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

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

March 2, 2022March 18, 2024 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 1 Comment

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

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

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

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

Let’s start our new series on Italian prepositions with the essential Italian preposition “di.” If we learn how to use the Italian preposition “di,” which can be translated into the English prepositions “of, from,” and “by,” we will truly sound like a native Italian!

This post is the 54th in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases”
in Italian use

the preposition “di”

See below for how this works.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Use “Di” to Say
Where You are From

One of the most frequent questions asked during polite conversation is, “Where are you from?” This is expressed in Italian with the verb to be (essere) and di, which is translated in English to the preposition from in this situation. The Italian sentence structure is, “From where are you?”

di + dove + essere

from + where + to be

In proper English, of course, we would say, “Where are you from?” Although the Italian sentence sounds awkward in English, the rule in Italian is never to end a sentence with a preposition; in effect, the English sentence likely sounds awkward to Italians! The answer in Italian will also use di and is followed by the town of one’s birth. Notice that the subject pronoun io (I) is usually left out of the answer, as it is understood from the ending of the verb. For instance:

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

Note: there is another way of asking where someone is from in Italian — the phrase, “Da dove viene?” This phrase uses the conjunction da with the verb venire, and is a more general reference to where one has been living in prior years. The answer is “Vengo da…” for “I am from…” This phrase will be discussed in more detail in a future blog about the preposition da.

Expressing Possession with “Di”

In Italian, the word di is used to expresses possession, and in this situation, di means of. To describe ownership of a car in Italian, for instance, one would use di to create the sentence: “Questa è la macchina di Pietro.”

We can translate the Italian way of thinking into English with the following sentence: “This is the car of Peter.” To the American ear, though, this sounds formal and too wordy. We have the option of expressing this thought with [apostrophe + the letter s] (‘s) tacked onto the name of the person doing the possessing. The English version of our example above would be, “This is Peter’s car.” In Italian, though, if we want to use someone’s name to describe possession, we have only the very first sentence structure: “Questa è la macchina di Pietro.”

General Uses for “Di”

1. In order to express authorship of a work, Italians use di, which in this case corresponds to the English word by. Also use di with the verb conoscere to describe “knowing someone by” their appearance or their name. Notice we may render these ideas a bit differently in English.

8 ½ è un film di Frederico Fellini.	8 ½ is a film by Fredrico Fellini.
Conosco Marco di vista, ma non ci siamo mai incontrati.	I know what Mark looks like, but we have not (ever) met.
Conosco Marco di nome, ma non ci siamo mai incontrati.	I know Mark’s name, but we have not (ever) met.

2. In order to express what something is composed of, Italians use di. In English, we say “made of,” and in Italian the past particle fatto can be used as an adjective to make the corresponding phrase “fatto(a,i,e) di.” However, in Italian the adjective fatto is optional and the entire meaning of the phrase is usually conveyed just with the preposition di. This is why it is so important to learn how to use Italian prepositions correctly. A short, simple preposition can change the meaning of an entire sentence!

Note: for all metals that are not gold (oro) and for the cloth velvet (velluto) use the preposition in instead of di. These exceptions are simply by convention.

Questa sedia fatta di legno è dura.	This chair made of wood is tough.
Ho comprato un camicia di seta oggi.	I bought a silk blouse today.
Mio marito mi ha regolato un’anello d’oro.	My husband gave me (as a gift) a ring made of gold.

—–but-—-

Questa è una scultura in bronzo.	This sculpture is made of bronze.
La vecchia poltrona è stata rivestita in velluto.	The old chair was restored with velvet cloth.

There are also many descriptive nouns in English that are composed of two nouns, one of which acts as an adjective to describe the other. Some of these descriptive noun/adjectives must be linked with di in Italian if the descriptive term represents what the main item is made of. For instance the two English words that represent one item from the example silk blouse given above is translated into Italian as camicia di seta. The single English word sandcastle is il castello di sabbia in Italian, or “the castle made of sand.” Descriptive nouns will be covered in more detail in a future blog about da.

3. In order to relate that a topic is being talked about, or discussed/argued about, Italians use di to link certain verbs with the subject matter under discussion. The most common verbs used in this way are: parlare (to talk), discutere (to discuss) and trattarsi, (concerning or regarding).

For the verb parlare, the Italian preposition di is translated as “about” in English. When a verb follows parlare di or discutere di to complete the sentence, Italian simply adds an infinitive verb after di. English uses [about + gerund of the verb]. You remember, of course, that the gerund is the commonly used “-ing” form of a verb in English. Below are two examples using parlare and discutere.

Caterina parla di viaggiare, non di politica.	Kathy talks about traveling, not about politics.
Marco discute di politica troppo!	Mark discusses/talks about politics too much!

Trattarsi di is generally used in the third person as “Si tratta di…” to ask and answer the question “What is this regarding?” Parlare often starts a conversation of this type, when one person asks to speak to another about something, someone, or an action. Two example conversations are below; the first could take place between a boss and a worker, the second perhaps between two family members. To add a feeling of urgency or importance to the conversation, the examples start with “devo” for “I have to.” Notice again how the Italian preposition di is always placed at the beginning of a question, just like in the first section examples that ask where someone is from.

Devo parlarti.	I have to talk to you.
Di cosa si tratta?	What is this regarding?
Si tratta del tuo stipendio.	It is regarding your salary.

Devo parlarti di una cosa importante;	I must speak to you about something important;
…si tratta di Paolo.	…it’s concerning Paul.
…si tratta della mia macchina vecchia.	…it’s regarding my old car.
…si tratta di viaggiare in Italia insieme.	…it’s regarding traveling in Italy together.

To complete our discussion, note a change in use of the preposition di required in Italian: when talking about a person or something by name. Instead of di, the Italian preposition su is used in the following construction: [su + definite article + noun]. As mentioned previously, if the preposition di were used before a name, the translation would be “by.” For a book, for instance, use of di would mean the person had written the book, rather than the book was about the person under discussion.

Sto leggendo un bel libro su DaVinci. Ho guardato un bel film su DaVinci.	I am reading a good book about DaVinci. I watched a good film about Da Vinci.
Ho imparato molto sul Rinascimento all’Università.	I’ve learned a lot about the Renaissance at college.

4. The verb pensare has a special relationship with the preposition di. When saying, “I think so,” to agree with someone, or “I don’t think so,” to disagree, one might say pensare is being used as a verb of discussion, as in #3 above. In this situation, the conjugated form of pensare is followed by “di si” or “di no.”

Also use [pensare di+ infinitive verb] when thinking about an action you may want to carry out. But, use [pensare a +noun] when thinking about a person, place, or thing.

For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that [pensare che + subjunctive mood verb] is used to link to phrases with different subjects in a single sentence. However, use of the subjunctive mood is beyond the scope of this blog!

Penso di si.	I think so.
Penso di no.	I don’t think so.
Penso di viaggiare in Italia l’anno prossimo.	I am thinking about traveling to Italy next year.

—–but-—-

Penso a te, a Rosa, e alla vostra famiglia.	I am thinking about you, Rose, and your family.
Penso a Roma ogni giorno.	I think about Rome every day.
Penso a tutti i bei vestiti fatti a Roma.	I am thinking about all the beautiful dresses made in Rome.

5. To mention an acquaintance’s age in conversation, use di as part of a descriptive phrase about the individual before giving their age in years. The phrases “all’età di (at the age of) or “a girl/woman, boy/man, etc. of precede the age type of sentence. This sentence structure also works for the age of an inanimate object, such as a bottle of wine!

Lei è una signora di ottantadue anni.	She is a lady of 82 years.
Ho una bottaglia di vino rosso di 10 anni.	I have a ten-year-old bottle of red wine.

6. To say something happened “in” or “at” a particular time of day, use di before the Italian words for morning (mattina), afternoon (pomeriggio), evening (sera), or night (notte).

Ci vendiamo di mattina.	We’ll see each other in the morning.
Di pomeriggio, vado al lavoro.	In the afternoon, I go to work.
Io e mio marito ceniamo alle sei di sera.	My husband and I eat dinner at 6 in the evening.
“Buona notte!” dice mia figlia preciso alle undici di notte.	“Good night,” my daughter says at precisely 11 o’clock at night.

7. To say something happened “in” the summertime or wintertime, use di before the Italian words for summer (estate) and winter (inverno). Use the Italian preposition in for spring (primavera) and autumn (autunno). This is by convention.

D’estate, andiamo spesso alla spiaggia.	In the summer, we go to the beach often.
Andiamo in montagne a fare sci d’inverno.	We go to the mountains to ski in the winter.
In primavera, tutti i fiori fioriscono.	In springtime, all the flowers are in bloom.
In autunno, le foglie cadono dagli alberi.	In autumn, the leaves fall from the trees.

Common Expressions with “Di”
Avere and Essere

There are several Italian phrases used to express one’s feelings that require the preposition di to link the conjugated form of the verb avere with the infinitive form of the verb of action that will complete the sentence. In English, replacing the Italian preposition di with the translation of is variable. In some cases, the English infinitive verb will be used alone or the English expression may use a gerund instead of an infinitive verb. You must really learn to think in Italian to use these expressions! Some examples of how to use these phrases are given in the last column. How many more can you think of?

avere bisogno di	to have need of	Ho bisogno di… riposare.
		I need to rest.
avere paura di	to be afraid/have fear of	Ho paura di… guidare.
		I am afraid of driving/to drive.
avere voglia di	to feel like	Ho voglia di… mangiare una pizza.
		I feel like eating a pizza.

There are several expressions of feeling that use the verb essere and take the preposition di prior to adding an infinitive verb to complete a sentence. Again, in English, we do not always use an additional preposition for these phrases, aside from the word to that is already a part of the infinitive verb.

essere certo di	to be certain of	Sono certo di… ricordare il tuo nome.
		I am sure to remember your name.
essere sicuro di	to be certain of	Sono sicuro di… ricordare questo posto.
		I am sure to remember this place.
essere contento di	to be happy to	Sono conteno di… stare qui.
		I am happy to be here.
essere felice di	to be happy to	Sono felice di… incontrare mio cugino oggi.
		I am happy to meet my cousin today.
essere fortunato di	to be lucky to	Sono fortunato di… mangiare questa cena.
		I am so lucky to be eating this dinner.
essere libero di	to be free to	Sono libero di… viaggiare.
		I am free to travel.
essere stanco di	to be tired of	Sono stanco di… volare.
		I am tired of flying.

When to Use “Di”
to Link Italian Verbs

When we link two Italian verbs together in the present tense, the first verb, or helping verb, is conjugated and the second verb, or action verb, is left in the infinitive form. For instance, “Tomorrow, I have to go to work,” is a simple statement that can be translated as, “Domani, devo andare al lavoro.” “I have to” meaning, “I must,” is the first person present tense of dovere, which is devo. Andare means “to go.”

Other helping verbs, such as potere and volere work the same way in the present tense. In fact, using the polite first person of potere, which is può, followed by an infinitive verb, is a simple way to ask for what you need while traveling in Italy. Once you remember “Mi può…” no further conjugation is necessary using this method Just tack on the infinitive verb for what you need and finish the sentence!

Some examples that use [può + infinitive verb] useful for traveling are given below:

Mi può portare a Piazza Navona?	Could you take me to Piazza Navona?
Mi può parlare in englese?	Could you speak to me in English?
Mi può chiamare un tassì?	Could you call a taxi for me?

Although the traveler to Italy can get by with simple phrases, it is important to understand how to create a more complex sentence if one truly wants to be fluent in Italian. This is where the preposition di becomes important. There are some action verbs that need to be followed by the Italian preposition di before an infinitive verb is added to complete the sentence.

Most of the verbs that must use di prior to an infinitive verb describe speaking, thinking, or an activity that needs to be completed. We have already discussed parlare and pensare. Other actions, such as trying to (cercare di), finishing (finire di), and waiting (aspettare di) need the preposition di to join them to an additional verb of activity.

In the case of cercare, the meaning will change when di is used to link this verb to another. By itself, cercare means to look for, but cercare di means to try to. For the Italian speaker, it is natural to insert the preposition di after certain verbs; it just sounds correct when one has grown up with the Italian language. For the Italian student, listening to Italian will also be important. Listen for the word di when these phrases come up in Italian movies and songs and soon it will become natural to say these phrases correctly!

Accettare	to accept	Accetto di… lavorare duro perché è necessario.
		I accept working hard because it is necessary.
Aspettare	to wait	Aspetto di… ricevere un regalo dal mio fidanzato.
		I am waiting to receive a present from my fiancée.
Cercare di	to try to	Cerco di… studiare bene.
		I am trying to study well.
Credere	to believe	Credo di… avere ragione.
		I believe I am correct.
Decidere	to decide	Decido di… andare a visitare la mia amica mentre in giro.
		I decide to visit my friend while I am out and about.
Dimenticare	to forget	Non dimenticare di… prendere la medicina! (command)
		Don’t forget to take the medicine!
Dire	to say/tell	Dico di… no. Non sono d’accordo.
		I say no. I don’t agree.
Finire	to finish	Finisco di… lavorare per oggi alle sei di sera.
		I finish working every day at 6 PM.
Occuparsi di	to work at	Mi occupo di… medicina.
		I work as a doctor/nurse/in the medical field.
Ordinare	to order	La mamma ordina ai bambini di… studiare.
		The mother orders the children to study.
Pensare	to think	Penso di… si.
		I think so.
Pregare	to pray/beg	Prego di… andare in Italia l’anno prossimo.
		I pray to go to Italy next year.
Ricordare Ricordarsi	to remember	Ricordati di… prendere la medicina! (command)
		Remember to take the medicine!
Scegliere	to choose	Sceglo di... prendere un caffé con un biscotto ogni mattina.
		I choose to take coffee with an Italian cookie every day.
Scrivere	to write	Scrivo di… viaggiare.
		I write about traveling.
Smettere	to stop	Smetti di… bere il vino! (command)
		Stop drinking the wine!
Sperare	to hope	Spero di… trovare la strada giusta.
		I hope to find the right road.

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

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

Valentine Phrases in Italian for Your Special Someone

Bouquet of white roses along the bottom and heart shaped pattern of red roses along the top of the bouquet.

February 12, 2020February 12, 2020 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 2 Comments

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD for http://www.learntravelitalian.com It’s easy… if you know the right Italian phrases!

It’s easy to say, “I love you!” in a romantic way in Italian. When you are with your special someone this Valentines Day, just remember two little Italian words: “Ti amo!” But, of course, there is so much more to love and romance than just saying a few special words!

That’s why I’ve included a special section in my pocket travel book, Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Important Phrases,” entitled “Making Friends.”

For Valentine’s Day this year, I’ve reprinted some of the phrases from my “Making Friends” section this blog. In the Conversational Italian for Travelers book, I’ve included some typical Italian phrases to use if you’ve decided to stay awhile in Italy and want to approach someone to get to know them better. Or maybe you know an Italian or Italian-American here in the states, and both of you realize how romantic the Italian language can be! In this slim Italian phrase book are some tongue-in-cheek, humorous phrases, some phrases one might say in return if they are interested… and other phrases one might say in return if they are not! We will stick to the positive phrases for this blog for Valentines Day.

Also, I am including in this blog a few new phrases I have just learned from the You Tube Italian personality Anna on the channel Your Italian Circle. Her video, “How to talk about LOVE in Italian – AMORE in ITALIANO” mentions how to use the verb of romantic love, amore, and the other important phrase for one’s love of family and friends, “Ti voglio bene.” I’ve covered these topics last year in my blog: “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day — How to say, ‘I love you!’ in Italian.” Click on the link to my if you like, and then listen to Anna’s clear Italian to practice saying these phrases yourself at the end of this blog.

After reading this blog, please reply and mention your favorite romantic Italian phrase. 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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“Making Friends” in Italian*

So, now you are in Italy, and have decided to stay for awhile. You may meet someone you want to get to know better. What to say to them to “break the ice”? Or, maybe you are just trying to enjoy a coffee, and someone introduces themselves. What to say if you are interested? Here are some well-known pick-up lines translated into Italian (some just for fun and others more serious), and some replies – if you are interested – or not!

Let’s get to know one another:

Scusa…	Excuse me… (familiar)

Credo che ci siamo già visiti prima?	Haven’t we seen (already met) each other before?
…da qualche parte?	…around here?
Penso di conoscerti già.	I think that I’ve met you before.
Hai degli occhi molto belli!	You have beautiful eyes.
Tu hai il viso della Madonna.	You have a beautiful face. (lit. the face of Mother Mary)
Che cosa fai…	What are you doing…
…per il resto della tua vita?	…for the rest of your life?

Or, a little less flowery:

È libero questo posto?	Is this seat free?
Ti dispiace se mi siedo qui?	Would you mind if I sit here?
Posso sedermi con te?	May I sit with you?
Ti piace questo posto?	Do you like this place?
Ti stai divertendo?	Are you enjoying yourself?
Con chi sei?	Who are you with?
Sono da sola(o).	I am alone. (female/male)
Sono con un’amica/un amico.	I am with a friend. (female friend/male friend)
Sto aspettando qualcuno.	I am waiting for someone.
Sei sposata(o)?	Are you married? (to female/male)
Sei single?**	Are you single?
Sei divorziata(o)?	Are you divorced? (to female/male)
Cosa prendi?	What are you having?
Posso offrirti qualcosa da bere?	May I offer (to) you something to drink?
Vuoi qualcosa da bere?	Do you want something to drink?
Vuoi qualcosa da mangiare?	Do you want something to eat?
Vuoi fare una passeggiata?	Do you want to go for a walk?

**Although the English word single is commonly used in Italian conversation, the Italian words for single are nubile for a woman and celibe for a man, and these words are used on official Italian forms.

Let’s get together… (This is a good time to memorize those Italian prepositions!)

Perché non ci vediamo? Let’s get together.

(lit. Why don’t we get together/see each other?)

Posso avere il tuo… May I have your….

numero di telefono? telephone number?

indirizzo email?*** email address?

Hai tempo domani? Do you have time tomorrow?

Posso rivederti domani? May I see you again tomorrow?

Sei libera(o) domani, Are you free (to female/male) tomorrow,

domani sera, tomorrow night,

la settimana prossima? next week?

Vuoi andare al ristorante? Do you want to go to a restaurant?

al bar? a (coffee) bar?

al caffé? a cafe?

in pizzeria? a pizzeria?

Posso invitarla/ti a cena? May I invite you (pol.)/(fam.) to dinner?

Ti piacerebbe/Vuoi… Would you like to/Do you want to…

andare in piazza? go to the piazza?

andare al cinema? go to the movies?

andare al concerto? go to the concert?

andare allo spettacolo ? go to the show (performance)?

andare a ballare? go dancing?

***To learn say your email address in Italian, visit our blog Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day — Let’s talk about email in Italian.

According to Anna from the You Tube Channel Your Italian Circle, a familiar way an Italian might ask someone out is with the phrase “Ti va.” The use of this expression probably derives from the familiar slang phrase, “Come va?” “How’s it going?” and the answer, “Va bene,” for “It’s going well.” The extension of these simple Italian phrases of greeting into other facets of life is a good example of how language is always changing and evolving into something new!

So, to ask someone you know if you can get them something, just use:

Ti va + noun (thing) = Do you want…

Expanding on one of our examples above:

Ti va qualcosa da bere?	Do you want something to drink?
Ti va un appertivo?	Do you want a cocktail?
Ti va un caffè?	Do you want a coffee?

To ask someone if they want to do something, just use:

Ti va + di + verb (action) = Do you want to…

Expanding on one of our examples above:

Vuoi andare al ristorante?	Do you want to go to a restaurant?
Ti va di andare al ristorante?	Do you want to go to the restaurant?
Ti va di andare al cinema?	Do you want to go to the movies?

And if the answer to any of the questions above is… yes!

Penso di si.	I think so.
Si, sono libera(o)….	Yes, I am free (female/male).
È stato molto gentile a invitarmi.	It was very nice (of you polite) to invite me.
È molto gentile.	That is very nice (of you polite).
Che bell’idea!	What a wonderful idea!
Che bello!	How nice!
Mi piacerebbe molto.	I would like (it) very much.
Volentieri!	I’d love to! (lit. certainly, gladly)

If you want to hear many of these phrases in action, just click on Anna’s video “How to talk about LOVE in Italian – AMORE in ITALIANO” from Your Italian Circle.

Buon divertimento e Buon San Valentino!

*Some of this material has been reprinted from our Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Important Phrases pocket travel book. Learn more phrases by purchasing your own handy book of phrases today!

Available on amazon.com or Learn Travel Italian.com

Purchase at amazon.com or Learn Travel Italian.com

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!® Benvenuto Natale!

Burano in Venice, Italy and Everyday Italian phrases

November 30, 2019July 25, 2023 ~ stellalucentellc ~ Leave a comment

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently by the end of 2019?

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

And now it is the end of the year, and time for the fall and winter celebrations. Why not celebrate how much Italian you’ve learned this holiday season?

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 the “commonly used phrases” that we say when attending a holiday gathering, starting, of course with the Italian interjection “Benvenuto(a,i,e)!” or “Welcome!” we will be on our way to conversing in Italian with family and friends for the holidays, just as we do in our native language!

Of course, we also need to learn the variations of benvenuto in order to greet each individual or group correctly, just as we have previously how to address those we are talking to with the correct masculine and feminine endings.

And, by remembering common Italian phrases for a holiday gathering, you will automatically have committed to memory the rules for Italian interjections!

This post is the 28th 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” at Italian gatherings

start with the interjection “Benvenuto!”

See below for how this works and for some “Important Phrases”
to use at YOUR next Italian holiday party!

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

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

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

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

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

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How to Use Benvenuto!

and Italian Holiday Party

Conversation

“Benvenuto!”* and its variations (Benvenuti! Benvenuta! and Benvenute!) are frequently used Italian interjections that all mean “Welcome!” Guests (gli ospiti) to an Italian household can expect to hear these words as a warm greeting before crossing the threshold into the home (casa) of the host or hosts (la padrona di casa/il padrone di casa or gli ospiti).**

Whether family, friend or acquaintance, every guest will be greeted warmly as a sign of the Italian dedication to hospitality for all. And, of course, the Italian Christmas season, which starts in early December and lasts until early January, brings with it many occasions for get-togethers with family and friends. For those interested in reading more about how the Christmas season is observed in Italy, click on the link to our previous blog Sperare (Part 2) – What I wish for the holidays…

Let’s get started learning some useful conversational expressions for Italian holiday gatherings from the very beginning — by first focusing on how to use the Italian interjection “Benvenuto!” to greet others.

There is only one rule to know regarding interjections: the ending of the interjection must agree with the gender and number of the noun (person, place or thing) that the interjection describes. Therefore, when the speaker addresses another person, the interjection must refer to the gender and number of the person or people who are being addressed. This, in turn, will determine the ending of the interjection!

Sound complicated? Well, it is… a little bit. By remembering which form of benvenuto to use in four different situations, you will automatically have committed the rules for other Italian interjections to memory!

*Benvenuto can also be used as a noun and adjective as well, in these cases without the exclamation point, but with the same meaning of “welcome.”

**Notice that the same Italian name is given to both guests and hosts: gli ospiti.
La padrona di casa refers to the woman of the house, or as we say in English, the hostess.
Il padrone di casa refers to the man of the house, or the host.

Interestingly, the English word “hostess” means “stewardess” in Italian and has no other meaning in Italian. “L’hostess” means “the stewardess.”

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How to Change Benvenuto

from Singular to Plural

In general, of course:

A masculine Italian noun and its adjective will end in -o, and this ending will change to -i in the plural.
A feminine Italian noun and its adjective will ends in -a, and this ending will change to -e in the plural.
An Italian noun or adjective that ends in -e may be masculine or feminine, and this ending will change to -i in the plural.

If you are interested in learning more about masculine and feminine words in Italian that end in the letter -e, and how to distinguish one from the other, this You Tube Video may be of help: Italian Grammar by Stella Lucente.

For our interjection Benvenuto! the following rules apply:

The singular masculine form is benvenuto.
The plural masculine form (for a group of males or a group of males and females) is benvenuti.
The singular feminine form is benvenuta.
The plural feminine form (for a group of females) is benvenute.

Therefore, if greeting one male person, you would say, “Benvenuto!” If greeting a group of males or a mixed group of males and females, you would say “Benvenuti!”

What should you say if one of your female relatives or or a female friend is at your doorway? “Benvenuta!” of course. And if she brings her female friends or mother, daughter, or female cousin? Say, “Benvenute!”

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Changing the Italian Interjections

Bravo! and Beato!

As a visit to the symphony, ballet, or opera is often a part of the Christmas holiday season in Italy and America, let’s apply what we’ve just learned about the interjection “Benvenuto!” to the frequently used interjection “Bravo!”

If we follow the rules in the last section for masculine and feminine endings, we should cheer “Bravo!” when one talented male Italian singer steps in front of the stage curtain for applause. And we do hear this word “Bravo!” frequently in America for a performance well done. But, in proper Italian, we should also be cheering “Brava!” for the female diva of the performance, and “Bravi!” for the entire fabulous ensemble.

In general, any person, male or female, who is “good” at something, or has done “a good job” is a “brava persona.” In this case, the noun persona is feminine and so the adjective that modifies this noun must be feminine as well!

One more example of a commonly used interjection is “Lucky you!” Has your brother received an unexpected holiday gift from a friend? If so, and if you would like to express your happiness for him, you could say,“Beato te!” Your sister? “Beata te!” An acquaintance? Either “Beato Lei!” for a male acquaintance or “Beata Lei!” for a female acquaintance, of course!

If your parents were finally able to retire and plan their dream vacation to Italy, you might comment, “Beati voi!” for “How lucky you all are! And if your sisters are able to take a vacation together after an unexpected windfall — Beate voi!”

The table below summarizes these three common Italian interjections. There are many more. How many more can you think of?

Benvenuto!	Welcome! (to a male)
Benvenuti!	Welcome! (to a group of males or a group of males+females)
Benvenuta!	Welcome! (to a female)
Benvenute!	Welcome! (to a group of females)

Bravo!	Well done! (to a male)
Bravi!	Well done! (to a group of males or a group of males+females)
Brava!	Well done! (to a female)
Brave!	Well done! (to a group of females)

Beato te!	Lucky you! (to male) (familiar singular you)
Beato Lei!	Lucky you! (to male) (polite singular you)
Beati voi!	Lucky you! (to a group of males or a group of males+females) (polite plural you)
Beata te!	Lucky you! (to female) (familiar singular you)
Beata Lei!	Lucky you! (to female) (polite singular you)
Beate voi!	Lucky you! (to a group of females) (polite plural you)

Benvenuto Natale!

Now that we understand how Italian endings change for Italian interjections — that is, that the endings must agree with the gender and number of the person or people who are being addressed — we can continue with some useful phrases for conversation at a holiday party.

In the following table:

Some of the phrases will have nouns or adjectives with endings that change depending on whom is speaking or on whom is being addressed.
Verb endings will change, as usual, with the choice of polite or familiar address, and abbreviations pol. and fam. will be given in each case.
Command verb forms are often used, as denoted.
Subject pronouns will also change, of course, and when attached to the infinitive form of the verb are given in red.
When Italian subject pronouns are not given, but must be used in the English translation, they are written with parenthesis in English.

The phrases below have been reproduced from Conversational Italian for Travelers pocket travel book, “Just the Important Phrases.” You can use these phrases as a start, and then create your own!

Upon entering someone’s home as a guest, you may hear these phrases and respond accordingly:

Benvenuto!(a)(i,e)	Welcome! (to male/female, singular and plural)
Entri! Entra!	Come in! (pol./fam. command verb)
Si accomodi. Accomodati!	Make yourself comfortable. (pol./fam. command verb)
Da questa parte, prego.	This way, please.
Si sieda. Siediti!	Sit down. (pol./fam. command verb)
Piacere di conoscerla. Piacere di conoscerti.	Pleased to meet you. (pol./fam.)
Piacere mio.	The pleasure is mine.
Lieto(a) di conoscerla. Lieto(a) di conoscerti.	Delighted (masc./fem. speaker) to meet you (pol./fam.)
Molto lieto(a)!	Delighted! (masc./fem. speaker)
Sono molto contento(a) di vederla. Sono molto contento(a) di vederti.	(I) am very happy (masc./fem.) to see you. (pol./fam.)
Sono felice di riverderla. Sono felice di rivederti.	(I) am happy to see you (pol./fam.) again.

Some useful phrases of response during a conversation at a party:

Non mi dica!	You (pol.) don’t say! (lit. You are not telling me!)
Sono contento(a) per lei. Sono molto contento(a) per te.	(I) am happy (masc./fem. speaker) for you .(pol./fam.)
Mi piace molto! Mi piace tanto!	I love it!/ I like it a lot! (lit. It is very pleasing to me!)
Mi piace un sacco.	I love it! (idiomatic expression) (lit. It is pleasing to me a sac full.)

Upon leaving someone’s home after a gathering, you may express the need to leave and your thanks for a lovely evening using these phrases:

Devo andare via ora.	(I) must leave now.
È stato un piacere.	(It) has been a pleasure.
È stato divertente.	(It) has been enjoyable/fun/a blast/amusing/funny.
Ti sei divertito(a)?	(Did) you (fam.) enjoy yourself? (masc./fem.)
Mi sono proprio divertito(a).	(I) really enjoyed myself. (masc./fem. speaker). (I had a great time.)

Grazie di tutto.	Thank you for everything.
Grazie per la Sua ospitalità. Grazie per la tua ospitalità.	Thank you for your (pol./fam.) hospitality.
Grazie per una bella serata.	Thank you for a nice/beautiful evening.
La ringrazio. Ti ringrazio.	(I) thank you. (pol./fam.)

There are, of course, many more phrases that are useful to keep in mind for Italian conversations at a get-together or holiday party.

If you are interested in learning more phrases, and keeping them handy in a pocket or purse for easy reference, consider purchasing Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Important Phrases,” with its beautiful new cover.

Our book makes a great stocking stuffer for the Italophile you know!

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Important Phrases,” is a stand-alone book with “all the phrases you need to know” to enjoy your trip to Italy and with tips on how to create your own!

Remember how to use the interjection Benvenuto! and I guarantee you will be able to easily add many more interjections to your daily Italian conversations!

Available on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!® Bello means “It’s nice!”

October 14, 2019July 25, 2023 ~ stellalucentellc ~ Leave a comment

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently by the end of 2019?

Well, it is nearing the end of the year, and maybe by now you’ve had a chance to try out your Italian on your dream trip to Italy. Maybe you’ve seen and experienced nice people and beautiful places on during your stay in the “bel paese.” Why not share about these experiences in Italian?

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

If we learn how to incorporate “commonly used phrases” that use bello, the much-used Italian adjective that means “nice,” beautiful,” and so much more in Italian, we will be able to describe so many lovely things—just as we do in our native language!

Of course, we also need to learn the variations of bello in order to describe all the people and places that we will encounter that are beautiful in Italy!

And, by remembering common Italian phrases that describe what you will encounter in Italy, you will automatically have committed to memory the rules for the adjective bello!

This post is the 27th in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases” in Italian

describe things that are “nice” or “beautiful”
with the adjective bello

and its variations – bel, bella, bei, belle, bell’

See below for how this works.

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

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

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

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

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

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How to Use Bello

with Singular Nouns

Bello is an Italian adjective that one will use often when visiting the “bel paese”—so many people are and places are beautiful, nice, and lovely in Italy! But, the form of this adjective will change according to the masculine or feminine form of the noun (person, place or thing) it modifies, the number of “things” that are beautiful, and also according to where this adjective is placed in the sentence.

When referring to a person, bello/bella are used to mean handsome and beautiful, as well as nice, or lovely. Places or things can be beautiful, and also nice or lovely. The context of the conversation will determine which meaning the word bello carries, although in many cases the meanings overlap.

Note here: the adjective buono, which was the topic of our last blog in this series, is usually used when referring to food, which is always “good” in Italy!

Sound complicated? Well, it is… a little bit. But by remembering some common phrases that use the adjective bello, you will automatically have committed the rules for this adjective to memory!

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We will start our discussion of bello with how to modify singular masculine nouns. For masculine nouns, bello is placed either directly after the noun, or at the end of the sentence, after the verb è for is (from the verb essere). In the second case, the adjective bello will be separated from the noun it modifies, but both the noun and adjective will agree in gender and number. See the first two examples in our table below.

(You may notice that the rules for how and when to change the ending for bello are identical to those for buono!)

A common Italian exclamation is, “Che bello!” which simply means, “How beautiful!” or “How wonderful!” This expression can also be used when an English speaker might say, “Cool!” to refer to something good. Another common expression one might hear in Italy is, “Che fai di bello?” for “What are you up to?” or “What’re you doing?”

Il giorno è bello.	The day is beautiful.
il giorno bello	the beautiful day
Che bello!	How beautiful! How wonderful!
Che fai di bello?	What are you up to? What’re you doing?

But, when the adjective bello is placed before a masculine noun, the last letter -o is dropped from bello (along with the extra “l” when writing the word) to make bel, as in, “Che bel giorno!” for “What a beautiful day!”

You will remember that the Italian masculine nouns that begin with the letters s+consonant, z, ps, or gn are often treated differently in Italian from other masculine nouns that begin with a consonant. For instance, the definite article lo must be used before these nouns, rather than the usual definite article il.

The two most important masculine nouns to remember in this category are studente (student) and zio (uncle). When using these words in conversational Italian, bello usually follows these nouns, so we will not need to change the ending.

Che bel giorno!	What a beautiful day!
il bel uomo / il bel bambino	the handsome man / the beautiful baby
lo studente bello / lo zio bello	the handsome student the handsome uncle

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For a feminine noun (person, place or thing), there is only one rule to remember—the adjective bella is used to describe something beautiful, nice or lovely, whether placed before or after the noun this adjective modifies.

La donna è bella.	The woman is beautiful.
la donna bella	the beautiful woman
la bella donna	the beautiful woman

La città è bella.	The city is beautiful.
la bella città	the beautiful city
la città bella	the beautiful city

But, of course, there is one exception to use of bella for feminine nouns: if bella is placed before a feminine noun that begins with another vowel, and especially the letter –a , it is common to drop the last letter from bella and add an apostrophe to make bell’ for smoother conversation. Although the last -a of bella can also be retained in some phrases, as in our last example. The “decision” whether or not to drop the -a from bella before a noun is not based on any specific rule, but probably comes naturally to an Italian speaker in order to keep the conversation flowing naturally. Since our focus is on conversational Italian, just remember to bring the two words together when speaking, without repeating the -a ending, and don’t worry about the spelling!

A common Italian phrase is “Bella idea!” for “Wonderful idea!” or “Great idea!” Notice that there is no need to drop the -a from bella with this phrase, although bell’idea is also correct.

la bell’amica	the nice friend
la amica bella	the beautiful friend
Bella idea! Bell’idea!	Great idea!

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How to Use Bello

with Plural Nouns

The adjective bello follows the usual Italian rules for changing singular adjectives to plural adjectives when placed after the noun.

In general, of course:

A masculine Italian noun and its adjective will end in -o, and this ending will change to -i in the plural.

A feminine Italian noun and its adjective will ends in -a, and this ending will change to -e in the plural.

An Italian noun or adjective that ends in -e may be masculine or feminine, and this ending will change to -i in the plural.

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Plural Bello/Bella after a noun

For the adjective bello, when placed after a noun, he plural will be belli.

For the adjective bella, when placed after a noun, he plural will be belle.

Plural Bello/Bella after a noun

bello	o	goes to	i	belli

bella	a	goes to	e	belle

Now we are ready for some examples of noun/adjective combinations using bello to describe the beautiful people and places you will find in Italy!

il giorno bello	the good day	becomes the good days	i giorni belli
la città bella	the nice city	becomes the nice cities	le città belle*
la donna bella	the beautiful woman	becomes the beautiful women	le donne belle

*Notice that the -à ending for città does not change in the plural, since it is invariable by definition, but the definite article and the adjective that modifies it do. If you really want to know if an Italian noun is masculine or feminine, just look to it’s definite article and the adjectives that modify it!

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Plural Bello/Bella before a noun

When the adjective bello and bella are placed before a noun, changing the singular to the plural form is a little bit more difficult. The endings actually follow the same pattern as the plural definite article (i, gli, and le), as described in the table below.

Don’t get too bogged down trying to memorize these endings right now, though, as most times it is perfectly fine to place bello after the noun and the regular endings can be used!

Plural Bello/Bella before a noun

bel	(masc. before consonant)	goes to	definite art. i	bei
bell’	(masc. before vowel)	goes to	definite art. gli	begli

bella	(fem. before consonant)	goes to	definite art. le	belle
bell’	(fem. before vowel, and especially -a)	goes to	definite art. le	belle

il bel giorno	the beautiful day	becomes	i bei giorni
il bell’albero	the beautiful tree	becomes	i begli alberi

la bella settimana	the nice week	becomes	le belle settimane
la bella donna	the beautiful woman	becomes	le belle donne
la bell’europea	the beautiful European	becomes	le belle euoropee

There are, of course, many more occasions to use the Italian adjective bello than those I have just listed. How many more an you think of?

Just the Grammar from Conversational Italian for Travelers — Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Grammar”

Remember how to use the adjective bello and I guarantee you will want to say something “nice” or “beautiful” about Italy every day!

Available on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!® Buono means “It’s good!”

September 9, 2019July 25, 2023 ~ stellalucentellc ~ Leave a comment

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently by the end of 2019?

Well, now it is nearing the end of the year, and I’m sure you would like to share all your “good” experiences with friends. Why not do this in Italian?

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

If we learn how to incorporate “commonly used phrases” that use buono, the Italian adjective that means “good” in Italian, we will be able to describe all the wonderful things we are sure to find when we visit Italy — just as we would in our native language!

Of course, we also need to learn the variations of buono in order to say “hello,” “good day” or “good evening;” phrases we will certainly use every day with family and friends, as well as with acquaintances in Italy.

This post is the 26th 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 Italian phrases
and
many Italian greetings

describe things that are “good” with the adjective buono

and its variations

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.

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

How to Use Buono

with Singular Nouns

Buono is an Italian adjective that will come up quite often when one starts to learn Italian, and will use often while traveling — so many things are good in Italy! But, the form of this adjective will change according to the masculine or feminine form of the noun (person, place or thing) it modifies, the number of “things” that are good, and also according to where this adjective is placed in the sentence.

Sound complicated? Well, it is… a little bit. But luckily, there are many “commonly used phrases” spoken every day in Italy that use the word buono.

And, by remembering these common Italian phrases, you will automatically have committed the rules for how to use the adjective buono to memory!

We will start by explaining how to use buono with singular masculine nouns.

For masculine nouns, buono is placed either directly after the noun, or at the end of a sentence that uses the Italian verb è for is. In the second case, the adjective buono will be separated from the noun it modifies, but both the noun and adjective will agree in gender and number.

So, in our example below, we see that there are two ways to express the idea that you are having a good day. In both cases, the adjective buono is placed after the singular masculine noun giorno.

Il giorno è buono.	The day is good.
il giorno buono	the good day

When the adjective buono is placed before a masculine noun, however, the last letter -o is dropped from buono to make buon, as in, “Buon giorno!”

Buon giorno!	Good day!
buon uomo	good man
buon bambino buon ragazzo	good baby (boy) good boy

The masculine buon is also an important word to remember when one wants to express good wishes to another, such as with the phrase, “Happy Birthday!” In Italian, these phrases can start with, ” Auguri di…” meaning, “Best wishes for…” But, more often than not, Italians use shorter phrases to wish others well, and these phrases often start with “Buon…”

Check out the table below for some common phrases of best wishes.
Buon divertimento! I hope you have a good time!

Auguri di buon compleanno!	Best wishes for a happy birthday!
Buon compleanno!	Happy birthday!
Buon anniversario!	Happy anniversary!
Buon viaggio!	Have a good trip!
Buon divertimento!	Have fun! Have a good time!
Buon Natale!	Merry Christmas!
Buon anno!	Happy New Year!
Felice anno nuovo!	Happy New Year! (less commonly used)

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Now let’s talk about how to use buono with singular feminine nouns.

For a feminine noun, the adjective buona is used to describe something good, whether placed before or after the noun this adjective modifies. Again, one of our “meeting and greeting” phrases, “Buona sera,” will help us to remember this rule.*

Also, if you want to express the wish that someone has a good day for the entire day, you can use the adjective buona with the phrase “Buona giornata!” The same applies for the entire evening with the phrase “Buona serata!”

Check out the table below for some common phrases that use buona.
Buona fortuna! Good luck!

La frutta è buona oggi. la buona frutta	The fruit is good today. the good fruit
Buona sera!	Good evening!
Buona giornata!	Have a good day! (wish for the entire day to be good)
Buona serata!	Have a good evening! (wish for the entire evening to be good)
Buona idea!	Good idea!
Buona fortuna!	Good luck!

There is only one exception to the rule above: if buona is placed before a feminine noun that begins with the letter –a, simply drop the last letter from buona and add an apostrophe to make buon’ for smoother conversation. Since our focus is on conversational Italian, just remember to bring the two words together when speaking, without repeating the -a ending, and don’t worry for now about the spelling!

So, if you want tell someone your friend—who is a girl—is a “good friend” to you, you could say, “la buon’amica mia,” for “my good friend.”

*Some of these phrases can also be written as one word, as in: buongiorno, buonasera, and buonanotte.

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How to Use Buono

with Plural Nouns

The adjective buono follows the usual Italian rules for changing singular adjectives to plural adjectives.

In general, of course:

A masculine Italian noun and its adjective will end in -o, and this ending will change to -i in the plural.
A feminine Italian noun and its adjective will ends in -a, and this ending will change to -e in the plural.
An Italian noun or adjective that ends in -e may be masculine or feminine, and this ending will change to -i in the plural.

For our adjective buono, the following rules apply:

For the masculine forms of the adjective buono, the plural is always buoni.
For the feminine forms of the adjective buona, the plural is always buone.

With these simple rules, we are ready to create some common noun/adjective combinations using buono and buona!

il giorno buono	the good day	becomes the good days	i giorni buoni
il buon giorno	the good day	becomes the good days	i buoni giorni
la buona notizia	the good news (one piece of news)	becomes the good news	le buone notizie

There are, of course, many more occasions to use the Italian adjective buono than those I have just listed. How many more an you think of?

Remember common expressions with the adjective buono
and I guarantee you will use then every day!

Available on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!® How to say “each other” with Italian Reciprocal Reflexive Verbs

August 5, 2019November 12, 2023 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 4 Comments

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently by the end of 2019?

Now that more than half the year has passed, and I’m sure you have made a few Italian friends and would like to talk about your relationships with “each other.”

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 say “each other” in Italian, a “commonly used phrase” in English that is expressed with Italian reciprocal reflexive verbs, we will be able to talk about common feelings and experiences — just as we do in our native language!

With a little Italian reciprocal reflexive verb practice, soon we will be able to say “each other” in Italian in order to fully interact with our friends and describe what is happening around us.

This post is the 25th 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”
that describe our interactions with “each other”
use

Italian reciprocal reflexive verbs

See below for how this works.

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

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

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

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

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

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How to Say “Each Other”

Italian Reciprocal Reflexive Verbs

Reciprocal reflexive verbs are used in the special situation when two or more people perform the same action together; this will make all people involved the subject of the action.

To express this type of situation in English we simply add the phrase “each other” after the verb that describes the action. Italians employ the -si ending, as with regular reflexive verbs that describe actions that revert back to the speaker.

Listed below are verbs that commonly use the reciprocal reflexive form:

abbracciarsi	to hug each other
aiutarsi	to help each other
amarsi	to love each other
baciarsi	to kiss each other
chiamarsi	to call each other
conoscersi	to get to know each other
fidanzarsi	to become engaged
guardarsi	to look at each other
incontrarsi	to meet each other (planned meeting)
odiarsi	to hate each other
parlarsi	to speak to each other
salutarsi	to greet each other
scriversi	to write each other
sposarsi	to marry each other
telefonarsi	to call each other
trovarsi	to meet each other
vedersi	to see each other

A quick glance at this list reveals two things: (1) many of these reflexive verbs have non-reflexive forms with similar meanings, such as amare (to love), parlare (to talk), scrivere (to write), and vedere (to see); (2) many of these reflexive verbs are also used as simple reflexive verbs, such as fidanzarsi (to get married), and sposarsi (to get married).

The verb chiamare and its reflexive form chiamarsi are also interesting. Chiamare alone means “to call,” as in to yell over to someone (or to make a telephone call, now that technology allows us to do this) but chiamarsi in its simple reflexive form has a different meaning: “to call oneself a name.” Of course, every Italian student quickly learns the first conjugation of the verb chiamarsi as part of their initiation into the Italian language with the phrase,“Mi chiamo…” for the English phrase “My name is…” So chiamarsi does “double duty” as a simple and a reciprocal reflexive verb, with different meanings depending on the context.

In short, reflexive verbs add shades of meaning to the Italian language in a simple, yet brilliant way.

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How do we actually use Italian reciprocal reflexive verbs in conversation?

Let’s give this a try with the two most commonly used persons in spoken Italian, the first person plural noi and the third person plural loro forms.

If the speaker is involved in the action with someone else—we are doing the action—conjugate the verb in the sentence using the first person plural noi form and put its reflexive pronoun ci before the conjugated verb.

If the speaker is talking about a group of other people—they are doing the action—conjugate the verb in the sentence using the third person plural loro form and put its reflexive pronoun si before the conjugated verb.

As we have learned in our previous blogs, the subject pronouns are almost always omitted when conversing in Italian, and this “rule” applies to sentences that use reciprocal reflexive verbs. But the subject pronouns have been included in parentheses in our Italian examples in the table below, just to make it immediately clear who is the subject. With time, we should not need this hint, at least for the noi form, with its easily recognizable -iamo verb ending, which is the same for all verbs in the present tense!

Also, notice that in Italian the immediate future is expressed by the present tense, while in English, we tend to use the future tense for every future activity. It is easy in English to speak in the future tense, since all we have to do is place the word “will” in front of the verb. Since the word “will” is not actually included in the Italian sentences given as examples, and we are not conjugating in the Italian future tense, the word “will” is given in parentheses in our English translations in the table below.

If we try to think a little bit in Italian, and translate the Italian ideas into the English we would ordinarily use, we will find that it is really not that difficult to understand Italian reciprocal reflexive verbs!

Io e Francesca ci vogliamo bene.	Frances and I care for each other very much.

(Noi) Ci sposiamo oggi.	We (will) marry each other today.
(Noi) Ci scriviamo ogni giorno.	We write each other every day.
(Noi) Ci vediamo al teatro.	We (will) see each other at the theater.
(Noi) Ci vogliamo bene.	We love each other very much.

Caterina e zia Rosa si salutano.	Kathy and Aunt Rose greet each other.
Michele e Francesca si vogliono bene.	Michael and Frances care for each other very much.

(Loro) Si vogliono bene.	They care for each other very much.
(Loro) Si incontrano.	They meet each other.
(Loro) Si chiamano ogni giorno.	They call (telephone) each other every day.

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Let’s try this in the past tense. Remember, of course, that all reflexive verbs take essere in the passato prossimo past tense, and that the past participle ending must change in gender and number when using essere as a helping verb.

Io e Francesca ci siamo voluti bene.	Frances and I cared for each other very much.

(Noi) Ci siamo sposati oggi.	We married each other today.
(Noi) Ci siamo scritti ogni giorno.	We wrote each other every day.
(Noi) Ci siamo visti al teatro.	We saw each other at the theater.
(Noi) Ci siamo voluti bene.	We loved each other very much.

Caterina e zia Rosa si sono salutate.	Kathy and Aunt Rose greeted each other.
Michele e Francesca si sono voluti bene.	Michael and Frances cared for each other very much.

(Loro) Si sono voluti bene.	They cared for each other very much.
(Loro) Si sono incontrati.	They met each other.
(Loro) Si sono chiamati ogni giorno.	They called each other (on the telephone) every day.

There are, of course, many more occasions for the use of reciprocal reflexive verbs than those I have just listed. How many more an you think of?

Remember how to the Italian reciprocal reflexive verbs and I guarantee you will use then every day!

*Conversational Italian for Travelers: “Just the Verbs”*

Available on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!® How We Dress in Italian

July 8, 2019July 25, 2023 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 2 Comments

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently by the end of 2019?

Now that more than half the year has passed, and I’m sure you are trying to talk about your every day activities with family and friends! One of the most common topics of conversation in any language is about clothes and how we dress.

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 speak Italian, we will be able to tell others how we dress and make “small talk” about how well others are dressed — part of “fare la bella figura” (looking fabulous) in Italian — just as we do in our native language!

In Italian we need to learn how to use three important verbs and we are all set to talk about what we are wearing—vestirsi, mettersi, and indossare.

This post is the 24th 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” that describe what we are doing

are about
“Putting on clothing…” or “What we are wearing…”

If I want to describe what we are wearing in Italian,

we must learn how to use the Italian verbs
Vestirsi, Mettersi, and Indossare

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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What We Are Wearing in Italian

Vestirsi, Mettersi, Portare and Indossare

In Italian we need to learn how to use three important verbs and we are all set to talk about what we are wearing—vestirsi, mettersi, and indossare. If we learn how to use these verbs properly, we will be able to tell others how we dress and make “small talk” about how well others are dressed — part of “fare la bella figura” ( looking good or making a good impression) in Italian — just as we do in our native language!

Vestirsi

Let’s start with the Italian verb “vestirsi,” which carries the general meaning of “to get dressed.” To use this verb, just conjugate it as you would any other reflexive verb to make a simple sentence.

We need to remember that for reflexive verbs, the subject pronoun of the sentence, (io, tu, Lei/lei/lui, noi, voi, loro), must be in the same person as the reflexive pronouns (mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si).

This sounds simple enough. But, we also have to remember that the sentence structure in conversational Italian does not generally include the subject pronoun; the subject pronoun is understood from the verb ending, which will be unique for each speaker in the present tense. So, for conversational Italian—even for reflexive verbs— the subject pronoun is left out of the sentence. In our example table using reflexive verbs, the Italian subject pronoun will be given in parentheses for teaching purposes only.

In English, we do not convey this idea with a reflexive pronoun. So the reflexive pronoun included in the Italian sentence will be given in parentheses in the English translation.

(Io) Mi vesto.	I get (myself) dressed.
(Tu) Ti vesti.	You get (yourself) dressed.
(Lei/Lui) Si veste.	You (polite) get (yourself)… She/He gets (herself, himself)… dressed.

(Noi) Ci vestiamo.	We get (ourselves) dressed.
(Voi) Vi vestite.	You all get (yourselves) dressed.
(Loro) Si vestono.	They get (themselves) dressed.

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Mettersi

When talking about putting on a particular article of clothing, such as a dress or suit (vestito)* for instance, we must learn to use yet another Italian reflexive verb— mettersi, which means to put on oneself.

Here is how it works:

Mettersi can be used to convey three different types of English sentences: “I put on the dress,” “I put on my dress,” and “I put my dress on.” The reflexive pronoun mi (myself) is placed before the conjugated form of mettersi, as usual, and the article of clothing to be put on is then placed after the verb. The subject pronoun is omitted, as usual. So the final translation for “I put on the/my dress” is, “Mi metto il vestito.”

If this all sounds complicated, just remember the simple phrase “mi metto” and replace il vestito with the article of clothing of your choice and you will be able to describe getting dressed with any article of clothing!

To describe action in the tu (you) form, just conjugate mettersi normally and then add the article of clothing, as in “ti metti.” For the lei/lui (she/he) form, use “si mette,” and so on.

(Io) Mi metto il vestito.	I put on the dress./I put the dress on./I put on my dress.
(Tu) Ti metti l’anello.	You put on the ring.
(Lei/lui) Si mette le scarpe.	She/he puts on shoes.

*A note: Don’t confuse the verb vestire with the noun vestito, which means dress and also suit (pants and jacket or skirt and jacket). These words are similar but have different meanings! Also, it should be mentioned that the plural noun, vestiti, means clothing.(Other words for suit that can be used for both sexes are abito and completo.)

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Portare

In order to say “I am wearing…” or “I take the size…” the verb portare, which is not reflexive, is usually used in the simple present tense. You no doubt remember that portare is also commonly used to mean “to bring” or “to carry.”

Porto il mio vestito preferito.	I am wearing my favorite dress.
Porto la (taglia) quarantotto.	I take size 48.

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Past Tense Verb Choices

When speaking in the past tense, portare can also be used to say, “I wore…” But perhaps because portare is used so commonly with its other meaning of “to bring” in the present tense, in order to describe what they have worn in the past, most Italians prefer to revert to mettersi and use its (irregular) past participle messo.

Remember to use the helping verb essere for the passato prossimo past tense form with the reflexive verb mettersi. And, of course the last vowel of the past participle must agree in gender with the person wearing the clothing (see the red vowels), since we are using essere as the helping verb. The table below shows how this all works:

(Io) Mi sono messo un completo. (Io) Mi sono messa una gonna.	I wore a suit. (masculine) I wore a skirt. (feminine)
Ho portato una gonna.	I wore a skirt.

Another way to describe how someone was dressed is to use the imperfetto past tense of essere with the descriptive past participle vestito(a,i,e). This type of phrase can be used to make generalizations, as well as to refer to a specific article of clothing. When being specific, the preposition con (with) is used in these phrases, as in the examples below.

Era vestito con un abito grigio.	He was dressed in a gray suit.
Era vestita con una gonna blu.	She was dressed in a blue skirt.
Eravamo vestiti tutti in rosso per la festa.	We were dressed all in red for the party.

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Indossare

The verb indossare also means “to wear” and “to put on.” This verb is used in exactly the same way as portare or mettersi. To the Italian ear, however, the verb indossare is said to have a more elegant sound than portare or mettersi, and perhaps this is why indossare is more common in written Italian than in conversation.

Just like the other two verbs that have the same meaning, indossare must always be followed by the article of clothing that the person is wearing.

Caterina indossa un abito rosso.	Kathryn is wearing a red dress.
La signora indossava un cappotto molto elegante.	The lady was wearing a very elegant coat.

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Finally, when something fits perfectly on you or another, to really fit into Italian society, use the common expression “calzare a pennello.” Calzature refers to the art of making shoes, or “footwear,” so this Italian saying is the equivalent of the English saying, “It fits you like a glove” or “It fits you to a T.”

Mi calza a pennello!	It fits me perfectly!
Ti calza a pennello!	It fits you perfectly!
Gli/Le calza a pennello!	It fits (on) him/her perfectly!

Remember how to the Italian verbs vestirsi, mettersi, portare and indossare when talking about clothing and I guarantee you will use the every day!

Available on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!® How to Say “Get” in Italian

June 3, 2019July 25, 2023 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 4 Comments

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently by the end of 2019?

Now that half the year has passed and I know you will have to get ready for even more complex Italian in the future!

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 speak Italian, we will be able to form descriptive sentences about what we have to get done, or what we have got to do during the course of a regular day — just as we do in our native language!

The concept of little verb “get” is rendered differently in Italian than in English, and this is a bit tricky to get used to at first. Instead of inserting a verb that is the equivalent of “get” into a sentence, Italians instead use the precise verb that describes exactly what it is they must “get” to do. The chosen Italian verb is often in the reflexive form, as we often refer to ourselves when we use the verb “get.” So, we must “get ourselves ready” for this concept by remembering our Italian reflexive verbs!

Luckily, Italian reflexive verb conjugation is not difficult and once the concept is mastered that Italian renders the concept of “get” with a reflexive verb when we describe our own actions, telling others that we “get” this idea should come easily!

This post is the 23rd 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” that describe what we are doing

during the course of an ordinary day

use the words
“Get…” or “Got…”

If I want to describe our day in Italian we must learn to use
Reflexive Verbs.

See below for how this works.

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

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

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

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

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

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How to Say “Get” in Italian

with

Italian Reflexive Verbs

At first glance, it seems easy to say “to get” in Italian. The verb prendere translates as “to get.” But, the verb prendere actually has the specific meaning of “to procure something.”

In English conversation, which is typically less formal than written English, the verb to get is used in many more ways and conveys many more meanings than the verb prendere does in Italian. We English speakers rely on our basic understanding of what is going on in any given conversation to come up with the meaning of the verb to get. Instead, in both written and conversational Italian, the use of the verb to get is more specific than it is in English.

Many Italian verbs are used to translate the different meanings behind the English verb to get. Here are a few Italian verbs lifted from the Italian — English dictionary Word Reference (www.wordreference.com) as examples: ricevere (to receive/get something), portare (bring/get something), arrivare (arrive/get somewhere), capire and comprendere (understand something).

Just to make things a little more complicated… in an ordinary conversation, we all often describe what we have “got” to do. And, when we refer to activities of daily living in Italian, this means that the verb refers back to ourselves. And therefore… the Italian verb that we use must be reflexive.

I’ll try to get you to see how this works by first listing some common Italian reflexive verbs that translate as “to get” in Italian. Take a look at the table below:

alzarsi	to get up
annoiarsi	to get bored
arrabbiarsi	to get angry
bagnarsi	to get wet to take a bath
laurearsi	to get a university degree to graduate
mettersi mettersi qualcuno nei guai	to put on clothing to get (oneself) in trouble
preoccuparsi	to get worried to worry
prepararsi (per)	to get ready (for)
riprendersi	to get better to recover
spogliarsi	to get undressed
sposarsi	to get married
vestirsi svestirsi	to get dressed to get undressed

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Below are some example sentences taken from what we all do in a normal day, many of which use the reflexive verbs from the previous table. The Italian subject pronoun “io,” meaning “I” is included in the Italian examples, although io is almost always omitted with reflexive verbs (as in most general conversation). Parentheses have been used in the Italian sentences as a reminder of this fact.

In the same way, parentheses are used in the English translation to indicate Italian reflexive pronouns that are not necessary in English. But, hopefully it will be useful to learn to think in Italian before translating into correct English.

Also remember that the simple present tense in Italian can have several different meanings in English. The simple phrase“Io vado,” for instance, can be translated as: “I go,” “I am going” or “I do go.”

Now, I think we understand enough about how Italian works that we are ready to get going with our examples!

Getting up in the morning:

(Io) Mi sveglio.	I wake up. (lit. I wake myself up.)
(Io) Mi alzo.	I get up. (lit. I get myself up.)
(Io) Mi alzo presto.	I get (myself) up early.
(Io) Mi alzo alle sei.	I get (myself) up at 6 AM.
(Io) Mi alzo tardi domani.	I am going to get (myself) up late tomorrow.

Getting ready to go out for the day:

(Io) Mi faccio il bagno. (Io) Mi faccio una doccia.	I take a bath. (lit. I make myself the bath.) I take a shower. (lit. I make myself a shower)
(Io) Mi lavo.	I wash myself.
(Io) Mi asciugo.	I dry myself off.
(Io) Mi pettino.	I comb (myself) my hair.
(Io) Mi preparo per il lavoro.	I get (myself) ready for (the) work.
(Io) Mi vesto.	I get (myself) dressed.
(Io) Mi metto i vestiti.	I put on (myself) the clothes.
(Io) Mi trucco.	I put on (myself) makeup.
(Io) Mi metto la giacca e le scarpe.	I put on (myself) the jacket and the shoes.
(Io) Mi sento molto bene!	I feel very well!
Vado al lavoro./ Vado a lavorare.	I go to work.

At the end of the day:

Torno a casa.	I return home.
(Io) Mi tolgo la giacca.	I take off (myself) the jacket.
Preparo la cena per la famiglia.	I make the dinner for the family.
Alle nove (io) mi svesto.	At nine I get (myself) undressed.
(Io) Mi tolgo le scarpe.	I take off (myself) my shoes.
(Io) Mi metto il pigiama e le ciabatte.	I put on (myself) (the) pajamas and slippers.
(Io) Mi rilasso.	I relax (myself).
(Io) Mi riposo.	I rest (myself).
(Io) Mi addormento.	I fall (myself) asleep.

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Three more important examples are listed below. The first example is interesting because one might be tempted to translate the phrase — incorrectly of course — “I have decided to marry myself!” But, now that we know that an important function of Italian reflexive verbs is to render the idea “to get,” the sentence structure in Italian for “Ho deciso di sposarmi,” makes perfect sense. Notice that the reflexive pronoun mi is attached to the end of the infinitive verb sposarsi.

The second examples are about “getting in trouble.” These are phrases that are good to know but hopefully they will not have to be used on a daily basis!

Ho deciso di sposarmi.	I have decided to get married.

Non metterti nei guai!	Don’t get (put) yourself in trouble!
Mi sono messo nei guai.	I got (put) myself in trouble.

Remember how to use Italian reflexive verbs when talking about things you have ” to get” and I guarantee you will use the every day!

Available on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!® You Make Me… “Fare Causativo”

May 13, 2019July 25, 2023 ~ stellalucentellc ~ Leave a comment

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently by the end of 2019?

Now that almost half the year has passed and I hope my blogs have made you reach your goal so far this year!

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 speak Italian, we will be able to form descriptive sentences about what other people make us do or how other people make us feel – just as we do in our native language!

Check out some popular American songs to see how often this concept comes up in language. Catchy tunes like, “You Make Me Feel Brand New,” sung by the Stylistics, or “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Women,” sung by Aretha Franklin are two examples that come to mind, although there are many more. Read below and you will see what I mean.

This post is the 22nd 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” start with the words
“You make me…” or “I make you…”

If I want to use the English causative verb “make,”
in Italian I must use
the Fare Causativo

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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Expressing the English Causative Verb

“Make”
with the Italian “Fare Causativo”

The verb “make” is called a “causative verb,” and is one of the three true causative verbs in English, which are: let, have, and make.

English speakers use the verb “make” to describe how someone has made them do something or how someone has made them feel. In other words, in this type of situation, the subject of the sentence is the instigator that will make the stated action take place for someone else.

I’ll try to make you see how this works using some example sentences in English conversation before we move on to Italian. In English, we can say, “You are making me cry!” or “He makes me feel so special!” In a less dramatic situation, we can form a question such as, “Are you making me go to school today?” or a statement such as, “She makes me go to school.”

In each case, the subject of the sentence is the instigator of the action that takes place, and therefore the verb “make” must be conjugated to match this person or persons.*

The sentence structure in English is simple:

Make (conjugated) + Direct Object + Infinitive Verb
(+ optional adverb or indirect object)

The Italian verb fare means “to do” or “to make,” and is the Italian causative verb to use in this situation, also known as the “fare causativo.” The sentence structure in Italian is the same as for English, except that for Italian (as usual) the direct object should be placed before the conjugated form of the verb fare.

Direct Object + Fare (conjugated) + Infinitive Verb
(+ optional adverb or indirect object)

This is easy enough in English when we break down the example sentences:

You are making + me + cry.

He makes + me + feel (+ so special)!

She makes + me + go (+ to school).

A few pointers about Italian, and then we will try our example sentences.

First, let’s take a look at how subject pronoun use differs in Italian and English. Remember that the subject pronoun (I, you, he/she, we, you all, they) is usually left out of the sentence in Italian. The verb ending in Italian will signal who the subject is.

So, to say, “You make…” instead of, “Tu fai…” say simply, “Fai…”

For the Italian third person singular, a simple,“Fa…” may be fine for “He makes…” and “She makes…” since the individuals involved in the conversation usually know who is being referred to. But, if a speaker wants to clarify or to emphasize exactly who is the subject under discussion, the Italian subject pronoun can be used, and the phrase becomes “Lui fa…” or “Lei fa…”

Second, it is OK to just use the simple Italian present tense to render the same meaning as the English present progressive tense (the “-ing” tense). Some phrases just sound better to the English speaker in the present progressive tense, and we tend to use this tense a lot. But in Italian, the present progressive tense is used more sparingly, mostly to emphasize that something is happening exactly at the moment of conversation. So instead of the usual English phrase, “You are making…” an equivalent Italian phrase will usually be, “You make…” Just remember that the simple present tense in Italian can have several different meanings in English, such as: “You make…” You are making…” and “You do make…”

Finally, the direct object pronouns mi, ti, lo, la, ci, vi, li, le will go before the Italian verb, as usual.

Now, let’s to render our example sentences in Italian:

You are making + me + cry.
(Tu) Mi + fai + piangere.

He makes + me + feel (+ so special).
(Lui) Mi + fa + sentire (+ così speciale).

She makes + me + go (+ to school).
(Lei) Mi + fa + andare (+ a scuola).

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We can keep on going with our first example sentence using the fare causativo if we want to, and use all of the conjugations of fare, depending on who is making us do what!

Let’s see how this works in the table below, with our conjugated verb fare in green and our direct object in red. If a subject pronoun is used, it is also in green to match the conjugation of fare. Really, once you remember this “Italian formula” it is easy to describe who is making you do something!

Mi fai piangere.	You make me cry. You are making me cry.
Lui mi fa piangere.	He makes me cry. He is making me cry.
Lei mi fa piangere.	She makes me cry. She is making me cry.
Mi fate piangere.	You all make me cry. You all are making me cry.
Mi fanno piangere.	They make me cry. They are making me cry.

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Should we try to use the fare causativo in the past tense? Why not? It’s easy! And our formula works for any Italian tense, by the way!

Check out the table below. Remember the different uses for the passato prossimo and imperfetto past tenses! For a refresher, check out Chapters 10-14 in our Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Verbs” book!

Mi hai fatto piangere ieri. Mi facevi piangere.	You made me cry yesterday. You used to make me cry.
Lui mi ha fatto piangere ieri. Lui mi faceva piangere.	He made me cry yesterday. He used to make me cry.
Lei mi ha fatto piangere ieri. Lei mi faceva piangere	She made me cry yesterday. She used to make me cry.
Mi avete fatto piangere ieri. Mi facevate piangere.	You all made me cry yesterday. You used to make me cry.
Mi hanno fatto piangere ieri. Mi facevano piangere.	They made me cry yesterday. They used to make me cry.

One more important past tense sentence to remember is:

Mi ha fatto piacere vederti! It’s made me very happy to see you!

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Now let’s try to describe what we are making someone else do for us using the fare causativo. Changing our formula to do this is simple! Now “I” will be the instigator of the action, so we must keep the verb fare in the io form, which is faccio, and change the direct object pronoun to describe who we are making do something!

Ti faccio piangere.	I make you cry. I am making you cry.
La faccio piangere.	I make her cry. I am making her cry.

Vi faccio piangere.	I make you all cry. I am making you all cry.
Le faccio piangere.	I make them cry. (all female group) I am making them cry.

*In English, we conjugate present tense verbs so infrequently that we may not even realize what we are doing! The only ending that changes for a regular present tense verb in English is the third person singular. And in the case of “to make” the only change is to add an “s” at the end of the verb. That is why we English speakers rely so much on our subject pronouns. Here are the conjugations for the verb “to make” in English, so you will see what I mean:

I make, You make, She/He makes, We make, You all make, They make.

I, You, She, He, We, You all, They… are making.

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Remember how to use the Fare Causativo and I guarantee you will use this formula every day!

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Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!® “Let me…” and “Let’s!” Lasciare and Fare

April 8, 2019July 25, 2023 ~ stellalucentellc ~ 1 Comment

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently by the end of 2019?

Well, it is now April and I hope my blogs have helped to let you reach your goal so far this year!

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 speak Italian, we will be able to use the causative verb “let” just as we do in our native language! Read below and you will see what I mean.

This post is the 21st 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” start with the phrase
“Let me…” or “Let’s…”

If we want someone to let us do something in Italian we must use the verbs Lasciare or Fare

And if we want to encourage someone else to do something, we must use
a verb in the noi command form

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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Expressing the English Causative Verb

“Let”

in Italian Conversation

The verb “let” is called a “causative verb,” and is one of the three true causative verbs in English, which are: let, have, and make.

English speakers use the verb “let” to direct someone to do something. In other words, with the verb “let,” the subject of the sentence is relying on or needs someone else to “cause” the action that will take place.

Let’s try some example sentences in English conversation to help us understand this concept before we move on to Italian. In English, we might say, “Let/Leave me alone!” or “Let me think!” In a less dramatic situation, we can form a question such as, “Will you let me use the car today?” or a statement such as, “She let her son drive the car today.” In each case, the subject is not actually completing the action – someone else is.

The sentence structure in English is simple:

Let + object + verb (+ optional descriptive phrase)

At first glance, it may seem like the Italian verb lasciare would provide a good substitute for the English causative verb let. And, in many common Italian phrases, lasciare is indeed used as a substitute for “let” to express the ideas of: to permit, to allow, to let go, or to leave.

Listed below are some common Italian expressions that take lasciare. You will notice that when lasciare is used in a causative situation, the ending is often in the informal command form. The pronouns (lo = him, la = her) will therefore be attached to the end of the conjugated verb and are shown in red in the table for clarity. And remember, to command someone not to do something, use the Italian verb in its infinitive form!

Lascialo venire a casa mia oggi!	Let him come to my house today!
Non lasciare che la passi liscia!	Don’t let him get away with it! (colloquial)
Lascia perdere! Lascia stare!	Let it go! Don’t think about it anymore! Forget about it! It was nothing! Don’t mention it! Forget about it!
Lascialo stare! / Lasciala stare!	Let him be! / Let her be! Leave him alone! / Leave her alone!
Non lasciare andare i tuoi sogni!	Don’t let go of your dreams!
Lascia andare tua sorella al cinema! Mi ha lasciato andare.	Let your sister go to the movies! He let me go.
Lasciami andare! Lasciami solo(a)! / Lasciami!	Let me go! Leave me alone! / Leave me!

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As a side note, the verbs lasciare (to leave) and lasciarsi (to leave each other) come into play when we describe a romantic break up between a couple.

L’ha lasciato e ora quella storia (d’amore) è finita.
She left him and now that (love) story is over.

Below is an example sentence two people might use talk about a couple that has “broken up” or two people who have “left each other” in the Italian way of thinking.

Loro si sono lasciati.

They have broken up.

If you are one of the two people in the relationship and want to talk about “breaking up”:

Ci lasciamo stasera.	We (will) break up/are breaking up tonight.
Non ci lasciamo, ma…	We are not breaking up but..
Ci sono lasciati il mese scorso.	We broke up last month.

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Getting back to our original topic…

How else can we express the causative verb “let” in Italian? As it turns out, there are many other ways! But to finish this blog, we will focus two of the most common ways …

Command Form Fammi for “Let Me…”

The familiar command form of fare, which is the verb fa, can be combined with the direct object pronoun mi (me) in order to create the English phrase that means, “Let me…”

When attaching a pronoun to the familiar command verb fa, the first letter of the pronoun is doubled. This holds true for mi, ti, lo, la, ci, and vi. So, in order to say, “Let me…” the word to use is “Fammi…”

Perhaps the most commonly heard phrase of this type is “Fammi pensare…” for “Let me think…” when someone wants to create a pause in the conversation rather than responding right away. You may remember that this phrase has come up in already in our previous blogs about pensare. A few more common phrases that use this sentence structure are listed below. Listen carefully to Italian movies or read Italian books and I am sure you will come up with many other situations to use “Fammi…”

Fammi pensare…	Let me think…
Fammi vedere…	Let me see… / Let me have a look…
Fammi sapere!	Let me know!
Fammi fare questa cosa! Fammelo fare!*	Let me make/do this (thing)! Let me make/do it!

*Note that when combining fammi + lo, the letter i in fammi must change to an e, since we are combining pronouns: mi +lo = me lo.

Command Form Noi for “Let’s”

Now, let’s finish by learning how to say “let’s” or “let us” in Italian. As it turns out, the easy-to-remember command form for the noi conjugation of Italian verbs is used to express the meaning of “let’s.” The -iamo ending of the command form is identical to the present tense ending, and is an easy ending that even the beginning student of Italian should know!

One of the most commonly heard verbs in Italian-American families is “Andiamo!” for “Let’s go!” Therefore, when we encourage our family or friends to go somewhere in Italian, we are simply using the command form of the present tense!

So to encourage a group of people to do something simply say, “Facciamolo!” or “Facciamola!” for “Let’s do it!”

Or, maybe you would like a group to quiet down and listen to a song on the radio or a show on TV. You might say, “Ascoltiamo!” for “Let’s listen!”

Or, maybe you are not sure something will really happen and you want to say, “Vediamo!“ for “Let’s see!”

How many more situations can you think of to use the noi command form?

Remember the many ways to say “Let me” and “Let’s” with Lasciare and Fare and I guarantee you will use these phrases every day!

Available on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com

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General Uses for “Di”

Common Expressions with “Di”Avere and Essere

When to Use “Di”to Link Italian Verbs

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“Making Friends” in Italian*

Buon divertimento e Buon San Valentino!

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and Italian Holiday Party

Conversation

How to Change Benvenuto

from Singular to Plural

Changing the Italian Interjections

Bravo! and Beato!

Benvenuto Natale!

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How to Use Bello

with Singular Nouns

How to Use Bello

with Plural Nouns

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How to Use Buono

with Singular Nouns

How to Use Buono

with Plural Nouns

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How to Say “Each Other”

Italian Reciprocal Reflexive Verbs

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What We Are Wearing in Italian

Vestirsi, Mettersi, Portare and Indossare

Vestirsi

Mettersi

Portare

Past Tense Verb Choices

Indossare

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How to Say “Get” in Italian

with

Italian Reflexive Verbs

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Expressing the English Causative Verb

“Make” with the Italian “Fare Causativo”

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Expressing the English Causative Verb

“Let”

in Italian Conversation

Command Form Fammi for “Let Me…”

Command Form Noi for “Let’s”

Use “Di” to Say
Where You are From

Common Expressions with “Di”
Avere and Essere

When to Use “Di”
to Link Italian Verbs

“Make”
with the Italian “Fare Causativo”