Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! Italian Travelers – Use “Vorrei” to say, “I would like…”

Colorful homes on a block in Burano with a garden and a park bench out front

March 1, 2023March 1, 2023 ~ stellalucentellc ~ Leave a comment

Kathryn for learntravelitalian.com — Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

Have you been trying to speak Italian more easily and confidently in 2023?

I will try to help you by posting a new blog every month in the series “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” With these blogs, I discuss how Italians use their language on a daily basis and in so doing help you to “think in Italian.”

Many Italian verbs have a similar meaning to those in English, which simplifies translation from one language to the other. This blog will focus on the Italian verb volere, which means “to want” or “to desire.” Volere is used to make a request so others know what we need and therefore it is especially useful to know when traveling in Italy.

For instance, different present tense forms of volere can be used to express a wish or an intention. Volere can be used alone in the first conjugation in the singular and plural tenses to say, “Voglio…” or “Vogliamo…” which mean, “I want…” or “We want…” When traveling, it is also helpful to remember the first person conditional tense of volere in the singular and plural as a polite way to relay desires to hotel staff, waiters and taxi drivers. “Vorrei…” or “Vorremmo…” mean, “I would like…” and “We would like…” Italian travelers — just remember how to use the conditional tense of volere and you can ask politely for whatever you need while in Italy!

With the simple examples above, one can easily imagine how the conditional conjugation of volere, and especially the verb vorrei, is essential knowledge for one traveling in Italy. Read on for a simple method that will ensure the Italian traveler who “wants to” create a polite sentence in Italian knows how to describe their “desire” using the verbs vorrei and vorremmo.

This method is an integral part of our Conversational Italian for Travelers series of books. After reading this blog, try our pocket travel book, “Just the Important Phrases,” which summarizes this method and provides essential Italian phrases using vorrei and vorremmo. Many of these phrases have been reprinted here. Use this method to create your own phrases in Italian!

As I’ve said before, I believe that “commonly used phrases” are the key for how we can all build fluency in any language in a short time.

If we learn how to incorporate “commonly used phrases” with the Italian verb volere, we will be able to communicate just as we do in our native language and ask for whatever we need politely!

This post is the 65th in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases” in Italian
use the conditional forms of
Volere,

Vorrei and Vorremmo

in order to describe politely
what one needs.
See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar

found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

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The Italian Verb Volere

Volere means “to want” or “to desire,” and is classified as a modal, or helping verb. This means that volere provides information about one’s wish or intention to complete the main action described in a sentence. When used in this way, volere is conjugated to reflect the speaker and the action verb follows directly after in its infinitive form — that is, the action verb is not conjugated! (Remember that Italian verbs are categorized into three infinitive forms by the following endings: -are, -ere, and -ire, and that English infinitive verbs are preceded by “to,” as in, “to go” “to stay,” etc.)

One can imagine the infinite number of uses for the helping verb volere. This blog will focus the use of volere in the conditional tense as a verb of politeness, with emphasis on how to use the first person singular, io (I) ,and first person plural, noi (we), conjugations, which are vorrei and vorremmo. Vorrei translates as “I would like” and vorremmo as “we would like.” Of course, polite communication is essential to show respect for others in any language and it is especially important when traveling in Italy to make a good impression, or fare una bella figura!

One simple way to use volere while traveling in Italy is to connect the conditional first person singular and plural forms of volere, which are “vorrei” and “vorremmo,” with an action verb in the infinitive.

This will enable travelers to ask for whatever they need with the polite phrases, “I would like…” and “We would like…”

The beauty of this method, which uses [vorrei/vorremmo + infinitive verb] is that it is easy to describe an action you wish for without conjugating.

If you want something — such as food or drink at an Italian cafe, or to buy an article of clothing or souvenir at a stylish Italian shop, just follow vorrei or vorremmo with a definite article and the noun for the object you desire.

The traveler only needs to remember the helping verbs vorrei and vorremmo and the meaning of the action verb or the noun that is the object of their desire.
There is essentially no need to conjugate using this method!

In the following sections, we will discuss how Italian travelers can purchase tickets at the train station, make reservations at a hotel, speak to an associate over the phone, or order at a restaurant simply by using [vorrei + infinitive verb or noun]. We will also discuss how to use the first person plural conditional vorremmo when making requests at a restaurant for the entire table.

Vorrei is an important verb of politeness to remember when asking for what you need at a friend’s house as well.

Finally, if you do not want to do something, simply place the Italian adverb non before the verb voglio, which is the present tense conjugation of volere, in order to make your wish known in the strongest manner possible.

Of course, the phrases given in the example sections can be extrapolated to include many different situations!

How to Conjugate Volere

Volere is an irregular -ere verb in the present tense. As noted in the first section, this verb is essential to commit to memory!

In general, people tend to express their own desires (I want…) or the needs of a group (we want…) if traveling with family or a group or friends. The complete present tense conjugation of volere is below, with the commonly used conjugations printed in green: io (I) and noi (we).

io	voglio
tu	vuoi
Lei/lei/lui	vuole
noi	vogliamo
voi	volete
loro	vogliono

The conditional form of volere is especially important for travelers to remember, as it is considered more polite in Italy to use vorrei, which means “I would like…” rather than the more demanding voglio, for “I want…” In general, politeness is appreciated by the people in a host country and usually returned with the same.

The Italian conditional tense is often taught at the intermediate or advanced level, along with the construction of compound sentences that use the subjunctive mood. However, for the traveler, it is not necessary to understand all the complexities of how to use volere in the conditional tense. Instead, just remember the conjugated forms in green given below to ask politely for what you or your family and friends need. Follow the conjugated verb in the conditional tense with an infinitive verb or the item you desire.

The complete present tense conjugation of volere is below, with the important conjugations of politeness that are the focus of this blog in green: io (I) and noi (we).

io	vorrei
tu	vorresti
Lei/lei/lui	vorrebbe
noi	vorremmo
voi	vorreste
loro	vorrebbero

Knowing how to conjugate volere is only the first step needed to express what we need. After “I want,” we often must add another verb to express what we want to do — to go, to return, to buy, etc. Here is how this is done:

First conjugate the verb volere into voglio or vorrei. Then simply add the infinitive form of an action verb directly after the conjugated form of volere. This is the same as we would do in English! The verb volere is known as a helping verb for the way that it modifies, or adds to, the meaning of the main verb in the sentence.

Notice that the subject pronoun io is not included in the Italian example sentences below that use volere, since subject pronouns are almost always left out of Italian sentences. For this reason, “I” is given in parenthesis in the English translation.

Voglio andare in Italia.	(I) want to go to Italy.
Voglio tornare lunedì.	(I) want to return Monday.
Vorrei comprare un biglietto.	(I) would like to buy a ticket.

Vorrei — I Would Like!

1. Use voglio or vorrei at the train station to purchase a ticket.

Use either voglio or vorrei when speaking with the attendant at the train station to purchase a ticket.
Although one could use voglio for “I want,” as noted in the earlier sections of this blog, when making a request, it is considered more polite to use vorrei instead, which means, “I would like.”
Notice in the examples below that Italians say they want a ticket for a certain place, with the word per, rather than the more usual English to.
The Italian verb desiderare (to want /to desire/to crave) can be used as an alternative to the verb volere. Desiderare is commonly used by clerks or shopkeepers as a polite way to ask what the client wants with the question, “Desidera?” Desiderare and can also be used to reply, “Desidero…” “I want/desire…”
The last example uses the pronominal verb volerci to ask, “how much time” is available to make the connection between trains. If you need a refresher on how to use volerci, visit our blog, For Italians: How Much Time Will it Take?
Of course, one does not have to purchase a train ticket in person now-a-days. It is also possible to purchase tickets for the national train system, Trenitalia, from the automatic ticket dispensing machines found at most stations. Tickets can also be purchased online by using the Trenitalia website. For the fastest, most luxurious way to make a connection between the major Italian cities, look under the tab Le Frecce on the Trenitalia website for the high speed trains Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, and Frecciabianca. Chapters 4 and 5 in the textbook Conversational Italian for Travelers, with, “All the Italian you need to know to enjoy your trip to Italy,” are devoted to Italian train travel, with cultural notes about the Italian train system and important phrases to know when taking a train in Italy.

Desidera? Desidero un biglietto per Milano.	What do you want/need? (polite) I want a ticket for Milan.
Vorrei un biglietto per Milano.	I would like a ticket for Milan.
Vorrei un biglietto di andata e ritorno.	I would like a round trip ticket. (lit. a ticket of going and returning)

Vorrei il diretto.	I would like a direct train (non-stop train).
Voglio prendere il treno diretto.	I want to take the direct train (non-stop train).
Voglio prendere il treno diretto per Milano.	I want to take the direct train for Milan.
Devo pagare il supplemento?	Must (I) pay an extra fee (for fast trains)?
Vorrei il locale.	I would like the local (many stops on the route).

Cambio/Cambi treno a…	I/You change train(s) at…
Non vorrei cambiare treno.	I don’t want to change train(s).
Devo cambiare treno?	Must I change trains?
Quanto ci vuole per la coincidenza?	How much time is needed for the connection?

2. Use vorrei when making reservations at a hotel or restaurant

Combine vorrei with various Italian infinitive verbs to make, cancel, change, check, or confirm a reservation. One can also call room service to order breakfast or dinner.
Desidero is also appropriate to use in these situations.

Vorrei/Desidero…	I would like/I want to…
…fare una prenotazione.	…make a reservation.
…annullare una prenotazione.	…cancel a reservation.
…cambiare una prenotazione.	…change a reservation.
…controllare una prenotazione.	…check a reservation.
…confermare una prenotazione.	…confirm a reservation.
…ordinare il servizio in camera. …ordinare la prima colazione. …ordinare la cena.	…order room service. …order breakfast. …ordinare dinner.

3. Use vorrei as a polite way to ask to speak with a business associate during a telephone conversation.

A typical business telephone conversation using the Italian polite (pol.) Lei conjugation might go something like this:

Pronto. Sono il signor Rossi.	Ready (for hello). I am Mr. Rossi.
Vorrei parlare con la signora Manzini.	I would like to speak with Mrs. Manzini.
Mi può passare il direttore, per piacere?	Can you put me through to (give me) the director? (pol.)
Me lo/la può passare?	Can you put him/her through to me? (pol.)

4. Use vorrei as a polite way to leave a message on a voicemail.

A typical formal voicemail might go something like this:

Sono la signora Manzini.	I am Mrs. Manzini.
Vorrei parlare di…	I would like to talk about…
Oggi è lunedì tre agosto, alle dieci.	Today is Monday, August third, at ten o’clock.
Il mio numero di telefono è…	My telephone number is…

5. Use vorrei to order at a restaurant

When ordering a meal at a restaurant, the io (I) and noi (we) forms of the verb volere are both used frequently, since requests are usually made for oneself or for the entire table.
To order your own dish, use vorrei for “I would like…”
To order food or drink to be shared by all seated at the table, such as bread, a bottle of water, or a bottle of wine, use vorremmo for “We would like…”
There is usually a small charge for the bread served with a meal in Italy, called the “pane e coperto” (bread and cover charge), and an additional charge if more bread is ordered. This charge is usually posted by the cash register or listed in the menu.
When ordering water, it is necessary to specify if you would like still or sparkling water. Also, it should be noted that one does not usually find ice in the cold drinks served in Italy; either because the restaurant does not have space for an ice machine or more simply because Italians often believe that very cold drinks are not good for one’s health!
By convention, Italians say they would like “some wine” rather than just “wine” or “the wine.” To make the Italian adjective that corresponds to the English “some,” the Italian preposition di must be combined with the definite article for the noun that follows. So for “some wine” combine [di + il] to make “del vino.” (The full explanation of this rule can be found in the Conversational Italian for Travelers text book and Just the Grammar books.)
Italian menus are arranged in the order that each course is served. Selections start with the appetizer course (l’antipasto) and progresses to the first course (il primo), second course (il secondo), and dessert (la dolce). Don’t forget to look under the list for i contorni (side dishes) if you would like to order a vegetable with your main course. Vegetables are generally served separate from, but along with, the second course!

Below is an example of a how to order for a formal dinner at an Italian restaurant. You will find an entire section on the delicious Italian food and unique drinks that can be ordered in Italy in the Conversational Italian for Travelers pocket book “Just the Important Phrases.” Carry this small, lightweight book with you into an Italian restaurant to read short descriptions about the various types of pasta, main courses, and desserts to discover in Italy!

Che cosa ha scelto/avete scelto?	What have you/you all chosen?
Vorrei…	I would like…
…per antipasto, l’insalata mista.	…for the antipasto, mixed salad.
…per primo, le tagliatelle alla bolognese.	…for the first course, tagliatelle pasta with Bolognese meat sauce.
…per secondo, l’osso bucco.	…for the second course, braised veal shank.
…per dolce, solamente frutta.	…for dessert, only fruit.
Vorremmo una bottiglia d’acqua naturale. Vorremmo una bottiglia d’acqua gassata. Vorremmo una bottiglia d’acqua minerale.	We would like a bottle of still water. We would like a bottle of sparkling water. We would like a bottle of mineral water.
Vorremmo una bottiglia del vino della casa. Vorremmo del vino rosso. Vorremmo del vino bianco.	We would like a bottle of the house wine. We would like (some) red wine. We would like (some) white wine.

6. Use vorrei at breakfast after staying overnight as a guest in another’s home.

Even in someone’s home, vorrei is always a good verb to remember in order to be polite to describe what you would like.
The present tense “familiar you” of volere, which is vuoi, is used in the example conversation below to ask a house guest what they need. In a hotel, it is more likely that the “polite you” form, vuole, would be used. Of course, at a hotel one is also likely to hear a simple, “Desidera?” which is the “polite you” form of desiderare.
Finally, a colloquial way to ask if a guest needs something uses the Italian verb servire, with the phrase, “Ti serve (qualcosa)? for “Do you need (something)?” Replace “something” with the Italian definite article and its noun for an essential item, such as a plate, cup, or spoon necessary for enjoying a meal. For example. “Ti serve un cucchiaino per il caffé?” means, “Do you need a teaspoon for the coffee?” If you need a refresher on how the Italian verb servire works, visit our blog in this series entitled, How to Say “I need…” with “Ho bisogno di” “Mi serve” and “Averne voglia.”

A typical morning conversation might go something like this:

Buon giorno. Hai dormito bene?	Good morning. (Did) you sleep well? (lit. Have you slept well?)

Si, molto bene, grazie.	Yes, very well, thank you.
Si, ho dormito molto bene, grazie.	Yes, (I) slept very well, thank you.
Vuoi un caffè?	(Do) (you) want a (cup of ) coffee?
Si, vorrei un caffé.	Yes, (I) would like a coffee.
Si, vorrei una tazza di caffè.	Yes, (I) would like a cup of coffee.
Si, vorrei del caffè.	Yes, (I) would like some coffee.
Vuoi del tè?	(Do) (you) want some tea?
Si, vorrei un tè.	Yes, (I) would like a (cup of) tea.
No, vorrei un bicchiere di…	No, (I) would like a glass of...
…acqua.	…water.
…succo d’arancia.	…orange juice.
Vorrei un biscotto.	(I)would like a cookie. (usually with coffee)
Vorrei dei biscotti.	(I) would like some cookies. (usually with coffee)

7. Many common expressions use vorrei as a polite way to make a request.

Vogliamo sederci?	Shall we sit down?
Non vuole accomodarsi?	Won’t you make yourself comfortable/sit down?
Vuoi chiudere la porta?	Would you mind closing the door?
Prendi quello che vuoi.	Help yourself./Take as much (of it) as you like.
Ne vuoi ancora?	Would you like some more (of it)?

8. Use non voglio to express what you don’t want to do.

Use voglio with the Italian negative non to express what you don’t want to do. “Non voglio…” means, “I don’t want…” Follow non voglio with the infinitive verb for what you don’t want to do or the definite article and noun for something you don’t want. Follow the infinitive verb with the Italian prepositions “a” or “di” that typically follow certain verbs. (For a list of these verbs, visit previous blogs in this series: How to Use the Preposition ‘Di’ in Italian and Italian Preposition “A” or “In”?
One could also use the less forceful non vorrei for “I would not like…”
Of course, there are many situations in which one may want to say, “I don’t want to…” How many more can you think of?

Non volgio andare a scuola.	(I) don’t want to go to school.
Non voglio venire a casa presto.	(I) don’t want to come home early.
Non voglio uscire stasera.	(I) don’t want to go out tonight.
Non voglio uscire per cena stasera.	(I) don’t want to go out for dinner tonight.
Non voglio uscire con Francesca.	(I) don’t want to go out with Francesca.

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! Famous Love Poems in Italian for Valentines Day

January 31, 2023January 31, 2023 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 3 Comments

Have you been trying to speak Italian more easily and confidently in 2023?

I will try to help you with this goal by posting a new blog every month in the series “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” With these blogs, I discuss how Italians use their language on a daily basis and in so doing help you to “think in Italian.”

To speak fluently in another language, it is important to know how to express feelings. And what feeling could be more profound and important than romantic love? The love that we feel for that “special someone” in our lives or for someone we hope to play a major part in our life? Sooner or later, we are all touched by that romantic feeling called “love.” But, when we have fallen in love, or as the Italians would say, ci siamo innamorati, it may not come naturally to express this love, even in our native language.

Over the centuries, writers have pondered the question, “Che cos’è l’amore?” “What is love?” And while exploring this theme, poets have not only given expression to their own feelings of love, but have enabled others communicate eloquently about love as well. Let’s take a brief survey of famous love poems, or poesie d’amore and create Italian phrases for our own true loves on Valentine’s Day!

This post is the 64nd in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases”
about love are from well known
love poems.
Check them out in Italian for
Valentines Day.

See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar *

found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

*This material adapted from the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar

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Over the centuries, writers have pondered the question, “Che cos’è l’amore?” “What is love?” And since the Italian poet Petrarch expressed his great love for Laura in the 14th century, love poems have often taken the form of he used — the sonetto, or sonnet. These “little songs” are 14 lines long and follow a specific rhythm and rhyme scheme. When Shakespeare took up the sonnet in the 16th Century, he changed Petrarch’s form and made it his own; Shakespeare used the sonnet to write some of the most famous lines about love in existence today. Shakespeare’s contemporaries and many poets who have followed still write about love using the sonnet form, and those lines that ring true have been translated into many languages.

Let’s take a brief survey of famous poesie d’amore
and create Italian phrases for our own true loves on Valentine’s Day!

William Shakespeare
Sonnet 116

William Shakespeare is a well-known playwright who lived from 1564-1616. His sonnets were his last non-dramatic work to be published in complete form in the early 1600s. Since that time, Shakespeare’s sonnets, and in particular his Sonnet 116, have become well-known meditations on the meaning of true love. For Shakespeare, true love is the love between “true minds,” that will not be altered by any circumstance. In the first lines he states, “Love is not love/Which alters when it alteration finds/Or bends with the remover to remove.”

Take a few lines from Shakespeare’s examples of the steadfastness of true love, here translated into Italian, to tell your true love that you will always be there for them. Note: The last line, “ma sarà per sempre” has been substituted for Shakespeare’s final, more dramatic line, “But bears it out even to the edge of doom.”

Il mio amore per te…
è come un faro sempre fisso, che non vacilla mai.

non è soggetto al Tempo,
non cambia in poche ore o settimane
ma sarà per sempre.

My love for you…
is like a beacon, always fixed, that never falters.

is not subject to Time,
will not change in a few hours or weeks,
but will be forever.

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Pablo Neruda
One Hundred Love Sonnets: 17

Pablo Neruda was a Chilean poet and diplomat (1094-1973) and is famous in Italy and around the world for his poems about love. Sonnet XVII is one of the most famous of his One Hundred Love Sonnets, and is known by it’s first line, “I don’t love you as if you were rose salt or topaz…” In this poem, Neruda says most elegantly that love for another cannot be defined or explained but only exist.

Below are a few lines taken from this Sonnet, translated from Spanish into Italian and English. Anyone to whom these lines are spoken is sure to fall in love!

T’amo senza sapere come, né quando, né da dove,
T’amo simplicemente senza problemi né orgoglio:
Così ti amo perché non so amare diversamente.

I love you, without knowing how, nor when, nor from where,
I love you simply, without problems or pride.
I love you so because I don’t know how to love any other way.

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e. e. cummings
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in)

The American poet, author and playwright Edward Estlin Cummings published works under the pen name e. e. cummings and lived from 1984-1962. He wrote more than 2,500 poems. He favored the use of lower-case letters in his poetry and stretched the bounds of traditional poetic forms.

Cummings’ line, “I carry your heart with me,” translated into Italian as, “Porto il tuo cuore con me,” and is a lovely romantic reference from the first line of his poem. Notice the unusual use of capitalization and punctuation that cummings is known for in this poem, which seems to make one thought rush directly into the next.

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go, my dear;and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear

no fate(for you are my fate, my sweet)…

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Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)

Most everyone knows the first lines to this sonnet, one of the 44 poems of Sonnets from the Portuguese written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861). In the first line, Barrett-Browning asks, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Then she continues to answer the question by expressing her devotion to the love of her life as the poem continues.

Sonnet 43 is a tribute to Elizabeth Barrett’s future husband, who she loves so deeply that it “consumes (her) soul and permeates every moment of every day.” The last two lines, which talk about how her love fulfills her “most quiet need,” are lovely enough to be translated into Italian for anyone who is in love today.

Ti amo fino al punto del bisogno di ogni giorno più tranquill,
al sole e alla luce della candela.

I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

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John Keats
I Cannot Exist Without You

Perhaps the ode to love that best expresses the Italian sensibility was written by the Romantic poet John Keats (1795-1821) in a letter to Fanny Brawne in 1918.* The second line of this poetic exhortation is, “Non posso esistere senza di te,” translated literally as, “I cannot exist without you.” In recent time, this phrase has become part of the refrain for many Italian songs as, “Non posso vivere senza di te,” or “I cannot live without you.” The idea of two lives so intertwined that one person cannot live without the other is a common theme in Italian culture, and maybe that is why these lines translate so easily into Italian.

There are so many lines to choose from in this poem, I have reprinted most of what Keats wrote to his dear love, with the Italian translation for several lines that can be used to express one’s true love on Valentine’s Day.

My love has made me selfish. I cannot exist without you – I am forgetful of every thing but seeing you again – my Life seems to stop there – I see no further. You have absorb’d me. I have a sensation at the present moment as though I was dissolving – I should be exquisitely miserable without the hope of soon seeing you. I should be afraid to separate myself far from you. My sweet Fanny, will your heart never change? My love, will it? I have no limit now to my love –…
My Love is selfish – I cannot breathe without you. – John Keats *

Non posso esistere senza di te.
I cannot exist without you

Non posso vivere senza di te.
I cannot live without you

Ora non ho limiti al mio amore.
I have no limit now to my love.

Non posso respirare senza di te.
I can’t breathe without you.

*Hanson, Marilee. “John Keats Love Letter To Fanny Brawne – 13 October 1819” https://englishhistory.net/keats/letters/love-letter-to-fanny-brawne-13-october-1819/, February 4, 2015.

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Buon San Valentino!

Remember a few phrases of love
from the great poets
for your true love on Valentine’s Day!

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Conversational Italian for Travelers books are shown side by side, standing up with "Just the Verbs" on the left and "Just the Grammar" on the right — Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Grammar” and “Just the Verbs” books: Available on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com

The cover of Conversational Italian for Travelers "Just the Important Phrases" book is viewed on a smartphone — Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Important Phrases” book downloaded onto a cell phone from www.learntravelitalian.com

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! How to Make Comparisons in Italian with “Come” and “Tanto…Quanto”

Burano in Venice, Italy and Everyday Italian phrases

January 1, 2023November 16, 2022 ~ stellalucentellc ~ Leave a comment

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently in 2023?

Why not set a goal to learn Italian, starting today, for the year 2023? I will try to help you with this goal by posting a new blog every month in the series “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” With these blogs, I discuss how Italians use their language on a daily basis and in so doing help you to “think in Italian.”

To speak fluently in another language, it is important to know how to make comparisons. Every day, we all compare the characteristics of one person, place or thing to another — and many times these characteristics are similar or the same. The Italian language uses precise sentence structures and specific adverbs when making equivalent comparisons, similar to what is done in English.

In a prior blog in this series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! – How to Make Comparisons in Italian with “Di,” we learned how to make comparisons between two nouns when one thing is liked more or is better or worse than the other. In this blog, we will discuss how to make comparisons nouns with equivalent characteristics. For instance, in Italy there are so many places are beautiful, one may be as beautiful as another! Or one place in Italy may have as many important sites of interest as another. In these cases, to make a comparison we must use the Italian adverbs come and tanto/quanto in the correct sequence to relay the meanings “as,” “as well as,” and “as much as.”

Let’s continue to learn how to make comparisons in Italian using the Italian adverbs come, tanto/quanto to learn how to express ourlseves like a native Italian!

This post is the 63rd in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE.

Many “commonly used phrases”
in Italian use

the adverbs
come
and
tanto… quanto
to make comparisons

See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar*

found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

*The material in this blog has been adapted from the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and the reference book “Just the Grammar.”

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Use “Come” and “Quanto”
to Compare Italian Nouns

Every day, we all compare the characteristics of one person, place or thing to another — and many times these characteristics are similar or the same. For instance, there are so many places in Italy that are beautiful, and one may be as beautiful as another! Or one place in Italy may have as many important sites of interest as another. In these cases, to make a comparison we must use the Italian adverbs come and tanto…quanto to relay the meanings “as,” “as well as,” and “as much as.”

When comparing two different nouns — people, places, or things — using the same adjective or adverb, the effect will be a statement that their description is equivalent. It is as if you are saying one person, place or thing is “just like” the other.

Use the following Italian adverbs in the table below when you want to make a comparative statement of equality:

Comparison of Two Nouns with Equivalent Descriptors

come così come	as, like, just like is as
tanto…. quanto	as…as, like, just like, as well as

It should be noted that the definitions of the adverb come encompass those of many English adverbs and adverbial phrases, such as: “as,” “same as,” “like,” or “just like.” In effect, then, the single adverb come can relay all of these meanings when comparing two nouns. The combination “così come” is used specifically to say someone or something “is as” expected. And remember that when così is used alone, without making a comparison between one noun and another, the meaning is “so.”

The alternate method of comparing two is nouns with equivalent adjectives is to use tanto…. quanto.

In the tables below, we start with an example that uses così to make a general statement. Then, examples of how to use the adverbs come and tanto… quanto as comparatives of equity are listed. Two examples using così come are also provided. Notice that the comparisons made are between nouns — two persons, places, or things.

Comparison of two persons with the same adjective (equivalent characteristics):

Francesca è così bella.	Frances is so beautiful.
Francesca è bella come Anna.	Frances is beautiful, (just) like Ann.
Francesca è tanto bella quanto Anna.	Frances is as beautiful as Ann.
Francesca è così come te l’ho descritta.	Frances is as I have described to you.

Marco è così intelligente.	Mark is so smart.
Marco è intelligente come Franco.	Mark is smart, (just) like Frank.
Marco è tanto intelligente quanto Franco.	Mark is as smart as Frank.
Marco è così come lo immaginavo.	Marco is as I had expected.

Comparison of two places with the same adjective (equivalent characteristics):

Milano è così rumorosa.	Milan is so noisy.
Milano è rumorosa come Roma.	Milan is noisy, (just) like Rome.
Milano è tanto rumorosa quanto Roma.	Milan is as noisy as Rome.

Il Colloseo a Roma è così importante.
The Colosseum in Rome is so important.

Il Colloseo a Roma è importante come il Duomo a Firenze.
The Colosseum in Rome is important, like the Cathedral in Florence.

Il Collosseo a Roma è tanto importante, quanto il Duomo a Firenze.
The Colosseum in Rome is as important as the Cathedral in Florence.

Comparison of two things with the same adjective (equivalent characteristics):

La mia sedia preferita è così comoda.
My favorite chair is so comfortable.

La mia sedia è comoda come le sedie fatto in America.
My chair is comfortable, (just) like the chairs made in America.

La mia sedia è tanto comoda quanto le sedie fatto in America.
My chair is as comfortable as the chairs made in America.

Use tanto… quanto to compare nouns with equivalent adverbs. For instance, to say one machine works as well as another similar machine. In this case, quanto can stand alone to represent the full meaning, “as well as.“

La mia Camaro va tanto bene quanto la tua Ferrari.

My Camaro runs as well as your Ferrari.

– or-

La mia Camaro va bene quanto la tua Ferrari.

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Use “Tanto… Quanto”
Equivalent Italian Comparisons

Use tanto… quanto to describe two characteristics of a single individual, in order to say someone is as (much) one way as he/she is another way. As an example, if someone is both smart and handsome, one might want to emphasize the special nature of this individual by putting both characteristics in one statement. In this case, the verb essere is used for the comparison to “link” both characteristics to the subject. This works for places and things as well. Note that tanto cannot be omitted in this situation.

Two Equivalent Characteristics
for a single individual, place, or thing

tanto… quanto

as… as

Marco è tanto intelligente quanto bello.	Mark is as smart as handsome.
Il film era tanto lungo quanto noioso.	The film was as long as it was boring.
Roma è tanto rumorosa quanto grande.	Rome is as noisy as it is large.

When comparing the quantity of things two people have, to state that different individuals have an equivalent quantity, use the adverbs tanto…quanto. Note that in this situation tanto must always be used with quanto and tanto must agree in gender and number with the noun that it modifies.

Comparison of Two Equivalent Quantities

tanto(a,i,e)…. quanto

as many… as
as much…as

This adverbial phrase will usually appear with the verb avere to describe in general how much or how many things someone has. Since we are now speaking of quantities, we need to include the pronoun ne, which means, “of it,” “of this,” or “of that” in this situation, and ne will appear before the conjugated form of avere in the second phrase.

Caterina ha tante amiche quanto ne ha Anna.	Kathy has as many friends as Ann.
Pietro ha tanti parenti quanto ne ha Caterina.	Peter has as many relatives as Kathy.
Le persone a Milano hanno tanti soldi quanto ne ha la gente a Roma.	The people in Milan have as much money as the people in Rome.

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“Come”
in Italian Sayings

Along with the frequent use of the adverb come to make comparisons daily life, Italians often pepper their conversations with well-known sayings that use come. Many Italian sayings, or figures of speech that describe one thing by comparing it to another, have been passed down for generations and are still in use throughout Italy today. Therefore, learning about the adverb come will help us to understand both the Italian language and Italian culture!

With a figure of speech that describes one thing being “like” or “as” another using come, Italians are able to express their point in a creative and often humorous way. In other cases, a comparison can add emotion or depth to a statement. In grammatical terms, a figure of speech that uses like, or its Italian equivalent come, is called a simile. A short statement that uses a simile is often called a saying. The descriptor “saying” is often used in interchangeably with “proverb,” although proverbs tend to make a more strong association between two points, using a metaphor with the verb “is” to create a universal statement.

Let’s see how Italians use the adverb come with the meaning of “like” or “as” to make a simile and underscore a point that is important to the speaker.

Probably the most common simile used in Italy today is, “Buono come il pane.” The literal meaning is, “Good like the bread.” An outsider may wonder why a person is being compared to bread. What point could this make? Similes, like proverbs, do not always make sense when translated word for word. In this case, bread is alluded to because of the central place bread has had in sustaining life in Italy throughout the ages. An English an equivalent saying might be, “Heart of gold,” or “Good of heart,” to describe someone who is particularly caring and understanding and supportive of another’s needs.

A few more well-known Italian sayings are listed below. You’ll notice that the similes used in these sayings also compare a particular type of person to a particular type of food. Do you know any other situations in which Italians compare people to food to make a point? If you’d like, leave any I have not included in the comments below so we all can enjoy the Italian sensibility!

Ognun dà pane ma non come mamma.

Translation: Everyone gives bread but none does it like a mother.
Meaning: A mother’s love is special.

Sono pieno come un uovo.

Translation: I’m full like an egg.
Meaning: I am stuffed! I ate a lot and now am as full as can I can be. An egg is a good comparison because the thin shell is completely filled with the yolk and white; no space is left for anything else.

Sei come il prezzemolo!

Translation: You are like parsley!
Meaning: You turn up everywhere! I seem to encounter you everywhere I go! Parsley is a well-known herb in Italy, both for its ability to grow everywhere and also because a little parsley is used here and there in many Italian dishes.

Spuntare come funghi.

Translation: Sprouting up like mushrooms.
English: How did you get here already? To show up or emerge from somewhere quickly. Mushrooms are known for their ability to sprout quickly after a period of rain — so quickly that it seems like one day there is nothing and the next day there are clumps of fully grown mushrooms everywhere.

Remember how to make comparisons with
come and tanto/quanto and I guarantee you will use these
Italian phrases and Italian sayings every day!

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! – What We Like about Christmas in Italy

Small Christmas tree with ornaments and star on top, presents in boxes underneath and the Conversational Italian for Travelers book Just the Grammar standing beside it.

November 28, 2022November 16, 2022 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 4 Comments

Have you been trying to speak Italian more easily and confidently in 2022?

I hope that I have helped you this year and you have reached your goal! I have been by posting a new blog every month in the series “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” With these blogs, I discuss how Italians use their language on a daily basis and in so doing help you to “think in Italian.”

The end of the year is upon us, bringing with it yet another Christmas season in Italy. No matter if you are a child or an adult, there are so many things to like about how this special season is celebrated in Italy — the lights and decorations, the household preparations that have been passed down for generations, and finally, the much anticipated gathering of family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. What better time is there than Christmas to review how Italians use the verb piacere, which means “to like”?

While many Italian families celebrate Christmas by following traditions passed down through the generations, other families have adopted festivities from neighboring countries. This leaves us with an important conversational point. It is possible to describe what one person likes as it relates to what someone else likes using piacere and the Italian disjunctive pronouns. There are also many Italian verbs that one needs to be familiar with to talk about current Christmas traditions in Italy, many of which have taken on a new importance now that new traditions have been adopted.

As I’ve said before, I believe that “commonly used phrases” are the key for how we can all build fluency in any language in a short time.

If we learn how to incorporate “commonly used phrases” with the Italian verb piacere, both with and without disjunctive pronouns, we will be able to communicate just as we do in our native language and ask for whatever we need politely!

This post is the 62nd in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases” in Italian
use the verb

Piacere
to describe what one likes and compare this
with what another likes using disjunctive pronouns.
See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar

found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

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How to Use the Italian Verb Piacere to Say…

“Mi Piace Natale!”

In a previous blog on this topic, Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! Piacere: How Italians Say, “I like it!,”

we learned:

The Italian verb piacere literally means “to be pleasing.” Italians use this verb when they want to express the idea that they like something. It is how Italians say, “I like it!”

It should first be noted that piacere has an irregular conjugation. Then, it is important to understand that the verb piacere works differently than most other Italian verbs that have an -ere ending. In effect, the subject of the sentence that uses the verb piacere will be the thing or things that are liked. Therefore, to agree with the subject, the conjugated forms of piacere will usually be the singular or plural third person.

The singular third person form of piacere is piace and the plural is piacciono.

Rather than conjugating the verb piacere in its entirety, for now we will focus on the two most important conjugations of piacere listed above — piace if one thing is liked and piacciono if many things are liked.

Italians then put one of the indirect object pronouns – mi, ti, Le, le, gli, ci, vi, or gli –before the verb, at the beginning of the sentence, to denote to whom the thing is pleasing.

As a refresher, here is the meaning of the indirect object pronouns we will need to use with piacere. Notice that the context of the conversation will be important to determine if gli refers to him or to them.

Italian Indirect Object Pronouns

mi	to me
ti	to you (familiar)
Le	to you (polite)
le	to her (to Maria)
gli	to him (to Mario)

ci	to us
vi	to you all
gli	to them

If someone likes doing something, follow the indirect object and the verb piacere in the third person singular — piace — with an infinitive verb!

In short, just follow the basic formulas below to describe what things you like in Italian:

Indirect object pronoun + piace + object or activity
Indirect object pronoun + piacciono + objects

Let’s put all this together to describe the things that are pleasing to us — that is, the things that we like — about the Christmas season in Italy. In the examples for the following sections, the Italian way of thinking is given in English in gray, the true English translation is in black, and the noun or verb that is the subject of the Italian sentence has been underlined.

Also, notice from the examples that Italians use “mi piace molto” to refer to things they really like, where Americans tend to say, “I love.” to express a strong liking for both things and people.

(If you need a more detailed explanation of how piacere works, please see the previous blog about piacere.)

A Traditional Christmas in Italy…

The Catholic religion is the official religion of Italy. The Italian Christmas season (periodo di Natale) begins on December 8th with the Catholic holiday of L’Immacolata (Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary) and ends on January 6th with L’Epifania (the day the “Three Kings” visit the baby Jesus).

During the Christmas season, lights adorn every town in Italy, and many Italian towns are famous for depictions of Christmas scenes in larger than life light displays. The largest nativity scene in the world, for instance, is on the side of a mountain in the town of Manarola in the famous Cinque Terre region along the northwestern coast of Italy. This display of lighted homes and figures that is used to create a larger-than-life nativity scene is even included in the Guinness book of world records. Music adds to the special feeling of Christmas in Italy, and Christmas songs from around the world have been translated into Italian. Visit a prior Christmas blog for a link to listen to the most famous Italian Christmas carol, “Tu Scendi dalle Stelle.”

The nativity scene, in Italian called the presepe or presepio, is the center of the religious celebration in Italy. The city of Naples is famous for artisans who produce the manger, figures, animals, and even the surrounding countryside that makes up the nativity scene, in life-like detail. Larger nativity scenes can be found in churches and piazzas, while Italian families often set up a smaller nativity scene at home. Many towns also recruit local volunteers to dress in period costumes and sit in a manger specially constructed for the occasion to create a living nativity scene.

The important family celebration in Italy occurs on Christmas Eve (la Vigilia di Natale). There is a well-known Italian saying that describes the importance of being with family during Christmas: “Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi,” which means, “Christmas with your (family), Easter with whom you want.”

Christmas Eve is celebrated with a large fish dinner (cenone) followed by midnight mass at church. There is another family dinner on Christmas day, and afterwards Italians spend the time between Christmas and the New Year making the rounds to visit family and friends. Presents are exchanged on L’Epifania as a finale to the holiday season. The children are told the story of a friendly witch, La Befana, who long ago missed her chance to greet the baby Jesus with the wise men, and now flies on her broom every year in search of him. While on her journey, she drops presents down the chimney into the homes of the Italian children.

Let’s talk about how much we all like these Italian Christmas traditions using the Italian verb piacere!

Mi piace il periodo di Natale!
[To me the Christmas season is pleasing.]
I like the Christmas season!

Mi piacciono le decorazioni di Natale, specialmente le luci in piazza.
[To me, the Christmas decorations are pleasing.]
I like the Christmas decorations, especially the lights in the piazza.

Mi piace molto cantare le canzoni di Natale.
[To me, singing Christmas songs is pleasing, very much.]
I love to sing Christmas songs.

Le piace sistemare il presepe in casa.
[To her setting up the nativity scene at home is pleasing.]
She likes setting up the nativity scene at home.

Gli piace il presepe con persone vere in chiesa.
[To him, the living nativity scene at church is pleasing.]
He likes the living nativity scene at church.

Ci piace il cenone della Vigilia di Natale.
[To us, the big dinner on Christmas Eve is pleasing.]
We like the big dinner on Christmas Eve.

Gli piace l’arrivo della Befana di notte.
[To him / To them the arrival of La Befana at night is pleasing.]
He likes / They like the arrival of La Befana at night.

Gli piacciono molto le feste di Natale in Italia!
[To him / To them the Christmas holidays in Italy are really pleasing!]
He loves / They love the Christmas holidays!

Christmas in Italy Today…

It is also interesting to note that Christmas celebrations in Italy have become more varied. While many Italian families celebrate Christmas by following traditions passed down through the generations, other families have adopted festivities from neighboring countries.

This is most evident in the replacement of the household nativity scene with a Christmas tree. Italy boasts the largest lighted Christmas tree display in the world, which is along a mountain that overlooks the town of Gubbio in Umbria. Santa Claus (Babbo Natale) has also been added to or replaced the Italian tradition of La Befana. While some families in Italy favor one type of celebration, others favor another.

This leaves us with an important conversational point.
It is possible to describe what one person likes
as it relates to what someone else likes
using disjunctive pronouns in Italian.

The disjunctive pronouns serve to stress that a person likes something with the “a” for “to”. Notice the similarity of the disjunctive pronouns to the indirect object pronouns and subject pronouns we have already learned.

If you want to be specific and use someone’s name, just put the preposition “a” before their name. This is an especially helpful in the third person; instead of the indirect object pronoun gli, which means both “to him” and “to them,” one can use the more specific disjunctive pronouns. For general groups, you will need [a + Italian definite article].

Italian Disjunctive Pronouns and Equivalents

a me	to me
a te	to you (familiar)
a Lei	to you (polite)
a lei / a Maria	to her / to Maria
a lui / a Marco	to him /to Mario

a noi	to us
a voi	to you all
a loro ai bambini agli italiani	to them to the children to the Italians

Three of our examples from the last section are below, changed slightly to reflect some new additions to the Italian Christmas celebration. This time the Italian disjunctive pronouns or a person or group’s name is used to describe to whom the traditions are pleasing. The Italian sentence structure and English translation is the same.

A Maria piace sistemare l’albero d’Natale in casa.
[To Maria setting up the Christmas tree at home is pleasing.]
Mary likes setting up the Christmas tree at home.

Ai bambini piace l’arrivo di Babbo Natale di notte.
[To the children the arrival of Santa Claus at night is pleasing.]
The children like the arrival of Santa Claus at night.

A tutti gli Italiani piacciono molto le feste di Natale!
[To all the Italians the Christmas holidays are really pleasing!]
All the Italians love the Christmas holidays!

It is important to realize that piace is most commonly used as given in the first section that describes the traditional Italian Christmas — that is, with indirect object pronouns. The disjunctive pronouns are used mainly when one wants to stress a point — when a person likes something that one wouldn’t expect him or her to like, or when someone likes something that is different than the norm. Disjunctive pronouns are also important when comparing the preference of one person with another.

For instance, maybe I like the traditional Italian nativity scene, but Maria does not. I could say,

A me piace sistimare il presepe, ma a Maria no. Maria preferisce l’albero di Natale.
[Meaning: I like to set up the nativity scene, but Mary doesn’t.]
(Implied: Even though Mary is Italian, for some unknown reason, she has taken on the tradition of others and Mary prefers to set up a Christmas tree.)
I like setting up the nativity scene, but Mary doesn’t. Mary prefers a Christmas tree.

Or perhaps most of the children in a family like the arrival of Santa Claus, but unexpectedly one child in the family wants to wait for La Befana:

Ai nostri bambini piace l’arrivo di Babbo Natale, ma a Marco no. Invece, Marco aspetta l’arrivo della Befana.
[Meaning: Our children like when Santa Claus arrives, but Mark doesn’t.]
(Implied: For some strange reason, although Mark is young, he doesn’t mind waiting until after Christmas for La Befana to bring him presents.)
The children like when Santa Claus arrives, but Marco doesn’t. Instead, Mark waits for La Befana to arrive.

More Christmas holiday fun…

Below are example sentences for a few more important activities that both Italians and Americans enjoy — in Italian of course!

Let’s get the house decorated and deck ourselves out as well!

Mi piace addobbare la casa per Natale.
I like decorating/decking out the house for Christmas.

Mi piace anche molto addobbarsi mia bambina per le feste.
Also I love dressing up my baby for the holidays.

And send Christmas wishes to those we care about by snail mail or email…

Nella prima settimana di dicembre, noi mandiamo i bilglietti Natalizi per posta.
In the first week of December, we mail out the Christmas cards.

Negli anni recenti, ho spedito tanti auguri di buon Natale per email.
I recent years, I have sent many Christmas wishes by email.

Wrap presents for Santa or La Befana to deliver for the children…

Ci vuole molto tempo a impacchettare tutti i regali di Natale.
It takes a lot of time to wrap all the Christmas presents.

Lego un fiocco regalo su ogni scatola.
I tie a ribbon around every box.

Exchange and finally unwrap presents!

Alla nostra famiglia piace scambiarsi i regali di Natale dal Natale all’Epifania.
Our family likes to exchange presents with each other from Christmas Day through to the Epiphany.

Ai bambini piace molto scartare i regali!
The children love unwrapping the presents!

When the Christmas holiday is over…

Italians have a saying — “L’epifania tutte le feste porta via!” This means that the arrival of Epiphany signals the end of the holiday season, or, in the Italian way of thinking, “Epiphany takes away the holiday season.”

The end of the Christmas holidays is, of course, a disappointment. How would we say that we do not like when the holiday season ends in Italian? Just use non as follows: when using the more common sentence structure with indirect object pronouns, simply place non at the beginning of the sentence. Otherwise, to if you want to use a disjunctive pronoun to emphasize how much you do not when the holidays end, be sure to put non after the disjunctive pronoun, right before piacere.

Non gli piace quando finiscono le feste di Natale!
[To them, it is not pleasing when the Christmas holidays end!]
They don’t like when the Christmas holidays end!

Agli italiani non piace quando finiscono le feste di Natale!
[To the Italians, it is not pleasing when the Christmas holidays end!]
The Italians don’t like when the Christmas holidays end!

Buone Feste a tutti e Buon Anno Nuovo!

Happy Holidays to all and Happy New Year!

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! How to Use the Preposition “Da” in Italian

November 1, 2022September 19, 2022 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 1 Comment

Have you been trying to speak Italian more easily and confidently in 2022?

To speak fluently in another language, it is important to know how to introduce an object, or to describe direction, location or time. We do this naturally in our own language with prepositions — short words like of, to, at/in/from, and by. All languages use prepositions but the choice of preposition in a given situation will differ from one language to another. This is the case for English and Italian; English and Italian often use prepositions in a different way. Also, in some situations Italian sentence structure may require a preposition where English does not!

Let’s continue our series about Italian prepositions with the essential Italian preposition “da.” The Italian preposition “da” can be translated into the English prepositions “from” and “by.” Da serves as an essential link between Italian nouns, is used in Italian phrases that describe time in a complex way, and is also integral to many common expressions. If we learn how to use the Italian preposition “da,” we will truly sound like a native Italian!

Many “commonly used phrases”
in Italian use

the preposition “da”

See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar *

found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

*This material adapted from the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar

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Use “Da” to Say
Where You are From

One of the most frequent questions asked during polite conversation is, “Where are you from?” We learned how to use the preposition di to ask and answer this question in an earlier blog in this series, “How to Express ‘Di’ in Italian.” You will remember that phrases with the preposition di are used to inquire about one’s place of birth, with the understanding that this place is often the same town the person is still living in. The examples from our previous blog:

Di dov’è Lei?	Where are you (polite) from?
Di dove sei?	Where are you (familiar) from?
Sono di Chicago.	(I) am from Chicago.

The second way to ask, “Where are you from?” in Italian uses the preposition da and the formula below:

Da + dove + venire

from + where + to come

The phrase created with the preposition da uses the action verb venire and may come up in conversation when someone is visiting or has moved to a new place. The reply will most often use the io form of venire, which is vengo (I come) and da (from), followed by a city, town, region/state, or country. Once again, the question may be asked politely or in a familiar way.

Da dove viene?	Where are you (polite) from?
Da dove vieni?	Where are you (familiar) from?
Vengo da Chicago.	(I) am from Chicago.

Remember that when speaking of a region, state, or country, the Italian definite article (il, lo, la, l’, gli. le) must be used. The preposition da is then combined with the definite article to make dal, dallo, dalla, dall’, dagli or dalle, which all mean “from the.” (Note: not all definite articles and combinations have been listed here, and the rules for combining the Italian definite articles are beyond the scope of this blog, but can be found in Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Grammnar” book.) For now, just look up and remember the correct way to describe the region, state, or country in which you are living.

If you are from the United States of America, the most common reply when conversing in Italian is even easier — “Sono americano!” for males. Of course, following the usual gender rules, females will have to say, “Sono americana.” Another possible reply, “Vengo dall’America,” is grammatically correct but probably sounds a bit awkward to the Italian ear. “Vengo dagli Stati Uniti,” would be considered a better choice if one wants to precisely state their origin in North America rather than South America.

Those of Italian descent may want to mention their family’s origin in Italy and therefore that they are “italo-americano(a).” This comment can be prefaced with the sentence, “La mia famiglia viene dall’Italia,” in this case conjugating venire according to the third person singular used for the collective noun famiglia.

Some examples:

Sono americano. Sono americana.	(I) am American. (male speaker) (I) am American. (female speaker)
Sono italo-americano. Sono italo-americana. La mia famiglia viene dall’Italia.	(I) am Italian-American. (male speaker) (I) am Italian-American. (female speaker) My family comes from (originates in) Italy.
Vengo dagli Stati Uniti.	(I) come from the United States.
Vengo dall’Illinois.	(I) come from Illinois.
Vengo dalla California.	(I) come from California.
Vengo dal New Jersey.	(I) come from New Jersey.
Vengo dalle (isole dell’) Hawaii.	(I) come from (the islands of) Hawaii.

By the way, have you noticed that nationalities are not capitalized in Italian, although the names of countries are?

Use “Da” or “A” to Describe
Visiting an Office or Home

We have just seen that the verb venire requires the preposition da to describe where an individual “comes from,” or lives, in the first section of this blog. This idea can be expanded to include people one visits during daily life.

Da is also used to describe going to visit a person if that person is associated with a particular place. For instance, the dentist, doctor, and lawyer are professionals who hold consultations in an office. Therefore, the verb andare is followed by [da + definite article + professional].

Odio andare dal dentista!
I hate going to the dentist!

Domani devo andare dal dottore.
Tomorrow I have to go to the doctor.

Vado dall’avvocato spesso per discutere sui problemi del mio divorzio.
I go to the lawyer often to discuss the problems of my divorce.

Two examples regarding one’s home:

To work from home is “lavorare da casa.”
To “drop in for a minute/few minutes” is “passare un attimo da casa.”

A causa di COVID, io devo lavorare da casa questa settimana.
Due to COVID, I have to work from home this morning.

Domani, passo un attmo da casa.
Tomorrow, I (will) drop in for a few minutes.

However, when someone is to be visited in their home, use a casa. This construction also works for family, friends or acquaintances you plan to visit at their home. Remember that “to go to visit a person” is “andare a trovare una persona” and “to come to visit a person” is “venire a trovare una persona.” Visitare is only used when one visits a place. See below for how this works:

Oggi, vado a trovare mia mamma a casa sua.
Today, I will go to visit my mother at her house.

Pietro, posso andare a trovarti a casa tua?
Peter, can I visit you at your house?

Certo! Puoi venire a trovarmi a casa mia Domenica!
Certainly! You can come to visit me at my house Sunday.

Expressing Purpose with “Da”

In Italian, unlike in English, two nouns cannot be linked together in a phrase without a preposition to clarify their relationship. Take the English word “sunglasses,” for instance. The noun “sun” in this case acts as an adjective that modifies the noun “glasses.” In English, we think nothing of stringing nouns together to create new words that give a descriptive name to a particular entity. But in Italian, this is never the case. When one noun is used as an adjective to describe the purpose of another, the two nouns must be linked by the preposition da. It makes sense, then, that the Italian translation of the English sunglasses is occhiali da sole!

Listed below are a few Italian noun combinations that are used to give a descriptive name to things like common household items, rooms in a home, clothing, and clocks. This construction is also used frequently in Italian to describe different types of tickets or cards, beach items, and items that have to do with sports. Most of the items listed below, but not all, use da to connect two nouns, as will be discussed below. The original noun has been listed along with its modifications for some of the items. Some of these descriptive names are written as one word in English, while others are written as two separate words. How many more examples can you think of?

spazzolino da denti	toothbrush
crema da barbara	shaving cream

piatto	plate
piattino da dessert	dessert plate

bicchiere	glass for drinking
bicchiere da vino	wine glass
bicciere per l’acqua	water glass

cucchiaio	spoon
cucchiaio da minestra	soup spoon
cucchiaio da caffè	coffee spoon

fork	forchetta
forchetta da tavola	dinner fork
forchettone per insalata	salad fork
forchetta da dolce	dessert fork

coltello	knife
coltello da tavola	dinner knife
coltello da scalco	carving knife

camera da letto	bedroom
sala da pranzo	dining room

vestito	dress
vestito da sera	evening dress
vestito da sposa	wedding dress

camicia	shirt
camicia da notte	nightgown
camicia da uomo	man’s shirt

orologio	watch
orologio da polso	wrist watch
orologio a pendolo	grandfather clock

scarpe	shoes
scarpe da ginnastica	sneakers
scarpa da neve	snow shoes
scarponi da trekking	hiking boots
scarponi da sci	ski boots
tuta da sci	ski suit

biglietto	ticket/note/paper money
biglietto da visita	business card
biglietto di auguri di compleanno	birthday card

carta d’imbarco	boarding pass (plane)
carta d’identità	identification card
carta di credtio/debito	credit/debit card
carte da gioco	playing cards

occhiali da sole	sunglasses
costume da bagno	bathing suit
telo da spiaggia	beach towel
ombrellone da spiaggia	beach umbrella

barca a vela	sail boat

giacca da sci	ski jacket
pantaloni da sci	ski pants
bastoncini da sci	ski poles

campo	field
campo da calcio/ tennis/golf/basket	soccer field/ tennis/golf basketball field
pallone da calcio	soccer ball
pallone da rugby	soccer/rugby ball
racchetta da tennis	tennis racket
mazza da golf	golf club
mazza da baseball	baseball bat

Did you notice the use of prepositions other than da to link nouns in the list above? The Italian name for a dessert fork is forchettone per insalata and for a water glass is a bicchiere per l’acqua. In these two cases, the Italian preposition per, which means for, is used to create a name that describes the purpose of these items.

In the previous blog, “How to Express ‘Di’ in Italian,” we discussed briefly how to use di with camicia di seta and castello di sabbia. It was noted that some of Italian noun combinations must be linked with di if the descriptive term represents what the main item is made of. We have several additional examples for when di is used to link a descriptive noun with another noun in the lists above.

The Italian name for grandfather clock, orologio a pendolo, is a name that describes the means by which the clock functions. The pendulum swings in order to keep time. Therefore, the preposition a is used to link pendolo to orologio, since Italian uses the preposition a to describe what makes something run. And a sailboat is a “boat that runs on the wind” — barca a vela. Remember from our blog in this series “Italian Preposition ‘A’ or ‘In’? that the preposition a is used to describe how other, more common items function, such as by battery, by solar energy, etc.

To summarize…

Italian is a very precise language,
and the Italian use of prepositions
is a paramount example of this precision!

Use the Italian “Da”
in Reference to Time

When Italians reference a point in time, several prepositions may be used, including da, which in this case means “from” or “since.”

In a previous blog in this series, “How to Use ‘Di’ in Italian, we discussed that the preposition di is used to refer to the general time of day with the phrases di mattina, di pomeriggio, di sera, and di notte.

We also mentioned in the same blog that both di and in are used to refer to the seasons: d’estate, d’inverno, in primavera, in autunno.

The Italian prepositions a and in also have a role to play when describing units of time, which was discussed in another blog in this series, “Italian Preposition ‘A’ or ‘In’?” . When referring to the month a particular event takes place, either a or in can be used. The Italian a or in replaces te English in. Also, the preposition a is used to refer to a precise time with the formula [alle + time] which corresponds to the English [at +time].

In contrast to the prepositions di and a,
which are linked to a distinct period of time,

da is used to make generalizations about time
as it relates to one’s life experiences.

Da is a more difficult Italian preposition for the English speaker to learn how to use than di or a because its meaning of “from” or “since” makes reference to a period of time that started in the past and continues in the present. Although the idea behind these phrases is “from or “since,” the English translation most commonly uses the preposition “for” to start these phrases. But the real difficulty comes in the choice of verbs; the Italian choice is to link da with present tense verbs for a period of time that refers back to the past and does not translate directly into English!

Let’s go through this Italian way of thinking step by step…

Phrases that use da in reference to a period of time can be non-specific, such as, “da anni” (for years), “da molti anni” (for many years), or mention an exact period of time, such as “da uno, due, tre… settimane, mese, anni… etc.” These phrases translate into English as “for many years,” or “for one, two, three weeks months, years, etc.,” although in Italian they really mean, “Since/From many years ago and continuing into the present…”

[Da + period of time] can begin an Italian sentence, or be placed in the middle or the end, along with the phrase that describes what has been happening during this time. Since the action linked to these phrases is considered ongoing, Italian uses the present tense for all phrases in the sentence. English, instead uses the continuous past tense for the phrase that describes the beginning of the action that extends into the present and the present tense for the main action.

In the examples below, the phrase with da has been underlined, the present tense verbs are green, and the past tense verbs are brown. Notice how sperare is linked to another verb with di and riuscire with a, as discussed in previous blogs.

Studio l’italiano da tanti anni , ma non riesco a capire i film italiani molto bene.
I have been studying Italian for many years, but I can’t understand Italian films very well.
[Note: Verb tenses in Italian and English differ.]

Da tre settimane non fumo e spero di riuscire a smettere completamente.
I haven’t been smoking for three weeks and I hope to be able to stop completely.
[Note: Verb tenses in Italian and English differ.]

If you need a refresher on how to use any of these prepositions in reference to time, you can also review our Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook or the “Just the Verbs” and “Just the Grammar” reference books.

Use the Italian “da quanto”
in Reference to Time

The adjective “quanto,” which means “how much” or “how many” is commonly used to refer to a period of time, and is always preceded by da, as in the formula;

Da + quanto + tempo

for + how much + time

The formula [da + quanto + tempo] can be used to ask a question about “how much time” an activity has been taking. Or, the noun tempo (time) can be replaced with a unit of time, such as days, months, or years. As in the preceding section, use of da in this formula implies that the action has started in the past and is still going on in the present. Therefore, whenever a question is asked regarding “how much time” with “da quanto tempo,” Italian uses a present tense verb for all phrases in the sentence. English, instead, uses the continuous past tense.

See examples below from a dialogue taken from the Conversational Italian for Travelers story, “Caterina Travels to Italy” and note the different ways Italian and English express this idea of time.

Elena asks:
Da quanto tempo stai viaggiando in Italia?
For how much time (how long) have you been traveling in Italy?
[Note: Verb tenses in Italian and English differ.]

Caterina replies:
Sto viaggiando in Italia da un mese.
I have been traveling in Italy for a month.
[Note: Verb tenses in Italian and English differ.]

The same rules described above for “da quanto tempo” apply to the phrase “da quando,” which means, “since when.” To answer the question “Since when?” for “Since… ” use [da + the specific date] and remember to combine da with the definite article il when stating the date.

Example: In order to say the date in Italian, one must say, “Il sedici agosto.” Therefore, the translation for, “since the 16th of August” is “dal sedici agosto.” Again, from the dialogue from “Caterina Travels to Italy”:

Elena asks:
Da quando sei a Stresa?
Since when have you been staying in Stresa?
[Note: Verb tenses in Italian and English differ.]

Caterina replies:
Sono a Stresa dal sedici agosto.
I have been staying in Stresa since August 16th.
[Note: Verb tenses in Italian and English differ.]

Use the Italian preposition “Per”
for a Completed Action

In contrast to the use of the preposition da in reference to time, the use of the preposition per is straightforward. Per means for and is used with the passato prossimo form of the past tense to describe a past action that has been completed. The description of time may be general, such as “for many years,” or specific, the same as with da. The past tense verbs are again brown in the examples below.

Ho vissuto per molti anni a Roma.
I lived for many years in Rome.

Ieri ho lavorato in casa per tre ore.
Yesterday, I worked at home for three hours.

Use the Italian Prepositions “Per, Fra, Tra”
for Future Events

Per can replace the English preposition by when describing a task that must be completed in the future.

Marco, dobbiamo finire questo progetto per domani!
Mark, we must finish this project by tomorrow!

To describe other actions that will take place in the future, Italian uses either fra or tra. These two prepositions are interchangeable, although native Italian speakers may intuitively favor one preposition over the other to keep the language flowing smoothly. The English translation will be the preposition in. Remember that the present tense often substitutes for the near future in Italian, so the future tense is not a requirement when using fra or tra.

Il treno parte fra cinque minuti.
The train will leave/leaves in 5 minutes.

Andrò in Italia fra un mese.
I will go to Italy in one month.

General Uses for “Da”

1. Use the preposition da to express an attribute of a person, to say he or she is acting in a certain way or like a character.

In some cases, the preposition da substitutes for a longer introductory phrase. For instance, the common phrase “da giovane” means, “as a child,” and it is understood to mean that general period of time “when I was young.” This also works for other Italian descriptors of the phrases of life, such as da bambino(a), da ragazzo(a), da piccolo(a) or da adulto(a), da grande (grown up).

To say someone is “acting like…” use da. A common characteristic combined with da is stupido, as in “da stupido” for when one is “acting like a stupid person.”

If a man is living well, he is living as “da gran signore,” or like royalty or like God or da re, like a king.

If one dresses like a particular character in a fable, book or movie, or is pretending to be a professional, they can be referred to with da, such as da Pinocchio, da Cenerentola (Cinderella), da cowboy, or da dottore.

Another personal attribute connected with da is matti, for crazy, as in the exclamation, “Roba da matti!” which loosely translated means, “Stuff for crazy people!” and refers to a crazy or unbelievable situation.

“Da morire” when used alone or in a sentence describing someone or something is an expression that describes a feeling of extreme liking, similar to the English expression, “It’s to die for!” Or, this expression can be used to take a negative feeling to the extreme, as in, “Sono annioato(a) da morire!” for “I am bored to death!”

Some examples:

Da giovane, ho vissuto in campagna.
When I was young, I lived in the countryside.

Non comportarti da stupido!
Don’t act like an idiot!

Per lo spettacolo, Maria si veste da Cenerentola.
For the show, Mary is dressed as Cinderella.

Ti è piaciuto quel film? Si, da morire!
Did you like that film? Yes, It was to die for!

2. To describe the cause of an action or feeling. Some common examples might include why you are tired, hot, cold, or nervous. Da translates into from and [da + definite article] translates into “from the.”

Sono stanco morto dal lavoro.
I am dead tired from work.

Ho sudato dal caldo inferno durante tutto agosto.
I sweated from the infernal heat during all of August.

Sono nervosa dal pensiero che forse tu non tornerai mai.
I am nervous from the thought that maybe you will not ever return.

But be careful to use the preposition di to connect one verb to another to express feelings that are related to an action — not da! The many phrases that take di as the connecting preposition were discussed in the first blog in this series. The idea in the first example above can also be stated as follows:

Sono stanco morto di lavorare questa settimana.
I am dead tired from working this week.

3. To describe the distance from one place to another, use da, which translates as from.
To describe distance in general or numerical terms, or when giving the directions from a compass, use the preposition a. The preposition a is used in English when describing distance in general terms, but not before a number or for directions from a compass (north, south, east, west, etc.)

L’ufficio postatale è a pochi isolati da casa mia.
The post office is a few blocks from my house.

La scuola si trova a cinque chilometri da Roma centrale.
The school is five kilometers from central Rome.

Canada è a nord degli Stati Uniti.
Canada is north of the United States.

Common Expressions with “Da”

Other important phrases that refer to time:

da allora	since then
da allora in poi	from then on from that time thenceforth
da ora in poi	from now on
da quel momento da quel momento in poi	since that moment from that moment on
da qui in poi	from here on henceforth
da domani	starting tomorrow
da subito	starting now immediately
da sempre	always
da un pezzo	since a while ago for a while now

2. Phrases that begin with “C’è… da” for “There is…”

C’è poco da dire.	There’s not much to say about it.
C’è poco da fare.	There’s not much one can do about it.
C’è poco da stare allegri.	There’s little to rejoice about.

3. Miscellaneous phrases with da:

da niente	of little or no importance
da quattro soldi	cheap
da zero	from scratch
da favola	like a fairy tale
da sogno	like a dream/very nice/wonderful
vacanza da sogno	dream vacation
da incubo	nightmarish/very unpleasant
dare da mangiare	to feed
dare da mangiare al cane	to feed the dog
tempo da ladri	bad weather
tempo da lupi	bad weather
da solo/ da sola	to be all alone, by yourself
va da sé	it goes without saying
vita da cane	a dog’s life

Remember how to use
the Italian preposition “da” in conversation
and I guarantee you will use the Italian “da” every day!

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! – Italian Travelers: Use “Può” to ask for what you need!

October 4, 2022November 12, 2022 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 2 Comments

Have you been trying to speak Italian more easily and confidently in 2022?

Many Italian verbs have a similar use to those in English, which simplifies translation from one language to the other. This blog will focus on the Italian verb potere, which means “to can” or “to be able to.” I like to call this verb the “Italian verb of politeness” since it is used to make polite requests, and therefore it is especially useful to know when traveling in Italy.

For instance, different present tense forms of potere can be used to ask a question politely. Potere can be used alone in the first conjugation in the singular and plural to ask the questions, “Posso?” or “Possiamo?” which mean, “May I?” or “May we?” Combine the third person, “polite you” Lei conjugation of potere, which is “può,” with an action verb to create a polite question in Italian that asks, “Can/Could you…?” Italian travelers: just remember how to use può and you can ask for whatever you need while in Italy!

With the simple examples above, one can easily imagine how the present tense conjugation of potere, and especially the verb può, is essential knowledge for one traveling in Italy. Read on for a simple method that will ensure the Italian traveler “can” create a polite sentence in Italian and “will be able to” relay what they need using the verbs posso, possiamo, and especially può.

This method is an integral part of our Conversational Italian for Travelers series of books. After reading this blog, try our pocket travel book, “Just the Important Phrases,” which summarizes this method and provides essential Italian phrases using può. Many of these phrases have been reprinted here. Use this method to create your own phrases in Italian!

As I’ve said before, I believe that “commonly used phrases” are the key for how we can all build fluency in any language in a short time.

If we learn how to incorporate “commonly used phrases” with the Italian verb può, we will be able to communicate just as we do in our native language and ask for whatever we need politely!

This post is the 61st in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases” in Italian
use the verbs

Posso, Possiamo,
and especially Può

in order to ask politely
for what one needs.
See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar

found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

************************************************

The Italian Verb Potere

Potere means “to can” or “to be able to,” and is classified as a modal, or helping verb. This means that potere provides information about the ability of the speaker to “be able to” complete the main action described in a sentence. When used in this way, potere is conjugated to reflect the speaker and the action verb follows directly after in its infinitive form — that is, the action verb is not conjugated! (Remember that Italian verbs are categorized into three infinitive forms by the following endings: -are, -ere, and -ire, and that English infinitive verbs are preceded by “to,” as in, “to go” “to stay,” etc.)

One can imagine the infinite number of uses for a helping verb with the meanings of potere. This blog will focus the use of potere as a verb of politeness, with emphasis on how to use the third person, or Lei (polite you) conjugation, which is può. Può translates literally as “he/she can” and “you (polite) can.” For purposes of this blog, in order to demonstrate the use of può to mean “polite you” in a question, the translation will be given as the softer English “could.”

One simple way to use potere while traveling in Italy is to connect the “polite you” conjugation of potere, which is “può” with an action verb in the infinitive.

This will enable travelers to ask for whatever they need with the polite phrase, “Could you…?”

Of course, polite communication is essential to show respect for others in any language and it is especially important when traveling in Italy to make a good impression, or fare una bella figura!

The beauty of this method, which uses [può + infinitive verb] to pose a question, is that it is easy to ask for assistance during the course of a typical day. For instance, one were to direct another to act in a specific manner with a statement in Italian (instead of using a question formulated with può) the polite Italian command form would be required. And the polite command form in Italian is relayed with a verb conjugated in the subjunctive mood — a complex form covered in advanced Italian. However, when the request is made with a question that starts with può, the subjunctive conjugation is no longer necessary! Even knowledge of the complete conjugation of potere is not required!

The traveler only needs to remember the helping verb può and the meaning of the action verb for what they need.
There is essentially no need to conjugate using this method!

Italian travelers can ask for help understanding fluent Italian, with the many simple transactions of daily life, with directions and transportation needs, and while dining at a restaurant simply by using [può + infinitive verb]. Further discussion of how to use può as a traveler is given below for several different situations, after the present tense conjuration.

Finally, we will also discuss how to use the first person singular and plural conjugations of potere, which are posso and possiamo to ask for what one needs at an Italian restaurant.

Of course, the phrases given will serve as examples and this method can be extrapolated to many different situations!

How to Conjugate Potere

Potere is an irregular -ere verb in the present tense. As noted above, for many reasons, and especially to be polite in Italian, this verb is essential to commit to memory!

The complete present tense conjugation of potere is below, with the important conjugations of politeness that are the focus of this blog in green: io (I), “Lei” (polite you) and noi (we).

io	posso
tu	puoi
Lei/lei/lui	può
noi	possiamo
voi	potete
loro	possono

Use Può to Ask for What You Need!

1. Use può if you are having difficulty understanding fluent Italian.

Può is an important conjugation of potere for the beginning student of Italian to remember for when he or she needs help conversing with a fluent speaker.
[Può + parlare + adverb] is a polite way to direct someone to speak Italian in way that is helpful to you. Start a sentence with può and then add the infinitive verb parlare and an adverb requesting another to speak more slowly or loudly, for instance. To be even more polite, start your request with, “Per favore…” or “Per piacere…” for “Please…”
Notice from the examples below how the Italian adverb “più,” which means “more,” is also helpful in this situation.
[Può + ripetere] can be used in a simple phrase to ask someone to repeat what they’ve just said. You can also start a sentence with [può + ripetere] and build your Italian sentence one phrase at a time to describe what you’d like in more detail, as with the last examples in the table below.

Per favore, Può…	Please, Could you…
…parlare più lentamente?	…speak more slowly?
…parlare più piano?	…speak more slowly?
…parlare più forte?	…speak more loudly?
…parlare in inglese?	…speak in English?

Può ripetere?	Could you repeat (that)?
Può ripetere…	Could you repeat…
…che ha detto lui?*	…what he said?
…che ha detto lei?*	…what she said?
…che hanno detto loro?*	…what they said?
…le direzioni? …le direzioni per il duomo?	…the directions? …the directions to the cathedral?
…l’informazione? …l’informazione sullo spettacolo?	…the information? …the information about the show? (one piece of information)
…le informazioni? …le informazioni per la riunione di domani?	…the information? …the information for the meeting tomorrow? (more than one piece of information)

*When a sentence or question starts with che, the subject pronoun is given at the end if one wants to emphasize or clarify who the subject is. Otherwise, the verb ending corresponds to the speaker, as usual.

2. Use può at the service station to ask for assistance with your car

For those brave enough to rent a car in Italy, assistance from a service station may be necessary. Some useful infinitive verbs to remember that can be used after the polite request is made with può are given below.
In some places in Italy, it may still be possible to ask for assistance filling a car with gasoline with the phrase “fare il pieno.” Or, at least, one may still see the gas station attendant conversing with a customer in Italian movies from the 1950s and 60s. Although a polite sentence can be made with può in this case, “Può fare il pieno?” “Can you fill it up?” a shortened phrase is usually used, such as, “Il pieno, per favore!” for “Fill it up, please!”

Può…	Could you…
…caricare la batteria?	…charge the battery?
…controllare l’olio?	…check the oil?
…controllare l’acqua?	…check the water?
…controllare le gomme?	…check the tires?
…cambiare la gomma?	…change the tire?
…aggiustare la gomma che è a terra?	fix the flat tire?
…riparare la gomma che è a terra?	…fix the flat tire?

3. Use “Mi può… ” for every day, simple interactions

A simple question to ask if you are paying in cash and need change uses [mi può + portare] for “Can you bring me…?” Remember that in Italian the pronoun “mi” for “me” comes before the conjugated verb, while in English the pronoun is placed after the verb.
The Italian pronoun Lei, for “polite you” is left out of the sentence, which, along with the word order can complicate things a bit. But, just remember that in this case we are using a method that specifies può means “polite you.” And, with this method, we don’t have to worry about the conjugating an Italian verb! With this method we can ask for change s follows:
Mi può portare il resto, per favore? Could you bring me the change, please?

Of course, the verb portare can also be used to refer to a person, such as when a taxi is needed to transfer someone from one location to another. In this case, just give the address after the phrase “Mi puo portare…” For a proper Italian sentence, remember to use the correct preposition and to put the street number for the address after the street name!
Mi può portare in via Verde? Could you bring me to Green Street?
Mi può portare a via Melzo 10? Could you bring me 10 Melzo Street?

To ask the concierge at a hotel to call you a taxi, use [mi può + chiamare] for “Can/Could you call me…” In this case, the Italian “mi” serves as the indirect object pronoun “for me.”
Mi può chiamare un taxi? Can you call a taxi for me?

To ask a shopkeeper to show you an article of clothing or other item of interest, use [mi può + mostrare] for “Can/Could you show me…”
Mi può mostrare una camicia bianca? Can you show me a white shirt?

4. Use [Mi può + dire…] to ask for assistance with directions

When visiting an unfamiliar city, it may be necessary to ask a stranger for help. In Italy, it is customary to begin this type of conversation with “mi scusi” for “excuse me” (polite command).
Then, an easy way to politely phrase any question you may have is to use the phrase, “Mi può,” which means, “Could you (polite)… me.” To complete the sentence, add the infinitive verb for what you need after this Italian phrase – once again, there is no need to conjugate with this method! If we add dire to the phrase, for instance, we get, “Mi può dire…” for “Could you (polite) tell me…”
Examples below use “Dov’è…?” for “Where is…?” and allow one to ask for directions to place of interest. If the answer to any of these questions involves a particular street, you will hear the phrase in… via, for the English on… street.
La banca è in via Verde. The bank is on Green Street.
Of course, with this method, one has to be ready to hear the directions in Italian! Examples of useful phrases one might hear in reply are given in the Conversational Italian for Travelers books.

Mi scusi,	Excuse me,
mi può dire	could (you pol.) tell me
dov’è…	where is…
…l’albergo?	…the hotel?
…il ristorante?	…the restaurant?
…la metro/metropolitana?	…the subway?
…la fermata dell’autobus?	…the bus stop?
…la stazione dei treni?	…the train station?
…la banca?	…the bank?
…l’ufficio postale?	…the post office?
…il museo?	…the museum?

5. Use [Mi può + dire…] to ask about Italian schedules

Use “Mi puo…” to ask about a schedule for public transportation or when a place of interest opens or closes.
Quando means when and can be added after the phrase, “Mi può dire…” to find out when transportation will arrive (arriva) or depart (parte).
Use quando to ask when a museum, shop, restaurant or other place of interest will open (apre) or will close (chiude). Notice from the literal translation in the table below, which follows the abbreviation “lit.” that the word order to ask these questions is slightly different in Italian and English.

Mi può dire	Could you (pol.) tell me
quando…	when…
…arriva il treno?	…the train arrives? (lit. arrives the train)
…arriva l’autobus?	…the bus arrives? (lit. arrives the bus)
…parte il treno?	…the train leaves? (lit. leaves the train)
…parte l’autobus?	…the bus leaves? (lit. leaves the bus)
…apre il museo?	…the museum opens? (lit. opens the museum)
…chiude il museo?	…the museum closes? (lit. closes the museum)

6. Use [Mi può + portare] or [Ci può + portare] at the restaurant

While dining at a restaurant, it is often necessary to ask the waiter to bring something to your table. Perhaps you need additional silverware or another napkin. Or maybe another drink or cup of espresso. Just ask the waiter to bring these things to you with the phrase [mi può + portare]. Of course, it will be necessary to remember the Italian for which part of the table setting or which drink you need, as in the examples below. (If you need a refresher on how to use the Italian indefinite article (a, an) or how to create the word “some” in Italian, check out Conversational Italian for Travlers “Just the Grammar.

Cultural note: Italian restaurants do not usually serve water or soft drinks with ice (ghiaccio). The reason is often simple — there usually is no ice maker on the premises. Also, many Italians still believe that a very cold drink is not good for one’s health. In short, if you’d like to ask for ice while traveling in Italy, it is possible to do so by asking, “Mi può portare del ghiaccio,” for “Can you bring me some ice?” but don’t be disappointed if there is none available!
An additional bottle of water or wine, or perhaps an additional basket of bread might be needed for all the guests dining at a table. In this case, one can make a request for the entire table simply by changing the “mi” for “me” in the original phrase to “ci” for “us.”

Mi può portare…	Could you bring me…
Ci può portare…	Could you bring us…
…dell’acqua naturale?	…some still water (natural water)?
…dell’acqua con gas/frizzante?	…some sparkling water?
…del pane/più pane?	…some bread/more bread?
…del sale e pepe?	…some salt and pepper?
…un cucchiaio, un coltello, una forchetta?	…a spoon, a knife, a fork?
…un tovagliolo?	…a napkin?

Cultural note: remember that there is a charge in Italy for any bread served, whether it is brought to you by request or not! This charge is listed on the bill as the “pane e coperto” or “bread and cover charge,” and, as the name suggests, also serves to reserve the table for as long as the guests would like to stay. An additional charge will be added for any additional bread requested, so don’t be surprised to see this charge on the bill as well. Luckily, the pane e coperto at the time of this writing is usually only 1-3 euros, although more may be charged in an upscale restaurant. It is best to check the notice that should be listed in the menu if you are on a budget.
A simple question to use if you’d like a receipt at a restaurant replaces portare with dare (to give) in the formula; [mi può + dare] means, “Can you give me…?” Remember to ask for the receipt when dining in Italy, as there is no limit for the amount of time one can linger and enjoy food and friends and the waiter will not want to interrupt your time together! Use, “Mi può dare la ricevuta, per favore?” for “Could you give me a receipt, please?

7. Use [Posso + infinitive verb] or [Possiamo + infinitive verb] at the restaurant

In the table below are some expressions commonly used when dining in a restaurant. The io (I) and noi (we) forms of the verb potere are important to know in this situation, since requests are usually made for oneself or for the entire table.
We expand the polite use of potere with, “Posso?” for “May I…?” and “Possiamo?” for “May we…?”
Use the reflexive pronoun mi (myself) with [posso + sedersi] when asking to be seated in Italian. Use the reflexive pronoun ci (ourselves) with [possiamo + sedersi] when requesting a group be seated. You will notice from the phrases below that the reflexive pronouns mi and ci are attached to the infinitive action verb sedersi after removing the -si ending. This is the rule for all [helping verb + reflexive verb] combinations.
Sitting is not reflexive in English, so you will not find a reflexive pronoun in the translations in the table below. Instead, English simply uses the verb “sit” alone or sometimes adds the adverb “down” to personalize the meaning of the verb sit.
Cultural note: It is not usually necessary to ask for the menu in an Italian restaurant; the waiter will generally bring menus to the table once everyone is seated. But, if for some reason you need to see the menu again, it is customary to make this request in Italian with the verb avere (to have) rather than the American verb “to see.”
Language note: In Italian, the word for table has both masculine and feminine endings. The masculine, “il tavolo” refers to any type of table — a table one will be eating on or working on, for instance. When the table is full of food, it becomes feminine, as in “la tavola.” Therefore, if one is simply asking for a table at a certain place in a restaurant (before the food has arrived), the masculine ending applies.

Posso…	May I…
…sedermi vicino alla finestra? …sedermi fuori? … sedermi a un tavolo fuori?	…sit by the window? …sit outside? …sit at an outside table?
…sedermi a un’altro tavolo?	…sit at another table?
…avere il menù?	…see (have) the menu?

Possiamo…	May we…
…sederci vicino alla finestra? …sederci fuori? …sederci a un tavolo fuori?	…sit by the window? …sit outside? …sederci a una tavola fuori?
…sederci a un’altro tavolo?	…sit at another table?
…avere il menù?	…see (have) the menu?

Finally, if you have food allergies or special requests, use posso to describe what you can… or cannot do!

Non posso mangiare niente…	I cannot eat anything…
…fatto con noci/arachidi.	…made with nuts/peanuts.
…molto piccante.	…very spicy.

Simply follow the method detailed in this blog
to use potere to ask for what you need politely
and “fare una bella figura” while in Italy!

I guarantee you will use può every day!

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! Let’s Combine the Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo

September 7, 2022July 17, 2022 ~ stellalucentellc ~ Leave a comment

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently in 2022?

Why not set a goal to learn Italian, starting today, for the year 2022? I will try to help you with this goal by posting a new blog every month in the series “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” With these blogs, I discuss how Italians use their language on a daily basis and in so doing help you to “think in Italian.”

If we learn how to combine “commonly used phrases” with the imperfetto and the passato prossimo, we will be able to speak about events in the recent past, just as we do in our native language!

In our most recent blog, Speaking About the Past: Imperfetto or Passato Prossimo? we discussed in detail adverbs and phrases of frequency used to signal when to use the imperfetto and when to use the passato prossimo. At the end of the previous blog is a short summary of how to combine the imperfetto and the passato prossimo in a two phrase sentence using the adverbs mentre and quando. This blog will build on the previous information we have learned about the imperfetto and the passato prossimo and demonstrate a step-by-step process that can be used to create compound sentences with two or more phrases that contain both past tenses.

This post is the 60th in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases” in Italian

signal the intent of the speaker to use both

the imperfetto and the passato prossimo.

See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar

found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

*The imperfetto is not only used with the passato prossimo. In fact, the imperfetto is the only past tense form that can be used in combination with every other Italian past tense — whether speaking about the recent past or the remote past.

************************************************

Choosing an Italian Past Tense

Let’s start our blog about how to combine the imperfetto and the passato prossimo by reviewing some general rules of Italian grammar. We learned in our last blog, on this topic, that the circumstances surrounding the event will determine which Italian past tense to use. Luckily, imbedded in many Italian sentences about past events are certain words and phrases that will indicate whether the imperfetto or the passato prossimo is needed. The intent of the speaker will be signaled by these phrases, which will then trigger use of the correct Italian past tense.

To describe a past event in a complex way — in Italian as well as in our native language — we must create a compound sentence. Compound sentences contain more than one phrase separated by commas or conjunctions, such as: and, while, when, but, or. In Italian, to create a compound sentence about a recent past event, we will have to decide which verb tense to use — the imperfetto or passato prossimo.

Of course, when speaking about an event of interest that happened in the recent past, a compound sentence can be created using only the imperfetto or only the passato prossimo, as noted in our last blog. Our focus in this blog will be on the situations that require both the imperfetto and the passato prossimo.

Combine the Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo
with Mentre and Quando

One of the most common reasons to combine the imperfetto and the passato prossimo is to give background information for an action under discussion. In this case, the imperfetto is the past tense of choice to describe the setting and the completed action is relayed with the passato prossimo.

What Italian words or phrases can I use to introduce the setting for a past event?

As every actor knows, the setting is defined as the time and place in which an action occurs. Since the imperfetto is used to describe the setting for a past event in Italian, expressions of time in the past are important triggers for the imperfetto.

Some common expressions of past time are given in the tables below using ieri (yesterday),scorso(a) (last), and the preposition da (for). (Note: There are, of course, other meanings for the preposition da. Also, these expressions can also be used with the passato prossimo, but generally additional, more specific information is required, as discussed in our last blog.)

Expressions of Time in the Past with Ieri

stamattina	this morning
ieri	yesterday
l’altro ieri	the day before yesterday
ieri mattina ieri pomeriggio ieri sera	yesterday morning yesterday afternoon yesterday evening

Expressions of Time in the Past with Scorso

scorso(a)	last
la notte scorsa	last night
la settimana scorsa	last week
il mese scorso	last month
l’anno scorso	last year

lunedì scorso	last Monday
martedì scorso	last Tuesday
mercoledì scorso	last Wednesday
giovedì scorso	last Thursday
venerdì scorso	last Friday
sabato scorso	last Saturday
domenica scorsa	last Sunday

Use of “da…” in Italian

da tempo	for some time
da un’ora da due ore ecc.	for one hour for two hours etc.
da un mese da due mesi ecc.	for one month for two months etc.
da un anno da due anni ecc.	for one year for two years etc.

The description of the place in which an action occurred can include general interior or exterior surroundings, the weather, or even a prior event. Luckily, language students generally learn the vocabulary to describe various locations early on in their studies, which is also an important first step to learn about any culture. The larger cities and regions in Italy are important to commit to memory. Some common local places where events may take place include at home, at school, at work, or in one of the many shops in the piazza!

How else can I start a phrase to talk about the setting of a past event with the imperfetto?

Mentre, which means “while” in Italian, is a specific sign that a setting or background action is to be relayed in a phrase. Mentre is not required in compound sentences that use both the imperfetto and passato prossimo, but when used it is very helpful. This is because mentre is only used with the imperfetto!

How can use of the imperfetto affect the meaning of a descriptive phrase in Italian?

It is also important to remember that the imperfetto can be translated into English in three ways: the simple past tense, “used to,” or “was/were-ing.” The translation “used to” refers to a habitual action in the the past that is no longer being done. The translation “was/were-ing” is used to describe an action that started in the past but may or may not have been completed.

Just as the Italian present tense can be translated as “I go” or “I am going,” in the past tense, the imperfetto can be translated as, “I went” or “I was going.” For emphasis, one could use stare in both situations to create a compound verb with sto andando (I am going) or stavo andando (I was going). But it is so much easier and so much more common in Italian to use both the simple present tense or the imperfetto past tense without creating a compound verb!

Once I know the setting, about mentre, and about how to relay information using the imperfetto, am I ready to create a compound sentence about the past in Italian?

With all of this in mind… the easiest way to create a compound sentence about the past in Italian is…

Start the first phrase with mentre and give the setting with a verb in the impefetto. Or, just refer to the general time, the weather, or to an action without giving a specific time frame. Note: the descriptive phrase with the imperfetto is often, but not always, the first phrase.

There are, of course, innumerable examples of introductory phrases one can create. Four examples are given below to get us started, with the imperfetto verb underlined.

Mentre leggevo il giornale stamattina… While I was reading the newspaper this morning…
Mentre visitavo Firenze l’anno scorso… While I was visiting Florence last year…
Lunedì scorso, pioveva… Last Monday, it was raining…
Da due anni abitavo con mia zia… For two years I lived with my aunt…

Now, let’s add a phrase with a completed action to each example above. The passato prossimo is required for this second phrase. See the previous blog on this topic for a short list of Italian verbs that are often used to describe completed actions.

If mentre is not used in the introductory phrase, use quando (when) with the phrase in the passato prossimo. However, quando is not a specific trigger for the passato prossimo phrase, as quando can be used with either the imperfetto or the passato prossimo phrase. The completed action is often, but not always, the second phrase.

Let’s complete the first two examples that start with mentre. The passato prossimo verb used in the completed phrase is in green.

1. Mentre leggevo il giornale stamatina, la cameriera è arrivato.
While I was reading the newspaper this morning, the maid arrived.
2. Mentre visitavo Firenze l’anno scorso, ho incontrato Maria per caso al Ristorante Paoli.
While I was visiting Florence last year, I happened to meet Maria at Ristorante Paoli.

Below is our third example that omits mentre in the imperfetto phrase. Notice how quando is used in the passato prossimo phrase that completes the sentence.

3. Lunedì scorso, pioveva quando sono andato a trovare mia mamma.
Last Monday, it was raining when I went to visit my mother.

An alternate rendition of the same phrase that uses quando with the imperfetto phrase:

Quando pioveva lunedì scorso, sono andato a trovare mia mamma.
When it was raining last Monday, I went to visit my mother.

Our final example in a completed sentence:

4. Da due anni, abitavo con mia zia quando ho trovato un appartamento perfecto per me.
For two years, I was living with my aunt when I found an apartment perfect for me.

This last example implies the speaker has not yet moved into her new apartment. Remember from our last blog on this topic that if those two years had been completed and the speaker was already in the new apartment, we would need to use the preposition per with the passato prossimo! The introductory phrases would read: “Per due anni, ho abitato con mia zia…” In short, the imperfetto was chosen to give the circumstances of the situation, so the speaker does not have to give the details of where he or she is currently living; this extra information is included with the use of the imperfetto!

Can I put the imperfetto phrase second and the passato prossimo phrase first in a compound sentence?

All four of the example sentences given above work with the phrases reversed. We have already done this with the third example. The first example sentence is reprinted here. Try the rest on your own if you like!

Mentre leggevo il giornale stamatina, la cameriera è arrivato.
While I was reading the newspaper this morning, the maid arrived.

-or-

La cameriera è arrivato mentre leggevo il giornale stamattina.
The maid arrived while I was reading the newspaper this morning.

How do I create a compound sentence about the past in Italian using three phrases?

Of course, it is possible in Italian to create a compound sentence in the past tense with more than two phrases, as the case in English (and most every other language). For Italian, just continue to follow the Italian grammar we have learned for the imperfetto and passato prossimo for each phrase in your sentence!

Remember that the imperfetto is also used to describe a state of being and it is common to describe how one feels about a situation that has occurred in the past. In fact, if the speaker has chosen to use the imperfetto in combination with the passato prossimo, this implies that the past event still affects their emotions or their life in some way. So in some cases, a sentence may start with the imperfetto, the second phrase use the passato prossimo, and the third phrase again use the imperfetto!

In short, any combination of phrases that use the imperfetto and passato prossimo is possible,
as long as the verb in each phrase follows the rules for each.

The circumstances surrounding each event and intent of the speaker
will determine which rules apply.

Let’s provide even more detail about the past situation in our original four examples above by adding a second completed or a description of how the speaker felt at the time.

1. Mentre leggevo il giornale stamatina, la cameriera è arrivato e ha pulito tutta la casa.
While I was reading the newspaper this morning, the maid arrived and cleaned the entire house.

2. Mentre visitavo Firenze l’anno scorso, ho incontrato Maria per caso al Ristorante Paoli ma non abbiamo avuto tempo per cenare insieme.
While I was visiting Florence last year, I happened to meet Maria at Ristorante Paoli but we didn’t have time to dine together.

3. Lunedì scorso, pioveva quando sono andato a trovare mia mamma e mi sono bagnata molto!
Last Monday, it was raining when I went to visit my mother and I got very wet!

4. Da due anni, abitavo con mia zia quando ho trovato un appartamento perfecto per me e dopo ero molto contento.
For two years, I was living with my aunt when I found an apartment perfect for me and afterwards I felt very happy.

In summary:

Mentre is only used with the imperfetto phrase!

Quando can be used with either the imperfetto or the passato prossimo phrase.

When creating a compound sentence in Italian,
simply remember the rules for the imperfetto and the passato prossimo.

Combine Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo
with Perché and Poiché

Another important reason to combine the imperfetto and the passato prossimo is to describe the cause behind a past event. In this case, the element mentioned in the imperfetto phrase (the cause) is the reason behind the action/result (the effect) given in the passato prossimo phrase. This makes intrinsic sense, since the imperfetto is used for descriptive purposes and the passato prossimo is used to relate a completed event.

Cause/effect phrases that combine the imperfetto and passato prossimo often start with the effect in the first phrase (with the passato prossimo) and then give the cause behind the past event in the second phrase (with the imperfetto). The two phrases are usually linked with the conjunction perché, In this case, perché means because/since/so that.

However, an Italian sentence can also start with the cause for a completed event (effect) that will be mentioned in a second phrase. In this case the most common conjunction to use is poiché, which is translated as “considering that” or “because/since.” Even when poiché is translated as because/since, the meaning underlying poiché is “considering that” — the issue has been taken into consideration prior to the response.

Although, to the outsider, this change in conjunctions to describe cause and effect may seem minor, it actually originates with an important rule of Italian grammar that determines how to use perché. Perché is used to start a sentence when one wants to ask the reason why. Perché also means because when linking phrases. Perhaps to avoid confusion between these two definitions, perché can only be used at the beginning of a sentence with the meaning of because in direct answer to a question that starts with perché (why) or come mai (how come). In this case, the subject of the sentence is understood, and to repeat it would be unnecessary; this understanding effectively “bumps” perché from its usual role as a conjunction between to phrases to the beginning of the sentence!

An example of how perché can change its meaning with simple question/answer sentences:

Perché sei andato a Roma?
Why did you go to Rome?

(Sono andato a Roma) Perché avevo un meeting lì.
(I went to Rome) Because I had a meeting there.

In short, other Italian conjunctions besides perché are required to start a sentence with a causation phrase, including when one combines the imperfetto and the passato prossimo. Poiché (considering that/seeing as how/because/since) is the most common conjunction used in conversation. Other options include: “per quale regione” (for that reason/because), and in a more formal situation or writing: siccome (given that/seeing as how/because), dato che (seeing as/since), visto che (given that/considering that/seeing that), dal momento che (seeing as/since).

Now that we know some basic rules about Italian conjunctions used to describe causation, let’s finally combine the imperfetto and the passato prossimo to talk about the past. In the examples below, the cause behind a past event with the imperfetto is given in blue, the conjunction is in red, and the effect/completed event given in the passato prossimo is green. Notice how the imperfetto and the passato prossimo verbs (which are underlined) are linked to the cause and effect phrases.

Example 1:

Sono rimasto a casa ieri perché avevo la febbre alta.
I remained at home yesterday because I had a high fever.

-or-

Poiché avevo la febbre alta, sono rimasto a casa ieri.
Because I had a high fever, I remained at home yesterday.

Example 2:

Maria ha comprato quel vestito nero ieri perché era in saldo.
Maria bought that dress because it was on sale.

-or-

Poiché era in saldo, Maria ha comprato quel vestito nero ieri.
Because it was on sale. Maria bought that dress yesterday.

An example in our last blog on this topic also combines the imperfetto and the passato prossimo in a sentence to describe causation, although this fact was not mentioned in the blog. Below is the scenario again, with the second sentence that begins with “subito dopo” serving as the cause/effect example.

Notice in the cause/effect example below that the passato prossimo is used in phrases both before and after the imperfetto phrase. In this example, we have combined three phrases that describe the past in one sentence!

The words “subito dopo” emphasize the short duration of the action in the first phrase. In the second phrase. the imperfetto sets up the action for the third phrase; the cause is listed first with poiché. Of course, act of opening a door described in the third phrase is normally an event of short duration and so uses the passato prossimo.

Maria si è arrabbiata con Marco ed è andata a casa.
Mary became angry with Mark and Mary went home.

Subito dopo, Marco è andato a casa di Maria e poiché bussava alla porta
continuamente, Maria ha aperto.
Shortly after, Mark went to Mary’s house and seeing as how he was knocking on the door continuously, Maria opened it.

Remember how combine imperfetto and the passato prossimo
and I guarantee
you will use these Italian past tenses every day!

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Verbs”

Available on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! – Speaking About the Past: Imperfetto or Passato Prossimo?

August 3, 2022July 17, 2022 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 1 Comment

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently in 2022?

If we learn how to incorporate “commonly used phrases” in the past tense with the imperfetto and the passato prossimo in our conversations, we will be able to speak about an event in the past in Italian, just as we do in our native language!

Previous blogs in this series have discussed the basics of how to conjugate and use the imperfetto and the passato prossimo to speak about the recent past.* As we’ve mentioned before, the conjugation of these verb forms is fairly straightforward; the tricky part is knowing which past tense to choose to describe a particular event.

To make matters more complex, a compound sentence can be created using only the imperfetto, only the passato prossimo, or a combination of both. And in many situations, the same event can be described in Italian using either the imperfetto or the passato prossimo! Given this complexity, how is a non-native speaker to know how to create Italian sentences to describe what has happened the past?

As a general rule, the circumstances surrounding the event will determine which past tense to use. Luckily, imbedded in many Italian sentences about past events are certain words and phrases that will indicate whether the imperfetto or the passato prossimo are necessary. The intent of the speaker will be signaled by these phrases, which will then trigger use of the correct Italian past tense.

This post is the 59th in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases” in Italian

signal the intent of the speaker to use

the imperfetto or the passato prossimo.

See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar

found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

*The imperfetto is not used only with the passato prossimo. In fact, the imperfetto is the only past tense form that can be used in combination with every other Italian past tense — whether speaking about the recent past or the remote past.

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Imperfetto
Adverbs and Phrases of Frequency

In a previous blog in this series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! – Past Tense Imperfetto,“ we discussed that to make general statements about the past in Italian, or to describe a general state of being, one needs to master the imperfetto past tense. If you need a refresher on how to conjugate the imperfetto past tense, please visit the prior blog. In this section, we will focus on phrases that trigger the use of the imperfetto past tense.

Italians often use the imperfetto to express an action that was done habitually in the past but is no longer being done. Can you think of some things that might take place every day? For instance, reading the paper, going to school, going to work, and eating breakfast, lunch and dinner? If you want to talk about how you’ve done these things in the past, use the imperfetto!

Sentences that use the imperfetto in this way are translated either into the simple present tense or as “used to” and often include an adverb of frequency. Several adverbs of frequency are listed in the following table, with examples to follow:

Italian Adverbs of Frequency

di solito	usually/often times
spesso	very often
quasi sempre	almost always
sempre	always

Di solito, io finivo la lezione all’una il lunedì.
Usually, I used to finish/finished the class at one o’clock on Mondays.

Quando ero piccolo, andavo a casa di mia nonna molto spesso.
When I was small, I went to my grandmother’s house very often.

Quasi sempre mi sentivo male quando viaggiavo in barca.
I almost always felt sick when I traveled by boat.

In short, if an adverb of frequency is part of an introductory phrase, this gives the sense of repetition about an event in the past. Therefore, the speaker is preparing the listener for the imperfetto! Notice that in the last two examples, the second verb in the sentence follows the intention of the first, and also uses the imperfetto. To sound like a native Italian, incorporate adverbs of frequency into your sentences with the imperfetto!

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Introductory Phrases for Repetitive Actions

There are, of course, many introductory phrases that give the same idea of repetition as the adverbs of frequency, and Italians make good use of these phrases. Describe any general time of day, month, or year, and use the imperfetto!

If one had a particular habit during the morning, he or she could say, “Di mattina…” Similarly, if a habitual action was done at night, the phrase, “Di notte…” can be used. Other repetitive actions might happen, “Tutte le mattine…” or Tutte le notti…” for “every morning” and “every night.” Or perhaps, according to the season: d’ inverno, in primavera, d’estate, in autunno.

“Negli anni Settanta…” means, “In the seventies…” or any nonspecific period of time during the years between 1970 and 1979. If one uses introductory phrases of this type, it is his or her intention to state that something was done habitually but during a nonspecific period of time. Of course, the word “habit” is left out of both the Italian sentence and the usual English translation but is be translated using “used to,” as noted above for the adverbs of frequency, to give this idea. The intention of the speaker is understood by his or her use of the imperfetto!

For example:

Di mattina/Tutte le mattine… aiutavo mia mamma a preparare la prima colazione.
In the mornings/Every morning… I helped/used to help my mother prepare breakfast.

Di notte/ Tutte le notti… facevo la doccia.
At night/Every night… I took/used to take a shower.

Or, perhaps one previously went to church every week. Introduce this fact with, “La domenica…” Remember that when Italians place a definite article before any day of the week, it is their way of describing a recurring event on that day. “On Sundays…” means every week on Sunday. You can even add an adverb of frequency for additional emphasis.

La domenica, andavo in chiesa spesso.
On Sundays, I used to go to church often.

Two often used introductory phrases, “Quando ero piccolo…” and “C’era una volta…” serve as a reminder that the imperfetto is the past tense of choice for description and narration.

“Quando ero piccolo…” “When I was young…” was used in the first group of example sentences in this blog. This phrase is usually followed by another verb in the imperfetto, as already noted, to follow the circumstances surrounding the event have been set up initially. This phrase also reinforces the idea that the imperfetto is used to describe a general state of being.

“C’era una volta…” translates as the nonspecific, “Once upon a time…” This phrase is a good way to remember the function of the imperfetto to recount imaginary tales, whether codified as a fairy tale or fable, a “tall tale” one has made up to impress others, or a dream one has had at night. Since they are imaginary, of course these happenings don’t have a specific time frame in which to occur!

You will notice a common thread in the reasoning behind when to use the imperfetto:
use the imperfetto when making generalizations about the past.

Passato Prossimo
Specific Periods of Time

The passato prossimo is used to describe past events that have been completed within a specific time frame, including multiple events in succession. For multiple completed actions in succession, the most remote event is listed first, and then the events that follow are stated according to the time line in which they occurred.

Helpful words or phrases that introduce the passato prossimo often emphasize a specific time frame by giving the actual time period using dalle… alle… (from… to…) or implying an action of short duration, such as subito (right away), subito dopo (right after), or al improvviso (suddenly).

Certain verbs that describe actions of short duration, usually with a precise starting and ending point, are more commonly used with the passato prossimo than the imperfetto. Below is a list of several commonly used verbs of this type.

Verbs of movement from one place to another: andare (to go), venire (to come), entrare (to enter), partire (to leave), etc.
Verbs of beginning and ending: cominciare/iniziare (to start), finire (to finish), etc.
Verbs that describe actions known to usually be of short duration: bussare (to knock, such as on the door), chiamare (to call), etc.
Verbs of communication: chiedere/domandare (to ask), rispondere (to answer), etc.
Changing emotions from one state to another: arrabbiarsi (to get angry), etc.

Let’s create a compound sentence using these verbs in the passato prossimo to describe a series of completed events in a sequence.

Marco è andato alla festa con Maria, dove loro hanno bevuto birra e mangiato una pizza, e dopo hanno ballato la loro canzone preferita.

Mark went to the party with Maria, where they drank beer and ate a pizza and after danced to their favorite song.

Note, however, that the list of verbs above is a general list and all of the verbs in this list can also be used with the imperfetto, depending on the circumstances and the intention of the speaker! Take bussare, for instance. Most times, a person would knock on the door once and wait for the door to be opened. This one time event, started and completed in a short time, would be described with the passato prossimo. For instance, we can imagine what happened in our last example when Mark went to pick up Mary prior to the party:

Marco ha bussato alla porta e Maria è venuta subito ad aprire.
Mark knocked on the door and Mary came quickly to open (it).

Let’s create different circumstances for our story with Mark and Mary. Perhaps instead of having fun, Mark and Mary had an argument at the party and Mary left early. Mark decided to apologize and comes to Mary’s house and knocks continuously on the door to get her to open it. In this situation, remember the translation of the imperfetto as “was/were-ing” to describe and action that started in the past and continued for a nonspecific amount of time.

Below are example sentences from our hypothetical story that use the imperfetto to emphasize that Mark knocked on the door for an unusually long, but nonspecific period of time. Note the addition of the adverb continuamente in this example sentence to reinforce the idea that the event took longer than usual.

Also the words “subito dopo” alert one to use the passato prossimo in the first phrase. The actions of becoming angry, going home, and opening a door are normally of short duration.

Maria si è arrabbiata con Marco e Maria è andata a casa.
Mary became angry with Mark and Mary went home.

Subito dopo, Marco è andato a casa di Maria e poiché bussava alla porta
continuamente, Maria ha aperto.

Shortly after, Mark went to Mary’s house and seeing as how he was knocking on the door continuously, Maria opened it.

Now let’s look at the verb chiamare. If we called someone once, we can use the passato prossimo. But if we called that person habitually, on a certain day or at a certain time, we need to use the imperfetto! Again, circumstances will determine the use of this verb. And by the use of the past tense, we in turn understand the intent of the speaker!

Ho chiamato mia mamma ieri sera. I called my mother last night.
– but –
Chiamavo mia mamma ogni sera. I used to call my mother every night.

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When Tutto Means “the Whole”

Another important point: Don’t be confused by the use of tutto!

When used with nouns that refer to the days of the week, such as “tutti i giorni” the meaning of tutti is usually “every,” which implies repetition, and the imperfetto is the past tense of choice.

But tutto also means “the whole.” When the intent is to say “the whole” of a particular time period, we have given the time period a beginning and an end and then we need to use the passato prossimo!

Again, the circumstances the speaker is describing will determine the type of Italian past tense to use. Often specific details about a time or place will be given to signal the intent to use tutto to mean “the whole” with the passato prossimo.

Tutte le mattine d’estate, andava al mare per fare il bagno.
Every morning during the summer, I used to go to the sea to swim.

– but –

Ho passato tutto la mattina, dalle nove a mezzogiorno a fare il bagno al mare.
I spent all morning, from 9 AM until noon, swimming at the seashore.

In fact, if we take any of the introductory phrases for repetitive actions given in the first section and change them to refer to a specific period of time, then we will need to use the passato prossimo! Let’s change “negli anni settanta” to make this phrase more specific:

Negli anni settanta portavo i jeans con il “bel bottoms.”
In the 1970s, I wore jeans with “bell bottoms.”

– but –

Per tutti gli anni settanta, ho portato i jeans con il “bel bottoms.”
For all of the 1970s, I wore jeans with “bell bottoms.”

Durante gli anni settanta, dal 1970 al 1974, sono andato all’Università.
During the 1970s, from 1970 to 1974, I went to college.

You will notice a common thread in the reasoning behind when to use the passato prossimo:
use the passato prossimo for a specific, time-limited activity.

Expressions of Time in the Past

The expressions of time in the past listed below add valuable information to a sentence. For instance, the adverb ieri can be used to modify a verb in the imperfetto to give a general reference about when an event occurred. “Sometime yesterday” is implied when the speaker chooses to pair ieri with the imperfetto.

Ieri can also be used with the passato prossimo, but in this case, a specific time of day is usually included in the sentence, given that the passato prossimo requires events to have taken place within a defined period of time. It is possible to use ieri alone with the passato prossimo, with the understanding that the defined period of time is “the entire day.”

The table below lists some common expressions of past time that use ieri (yesterday). Notice that ieri is invariable (the ending does not change) when modifying different times during the day.

Expressions of Time in the Past with Ieri

stamattina	this morning
ieri	yesterday
l’altro ieri	the day before yesterday
ieri mattina ieri pomeriggio ieri sera	yesterday morning yesterday afternoon yesterday evening

The next table lists some common expressions of past time that use scorso (last). The ending for scorso changes to match the gender and number of the noun it modifies. Remember that the days of the week are not capitalized in Italian.

Expressions of Time in the Past with Scorso

scorso(a)	last
la notte scorsa	last night
la settimana scorsa	last week
il mese scorso	last month
l’anno scorso	last year

lunedì scorso	last Monday
martedì scorso	last Tuesday
mercoledì scorso	last Wednesday
giovedì scorso	last Thursday
venerdì scorso	last Friday
sabato scorso	last Saturday
domenica scorsa	last Sunday

Expressions such as “da tempo,” “da un’ora, “da due mesi,” “da un anno,” etc. are used mainly with the imperfetto to indicate the beginning of an ongoing activity that started in the past. The definition of the imperfetto in this case is was/were-ing. The passato prossimo can also be used with these expressions if the intent is to say that the activity has begun and also concluded during that period of time. However, the preposition per is more commonly used with the passato prossimo for an event that has concluded. See the examples below.

L’insegnante parlava da due ore e gli studenti erano stanchi.
The teacher was speaking for two hours and the students were tired.

L’insegnante ha parlato per due ore e finalmente ha permesso agli studenti di andare via.
The teacher spoke for two hours and finally let the students leave.

Era or È Stato?

Students of Italian commonly have difficulty deciding when to use the imperfetto and passato prossimo forms of essere. However, this is really not very complicated; the rule for choosing the correct form of essere is the same as for any other Italian verb! If the state of being described is not qualified with a specific time frame, use the imperfetto; if a specific time frame is referred to in the phrase, use the passato prossimo.

The imperfetto conjugation is: ero, eri, era, eravamo, eravate, erano.

The passato prossimo conjugation is sono stato(a), sei stato(a), è stato(a), siamo stati(e), siete stati(e) and sono stati(e).

Some examples are below.

In the first example below, it is the intention of the speaker only to describe a state of happiness in the past — not when or for how long. This calls for the imperfetto form of essere. In the second example a time-limited reason is given, which is the speaker’s birthday, and the exact date is even listed. Of course, the specific date requires the speaker to use the passato prossimo.

Ero molto contento.
I was very happy.

– but –

Sono stato molto contento per il mio compleanno il 25 maggio scorso.
I was very happy on my birthday last May 25th.

Let’s look at two more similar situations rendered in two different ways in Italian with the imperfetto and the passato prossimo. In the first example below, the imperfetto is used to mean that generally, sometime during the day, the weather was nice. Perhaps the speaker was just trying to relay some general information. Or possibly, the conversation would continue after giving this setting with the imperfetto and the speaker would describe a particular event or how the day made him or her feel. In the second example, it is understood that the speaker is talking about a fixed time that occurred during the day while he or she was attending a party. And, during that period of time, the speaker really enjoyed him/herself, as stated with the passato prossimo!

Era un bel giorno.
It was a beautiful day.

– but –

È stata una bella festa; mi sono molto divertito.
It was a wonderful party; I really enjoyed myself.

Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo
Combined

In the first two sections of this bog, we discussed phrases that signal when to use the imperfetto and when to use the passato prossimo. We’ve also learned the rules to create a compound sentence with each past tense individually . Finally, it should also be noted that situations will arise that require the use of both the imperfetto and the passato prossimo in one sentence. But don’t worry, there are general rules to follow to build these Italian sentences and the phrases themselves will also contain clues as to how to do this!

Below is a summary of this concept,
which will be discussed in more detail in the next blog in this series.

As a general rule, when creating a compound sentence in Italian, use the imperfetto to describe the setting. Start the imperfetto phrase with mentre (while) if you like, or just refer to the general time or the weather, or to an action without giving a specific time frame. This is often, but not always, the first phrase.

Then, describe the completed action with the passato prossimo. See the second section of this blog for a short list of verbs often used to describe completed actions. If mentre is not used in the introductory phrase, use quando (when) with the phrase in the passato prossimo. This is often, but not always, the second phrase.

Important note:

Mentre is always used with the imperfetto!

Therefore, when you start a phrase with mentre, you must use the imperfetto for the verb in that phrase!

Quando can be used with either the imperfetto or the passato prossimo phrase. Quando often introduces the passato prossimo phrase in a compound sentence when mentre is omitted.

Three examples that combine the imperfetto and passato prossimo in one sentence are below.

Mentre io ero in vacanza in Italia,
il mio capo di lavoro mi ha telefonato per parlare di un problema importante.

While I was on vacation in Italy,
my boss telephoned to talk about an important problem.

Mentre guardavo il mio programma preferito in TV, mia mamma ha finito di prepare la cena.
While I was watching my favorite program on TV, my mother finished preparing dinner.

C’era sole quando Maria è venuta a trovarci a Roma.
It was sunny when Mary came to visit us in Rome.

As a final note: we have already combined the imperfetto and passato prossimo in several examples in the first two sections. Can you find these examples?

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Remember how to talk about the past using
the Italian imperfetto and the passato prossimo
and I guarantee
you will use the Italian past tense every day!

Available on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! Italian Preposition “A” or “In”?

July 7, 2022January 15, 2023 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 3 Comments

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently in 2022?

Let’s continue our series on Italian prepositions with the Italian prepositions “a” and “in.” Both prepositions can be used to describe where someone is going and where a person or thing is located. The Italian “a” can be translated as both “to” or “in” in English. The Italian “in” is translated the same as in English — “in”! If we learn how to use the Italian prepositions “a” and “in,” we will truly sound like a native Italian!

This post is the 58th in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases”
in Italian use

the prepositions “a” and “in.”

See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar *

found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

*This material adapted from the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar

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Use the Italian “a” or “in”
for a Country, Region, or City

As mentioned in the introduction, both Italian prepositions “a” and “in” can be used to describe where someone is going, as well as their destination when they arrive. The Italian “a” can be translated as both “to” or “in” in English. The Italian “in” is translated the same as in English — “in”!

Americans and Italians use the prepositions that mean to and in differently. For instance, when Americans travel, they travel to a place – to Italy, to Tuscany, to Florence. American English speakers always use to as the preposition, whether they mention that they are traveling to a general region or a specific town. Of course, when an American reaches their destination, he or she will be located in that place and then say, “I am in Italy, in Tuscany, or in Rome,” meaning that he or she can be found there.

In Italian, however, the type of place is linked to the preposition used; there is no distinction made in Italian between traveling “to” a place or being “in” the place itself.

Italians travel directly into (in) a country, region, or large island,
but to (a) a city, town, or small island.

Once an Italian has arrived at a certain place, the same preposition that was used to describe traveling to that place applies. Or, if one is living in a place, the prepositions “a” and “in” will be used according to the size of the place, as described in the rule in quotes above. Again, the Italian prepositions “a” and “in” are linked to the place that is being described.

Let’s see how an Italian would answer the polite question, “Dove va per il suo viaggio?” “Where are you going on your trip?” The answer in Italian for someone taking a trip to America, depending on how specific they would like to be, is as follows: “Vado in America, in Illinois, e a Chicago.” “I am going to America, to Illinois, and to Chicago.” Notice that the English prepositions are the same, although the Italian prepositions change, depending on the size of the place that the preposition is linked to.

Also, what we call “states” in America are treated the same as “regions” in Italy when assigning a preposition in Italian. It would seem simple enough to use the Italian preposition in to describe an American state, given that most states in America are fairly large. Notice that “in Illinois” is given in the example above.

But… of course there are some exceptions, and not all states in the United States take the Italian preposition in when speaking about them in Italian. There are enough exceptions, in fact, that this will be the subject of a future blog! For now, we’ll talk about one important exception: New York State. The reason for the exception for New York State is that the Italian focus tends to be on New York City, rather than the rural areas that make up most of in New York State. As in America, the word “city” is left out of ordinary conversation. “Vado a New York,” means, “I am going to New York City.” To emphasize that one is traveling to the state of New York, i.e. somewhere outside of New York City, by convention the phrase would be, “Vado allo stato di New York,” for “I am going to the state of New York.” In this case, the preposition a is combined with the definite article lo to make “allo,“ according to the usual rule [a+lo = allo].

The polite question, “Dove abita?” for “Where do you live?” when answered uses the same prepositions for each location as described above. Here is an answer someone who lives in Italy might give, with the different options: “Abito in Italia, in Toscana, e a Firenze.” “I live in Italy, in Tuscany, and in Florence.” Notice that the Italian prepositions have not changed compared with our example in the last paragraph!

Islands have their own special preposition rules in Italian. One travels “into” the large islands — in Sicilia or in Sardegna — but “to” the smaller islands using “a.” For instance, to go to the small Italian island of Capri one would say, “a Capri.” When traveling to a group of islands, such as Hawaii, the convention is to use [alle + island], leaving out the plural noun isole that alle modifies. Example: “ Vado alle (isole di) Hawaii.” “I am going to Hawaii.” Of course, the same prepositions apply if one is living on the islands mentioned. Notice again that with alle we have combined our preposition with a definite article. A detailed explanation of the procedure used for all prepositions is found in the textbook Conversational Italian for Travelers and the reference book of the same series, “Just the Grammar.”

Check out the table for a summary of the examples above. Of course, where someone is traveling to or is located at during a particular time comes up often in conversation, and there are many variations on these questions! The answers will, of course, follow the rules for Italian prepositions outlined above.

Dove va per il suo viaggio?	Where are you going on your trip?
Vado in America.	I am going to America.
Vado in Illinois/ allo stato di New York.	I am going to Illinois/ the state of New York.
Vado a Chicago/ a New York.	I am going to Chicago/ New York City.

Dove abita?	Where do you live?
Abito in Italia.	I live in Italy.
Abito in Toscana.	I live in Tuscany.
Abito a Firenze.	I live in Florence.
Abito in Sicilia.	I live in Sicily.
Abito in Sardegna.	I live in Sardinia.
Abito a Capri.	I live on Capri.
Abito alle Hawaii.	I live on (the islands of) Hawaii.

Italian Definite Article
with Countries

By convention, the definite article (the) (il, la, or l’) is used to refer to countries, except when talking about traveling directly into them! So if someone should ask politely, “Da dove viene?” “Where are you from?” an Italian would answer, “L’Italia,” and an American would say, “L’America” or “Gli Stati Uniti.”

Below is a table that lists many of the countries in the world and the Italian definite article that applies to each, along with the Italian names for several capital cities. To remember this important point, gather some friends and sit around a table in front of a map of the world. Take turns asking a question about each country’s location, such as, “Dov’è l’America?” A friend can answer, “Ecco l’America!” while pointing to America on the map. This exercise will also reinforce the idea that the word “ecco” for “here is/here are” is used to point out something in plain site.

Of course, there is no need to memorize this entire table. Just remember the correct definite article for where you and your family and friends are from for easy conversation!

Europe	l’Europa	Africa	l’Africa
Austria	l’Austria	Asia	l’Asia
Belgium	il Belgio	Central America	l’America Centrale
*Brussels*	*Bruxelles*	Europe	l’Europa
Denmark	la Danimarca	Middle East	il Medio Oriente
England	l’Inghilterra	North America	l’America del nord
*London*	*Londra*	South America	l’America del sud
France	la Francia	Australia	l’Australia
*Paris*	*Parigi*
Germany	la Germania	Argentina	l’Argentina
*Berlin*	*Berlino*	Brazil	il Brasile
Greece	la Grecia	Canada	il Canada*
*Athens*	*Atene*	Chile	il Cile
Holland	l’Olanda	China	la Cina
*Amsterdam*	*Amsterdam*	Egypt	l’Egitto
Ireland	l’Irlanda	*Cairo*	il Cairo**
*Dublin*	*Dublino*	India	l’India
Italy	l’Italia	Indonesia	l’Indonesia
*Rome*	*Roma*	Japan	il Giappone
Norway	la Norvegia	Korea	la Corea
Poland	la Polonia	Mexico	il Messico
Portugal	il Portogallo	Pakistan	il Pakistan
*Lisbon*	*Lisbona*	Russia	la Russia
Scandanavia	la Scandanavia	*Moscow*	*Mosca*
Spain	la Spagna	Turkey	la Turchia
*Madrid*	*Madrid*	United States	gli Stati Uniti
Sweden	la Svezia	Viet Nam	il Vietnam
Switzerland	la Svizzera

*Il Canada uses the masculine definite article.

**In this case, il Cairo is the name of the city, rather than the noun Cairo alone, by convention.

Use the Italian “a” or “in”
for Places Around Town

As mentioned in the first section, in the Italian language, every place is linked to its own preposition, which describes both going to and being located in the place — either “a” or “in.” Remember, there is no distinction made in Italian between traveling “to” a place or being “in” the place itself. This rule is important when inviting someone to join you for activities around town. In Italian, you’ll need to ask someone if they want to go to a certain place, with “a,” or in a certain place, with “in.”

When using the Italian preposition “a,” the preposition a must be combined with the Italian definite article (il, lo, la, l’) that precedes the noun for the name of the place. The only exceptions to this rule are the Italian words for theater and house or home, which do not take a definite article. For all other nouns of place, the best way to remember the Italian preposition and definite article is to memorize both when learning the meaning of the noun.

It is tempting to try to find a pattern for preposition use for Italian stores and other venues around the piazza. But there is no grammatical rule to fall back on in this instance.

It should also be noted that many verbs of going and returning, such as andare and venire, are automatically followed by the Italian preposition a when linked to another verb (see the next section).

Use the common phrases below to invite a friend out for a good time in order to remember which preposition to use! They have been reprinted from the Conversational Italian for Travelers “Important Phrases” Section of Chapter 11, entitled “Making Friends.” Included are several helpful introductory lines that can be used prior to the invitation. As you can see, knowing your Italian prepositions can even help to build a closer friendship!

Perché non ci vediamo?	Let’s get together. (lit. Why don’t we get together/see each other?)

Hai tempo domani?	Do you have time tomorrow?
Posso rivederti domani?	May I see you again tomorrow?
Sei libera(o) domani,	Are you free (to female/male) tomorrow,
domani sera,	tomorrow night,
la settimana prossima?	next week?

Posso invitarla/ti a cena?	May I invite you (pol.)/(fam.) to dinner?
al bar?	to a (coffee) bar?
al caffé?	to a cafe?
in pizzeria?	to a pizzeria?
a casa mia?	to my house?

Ti piacerebbe/Vuoi…	Would you like to/Do you want to…
andare in piazza?	go to the piazza?
andare in chiesa?	go to church?
andare al cinema? andare a teatro?	go to the movies? go to the theater?
andare al concerto?	go to the concert?
andare allo spettacolo?	go to the show (performance)?
andare alla mostra?	go to the show (exhibit)?
andare al museo?	go to the museum?
andare a ballare?	go dancing?
andare in ufficio?	go to the office?

Ti piacerebbe/Vuoi …	Would you like to/Do you want to…
venire con noi…	come with us…
in spiaggia / al mare?	to the beach / to the sea?
in montagna?	to the mountains?
in campagna?	to the countryside?

When to use “a”
to Link Italian Verbs

There are some Italian action verbs that need to be followed by the preposition a before an infinitive verb is added to complete the sentence. This may seem a little redundant to the English speaker, since in English infinitive verbs already include the word “to.” For instance, the translation of the Italian infinitive verb andare is “to go.” To the Italian speaker, though, it is natural to insert the preposition a between certain conjugated verbs and an infinitive verb — Italian phrases just sound correct this way!

As examples, remember the important phrases “andare a trovare” and “venire a trovare” that mean “to go to visit” and “to come to visit.” These phrases are used to describe visiting people; to visit a place, use visitare. Riuscire is also used on a daily basis to describe the effort one has been putting into a specific action. Try to listen for the “a” when you hear the verbs in the list below and soon it will become natural for you, also, to combine these verbs correctly.

aiutare	to help
Aiuto mia mamma a.…cucinare la cena. I help my mother to cook (the) dinner.
andare	to go
Mamma va a.…fare la spesa ogni mattina. Mother goes grocery shopping every morning.
cominciare	to start
Comincio a.…cucinare la cena. I start (am starting) to cook (the) dinner.
divertirsi	to enjoy onself
Mi diverto a…suonare il violino. I enjoy playing the violin.
imparare	to learn
Tutti imparano a.…parlare italiano. Everyone learns to speak Italian.
insegnare	to teach
Lei insegna a.…scrivere la lingua francese. She teaches (how to) write French.
invitare	to invite
Lui mi invita a…mangiare al ristorante. He invites (is inviting) me to eat at the restaurant.
mandare	to send
Io mando Pietro a…prendere una pizza. I send Peter to get a pizza.
prepararsi	to get ready
Mi preparo ad…andare in Italia. I am getting ready to go to Italy.
riuscire	to be able to/manage
Non riesco a… trovare le chiavi. I can’t manage to find the keys.
venire	to come
Caterina viene a… trovare i suoi cugini. Kathy comes to visit her cousins.

Use the Italian “a” or “in”
in Reference to Time

We also mentioned in the same blog that both di and in are used to refer to the seasons: d’estate, d’inverno, in primavera, in autunno.

The Italian prepositions a and in also have a role to play when describing units of time.

When referring to the month that something is going to happen, either a or in can be used. English always uses in.

Andiamo a Roma a giugno / in giugno.
We will go to Rome in June.

The question, “A che ora succede (qualcosa)?” “At what hour does (something) happen?” is answered with the phrase [alle + number]. In this case, the Italian “a” means “at.” If you need a refresher on how to tell time in both the present and the past, visit the numbers section of our Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook or the “Just the Verbs” and “Just the Grammar” reference books.

Andiamo alle sei e trenta. / Andiamo alle sei e mezzo.
Let’s go at 6:30.

When “a” Means “By”

Sometimes the Italian preposition “a” is translated into “by” in English. For instance, we say that an article of clothing is made “by hand” to refer to human, rather than machine labor. In Italian, the phrase is “a mano.” A similar phrase is “fatto a casa” for “homemade.”

To learn something “by heart” is to “imparare a memoria.”

Also use “a” in Italian to describe what type of energy something “runs by/on.”

Quest’orologio funziona a batteria.
This watch runs by battery.

Other types of combustible energy a machine can run on include: a energia solare, a benzina, a gas, a legno forby… solar energy, benzine, gas, wood.

One can also run on “people energy” when walking by foot (a piedi) or take advantage of an animal’s energy when riding a horse (a cavallo).

Note: electric energy does not require a preposition! L’elettricità = the electricity and una macchina elettrico = an electric machine.

When “in” Means “Made of”

In the previous blog, “How to Use ‘Di’ in Italian, we discussed how to use the preposition di to describe what something is composed of, as well as the exception with materials that require “in” as the preposition. To repeat, by convention, for all metals that are not gold (oro) and for the cloth velvet (veluto) use the Italian preposition in prior to mentioning the material.

Questa è una scultura in bronzo.
This is a sculpture made of bronze.

La vecchia poltrona è stata rivestita in velluto.
The old chair was restored with velevet cloth.

Using “a” to Refer to Age

In a previous blog in this series, “How to Use ‘Di’ in Italian, we discussed that the preposition di is used to state the age of an acquaintance or even a bottle of wine; Use di as part of a phrase before the number of years as in “una signora di 82 anni.”

One can also simply say, “at [number of] years,” in Italian, just like in English, by using the preposition “a” for “at.”

Pietro si è laureato all’Università a ventidue anni.
Peter graduated from college at 22 years.

Mi sono sposata a venticinque anni.
I got married at 25 years old.

Remember when saying the specific phrase, “at your age” that Italian requires the “a” for “at” to be combined with the definite article to make the possessive “your.”

Per favore, nonna, alla tua età, non lavorare più!
Please, grandma, at your age, don’t work any more!

Getting “in” and “out”
of Transportation

Note that different prepositions are used for cars vs. other forms of transportation when using the Italian verb salire to describe getting in. Salire has an irregular conjugation, with two forms given below. Note also and how the preposition su (on) is combined with the different forms of the (il, la, l’).

Salgo in macchina. I get into the car.
Sali in macchina! Get into the car! (fam. command)

Salgo su… I get on/I board/I go aboard…

Salgo… sull’autobus, sul treno, sulla motocicletta, sulla bicicletta, sull’areo.

I get onto… the bus, the train, the motorcycle, the bicycle, the airplane.

Remember how to make comparisons with
the Italian preposition “di” in conversation
and I guarantee you will use the Italian “di” every day!

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! – Let’s talk about… Making reservations in Italian

June 1, 2022March 31, 2022 ~ stellalucentellc ~ Leave a comment

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD for Conversational Italian for Travelers books

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently in 2022?

I hope you are on your way to meet this goal! I will try to help you by posting a new blog every month in the series “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” With these blogs, I describe how Italians use their language on a daily basis and in so doing help you to “think in Italian.”

As of this writing, it is easier to travel to Europe than it has been for the last two years. But of course, even if travel becomes restricted again, it is never to early to start to learn Italian travel phrases. In fact, the earlier the better! So for this blog I focus on Italian phrases for making reservations at a restaurant or hotel in Italy.

Prior to beginning the lesson for this blog, I acknowledge that in the larger cities of Italy it is not usually necessary to make reservations completely in Italian; the Italian staff usually speak basic English and often the languages of their European neighbors, French, Spanish or German. Also, of course, most times reservations can now be made over the internet on one’s computer or smart phone, without any human interaction at all! But I’ve found that a few phrases in Italian are always warmly welcomed by Italian servers and hotel receptionists, even in the larger cities, and can serve to put the traveler at ease in their new surroundings. In the smaller Italian towns, basic Italian expressions can still be essential when relating one’s needs in family-run restaurants and hotels.

In short, if we learn the few phrases needed when making reservations in Italian, we will feel more comfortable during our stay in the “bel paese.”

This post is the 57th in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE.

Many “commonly used phrases”
describe

making reservations in Italian

See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar

found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

**************************************

Let’s Talk About… Making Reservations in Italian

La prenotazione means “the reservation.” The Italian verbs prenotare and riservare translate into English as: “to make/book a reservation.” The use of these Italian verbs varies with the situation.

Most commonly, when asking to make a reservation at a restaurant or a hotel, Italians use the noun prenotazione with the verb fare and “make a reservation,” which is “fare una prenotazione.”

It is customary to start a request with either vorrei (I would like) or desidero (I desire/want/wish). Notice that vorrei is the conditional form of volere (to want). It is also possible to use the first person present tense form volgio (I want) but vorrei is considered more polite and is the preferred conjugation to use. The phrase “ho bisogno di” for “I need” is yet another way to introduce any request made in Italian.

Some example sentences to get us started making a reservation:

Vorrei fare una prenotazione.	I would like to make a reservation.
Desidero fare una prenotazione.	I desire/want/wish to make a reservation.
Ho bisogno di fare una prenotazione.	I need to make a reservation.

Once we have stated our desire to make a reservation, three important pieces of information will need to be relayed to the receptionist: the number of people, the date and the time.

Generally, the receptionist will ask: “Per quante persone?” “For how many people?”

For a restaurant reservation, it will be important to state how many adults (adulti) as well as how many children (bambini) will be dining. A simple answer for a family of two adults and two children would be: “Due adulti e due bambini.” The receptionist may ask if a child seat (una sedia speciale) is needed. A table will be chosen next to other families dining in the restaurant; this ensures that adults who are without children and want a more intimate dinner will not be disturbed.

An interesting note about children and Italian culture: a child is considered a bambino or bambina (baby/ child) in Italy until about 14, when he or she can then be called a ragazzo or ragazza (young man/young woman). The appellation ragazzo(a) lasts into the 20s. The usual Italian masculine and feminine endings need to be applied to these nouns; the “o” ending signifies a male child and the “a” ending a female child. For the plural, the usual “i” ending is used for a group of all males or a mixed group and “e” for an all female group.

Remember also that the Italian number “one” changes when modifying a noun. So a family may have un bambino or una bambina.

To make a reservation in an Italian restaurant, it is not necessary to differentiate the bambini from the ragazzi. But Italian hotels do differentiate between children of different ages when booking a room. Most Italian hotels have a room rate that will vary depending on the number of adults who occupy the room. Families traveling with children between the ages of 12-14 (and even up to16 years of age) may be able to receive a family discount (uno sconto famiglia).

In short, it is helpful to memorize the correct Italian for the children in your family when making reservations at a restaurant and hotel to be comfortable and to be sure you are not overpaying for accommodations!

Some variations on the simple conversation we have created so far:

Vorrei fare una prenotazione.	I would like to make a reservation.
Per quante persone?	For how many people?
Un‘adulto/Due adulti	One adult/Two adults
Un bambino/Una bambina Un ragazzo/ Una ragazza	One baby or young child (male/female) One young man/ One young woman
Due bambini/ Due bambine	Two children (group of males or males+females/ group of all females)
Due ragazzi/ Due ragazze	Two boys or [1 boy + 1 girl]/ Two girls

By the way, if you need to cancel a reservation, use the same sentence structure as when you have made the reservation. However, use the verb annullare, and say, “Vorrei annullare una prenotazione,” for “I would like to cancel a reservation.”

Or, if a reservation needs to be changed, use the verb cambiare, as in, “Vorrei cambiare una prenotazione.”

Stating the date in Italian:

To state the date and time of a reservation, we will need to know how to say numbers in Italian up to 31 (assuming reservation is in the present year). If you still need to learn how to count in Italian, purchase my Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook or download the PDF for tips on how to remember Italian numbers into the billions.

Below is the sentence structure needed to state the date.

definite article + number + di +month

This is actually a lot easier than it may look! Below are a few examples. You will notice that in English we say, “January second,” for “January 2,” while in Italian the phrasing and word order reads: “the two of January.”

The exception to the above rule is the first day of the month. In this case, the word primo, which means first, must always be used, instead of uno (one).

When writing the date, remember the order of the day and the month are reversed in Italy (as in Europe): dd/mm/yyyy. The days of the week and the months of the year are not capitalized in Italian.

Oggi è il due di gennaio.	Today is January 2.
Domani è il tre di gennaio.	Tomorrow is January 3.
Dopodomani è il quattro di gennaio.	The day after tomorrow is January 4.
Oggi è il primo di agosto.	Today is August 1.

Finally, in everyday conversation, to say, “On Mondays…” referring to something that happens every Monday, just use the definite article il (the) at the beginning of the sentence for all the masculine weekdays ending in ì and la for the feminine Sunday (domenica).

Il lunedì vado al lavoro. / La domenica vado in chiesa.
On Mondays, I go to work. / On Sundays, I go to church.

Stating the time when making a reservation in Italian:

Expressions used to tell time in Italian are given below up to 12 o’clock. For a more detailed explanation of the Italian sentence structure used when telling time, purchase my Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook or download the PDF. Note: there is no “o’clock” in Italian. Simply state the hour “it is” for one o’clock or the number of hours “there are” from two o’clock onward. You will need to learn Italian numbers up to 24 to understand the time tables for Italian trains, buses and airlines, which are given in “military time” with the 24 hour clock. Italian museums and theaters also operate based on the 24 hour clock.

È l’una. (It is) one. (1 o’clock)

Sono le due. (They are) two. (2 o’clock)

Sono le tre. (They are) three. (3 o’clock)

Sono le quattro. (They are) four. (4 o’clock)

Sono le cinque. (They are) five. (5 o’clock)

Sono le sei. (They are) six. (6 o’clock)

Sono le sette. (They are) seven. (7 o’clock)

Sono le otto. (They are) eight. (8 o’clock)

Sono le nove. (They are) nine. (9 o’clock)

Sono le dieci. (They are) ten. (10 o’clock)

Sono le undici. (They are) eleven. (11 o’clock)

Sono le dodici. (They are) twelve. (12 o’clock)

One can emphasize the time of day, such as morning, afternoon, evening, or night, by adding the following expressions after the numerical time: di mattina, di pomeriggio, di sera, or di notte, as below.

1,00 (AM) È l’una di mattina. It is one in the morning.

1,00 (PM) È l’una di pomeriggio. It is one in the afternoon.

6,00 (PM) Sono le sei di sera. It is six in the evening.

10,00 (PM) Sono le dieci di notte. It is ten at night.

When the receptionist at a restaurant asks what hour you wish to dine, the question will usually be phrased as such:
A che ora…? (At) what time…?

The response to the question will also use the word at, which will be attached to the definite article (the). Use (l’) for one o’clock and (le) for all other hours to agree with the number of hours in the answer.

A mezzogiorno At noon

A mezzanotte At midnight

All’una. At one o’clock.

Alle sette. At seven o’clock.

All’una e cinque. At 1:05 AM.

Alle sette e mezzo. At 7:30 AM.

Making a Reservation in Italian: Restaurants and Hotels

Now that we know an introductory sentence and how to tell the receptionist at a restaurant or hotel the date and time of our appointment, we can summarize this information in the short conversation below:

Vorrei fare una prenotazione.	I would like to make a reservation.
Per quante persone?	For how many people?
Quattro. Due adulti e due bambini.	Four. Two adults and two children.
Data e ora/orario?	Date and time?
Ristorante: Il cinque di giugno alle otto di sera.	Restaurant: July 5th at 8 PM.
Hotel: Dal cinque al sette di giugno.	Hotel: From the 5th through the 7^th of June.

Restaurants in Italy normally open for dinner at 7 PM and most Italians go out to eat at 8 PM or later. After making a reservation, when one enters the restaurant, all the information the receptionist needs to know can be conveyed in two easy lines:

Buona sera.
Good evening.

Abbiamo una prenotazione per quattro persone alle otto di sera.
We have a reservation for four people for 8 PM.

In colloquial Italian, it is also considered correct to say:
Abbiamo una prenotazione per quattro persone per le otto di sera.
We have a reservation for four people for 8 PM.

For just one person, the following is fine:
Ho una prenotazione alle otto/ per le otto.
I have a reservation for 8 PM

Additional requests may need to be made for hotel reservations. When asking a question of the receptionist, use the “you all” form of avere, which is avete, since you are asking the representative of the hotel if they have what you need. The receptionist will answer in the noi form, and mention “we have” or “we don’t have” what you are requesting.

Example:

Avete una camera singola?
Do you all have a room with a single bed?

Mi dispiace, non abbiamo una camera singola disponibile.
I’m sorry, we don’t have a room with a single bed available.

Siamo al completo/ tutti prenotati stasera.
We are full/completely booked tonight.

Below is a list of vocabulary that includes the type of Italian hotel (l’albergo) you may want to choose and the type of room (la stanza) you may need. A few hotel amenities one might ask about when making a reservation are also included.

Almost all hotels in Italy provide breakfast for their guests gratis (free), so it is not usually necessary to ask if la prima colazione (breakfast) is included in the fee for the room. However, it can be helpful to check the internet for images of the dining room and the food served (along with the types of rooms available) prior to making reservations at a hotel. Italian hotels offer a wide range of morning meals — from a simple continental breakfast of coffee, juice and a pastry, to a large buffet with specialty breads and pastries, eggs, cereal, yogurt, lunch meat and cheeses to choose from.

And just in case things are not quite what you expected during your stay at an Italian hotel, you can always ask for l’albergatore or l’albergatrice (hotel manager, masculine and feminine). If you need help choosing where to make dinner reservations, call la reception (reception/front desk) or visit il concierge (the concierge).

l’albergo	hotel
la pensione il bed and breakfast	boarding house bed and breakfast
l’ostello (della gioventù)	youth hostel
il pernottamento	overnight stay
la pensione completa	room and board (includes three meals a day)
la mezza pensione	room, breakfast, and one meal (half board)

la camera/la stanza	room
la camera singola	room with a single bed
la camera matrimoniale	room with a double bed
le camere adiacenti	adjacent rooms
il letto	bed
il letto supplementare	additional bed
la culla	crib

servizio in camera	room service
la piscina	swimming pool
la sauna	sauna
la vasca idromassaggio	Jacuzzi*
il campo da golf	golf course
il campo da tennis	tennis court

*Italian-American history: Jacuzzi Brothers was a company founded in 1915 by seven Italian-American brothers with the surname Jacuzzi, whose family origins were in Casarsa della Delizia in Northern Italy. They initially developed propellers for the military and experimented with the manufacture of aircraft. In 1956, the company developed a pump that could be submerged under water to provide hydrotherapy. Candido Jacuzzi, third generation in the family, invented the whirlpool bath using the company’s hydrotherapy pump to treat his young son’s rheumatoid arthritis. The Jacuzzi tubs we know today were trademarked in 1968.

Making a Reservation in Italian: Train or Theater

Remember that reservations for the train or theater in Italy are made using the military, or 24 hour clock. Once you have made a reservation, here are a few tips on how to proceed when arriving at your destination:

When boarding a train or entering a theater with a ticket that has a reserved seat, one would have “un biglietto con la prenotazione” or “a ticket with the reservation.”

To say you are checking your seat, use the phrase, “Controllo il biglietto con la prenotazione,” for “I am checking the ticket with the reservation.”

However, the actual seat on a train or theater is referred to as “reserved” as in, “Il posto è riservato.” The seat or room has been booked, and no one else can use it. If someone else has made a prenotazione before you, your request might be denied due to un posto riservato.

Remember to use the verbs cambiare and annullare to change or cancel a reservation, as mentioned in the very first section!

Remember that making reservations in Italian
can enhance your experience every day while visiting Italy!

For “All the Italian you need to know to enjoy your trip to Italy,” click on the links below to purchase my Conversational Italian for Travelers books – Kathryn Occhipinti

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! How to Make Comparisons in Italian with “Di”

May 4, 2022October 22, 2022 ~ stellalucentellc ~ Leave a comment

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently in 2022?

Why not set a goal to learn Italian, starting today, for the year 2022? I will try to help you with this goal by posting a new blog every month in the series “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” In these blogs, I discuss how Italians use their language on a daily basis and in so doing help you to “think in Italian.”

To speak fluently in another language, it is important to know how to make comparisons. Every day we all compare the characteristics of one thing to another — larger vs. smaller, better or worse — often to describe what we prefer. The Italian language uses precise sentence structures and specific prepositions when making comparisons that are not always identical to English. The good news is that Italian is consistent, and it is easy to learn the “Italian way” of thinking to compare the things in the world we live in!

In a prior blog in this series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! – How to Use ‘Di’ in Italian,” we learned that the Italian preposition di can mean “of, from, or by.” Now, we will put di to use in another way — to replace the English word than when making comparisons!

Let’s continue our new series on Italian prepositions with another blog about the essential Italian preposition “di.” If we learn how to use the Italian preposition “di” to make comparisons, we will truly sound like a native Italian!

This post is the 56th in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases”
in Italian use

the preposition “di”
to make comparisons

See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar*

found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

*The material in this blog has been adapted from the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and the reference book “Just the Grammar.”

****************************************

Use “Di” to Compare Italian Nouns
and for Comparisons with Piacere

To speak fluently in another language, it is important to know how to make comparisons. Every day we all compare the characteristics of one thing to another — larger vs. smaller, better or worse — often to describe what we prefer. The Italian language uses precise sentence structures and specific prepositions when making comparisons that are not always identical to English. In this blog, we will explore several ways to make comparisons that use the Italian preposition di. The good news is that Italian is consistent, and it is easy to learn the “Italian way” of thinking to compare the things in the world we live in!

To compare two different nouns — people, places, or things — where one has a superior or inferior characteristic, use the following Italian phrases below. Note that the Italian preposition di will combine with the definite article the (il, la, lo, l’, etc.) according to the usual rules, if a definite article is needed in the sentence.

In this case, the Italian preposition di is translated into English with than. Notice that “the” is often used in Italian but is not needed in English, due to the different way the two languages express possession (see the first example below). If you need a refresher on the Italian preposition di, visit a prior blog in this series, “How to Use “Di” in Italian.”

Also, the translation into English will not match the Italian word for word when making comparisons. English uses the irregular “larger” and “smaller” and therefore the Italian “more large” and “more small” cannot be translated directly into English.

Comparison of Two Different Nouns

più… di	more… than
meno… di	less… than

Comparison sentences with two different nouns (person, place, or thing) are given below. The nouns that are being compared are red.

Pietro ha più soldi di Caterina.	Peter has more money than Kathy.
Caterina ha meno soldi di Pietro.	Kathy has less money than Peter.

La casa di Pietro è più grande della casa di Caterina.	Peter’s house is larger than Kathy’s house.
Firenze è più piccola di Roma.	Florence is smaller than Rome.

This Italian sentence structure using di also works
when making comparisons using piacere between two nouns
that have different characteristics.

Let’s look into how to make comparisons with the verb piacere. Piacere is how Italians say they like something. (If you need a refresher on how to conjugate the verb piacere, visit our blog, “Piacere — How Italians Say, ‘I like it!'”)

Piacere often comes into play to describe how much we like doing something compared to something else. For instance, in a prior blog, “Let’s Talk About… TV and Movies in Italian.” we discussed how to state a preference for one film over another. The two lines below give the correct Italian sentence structure and again use più di and meno di.

Mi piace… (film) più di + definite article… (film).
Mi piace… (film) meno di + definite article… (film).

Mi piace il film La Vita è Bella più delle serie Commissario Montalbano.
I like the film Life is Beautiful more than the series Detective Montalbano.

Mi piace il film Pane e Tulipani meno di La Vita è Bella.
I like Bread and Tulips less than Life is Beautiful.

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Use “Che” to Compare
Italian Verbs, Adjectives and Adverbs

However, to combine two different verbs, adverbs or adjectives where one has a superior or inferior characteristic, or one is liked more than another, substitute che for di. The two lines below use più che and meno che with the verbs correre and nuotare in green, and the adjectives giallo and rosso in brown. Notice that the subject is the same in these comparisons — in this case, the subject is what one likes but of course one can substitute “mi piace” with a noun (person, place or thing).

The English transition when comparing two verbs uses the present progressive tense (-ing verb).

Mi piace correre più che nuotare.
I like running more than swimming.

Mi piace giallo meno che rosso.
I like yellow less than red.

Finally, use più che or meno che if making a comparison that uses a preposition.

Rosa è più contenta con te che con me.
Rose is happier (more happy) with you than with me.

Or use che alone to express a preference.
Preferisco partire il 7 che il 5 di mattina.
I prefer to leave at 7 than at 5 in the morning.

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Use “Di” with
Irregular Adverbs

Comparative sentences that use adverbs are common, since people often discuss how well (bene) — or how badly (male) — something is going. To compare how one action is better or worse compared to another, use the irregular comparative adverbs meglio and peggio with the preposition di and the same sentence structure described in the last section of this blog.

In the examples below, the adverb that is used in the comparison is in brown and its verb in green.

Caterina parla italiano bene.	Kathy speaks Italian well.
Caterina parla italiano meglio di Francesca.	Kathy speaks Italian better than Frances.

Francesca parla italiano male.	Frances speaks Italian badly.
Francesca parla italiano peggio di Caterina.	Frances speaks Italian worse than Kathy.

To express the relative superlative “the best” or “the worst” in Italian, one can simply use the comparative sentence structure we have learned with the Italian phrases “meglio di tutti” or “peggio di tutti.”

Caterina parla italiano meglio di tutti.	Kathy speaks Italian better than everyone.
	Meaning: Kathy speaks Italian the best.

Francesca parla italiano peggio di tutti.	Frances speaks Italian worse than everyone.
	Meaning: Frances speaks Italian the worst.

Meglio is used in the same way when talking about a thing, rather than a person. For instance, to compare a recent film with a well-known TV series, see the example below from our blog “Let’s Talk About… TV and Movies in Italian.”

This film is better than…

Questo film è meglio di + definite article…

Questo film è meglio del Commissario Montalbano, sono sicuro!
This film is better than Detective Montalbano, I am sure.

Equally important are comparisons made with the adverbs very (molto) or little (poco). People have a tendency to make comparisons between doing something more (più) or doing something less (meno). We have seen the Italian adverbs piu and meno in action in the first section as part of the sentence structure for making a comparison. When used with the meaning of “more” or “less,” piu and meno are considered irregular adverbs.

However, when making a comparison in Italian using più or meno with the meanings of more or less, speakers often don’t mention the second term. This is common in every day conversation when both speakers already know the topic under discussion. When the second term in the comparison is omitted, the preposition di is added before più or meno to complete the sentence.

Use di più or di meno, rather than simply più or meno
when the second term of the comparison is not stated.

In the examples below, the adverb used in the comparison is in brown and its verb in green.

Pietro ha mangiato molta pizza.	Peter ate a lot of pizza.
Pietro ha mangiato più pizza di Michele.	Peter ate more pizza than Michael.
Pietro ha mangiato di più.	Peter ate more.

Michele ha mangiato poca pizza.	Michael ate a little pizza.
Michele ha mangiato meno pizza di Pietro.	Michael ate less pizza than Peter.
Michele ha mangiato di meno.	Michael ate less.

To express “the most” or “the least” in Italian, one can simply use the comparative sentence structure we have learned with the Italian phrases “più di tutti” or “meno di tutti.”

Pietro ha mangiato più di tutti.	Peter ate more than everyone.
	Meaning: Peter ate the most.

Michele ha mangiato meno di tutti.	Michael ate less than everyone.
	Meaning: Michael ate the least.

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Use “Di” with
Irregular Adjectives

See the irregular comparative adverbs we have just discussed in the previous section in the table below, along with their relative superlative adjectives and phrases.

Adverb		Comparative Adverb		Relative Superlative Adjective/Phrases
bene	well	meglio	better	il migliore	the best
male	badly	peggio		il peggiore	the worst
molto	very	più di più	more	più la maggior parte di il maggior numero di	the most
poco	a little	meno di meno	less	meno il minimo di la minima parte di	the least

Now let’s talk about the relative superlative adjectives in the third column of our table above.

The Best and the Worst in Italian:

Earlier in this blog, we mentioned that to express the relative superlative adjective “the best” in Italian, one can simply use the Italian phrase “meglio di tutti” to state “better than everyone.”

However, when we use the irregular adjective “il migliore” to state someone or something is “the best,” a different sentence structure is required. One might say Italian is more precise than English since Italian expresses the difference between Frances the person and Frances’ knowledge of Italian. In English, this difference is simply understood. (If you need a refresher on how to state possession with the Italian preposition di, visit a prior blog in this series, “How to Use “Di” in Italian.”)

In short, an Italian sentence that uses the adjective migliore must start with the noun that migliore modifies. Once again, we encounter differences in the English and Italian way of thinking — in this case about how to be the best!

Below are examples from the prior section again, with the addition of a sentence with “il migliore” for comparison. The last example also includes “the worst,” or “il peggiore,” which follows the same sentence structure. The adverb that is being compared is in brown and its verb in green. The noun described as “the best” or “the worst” is in red.

Caterina parla italiano meglio di tutti.	Kathy speaks Italian better than everyone.
	Meaning: Kathy speaks Italian the best.
L’italiano di Caterina è il migliore.	Meaning: Kathy’s Italian is the best.

Francesca parla italiano peggio di tutti.	Frances speaks Italian worse than everyone.
	Meaning: Frances speaks Italian the worst.
L’italiano di Francesca è il peggiore.	Meaning: Frances’ Italian is the worst.

The Most in Italian:

Previously in this blog, we mentioned that to express the relative superlative adjective “the most” in Italian, one can simply use the Italian phrase “più di tutti” to state “more than everyone.”

We can also use più in a sentence that starts with a noun followed by quello(a,i,e) to express the idea of “the most.” Use this Italian way of speaking to refer to the greatest quantity of something, measure of something (tangible or intangible), or number of something. The Italian sentence structure is similar to the examples given for how to use migliore and peggiore. English speakers tend to express the same idea in a different way, as noted by the translations below.

Il bicchiere di Marco è quello che ha più vino.	Mark has the most wine in his glass.
Anna è quella della famiglia che è più bella.	Ann is the most beautiful of all of us in the family.
Quest’albero è quello che ha più mele.	This tree is the one with the most apples.

Two other phrases, “la maggior parte di” and “il maggior numero di” can also mean “the most,” regarding “the greatest quantity” and “the greatest number” of something.

Also, “Per la maggiore parte…” is commonly used to say, “For the most part…”

Our original examples are listed below again, with additional ways to say “the most.” Notice how the meaning changes with the use of the last two phrases. Also that “fetta di” is itself a separate phrase, so that di is not combined with the definite article.

Pietro ha mangiato più di tutti.
Peter ate more than everyone/the most.

Pietro ha mangiato la maggior parte della pizza.
Peter ate most (the most part of) of the pizza.

Pietro ha mangiato il magior numero di fette di piazza.
Peter ate most (the most number of) of the pieces of the pizza.

The Least in Italian:

Finally, to say “the least,” one can use “meno” with quello(a) and the same sentence structure as described above for più.

Michele è quello della famiglia che ha mangiato meno pizza.
Michael has eaten the least pizza of all of us in the family.

“Il minimo di” and “la minima parte di” can also be used to describe “the least.” See examples below. Remember to change the ending of minimo(a) to match the gender of the noun that is modified.

Michele ha mangiato meno di tutti.
Michael ate less than everyone/the least pizza.

Michele ha mangiato la minima parte della pizza. Michael ate the least (amount of) pizza.

Michele ha mangiato il minimo del pane. Michael ate the least (amount of) bread.

Remember how to make comparisons with
the Italian preposition “di” in conversation
and I guarantee you will use the Italian “di” every day!

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! – The many uses of the Italian verb “Mettere”

April 5, 2022April 24, 2022 ~ stellalucentellc ~ Leave a comment

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently in 2022?

Have you set a goal to learn Italian? I will try to help you by posting a new blog every month in the series “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” In these blogs, I discuss how Italians use their language on a daily basis and in so doing help you to “think in Italian.”

For instance, many Italian verbs have a similar use to those in English, which simplifies translation from one language to the other. However, often the meaning of an Italian verb will vary from the usual English connotation. And in many situations, the same verb can have several different meanings in both languages, depending on the context. Mettere (along with its reflexive form mettersi) is one of those verbs that is used in many ways in Italian and is important to “put to” good use if you want to speak like an Italian.

As I’ve said before, I believe that “commonly used phrases” are the key for how we can all build fluency in any language in a short time.

If we learn how to incorporate “commonly used phrases” when use the Italian verb mettere, we will be able to communicate just as we do in our native language!

This post is the 55th in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases” in Italian
use the verb

Mettere

See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar

found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

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Let’s Talk About…

The Many Uses of the Italian Verb

Mettere

The Italian verb mettere and its reflexive counterpart mettersi are used in many colloquial expressions in Italy today. It is important to “put in” the time to learn how to use mettere, both literally and figuratively, if one wants to speak Italian like a native!

The Italian verb mettere is most often translated into English as “to put” or “to place.” It can be used in a simple way, to describe moving an object from one place to another.

Mettere is commonly used with the prepositions a, da, in and su in many Italian expressions that have the connotation of “putting” or “placing” something or someone in a place or situation. One commonly heard expression is, “Metti su l’acqua!” for “Put on the water!” which, of course refers to boiling a pot of water in preparation for making pasta! The Internet also provides another opportunity to use mettere su.

Mettersi a and mettere in are used to relay that an individual is “going to” initiate an action — such as starting to cook dinner or starting a car. Mettersi a can also be used in the impersonal third person to describe an act of nature starting up on its own. Finally, use mettere in to describe the emotional state or situations you have been “put into.”

Italian uses mettersi to describe the act of getting dressed. In English, we combine the verb “put” with the preposition “on” to make “put on” with reference to clothing. The preposition “on” does not have any other purpose than to change the meaning of the verb “put,” in the same way that the reflexive form of an Italian verb is used to modify or even change that verb’s original meaning. Messo, the past participle of mettere, is important to describe what one was wearing in the past. Several examples of how to use mettere and mettersi to describe getting dressed will be given in the next section. For additional information on this topic, visit a previous blog in this series: How We Dress in Italian.

Mettere can be used in the figurative sense, meaning, “I suppose” or “I presume.” Mettere can also be used figuratively to ask how something “looks.” If you are more sure of yourself, use ammetere and admit/confirm whatever is under discussion at the moment.

Use the pronominal verb phrase “mettercela tutta” as an informal way to describe that you’ve “put in” the most effort you can/are doing your best, or to encourage another to “give it their all.”

Finally, many Italian sayings incorporate mettere. Some of the most popular have been listed at the end of this blog.

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Let’s talk about how to conjugate mettere in the present, past, and future tenses before using it in some example sentences. Luckily, mettere is regular in all tenses except for the passato prossimo, due to its irregular past participle, which is messo.

Present tense: Mettere is a regular -ere verb in the present tense. The present tense conjugation is below.

io	metto
tu	metti
Lei/lei/lui	mette
noi	mettiamo
voi	mettete
loro	mettono

Past tense: When used in the passato prossimo to describe a single event, avere is the helping verb and the past participle is messo.

Mettere has a regular conjugation in the imperfetto past tense (mettevo, mettevi, metteve, mettevamo, mettevate, mettevano).

Future tense: mettere is regular in the future tense (metterò, metterai, metterà, metteremo, metterete, metteranno).

1. Use mettere to describe the simple act of moving an object from one place and “putting” or “placing” it in another place.

Mettere is commonly followed by a noun and then a preposition to describe the act of “putting” or “placing” an object somewhere in one’s household.
The singular familiar command form of mettere, which is metti is also important to remember when directing family or friends where to put an object.
The past participle messo is important when one has remembered (or is trying to remember) where they have put an object.
The direct object pronouns “them”(le) and “it”(lo) are red, so as not to confuse them with a verb ending.

Ho messo i piatti sulla tavola per la cena.

I put the plates on the table for dinner.

Brava! Ora, pian piano, metti i bicchieri di cristalleria vicino a i piatti!

Great! Now, carefully place the crystal wine glasses next to the plates!

Ho messo le chiavi nella mia borsa, ma ora non riesco a trovarle!

I put the keys in my purse, but now I can’t find them!

Mettilo di là, in stanza mia.

Put it over there, in my room.

2. Use mettere su to describe “putting” food “on” the stove, to “put on” something in figurative sense, or to “put up a post on” the Internet

Mettere with the preposition su is a commonly used expression in home cooking. For instance, when a family is ready for dinner, one can direct another to “put” a pot of water “on” the stove to boil. No other details are necessary, for every Italian knows that boiling, salted water is essential for making pasta! Specific foods one would like to encourage another to cook can also follow mettere su, and one can be asked more directly simply to make la pasta. Of note: with expressions of this type, the preposition su is not combined with the definite article.
Mettere su is used in common expressions to mean “to put on weight” or “to put (someone) on a pedestal,” just like in English.
Use mettere su in the figurative sense, as in to “put on a show” of something, or to “organize” or “create” an event.
To sound like a native Italian when speaking about the internet, use mettere su or mettere in rete instead of postare for “putting up” with the meaning of “posting” or “publishing on line. Along these lines, “mettere in coppia” means “to copy someone” on an email.

Sono arrivato! Metti su l’acqua!

I’m home! Put on the (pot of) water (to boil to make the pasta)!

Metti su la pasta! / Metti su la carne!

Start cooking the pasta! / Start cooking the meat!

Lui ha meso su pancia quest’anno.

He has put on belly fat this year!

Anna mette su un piedistallo il suo fidanzato Marco.

Ann puts her fiancé Mark on a pedastal.

Lui ha meso su uno spettacolo per tutti ieri sera con i suoi scherzi.

He put on a show for everyone last night with his jokes.

Marco ha messo su un bel viaggio per tutti.

Mark has organized a nice trip for everyone.

Metti su internet una foto del tuo viaggio!

Put up a photo of your trip on the Internet!
Post a photo of your trip on the Internet!

Lei ha messo su un blog su internet questa settimana.

She has put up/posted a blog on the internet this week.

3. Use mettersi a, mettersi in the third person, or mettere in moto to describe initiating an action

Mettersi a is used to tell someone you are “about to/starting to” do something, such as starting to cook dinner. The Italian phrase is [mettersi a + infinitive verb]. The English translation is [to be + going to] when mettersi is used in this way.
Mettersi a followed by an infinitive verb can also be used in the third person to describe an inanimate object or an act of nature starting up something by itself. There is a popular Italian saying, “Da Santa Lucia, il freddo si mette in via,” which means, “From Saint Lucia’s Day, the cold is on its way.” The two verbs that mean “to start,” cominciare and iniziare cannot be used in the third person this way. For a more detailed discussion on the topic of how to use impersonal reflexive verbs, visit a previous blog in this series Impersonal Statements and Reflexive Verbs.: “Come si dice?”
Mettere in moto is a commonly used expression to describe starting a car but can also be used figuratively with the meaning of “to embark on” or “set off on” a journey.

Sono arrivato! Ora mi metto a cucinare la cena.

I’m home! Now I am going to cook dinner.

Finalmente lui si mette a lavorare con noi stamattina.

Finally he is going to work with us this morning.

L’eruzione del vulcano si mette a fare la terza eruzione oggi.

The volcano starts the third eruption today.

L’acqua si mette ad alzarsi a Venezia a febbraio.

The water starts to rise in Venice in February.

Michele mette in moto la macchina.

Michael starts the car.

Dopo aver lasciato Anna, Michele mette in moto una vita nuova.

After leaving Ann, Michael sets off on a new life.

4. Use mettere in and mettere a/di to describe negative or positive emotional states or figurative positions you have been “put into.”

Mettere is often used figuratively. There are many expressions that describe the negative emotions and situations one can be “put into” by completing the phrase “mettere in…” An Italian can be put into a difficult position, doubt, embarrassment, ridicule, risk, danger, or even “to their knees” or “on the run”! On the other hand, to be saved is to be “mettere in salvo.” The phrase that means “to be quarantined” is “mettere in quarantena.”
Mettere a or mettere di, conversely, are used in many expressions that describe positive interactions, such as: putting someone at ease, putting things in order, being available to help out, and helping to reach an agreement. Mettere insieme means “to put together” but also “to bring together.” And remember to say, “Sono d’accordo!” for “I agree!” once you have come to an understanding with others!
When describing an event, “mettere in…” can simply mean “to put into play” (gioco) or “to put on a show” (mostra). “Mettere in vendita” means “to put up for sale.”
There are many other common Italian phrases that start with mettere! Listen for how Italians use this versatile verb and you will hear it often!

Mettere in…
	difficoltà	to put in a difficult position to hinder
	dubbio	to doubt
	imbarazzo	to embarrass to make someone uncomfortable
	ridicolo	to ridicule
	rischio	to put someone at risk to put in danger
	ginocchio	to bring someone to their knees
	fuga quarantena	to put someone on the run to put someone in quarantine

Mettere a…	proprio agio	to put somebody at ease
	posto	to put in order to clean up to put away
	disposizione	to make available
	servizio	to put at one’s disposition
Mettere d’… Sono d’…	accordo	to help reach an agreement I agree!

5. Use mettersi to describe the act of getting dressed

There are several Italian verbs that are used to convey the act of wearing clothing and getting dressed. Mettersi is an important verb to know in this regard. For more information on this topic, visit a previous blog in this series: How We Dress in Italian.

Mettersi can be used to convey three different types of English sentences: “I put on my dress,” “I put my dress on,” and “I put on the dress.” In general, Italian uses reflexive verbs to describe daily actions we all must perform to keep up “la bella figura.” English instead uses a [verb + preposition +possessive adjective] sentence structure. Although the last English example is correct, we most often default to using the first two examples, with the possessive “my.”

Although the sentence structure that describes getting dressed differs in Italian and English, in both cases there is a straightforward formula to follow. For Italian, the reflexive pronoun mi (myself) is placed before the conjugated form of mettersi and the article of clothing to be put on is then placed after the verb. The subject pronoun is omitted, as usual. So the final translation for “I put on my dress” is, “Mi metto il vestito.”

Just remember the simple phrase “mi metto” and replace il vestito with your chosen article of clothing and you will be able to describe getting dressed!

To describe action in the tu (you) form, just conjugate mettersi normally and then add the article of clothing, as in “ti metti.” For the lei/lui (she/he) form, use “si mette,” and so on.

(Io) Mi metto il vestito.	I put on my dress./I put my dress on./I put on the dress.
(Tu) Ti metti l’anello.	You put on your ring.
(Lei/Lui) Si mette le scarpe.	She/He puts on his shoes.

In order to describe what they have worn in the past, most Italians use mettersi and its irregular past participle messo.

Remember to use the helping verb essere for the passato prossimo with the reflexive verb mettersi. And, of course the last vowel of the past participle must agree in gender with the person wearing the clothing, since we are using essere as the helping verb (see the red vowels in the examples). The table below shows how this all works:

Marco si è messo un completo oggi.	Mark wore a suit today.
Maria si è messa una gonna oggi.	Maria wore a skirt today.

6. More figurative uses for mettersi and mettere

Mettersi can be used figuratively to ask how something “looks,” such as the weather or an interpersonal situation.
Mettere can be used in the figurative sense, meaning, “I suppose,” or “I presume” in a compound sentence with a subjunctive mood verb. In the examples below, abbia is the subjunctive for avere and sappia is the subjunctive for sapere (singular first, second, and third persons). These are two helpful verbs to remember, even if one is not versed in the subjunctive mood. If you are more sure of yourself, use ammetere and admit/confirm whatever is under discussion at the moment, also with the subjunctive mood.
Remember that the noi conjugation of a verb is also used in the imperative to mean “let’s.” (See the last example.)

Come si mette il tempo oggi?

How does the weather look today?

Come si mette la situazione con Clara?

How does the situation with Clara look?

Tu sai la situazione meglio di me. Quindi, ammetto che tu abbia ragione.

You know the situation better than me. Therefore, I admit/confirm that you are right.

Mettiamo che Marco sappia più di noi.

Let’s presume that Mark knows more than us.

7. Use the pronominal verb phrase “mettercela tutta” as an informal way to describe that you have “put in your best effort.”

Mettercela is a pronominal verb, recognized by the ce and la tacked on to the end of metter, which is just mettere without the last “e.” Conjugate this verb exactly as you would mettere, then add the pronominal particles ce and la, following the usual rules for pronouns.
The pronominal particles ce and la change the meaning of mettere. “Mettercela tutta” means “to put in your absolute best effort” or “to give it your all,” as in strength and determination, in order to achieve a goal.
The speaker can use the phrase “mettercerla tutta” in the present tense to describe an ongoing effort. “Ce la messo tutta…” means, “I am putting in my best effort.” This phrase is also commonly used in the past tense when the speaker wants to emphasize that the outcome wasn’t for lack of trying. In this case, the passato prossimo conjugation for this completed event is, “Ce l’ho messa…”
Mettercela tutta can be preceded by devo, which means “I must” for an even more forceful statement. In this case, there is no need to conjugate mettercela. Just leave it in the infinitive form, as usual for verbs that follow dovere.
Or, the speaker can encourage another to try as hard as they can and keep making their best effort. Use the familiar command form of mettere, which is metti, and attach ce and la to the end of the verb for “Metticerla tutta!” To stress the importance of the effort needed, precede metticela tutta with, “Dai!” for “C’mon!”
Notice another pronominal verb in our examples, farcela, which in this case means “to succeed.”
Follow these simple formulas for using mettercela to really speak like a native Italian!

Ce la metto tutta. Spero di farcela!

I putting in everything I have! I hope to succeed!

Devo mettercerla tutta questa settimana per trovare un cliente nuovo.

I must focus all my effort this week into finding a new client.

Ce l’ho messa tutta, ma non ho superato l’esame lo stesso!

I gave it my all but I failed (didn’t pass) the exam anyway!

Dai! Dobbiamo vincere questa partita. Metticela tutta!

C’mon! We have to win this match. Give it all you’ve got!

*To make sense of the construction “Ce l’ho messa,” we must remember that the l’ stands in for ” la” and therefore is feminine. La drops its “a” in the passato prossimo before ho, to make l’ho, which is easier to say. Then, this dropped “a” reappears as the new ending for the past participle! These rules are explained in detail in our Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Verbs” book.

8. Common Italian sayings that use mettere

Mettere i soldi in cassa = to make money (literally to put money in the cash register)

Mettere a pane e acqua = a harsh punishment (literally to give someone only bread and water)

Mettere i piedi in testa a = walk over/trample over somebody

Mettere il carro davanti ai buoi = put the cart in front of the horse

Mettere in piazza qualcosa = to be open about something/lay your cards on the table

Mettere in primo piano = make a priority of something/ emphasize/focus on

Mettere il becco in = to stick your nose in/interfere

Mettere bocca su tutto = always commenting on/have an opinion on everything

Mettere i puntini sulle “i” = dot your i’s/ be nitpicky

There are even more ways to use the Italian verb mettere than space in this blog!
Practice listening for the Italian phrases that use mettere and
try them out in your own Italian conversations!

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! How to Use the Preposition “Di” in Italian

March 2, 2022August 29, 2022 ~ stellalucentellc ~ Leave a comment

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently in 2022?

Let’s start our new series on Italian prepositions with the essential Italian preposition “di.” If we learn how to use the Italian preposition “di,” which can be translated into the English prepositions “of, from,” and “by,” we will truly sound like a native Italian!

This post is the 54th in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases”
in Italian use

the preposition “di”

See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar *

found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

*This material adapted from the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar

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Use “Di” to Say
Where You are From

One of the most frequent questions asked during polite conversation is, “Where are you from?” This is expressed in Italian with the verb to be (essere) and di, which is translated in English to the preposition from in this situation. The Italian sentence structure is, “From where are you?”

di + dove + essere

from + where + to be

In proper English, of course, we would say, “Where are you from?” Although the Italian sentence sounds awkward in English, the rule in Italian is never to end a sentence with a preposition; in effect, the English sentence likely sounds awkward to Italians! The answer in Italian will also use di and is followed by the town of one’s birth. Notice that the subject pronoun io (I) is usually left out of the answer, as it is understood from the ending of the verb. For instance:

Di dov’è Lei?	Where are you (polite) from?
Di dove sei?	Where are you (familiar) from?
Sono di Chicago.	(I) am from Chicago.

Note: there is another way of asking where someone is from in Italian — the phrase, “Da dove viene?” This phrase uses the conjunction da with the verb venire, and is a more general reference to where one has been living in prior years. The answer is “Vengo da…” for “I am from…” This phrase will be discussed in more detail in a future blog about the preposition da.

Expressing Possession with “Di”

In Italian, the word di is used to expresses possession, and in this situation, di means of. To describe ownership of a car in Italian, for instance, one would use di to create the sentence: “Questa è la macchina di Pietro.”

We can translate the Italian way of thinking into English with the following sentence: “This is the car of Peter.” To the American ear, though, this sounds formal and too wordy. We have the option of expressing this thought with [apostrophe + the letter s] (‘s) tacked onto the name of the person doing the possessing. The English version of our example above would be, “This is Peter’s car.” In Italian, though, if we want to use someone’s name to describe possession, we have only the very first sentence structure: “Questa è la macchina di Pietro.”

General Uses for “Di”

1. In order to express authorship of a work, Italians use di, which in this case corresponds to the English word by. Also use di with the verb conoscere to describe “knowing someone by” their appearance or their name. Notice we may render these ideas a bit differently in English.

8 ½ è un film di Frederico Fellini.	8 ½ is a film by Fredrico Fellini.
Conosco Marco di vista, ma non ci siamo mai incontrati.	I know what Mark looks like, but we have not (ever) met.
Conosco Marco di nome, ma non ci siamo mai incontrati.	I know Mark’s name, but we have not (ever) met.

2. In order to express what something is composed of, Italians use di. In English, we say “made of,” and in Italian the past particle fatto can be used as an adjective to make the corresponding phrase “fatto(a,i,e) di.” However, in Italian the adjective fatto is optional and the entire meaning of the phrase is usually conveyed just with the preposition di. This is why it is so important to learn how to use Italian prepositions correctly. A short, simple preposition can change the meaning of an entire sentence!

Note: for all metals that are not gold (oro) and for the cloth velvet (velluto) use the preposition in instead of di. These exceptions are simply by convention.

Questa sedia fatta di legno è dura.	This chair made of wood is tough.
Ho comprato un camicia di seta oggi.	I bought a silk blouse today.
Mio marito mi ha regolato un’anello d’oro.	My husband bought me a ring made of gold.

—–but-—-

Questa è una scultura in bronzo.	This sculpture is made of bronze.
La vecchia poltrona è stata rivestita in velluto.	The old chair was restored with velvet cloth.

There are also many descriptive nouns in English that are composed of two nouns, one of which acts as an adjective to describe the other. Some of these descriptive noun/adjectives must be linked with di in Italian if the descriptive term represents what the main item is made of. For instance the two English words that represent one item from the example silk blouse given above is translated into Italian as camicia di seta. The single English word sandcastle is il castello di sabbia in Italian, or “the castle made of sand.” Descriptive nouns will be covered in more detail in a future blog about da.

3. In order to relate that a topic is being talked about, or discussed/argued about, Italians use di to link certain verbs with the subject matter under discussion. The most common verbs used in this way are: parlare (to talk), discutere (to discuss) and trattarsi, (concerning or regarding).

For the verb parlare, the Italian preposition di is translated as “about” in English. When a verb follows parlare di or discutere di to complete the sentence, Italian simply adds an infinitive verb after di. English uses [about + gerund of the verb]. You remember, of course, that the gerund is the commonly used “-ing” form of a verb in English. Below are two examples using parlare and discutere.

Caterina parla di viaggiare, non di politica.	Kathy talks about traveling, not about politics.
Marco discute di politica troppo!	Mark discusses/talks about politics too much!

Trattarsi di is generally used in the third person as “Si tratta di…” to ask and answer the question “What is this regarding?” Parlare often starts a conversation of this type, when one person asks to speak to another about something, someone, or an action. Two example conversations are below; the first could take place between a boss and a worker, the second perhaps between two family members. To add a feeling of urgency or importance to the conversation, the examples start with “devo” for “I have to.” Notice again how the Italian preposition di is always placed at the beginning of a question, just like in the first section examples that ask where someone is from.

Devo parlarti.	I have to talk to you.
Di cosa si tratta?	What is this regarding?
Si tratta del tuo stipendio.	It is regarding your salary.

Devo parlarti di una cosa importante;	I must speak to you about something important;
…si tratta di Paolo.	…it’s concerning Paul.
…si tratta della mia macchina vecchia.	…it’s regarding my old car.
…si tratta di viaggiare in Italia insieme.	…it’s regarding traveling in Italy together.

To complete our discussion, note a change in use of the preposition di required in Italian that is not evident in English: when talking about a person or something by name, the Italian preposition su is used in the following construction: [su + definite article + noun]. The English translation “about” is the same.

Sto leggendo un bel libro su DaVinci. Ho guardato un bel film su DaVinci.	I am reading a good book about DaVinci. I watched a good film about Da Vinci.
Ho imparato molto sul Rinascimento all’Università.	I’ve learned a lot about the Renaissance at college.

4. The verb pensare has a special relationship with the preposition di. When saying, “I think so,” to agree with someone, or “I don’t think so,” to disagree, one might say pensare is being used as a verb of discussion, as in #3 above. In this situation, the conjugated form of pensare is followed by “di si” or “di no.”

Also use [pensare di+ infinitive verb] when thinking about an action you may want to carry out. But, use [pensare a +noun] when thinking about a person, place, or thing.

For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that [pensare che + subjunctive mood verb] is used to link to phrases with different subjects in a single sentence. However, use of the subjunctive mood is beyond the scope of this blog!

Penso di si.	I think so.
Penso di no.	I don’t think so.
Penso di viaggiare in Italia l’anno prossimo.	I am thinking about traveling to Italy next year.

—–but-—-

Penso a te, a Rosa, e alla vostra famiglia.	I am thinking about you, Rose, and your family.
Penso a Roma ogni giorno.	I think about Rome every day.
Penso a tutti i bei vestiti fatti a Roma.	I am thinking about all the beautiful dresses made in Rome.

5. To mention an acquaintance’s age in conversation, use di as part of a descriptive phrase about the individual before giving their age in years. The phrases “all’età di (at the age of) or “a girl/woman, boy/man, etc. of precede the age type of sentence. This sentence structure also works for the age of an inanimate object, such as a bottle of wine!

Lei è una signora di ottantadue anni.	She is a lady of 82 years.
Ho una bottaglia di vino rosso di 10 anni.	I have a ten-year-old bottle of red wine.

6. To say something happened “in” or “at” a particular time of day, use di before the Italian words for morning (mattina), afternoon (pomeriggio), evening (sera), or night (notte).

Ci vendiamo di mattina.	We’ll see each other in the morning.
Di pomeriggio, vado al lavoro.	In the afternoon, I go to work.
Io e mio marito ceniamo alle sei di sera.	My husband and I eat dinner at 6 in the evening.
“Buona notte!” dice mia figlia preciso alle undici di notte.	“Good night,” my daughter says at precisely 11 o’clock at night.

7. To say something happened “in” the summertime or wintertime, use di before the Italian words for summer (estate) and winter (inverno). Use the Italian preposition in for spring (primavera) and autumn (autunno). This is by convention.

D’estate, andiamo spesso alla spiaggia.	In the summer, we go to the beach often.
Andiamo in montagne a fare sci d’inverno.	We go to the mountains to ski in the winter.
In primavera, tutti i fiori fioriscono.	In springtime, all the flowers are in bloom.
In autunno, le foglie cadono dagli alberi.	In autumn, the leaves fall from the trees.

Common Expressions with “Di”
Avere and Essere

There are several Italian phrases used to express one’s feelings that require the preposition di to link the conjugated form of the verb avere with the infinitive form of the verb of action that will complete the sentence. In English, replacing the Italian preposition di with the translation of is variable. In some cases, the English infinitive verb will be used alone or the English expression may use a gerund instead of an infinitive verb. You must really learn to think in Italian to use these expressions! Some examples of how to use these phrases are given in the last column. How many more can you think of?

avere bisogno di	to have need of	Ho bisogno di… riposare.
		I need to rest.
avere paura di	to be afraid/have fear of	Ho paura di… guidare.
		I am afraid of driving/to drive.
avere voglia di	to feel like	Ho voglia di… mangiare una pizza.
		I feel like eating a pizza.

There are several expressions of feeling that use the verb essere and take the preposition di prior to adding an infinitive verb to complete a sentence. Again, in English, we do not always use an additional preposition for these phrases, aside from the word to that is already a part of the infinitive verb.

essere certo di	to be certain of	Sono certo di… ricordare il tuo nome.
		I am sure to remember your name.
essere sicuro di	to be certain of	Sono sicuro di… ricordare questo posto.
		I am sure to remember this place.
essere contento di	to be happy to	Sono conteno di… stare qui.
		I am happy to be here.
essere felice di	to be happy to	Sono felice di… incontrare mio cugino oggi.
		I am happy to meet my cousin today.
essere fortunato di	to be lucky to	Sono fortunato di… mangiare questa cena.
		I am so lucky to be eating this dinner.
essere libero di	to be free to	Sono libero di… viaggiare.
		I am free to travel.
essere stanco di	to be tired of	Sono stanco di… volare.
		I am tired of flying.

When to Use “Di”
to Link Italian Verbs

When we link two Italian verbs together in the present tense, the first verb, or helping verb, is conjugated and the second verb, or action verb, is left in the infinitive form. For instance, “Tomorrow, I have to go to work,” is a simple statement that can be translated as, “Domani, devo andare al lavoro.” “I have to” meaning, “I must,” is the first person present tense of dovere, which is devo. Andare means “to go.”

Other helping verbs, such as potere and volere work the same way in the present tense. In fact, using the polite first person of potere, which is può, followed by an infinitive verb, is a simple way to ask for what you need while traveling in Italy. Once you remember “Mi può…” no further conjugation is necessary using this method Just tack on the infinitive verb for what you need and finish the sentence!

Some examples that use [può + infinitive verb] useful for traveling are given below:

Mi può portare a Piazza Navona?	Could you take me to Piazza Navona?
Mi può parlare in englese?	Could you speak to me in English?
Mi può chiamare un tassì?	Could you call a taxi for me?

Although the traveler to Italy can get by with simple phrases, it is important to understand how to create a more complex sentence if one truly wants to be fluent in Italian. This is where the preposition di becomes important. There are some action verbs that need to be followed by the Italian preposition di before an infinitive verb is added to complete the sentence.

Most of the verbs that must use di prior to an infinitive verb describe speaking, thinking, or an activity that needs to be completed. We have already discussed parlare and pensare. Other actions, such as trying to (cercare di), finishing (finire di), and waiting (aspettare di) need the preposition di to join them to an additional verb of activity.

In the case of cercare, the meaning will change when di is used to link this verb to another. By itself, cercare means to look for, but cercare di means to try to. For the Italian speaker, it is natural to insert the preposition di after certain verbs; it just sounds correct when one has grown up with the Italian language. For the Italian student, listening to Italian will also be important. Listen for the word di when these phrases come up in Italian movies and songs and soon it will become natural to say these phrases correctly!

Accettare	to accept	Accetto di… lavorare duro perché è necessario.
		I accept working hard because it is necessary.
Aspettare	to wait	Aspetto di… ricevere un regalo dal mio fidanzato.
		I am waiting to receive a present from my fiancée.
Cercare di	to try to	Cerco di… studiare bene.
		I am trying to study well.
Credere	to believe	Credo di… avere ragione.
		I believe I am correct.
Decidere	to decide	Decido di… andare a visitare la mia amica mentre in giro.
		I decide to visit my friend while I am out and about.
Dimenticare	to forget	Non dimenticare di… prendere la medicina! (command)
		Don’t forget to take the medicine!
Dire	to say/tell	Dico di… no. Non sono d’accordo.
		I say no. I don’t agree.
Finire	to finish	Finisco di… lavorare per oggi alle sei di sera.
		I finish working every day at 6 PM.
Occuparsi di	to work at	Mi occupo di… medicina.
		I work as a doctor/nurse/in the medical field.
Ordinare	to order	La mamma ordina ai bambini di… studiare.
		The mother orders the children to study.
Pensare	to think	Penso di… si.
		I think so.
Pregare	to pray/beg	Prego di… andare in Italia l’anno prossimo.
		I pray to go to Italy next year.
Ricordare Ricordarsi	to remember	Ricordati di… prendere la medicina! (command)
		Remember to take the medicine!
Scegliere	to choose	Sceglo di... prendere un caffé con un biscotto ogni mattina.
		I choose to take coffee with an Italian cookie every day.
Scrivere	to write	Scrivo di… viaggiare.
		I write about traveling.
Smettere	to stop	Smetti di… bere il vino! (command)
		Stop drinking the wine!
Sperare	to hope	Spero di… trovare la strada giusta.
		I hope to find the right road.

Remember how to use the Italian preposition “di” in conversation
and I guarantee you will use the Italian “di” every day!

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! Let’s Talk About… Dating in Italian

January 25, 2022March 31, 2022 ~ stellalucentellc ~ Leave a comment

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently in 2022?

Why not set a goal to learn Italian, starting today, for the year 2022? I will try to help you with this goal by posting a new blog every month in the series “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” With these blogs, I describe how Italians use their language on a daily basis and in so doing help you to “think in Italian.”

February is the month we in America celebrate Valentines Day, a holiday that originated in Italy and is still popular there today, as described in last years’ February blog “How to Say… ‘I feel’ on Valentines Day with Sentirsi.” Since the Italian phrases that describe a romantic relationship are not usually listed in textbooks, I’ve focused on Italian novels and movies to learn how Italians talk about falling in love. Once I discover a phrase about dating or romance, I check with my native Italian friends and instructors for authenticity and to verify how the phrase is used today.

I’ve managed to piece together the following information about how Italians talk about dating and romantic relationships in this blog, some of which is reprinted from my blog for advanced students of Italian: Italian Subjunctive (Part 4): Italian Hypothetical Phrases of Love. After reading this introductory blog, you may want to check out the dialogue I have created in Italian Hypothetical Phrases of Love, where these phrases are put to use!

If we learn a few phrases to describe dating in Italian, we will be able to talk to others about the person who has become the “special someone” in our life!

This post is the 53rd in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE.

Many “commonly used phrases”
in Italian describe

Dating in Italian

See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar

found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

**************************************

Let’s Talk About… Dating in Italian

Today in America, we “date,” “go out on a date,” or refer to two people who are “dating,” from the first romantic encounter until they become married. After marriage, a couple can still go out on “date nights.” But be careful when translating American romantic experiences into Italian! The English verb “to date” as used in America today to refer to a romantic relationship does not have a literal translation in Italian.

Of course, “to court” a woman was common in past centuries, and the Italian language still reflects this. When a man tries to show he is interested in a woman, the phrase “fare la corte a…” is used from the verb corteggiare or “to court.” For instance, “Marco fa la corte a Maria,” is translated literally as “Mark is courting Maria,” with the connotation that he is “pursuing” her or trying to “win” her love.

The verb corteggiare can also be used figuratively, between any two adults, to describe when one is trying to cajole, flatter, or entice another, usually to “convince” them to do something. “Marco corteggia il proprietario alla festa perché vuole un aumento di stipendio.” “Mark flattered the owner at the party because he wanted an increase in his salary.”

There is a verb still in use in Italy today that refers to a man seducing, or “winning over,” a woman: “conquistare… ” such as, “Marco ha conquistato Maria.” If Maria lets herself be “won over” or “captivated” by Marco, she can use the phrase, “Mi lascio conquestare da Marco.”

*********************

In today’s vernacular, if one wants to allude to the fact that they are dating, or “seeing” someone special in the Italian language, the following phrases can be used:

“Mi vedo con un ragazzo.” “Mi vedo con una ragazza.”	“I’m seeing a boy.” “I am seeing a girl.”
“Esco con un ragazzo.” “Esco con una ragazza.”	“I’m going out with a boy.” “I’m going out with a girl.”
“Il ragazzo con cui ho/avevo appuntamento/date.” “La ragazza con cui ho/avevo appuntamento/date.”	“The boy with whom I have/had an appointment/date.” “The boy with whom I have/had an appointment/date.”

It should be noted that ragazzo and ragazza also translate into boyfriend and girlfriend. To let another know you have a boyfriend or girlfriend, simply say, “Ho un ragazzo,” or “Ho una ragazza.”

Also, you’ll notice that from the above translations that the Italian noun appuntamento does double duty, since it corresponds to both appointment and date. In English, the word appointment is generally used to refer to a business meeting or a formal meeting in general, often between people who do not know each other well. The noun “date” can be used to describe a general meeting between friends, and is always used when one wants to imply a romantic interest.

Italian can be used to refer to regular romantic “get togethers” before marriage with the phrase “to go out with someone”—“uscire con qualcuno.” “Io esco con Marco ogni sabato sera,” means, “I go out with Mark every Saturday night,” and implies, “I go out on a (romantic) date with Mark every Friday night.”

The Italian verb “frequentarsi,” which means “to spend time with each other” can also be used to describe a special relationship. Frequentarsi can also be translated as “to see each other” or “to date each other” in the romantic sense or simply to “to hang out with” friends. The non reflexive form, frequentare, means “to frequent” or “to visit” a certain place.

Some examples of how to use the Italian verbs that describe a special relationship are listed in the table below. Remember that ci and si in these examples stand for “each other.” For a refresher on how to use reciprocal reflexive verbs, visit our blog in this series called Italian Reciprocal Reflexive Verbs.

Marco e io ci frenquentiamo.	Mark and I are spending time with each other. (romantically) Mark and I are seeing each other (romantically) Mark and I are dating each other.
Noi ci frequentiamo il sabato sera.	We are seeing each other/dating every Saturday night.

Marco e Maria si fequentano.	Mark and Maria are dating each other.
Loro si frequentano ogni venderdì sera.	Mark and Maria see each other/ going out on a date every Friday night.

Marco frequenta il Ristorante Paolo il sabato.	Mark frequents/goes to Ristorante Paolo on Saturday nights.
Marco si frequenta con i suoi amici in piazza quando non ha niente da fare.	Mark hangs out with his friends in the piazza when he doesn’t have anything to do.
Marco si fequenta con Maria spesso.	Mark often hangs out with Maria. (as friends)

Marco e i suoi amici frequentano il Ristorante Paolo.	Mark and his friends hang out at Ristorante Paolo.
Loro si frequentano ogni vender sera.	They see each other every Friday night. (as friends)

Finally, to express a close romantic relationship in Italian, we can use the word “rapporto.” Any relationship in general is considered a “relazione.” But be careful, as an “affair” outside of marriage is also a “relazione,” whereas “affari” refers to more general personal and business “affairs.”

*********************

Now that we have learned the Italian needed to talk about dating, let’s review how to say, “I love you” to that special someone on Valentines Day.

“Ti voglio bene” is an old Italian expression that is still used for both platonic and romantic love. The meaning of this phrase is not easily translated into English, but it is used often in Italy to express one’s feeling of closeness to another. This expression has its origin in the Italian phrasal verb “volere bene (a qualcuno).” “Ti voglio bene” can been translated as, “I care for you” or,”I wish you well,” but really, it is the way Italians tell others that they love them.

The expression “ti voglio bene” can be used between family members and friends, as well as a boyfriend and girlfriend or husband and a wife. Watch some older Italian movies, and you will hear this expression often!

Mi voui bene?	Do you care for/about me?
Ti voglio bene.	I care for/about you.

The verb amare, which means “to love” is reserved for romantic love — that one true love held between a couple who are dating, fiancée and fiancé, or wife and husband. Remember the simple expressions with amare in the table below to use with someone special this Valentines Day!

Mi ami?	Do you love me?
Ti amo.	I love you.
Ti amo per sempre.	I will always love you.

If you learn to talk about dating in Italian
and how to use the verb amare
you will really have learned to think in Italian!

Buona Festa del San Valentino!

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! Impersonal Statements and Reflexive Verbs: “Come si dice…?”

January 5, 2022March 31, 2022 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 3 Comments

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently in 2022?

Now that 2022 is upon us, why not set a goal to learn Italian, starting today, for the year 2022? I will try to help you with this goal by posting blogs that describe how Italians use their language on a daily basis and in so doing help you to “think in Italian.”

For instance, did you know that Italians still use impersonal constructions? By “impersonal constructions” I mean sentences that describe what “one” is doing, in order to make a general statement.

A common example of an Italian impersonal construction is the phrase, “Come si dice…” This simple Italian phrase is used by every Italian student at one point or another when asking for help with their vocabulary. The literal translation of “Come si dice…?” is, “How does one say…” In spoken English, this construction is only rarely used today, and usually in formal situations. Instead, to generalize, English speakers often use the collective “you” — directed both at no one in particular and at everyone at the same time! Especially in an informal conversation, “Come si dice…” would be translated as, “How do you say…?” But in Italian, when one generalizes, he or she cannot replace the “si” for “one” with “tu” for “you” the way we do in English.

If we learn how to use impersonal phrases in Italian, with Italian reflexive verbs, we will be able to ask general questions, give directions, and even express how mechanical objects work!

This post is the 52nd in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases”
in Italian are Impersonal Statements
that describe general interactions
and use

Italian Reflexive Verbs

See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar

found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

************************************************

Italian Reflexive Verbs

Knowing how to use Italian reflexive verbs is extremely important for conversation, since Italian reflexive verbs often describe activities and emotions that are encountered every day. Reflexive verbs are recognized by the –si ending of their infinitive form. Let’s review a bit about reflexive verbs before going on to discuss how they are used to make impersonal statements.

Direct reflexive verbs, as their name suggests, are used when an action refers back directly to the speaker in the subject of the sentence. For example, if one wants to describe the everyday act of falling asleep in Italian, they must use the reflexive verb addormentarsi. Italian reflexive verbs are also used to express the English concept of “to get,” as we’ve seen in a prior Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day blog. When one “gets mad,” they must express this concept in Italian with the verb arrabbiarsi. Consider also the every day activity of “getting dressed,” with mettersi, which was the focus of another blog in this series, How We Dress in Italian.

All Italian students are introduced to a direct reflexive verb of the –arsi type at the very beginning of their studies, when they learn how to introduce themselves with the reflexive verb that means “to be named,” which is chiamarsi. There are, of course, also reflexive verbs of the –ersi and –irsi types as well, such as mettersi (to put on clothes/to get dressed) and divertirsi (to enjoy oneself).

The necessary component of all reflexive verbs is the reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself, himself, etc.), which is what actually corresponds to and refers directly back to the subject.

To review, the reflexive pronouns are:

mi – myself
ti – yourself (familiar)
si – yourself (pol.)/ herself, himself, itself, oneself

ci – ourselves
vi – yourselves (familiar)
si – themselves

To conjugate a reflexive verb, start with the subject pronoun and follow with the corresponding reflexive pronoun. However, remember that for conversational Italian the subject pronoun is usually left out of the sentence and is only sometimes included for emphasis.

Our first table below starts us on our way to the complete conjugation of a reflexive verb by pairing each subject pronoun with its corresponding reflexive pronoun:

io	mi	I	myself
tu	ti	you (familiar)	yourself
Lei lei/lui	si	you (polite) she/he	yourself herself, himself, itself, oneself

noi	ci	we	ourselves
voi	vi	you all	yourselves
loro	si	they	yourselves (polite) themselves

All we need to do now is to add our verb to create the action! Notice that the English translation adds the reflexive pronoun after the verb, while in Italian the reflexive pronoun comes before the verb (except for familiar commands). This may take a little time to get used to!

Let’s conjugate divertirsi — to have fun / enjoy oneself — as an example:

io	mi	diverto	I enjoy myself
tu	ti	diverti	you (familiar) enjoy yourself
Lei lei/lui	si	diverte	you (polite) enjoy yourself she/he enjoys herself, himself

noi	ci	divertiamo	we enjoy ourselves
voi	vi	divertite	you all enjoy yourselves
loro	si	divertono	they enjoy themselves

How to Make Impersonal Statements
Italian Reflexive Pronouns

Generalizations in the third person, called impersonal statements, are used sparingly in English but are common in Italian. An Italian impersonal statement is created by using the reflexive pronoun si, along with a verb in the singular or plural third person (either the lei/lui or the loro form).

As noted from the conjugation tables from the first section…

when the reflexive pronoun si is used in the singular third person, the reference is to a single, unnamed person, and the subject can be translated as “one.”
when the reflexive pronoun si is used in the plural third person, the reference is to a group of unnamed people and the subject can be translated as “they.”

In both situations, the speaker is referring in general to someone,
without a individual or group of people in mind.
It makes sense, then, that these statements are called “impersonal statements.”

A common example of an Italian impersonal statement is the phrase, “Come si dice…” This simple Italian phrase is used by every Italian student at one point or another when asking for help with their vocabulary. The literal translation of “Come si dice…?” is, “How does one say…” This construction is only rarely used in spoken English today, and usually in formal situations. Instead, when an English speaker wants to generalize, he or she often uses the collective “you” — directed both at no one in particular and at everyone at the same time! Especially in an informal conversation, “Come si dice…” would be translated into English as, “How do you say…?” But in Italian, when one generalizes, he or she cannot replace the “si” for “one” with “tu” for “you” the way we do in English.

Some generalizations that come up frequently in Italian conversation are listed below. The direct Italian translation is given first, with the English phrase more commonly used to express the same idea in the following translation. You may want to remember the first example when asking for help with your Italian!

Come si dice…?	How (does) one say…? How do you say…?
Come si dicono…?	How (do) they say… How (do) you all say...

In Italia, si parla italiano.	In Italy, one speaks Italian. In Italy, Italian is spoken.
In America, si parlano molte lingue.	In America, they speak many languages. In America, many languages are spoken.

Si può fare?	Can one do it? Can it be done? Can you do it?
Si sa che…	One knows that… You know that…
Non si sa mai!	One never knows! You never know!

Impersonal statements can also be used to describe a rule and are often found in Italian sayings or proverbs.

Si deve obbedire alla legge.	One must obey the law. You have to obey the law.
Non si paga per parcheggiare la domenica.	One doesn’t pay for parking on Sundays. You don’t pay for parking on Sundays.

Qualche volta, uno si trova a un bivio della propria vita.	Sometimes, one finds himself at a crossroads of his life.
Vivendo s’impara.	One learns by living.

Use Italian impersonal statements when giving directions, such as when talking a friend through a recipe for a favorite dish. For instance, to describe how to make your family’s Italian tomato sauce, use the common verbs aggiungere (to add) and mettere (to put) in the third person singular with the reflexive pronoun “si” to describe how “one” cooks. For examples, see the first table below. In English, of course, we default to “you” when giving directions to someone in conversation, and this is reflected in the translation. To follow are a few pointers about how to cook pasta to go with that delicious pot of tomato sauce!

Prima, si taglia a pezzi una cipolla e uno spicchio d’aglio.	First, one chops an onion and a clove of garlic into small pieces. First, you chop…
Poi, si mette la verdura in pentola con l’olio di oliva.	Then, one puts the vegetables in a pot with olive oil. Then, you put…
Li si cuoce, si mescola bene, fino a quando tutti e due sono morbidi.	One cooks them, sautéing well, until both are soft. You cook them…
Si aggiunge la passata di pomodoro, l’acqua, e il basilico.	One adds tomato puree, water, and basil. You add…
Si agguinge un po’ di sale e pepe.	One adds a little bit of salt and pepper. You add…
Si cuoce la salsa per almeno un’ora, e si mescola bene.	One cooks the sauce for at least one hour, stirring well. You cook the sauce… and you mix…

Per la pasta perfetta, si deve seguire questo metodo:	For the perfect pasta, one must follow this method: For the perfect pasta, you must…
Si mette una pentola grande con tanta acqua sui fornelli.	One puts a large pot with lots of water on the stovetop. You put…
Si copre e si riscalda l’aqua fino a bollire.	One covers it and heats up the water until it is boiling. You cover it… you bring the water to boil…
Si aggiunge una manciata di sale, si ricopre la pentola, e si riscalda l’aqua fino a fare bollire di nuovo.	One adds a handful (lots) of salt, one covers the pot, and brings the water to boil again. You add… you recover the pot… and you bring the water to boil…
Quando l’acqua sta bollendo, scoperchiare la pentola e aggiungere la pasta. Si deve mescolare bene a questo punto.	When the water is boiling, uncover the pot and add the pasta. One must mix well at this point. You must mix well…
Si fa bollire la pasta secondo le istruzioni nella scatola della pasta.	One must boil the pasta according to the directions on the pasta box. You must boil the pasta…
Quando la pasta è al dente, scolare l’acqua e aggiungere la salsa!	When the pasta is “al dente,” drain the water and add the sauce!

How to Describe Movement with
Italian Reflexive Verbs

When an inanimate object does something automatically, this idea is rendered in Italian using the third person of a reflexive verb. In many situations, Italian uses a reflexive verb to describe movement when English relays the same idea by combining the verb with a preposition, such as “on” or “up.” Note that in English, the preposition is added only to change the meaning of the verb. In the same way, Italian uses a reflexive verb, with its reflexive pronoun, to change the meaning of a verb.

Let’s take a simple, everyday situation at home for our first example: “Ann turns on the light.” The verb that means “turn on” in Italian is accendere and the Italian translation is, “Anna accende la luce.” However, electric lights can be programmed to turn on automatically. In English, I can say, “The automatic light turns itself on when I enter the room.” Although the preposition “on” is required in English, the reflexive pronoun “itself” is optional. To convey the same idea, it is mandatory in Italian to use the reflexive verb accendersi: “La luce automatica si accende quando entro la stanza.”

In short, English sometimes uses a third person reflexive verb to describe an automatic action but often does not, instead relying on the addition of a preposition. Italian is more consistent, with a reflexive counterpart to most verbs of action that refer to mechanical movement.

Another simple action that requires a reflexive verb in Italian and a verb + preposition combination in English is that of “rising up” or “going up.” The verb alzare means “to raise” or “to lift” something. “I lifted the box onto the table,” is a simple sentence that translates as, “Ho alzato la scatola sul tavolo.” But if a person “gets up” in the morning, the action becomes reflexive and the verb alzarsi is needed. Similarly, a bird or an inanimate object such as a kite can “rise up” or “go up” into the sky and the verb alzarsi once again comes into play.

Below are some examples of how Italians use reflexive verbs to describe movement of inanimate objects. Notice exceptions to what we have just discussed: the verb cominciare (to start) and cadere (to fall) are not reflexive when speaking about an inanimate object. However, mettersi a followed by an infinitive verb can be used in the third person to describe an inanimate object or an act of nature starting to do something by itself. Also, the verb smettere (to stop) is not used in a reflexive way, although fermare, which also means to stop, does have a reflexive counterpart: the verb fermarsi.

La luce automatica si accende quando entro la stanza.	The automatic light turns (itself) on when I enter the room.
Le luci della casa si accendono ogni sera.	The house lights turn (themselves) on every night.
Le luci della casa si spengono ogni sera.	The house lights turn (themselves) off every morning.

L’acensore si apre.	The elevator opens.
L’acensore si chiude.	The elevator shuts.

Il treno comincia l’itinerario.

Il treno si mette ad andare velocemente.

The train starts its route.

The train starts to go fast.

Il treno si ferma automaticamente.

The train stops automatically.

Il gabbiano si alza e vola via.	The sea gull rises up and flies away.
L’aquilone si alza nelle nuvole.	The kite rises into the clouds.
Le foglie cadono per terra ogni autunno.	The leaves fall to the ground every autumn.

How to Describe Nature and Life with
Italian Reflexive Verbs

We all know the forces of nature well, as they act every day to create the environment in which we live. Since nature is an inanimate being, the actions of the weather are often given with reflexive verbs in Italian. Listen closely to the Italian news and you will hear about how a volcano in Sicily finally stopped erupting, or how the sea has begun to rise in the Venetian lagoon — all described in the third person with Italian reflexive verbs!

For the common phrases that describe what weather “it” is making, such as, “Fa caldo oggi” (“It is hot today”) or “Fa freddo oggi” (“It is cold today”), Italians use fare in the third person without an indirect object pronoun. But to say, “It is getting late,” or “It is getting dark,” we use the reflexive farsi for the phrases, “Si fa tarde” or “Si fa buio.” (For more of these common phrases, visit our blog in this series, “Lets talk about… the weather in Italian!”)

In the same way, it is often necessary to use Italian reflexive verbs when speaking about abstract forces that can “act” on our lives. Life itself is often spoken of as “moving” slowly or quickly. However, there is no reflexive verb for passare, so time can be seen as “passing by” without the addition of a reflexive pronoun. (For more ways to use passare, visit our blog in this series, “The Many Uses of Passare.” )

In short, to understand the nuances of how to use reflexive verbs to describe actions of the weather or make generalizations about life, it is helpful to listen to native Italians as much as possible. In this way, it will eventually become natural to use Italian verbs the way Italians do!

The examples discussed above are listed below.

L’eruzione del vulcano in Sicilia si è fermato.	The eruption of the volcano in Sicily has stopped.
L’acqua a Venezia si è alzata due metri e si sta alzando ancora!	The water in Venice has risen 2 meters and is still rising!
Fa caldo oggi. / Fa freddo oggi.	It is warm today. / It is cold today
Si fa tarde. / Si fa buio.	It’s getting late. / It is getting dark.

Nella campagna, la vita si muove lentamente.	In the country, life moves slowly.
Il tempo passa lentamente quando si aspetta.	Time passes slowly for one who waits (when one is waiting for something.)

Listen carefully to Italians when they speak
and I guarantee you will hear
Italian impersonal statements and Italian reflexive verbs
every day!

Available on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! – Let’s Talk About… An Italian Christmas Celebration

Photo of two Conversational Italian for Travelers books downloaded on smart phones with smiling snow man next to the books.

December 7, 2021March 24, 2022 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 3 Comments

Buon Natale a tutti voi!

Christmastime is a magical time in Italy. The colorful decorations and holiday lights that adorn every Italian town bring with them a feeling of celebration that inspires children and adults alike. Italians of Jewish faith celebrate Chanukah in December as well, with glowing candles that bring their own special beauty to the December evenings. Chanukah was celebrated earlier this month, and if you’d like to learn more about how Chanukah is celebrated in Italy, please visit the blog “Our Italy — Celebrating Chanukah in Italy.

But what really makes the December holidays special,
both in Italy and around the world? For most, it is the gathering of family and friends.

For 2021, my hope is that all people who celebrate the Christmas holiday (le vacanze di Natale) or another holiday of their faith this December, can gather with their loved ones. As of this writing, there is a good possibility that the new normal will continue to expand to include Christmas parties (le feste di Natale) and gatherings for Chanukah dinners, instead of online meetings where people are together, yet distant. Extended families and friends should be able to celebrate the joy of being in each others’ presence and even have the opportunity to introduce new friends to old ones during the holidays for 2021.

This post is the 51st in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE.

Many “commonly used phrases” in Italian

are used during the
Christmas Holiday Season

See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar

found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

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Christmas in Italy

There are several important holidays that Italians celebrate during the Christmas season (periodo di Natale), which begins on December 8th with L’Immacolata and ends on January 6th with L’Epifania. The feast of Santa Lucia on December 13th is also an important holiday in northern Italy and this saint day is celebrated with candles, special pastries, and presents for children who have been good during the year.

Young girl with ring of candles on her head celebrating Santa Lucia Day — Young girl celebrating Santa Lucia Day

See the table below for a list of the important celebrations that take place in Italy during the Christmas season and some common phrases that Italians use to wish each other “happy holidays.” We first encountered these phrases in our blog What I wish… for the holidays!

L’Immacolata	Feast of the Immaculate Conception: Catholic holiday that celebrates mother Mary.
Vigilia di Natale Natale	Christmas Eve Christmas
Buon Natale! Buone Feste!	Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!
Auguri di buon Natale!	Best wishes for a merry Christmas!
Tanti Auguri! / Auguri!	Best wishes!
Il biglietto di auguri Natalizi Regalo di Natale	Christmas greeting card Christmas gift

L’ultimo dell’anno	New Year’s Eve
La notte di San Silvestro	December 31st is the feast day of San Silvestro for the Catholic church.
Capodanno	New Year’s Day
Buon anno nuovo! Buon anno!	Happy New Year! (used most often)
Felice anno nuovo!	Happy New Year!
L’Epifania	Epiphany: Catholic holiday that celebrates when “Wise Men” visited the baby Jesus. In Italy, gifts are exchanged on this day. Italian tradition holds that a friendly witch, La Befana, brings gifts to children on this day, although Santa Claus is also celebrated.

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An Italian Holiday Party Conversation

When at a holiday party where Italian is spoken,
one will surely encounter the introductory phrases and polite responses below.

Introductions:

The most common Italian introduction at a gathering is a familiar phrase — a phrase used when a person introduces one of their friends to another. For example, let’s assume Pietro and Caterina are friends. Pietro wants to introduce Caterina to another of his friends, Paolo. He will do this with the simple sentence, “Caterina, ti presento il mio amico Paolo.” Pietro uses the informal “ti” since he is already friends with Caterina, the person to whom he is speaking.

In a more formal situation, Pietro may want to introduce someone he does not know well to one of his friends. In this case, if Pietro is addressing either a woman or a man, he will need to use “Le” (“polite you” indirect object pronoun). To stay in the polite mode of conversation, Pietro will likely introduce one guest to another using their last names with a polite title, such as il Signor (Mr.), la Signora (Mrs.), or la Signorina (Miss).

Keep in mind that in English we do not use the same sentence structure as in Italian, so the English translation of these phrases will not follow the Italian word for word. We may start out with “Let me” or “I would like to” and then add “introduce you to…” Also, in an informal situation, English speakers in America tend to omit the “Let me introduce you to” altogether! Instead, an English speaker might just say something like, “Kathy, meet my friend Paul.”

Several options to use when making an introduction are listed below. Remember to use the direct article before the title for a formal introduction!

Caterina, ti presento il mio amico Paolo.	Kathy, let me introduce you to my friend Paul. Kathy, meet my friend Paul.
Signor Rossi, Le presento il Signor Manzini.	Mr. Rossi, let me introduce you to Mr. Manzini.
Signora Rossi, Le presento il Signor Manzini.	Mrs. Rossi, let me introduce you to Mr. Manzini.
Signorina Rossi, Le presento il Signor Manzini.	Miss Rossi, I would like to introduce you to Mr. Manzini.

Responses:

At first glance at the table below, the responses to an Italian introduction may seem a bit complicated, because they have several variations. The most important key to understanding which of these variations to choose is the formality of the situation.

In the initial phrases in this table, “Piacere di conoscerla“ and “Piacere di conoscerti,“ the difference between the two phrases will depend on whether one is speaking in the polite (pol.) or the familiar (fam.). The polite phrases are given first in our example list, as it is the norm in Italy to use the polite form with a new acquaintance. The familiar form of this phrase is often be used between younger people, who tend to be less formal, and may also be appropriate among older adults of the same age or social status. If you need a refresher on when to use polite and formal Italian phrases, please refer to our blog Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! – Getting from polite to familiar with “Dare del tu.”

The other reason there are so many variations to learn when introductions are made is the Italian use of masculine and feminine nouns and adjectives. Every Italian student learns early on that nouns and adjectives must agree in gender and number.* At first, it may not be obvious that one is using an adjective at the beginning of the sentence, “Lieto(a) di conoscerla/ti,” since these phrases are used so often in Italy that the subject and verb of the sentence, “I am…” have been left out! The full sentence, “I am delighted to meet you,” though, makes it clear that the verb essere (to be) is in use, and of course the ending for the adjective lieto(a) for delighted must reflect back to the gender of the speaker to make sense.

The easiest thing for the Italian student to do, of course, is to pick out the phrase that corresponds to their own situation and memorize the endings. But these phrases provide a good opportunity to learn how to change Italian endings quickly and easily and can provide a pattern for more complicated sentences. For the examples below, the nouns, adverbs, and prepositions are black, the verbs are green, the polite/familiar pronouns red, masculine adjectives blue, and feminine adjectives brown.

Piacere di conoscerla. Piacere di conoscerti.	Pleased to meet you (pol.). Please to meet you (fam.).
Piacere mio.	The pleasure is mine.
Lieto di conoscerla. Lieta di conoscerla. Lieto di conoscerti. Lieta di conoscerti.	Delighted (masc. speaker) to meet you (pol.). Delighted (fem. speaker) to meet you (pol.). Delighted (masc. speaker) to meet you (fam.). Delighted (fem. speaker) to meet you (fam.).
Molto lieto! Molto lieta!	Delighted! (masc. speaker) Delighted! (fem. speaker)
Sono molto contento di vederla. Sono molto contenta di vederla. Sono molto contento di vederti. Sono molto contenta di vederti.	(I) am very happy (masc. speaker) to see you (pol.). (I) am very happy (fem. speaker) to see you (pol.). (I) am very happy (masc. speaker) to see you (fam.). (I) am very happy (fem. speaker) to see you (pol.).
Sono felice di rivederla. Sono felice di rivederti.	(I) am happy to see you (pol.) again. (I) am happy to see you (fam.) again.

*Italian nouns are assigned a gender, either masculine or feminine. Italian adjectives, which modify nouns, will change their endings to match the noun modified. In general, Italian nouns will end in -o if masculine and -a if feminine. A noun that ends in -e can be either masculine or feminine. There are, of course, many exceptions to these rules!

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Below is an excerpt from the Conversational Italian for Travelers story found on the website www.learntravelitalian.com. This short dialogue will allow us to put together all we have discussed about what to say when introducing and meeting others at an Italian holiday party. In this dialogue, Pietro introduces his cousin Caterina to his friends Luigi and Paolo. This simple conversation uses phrases that are repeated over and over again at Italian gatherings of every type.

At the end of the dialogue printed here is a common transition phrase that takes Caterina into the familiar form with Pietro’s friends, “Diamoci del tu, per favore!” We have discussed this phrase and others used to make the transition from a polite to a formal situation in a previous blog, “Getting from Polite to Familiar in Italian with ‘Dare del tu!'” With this simple line, a friendly conversation can truly begin! To listen to the remainder this conversation in its entirety, just click on the link It’s a Party!

Pietro:	Caterina, ti presento il mio amico Paolo.
	Kathy, (I) introduce to you (fam.) my friend Paul.

Caterina:	Piacere di conoscerla.
	(It is a) pleasure to meet you (fam.).
	(Caterina uses the polite form for a person she has just met, even though Paolo is Pietro’s friend.)

Pietro:	E questo è il mio amico Luigi.
	And this is my friend Louis.

Caterina:	Piacere.
	(It is) a pleasure.

Luigi:	Piacere mio. Io sono professore dell’italiano, come Pietro.
	Paolo è un medico.
	(The) pleasure is mine. I am (an) Italian professor, like Peter.
	Paul is a physician.

Caterina:	Molto interessante.
	Very interesting.

Paolo:	Io sono di Novara, una città vicino a Milano.
	Diamoci del tu, per favore!
	I am from Novara, a town near to Milan.
	Let’s use the familiar form of you with each other, please!
	(Paolo officially asks if he can use the familiar, or “tu” form with Caterina.)

Caterina:	Va bene. Volentieri!
	O.K. Gladly!

Warm wishes for a Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year
filled with treasured time
together with family and friends!

Auguri a tutti voi!

Our Italy — Celebrating Chanukah in Italy

Images of all the things for a traditional Chanukah celebration are presented with "Happy Hanukkah" in the center of the image.

November 27, 2021November 27, 2021 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 1 Comment

Ciao a tutti! Since 2020, I have been posting the series of blogs called, “Our Italy.” In this series, I share bloggers’ experiences of Italy, a country whose culture has captivated the world for thousands of years. I think now is the time to share these memories, especially since now some of us have started to return, inspired anew by the Italian people and their land.

Today I am happy to share a blog of my own about how Italians celebrate Chanukah. Read on for a bit of history about how the Jewish community was established in Rome and the special way they celebrate Chanukah today.

Afterwards, please enjoy a recipe for how to make fried chicken courtesy of the Italian Jewish community in Rome, Pollo Fritto alla Giudia, a delicious main dish that is traditional for Chanukah and can be enjoyed any time of the year. Watch me make this special fried chicken on a short Instagram video if you like at Conversationalitalian.french!

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Chanukah in Italy

The Jewish holiday Chanukah, also known as the festival of lights (le feste delle luci), is celebrated for a period of 8 days, and on today’s calendar falls sometime in the month of December. On the Hebrew calendar, (based on the phases of the moon), Chanukah begins on the evening of the 25th day of the ninth month, which is the month of Kislev. This holiday is also commonly spelled Hanukkah when translated into English from the Hebrew (l’ebraico) characters. During Chanukkah, those of Jewish faith set aside eight days to commemorate the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 165 BCE. It is said that a miracle occurred at that time, when only a small amount of Holy oil found in the temple, enough for only one day, burned for instead for eight days.

The date of the Chanukah celebration will change each year on the Gregorian calendar we use today (which is based on the sun). In 2021, Chanukah will begin the evening of November 28 and end on the evening of December 6. It should be no surprise that Chanukah is celebrated in Italy, since the first Jewish settlers arrived in Rome from their homeland in Israel as far back as 160 BCE, after fleeing from the rule of the Syrian King Antiochus. The Jewish settlement in Rome is probably the oldest outside of the Middle East in the world. In 1555, by decree of Pope Paul IV, the Jewish people of Rome (gli ebrei) were enclosed within the walls of a portion of Rome situated across the Tiber River. This area (quartiere ebraico) came to be called the Jewish ghetto (ghetto) in reference to the poor living conditions at the time, but it was, and still is, the center of Jewish life in Rome today. Other ancient Jewish settlements can be found in Venice, Milan, Florence, Palermo and in many other cities in Sicily.

Image by kristyna_pixel from Pixabay

To celebrate Chanukah, those of the Jewish faith gather with the family each evening before dinner to say prayers and light a special candelabra with nine arms, called a Menorah (candelabro ebraico a nove bracci). The ninth candle, from the tallest arm in the center of the Menorah, is lit first and then used to light the other eight. One additional candle is lit each night, until the entire Menorah is glowing on the last night. In Rome, there is a grand, 20 foot tall Menorah in the Jewish section at Piazza Barberini that is lit every year and followed by a street party with dancing. At home, children are typically given one present (un regalo) each evening and play with a Driedel, which is a type of spinning top (una trottola) with Hebrew letters on each side. To wish someone a Happy Chanukah in Italian simply say, “Auguri!” (Best wishes!), “Buon Chanukah!” or “Felice Chanukah!”

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The Italian Chanukah Dinner

As with all holidays celebrated in Italy, there are traditional Italian foods served at Chanukah dinners each night, with an emphasis on fried foods, including Italian fried chicken (Pollo Fritto). This fried chicken is first marinated in olive oil with garlic and lemon, then rolled in flour and dipped in beaten egg to create a light coating before frying. See below for the recipe and a link to conversationalitalian.french to watch a video as I fry up this simple but delicious way to make fried chicken.

Brisket (la punta di petto) is also popular. Simple accompaniments include applesauce, bread, and dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and sour cream.

Special Italian side dishes (contorni) popular for Chanukah have existed for centuries in the Roman Jewish culinary history and include artichokes and eggplants fried in olive oil and garlic (Carciofi alla Giudia and Melanzane alla Giudia). Unfortunately for those of us who live outside of Italy, the variety of Italian artichoke that is necessary to make Carciofi alla Giudia is not usually available. This particular variety of artichoke is small, and all leaves are tender, so it can be flattened and then fried whole.

Traditional dishes served throughout the world for Chanukah are also served in Italy, and include latkes, or potato fritters (Frittelle di Patate) and blintzes, or fried crepes filled with cheese. (Crepes al Formaggio Fritte).

A typically Italian Chanukah dessert is a pie with ricotta and cherry or chocolate chip filling (Torta di Rocotta). Other popular Italian desserts include fried donuts, poppy seed cookies shaped like stars, or fried bread shaped like a diamond and flavored with anise and raisins (Fritelle de Chanuka).

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Pollo Fritto alla Giudia

(Roman Style Fried Chicken)

Bowl of crispy, golden brown fried chicken made Roman style. — Fried Chicken Roman Style for Chanukah — crispy, golden brown and ready to serve.

Ingredients
(Serves 4)

One frying chicken, cut into serving pieces
Olive oil for frying

For the marinade:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large clove of garlic, chopped finely
1 lemon, juiced
1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

For the coating:

flour to coat the chicken
2 large eggs

Method

Rinse the frying chicken and pat dry. (Note: make sure to use a frying chicken, which will have a breast that is small enough to finish cooking at the same time as the rest of the chicken pieces.)

Cut the frying chicken into serving pieces as follows: (1) separate the legs from the thighs, (2) Cut each breast along the breast bone lengthwise and then in half crosswise to make 4 pieces of breast meat total, (3) cut the tips off the wings and discard the tips.

Make the marinade by combining all ingredients and pour over the chicken pieces. Roll each piece of chicken so it is coated with the marinade and then let rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Remove the chicken, rinse off the marinade and pat dry.

Set two shallow dishes next to each other, one with flour and the second with 2 eggs. Lightly beat the eggs with a fork.

Heat oil halfway up a large (10-12″), deep frying pan. (A deep fryer works as well, of course, if you have one.) Check that the oil is hot enough for frying by sprinkling with a tiny drop of water. When the water fizzles, the oil is ready. Do not over heat the oil or it will start to smoke.

Salt and pepper the chicken lightly. Then dredge in flour. Shake off excess flour and then roll in egg mixture.

Immediately put into the hot oil and fry, turning every 5 – 10 minutes to make sure the chicken cooks evenly.

Cooking time will vary between 30 and 40 minutes, depending on the temperature of the oil and piece of meat. Generally, wings will cook the most quickly, then drumsticks, thighs, and breasts. I always pierce thicker pieces with a thin knife to make sure juices run clear and are safe to eat.

Cook until chicken coating is a dark, golden brown.

Remove from heat, pat with paper towels and then drain on more paper towels or on a baking rack if you have one.

Sprinkle with a pinch of salt if desired.

Serve your fried chicken while hot with applesauce and potatoes of your choice!

Visit www.learntravelitalian.com for more of my Italian and Italian-American recipes, cultural notes and advanced Italian language blog posts updated monthly. Click on the link “our blog” in the upper right hand corner to reach blog.Learn Travel Italian.com.

Thanksgiving Appetizers for an Italian-American Dinner

Still life with pumpkins and a basket and Black Eyed Susans in a vase

November 19, 2021November 19, 2021 ~ stellalucentellc ~ Leave a comment

Thanksgiving appetizers — a few bites to nibble on while the main meal is being prepared — are great for guests and keep up a cook’s energy in the kitchen as well!

The Italian method of topping a slice of crusty Italian bread with a savory treat works well for Thanksgiving. Below are two recipes for crostini toppings that can be prepared ahead of time. The first is a white bean puree and prosciutto with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. The second crostini topping is my version of a liver appetizer that I had once during lunch at a farmhouse in Tuscany, using turkey liver and caramelized onions.

If you have a chance during this busy time, leave a note and let me know what your Italian-American Thanksgiving will be like this year. Does your family make pasta along with the turkey? Or even skip the turkey entirely?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you!
Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

Buona Festa del Ringraziamento!
Happy Thanksgiving!

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Thanksgiving Appetizers

Crostini with turkey liver and caramelized onions

Bake the crostini:

Slice the bread thinly and brush with olive oil.
Rub a piece of garlic on the bread or brush a very little bit of garlic in the jar on the bread.
Bake in the oven at 400° until the edges brown.

Caramelize the onions:

For 1 medium onion: Cut the onion into thin, small crescents as follows:
Cut the onion crosswise. Put cut side down and cut in half lengthwise. Continue to cut slivers of onion lengthwise to form small, thin crescents of onion.
Put the onion slices into a frying pan with 1 Tb butter, 1 Tb olive oil, and a pinch of salt.
Cook on low heat, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes, until onions have completely softened and lightly browned.

Cook the turkey liver:

Rinse the turkey liver and put it into a small frying pan with 1 Tb butter and 1 Tb olive oil.
Add a small clove of garlic that has been crushed.
Heat the liver and garlic over medium high heat, turning to brown the liver and then reduce heat to medium/medium low in order to cook through.
Remove garlic.
When the liver is just cooked through (cut in half to check), add 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar or Marsala wine and turn the liver in the vinegar.
Let cool. Break up the liver with a fork into small crumbles.

Assemble the crostini:

For each piece of garlic toast: Put onions and then cover with liver crumbles.

Crostini with turkey liver and caramelized onions

Bake the crostini as in the first recipe

Prepare the beans:

Put the following into a small saucepan:
1 (15 oz.) can of white beans, 4 fresh sage leaves, 1 clove of garlic, smashed (skin off)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt/white pepper
A little water, and more water as needed for cooking.
Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer.
Cook about 30 minutes or more so flavors can blend.
Cook off most of water by the end so puree won’t be too thin.
Off heat, remove garlic. Puree beans.
Adjust salt/pepper and swirl in 1 Tb extra virgin olive oil.

Assemble the crostini:

For each piece of garlic toast:
Put white bean puree on bottom of toast and then top with prosciutto curled up.
Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Buona Festa del Ringraziamento!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! — The many uses of the Italian verb “Tenere”

November 2, 2021March 24, 2022 ~ stellalucentellc ~ Leave a comment

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently by the end of 2021?

Many Italian verbs have a similar use to those in English, which simplifies translation from one language to the other. However, many times the meaning of an Italian verb will vary from the usual English connotation. And in many situations, the same verb can have several different meanings in both languages, depending on the context. Tenere (along with its reflexive form tenersi, and the pronominal verb tenerci) is one of those verbs that is used in many ways in Italian and is important to “keep in mind” if one wants to use it correctly.

As I’ve said before, I believe that “commonly used phrases” are the key for how we can all build fluency in any language in a short time.

If we learn how to incorporate “commonly used phrases” when use the Italian verb tenere, we will be able to communicate just as we do in our native language!

This post is the 50th in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases” in conversation
use the Italian verb
tenere.
See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar

found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

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Let’s Talk About…

The Many Uses of the Italian Verb

Tenere

The Italian verb tenere has a wide range of meanings and its use lends a bit of sophistication to one’s Italian. It is important to “keep in mind” the nuances of the verb tenere to create sentences as we would in our native language.

The Italian verb tenere is most often translated into English as “to hold” or “to keep.” It can be used in a simple way, to describe holding an object or holding another’s hand. As in English, the verb tenere can also mean “to hold,” with reference to capacity, as in how many objects or people can occupy or be contained in a certain space or place. The word “hold” in English can also take on the connotation of “to support” something (as a column holds up a roof) or someone (as a fan supports his team). So it is with tenere, which can mean “to support.”

Tenere is an important verb to use when dining at an Italian restaurant to tell someone to “keep the change.”

When the verb tenere is combined with the phrase “conto di,” it takes on different shades of meaning. [Tenere + conto di] is used to describe the concepts of keeping something in mind, keeping track of something, or being aware of something. The phrase can also have the connotation of considering or taking to heart important issues.

Combining the verb tenere with “conto che,” as in [tenere + conto che], adds yet another nuance to the original ideas of “to keep” or “to hold,” and is used to convey the idea of to consider. [Tenere in conto + noun] means to consider something.

The Italian Verb Volere

How to Conjugate Volere

Vorrei — I Would Like!

1. Use voglio or vorrei at the train station to purchase a ticket.

2. Use vorrei when making reservations at a hotel or restaurant

3. Use vorrei as a polite way to ask to speak with a business associate during a telephone conversation.

4. Use vorrei as a polite way to leave a message on a voicemail.

5. Use vorrei to order at a restaurant

6. Use vorrei at breakfast after staying overnight as a guest in another’s home.

7. Many common expressions use vorrei as a polite way to make a request.

8. Use non voglio to express what you don’t want to do.

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William Shakespeare Sonnet 116

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Pablo Neruda One Hundred Love Sonnets: 17

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e. e. cummings i carry your heart with me(i carry it in)

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Elizabeth Barrett Browning How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)

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John Keats I Cannot Exist Without You

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Use “Come” and “Quanto” to Compare Italian Nouns

Use “Tanto… Quanto” Equivalent Italian Comparisons

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“Come” in Italian Sayings

Remember how to make comparisons with come and tanto/quanto and I guarantee you will use these Italian phrases and Italian sayings every day!

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How to Use the Italian Verb Piacere to Say…

“Mi Piace Natale!”

A Traditional Christmas in Italy…

Christmas in Italy Today…

More Christmas holiday fun…

When the Christmas holiday is over…

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Use “Da” to SayWhere You are From

Use “Da” or “A” to DescribeVisiting an Office or Home

Expressing Purpose with “Da”

Use the Italian “Da” in Reference to Time

Use the Italian “da quanto” in Reference to Time

Use the Italian preposition “Per” for a Completed Action

Use the Italian Prepositions “Per, Fra, Tra”for Future Events

General Uses for “Da”

Common Expressions with “Da”

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The Italian Verb Potere

How to Conjugate Potere

Use Può to Ask for What You Need!

1. Use può if you are having difficulty understanding fluent Italian.

2. Use può at the service station to ask for assistance with your car

3. Use “Mi può… ” for every day, simple interactions

4. Use [Mi può + dire…] to ask for assistance with directions

5. Use [Mi può + dire…] to ask about Italian schedules

6. Use [Mi può + portare] or [Ci può + portare] at the restaurant

7. Use [Posso + infinitive verb] or [Possiamo + infinitive verb] at the restaurant

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Choosing an Italian Past Tense

Combine the Imperfetto and Passato Prossimowith Mentre and Quando

Combine Imperfetto and Passato Prossimowith Perché and Poiché

Remember how combine imperfetto and the passato prossimoand I guaranteeyou will use these Italian past tenses every day!

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Imperfetto Adverbs and Phrases of Frequency

Passato Prossimo Specific Periods of Time

Expressions of Time in the Past

Era or È Stato?

Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo Combined

Remember how to talk about the past using the Italian imperfetto and the passato prossimo and I guarantee you will use the Italian past tense every day!

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Use the Italian “a” or “in” for a Country, Region, or City

Italian Definite Article with Countries

William Shakespeare
Sonnet 116

Pablo Neruda
One Hundred Love Sonnets: 17

e. e. cummings
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in)

Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)

John Keats
I Cannot Exist Without You

Use “Come” and “Quanto”
to Compare Italian Nouns

Use “Tanto… Quanto”
Equivalent Italian Comparisons

“Come”
in Italian Sayings

Remember how to make comparisons with
come and tanto/quanto and I guarantee you will use these
Italian phrases and Italian sayings every day!

Use “Da” to Say
Where You are From

Use “Da” or “A” to Describe
Visiting an Office or Home

Use the Italian “Da”
in Reference to Time

Use the Italian “da quanto”
in Reference to Time

Use the Italian preposition “Per”
for a Completed Action

Use the Italian Prepositions “Per, Fra, Tra”
for Future Events

Combine the Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo
with Mentre and Quando

Combine Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo
with Perché and Poiché

Remember how combine imperfetto and the passato prossimo
and I guarantee
you will use these Italian past tenses every day!

Imperfetto
Adverbs and Phrases of Frequency

Passato Prossimo
Specific Periods of Time

Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo
Combined

Remember how to talk about the past using
the Italian imperfetto and the passato prossimo
and I guarantee
you will use the Italian past tense every day!

Use the Italian “a” or “in”
for a Country, Region, or City

Italian Definite Article
with Countries

Use the Italian “a” or “in”
for Places Around Town

When to use “a”
to Link Italian Verbs

Use the Italian “a” or “in”
in Reference to Time

Getting “in” and “out”
of Transportation