doccia? I capelli sembrano bagnati.

Did you dry yourself after taking a shower? Your hair seems wet.

Ho perso la mia riunione perché ho dovutoasciugare mio figlio testardo dopo che ha fatto il bagno stamattina.

I missed my meeting because I had to dry off my stubborn son after he took a bath this morning.

- bagnarsi | to get wet

Mariella: “Ho dimenticato l’ombrello oggi e mi sono bagnata.”

Mariella: “I forgot the umbrella today, and I got wet.”

- caricare la sveglia (per) | to set the alarm (for + a certain time)

Ogni notte carico la sveglia per le cinque di mattina.

Every night I set the alarm for 5:00 AM.

- fare il bagno | to take a bath

Ai miei bambini non piace fare il bagno.

My children do not like to take a bath.

- fare il bucato | to do laundry

Il martedi faccio il bucato perché lavoro a casa.

Every Tuesday I do laundry because I work at home.

- stendere la biancheria | to hang the washing

Che bello oggi! Stenderò la biancheria perche si asciugerà più velocemente.

How beautiful today! I will hang the washing because it will dry faster.

- fare la doccia | to take a shower

Luigi fa la doccia dopo che andiamo in palestra.

Luigi takes a shower after we go to the gym.

- farsi la barba | to shave

Non mi sono fatto la barba stamattina. Non avevo il tempo!

I didn’t shave this morning. I didn’t have time!

- radersi to shave

Mio padre non si rade più. Vuole avere una barba per l’inverno.

My dad isn’t shaving anymore. He wants to have a beard for the winter.

- fare gargarismi | to gargle

Faccio gargarismi con il collutorio ogni sera prima di andare a letto.

I gargle with mouthwash every night before going to bed.

- guardarsi allo specchio | to look in the mirror

Non riesco a radermi senza di guardarmi allo specchio.

I’m not able to shave without looking in the mirror.

- lavarsi la faccia | to wash one’s face

“Lavati la faccia!” ha gridato mia madre quando mi sono preparato ad andare a nanna.

“Wash your face!” my mom shouted when I prepared myself to go to bed.

- lavarsi i capelli | to wash one’s hair

- lavarsi i denti | to brush one’s teeth

- levarsi gli occhiali | to take off one’s glasses

Mi sono levata gli occhiali ma adesso non riesco a trovarli!

I took off my glasses, but now I can’t find them.

- mettersi il rossetto | to put on lipstick

- mettersi le lenti a contatto | to put in one’s contact lenses

È difficile mettermi le lenti a contatto senza di usare uno specchio.

It is difficult to put in my contact lenses without using a mirror.

- mettersi gli occhiali | to put on one’s glasses, to wear one’s glasses

- pettinarsi | to brush/comb one’s hair

Mia sorella si pettina prima di andare a letto.

My sister combs her hair before going to bed.

- pulire (i denti) con filo interdentale | to floss

Il dentista mi ha detto che è molto importante pulire i denti con filo interdentale.

My dentist told me that it is very important to floss.

- stancarsi | to get tired

Mi stanco quando vado al cinema. La sala buia mi fa addormentare.

I get tired when I go to the movies. The dark theater makes me fall asleep.

- stirare | to iron

Il mio amico Antonio stira tutto – biancheria, camicie, pantaloni, calzini, ecc. È un po’ ossessivo.

My friend Antonio irons everything – whites, shirts, pants, socks, etc. He’s a bit obsessive.

- svegliarsi | to wake up

“Svegliati!” disse mia moglie. “Sono già le otto!”

“Wake up!” said my wife. “It’s already 8!”

- truccarsi | to put on makeup

Quando mia zia si trucca, ci mette almeno un’ora!

When my aunt puts on makeup, it takes her almost an hour!

- vestirsi | to dress oneself (to dress another person, use vestire)

Mi vesto bene quando vado a lavoro.

I dress (myself) well when I go to work.

Mia figlia non sa scegliere gli abiti giusti di mattina. Devo vestirla ogni mattina!

My daughter doesn’t know how to choose the right clothes in the morning. I have to dress her every morning.

• avere caldo to be hot

  Oggi la temperatura è brutta — è impossibile non avere caldo!
  Today the temperature is brutal — it is impossible not to be hot!

• avere fame to be hungry

  Mia sorella ha fame perché ha dimenticato di mangiare la sua prima colazione.
  My sister is hungry because she forgot to eat her breakfast.
  
  

• avere freddo to be, to feel cold

  L’aria condizionata è troppo forte e ho freddo. È possibile aumentare la temperatura?
  The air conditioning is too strong, and I’m cold. Is it possible to increase the temperature?
  
  

• avere fretta to be in a hurry

  Laura e Maria hanno fretta stamattina! Il taxi era in ritardo e stanno per perdere il loro volo!

  Laura and Maria are in a hurry this morning! The taxi was late and they are about to miss their flight.
  
  

• avere paura to be afraid

  Abbiamo paura che l’economia peggiori.
  We are afraid that the economy is worsening.

• avere ragione to be right

  Mio fratello ha sempre ragione in matematica. Non puoi contraddirlo.
  My brother is always right in math. You can’t contradict him.

• avere torto to be wrong

  Mia madre aveva torto. Casablanca non è la capitale del Marocco.
  My mother was wrong. Casablance is not the capitol of Morocco.
  
  

• avere sete to be thirsty

  I cammelli non hanno sete spesso. Possono conservare l’acqua per molti giorni.
  The camels are not often thirsty. They can conserve water for many days.

• avere sonno to be sleepy

  Danilo si sveglia troppo presto in questi giorni ed ogni sera ha molto sonno.
  Danilo is waking up too early in these days and every evening he is very sleepy.
  

• avere bisogno di to need, to have need of

  Hai bisogno di andare al supermercato oggi?
  Do you need to go to the supermarket today?
  
  

• avere voglia di to want; to feel like

  Non hanno voglia di prendere un caffè. Mariella prova ad evitare la caffeina.
  They don’t feel like having coffee. Mariella is trying to avoid caffeine.

• avere senso to make sense

  Le cose che dici non hanno senso! Spiegati, per favore.
  The things that you are saying are not making sense! Explain yourself, please.

• avere + number + anni to be x number of years old
  
  Quanti anni ha Marco?
  Marco? Ha 33 anni, credo.

  How old is Marco?
  Marco? He’s 33 years old, I believe.

Do you know of any other idiomatic expressions with the verb, avere? If so, please leave them as a comment, and I will add them to the list with an example.

Below is the list of new expressions involving parts of the body:

• la testa head 

   

  • girare la testa to make one’s head spin 

    Mamma mia, non posso più studiare! Mi gira la testa!
    Mamma mia, I can’t study anymore! My head is spinning!
    
    NB: Note the use of the indirect object pronoun, mi, which have a possessive function in the phrases above. In a future lesson, we’ll discuss on indirect object pronouns can be used possessively to refer to parts of the body.
    
    

  • fare di testa propria to do something one’s own wayLuisa è testardissima! Fa sempre di testa propria.
    Luisa is very stubborn. She always does it her own way.

     

  • avere la testa fra le nuvole to have one’s head in the clouds (i.e. daydreaming)
    
    Durante la lezione noiosa di matematica, ho realizzato che avevo la testa fra le nuvole.
    During the boring math lesson, I had my head in the clouds 

• la faccia face 
  • dire le cose in faccia to speak openly; to be direct 

    Danilo è una persona molto sincera. Dice sempre le cose in faccia.
    Danilo is a very sincere person. He always speeks openly.

     

  • tagliare la faccia literally: “to cut the face”; to hurt; to sting
    
    C’è un vento così forte che taglia la faccia.
    There’s a wind so fierce that is biting. 

• i capelli hair (always plural in Italian)
  • averne fin sopra i capelli to be fed up with; to be sick to death of 

    Ogni giorno lei ha una nuova scusa! Ne ho fin sopra i capelli.
    Every day she has a new excuse! I’m fed up with it.

     

• l’orecchio ear
  (pl. gli orecchi or le orecchie)
  • essere tutt’orrechi to be all ear’s 

    Gianna: Tony, stai attento?
    Gianna: Tony, are you paying attention?

    Tony: Sì, Gianna! Sono tutt’orecchi!
    Tony: Yes, Gianna! I’m all ears!

     

  • entrare da un orecchio e uscire dall’altro to go in one ear and out the otherQuando mia sorella usa il telefono, è inutile parlare con lei. Tutto quello che le dici le entra da un orecchio e le esce dall’altro.

    When my sister uses the phone, it’s useless to talk to her. Everything che you say goes in one ear and out the other.
    
    NB: Note the use of the indirect object pronoun, le, which have a possessive function in the phrases above. In a future lesson, we’ll discuss on indirect object pronouns can be used possessively to refer to parts of the body.

  • avere orecchio per la musica to have an ear for music 

• l’occhio eye 
  • non chiudere occhio to not sleep a wink 

    Non ho chiuso occhio ieri sera perché i vicini hanno avuto una festa.
    I didn’t sleep a wink last night because the neighbors had a party.

     

  • parlare a quattr’occhi [con qualcuno] to have a tête–à–tête [with someone], to have a private conversation [with someone]Ho parlato a quattro’occhi con mia madre dopo che ha litigato con mio padre.
    I had a private conversation with my moth after she argued with my father.

     

  • occhio per occhio, dente per dente eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth 

• il collo neck 
  • fra capo e collo unexpectedly 

    L’incidente stradale è accaduto fra capo a collo! Non potevo evitarlo.
    The accident happened unexpectedly. I could not avoid it.

     

• il naso nose
  • (non) mettere il naso fuori di casa to poke one’s nose out of doors 

    Oggi il tempo è brutto! Non ho messo il naso fuori di casa.
    Today the weather is brutal. I am not poking my nose out of doors.

     

  • mettere il naso negli affari degli altri to butt one’s nose into other people’s businessNon mi piace quando lui mette il naso nei miei affari.
    I don’t like it when he butts his nose into my business.

     

  • rimanere con un palmo di naso to feel disappointed<
    span>Sono rimasto con un palmo di naso quando ho perso il mio lavoro.
    I felt disappointed when I lost my job.
    
    

  • avere un buon naso to have a good nose (that is: to be adept at, capable)Lei ha un buon naso per incontrare nuove persone.
    She has a good nose for meeting new people.
• la bocca mouth 
  • acqua in bocca zip it!, hush! 

     

  • non ricordare dal naso alla bocca to be unable to remember a thingGli ho ripetuto dieci volte l’orario della festa ma non può ricordare dal naso alla bocca.
    I repeated to him 10 times the time of the party but he was unable to remember.

  • non aprire bocca to not say a word (as in: to keep quiet; to keep one’s mouth shut)Quando Luisa sa un segreto, non apre bocca con nessuno.
    When Luisa knows a secret, she doesn’t say a word to anyone.

     

  • non chiudere bocca to not stop talking (as in: to talk constantly)Quando rivedo mia madre dopo molto tempo, non chiude bocca.
    When I see my mother again after a while, she doesn’t stop talking.

     

  • rimanere a bocca aperta to be dumbfounded; to remain open mouthed (to be surprised, shocked)Ho vinto la lotteria e sono rimasto a bocca aperta!
    He won the lottery and was dumbfounded!

     

  • in bocca al lupo good luck (followed by “crepi il lupo” or “crepi”)Martin: Ciao, Gianna! In bocca al lupo!
    Gianna: Crepi!

• la spalle (pl. le spalle) shoulder (pl. shoulders) 
  • dire qualcosa alle spalle di qualcuno to say something behind someone’s back 

    Ho detto cose cattive alle spalle di Maria.
    I said bad things behind Maria’s back.

     

  • avere una famiglia numerosa sulle spalle to have a large family to supportLuigi non può uscire con noi stasera. Ha una famiglia numerosa sulle spalle.
    Luigi cannot go out with us tonight. He has a large family to support.

     

  • campare alle spalle di qualcuno to live off of someone
    vivere alle spalle di qualcuno to live off of someoneGianni non vuole vivere da solo. Campa alle spalle dei genitori da sempre.
    Gianni doesn’t want to live alone. He has always been living off his parents.

    Maria vive alle spalle di suo marito. Non ha coraggio di essere autonoma.
    Maria has been living off of Marco for months. When will she find an apartment?

     

• il braccio (pl. le braccia) arm 
  • a braccia aperte with open arms 

    Mi hanno incontrato a braccia aperte.
    They met me with open arms.
    
    

  • in braccio in one’s armsHanno un bebe in braccio.
    They have a baby in their arms.
    
    

  • incrociare le braccia to go on strikeGli operai hanno incrociato le braccia. Non lavorano oggi.
    The works went on strike. They are not working today.

     

• il gomito elbow 
  • alzare il gomito to hit the bottle 

    Marco alza il gomito ogni weekend! Forse bevi troppo.
    Marco hits the bottle every weekend. Perhaps he is drinking too much.
    
    

• la mano hand 
  • dare una mano to give a hand (that is, to help or to assist) 

    Gianna, dammi una mano!
    Gianna, give me hand!
    

  • alla mano easy-goingNiente gli da fastidio! È alla mano di tutto.
    Nothing bothers him! He is easy-going with everything.

     

  • stare con le mani in mano to twiddle one’s thumbs Gli studenti non fanno niente. Stanno con le mani in mano.
    The students are doing nothing. They are twidding their thumbs.
    
    

  • avere le mani bucate to be a spendthrift; to spend a lotNon sa risparmiare! Lei ha le mani bucate!
    She doesn’t know how to save! She is a spendthrift!

     

• il dito finger, toe 
  • toccare il cielo con un dito to be beside oneself with joy 

    Quando ho ricevuto la notizia, toccavo il cielo con un dito.
    When I received the news, I was beside myself with you.
    
    

  • bere due dita to drink small sips; to drink small amounts; to drink a little bitHo bevuto solo tyle=”font-weight: bold;”>due dita di gin e poi avevo sonno.
    I only drank a little bit of gin and then I was sleepy.
    
    

  • contarsi sulle dita di una mano to count on the finger’s of one’s hands
    *usually used to indicate the rarity of something or the lack of number of a certain thingI veri amici si contano sulle dita di una mano.
    One’s true friends can be counted on one hand.
  • Se gli dai un dito, si prende tutto il braccio
    If you give him an inch, he takes a mile 

• la gamba leg 
  • essere in gamba to be strong; to be capable; to be smart 

    Era ammalato, ma ha recuperato bene. È in gamba.
    He was sick but he recovered well. He is strong.

     

  • fare il passo secondo la gamba to cut one’s coat according to one’s cloth
    *in other words, to stick to things that you know/you can doFa’ il passo secondo la gamba! Non sei molto musicale!
    Stick to what you know! You are not very musical.
    
    

• il piede foot (pl. feet)
  • a piedi on foot
    andare a piedi to walk 

    Siamo a piedi al museo.
    We walked to the museum.

  • stare in piedi to be on one’s feet; to stand up (as in, to make sense, to hold up)Il suo argomento non sta in piedi — purtroppo, non ha senso.
    Her argument does not hold up — unfortunately, it doesn’t make sense.
    
  • fare con i piedi to be done poorlyIl lavoro di tua sorella è sempre fatto con i piedi.
    Your sister’s work is always done poorly.
  • su due piedi at once; on the spotMarcello decide su due piedi invece di pensare prima.
    Marcello decides on the spot instead of thinking first.

Downloads:
Click here to download a pdf version of this lesson.

• Che and cui require noun antecedents. Che can either be the subject or direct object of the relative clause whereas cui functions as an indirect object or object of a preposition. — note that cui is usually preceeded by a preposition.


• Quello che or cosa are used when no antecedent is present. Quello che can be used when you want to start your sentence with what and is also the subject of your sentence, for example:
  
  Quello che dici è vero.
  What you say is true.
  
  Non so cosa vuole con te.
  I don’t know what she wants with you.


• Do not confuse the relative pronoun, che, with the conjunction, che, which often times requires the subjunctive with many verbs and expressions:
  
  Voglio il regalo che mi hai dato.
  I want the gift that you gave me.
  
  Voglio che mi dia il regalo.
  I want you to give me the gift.







]]> http://ilgur.com/2008/11/05/lesson-38-antecedents-and-pronouns-the-scoop/feed/ 1 http://ilgur.com/2008/11/05/lesson-38-antecedents-and-pronouns-the-scoop/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ItalianLanguageGrammarAndUsage/~3/CeO1A9FsuOI/ http://ilgur.com/2008/11/03/lesson-81-double-object-pronouns-pronomi-doppi/#comments Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:42:00 +0000 Keith http://ilgur.com/?p=91 Double object pronouns (i pronomi doppi) in Italian complicate and confuse learners of Italian. It is important to remember that, when using direct and indirect object pronouns together, certain rules must be applied:
1. When double object pronouns are used, they
   
   • precede conjugated verbs
   • attach to ecco
   • attach to infinitives
   • attach to commands (except the formal commands and negative commands).

2. The indirect object precedes the direct object. Note that the indirect objects change when combined with direct object pronouns (see chart below — click to enlarge):
   
3. Note that direct object pronouns will elide with conjugated forms of avere (ho, hai, ha and hanno). This applies to lo, la and the combined gli- forms:

   Mi ha detto la verità.
   He told me the truth.

   Me l’ha detta.
   He told it to me.

   Ti hanno sparato un proiettile.
   They shot a bullet at you.

   Te l’hanno sparato.
   They shot it at you.

   Gli hanno dato un regalo.
   They gave him a gift.

   Gliel‘hanno dato.
   They gave it to him.

4. Direct objects influence the past participle in compound tenses, even when they are combined. Indirect objects never influence the gender and number of past participles:

   Ho scritto una lettera a Marco.
   I wrote Marco a letter.
   
   L’ho scritta a Marco. [L' = la lettera *note how scritto becomes scritta]
   I wrote it to Marco.
   
   Gli ho scritto una lettera.
   I wrote him a letter.
   
   Gliel’ho scritta.
   I wrote it to him.

5. Below are some examples using double object pronouns:

   Ho comprato un vestito per Maria.
   I bought Maria a dress.
   
   Le ho comprato un vestito.
   I bought her a dress. [her = Maria]

   L’ho comprato per Maria.
   I bought it for Maria.

   Gliel’ho comprato.
   I bought it for her.

   Compraglielo. [her = Maria, it = the dress]
   Buy her it.
   
   Devi comprarglielo. [her = Maria, it = the dress]
   You have to buy her it.

Downloads:
Click here to download a pdf version of this lesson.
Click here to download practice exercises for this lesson.





]]> http://ilgur.com/2008/11/03/lesson-81-double-object-pronouns-pronomi-doppi/feed/ 4 http://ilgur.com/2008/11/03/lesson-81-double-object-pronouns-pronomi-doppi/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ItalianLanguageGrammarAndUsage/~3/Qx76JjCJ-m8/ http://ilgur.com/2008/10/31/lesson-165-understanding-verbs-cominciare/#comments Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:00:00 +0000 Keith http://ilgur.com/?p=92 A reader of my blog recently pointed out that the verb, cominciare, can be either intransitive or transitive, depending on how it is used in the sentence. So how do you know when you are using it transitively or intransitively? Does it matter? It matters because you need to know the function of the verb in order to choose the correct auxiliary (avere or essere?) in compound tenses (such as: passato prossimo, trapassato prossimo, etc.).

Let’s take a closer look at this verb, cominciare:

1. Cominciare has several meanings:
   • to start
   • to begin
   • to commence
2. Cominciare is transitive (i.e.: there’s a direct object that receives the action of the verb!) when something is started or begun (dare inizio, inziare qualcosa):

   Ho cominciato il nuovo libro.
   I started the new book.
   
   Mia madre ha cominciato le preparazioni per la festa.
   My mother began the preparations for the party.

3. Cominciare can also be an intransitive verb. It gets a little tricky though because, as an intransitive verb, it can take both essere and avere:
   • Essere is used when something (qualcosa) starts or begins (le cose che hanno un inizio):

     Il film è cominciato alle 9 di sera.
     The film began at 9pm.
     
     Le mostre sono cominciate due settimane fa.
     The shows started two weeks ago.
     
     Il pesce è cominciato a puzzare.
     The fish started to smell.

   • Avere is used when something is begun or commenced in order to do something (iniziare a fare qualcosa):

     Laura ha cominciato a scrivere una novella.
     Laura began to write a novella.
     
     I miei cugini hanno cominiciato a costruire una nuova casa.
     My cousins started to build a new house.

*NB: This post was difficult to write in English so if there are some unclear points or inconsistencies, please leave a comment so that I can improve upon it.




]]> http://ilgur.com/2008/10/31/lesson-165-understanding-verbs-cominciare/feed/ 2 http://ilgur.com/2008/10/31/lesson-165-understanding-verbs-cominciare/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ItalianLanguageGrammarAndUsage/~3/pA-INpsqfyM/ http://ilgur.com/2008/10/23/lesson-120-uses-of-the-pronoun-ci/#comments Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:30:00 +0000 Keith http://ilgur.com/?p=93 The pronoun, ci, is called a particella pronominale in Italian, but it can also be a reflexive pronoun or an object pronoun:
• Ci can be used as a reflexive pronoun or reciprocal for the first person plural
• Ci can also be a direct and indirect object pronoun for the first person plural

As a particella pronominale, ci has the following uses:

1. Ci can be used to mean here or there and is usually used once a place has been stated:

   Marco: Siete andati a Roma l’ultima estate?
   Daniela: Sì, certo. Mio marito ed io ci siamo andati. (ci = a Roma)

   Giovanna: Vado al mercato.
   Ascanio: Aspetta! Ci vado con te! (ci = al mercato)

   Olivia: Vieni in Germania per la festa?
   Marco: No, mi dispiace. Non ci vengo. (ci = in Germania)

   Marcello: Vai da Luca domani per il barbecue?
   Arturo: Sì! A che ora ci vai? (ci = da Luca)

   Michele: Vuoi andare al Cinema Sospiria?
   Angela: No! Non ci voglio andare. I biglietti sono troppo cari! (ci = al Cinema Sospiria)

2. Ci can also replace infinitive phrases that start with the preposition, a:

   Vai a nuotare stamattina?
   Sì, ci vado adesso. (ci = a nuotare)

3. Ci replaces noun phrases that follow the preposition, a, as with the following verbs:

   pensare a
   credere a
   rinunciare a
   giocare a
   partecipare a
   tenere a
   provare a,
   riuscire a

   Giochi a tennis durante la settimana?
   No, ci gioco tutti i fine settimana. (ci = a tennis)

4. Ci is also used with various idiomatic expressions, such as:

   volerci/metterci to take a certain amount of time, to require
   arrivarci to understand
   cascarci to fall for (a joke)
   contarci to promise
   starci to agree
   esserci (c’è, ci sono) there is, there are
   avercelo/la/li/le to possess, to own
   vederci to be able to see
   sentirci to be able to hear

5. Ci is also used with reflexive/reciprocal verbs to form the si + impersonale in order to avoid the si si construction of the third person singular/plural:

   dimenticarsi
   Naturalmente ci si dimentica il passato dopo un lungo periodo di tempo.
   One forgets the past after a long period of time.

Downloads:
You can download a pdf version of the lesson here.

last updated: 5 April 2009




]]> http://ilgur.com/2008/10/23/lesson-120-uses-of-the-pronoun-ci/feed/ 7 http://ilgur.com/2008/10/23/lesson-120-uses-of-the-pronoun-ci/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ItalianLanguageGrammarAndUsage/~3/uMpDYyjxsqI/ http://ilgur.com/2008/10/21/lesson-164-the-preposition-tra-fra/#comments Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:00:00 +0000 Keith http://ilgur.com/?p=94 The preposition, fra and tra, are simple prepositions, are interchangeable and have the same usage and meaning. Tra/fra never combines with the definite article (as articulated prepositions do). As with most Italian prepositions, the usage and meaning can vary depending upon the context and what you are trying to convey. Below are some of the most common uses of the preposition, tra/fra:
1. Referring to two people or things, or two groups of people or things

   Tra/fra can be used to refer to two people or things or to two (2) distinct groups of people or things. The English translation would be between. This usage can also be used when referring to place or position:

   Spero che il mio segreto rimanga solo fra te e lui.
   I hope that my secret stays only between you and him.
   C’è un bel paese tra Rome e Firenze che mi piace visitare.
   There is a beautiful town between Rome and Florence that I like to visit.

   Ci sono molte differenze fra mio fratello e me.
   There are many differences between my brother and me.

   Le idee sono diverse tra il partito democratico e il partito repubblicano.
   The ideas are different between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.

2. Referring to two or more among a group

   Tra/fra can be used to refer to two or more people or things among a larger group. The English translation would be among or amongst:

   Non ci sono segreti fra amici.
   There are no secrets among friends.

   Mia zia non può trovare le chiavi. Forse sono fra gli effetti personali.
   My aunt can’t find her keys. Perhaps they are among her belongings.

   Quell’uccello è difficile da vedere perché gli piace nascondersi fra gli alberi.
   That bird is difficult to see because it likes to hide amongst the trees.

3. Expressions of time

   Tra/fra has the meaning of in, within, between or from when used in expressions of time:

   Fra una settimana vado a Roma.
   I am going to Rome in a week.

   Il progetto è attuato fra agosto e settembre.
   The project is happening from (some date in) August to (some date in) September.
   Tra/fra . . . e . . . is used to express something that takes place within a part of the period of time specified.

   Il treno arriva di solito fra l’una e le due del pomeriggio.
   The train usually arrives between 1 and 2 in the afternoon.

   Vedrai mia sorella fra un’ora.
   You will see my sister within the hour.

4. To indicate an approximate value

   Tra/fra can be used to indicate approximate values, such as distance, price, time, etc. The English translation is usually about, from, or around.La distanza al negozio è fra i 5 ed i 10 chilometri.
   The distance to the store is about 5 to 10 kilometers.

   La nuova macchina costerà fra i 10 ed i 15 mila.
   The new car will cost around 10,000 to 15,000.

5. Distributive meaning

   Tra/fra can have a distributive meaning, that is something that is divided among a group. The English translation would be among:

   La corte ha ordinato che si dividano tutti i soldi fra i parenti.
   The court ordered that we share all the money among the relatives.La società ha diviso il premio fra tutti i vincitori.
   The company divided the prize among all the winners.

6. After relative superlatives or with partitives for emphasis

   Tra/fra can be used with superlatives and some partitives to mean among or out of, as a means of singling out one particular person/group/thing from a larger group:

   Nessuno fra voi ha fatto bene il compito
   None of you did the homework well.Le Nozze di Figaro è una tra le opere più belle del periodo classico.
   The ‘Marriage of Figaro’ is one of the most beautiful operas of the classical period.
   
   

7. Useful expressions with fra/tra:

   fra poco shortly, in a short time, soon
   fra po’ shortly, in a short time, soon
   primo fra tutti first of all
   uno fra mille one in a thousand
   uno fra die
   ci one in ten
   fra noi between you and me
   fra i piedi under one’s feet
   fra la folla in the crowd


Downloads
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