Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! – Let’s Talk About… An Italian Christmas Celebration

Photo of two Conversational Italian for Travelers books downloaded on smart phones with smiling snow man next to the books.

December 7, 2021March 24, 2022 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 3 Comments

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for *Conversational Italian for Travelers* books

Buon Natale a tutti voi!

Christmastime is a magical time in Italy. The colorful decorations and holiday lights that adorn every Italian town bring with them a feeling of celebration that inspires children and adults alike. Italians of Jewish faith celebrate Chanukah in December as well, with glowing candles that bring their own special beauty to the December evenings. Chanukah was celebrated earlier this month, and if you’d like to learn more about how Chanukah is celebrated in Italy, please visit the blog “Our Italy — Celebrating Chanukah in Italy.

But what really makes the December holidays special,
both in Italy and around the world? For most, it is the gathering of family and friends.

For 2021, my hope is that all people who celebrate the Christmas holiday (le vacanze di Natale) or another holiday of their faith this December, can gather with their loved ones. As of this writing, there is a good possibility that the new normal will continue to expand to include Christmas parties (le feste di Natale) and gatherings for Chanukah dinners, instead of online meetings where people are together, yet distant. Extended families and friends should be able to celebrate the joy of being in each others’ presence and even have the opportunity to introduce new friends to old ones during the holidays for 2021.

This post is the 51st in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE.

Many “commonly used phrases” in Italian

are used during the
Christmas Holiday Season

See below for how this works.

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

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

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

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

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

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Christmas in Italy

There are several important holidays that Italians celebrate during the Christmas season (periodo di Natale), which begins on December 8th with L’Immacolata and ends on January 6th with L’Epifania. The feast of Santa Lucia on December 13th is also an important holiday in northern Italy and this saint day is celebrated with candles, special pastries, and presents for children who have been good during the year.

Young girl with ring of candles on her head celebrating Santa Lucia Day — Young girl celebrating Santa Lucia Day

See the table below for a list of the important celebrations that take place in Italy during the Christmas season and some common phrases that Italians use to wish each other “happy holidays.” We first encountered these phrases in our blog What I wish… for the holidays!

L’Immacolata	Feast of the Immaculate Conception: Catholic holiday that celebrates mother Mary.
Vigilia di Natale Natale	Christmas Eve Christmas
Buon Natale! Buone Feste!	Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!
Auguri di buon Natale!	Best wishes for a merry Christmas!
Tanti Auguri! / Auguri!	Best wishes!
Il biglietto di auguri Natalizi Regalo di Natale	Christmas greeting card Christmas gift

L’ultimo dell’anno	New Year’s Eve
La notte di San Silvestro	December 31st is the feast day of San Silvestro for the Catholic church.
Capodanno	New Year’s Day
Buon anno nuovo! Buon anno!	Happy New Year! (used most often)
Felice anno nuovo!	Happy New Year!
L’Epifania	Epiphany: Catholic holiday that celebrates when “Wise Men” visited the baby Jesus. In Italy, gifts are exchanged on this day. Italian tradition holds that a friendly witch, La Befana, brings gifts to children on this day, although Santa Claus is also celebrated.

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An Italian Holiday Party Conversation

When at a holiday party where Italian is spoken,
one will surely encounter the introductory phrases and polite responses below.

Introductions:

The most common Italian introduction at a gathering is a familiar phrase — a phrase used when a person introduces one of their friends to another. For example, let’s assume Pietro and Caterina are friends. Pietro wants to introduce Caterina to another of his friends, Paolo. He will do this with the simple sentence, “Caterina, ti presento il mio amico Paolo.” Pietro uses the informal “ti” since he is already friends with Caterina, the person to whom he is speaking.

In a more formal situation, Pietro may want to introduce someone he does not know well to one of his friends. In this case, if Pietro is addressing either a woman or a man, he will need to use “Le” (“polite you” indirect object pronoun). To stay in the polite mode of conversation, Pietro will likely introduce one guest to another using their last names with a polite title, such as il Signor (Mr.), la Signora (Mrs.), or la Signorina (Miss).

Keep in mind that in English we do not use the same sentence structure as in Italian, so the English translation of these phrases will not follow the Italian word for word. We may start out with “Let me” or “I would like to” and then add “introduce you to…” Also, in an informal situation, English speakers in America tend to omit the “Let me introduce you to” altogether! Instead, an English speaker might just say something like, “Kathy, meet my friend Paul.”

Several options to use when making an introduction are listed below. Remember to use the direct article before the title for a formal introduction!

Caterina, ti presento il mio amico Paolo.	Kathy, let me introduce you to my friend Paul. Kathy, meet my friend Paul.
Signor Rossi, Le presento il Signor Manzini.	Mr. Rossi, let me introduce you to Mr. Manzini.
Signora Rossi, Le presento il Signor Manzini.	Mrs. Rossi, let me introduce you to Mr. Manzini.
Signorina Rossi, Le presento il Signor Manzini.	Miss Rossi, I would like to introduce you to Mr. Manzini.

Responses:

At first glance at the table below, the responses to an Italian introduction may seem a bit complicated, because they have several variations. The most important key to understanding which of these variations to choose is the formality of the situation.

In the initial phrases in this table, “Piacere di conoscerla“ and “Piacere di conoscerti,“ the difference between the two phrases will depend on whether one is speaking in the polite (pol.) or the familiar (fam.). The polite phrases are given first in our example list, as it is the norm in Italy to use the polite form with a new acquaintance. The familiar form of this phrase is often be used between younger people, who tend to be less formal, and may also be appropriate among older adults of the same age or social status. If you need a refresher on when to use polite and formal Italian phrases, please refer to our blog Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! – Getting from polite to familiar with “Dare del tu.”

The other reason there are so many variations to learn when introductions are made is the Italian use of masculine and feminine nouns and adjectives. Every Italian student learns early on that nouns and adjectives must agree in gender and number.* At first, it may not be obvious that one is using an adjective at the beginning of the sentence, “Lieto(a) di conoscerla/ti,” since these phrases are used so often in Italy that the subject and verb of the sentence, “I am…” have been left out! The full sentence, “I am delighted to meet you,” though, makes it clear that the verb essere (to be) is in use, and of course the ending for the adjective lieto(a) for delighted must reflect back to the gender of the speaker to make sense.

The easiest thing for the Italian student to do, of course, is to pick out the phrase that corresponds to their own situation and memorize the endings. But these phrases provide a good opportunity to learn how to change Italian endings quickly and easily and can provide a pattern for more complicated sentences. For the examples below, the nouns, adverbs, and prepositions are black, the verbs are green, the polite/familiar pronouns red, masculine adjectives blue, and feminine adjectives brown.

Piacere di conoscerla. Piacere di conoscerti.	Pleased to meet you (pol.). Please to meet you (fam.).
Piacere mio.	The pleasure is mine.
Lieto di conoscerla. Lieta di conoscerla. Lieto di conoscerti. Lieta di conoscerti.	Delighted (masc. speaker) to meet you (pol.). Delighted (fem. speaker) to meet you (pol.). Delighted (masc. speaker) to meet you (fam.). Delighted (fem. speaker) to meet you (fam.).
Molto lieto! Molto lieta!	Delighted! (masc. speaker) Delighted! (fem. speaker)
Sono molto contento di vederla. Sono molto contenta di vederla. Sono molto contento di vederti. Sono molto contenta di vederti.	(I) am very happy (masc. speaker) to see you (pol.). (I) am very happy (fem. speaker) to see you (pol.). (I) am very happy (masc. speaker) to see you (fam.). (I) am very happy (fem. speaker) to see you (pol.).
Sono felice di rivederla. Sono felice di rivederti.	(I) am happy to see you (pol.) again. (I) am happy to see you (fam.) again.

*Italian nouns are assigned a gender, either masculine or feminine. Italian adjectives, which modify nouns, will change their endings to match the noun modified. In general, Italian nouns will end in -o if masculine and -a if feminine. A noun that ends in -e can be either masculine or feminine. There are, of course, many exceptions to these rules!

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Below is an excerpt from the Conversational Italian for Travelers story found on the website www.learntravelitalian.com. This short dialogue will allow us to put together all we have discussed about what to say when introducing and meeting others at an Italian holiday party. In this dialogue, Pietro introduces his cousin Caterina to his friends Luigi and Paolo. This simple conversation uses phrases that are repeated over and over again at Italian gatherings of every type.

At the end of the dialogue printed here is a common transition phrase that takes Caterina into the familiar form with Pietro’s friends, “Diamoci del tu, per favore!” We have discussed this phrase and others used to make the transition from a polite to a formal situation in a previous blog, “Getting from Polite to Familiar in Italian with ‘Dare del tu!'” With this simple line, a friendly conversation can truly begin! To listen to the remainder this conversation in its entirety, just click on the link It’s a Party!

Pietro:	Caterina, ti presento il mio amico Paolo.
	Kathy, (I) introduce to you (fam.) my friend Paul.

Caterina:	Piacere di conoscerla.
	(It is a) pleasure to meet you (fam.).
	(Caterina uses the polite form for a person she has just met, even though Paolo is Pietro’s friend.)

Pietro:	E questo è il mio amico Luigi.
	And this is my friend Louis.

Caterina:	Piacere.
	(It is) a pleasure.

Luigi:	Piacere mio. Io sono professore dell’italiano, come Pietro.
	Paolo è un medico.
	(The) pleasure is mine. I am (an) Italian professor, like Peter.
	Paul is a physician.

Caterina:	Molto interessante.
	Very interesting.

Paolo:	Io sono di Novara, una città vicino a Milano.
	Diamoci del tu, per favore!
	I am from Novara, a town near to Milan.
	Let’s use the familiar form of you with each other, please!
	(Paolo officially asks if he can use the familiar, or “tu” form with Caterina.)

Caterina:	Va bene. Volentieri!
	O.K. Gladly!

Warm wishes for a Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year
filled with treasured time
together with family and friends!

Auguri a tutti voi!

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! — The many uses of the Italian verb “Tenere”

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

November 2, 2021March 24, 2022 ~ stellalucentellc ~ Leave a comment

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

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently by the end of 2021?

Many Italian verbs have a similar use to those in English, which simplifies translation from one language to the other. However, many times the meaning of an Italian verb will vary from the usual English connotation. And in many situations, the same verb can have several different meanings in both languages, depending on the context. Tenere (along with its reflexive form tenersi, and the pronominal verb tenerci) is one of those verbs that is used in many ways in Italian and is important to “keep in mind” if one wants to use it correctly.

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

If we learn how to incorporate “commonly used phrases” when use the Italian verb tenere, we will be able to communicate just as we do in our native language!

This post is the 50th in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases” in conversation
use the Italian verb
tenere.
See below for how this works.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s Talk About…

The Many Uses of the Italian Verb

Tenere

The Italian verb tenere has a wide range of meanings and its use lends a bit of sophistication to one’s Italian. It is important to “keep in mind” the nuances of the verb tenere to create sentences as we would in our native language.

The Italian verb tenere is most often translated into English as “to hold” or “to keep.” It can be used in a simple way, to describe holding an object or holding another’s hand. As in English, the verb tenere can also mean “to hold,” with reference to capacity, as in how many objects or people can occupy or be contained in a certain space or place. The word “hold” in English can also take on the connotation of “to support” something (as a column holds up a roof) or someone (as a fan supports his team). So it is with tenere, which can mean “to support.”

Tenere is an important verb to use when dining at an Italian restaurant to tell someone to “keep the change.”

When the verb tenere is combined with the phrase “conto di,” it takes on different shades of meaning. [Tenere + conto di] is used to describe the concepts of keeping something in mind, keeping track of something, or being aware of something. The phrase can also have the connotation of considering or taking to heart important issues.

Combining the verb tenere with “conto che,” as in [tenere + conto che], adds yet another nuance to the original ideas of “to keep” or “to hold,” and is used to convey the idea of to consider. [Tenere in conto + noun] means to consider something.

Tenersi, the reflexive form of tenere, is also often used in the important everyday phrase “keep/stay in contact” and is a nice way to end a conversation or an email with a friend. Tenersi is often used when giving another instructions to hang/hold onto something or abide by/follow certain rules and regulations. If your emotions get the best of you and you can’t keep from laughing or crying, then use [tenersi + da] to get this point across!

There are many common Italian expressions that combine tenere with the preposition “a.” A few of these expressions will be listed in example sentences below.

When the verb tenere is combined with the preposition “a” and an adverb or adjective, as in [tenere +a +molto] the meaning changes once again. [Tenere + a] means to care about someone or something. You might think of using tenere in this way as being similar to the English phrase “to hold someone dear.” Consider also that the adjective tenero(a) is used to describe the following characteristics: tender, sensitive, or warm. For full emphasis, the pronominal verb tenerci followed by “a” [tenerci + a] can be used to stress the importance of something. A description of pronominal verbs and their uses is beyond the scope of this blog, but rest assured, if you add the pronoun “ci” before “tengo a,” you are telling someone that something is important to you!

Finally, in some important Italian phrases, tenere can be used interchangeably with the verb avere, and take on the meaning of “to have.”* Using tenere in this manner is a subtle way to emphasize that you are “keeping” or “holding close” the thing that you have.

Let’s talk about how to conjugate tenere in the present, past, and future tenses before using it in some example sentences.

Present tense: tenere is an irregular -ere verb in the present tense, since it has an irregular stem in all forms but the noi and voi forms. The present tense conjugation is below. The irregular stem is in brown:

io	tengo
tu	tieni
Lei,lei,lui	tiene
noi	teniamo
voi	tenete
loro	tengono

Past tense: When used in the passato prossimo to describe a single event, avere is the helping verb and the past participle is tenuto.

Tenere is regular in the imperfetto past tense (tenevo, tenevi, teneva, tenevamo, tenevate, tenevano).

Future tense: Tenere is irregular in the future tense due to it’s irregular stem.

io	terrò
tu	terrai
Lei,lei,lui	terrà
noi	terremo
voi	terrete
loro	terranno

1. Use tenere to describe the simple act of holding something or holding someone’s hand.

Tenere can also be used to refer to the capacity of something, or “how much” a certain thing or a place can hold.
Tenere can mean “to support” something or somebody.

Tieni stretto questo biglietto; tienilo in mano; non lasciarlo!

Hold this ticket tightly; hold it in your hand; don’t lose it!

Mi piace tenere la mano del mio fidanzato quando camminiamo in piazza.

I like to hold my fiance’s hand when we take a walk in the piazza.

L’Allianz Stadium a Torino tiene 41,507 spettatori.*

The Allianz Stadium in Turin holds 41,507 spectators.

Ho raccolto tutti i fiori che posso tenere in una mano!

I have collected all the flowers that I can hold in one hand!

Vengo da Turino. Tengo per la Juve / Tifo per la Juve. **

I am from Turin. I support/root for the Juventus soccer team.

Le mure sono molto vecchie. Grazie di Dio le colanne tiene il tetto!

The walls are very old. Thank goodness the columns support the roof!

* Regarding the use of tenere with the meaning of “to have/to own/to possess”: the verb tenere is used mostly in the south of Italy, while in the north they would simply use the verb avere (example: Lo stadio ha 41,507 spettatori.).

**Regarding the use of tenere to describe support for a sports team: “tengo per” is used in the south of Italy. “Tifo per” is used in the north.

2. Use tenere to mean “to keep” — the simple act of keeping something in a place.

In a restaurant, a common phrase spoken by the customer to the waiter in both English and Italian is, “Keep the change!” In Italian, the polite command (subjunctive) form of tenere is used for this phrase, often with the addition of the Italian word “pure“ which serves to encourage the server to keep the tip. Use of the subjunctive is beyond the scope of this blog. Just memorize this simple phrase, which should come up often!

Tengo gli attrezzi per cucinare di là.

I keep the cooking utensils over there.

Tenga pure il resto!

Keep the change, please!

3. Use [tenere + conto di] with the figurative meanings listed below.

to keep something in mind
- [tenere a mente] also means “to keep something in mind”
to keep track of something
to consider (See also #4, listed below)
- [tenere in conto + noun] and [tenere conto che] also mean “to consider”
- “non tenere in sufficiente considerazione a…” means
  “not to give sufficient consideration to…“
to take to heart

Ho dovuto tenere conto di tutte le regole che tu mi hai detto al lavoro.

I have to keep in mind all the rules you told me at work.

Tieni conto dei clienti e dagli quello che vogliono!

Keep track of the clients and give them what they want!

Terrò conto del fatto che il gruppo ha lavorato molto quando gli darò gli incentivi.

I will consider that the group has worked hard when I give them the bonuses.

Mi raccomando, tieni conto di quello che io ho detto!

I insist/demand/ (that you) take to heart what I have said!

Ho tenuto conto di tutto che tu hai detto. E sono d’accordo!

I’ve considered all that you have said. And I agree!

4. Use [tenere + conto che] or [tenere in conto + noun]

for “to consider.”

“non tenere in sufficiente considerazione a…” means
“not to give sufficient consideration to…“
[tenere conto di] can also mean “to consider” (See #3).

Devo tenere conto che ci sono molte opinioni in questo gruppo prima di prendere una decisione.

I have to consider that there are many opinions in this group before making a decision.

Devo tenere in conto anche le altre regole.

I must also consider the other rules.

5. Use the reflexive verb tenersi to ask someone to “keep/stay” in touch or give a command to “follow/abide by” a rule.

Other translations of tenersi include “hang onto” and “hold onto”.
[Tenersi + da] can also be used to express the phrase “to keep from…” doing something, such as laughing or crying. In this case, tenere is often combined with the verb riuscire, which means “to manage to,” and further emphasizes the effort one has put into trying to “keep from” doing something. To learn more about how to use the verb riuscire, visit another blog in this series: “The Many Uses of the Italian Verb “Ruscire.”

Teniamoci in contatto!

Let’s keep in touch (with each other)!

Ragazzi, tenetevi al regolamento o non vincerete la partita!

Boys, follow the rules or you all will not win the game!

Tieniti il tuo cappello; è molto ventoso oggi!

Hang onto your hat; it’s very windy today!

Tieniti alla ringhiera bambini!

Hold onto the handrail, children!

Questo film è molto triste. Non riesco a tenermi dal piangere.

This film is very sad. I can’t manage to keep from crying.

Quello attore era molto divertente. Non riuscivo a tenermi dal ridere.

That actor was very funny. I couldn’t keep from laughing.

6. Common Italian phrases with [tenere + a]

Tenere a bada = Tieni a bada i tuoi animali domestici.

To keep under control = Keep your pets under control.

Tenere a cavezza = Marco tiene a cavezza i suoi figli.

To keep someone under one’s thumb =Mark keeps his children under his thumb.

Tenere a freno = La famiglia di Anna tiene a freno tutte le ragazze.

To keep a tight rein on = Ann’s family keeps a tight rein on all the girls.
To hold back

Tenere a battesimo = Anna teneva a battesimo la sua nipote.

To sponsor a child at baptism = Ann sponsored her niece at the baptism.
To be a godfather or godmother Ann became her niece’s godmother.

Tenere a distanza = Maria tiene a distanza da Marco perché non le piace.

To keep at a distance = Maria stays away from Mark because she doesn’t like him.

Tenere a balia = Marco teneva a balia questo lavoro
perché lui è pagato a ore.

To drag out = Mark dragged out this job
To take longer than necessary because he was paid by the hour.

Tenere a pane e acqua =Marco tiene a pane e acqua Maria oggi.

To punish somebody =Marco punished Maria today.
(lit. to keep somebody on bread and water)

Tenere a pigione = Caterina tiene a pigione la sua casa in campagna ai suoi cugini.

To have as tenants =Kathy is renting her house in the country to her cousins.
To rent

Tenere aggiornata = Marco tiene aggiornato Maria sulle notizie ogni giorno.

To keep somebody updated =Marco keeps Maria updated on the news every day.
To keep somebody posted/in the loop about something

Tenere all’oscuro di = Marco teneva all’oscuro Anna dalla notizia.

To keep somebody in the dark about something =Mark kept Ann in the dark about the news.

Tenere alto il morale = Marco ha tenuto alto il morale della sua squadra anche
se stavano perdendo

To lift up someone’s spirits = Mark lifted up the spirits of his team even when they were losing.

Tenere alta la bandiera = Teniamo alta la bandiera della nostra città.

To honor your homeland or city = We honor/bring honor to our city.
(lit. to hang the flag high)

7. Use [tenere + a + adverb/adjective] or [tenerci + a] to describe caring about something very much

Remember another way to talk about platonic love and caring among family members and friends is to use the verb volerci, with the phrase, “Ti voglio bene.” For a review of the many ways to express one’s feelings of love, visit our blog in this series: “How to Talk About Relationships and Love in Italian.”
[Tenerci + a] can also be used in an introductory phrase when the speaker wants to emphasize the importance of what they will talk about or what they have done. Therefore, this phrase is often followed by the verb dire or fare.

La mamma tiene molto ai suoi bambini.

The mother cares very much for her children.

La mamma ci tiene a loro.

The mother cares very much for them.

Ci tieni a me?

Do you care about me?

Si! Ci tengo a te!

Yes! I care about you!

Ci tengo a dire che studiare la cultura è l’unico modo di capire un altra lingua.

It’s important to me to say that studying the culture is the only way to understand another language.

Ci tengo a fare la cosa giusta.

It’s important to me to do the right thing.

8. Use the tenere in place of avere for certain expressions.

Avere famiglia / tenere famiglia = Ho/Tengo una famiglia con tre figli a Roma.

To have a family =I have a family with three children in Rome.

Avere sotto il braccio / tenere sotto il bracchio =Ho/Tengo il pane sotto il braccio e cammino a casa.

To carry underarm =I carry the bread underarm and walk home.

Avere in serbo / tenere in serbo =Ho/Tengo una speciale bottiglia di vino per te.

To set something aside =I have set aside a special bottle of wine for you.

Avere in serbo / Tenere in serbo =Ho/Tengo una sorpresa per te!

To have something in store for someone (figurative) =I have a surpise for you!

Remember how to use the Italian verbs tenere, tenersi, and tenerci in conversation
and I guarantee you will use these verbs every day!

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

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

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

October 5, 2021March 24, 2022 ~ stellalucentellc ~ Leave a comment

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently by the end of 2021?

Why not try to learn a few words about a sport that is an integral part of Italian society? Of course I am referring to soccer, or calcio as the Italians call the popular sport, derived from the verb calciare, which means “to kick.”

After Italy’s thrilling victory at the UEFA EURO 2020 this past July, I decided to revisit a couple of blogs I’ve written about Italians and their passion for soccer. I’ll expand on these blogs today to give a brief history of the sport, talk about Italy’s most popular soccer team and the Italian victories at the FIFA and UEFA competitions, all while focusing on basic Italian words and phrases about the game.

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

If we learn how to incorporate “commonly used phrases” when we talk about soccer in Italian, we will be able to communicate just as we do in our native language!

Were you able to watch EURO 2020 this past summer? Was it your first introduction to Italian soccer or were you already a lifelong fan? If you are in a soccer league here in the United States or just like to watch soccer at home, knowing a few Italian words and phrases will certainly add to the excitement of being involved in this truly Italian sport!

This post is the 49th in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases” in Italian

are used to talk about
Italian Football, or Calcio.

See below for how this works.

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

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

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

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

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

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Let’s Talk About…

Soccer in Italian

Italy’s thrilling victory over England at the UEFA EURO 2020 soccer championship this past July sparked a week-long, country-wide celebration. Why not try to learn a few words about a sport that is an Italian passion? Calcio, as the Italians call this popular sport, is derived from the verb calciare, which means “to kick.” If you are in a soccer league here in the US or just like to watch soccer at home, knowing a few Italian words and phrases will certainly add to the excitement of being involved in this Italian passion!

Soccer — a brief history of the game

The basic idea behind soccer — a game of skill that involves kicking a ball — is said to date back as far as 2500 B.C., as a form of the game we know today was played by the Greeks, Egyptians and Chinese. The Roman game of Harpastum and the ancient Greek game of Episkyros were ball games that involved two teams kicking a ball but also allowed the use of hands or sticks, similar to today’s rugby.

According to the blog “The Origin, History, and Invention of Soccer”:

“The most relevant of these ancient games to our modern day “Association Football” is the Chinese game of Tsu’Chu (Tsu-Chu or Cuju, meaning “kicking the ball”). Records of the game began during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.–220 A.D.) and it may have been a training exercise for soldiers.

Tsu’Chu involved kicking a small leather ball into a net strung between two bamboo poles. The use of hands was not permitted, but a player could use his feet and other parts of his body. The main difference between Tsu’Chu and soccer was the height of the goal, which hung about 30 feet from the ground.

From the introduction of Tsu’Chu onwards, soccer-like games spread throughout the world. Many cultures had activities that centered on the use of their feet, including Japan’s Kemari, which is still played today. The Native Americans had Pahsaherman, the Indigenous Australians played Marn Grook, and the Moari’s had Ki-o-rahi, to name a few.”

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“Soccer began to evolve in modern Europe from the medieval period onwards. Various forms of what is now known as “folk football” were played (in England). The codification of soccer began in the public schools of Britain at the beginning of the 19th century. The word soccer was derived from an abbreviation from the word association. The -er suffix was popular slang at the Rugby School and Oxford University and used for all sorts of nouns the young men shortened. The association came from the formation of the Football Association (FA) on October 26, 1863.

Over the years, more clubs joined the FA until the number reached 128 by 1887. (England) finally had a nearly uniform rule structure in place.

Italian Soccer Victories

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) was formed in Paris in 1904 with seven members. This included Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Germany announced its intention to join the same day.

In 1930, the first-ever FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay. There were 41 members of FIFA at the time and it has remained the pinnacle of the soccer world ever since. The championship has been awarded every four years since the first tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946, due to World War II.”

Statistics about Italian Soccer Victories from “Wikipedia: Italy at the FIFA World Cup”:

Italy is one of the most successful national teams in the history of the FIFA World Cup,
having won four titles (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006), just one fewer than Brazil.

The UEFA, or the Union of European Football Associations dates back to 1927, when the French Football Federation’s administrator Henri Delaunay first proposed a pan-European football tournament. The UEFA Champions League is an annual club football competition organized by the Union of European Football Associations and holds annual competitions.

Statistics about Italian Soccer Victories from “Sports Adda”:

Prior to their championship win of the EURO 200 in 2021,
the Italy national football team had reached the European Championship final in 1968, 2000 and 2012.
And Italy’s (last) title win in the UEFA Euros came in 1968,
when the Blues had beaten Yugoslavia over two matches (in Rome).

What do Italians call the different games of foot ball played around the world?

Football (UK)	il calcio
Soccer (US)	il calcio
To play soccer	giocare a calcio
To enjoy playing soccer	divertirsi giocando a calcio

Football (AU)	football australiano
Football (US)	il football americano
College football ( US)	il football universiatrio
Rugby	la palla ovale

Juventus – the most well-known soccer team in Italy

Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy — Allianz Arena in Turin, Italy. Home of the Juventus soccer team.

From a previous Conversational Italian! blog entitled “Italian Soccer, anyone?”

Juventus was founded in 1897 by a group of male students from an elite school in the city of Turin, the Liceo Classico Massimo d’Azeglio. The Latin word for “youth” is “iuvenis,” and is where the name of this team comes from. For years, I wondered why the letter “J” starts the name of this famous Italian team when “J” doesn’t exist in the Italian language. It turns out that the name was translated from Latin into the dialect spoken in the Piedmont region of northern Italy at the time, which does use the letter “J.”

Over the years, the Juventus team has been called by many nicknames. Perhaps the most famous is “Vecchia Signora,” which means “Old Lady” in Italian. I’ve heard many explanations for this, but the most plausible seems to be that it is a reference to the history and greatness of the team — the team is like royalty over in Italy, and signora means both “Mrs.” and “royal lady.” Of course, this name can also be taken ironically because the team includes young men.

Juventus, the most successful Italian soccer team of all time, plays in the top Italian football league, which is the Serie A League. The winner of this league is awarded the Scudetto (“little shield” or “coat of arms” of the Italian tricolors worn on the uniform the next season) and the title Campioni d’Italia (Champions of Italy), along with a trophy called the Coppa Campioni d’Italia. In the 2016–2017 season, Juventus made history with their sixth consecutive Scudetto. They went on to play in the European Champions Cup but did not win a European title that season.

The Italian Soccer Team and Soccer Match

Juventus Soccer players — Juventus soccer players at Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy

For those who are new to the game of soccer, below is some Italian vocabulary and an explanation of the basic rules.

A soccer tournament is called un torneo di calcio. A soccer commentator is called un critico di calcio or un/un’ opinionista di calcio.

A soccer match, or partita di calcio, is played by two teams. Each soccer team, or soccer club, is called una squadra di calcio.

When playing a soccer game, 11 players can be on the field at any one time, one of whom is a goalkeeper. A soccer match lasts 90 minutes. There is a halftime break, called l’intervallo, after 45 minutes. If the score is tied, the game may go into overtime — as happened just this summer at the exciting conclusion of the EURO 2020.

The object of soccer is for a player to get the ball into the other team’s goal by using
any part of the body except the player’s hands and arms — and then only while he is
located in his own penalty area.

The referee, or l’arbitro, is in charge of the soccer game. The calls the referee makes may be a bit confusing to the new soccer fan. Some penalties are more severe than others. Yellow and red cards are given to players who violate certain basic rules. This will determine the type of penalty imposed for a given infraction. For further explanation of these rules, I suggest the blog “The 17 Basic Rules of Soccer.”

A typical soccer field, or campo da calcio, from “The 17 Basic Rules of Soccer”:

The art of the game:

la palla / il pallone calciare	soccer ball to kick
calcio d’inizio calcio d’angolo calcio di rigore calcio di punizione deviare la palla	kick off corner kick penalty kick free kick deflect the ball
la rete gol fare gol segnare marcare	net used for the goal the goal to make a goal/to score to score to score
l’allenatore	soccer coach
il giocatore	soccer player
il calciatore	soccer player
il portiere	goal keeper/goalie
l’arbitro	referee/umpire
la gara	competition
il fallo di mano	foul for using one’s hands
il fallo di reazione	retaliatory foul
il fallo da ultimo uomo	last man foul
il fallo a gamba tesa	studs-up tackle
la scorrettezza	foul play/rudeness
scorretto(a)	improper/rude
l’insulto	insult
il cartellino giallo	yellow “caution” card is given for improper play, hand foul, or unsportsmanlike or rude behavior
l’espulsione	expulsion from a soccer game occurs if a player receives two yellow cards
il cartellino rosso	red “expulsion” card occurs for a serious foul using violence, a retaliatory foul, a last man foul, insults, or when two yellow cards have been received

The Italian Soccer Fan

The Italian phrases that describe an Italian soccer fan echo the passion that they feel for the sport: appasionato di calcio, fanatico del calcio, and fan del calcio/tifoso di calcio.

A popular exhortation to encourage a team to score is “Rete!” “Score!” / “Into the net!”

When at a Juventus soccer game, the popular chant is Forza Azzuri!, which is a reference to the team’s blue uniforms. The word forza literally means strength but is also used in this case as an exhortation, to mean , “Come on!” The Italians also wear blue uniforms during international competition, so this chant is appropriate at FIFA and European matches as well. (By the way, Italians do not chant “Forza Italia!” as this phrase has been usurped by an Italian political party, which took the name “Forza Italia” when led by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.)

Another popular chant includes the name of a team player:

Solo noi, solo noi, (name of player) ce l’abbiamo solo noi!
Only us, only us, (name of player) only we have him!

Have fun playing soccer!

For anyone inspired to play soccer by Italy’s recent win at the EURO 2020, below are a few Italian terms to urge on your teammates!

I’ve got him!	Mio! Quello è mio!
One on one	uno contro uno

I’m marking that man (I have him)	Ce l’ho!
Try to avoid the marking of an opponent	Smarcati! /Liberati!

Go on wing	Vai sulla fasica! / Allargati!
Pass the ball to the wingman right/left	apri a destra/sinestra

From one side of the field to the other	da porta a porta
Pass it through the defenders!	In mezzo!

Corner!	Calcio d’angolo
Leave it!	Lasciala!

If you are a fan of Italian soccer, leave a comment about your favorite Italian team
or the most exciting game you’ve watched.
I’d love to hear from you!

Available on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! How to Say, “I miss you…” with Mancare

September 8, 2021March 24, 2022 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 1 Comment

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently by the end of 2021?

Then one verb you will need to learn how to use is mancare (to miss). This is the verb Italians use when they have not been able to visit a loved one. Of course it is important to be able to tell those we care about that we miss them!

In this blog, we will discuss how to use the verb Italian mancare, which part of a group of Italian verbs that always take an indirect object pronoun and therefore “work” differently from your typical Italian verb.

Previously, we have spoken about piacere (to like), the prototype for this unique group of Italian verbs in our blog “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day: Piacere, How Italians Say, “I like it!.” We have also covered another verb of this type, servire (to need) in our blog “How to Say, “I need…” in Italian: Mi serve…”

After this blog, we can add mancare to our list of important Italian verbs discussed that only take indirect object pronouns. Piacere, servire, and mancare all work in the same way, but we will go over once again how to conjugate and translate a verb of this type.

Note: in our very last blog, we made a list of verbs of communication and giving that take an indirect object pronoun when referring to a person. These verbs are in a different group than piacere, servire, and mancare, since they take a direct object pronoun when referring to things, but are a very important group to understand as well!

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

If we learn how to incorporate “commonly used phrases” when use the Italian verb mancare, we will be able to communicate just as we do in our native language!

This post is the 48th in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases” in conversation
use the Italian verb
Mancare
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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Overview of Italian Verbs

that take

Indirect Object Pronouns

A short review of Italian verbs that take indirect object pronouns:

In our very last blog, we made a list of verbs of communication and giving that take indirect object pronouns when referring to a person.

Previously, we have spoken about piacere (to like), the prototype for verbs that always take indirect object pronouns, in our blog “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day: Piacere, How Italians Say, “I like it!” We have also talked about another Italian verb that uses only indirect object pronouns, the verb servire (to need), in our blog “How to Say, “I need…” in Italian: Mi serve…”

After this blog, we can add mancare to our list of important verbs that only take indirect object pronouns. All three of these verbs work in the same way, but we will go over once again how to conjugate and translate a verb of this type with mancare. Full disclosure: there are other Italian verbs that only take indefinite articles, along with the three already mentioned! Below is a short list of the most important Italian verbs that only take indefinite articles.

Piacere	to like
Servire	to need
Mancare	to miss
Mancare	to miss
Mancare	to miss
Mancare	to miss

A short review of the Italian indirect object pronouns and their meanings:*

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

ci	to us
vi	to you all
gli	to them

*Of course, mi, ti, ci, and vi do double duty as direct object pronouns. Also, with reflexive verbs mi stands for “myself” and ti stands for “yourself, etc.“

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How to Say, “I miss you!”

with Mancare

The Italian verb mancare has many meanings: to miss/to lose/to lack/to be lacking/to omit/to fail. Perhaps the most common way mancare is used is to convey the idea of “to miss someone,” so it is important to learn the conjugation and sentence structure for this verb for everyday conversation.

To start off, you should know that the sentence structure used for mancare is the same as for the verb piacere, the prototype for Italian verbs that only take an indirect object pronoun. You should also realize that this group of Italian verbs works differently from its English counterparts. Therefore, the English translation will not match the Italian word for word. The idea will remain the same, however.

In English, we say the subject of the sentence misses someone using the person who is missed as a direct object. Example: I (subject) miss (verb) John (direct object).

In Italian, however, there are two significant differences from the English way of thinking. Below are English and Italian sentence structures with examples that have identical meanings. We will change the Italian sentences into the most commonly used Italian structure with an indirect object pronoun step by step, in order to aid in understanding how both languages can say the same thing in a different way. For these examples, the English translation is given in the Italian way of thinking, and is in parentheses. Notice the color coding that follows throughout the examples: subject in brown, verb in green, direct object pronoun in blue, and indirect and stressed object pronouns in red.

First, let’s look at the English way of thinking. The subject is the person talking and the direct object is who they miss:

English: [subject: person missing someone+ mancare conjugated to reflect subject + direct object: person missed]

I + miss + John.

Now, let’s turn this English idea around to make an Italian sentence. To Italians, the person who is being missed is the subject of the sentence. With this logic in mind, the person missing someone must be expressed by a stressed object pronoun or an indirect object pronoun. The sentence with a stressed object pronoun:

Italian: [subject: person missed + mancare conjugated to reflect subject + stressed object pronoun: person missing someone]

Giovanni + manca + a me.
(John is missing to me.)

Although our Italian example above is grammatically correct, those conversing in Italian most commonly use an indirect object pronoun instead of the stressed pronoun,* and place the indirect object pronoun pronoun before the verb.

Italian: [indirect object pronoun: person missing someone + mancare conjugated to reflect subject + subject: person missed]

Mi + manca + Giovanni.
(To me is missing John).

To make matters more confusing to the English speaker, the subject of the sentence — which in this case is Giovanni — can be left out entirely as long as the person who is being discussed is known from the context. But, in most cases the subject is then added to the end of the sentence for clarification.

*The stressed pronoun is handy to use for emphasis, as its name suggests.

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Below is the present tense conjugation of mancare. Notice that the tu and noi forms have irregular spelling to keep the hard “c” sound that we hear when we pronounce the infinitive verb. These are marked with an asterisk.

Mancare = To Be Missing (To)

io	manco	I am missing (to…)
tu	manchi*	you (fam.) are missing (to…)
Lei lei/lui	manca	you (polite) are missing (to…) she/he/it is missing (to…)

noi	manchiamo*	we are missing (to…)
voi	mancate	you all are missing (to…)
loro	mancano	they are missing (to…)

The sentences below give some common examples of how to use the verb mancare in the present tense. To aid the English speaker in understanding this Italian way of thinking, the Italian subject pronouns are included in parentheses. But remember that Italian subject pronouns are usually left out of a sentence, unless needed for clarification. Also, the word-for-word Italian to English translation is given in parentheses, with the correct English translation in the third column in bold black.

If the idea behind how to use mancare seems too complicated at first, just memorize the first four examples, as you will likely use these the most!

Example Sentences with Mancare

(Tu) Mi manchi.	(You are missing to me.)	I miss you.
(Lei/Lui) Mi manca.	(She/he is missing to me.)	I miss her/him.

(Io) Ti manco?	(Am I missing to you?)	(Do you) miss me?
(Lei/Lui) Ti manca?	(Is she/he missing to you?)	(Do you) miss her/him?

(Io) Gli manco.	(I am missing to him.)	He misses me.
(Io) Le manco.	(I am missing to her.)	She misses me.
(Tu) Gli manchi.	(You are missing to him.)	He misses you.
(Tu) Le manchi.	(You are missing to her.)	She misses you.
Gli manca (Maria).	(Maria is missing to him.)	He misses Maria.
Le manca (Maria).	(Maria is missing to her.)	She misses Maria.
Gli manca (Paolo).	(Paul is missing to him.)	He misses Paul.
Le manca (Paolo).	(Paul is missing to her.)	She misses Paul.

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Mancare is often used in the past tense. Consider the phrase “I missed you!” This implies that a definite period of absence has passed, and now the individuals are finally together and are able to talk about their feelings. The past tense of mancare is regular in the passato prossimo and takes essere. This is the past tense form for mancare that is most commonly used during conversation.

See below for the passato prossimo conjugation of mancare:

Singular forms: sono sei, è, + mancato(a)

Plural forms: siamo, siete sono + mancati(e)

The imperfetto form of mancare is regular as well, and is used most often for narration. Remember when telling a story about something that has happened without mentioning a specific period of time to use the imperfetto past tense. If you need a refresher on when to use the passato prossimo and imperfetto, refer to our previous blogs about the Italian past tense. In the case of mancare, the reference is often to a nonspecific amount of time that people missed each other in the past.

See below for the imperfetto conjugation of mancare:

Singular forms: mancavo, mancavi, mancava

Plural forms: mancavamo, mancavate, mancavano

Find four common examples below of how to use the verb mancare, in past tense, with the passato prossimo. As in the examples for the present tense, the subject pronouns are included in parentheses, but remember that they are usually often left out of a sentence unless needed for clarification. Also, the direct Italian to English translation is given in parentheses, with the correct English translation in the third column in bold black. How many more examples can you think of?

(Tu) Mi sei mancato(a).	(You were missing to me.)	I missed you.
(Lei/Lui) Mi è mancato(a).	(She/he was missing to me.)	I missed her/him.

(Io) Ti sono mancto(a)?	(Was I missing to you?)	(Did you) miss me?
(Lei/Lui) Ti è mancato(a)?	(Was she/he missing to her/him?)	(Did you) miss her/him?

Remember how to use the Italian verb
mancare in Italian
when missing someone dear to you!

Occhipinti Author Interview, by Dawn Mattera for Modern Italian Network.org

Collage with photo of Kathryn Occhipinti, author, and images of the Conversational Italian for Travelers series of books

July 25, 2021July 24, 2021 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 2 Comments

As an independently published author, I am always thrilled when asked to give a video interview, since this is such a personal way for me to connect with my readers. And I do I love to talk about my reasons for venturing into the realm of Italian language learning as much as I love to write about the Italian language and culture!

So I was very excited when Dawn Mattera, a professional speaker and an author herself who writes about Italian culture, interviewed me last week. Dawn and I have become friends through an internet community focused on the Italian culture called The Modern Italian Network (m.i.o). There is no charge to join the m.i.o online community of Italians and Italophiles and receive daily updates on all things Italian. From their homepage:

Why mi.o?

mi.o is a community for people who wish to share their passion for Italy with others, learn about all aspects of Italian culture including the Italian language, and find the best ways to experience Italy and Italian culture both in Italy and around the world.

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I’d also like to include a few words about Dawn Mattera, who kindly took time out of her day to interview me about my Conversational Italian for Travelers books, my tips to learn Italian, and my travels to Italy.

Dawn Mattera is an author and speaker who has helped people for over 25 years achieve personal success and overcome challenges. She has written articles and newsletters for international organizations, hosted and spoken at packed seminars and virtual events, and starred in monthly TV spots. Dawn holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, a Diploma for the Italian Language, and is a Microsoft Office Master (but, would rather be a Jedi master). She is also a Certified Unhackable® Coach, Speaker and Trainer.

Dawn Mattera’s latest book on Amazon is The Italian Art of Living: Your Passport to Hope, Happiness and Your Personal Renaissance.

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Finally, if you would like to hear me — Kathryn Occhipinti — talk about why I wrote the Conversational Italian for Travelers books, listen to my tips on how to learn Italian, and learn why knowing even a few Italian words will greatly enrich your trip to Italy, just click on the link below!

If you are interested in my Conversational Italian for Travelers books and the FREE material to learn Italian that I talk about in the video, click on the link below for my website, www.learntravelitalian.com.

For the Interactive Audio Dialogues that tell the story of Caterina, the Italian-American girl who travels to Italy and at the same time teach us “everything we need to know to enjoy our trip to Italy, click here.

To “look inside” my Conversational Italian for Travelers books and to purchase a book for delivery –or– to purchase the right to download a book in PDF format onto two electronic devices, go to the website purchase page at www.learntravelitalian.com.

Buon divertimento!

Above all, enjoy your adventure learning Italian!

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day – “As far as I know” with Sapere in the Subjunctive Mood

Burano in Venice, Italy and Everyday Italian phrases

May 5, 2021March 24, 2022 ~ stellalucentellc ~ Leave a comment

Buon giorno a tutti! Today we will discuss how to use sapere in the common subjunctive mood form “sappia” for those uncertain times in our lives.

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

If we learn how to incorporate “commonly used phrases” when we talk about what we may know in Italian with the verb sappia, the singular subjunctive mood of sapere, we will be able to communicate with the same complexity as we do in our native language!

This post is the 44th 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

start with “As far as I know…”

and use the subjunctive form of the verb sapere,
which is sappia

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 this verb?

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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Sappia — Subjunctive Mood of Sapere

As we’ve seen in a previous blog about the verb sapere,it is important to understand how to conjugate sapere in the present tense if one wants to describe what he or she knows. Sapere in the present tense is a verb of certainty; when one uses the Italian verb sapere, they do so to describe a fact or something they believe to be true.

But there are times when one may not be certain he or she is talking about a fact. In order to convey different shades of meaning, Italian uses the subjunctive mood. And to convey uncertainty about what one knows in the present, it is necessary to use the present subjunctive (presente congiuntivo) of sapere.

Sapere is an irregular verb. However, the presente congiuntivo is easier to conjugate than the present tense, as the first three persons of the presente congiuntivo are identical — all three are the commonly used form “sappia.”

Also, to make remembering the presente congiuntivo easy, note that the noi form is “sappiamo,” which is the same as the present tense!

In English, the translation for the presente congiuntivo of sapere is the same as the simple present tense. Today’s spoken and written English uses the subjunctive mood sparingly, most often for hypothetical phrases — statements we make when we wish for something that we know cannot be. Therefore, when Italian requires the presente congiuntivo, English defaults to the simple present tense. See the table below for the full conjugation of sapere.

Sapere – Presente Congiuntivo

io	sappia	I know
tu	sappia	you (familiar) know
Lei lei/lui	sappia	you (polite) know she/he knows

noi	sappiamo	we know
voi	sappiate	you all know
loro	sappiano	they know

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Let’s start our discussion of how to use the verb sapere with some common conversational phrases in the present and past tenses. Then we can go on to describe some situations in which it is necessary to use the sapere in the Italian subjunctive mood.

Some common phrases that use sapere in the present and past tenses:

So…/Sai…	I know…/You know…
Come sai…/Come sa…	As you know… (familiar/polite)
Come sapete…	As you all know…
Non si sa mai!	One never knows!
Non lo so.	I don’t know.
Non lo sapevo.	I didn’t know.

It is clear from the above phrases that a fact is being relayed; one either knows or does not know something. With the phrases that need to be completed, like, “So…,” “Sai…,” “Come sai..,” or “Come sa..,” since there is no uncertainty involved, a verb in the simple present or past tense can be used to complete the sentence.

An example of one friend talking to another is given below, with an introductory phrase that uses sapere in the present tense, and a fact relayed in the following phrase:

Come sai, Francesca è partita per Roma ieri.
As you know, Frances left for Rome yesterday.

Now, let’s imagine that someone has asked our speaker if they know whether Frances has departed for Rome. And in this case, the speaker does not know if Frances has left prior to their conversation. An Italian in this situation could answer, “Non lo so,” for a simple, “I don’t know.” But to be a bit more dramatic, there is also the option of answering this question with an exclamation, “Chi lo sa!” which means, “Who knows?”

To really sound Italian, one can say, “Chissà!” which is a commonly used Italian exclamation that also means, “Who knows?” and likely evolved from the simple sentence above using sapere.

Here is our first example again, except this time let’s answer our question about Francesca with our exclamations that use sapere in the present tense.

Francesca è partita per Roma ieri? Chi lo sa!
Frances left for Rome yesterday? Who knows?

Francesca è partita per Roma ieri? Chissà!
Frances left for Rome yesterday? Who knows?

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So, when does the subjunctive mood come into play? Going back to our original question about whether Frances has left for Rome: in some cases, this question might not have a simple “yes or no” answer. And this is when it is necessary to use the subjunctive mood!

For instance, when answering the question, “Has Frances left for Rome?” the speaker may be fairly certain that Frances has already left. But maybe some detail is bothering him or her. Perhaps the speaker hasn’t seen Frances leave, but knows that Frances always keeps her appointments. The phrases “per quanto ne so” and “per quanto ne sappia,” both mean “as far as I know,” or “to my knowledge,” and are useful if one is feeling a bit unsure of themselves or the situation under discussion.

When to use each phrase? In many English translations, “per quanto ne so” and “per quanto ne sappia,” are interchangeable; but in Italian these two phrases do have different shades of meaning.

“Per quanto ne so” implies some certainty in one’s knowledge, similar to the English phrase, “I’m pretty sure.”

“Per quanto ne sappia” leans more toward uncertainty, such as, “I’m not really sure, but I think so.”

Below is our example again, with the subjunctive verb sappia used in the response to the original question asking whether Frances has left for Rome.

Francesca è partita per Roma?
Has Frances left for Rome?

Per quanto ne sappia, Francesca è gia partita per Roma.
As far as I know — I’m not really sure, but I think so — Frances has already left for Rome.

The phrase “per quanto ne sappia” can be shortened to: “che io sappia,” which also means, “as far as I know.” In fact, this shortened phrase is the most common form used in conversation.

Che io sappia, Francesca è gia partita per Roma.
As far as I know, Frances has already left for Rome.

Other phrases along with “per quanto ne sappia” that mean “as far as” or “for what” or “to what” are: a quanto, per quel che, and a quel che. These introductory phrases are used in the same manner as per quanto, although per quanto is the most common phrase of this group used in conversational Italian.

But… be careful! “A quanto pare” means “apparently” and does not use the subjunctive mood! Because, in this case, the introductory phrase implies certainty, it should be followed with a verb in the simple present or past tense.

Francesca è partita per Roma?
Has Frances left for Rome?

Le sue valigie non sono più qui. A quanto pare, Francesca è gia partita per Roma stamattina.
Her suitcases are no longer here. Apparently, Frances has already left for Rome this morning.

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Another useful phrase for when one is feeling uncertain about something is “non che io sappia,” which means “not that I know” or “not that I am aware of,” and is usually followed by the conjunctions “ma” or “pero,” which both mean “but.” So, in effect, this introductory phrase when connected by “but” is a bit of a contradiction; it is a signal that one probably does know something about the situation after all!

Francesca è partita per Roma?
Has Frances left for Rome?

Non che io sappia con certezza, ma le sue valigie non sono più qui.
Not that I know for certain, but her suitcases are no longer here.

Remember how to use sappia, the Italian subjunctive mood of sapere in conversation
and I guarantee you will use this verb every day!

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Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day – “To be about to” with “Stare per”

March 2, 2021January 23, 2021 ~ stellalucentellc ~ Leave a comment

Buon giorno a tutti! Today we are “about to” learn two more ways to use the verb stare that you can use every day!

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

If we learn how to incorporate “commonly used phrases” when we talk about what we are about to do in Italian with the verb stare and the preposition per, we will be able to communicate with the same complexity as we do in our native language!

And when we are actually in the process of performing an action, we can use the verb stare again as a helping verb to emphasize that we are doing something right now.

This post is the 42nd 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

start with “I am about to”

and use the verb + preposition combination

Stare + per

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 this verb?

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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Stare per — to be about to

As we’ve seen in a previous blog about the verb stare, although the direct translation of stare is “to stay,” over the centuries stare has also taken on the meaning of “to be” with respect to one’s general health. The verb stare is often used in other ways as well. For instance, with the addition of the preposition per, the “stare per” combination conveys the meaning “to be about to.”

Stare is an –are verb that has an irregular root in the tu and loro forms. In the table below, the regular conjugations of stare are given in green and the irregular forms in brown, in order to make them easier to recognize. The stare conjugation table has been modified from our first blog on this topic to reflect the different meaning with the addition of the preposition per after the verb.

Stare per – to be about to

io	sto per	I am about to
tu	stai per	you (familiar) are about to
Lei lei/lui	sta per	you (polite) are about to she/he is about to

noi	stiamo per	we are about to
voi	state per	you all are about to
loro	stanno per	they are about to

Once we have stare conjugated to reflect the speaker, the rest is easy! Simply follow the conjugated form of stare with per and then the infinitive form of the verb that describes what you are “about to” do.

What are some things we may be “about to” do during the course of the day? The actions of going to or returning from a place are very common. For instance, if I were “about to” go to the store to pick up some wine for dinner, and want to inform a family member, the line may go something like this:

Sto per andare a comprare una bottiglia di vino. Preferisci rosso o bianco?
I am about to go to buy a bottle of wine. Do you prefer red or white?

Or, maybe your friend is putting on his coat, as if he were about to leave a gathering. Instead, you would like him to stay. You may say something like this (using the familiar command form of restare):

Stai per partire? È troppo presto! Resta qui un ora di più con me!
Are you about to leave? It’s very early! Stay here an hour longer with me!

We can continue in this manner with the other verbs of “coming and going” like arrivare (to arrive), venire (to come), entrare (to enter), tornare (to return), or rientrare (to come back).

There are many other daily activities that come to mind where stare per may be useful. We are often “about to” say (dire) something important, or “about to” answer (rispondere) a question. We may be “about to” write (scrivere), send (mandare), or read (leggere) an important text or email.

After hearing sad news, we may be about to cry (stare per mettersi a piangere).

Several commonly used verb combinations given above have been listed in the table below. How many more can you think of?

Stare per andare	About to go
Stare per partire	About to leave
Stare per arrivare	About to arrive
Stare per venire	About to come
Stare per entrare	About to enter
Stare per tornare	About to return
Stare per rientrare	About to come back
Stare per dire	About to say
Stare per rispondere	About to answer
Stare per scivere	About to write
Stare per mandare	About to send
Stare per leggere	About to read
Stare per mettersi a piangere	About to cry

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Now that we know how to say what we are about to do in the present tense, let’s go one a step further and talk about the past tense. In fact, many of the phrases listed in the last section are more commonly used in the past tense during a normal conversation.

For instance, the phrase, “I was about to say…” is often used when one speaker has interrupted another. “I was about to answer…!” might be used if one feels pressured into saying something too quickly. Or, is one is telling a story about an unfortunate event that has happened to a friend, this story might involve the sentence, “He/she was about to cry…”

In these cases, we have to conjugate stare in the past tense. The imperfetto conjugation is given below. The rest of the sentence structure remains the same!

Stare imperfetto per — was about to

io	stavo per	I was about to
tu	stavi per	you (familiar) were about to
Lei lei/lui	stava per	you (polite) were about to she/he was about to

noi	stavamo per	we were about to
voi	stavate per	you all were about to
loro	stavano per	they were about to

Stavo per dire la stessa cosa!
I was about to say the same thing!

Stavo per rispondere, ma non mi hai dato il tempo!
I was about to answer, but you didn’t give me time!

Stava per mettersi a piangere quando le ho detto che nonna è in ospitale.
She was about to cry when I told her that grandma is in the hospital.

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Another important use for the verb stare is to convey the idea that one is doing something right now. Stare plus the gerund of an action verb creates the present progressive form. In English, the present progressive is the “ing” form of a verb — I am going, coming, doing, etc.

In Italian, the present progressive tense is used sparingly; it is reserved for a happening that is going on at the exact same time as the conversation. In short, where in English we commonly say “I am going,” to mean we will leave anywhere from one minute later to sometime in the near future, in Italian, a simple, “Io vado,” will suffice. To stress that he or she is leaving momentarily, an Italian might instead use stare say, “Sto andando,”** but either tense is correct.

To form the present progressive tense, simply conjugate stare to reflect the speaker. Then add the gerund of the action verb that is to follow.

It is fairly simple to create a gerund to create the present progressive tense in Italian. Drop the -are, -ere, and -ire verb endings to create the stem. Then add –ando to the stem of the -are verbs and -endo to the stem of the -ere and -ire verbs. Most gerunds are regular, which generally makes for easy conjugation, although, of course, there are some exceptions! For more information on this verb type, check out our reference book, Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Verbs.”

Let’s take a few of our example sentences one step further, from being “about to” do something, to actually doing it “right away.” Notice how the different use of stare changes the meaning of each sentence!

Sto andando a comprare una bottiglia di vino.
I am going (right now) to buy a bottle of wine.

Il treno per Roma sta partendo!
The train for Rome is leaving (right now)!

Stavo dicendo la stessa cosa!
I was (just) saying the same thing!

Stavo rispondendo, ma mi hai interrotto!
I was answering, but you interrupted me!

A couple more points…

*Another common way to convey you are leaving right away is with the phrase, “Me ne vado,” from the verb andarsene, but this is a topic for another blog!

*Instead of saying, “Sto arrivando,” for “I’m coming right now,” Italians commonly say, “Arrivo!”

Remember how to use the Italian verb combination stare per in conversation
and I guarantee you will use this verb every day!

"Just the Verbs" from Conversational Italian for Travelers books — Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Verbs”

Available on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! The many uses of the Italian Verb “Prendere”

November 3, 2020January 20, 2021 ~ stellalucentellc ~ Leave a comment

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently by the end of 2020?

Many Italian verbs have a similar use to those in English, which simplifies translation from one language to the other. However, many times the use of an Italian verb will vary from the usual English connotation. And in many situations, the same verb can have many different meanings in both languages, depending on the context. Prendere, the Italian verb that most commonly means “to take” is one of those verbs that is used in many ways in Italian and is important to “take seriously” if one wants to use it correctly.

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

If we learn how to incorporate “commonly used phrases” when use the Italian verb prendere, we will be able to communicate just as we do in our native language!

This post is the 39th in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases” in conversation
use the Italian verb
prendere.
See below for how this works.

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

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

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

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

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

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Let’s Talk About…

The Many Uses of the Italian Verb

Prendere

Prendere most commonly means “to take,” but can also be translated as “to bring,” “to pick up,” “to get,” or “to buy/acquire.” The past participle preso can also be used to describe liking someone or something a lot. This use stretches the meaning of prendere a bit, but there is a similar expression in English — being “taken with” someone — that also expresses the same idea. In its reflexive form, prendersi is used to convey how a person can “catch/come down with” an illness.

When you are able to visit Italy, use prendere when ordering food in a restaurant to really sound like a native! Prendere is also commonly used by Italians in reference to earning money, taking medicine, or being “overtaken” by an emotional or physical condition. Finally, the Italian expressions for “to tease” and “to sunbathe” use prendere. As you can see, this verb is used in many ways in Italian!

The present tense, familiar imperative (command) tense, and future tenses of prendere have a regular conjugation, and are used frequently in daily conversation.

Prendere is also commonly used in the past tense in order to describe what we “took,” “brought,” “picked up,” “got,” or “caught.”

To describe a one-time event that occurred in the past with prendere, we will most often use the helping verb avere (to have) with the irregular past participle preso.

For conversation, we will focus on the io and tu forms. We can begin a statement with the io form, such as,“Ho preso….” for “I took…” We can ask questions with the tu form by simply stating, “Hai preso…?”

In the expressions that describe the subject “liking,” or “being taken with” a person or a thing, essere (to be) is used as verb that links the subject with the past participle preso.

The passato prossimo for the reflexive verb prendersi needs the helping verb essere, as do all reflexive Italian verbs. Remember to leave out the subject pronoun io when you want to say, “Mi sono preso un raffredore ieri.” (I caught a cold yesterday.)

And, of course, when using essere as the helping verb with prendere, remember our usual rule for past participles: if you are female, or your subject is a group of people, make sure to change the past participle preso to presa, presi, or prese!

Examples follow below for the many ways to use the Italian verb prendere:

1. Use prendere to describe the act of “taking,” “bringing” or “picking up” something

In order to direct someone to take something and put it in a different place, use prendere. This includes when the object is on the ground or resting on another object, and you must literally “pick it up” from that place.
When directing someone to take something in Italian, it is important to use the command form of prendere, which has the same “i” ending as the tu form in the present tense. (To use the familiar command form, just use the present tense subjunctive mood ending. The familiar command form will not be used in our examples, but more information can be found at Italian Subjunctive (Part 7): Italian Subjunctive Commands).
Remember that for events in the recent future, Italians use the present tense. To emphasize that something will happen for sure in the recent future or well into the future, use the future tense.
Notice that in the past tense we must use avere as the helping verb with the irregular past participle preso to describe what we “took,” “brought,” or “picked up.”

“Prendi quella roba che nessuno vuole e mettila lì!”

“Take that stuff that no one wants and put it there!”

“Prendi il vino a tavola per cena!” (Porta il vino a tavola.)

“Take/Bring the wine to the table for dinner!”

“Quando faccio la spesa domani, prendo la tua macchina. Non voglio camminare con troppi bagagli pesanti.

“When I go grocery shopping tomorrow, I (will take) your car. I don’t want to walk with so many heavy bags.

Prenderò tante cose da portare alla famiglia quando viaggerò in America tra cinque anni.

I will take many things to bring to the family when I travel to America in 5 years.

“Prendi il piatto che tu hai lasciato cadere per terra!

“Pick up the plate that you let drop on the floor!”

“Prendo tutta la spazzatura nella tua stanza e la butto via domani.”

” I will pick up all the garbage in your room and throw it out tomorrow.”

“Hai preso il vino da portare alla nonna per la cena?”

“Did you take the wine to bring to grandma for dinner ieri?”

“Si, ho preso una buona bottiglia di vino specialmente per la nonna ieri sera.”

“Yes, I took/brought a nice bottle of wine especially for grandma last night.”

2. Use prendere to describe “picking up” someone

Use prendere with the verb passare when you want to “pass by” and “pick someone up.” As we’ve already seen in our blog about passare, these two verbs are combined to make the important every day expression “passare a prendere,” which means “to pick (someone) up.” The reference now-a-days is usually to driving in a car, but the same expression could be used when taking someone on a walk.
In the examples given below, the pronouns ti and mi are given in red to demonstrate that they are attached to the end of prendere.

“Passerò/Passo a prenderti alle otto.”

“I will (pass by and) pick you up at 8 AM.”

Grazie! Passa a prendermi alle otto! Sto aspettando!

Thanks! Pick me up at eight. I (will be) waiting!

Side note: if you want to ask someone to “pick you up” from a particular place, venire is used with prendere:

“Può venire alla stazione a prendermi?”

“Can you (polite) come to the station and get me?”

3. Use prendere when describing what food you would like to order/eat

“Prendo un piatto di spaghetti per il primo piatto.”

“I will take (have) a plate of spaghetti for the first course.“

“Stammatina prendo un buon caffè prima di andare al lavoro.”

“This morning I will take (have) a good (cup of) coffee before going to work.”

“Dai, prendi l’ultima fetta di pane!”

“Come on, take the last slice of bread!”

“Che cosa vuole prendere per dolce, signore?”

“What would you like to have (take) for dessert, sir?”

4. Use prendere to describe the act of taking medicine

“Devo prendere una pillola ogni mattina per l’ipertenzione .”

“I have to take one pill every morning for hypertension.”

5. Use prendere to describe buying, acquiring or earning something

“Ho preso un chilo di mele ieri dal fruttivendolo in piazza.”

“I bought a kilogram of apples yesterday from the fruit vendor in the piazza.”

Lui ha preso la casa per pochi soldi la settimana scorsa.

He aqcuired (bought) the house for very little money last week.

“Ho preso cinquanta euro al lavoro iera sera.”

“I earned 50 euros at work last night.”

Lui non ha preso molti soldi l’anno scorsa a vendere le scarpe.

He did not earn much money last year selling shoes.

6. Use the past participle preso with these expressions to describe liking something or someone a lot.

The phrase “Sono preso da…” is similar to the phrase “Sono innamorato di…” and conveys the ideas of “I really like/I’m in love with…”
Other Italian expressions that describe the different ways we can like someone are: “Sono cotto di…” ” I have a crush on…” and “Sono colpito da…” “I am impressed with..”
Notice that some of these phrases take the conjunction da, while others use the conjunction di.
To form the past tense for these phrases, we must add the past participle of essere, which is stato, and change the ending of stato to (a,i,e) as necessary to reflect the gender and number of the subject.

“Sono preso(a) da questo libro.”

“I like this book a lot.” (I am really taken with this book.)

“Sono preso(a) da te.”

“I like you a lot!” (“I am really taken by you!”)

“Sono stato(a) preso da questo libro.”

“I liked this book a lot.” (I was really taken with this book.)

“Sono stato(a) preso da te.”

“I liked you a lot!” (“I was really taken by you!”)

“Io e Anna siamo presi molto l’uno dall’altra.”

“Ann and I (we) like each other very much.”

Anna e Michele non sono presi molto l’uno dall’altra.

Ann and Michael (they) don’t like each other very much.

Side note: if you want to describe how someone or something has so enthralled or dazzled you, in effect “blinding you” literally or figuratively (abbiagliarsi) so that you make a mistake, use the expression prendere un abbaglio.

“Ha preso un abbaglio.”

“I made a mistake.”

7. Use prendersi to describe getting sick, as in “catching a cold,” or “coming down with” an illness

Remember the Italian use of reflexive verbs to indicate “to get” in English. If you would like to review this topic, check out our blog How to Say “To Get” in Italian.

“Mi sono preso un brutto raffredore improvvisamente.”

“I caught a bad cold all of a sudden.”

“Mi sono preso l’influenza ieri.”

“I came down with the flu yesterday.”

8. Use prendere to describe “being overtaken” by an emotion or sickness, and prendersela when offended/angered

“Sono stato preso(a) da un grand tristezza quando ho incontrato il mio amore perduto.”

“I was overtaken by a great sadness when I met my lost love again.“

Me la sono presa con te ieri sera durante la riunone!

I was offended by you last night during the meeting!

9. Two more common phrases that use prendere

Prendere in giro = to make fun of, to tease

Mio fratello maggiore mi prende sempre in giro.
My big brother is always teasing me.

Non mi prendere in giro! (negative command)
Don’t make fun of me!

Prendere il sole = to sunbathe

Oggi prendo il sole sulla spiaggia per tutta la mattina.
Today I will sunbathe on the beach all morning.

Remember how to use the Italian verb prendere in conversation
and I guarantee you will use this verb every day!

Available on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com

Our Italy — Bologna Uncovered, by Silvia Donati

Panoramic view of the city of Bologna and the building San Michele in Bosco located in the hills above the city

September 24, 2020 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 2 Comments

Ciao a tutti! For 2020, I have changed the name of my series, “Your Italian Travel Tips,” to “Our Italy.” In this series, I share bloggers’ experiences of Italy, a country whose culture has captivated the world for thousands of years. I think now is the time to share these memories, knowing that one day we will all be able to return, inspired anew by the Italian people and their land.

Today I am happy to share a guest blog written by Silvia Donati from Bologna Uncovered. Here is what Sylvia says about herself and Bologna on her website:

My name is Silvia Donati, I’m a licensed tour guide with specialization in hiking and the environment. I’m also a freelance journalist, writing for English-language publications about Italian travel, food and culture, including Italy Magazine, where I work as a contributing editor.

Bologna Uncovered started as a blog about my native Bologna and surrounding region of Emilia-Romagna. Despite being often overlooked in favor of more popular Italian destinations, this area offers a lot in terms of sightseeing, art, history, cuisine, natural landscapes, and fun times.

As I added more articles to the blog, readers started asking me if I offered tours in the area. At the same time, I developed a passion for hiking and mountains. Thus, I decided to obtain my license to work professionally as a guide.

I believe that active travel is the best way to travel. Only the slow pace of walking allows you to fully experience a place – to see, hear, smell, touch, and feel; to slow down, talk to the locals, explore hidden corners; and to be light on the earth.

I have always been intrigued by the city of Bologna, said to be home to the oldest university in the world and of course wonderful, rich Italian cooking. Think Prosciutto di Parma, Balsamic vinegar, and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, combined with butter and cream to make delicious sauces.

As one who loves to search the Internet for information about Italy, I have seen countless panoramas of Bologna, with its sea of rose colored buildings and their red rooftops flanking the winding, ancient streets.

But Silvia’s blog Why You Should See San Michele in Bosco in Bologna describes the wonders of Bologna from a different viewpoint. This blog focuses on the hillside outside of this great city that provides the classic panoramic view, but also contains an important architectural site. Below is an excerpt from her blog. Click on the link to read more about this Italian treasure in the hills outside Bologna.

San Michele in Bosco is mainly known for the panoramic view over Bologna, and rightly so because it is one of the best you can get of the city, from the so-called piazzale (plaza), the area in front of the church.

But San Michele in Bosco also refers to the architectural complex comprising both the church and nearby former monastery that stand on the plaza; it is one of the oldest religious settlements built in Bologna… Click here to read more.

If you’d like, leave a comment about Bologna..
Where did you visit? How did the experience make you feel? I’d love to hear from you!

Conversational Italian for Travelers Just the Important Phrases (with Restaurant Vocabulary and Idiomatic Expressions) is YOUR traveling companion in Italy! All the Italian phrases you need to know to enjoy your trip to Italy are right here and fit right into your pocket or purse.

Italian Genealogy Podcast: Occhipinti Interview “How to Learn Italian for Travel”

June 14, 2020June 14, 2020 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 2 Comments

Last month I had the pleasure of speaking with Bob Sorrentino on his podcast for Italiangenealogy.com, and I’ve included the link to our 30 minute conversation, entitled “How to Learn Italian for Travel” at the end of this blog.

If you listen, you’ll hear about my effort to find my Occhipinti relatives in Sicily and also about Bob’s fascinating family tree. Bob was kind enough to ask me the story behind why I wrote my Conversational Italian for Travelers books, and of course I couldn’t resist including some of my tips for learning Italian near the end of the podcast!

As many of you probably know, I have been building the Occhipinti family tree with my cousin, Jennifer Petrino of Sicilianfamilytree.com for over 4 years now. Actually, I should say that Jennifer has been building my Occhipinti family tree, as she has done all the research, with me serving only to outline the information I want her to find! This effort finally culminated in a long-anticipated trip last September to the Occhipinti home town of Ragusa, Sicily, which I wrote about in the blog Your Italian Travel Tips – Visit Ragusa, Sicily and Experience Centuries of Culture.

Jennifer introduced me to Bob Sorrentino’s website, Italiangenealogy.com, and I was immediately impressed. Bob has compiled a treasure trove of information about Italian Genealogy that covers many details of the field and he makes this information free to his readers. On his website one finds information on Italian family lines, Italian history, and Italian law and politics, with articles such as, “How Professional Genealogists Determine Ancestral Nobility in Italy” and “Medieval Genealogical Research.” I was also fascinated by the research he did to find his relatives back to the 900s AD and what he uncovered about his relatives along the way. I even found a video map of the peoples who have inhabited Sicily over the ages, which I was so enthralled with that I’ve copied it to this blob at the end of this section.

Here is what Bob has to say about his work, in his own words:

I was always a history buff and enjoyed going though the family photo albums. One item in the album was my great grandfather’s “calling card” that my maternal grandmother brought from Italy. The story was that he was a Count or at least Italian Nobility.

About 12 years ago I began the research into both my parents Italian families… I thought it would be fun to not only share my findings, but potentially help others find their roots. Not being a professional genealogist, I figured the best way to do this would be to create a website and a blog http://www.italiangenealogy.blog.
The blog is fun, but it is only a one way medium, so in early 2020 I create my podcast to interview not only professionals, that can help people with research and getting Italian citizenship, but just regular people that want to tell their story.

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And now, through the magic of the internet, I’m happy to be able to share my experiences searching for my Italian heritage and my tips to learn Italian!

Here is the link to the Podcast on Italiangenealogy.com
Buon divertimento!

Italian Genealogy Podcast – How to Learn Italian for Travel

Christmas in Italy

An Italian Holiday Party Conversation

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Let’s Talk About…

The Many Uses of the Italian Verb

Tenere

1. Use tenere to describe the simple act of holding something or holding someone’s hand.

2. Use tenere to mean “to keep” — the simple act of keeping something in a place.

3. Use [tenere + conto di] with the figurative meanings listed below.

4. Use [tenere + conto che] or [tenere in conto + noun]

for “to consider.”

5. Use the reflexive verb tenersi to ask someone to “keep/stay” in touch or give a command to “follow/abide by” a rule.

6. Common Italian phrases with [tenere + a]

7. Use [tenere + a + adverb/adjective] or [tenerci + a] to describe caring about something very much

8. Use the tenere in place of avere for certain expressions.

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The Italian Soccer Fan

Have fun playing soccer!

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Overview of Italian Verbs

that take

Indirect Object Pronouns

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with Mancare

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Sappia — Subjunctive Mood of Sapere

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Stare per — to be about to

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The Many Uses of the Italian Verb

Prendere

1. Use prendere to describe the act of “taking,” “bringing” or “picking up” something

2. Use prendere to describe “picking up” someone

3. Use prendere when describing what food you would like to order/eat

4. Use prendere to describe the act of taking medicine

5. Use prendere to describe buying, acquiring or earning something

6. Use the past participle preso with these expressions to describe liking something or someone a lot.

7. Use prendersi to describe getting sick, as in “catching a cold,” or “coming down with” an illness

8. Use prendere to describe “being overtaken” by an emotion or sickness, and prendersela when offended/angered

9. Two more common phrases that use prendere

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