Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! How to express possession in Italian

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

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

 I have been trying 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 describe possession — this refers not only to the things we own but also to our interpersonal relationships. Did you know that to describe possession one must use a special set of adjectives, which are called the possessive adjectives?  In English, we simply put a possessive adjective (my, your, his/hers, etc.) before a noun under discussion. English possessive adjectives refer to the person or persons who “own” something or have a special relationship to someone. The word placement is the same in Italian; the possessive adjectives are placed before the noun. However, the Italian use of possessive adjectives requires a different way of thinking, since Italians match the gender and number of the possessive adjective to the object or person referred to! Even more interestingly, the Italian use of the definite article to form the possessive adjective can yield clues to an individual’s interpersonal relationships.

There is also the stressed form of possessive adjectives, which flip this sentence order in both English and Italian, and are put after the noun in order to emphasize the idea of possession!

We started to talk different categories of Italian adjectives in our last blog _____________________, and covered adjectives of nationality, color, and personality. This blog will focus on the common use of possessive adjectives  in Italian and their variations in order to express relationships with family and friends.

If we learn how to use Italian possessive adjectives  in the proper way, we will truly sound like a native Italian!

This post is the 68th 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

 possessive adjectives

to describe ownership and interpersonal relationships.
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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Italian Possessive Adjectives
for Things

Possessive adjectives allow one to describe ownership.  As we have already learned in our last blog  __________________, Italian adjectives change their endings to match the gender and number of the noun they modify. For Italian possessive adjectives, this change holds true, and therefore will depend on what is being possessed.

Note the difference from English; the English possessive adjectives (my, your, our, their) refer to the person who is the “owner” of the thing under discussion. But in Italian, although the adjective itself describes the owner,  the ending of the possessive adjective is linked to the object possessed — its masculine or feminine ending and how many of each are referred to!  In effect, we can have a masculine owner of a feminine object and the possessive adjective used will have a feminine ending, or vice versa.  We must really think in Italian when we use Italian possessive adjectives!

Italian possessive adjectives are placed before the person, place, or thing they modify, just like in English. The Italian definite article, which is required before an Italian noun, is often included as part of the Italian possessive adjective. In this case, all three — definite article, possessive adjective, and noun — will agree in gender and number!

The table below lists the singular and plural possessive adjectives. Of course, there are four possessive adjectives to cover all situations that might occur in gender or number for any given noun.  Notice from the table below that the masculine possessive adjectives end in -o/-i and the feminine possessive adjectives end in –a/-e, except for the third person plural form, loro, which is invariable. Since loro is invariable, it cannot be used without its definite article.

Italian Singular Possessive Adjectives		Italian Plural Possessive Adjectives
mio / mia	my	miei / mie
tuo / tua	your (familiar) singular	tuoi / tue
suo* / sua*	your (polite)* singular his, her, its	suoi* / sue*
nostro / nostra	our	nostri / nostre
vostro / vostra	your (familiar) plural	vostri / vostre
loro	their	loro

*For “polite your”, when writing, simply capitalize, as in, “il Suo amico” or “la Sua amica.”

Although the grammar for Italian possessive adjectives appears complicated at first, the matching endings flow easily when spoken and give Italian its beautiful musical cadence. In fact, in our last blog about Italian adjectives, several examples used possessive adjectives with their correct endings because they fit so easily into the sentences we were creating. Let’s take a look:

Anna è una ragazza europea; viene dalla Francia. Abita in compagna e d’estate e dalla sua casa può vedere i fiori gialli, viola, e lilla.

Ann is a European girl; she is from France. She lives in the country, and during the summer from her house she can see yellow, violet, and light purple flowers.

Mio nonno Carmelo è un uomo italiano ma gli piace molto la sua casa in America. Lui ha dipinto la sua casa blu, come il mare italiano.
My grandfather Carl is an Italian man but he really likes his house in America. He painted his house blue, like the sea around Italy.

In both examples above, the Italian word casa was modified by “la sua” — to signify “hers”  in the first case and “his” in the second case.  Even though the two subjects’ gender is different the examples, the possessive adjective remains the same, since the ending is linked to the noun that follows. At this point, we won’t discuss combining “da” with “la,” as in the first example, since that is the topic for another blog!

Below are some simple sentences with examples of matching possessive adjectives and nouns. Remember that nouns that end in -e are designated as either masculine or feminine in Italian. If one is not sure, just check the definite article, which will be true to the gender of the noun! Notice again that the word order for nouns and adjectives in the English translation may differ from the Italian sentence.

Mi piace la mia macchina rossa.
I like my red car.

Questo è il tuo libro.
This is your book. 

I nostri lavoratori sono bravi artigani.
Our workers are talented artisans.

Il loro cibo italiano è il migliore!
Their Italian food is the best!

It should be noted that the Italian definite article can be omitted if the speaker wants to emphasize ownership of a particular thing when using the verb essere.  For instance, if the speaker in our first example wanted to stress his ownership of a car,  he would simply say, “È mia,” for, “(It) is mine,” and omit the definite article la and the word macchina. In English, we use mine instead of my, ours instead of our and yours instead of your after the verb “to be” in a similar way.  This is called the stressed form of the possessive adjective.

Finally, the expression “a casa mia,” with the possessive adjective placed alone, after the noun, is common and means “at/to my house.”  The other possessive forms can be used as well with this phrase, as in “a casa tua” (at your house) or “a casa sua” (at his/her house).  And, it can always be, “colpa mia” for “my fault.”

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Italian Possessive Adjectives
for Family Members – Singular

Possessive adjectives are also used to talk about relationships between family members and friends in every language. In fact, the Italian use of the definite article to form the possessive adjective can yield clues to an individual’s interpersonal relationships.

For instance, when referring to a family member in the singular, the Italian possessive adjective is used alone, without it’s definite article. Of course husband, wife, mother, father, sister and brother do not need a definite article when you mention them in conversation or in writing. This holds true for the extended family as well.

Two examples from our last blog, which refer to the speaker’s cousin and grandfather:

Ti presento Caterina, mia cugina americana.
Let me introduce you to Kathryn, my American cousin.

Mio nonno Carmelo è un uomo italiano ma gli piace molto la sua casa in America.
My grandfather Carl is an Italian man but he really likes his house in America.

Following this line of thinking, when speaking of anyone “outside” the family, from a close friend to an acquaintance one barely knows, the Italian definite article is included with the Italian possessive adjective!

Oggi ho comprato un regalo per Francesca, la mia amica del cuore.
Today I bought a present for my dear friend Frances.

La mia conoscente Anna sarà alla festa stasera.
My acquaintance Ann will be at the party tonight.

How about that boyfriend or girlfriend? Or someone who is even closer to you — your fiancé or fiancée? Always use il mio fidanzato or la mia fidanzata for a boyfriend/fiancé or girlfriend/fiancée. Italian dictates that you must use the definite article since these individuals are not yet officially a part of the family! Of course, your ex-husband or ex-wife is demoted to definite article use as well, as they have left the confines of the family; la mia ex moglie and il mio ex marito is Italian for my ex-wife and my ex-husband.

In America, many people are as close to their pets as they are to their other family members. Although Italians may be as attached to their pets as Americans,  if a cat or a dog is a part of the family, Italians use the definite article when speaking about them, as in il mio gato or il mio cane.  The endings of the nouns that refer to animals are not usually changed to match their gender.  But, if it is important to emphasize that a pet is female, you can say, “la mia gata” (female cat) or “la mia cagnolina” (female dog).*

Finally, when one uses the Italian word famiglia to speak about “my family,” the definite article is required by convention. Notice also that the noun family is used in the singular, although by definition it refers to a group of people (otherwise known as a “collective noun”).  The Italian verb used with the subject “family” will be in the third person singular as a result.

La mia famiglia viene dall’Italia.
My family comes from/ is from Rome.

*In this case, one cannot simply add the letter a to the end of cagno to create the female counterpart of this noun; a simple a ending would create a word that today is used to refer to a woman in a vulgar way. The “lina” ending is added instead.

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Italian Possessive Adjectives
for Family Members – Plural

Although the Italian definite article takes on a particular importance in denoting family relationships in the singular, this is not the case in the plural. Instead, when speaking of more than one family member,  the definite article must be always be used, just as with a friend or acquaintance.

For instance:

I nostri amicisono arrivati.
Our friends (They) have arrived.
I nostri cugini sono arrivati.
Our cousins (They) have arrived.

In the above cases, notice that the past participle arrivati also has an i ending. If you need a refresher on how to create the passato prossimo in Italian, please refer to our blog: ___________________.

Below are two summary tables for the possessive adjectives used to refer to close members of the family, one for the female members and one for the male members. Both singular and plural possessive adjectives have been included to emphasize use of the definite article in the plural.

La mia Famiglia Femminile – Female Members of My Family

Italian Singular		Italian Plural
Possessive Adjectives		Possessive Adjectives
mia madre	my mother
mia mamma	my mom
mia sorella	my sister(s)	le mie sorelle
mia nonna	my grandmother(s)	le mie nonne
mia zia	my aunt(s)	le mie zie
mia figlia	my daughter(s)	le mie figlie
mia cugina	my female cousin(s)	le mie cugine

La mia famiglia Maschile – Male Members of My Family

Italian Singular		Italian Plural
Possessive Adjectives		Possessive Adjectives
mio padre	my father
mio papà*	my dad
mio fratello	my brother(s)	i miei fratelli
mio nonno	my grandfather(s)	i miei nonni
mio zio	my uncle(s)	i miei zii
mio figlio	my son(s)	i miei figli
mio cugino	my cousin(s)	i miei cugini

* Papà, with the accent over the final a, means “dad” and is pronounced differently from papa, without the accent, and means the “pope” of the Catholic church.

Practice using Italian possessive adjectives when talking about
family and friends
and I guarantee you will use them every day!

Advertisement

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! Italian Adjectives: Before or After the Noun?

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

Do you want 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!” 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 describe the characteristics of the people, places, and things that we encounter every day. We do this naturally in our own language with adjectives — for instance, when we describe the appearance of a new acquaintance, the wispy clouds of a summer day, or the racing car red of the sportscar of our dreams.  Adjectives can enliven the listener’s perception of a subject and provide additional shades of meaning. In English, adjectives are generally placed before the noun they modify. But in Italian, most adjectives are placed after nouns, while a few types of adjectives are placed before nouns. And finally, many Italian adjectives can hold either position in relation to their noun — either before or after. Interestingly, where an Italian adjective is placed in a sentence can even change its meaning!

Let’s talk about three different categories of Italian adjectives and discuss where each type of adjective should be placed in relation to its noun. This exercise will keep us on track with our goal to speak Italian more naturally and in more detail. If we learn how to use the most common Italian adjectives of  nationality, color, and personality traits in the proper way, we will truly sound like a native Italian!

This post is the 67th 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

 adjectives of nationality,
color, and personality traits.
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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Italian Adjectives of Nationality
After the Noun

We discussed how to talk about traveling to a region in Italy or the United States in our last blog in this series, “When to Use ‘In’ and ‘Nel’ to Describe Italian Regions and the United States.”  Of course, there are also Italian names for all the countries of the world, as well as for the people who live in each country. 

To explain one’s cultural background in Italian, it is necessary to use Italian adjectives of nationality. For men, adjectives of nationality usually end in –o and change to an –i in the plural;  for women, these same adjectives  end in –a and change to –e in the plural. Therefore, a man from Italy would describe himself as italiano but a woman would say that she is italiana.

Some adjectives of nationality end in –ese,  and in this case the same ending is used for both men and women. For the plural of the –ese  ending, simply change the last letter –e to an –i. 

Below is a sample of nationalities from all four continents. Watch out for the exceptions that are starred! There is no need to memorize the entire list. Instead, look up the nationalities for your family, just in case the topic comes up in conversation!

European	europeo(a)   (plural: europei, europee)	African	africano(a)
Austrian	austriaco(a)	Asian	asiatico(a)
Belgian	belga(a)*	Middle Eastern	mediorientale
Danish	danese
Dutch	olandese	American	americano(a)
English	inglese	Central American	centroamericano(a)
French	francese	North American	nordamericano(a)
German	tedesco(a)	South American	sudamericano(a)
Grecian	greco(a)**   (plural greci, greche)	Australian	australiano(a)
Irish	irlandese
Italian	italiano(a)	Argentinian	argentino(a)
Norwegian	norvegese	Brazilian	brasiliano(a)
Polish	polacco(a)	Canadian	canadese
Portugese	portoghese	Chilean	cileno(a)
Scandanavian	scandinavo(a)	Chinese	cinese
Spanish	spagnolo(a)	Egyptian	egiziano(a)
Swedish	svedese	Indian	indiano(a)
Swiss	svizzero(a)	Indonesian	indonesiano(a)
		Japanese	giapponese
		Korean	coreano(a)
		Mexican	messicano(a)
		Pakistan	pachistano(a)
		Russian	russo(a)
		Turkish	turco(a)
		United States (of America)	statunitense
		Vietnamese	vietnamita(a)*

*Exceptions to the rule of masculine and feminine.
**Pronunciation change for the masculine plural and spelling change to keep original sound for the feminine plural.

 

When speaking about an individual…

Most commonly, short sentences with the verb essere can be used to describe one’s nationality, as we discussed in the blog in this series “How to Use the Preposition ‘Da’ in Italian.”   When someone asks, “Da dove viene?” for “Where are you from?”  usually an Italian would simply say, “Sono italiano(a)” for “I am Italian.”  (We have left out the “io” of course, as this is conversational Italian and the subject pronoun is not necessary.)

 

Italian adjectives of nationality always follow the noun they modify —
that is, persons, places or things from a given country —
and are not capitalized.

 

To take this one step further, if an Italian wants to describe a friend or relation, they might give the relationship first, and then put the person’s nationality afterward. In this case, the nationality will follow the noun friend, cousin, etc, and provide additional information or possibly emphasize a particular point about that person.  Of course, there are many instances when one might want to describe their own or another’s nationality!

Some simple examples are given below, with the nouns and their adjectives underlined and their matching endings highlighted in red. Notice that the English translation puts the adjective of nationality before the noun, as this is the typical sentence structure in English.

English adjectives of nationality require capitalization, while Italian adjectives of nationality do not. Also, the English translations may not match word for word given the differences in how Italian and English may express an idea.

 

Paolo è il mio amico europeo.
Paul is my European friend.

Ti presento Caterina, mia cugina americana.
Let me introduce you to Kathryn, my American cousin.

Anna è una ragazza europea; viene dalla Francia.
Ann is a European girl; she is from France.

Mia mamma è una donna italiana; e quindi lei cucina cibo delizioso ogni sera.
My mother is an Italian woman; and therefore she cooks delicious food every night.

Mio nonno Carmelo è un uomo italiano ma gli piace molto la sua casa in America.
My grandfather Carl is an Italian man but he really likes his house in America.

 

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Italian Adjectives for Colors
After the Noun

Writers and conversationalists alike often use color as a descriptor to enliven the discussion for the listener.  Below is a list of adjectives to describe the colors (i colori) in Italian.  Some of these adjectives have endings that change to agree with the gender and number of the nouns they describe.  In this case, all forms are given.  Others are invariable (the endings will not change). Notice the spelling changes for bianchi/bianche, which are made so the endings of the plural adjectives stay true to the “c” sound in the singular.

 

Adjectives denoting color
always follow the noun they modify.

 

bianco/bianca	bianchi/bianche*	white
nero/nera	neri/nere	black
grigio/grigia	grigi/grigie	gray
giallo/gialla	gialli/gialle	yellow
rosso/rossa	rossi/rosse	red
azzurro/azzurra	azzurri/azzurre	blue
verde	verdi	green
arancione		orange
marrone		brown
beige		beige
rosa		pink
blu		blue
lilla		lilac/light purple
viola		violet /purple

 

Color is used to describe so many places and things… Let’s use our original four examples and add a sentence using one of the colors in Italian  to build a story around each character we have created. The nouns and their adjectives with the matching or invariable endings are underlined.  How many more sentences using color can you think of? Create your own short sentences and practice changing the endings of each color when required!

 

Paolo è il mio amico europeo.  A lui piacciono i vestiti neri e di moda.
Paul is my European friend. He favors black clothing that is designer-made.

Ti presento Caterina, mia cugina americana. Lei è venuta a trovarmi in una macchina rossa!
Let me introduce you to Kathryn, my American cousin. She came to visit me in a red car!

 

Anna è una ragazza europea; viene dalla Francia. Abita in campagna e dalla sua casa e d’estate può vedere i fiori gialli, viola, e lilla.

Ann is a European girl; she is from France. She lives in the country, and in the summer from her house she can see yellow, violet, and light purple flowers.

 

Mia mamma è una donna italiana; e quindi lei cucina cibo delizioso ogni sera. Stasera mangiamo un arrosto e verdure verdi del giardino.

My mother is an Italian woman; and therefore she cooks delicious food every night. Tonight we will eat a roast with green vegetables from the garden.

 

Mio nonno Carmelo è un uomo italiano ma gli piace molto la sua casa in America. Lui ha dipinto la sua casa blu, come il mare italiano.
My grandfather Carl is an Italian man but he really likes his house in America. He painted his house blue, like the sea around Italy.

 

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Italian Adjectives Before the Noun
Buono, Bello and Personal Characteristics

In the first two sections of this blog, we discussed how adjectives of nationality and color commonly follow the nouns they modify.  Most other Italian adjectives will follow the noun as well. Did you notice the phrase “cibo delizioso” in one of our examples from the last section? The adjective delizioso follows the noun cibo in this example!

However, many Italian adjectives are commonly placed before Italian nouns.

 

Adjectives of size, personality characteristics
(good/bad, young/old, pretty/ugly), and terms of endearment
usually precede the noun.

 

Buono and bello are adjectives that mean “good” and “beautiful/nice” and can be placed either before or after a noun. These adjectives were discussed in a previous blog. If you need a refresher, visit: Bello means it’s nice!  and Buono means it’s good!

See the table below for a summary of the most important Italian adjectives that commonly precede nouns, with their definitions and their endings for gender and number agreement.

 

Italian Adjectives that Commonly Precede Nouns

	Definition	Singular Forms	Plural Forms
grande	big, large	grande	grandi
piccolo	small	piccolo/piccola	piccoli/piccole
stesso	same	stesso/stessa	stessi/stesse
buono*	good (behavior)	buon/buono/buona/buon’	buoni/buone
bravo	good (talented)	bravo/brava	bravi/brave
cattivo	bad, mean	cattivo/cattiva	cattivi/cattive
giovane	young	giovane	giovani
anziano	elderly	anziano/anziana	anziani/anziane
nuovo	new	nuovo/nuova	nuovi/nuove
vecchio	old	vecchio/vecchia	vecchi/vecchie
caro	dear/expensive	caro/cara	cari/care
vero	true	vero/vera	veri/vere
bello*	beautiful, handsome	bel/bello/bella/bell’	bei/begli/belle
brutto	ugly	brutto/brutta	brutti/brutte

*Remember that the endings for buono and bello when placed after the noun will follow the usual rules for gender and number endings: (singular: o,a) (plural: i,e)!

 

How can we use this list of adjectives that commonly precede nouns?  Well, in some cases placing an adjective before a noun — for instance when describing a person — lends a poetic meaning to the phrase or implies a special feeling for the person.  On the other hand, placing that same adjective after the same noun, whether a person or thing, renders a literal meaning.

In the case of vecchio, for instance, “un amico vecchio” is a friend who is old in years, while “un vecchio amico” refers to “an old friend,” or someone who has been one’s friend for a long time.*  It is understood that this “old friend” has been a good friend to the speaker and is someone to whom the speaker feels a genuine warmth and attachment.

You will no doubt recognize our  old friends buono and bello in this list!  In the examples below, notice the change in meaning with a change in the placement of buono and bello as well. And remember that when using the verb essere  as a linking verb, the subject and adjective that follows essere must have endings that agree; the subject and its descriptor are one and the same!

 

un amico vecchio                  a friend who is old

un vecchio amico                  a long-time friend

 

un pilota buono                    a pilot who is good

un buon pilota                       a good (skilled) pilot

 

un uomo cattivo                    a man who is bad (not helpful/not nice)

un cattivo uomo                    a mean man

 

una macchina nuova             a (brand) new car

una nuova macchina             a different car

 

Michele è diventato grande.            Michael has grown up. (lit. become big)

Pietro è un grande uomo.                Peter is a great man.

 

*To describe a person it is more polite to use anziano (elderly) after the noun, rather than vecchio, since vecchio carries a negative connotation. One who ages well is anziano or anziana!

 

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Let’s take our original 4 example sentences, and add an additional descriptive sentence for each, using one of  the adjectives in the list above. In so doing, we will create a short vignette about each character. Notice how the additional information provided by adjectives bring us closer to understanding the person and the situation we’ve created.

Once again, the English translations will not correspond “word for word” to the Italian, given that adjective placement and description is often different for each language.  Use these lines as a starting point and create a longer story about each character in Italian if you want!

 

Paolo è il mio vecchio amico europeo.  A lui piacciono i vestiti neri e di moda. Lui è un buon pilota e viaggia intorno al mondo.
Paul is my long-time European friend. He favors black clothing that is designer-made. He is a skilled pilot and travels all around the world.

 

Ti presento Caterina, mia cugina americana. Lei è venuta a trovarmi in una macchina rossa nuova!
Il suo papà ha comprato la macchina per lei perché è una brava studentessa.
Let me introduce you to Kathryn, my American cousin. She came to visit me in a brand-new red car!
Her father bought the car for her because she is a talented student (does very well at school).

 

Anna è una ragazza europea; viene dalla Francia. Abita in campagna e dalla sua casa e d’estate può vedere i fiori gialli, viola, e lilla. Anna è diventata grande in campagna e spera di sposarsi e fare crescere i figli là.
Ann is a European girl; she is from France. She lives in the country, and in the summer from her house she can see yellow, violet, and light purple flowers. She has grown up in the country and hopes to marry and raise children there.

 

Mia mamma è una donna italiana; e quindi lei cucina cibo delizioso ogni sera. Stasera mangiamo un arrosto e verdure verdi del giardino. La sua amica anziana ha ottanta anni e viene a cena con noi ogni tanto.  
My mother is an Italian woman; and therefore she cooks delicious food every night. Tonight we will eat a roast with green vegetables from the garden. Her 80 year-old elderly friend comes to dinner with us every now and then.

 

Mio nonno Carmelo è un uomo italiano ma gli piace molto la sua casa in America. Lui ha dipinto la sua casa blu, come il mare italiano. Secondo me, lui è un grand’ uomo.
My grandfather Carl is an Italian man but he really likes his house in America. He painted his house blue, like the sea around Italy. According to me, he is a great man.

 

Remember how to use Italian adjectives
and I guarantee you will  be able to create
colorful Italian phrases every day!

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Grammar” and “Just the Verbs” books: Available on  amazon.com  and Learn Travel Italian.com

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Important Phrases” book downloaded onto a cell phone from www.learntravelitalian.com

 

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! When to Use “In” and “Nel” for Italian Regions and the United States

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

Do you want 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 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 when English does not!

Let’s continue our series on Italian prepositions and learn how to use the Italian preposition “in” and when to combine in with the Italian definite article for “nel” or “nello” to describe a region in Italy or a state in the United States of America.  For a small island or a group of small islands in both countries, the preposition “a” will be important.

As we’ve seen in our first blog on this topic, Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! Italian Preposition “A” or “In”? 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,” when describing an Italian region, a state in the United States, or an island, we will truly sound like a native Italian!

This post is the 66th 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 “in”  and  “a”

to describe a region in Italy,
a state in the United States of America
or islands.
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 “in”
for Italian Regions

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”!   In simple terms, Italian prepositions are linked to the place that they describe. 

We’ve already learned the basics of how to use the Italian prepositions a and in  in our first blog on this topic, Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! Italian Preposition “A” or “In”?  The general rule, stated again, from our previous blog is:

In Italian 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.

Following this rule, when Italians speak about their plan to visit a region, such as Tuscany, they would say, “Vado in…”  For example, “Vado in Toscana,” or “Vado in Abruzzo.” The preposition in is used without a definite article (il, lo, l’, la…) prior to mentioning the region. Sicily and Sardinia are large islands, and also regions, so one would  use the same rule and say, “Vado in Sicilia,” and “Vado in Sardegna.”

There are 20 regions in Italy, and each region has a capital city. Interestingly, although most of the self-governing regions on the Italian peninsula were officially united  as the “Kingdom of Italy” in 1861, the Italy we know today that encompasses the entirety of the peninsula and the adjacent region to the north had not yet been established. Venice was not annexed from Austria until 1866. Rome, along with the Papal states, was the last city to join the union, only after the French occupation ended in 1870. Rome was quickly made the capital of Italy that same year.

The Italian Constitution was not written until the last century and dates back to 1948. The Italian regions have, of course, been a part of Italian culture for centuries but the regions as we know them today were only officially created until 1970. Changes to regional powers were made during the constitutional reform of Italy in 2001. Today, each region in Italy has a type of constitution for governing, called a “statute.” Fifteen of the 20 Italian regions have “ordinary statutes” and 5 have “special statutes” (with the islands Sicily and Sardinia included in the “special status” group). A region’s “special status” grants extended autonomy from Italian national rule. Each region has a capital city, and is further divided into provinces. Italian regions are each headed by a president and governed by a parliament, whose members are elected directly by the residents of the region.

The regions of Italy and their capital cities are listed below:

Italian Region	Capital City
Abruzzo	L’Aquila
Aosta Valley	Aosta
Basilicata	Potenza
Calabria	Catanzaro
Campania	Napoli
Emilia Romagna	Bologna
Friui Venezia Giulia	Trieste
Lazio	Roma
Liguria	Genova
Lombardia	Milano
Marche	Ancona
Molise	Campobasso
Piemonte	Torino
Puglia	Bari
Sardegna	Cagliari
Sicilia	Palermo
Trentino Alto Adige	Trento
Toscana	Firenze
Umbria	Perugia
Veneto	Venezia

Getting back to linguistics, the official rule that requires the Italian in to be used alone to preface an Italian region has only two exceptions. For instance, the preposition in is combined with the definite article le to make, “Vado nelle Marche.”

Could this linguistic exception have anything to do with the long history of  Italian regional autonomy before the unification of Italy? According to Italyheritage.com, the name of the region of  Marche, “comes from the establishment by the Franks of  ‘Marche,’ that is Marquisdoms, such as Camerino, Fermo and Ancona.” In effect, then, the name of Marche itself was originally plural in Italian, creating a situation where the singular “in” would not be appropriate; instead, in proper Italian, there is the need to combine “in” with the definite article, as if to say, “in the kingdoms of.”

The region of Lazio provides a second exception. To speak about going to the region of Lazio, perhaps to describe a visit to its famous capital, Rome, one must combine the Italian in with the definite article il to create the sentence, “Vado nel Lazio.” 

This use of the definite article to describe an important place has precedent; famous or important people are often spoken of including a definite article before their name. Could Lazio’s history as the home of the hills that comprise Rome and gave birth to the all-important Roman empire have to do with how Italians reference the region today? Or perhaps Lazio’s linguistic exception originated from the fact that Emperor Augustus reorganized the Roman Empire into regions and determined that Lazio and Campania together would be called “the Prima Regio.” Of course, this is speculation! But a story, whether verified or not, often helps us to remember the exception to a rule.

Interestingly, when speaking in generalities of the well-known divide of northern and southern Italy, one must use “nel.” 

Vado nel Sud Italia.          I go to Southern Italy. (in the south of Italy)
Vado nel Nord Italia.       I go to Northern Italy. (in the North of Italy)

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How to Use
the Italian “in” and “nel”
for the United States of America

As it can be imagined, when one must apply the Italian way of thinking to the “regions” of the United States of America, called “states,” variations abound to the general rule of using the Italian in to describe large territories. Of course, it would be a difficult (and boring) task to memorize all the prepositions for all 50 of the United States. But it is an interesting exercise to try to list each state and and attempt to discover the logic behind the linguistic differences. Of course, the important take-away from such an exercise for the Italian student is just to learn the correct way to refer to where you live or are planning to travel to… if you want to speak about these topics with your Italian friends!

We’ve already hinted at the variations to be encountered when talking in Italian about the states that comprise the United States of America.

From our last blog on this topic, 

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 variations, and not all states in the United States take the Italian preposition in when speaking about them in Italian. There are enough differences in how an Italian would refer to a state in the United States, in fact, that this will be the subject of a future blog!

To follow is a full discussion about how to refer to all of the states in the United States of America and its territories in Italian

First, the general rule for states in the United States is slightly different than for regions in Italy, and is as given below:

For all the states in the United States, one may use “in” alone
or “in” combined with the Italian definite article.

The question then becomes: how do we choose between the Italian “in” alone or  [“in + definite article”]?  Technically, there is really no reason to choose if both are correct. And yet, if one searches Italian translation sites online, it becomes apparent that some states in the United States typically take “in” and others [“in” + definite article”]. Let’s go through the different United States to see their most common titles.

The Basics for the United States of America:

1. Use in for most states in the US.

Vado in Illinois
Vado in California.
Vado in Florida.
Vado in Connecticut.
Vado in Pennsylvania.
Vado in Virginia.
Vado in Carolina del Nord.
Vado in Carolina del Sud.
Vado in Georgia.

2. In some cases, Italians may use the preposition “a” when speaking about Rhode Island, perhaps because it is the smallest state in the union or because it is so small that  they confuse it with a city. Or, maybe the reason for the confusion is because the name of the state includes the word “Island” and an Italian may not be familiar with the details of a map of the United States.  If one queries an online translation service, the state of Rhode Island may appear to be a true exception to the rule of using “in,” since the preposition “a” appears before its name. In the case of online software, the confusion may arise because there are four cities in the United States named Rhode Island or, again, that the name includes the word “island.” This brings up the difficulty with translation software; often mistakes are made because the software does not understand the context of a phrase! For purposes of this blog, we will include Rhode Island in the section to follow that describes the use of “nel” for the original 13 colonies.
             
3. In some cases,  combine in with the definite article for the state.

Some states have the same name as a city in that state. In this case, for clarity, it is best to use “in the state of” by combining [in + definite article lo]. Lo is needed, of course, when one applies the rule of [s + consonant] for Italian masculine nouns to the English word state. For District of Columbia, you are going in “the District of Columbia,” so [in+ definite article il] is used. (If you need a refresher on the rules governing definite articles and their combination with prepositions, see the reference book Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Grammar.“) Notice that the English translation uses “going to,” as one would say in a typical conversation, while the Italian uses the simple present tense. Remember that there is no “going to” to Italian; this same idea is expressed in Italian with the simple present tense!

In the two examples below, the translation in English reflects the typical American way of referring to New York state, New York City, Washington state, and Washington D.C. Although, of course, there are no hard-and-fast rules.  If the speaker wants to emphasize that he or she is going to New York for a retreat in the country, the word “state” may be added as part of the place name. If, on the other hand, the speaker frequently visits or has a strong connection to New York City, he or she would probably only mention “New York” when in conversation with a friend.

The same applies to Washington and Washington D.C. Americans almost never use the official name, “District of Columbia” in conversation. Although, if mentioning the District of Columbia in Italian, one must include the Italian definite article. The Italian preposition in is combined with the definite article il to make nel. We will discuss this concept in more detail for the original colonies in the US in the next section.

Vado nello stato di New York.
I am going to New York (state).

Vado a New York.  (New York City understood from preposition a)
I am going to New York City.

Vado nello stato di Washington.
I am going to Washington (state).

Vado a Washington. (Capitol of the US; District of Columbia)
I am going to Washington D. C.

Vado nel Distretto di Columbia.
I am going to Washington D.C.

As a corollary, to say you are from a state, or the city of the same name in that state, use vengo (to come) with [da + definite article]. For the city, simply use da (from).  

Vengo dallo stato di New York.
I am from (come from) New York (state).

Vengo da New York.
I am from New York City. 

Vengo dallo stato di Washington.
I am from (come from) Washington (state).

Vengo dal Washington. (Capitol of the US; District of Columbia)
I come from Washington D.C.

Vengo dal Distretto di Columbia.
I come from Washington D.C.

 

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When to use nel for states in the United States and the possible origins of this variation:

All of the current 50 states in the United States have a history of being a territory, initially of another country or later of  the United States. For instance, some of the original 13 colonies (Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Rhode Island) commonly take the definite article along with the Italian in, possibly due to their political standing at the time their Italian name was assigned. Two northeastern states, Vermont and Maine, also take the definite article (Vermont was originally a colony and Maine was considered a district of Massachusetts). Finally, the definite article is still in use for the prior US territories of Wyoming and Utah.

The US states below were probably given original Italian names that included the idea of “in the commonwealth” of or “in the district of” with [in + definite article]. Although the states listed below are now full states, the [in + definite article] is still used in Italian. See below for the full list of states that still carry this designation.

Vado nel Delaware. (Originally ruled by the Dutch and Swedes and called “New Netherland,” then “New Sweden,” as the territory changed hands. Finally ruled as a British colony, with different portions governed by the colonies of New York and Pennsylvania and declared itself a separate state in 1776 as one of the original 13 colonies to revolt against British rule.

Vado nel Maine.  (A district of the US state of Massachusetts from 10/23/1780 -3/13/1820)

Vado nel Maryland. (Originally a charter colony, with charter granted by King Charles I of England in 1632, as a haven for Catholics.)

Vado nel Massachusetts. (English settlers embarked from Holland in a boat called  the Mayflower and landed on Cape Cod on November 21, 1620. The explorer John Smith had formerly named the area Plymouth. The settlement became known as “Plymouth Colony” or “The Old Colony.” The original Pilgrims were not granted a royal charter but instead governed according to “The Mayflower Compact,” which was signed by 41 men on the ship prior to arrival in the new world.   In 1630, a separate colony of Puritans from England was established in the Boston area, governed by a charter  from King Charles I and called “The Massachusetts Bay Colony.”  The  company charter was revoked in 1684, and replaced in 1691 by a British royal colony under the name “Massachusetts.” At that time, Massachusetts included the original two former colonies of Plymouth, along with Maine and the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.

Vado nel New Hampshire. (Province of New Hampshire est. 1629, named after the English County of Hampshire)

Vado nel New Jersey. (British colony named in 1664 after the island of Jersey on the English Channel)

Vado nel Rhode Island. (Self-governing colony called Providence Plantations founded by the Puritan Roger Williams (from the Massachusetts Bay Colony) in 1636 on land deeded to him from  the Narragansett Indian chief Canonicus. Additional settlements in the area and the original settlement were granted a Royal Charter from Great Britain in 1663 and again in 1688. Rhode Island declared independence as one of the original 13 colonies in 1776.)

Vado nello Utah. (US Territory and then a state)

Vado nel Vermont. (Known as “The Vermont Republic,”  Vermont was an independently functioning state when it declared its independence from  the British colonies of Quebec, New Hampshire and New York, from 1/15/1777 to 3/4/1791, after which it was accepted into the newly established US as the 14h state.) 

Vado nel Wyoming. (US Territory and then a state)

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How to Use
the Italian “a”
for the Islands of United States of America

Use a for the small, individual islands that are a part of the United states, and alle or all’ when referring to a group of islands. Alle is short for “Alle isole di…” Drop the “e” at the end of “alle” if a vowel follows.

Vado a Long Island, New York.
Vado a Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Vado a Mackinac Island, Michigan.

Vado a Puerto Rico.  (Unincorporated Territory of the US)
Vado a Guam. (Unincorporated Territory of the US)
Vado a Wake Island, Howland Island, Baker Island (Unorganized and Unincorporated Territories of the US)

Vado alle (isole di) Hawaii. (all the islands that make up the archipelago of Hawaii)
Vado all’isola di Hawaii. (the largest island of Hawaii; the “Big Island” of Hawaii)
Vado a Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai.

Vado alle (isole di) Florida Keys.
Vado a Key West.

Vado alle Isole Vergini. (Unincorporated Territory of the US)
Vado all’Atol di Midway. (Unincorporated Territory of the US)

Finally, when speaking in generalities of the well-known divide of north, south, and Midwest in the United States, one must use “nel.”

Vado nel sud-est (degli Stati Uniti).	I am going to the Southeast of the United States.
Vado nel nord-est.	I am going to the Northeast.
Vado nel midwest.	I am going to the Midwest.
Vado nel sud-ovest.	I am going to the Southwest.
Vado nel nord-ovest.	I am going to the Northwest.

Remember when to use the Italian prepositions
“in” and “nel” or “a”
to describe locations in Italy and the US
and I guarantee you will use these  Italian phrases every day!

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Grammar” and “Just the Verbs” books: Available on  amazon.com  and Learn Travel Italian.com

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Important Phrases” book downloaded onto a cell phone from www.learntravelitalian.com

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

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!

  

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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.

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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.

Remember how to use
the Italian verb vorrei  and I guarantee
you can ask politely for what  you need every day!

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Grammar” and “Just the Verbs” books: Available on  amazon.com  and Learn Travel Italian.com

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Important Phrases” book downloaded onto a cell phone from www.learntravelitalian.com

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

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 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 

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

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.

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

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.

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

Buon San Valentino!

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

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

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Grammar” and “Just the Verbs” books: Available on  amazon.com  and Learn Travel Italian.com

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”

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

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.”

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

 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!

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Grammar” and “Just the Verbs” books: Available on  amazon.com  and Learn Travel Italian.com

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Important Phrases” book downloaded onto a cell phone from www.learntravelitalian.com

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

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

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! 

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Grammar” and “Just the Verbs” books: Available on  amazon.com  and Learn Travel Italian.com

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 Use the Preposition “Da” in Italian

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

Have you been trying to speak Italian more easily and confidently in 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.” 

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!

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 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

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!

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?

 

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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.

 

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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 scarpe da corsa	sneakers running shoes
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

 

Macchina da corsa	race car
Pista da corsa	race track
Cavallo da corsa	race horse

 

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!

 

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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. 

 

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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.]

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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Common Expressions with “Da”

1. 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!

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Grammar” and “Just the Verbs” books: Available on  amazon.com  and Learn Travel Italian.com

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Important Phrases” book downloaded onto a cell phone from www.learntravelitalian.com

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

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

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

 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 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.

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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!

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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

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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!

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Grammar” and “Just the Verbs” books are where to find “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!”

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

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

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.

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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.

 

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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.

1. Mentre leggevo il giornale stamattina…           While I was reading the newspaper this morning…
2. Mentre visitavo Firenze l’anno scorso…            While I was visiting Florence last year…
3.  Lunedì scorso,  pioveva…                                  Last Monday, it was raining…
4. 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.

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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