Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!® The many uses of the Italian verb “Mettere”

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

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

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

For instance, many Italian verbs have a similar use to those in English, which simplifies translation from one language to the other. However, often the meaning of an Italian verb will vary  from the usual English connotation.  And in many situations, the same verb can have several different meanings in both languages, depending on the context. Mettere (along with its reflexive form mettersi) is one of those verbs that is used in many ways in Italian and is important to “put to” good use if you want to speak like an Italian.

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

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

This post is the 55th  in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group.  If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases” in Italian
use the verb

  Mettere 

See below for how this works.

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

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

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

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

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

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Let’s Talk About…

The Many Uses of the  Italian Verb

Mettere

The Italian verb mettere and its reflexive counterpart mettersi are used in many colloquial expressions in Italy today.  It is important to “put in” the time to learn how to use mettere, both literally and figuratively, if one wants to speak Italian like a native!

The Italian verb mettere is most often translated into English as “to put” or “to place.”  It can be used in a simple way, to describe moving an object from one place to another.

Mettere is commonly used with the prepositions a, da, in and su  in many Italian expressions that have the connotation of “putting” or “placing” something or someone in a place or situation. One commonly heard expression is, “Metti su l’acqua!” for “Put on the water!” which, of course refers to boiling a pot of water in preparation for making pasta! The Internet also provides another  opportunity to use mettere su.

Mettersi a and mettere in are used to relay that an individual is “going to” initiate an action — such as starting to cook dinner or starting a car. Mettersi a can also be used in the impersonal third person to describe an act of nature starting up on its own. Finally, use mettere in to describe the emotional state or situations you have been “put into.”

Italian uses mettersi to describe the act of getting dressed. In English, we combine the verb “put” with the preposition “on” to make “put on” with reference to clothing. The preposition “on” does not have any other purpose than to change the meaning of the verb “put,” in the same way that the reflexive form of an Italian verb is used to modify or even change that verb’s original meaning. Messo, the past participle of mettere, is important to describe what one was wearing in the past. Several examples of how to use mettere and mettersi to describe getting dressed will be given in the next section.  For additional information on this topic, visit a previous blog in this series: How We Dress in Italian.

Mettere can be used in the figurative sense, meaning, “I suppose” or “I presume.” Mettere can also be used figuratively to ask how something “looks.” If you are more sure of yourself, use ammetere and admit/confirm whatever is under discussion at the moment.

Use the pronominal verb phrase “mettercela tutta” as an informal way to describe that you’ve “put in” the most effort you can/are doing your best, or to encourage another to “give it their all.”

Finally, many Italian sayings incorporate mettere.  Some of the most popular have been listed at the end of this blog.

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Let’s talk about how to conjugate mettere in the present, past, and future tenses before using it in some example sentences. Luckily, mettere is regular in all tenses except for the passato prossimo, due to its irregular past participle, which is messo.

Present tense: Mettere is a regular -ere verb in the present tense. The present tense conjugation is below.

io	metto
tu	metti
Lei/lei/lui	mette
noi	mettiamo
voi	mettete
loro	mettono

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

Mettere has a regular conjugation in the imperfetto past tense (mettevo, mettevi, metteve, mettevamo, mettevate, mettevano).

Future tense: mettere is regular in the future tense (metterò, metterai, metterà, metteremo, metterete, metteranno). 

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1. Use mettere to describe the simple act of moving an object from one place and “putting” or “placing” it in another place.

• Mettere is commonly followed by a noun and then a preposition to describe the act of  “putting”  or “placing” an object somewhere in one’s household.
• The singular familiar command form of mettere, which is metti is also important to remember when directing family or friends where to put an object.
• The past participle messo is important when one has remembered (or is trying to remember) where they have put an object.
• The direct object pronouns “them”(le) and “it”(lo) are red, so as not to confuse them with a verb ending. 

Ho messo i piatti sulla tavola per la cena.

I put the plates on the table for dinner.

Brava! Ora, pian piano, metti i bicchieri di cristalleria vicino a i piatti!

Great! Now, carefully place the crystal wine glasses next to the plates!

Ho messo le chiavi nella mia borsa, ma ora non riesco a trovarle!

I put the keys in my purse, but now I can’t find them!

Mettilo di là, in stanza mia.

Put it over there, in my room.

 

2. Use mettere su to describe “putting” food “on” the stove, to “put on” something in figurative sense, or to “put up a post on” the Internet

• Mettere with the preposition su is a commonly used expression in home cooking. For instance, when a family is ready for dinner, one can direct another to “put” a pot of water “on” the stove to boil.  No other details are necessary, for every Italian knows that  boiling, salted water is essential for making pasta! Specific foods one would like to encourage another to cook can also follow mettere su, and one can be asked more directly simply to make la pasta. Of note: with expressions of this type, the preposition su is not combined with the definite article. 
• Mettere su is used in common expressions to mean “to put on weight” or “to put (someone) on a pedestal,” just like in English.
• Use mettere su in the figurative sense, as in to “put on a show” of something, or to “organize” or “create” an event.
• To sound like a native Italian when speaking about the internet, use mettere su or mettere in rete instead of postare for “putting up” with the meaning of “posting” or “publishing on line. Along these lines, “mettere in coppia” means “to copy someone” on an email.

Sono arrivato! Metti su l’acqua!

I’m home! Put on the (pot of) water (to boil to make the pasta)!

Metti su la pasta! / Metti su la carne!

Start cooking the pasta! / Start cooking the meat!

Lui ha meso su pancia quest’anno.

He has put on belly fat this year!

Anna mette su un piedistallo il suo fidanzato Marco.

Ann puts her fiancé Mark on a pedastal.

Lui ha meso su uno spettacolo per tutti ieri sera con i suoi scherzi.

He put on a show for everyone last night with his jokes.

Marco ha messo su un bel viaggio per tutti.

Mark has organized a nice trip for everyone.

 

Metti su internet una foto del tuo viaggio!

Put up a photo of your trip on the Internet! Post a photo of your trip on the Internet!

Lei ha messo su un blog su internet questa settimana.

She has put up/posted a blog on the internet this week.

 

3. Use mettersi a, mettersi in the third person, or mettere in moto to describe initiating an action

• Mettersi a is used to tell someone you are “about to/starting to” do something, such as starting to cook dinner. The Italian phrase is [mettersi a + infinitive verb]. The English translation is  [to be + going to] when mettersi is used in this way.
• Mettersi a followed by an infinitive verb can also be used in the third person to describe an inanimate object or an act of nature starting up something by itself.  There is a popular Italian saying, “Da Santa Lucia, il freddo si mette in via,” which means, “From Saint Lucia’s Day, the cold is on its way.” The two verbs that mean “to start,” cominciare and iniziare cannot be used in the third person this way.  For a more detailed discussion on the topic of how to use impersonal reflexive verbs, visit a previous blog in this series Impersonal Statements and Reflexive Verbs.: “Come si dice?”
• Mettere in moto is a commonly used expression to describe starting a car but can also be used figuratively with the meaning of “to embark on” or “set off on” a journey.

Sono arrivato! Ora mi metto a cucinare la cena.

I’m home! Now I am going to cook dinner.

Finalmente lui si mette a lavorare con noi stamattina.

Finally he is going to work with us this morning.

L’eruzione del vulcano si mette a fare la terza eruzione oggi.

The volcano starts the third eruption today.

L’acqua si mette ad alzarsi a Venezia a febbraio.

The water starts to rise in Venice in February.

Michele mette in moto la macchina.

Michael starts the car.

Dopo aver lasciato Anna, Michele mette in moto una vita nuova.

After leaving Ann, Michael sets off on a new life.

 

4. Use mettere in and mettere a/di to describe negative or positive emotional states or figurative positions you have been “put into.”

• Mettere is often used figuratively. There are many expressions that describe the negative emotions and situations one can be “put into” by completing the phrase “mettere in…” An Italian can be put into a difficult position, doubt, embarrassment, ridicule, risk, danger, or even “to their knees” or  “on the run!”  On the other hand, to be saved is to be “mettere in salvo.”  “Mettere in grado”  also has a positive connotation, with the meaning “to enable” or “to assist.” The phrase that means “to be quarantined” is “mettere in quarantena.”
• Mettere a or mettere di, conversely, are used in many expressions that describe positive interactions, such as: putting someone at ease, putting things in order, being available to help out, and helping to reach an agreement. Mettere insieme means “to put together” but also “to bring together.” And remember to say, “Sono d’accordo!” for “I agree!” once you have come to an understanding with others!
• When describing an event,  “mettere in…” can simply mean “to put into play” (gioco) or “to put on a show” (mostra).  “Mettere in vendita” means “to put up for sale.”
• There are many other common Italian phrases that start with mettere! Listen for how Italians use this versatile verb and you will hear it often!

Mettere in…
	difficoltà discussione dubbio	to put in a difficult position to hinder to bring up for discussion to challenge to doubt to warn (semebody)
	grado	to enable to assist
	imbarazzo	to embarrass to make someone uncomfortable
	ridicolo	to ridicule
	rischio	to put someone at risk to put in danger
	ginocchio	to bring someone to their knees
	fuga quarantena	to put someone on the run to put someone in quarantine

 

Mettere a…	proprio agio	to put somebody at ease
	posto	to put in order to clean up to put away
	disposizione	to make available
	servizio	to put at one’s disposition
Mettere d’… Sono d’…	accordo	to help reach an agreement I agree!

 

5. Use mettersi to describe the act of getting dressed

• There are several Italian verbs that are used to convey the act of wearing clothing and getting dressed. Mettersi is an important verb to know in this regard. For more information on this topic, visit a previous blog in this series: How We Dress in Italian.

Mettersi can be used to convey three different types of English sentences: “I put on my dress,” “I put my dress on,” and “I put on the dress.” In general, Italian uses reflexive verbs to describe daily actions we all must perform to keep up “la bella figura.” English instead uses a [verb + preposition +possessive adjective] sentence structure. Although the last English example is correct, we most often default to using the first two examples, with the possessive “my.”

Although the sentence structure that describes getting dressed differs in Italian and English, in both cases there is a straightforward formula to follow.  For Italian, the reflexive pronoun mi (myself) is placed before the conjugated form of mettersi and the article of clothing to be put on is then placed after the verb. The subject pronoun is omitted, as usual. So the final translation for “I put on my dress” is, “Mi metto il vestito.” 

Just remember the simple phrase “mi metto” and replace il vestito with your chosen article of clothing and you will be able to describe getting dressed!

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

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

In order to describe what they have worn in the past, most Italians use mettersi and  its irregular past participle messo. 

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

Marco si è messo un completo oggi.	Mark wore a suit today.
Maria si è messa una gonna oggi.	Maria wore a skirt today.

 

6. More figurative uses for mettersi and mettere

• Mettersi can be used figuratively to ask how something “looks,” such as the weather or an interpersonal situation.
• Mettere can be used in the figurative sense, meaning, “I suppose,” or “I presume” in a compound sentence with a subjunctive mood verb.  In the examples below, abbia is the subjunctive for avere and sappia is the subjunctive for sapere (singular first, second, and third persons). These are two helpful verbs to remember, even if one is not versed in the subjunctive mood. If you are more sure of yourself, use ammetere and admit/confirm whatever is under discussion at the moment, also with the subjunctive mood.
• Remember that the noi conjugation of a verb is also used in the imperative to mean “let’s.” (See the last example.)

Come si mette il tempo oggi?

How does the weather look today?

Come si mette la situazione con Clara?

How does the situation with Clara look?

Tu sai la situazione meglio di me.  Quindi, ammetto che tu abbia ragione.

You know the situation better than me. Therefore, I admit/confirm that you are right.

Mettiamo che Marco sappia più di noi.

Let’s presume that Mark knows more than us.

 

7. Use the pronominal verb phrase “mettercela tutta” as an informal way to describe that you have “put in your best effort.”

• Mettercela is a pronominal verb, recognized by the ce and la tacked on to the end of metter, which is just mettere without the last “e.” Conjugate this verb exactly as you would mettere, then add the pronominal particles ce and la. It’s that simple! The particles ce and la do not change… unless la is placed before an h, when speaking in the passato prossimo with  avere as the helping verb. In this case, just drop the “a” from “la” and replace it with an apostrophe, to follow the usual rule of grammar for the object pronoun la. (See examples below.)
• The pronominal particles ce and la change the meaning of mettere.  “Mettercela tutta” means “to put in your absolute best effort” or “to give it your all,” as in strength and determination, in order to achieve a goal. 
• The speaker can use the phrase “mettercerla tutta” in the present tense to describe an ongoing effort. “Ce la messo tutta…” means, “I am putting in my best effort.”  This phrase is also commonly used in the past tense when the speaker wants to emphasize that the outcome wasn’t for lack of trying. In this case, the passato prossimo conjugation for this completed event is, “Ce l’ho messa…”
• Mettercela tutta can be preceded by devo, which means “I must” for an even more forceful statement. In this case, there is no need to conjugate mettercela. Just leave it in the infinitive form, as usual for verbs that follow dovere. 
• Or, the speaker can encourage another to try as hard as they can and keep making their best effort.  Use the familiar command form of mettere, which is metti, and attach ce and la to the end of the verb for “Metticerla tutta!” To stress the importance of the effort needed, precede metticela tutta with, “Dai!” for “C’mon!”  
• Notice another pronominal verb in our examples, farcela, which in this case means “to succeed.”
• Follow these simple formulas for using mettercela to really speak like a native Italian!

Ce la metto tutta. Spero di farcela!

I putting in everything I have! I hope to succeed!

Devo mettercerla tutta questa settimana per trovare un cliente nuovo.

I must focus all my effort this week into finding a new client.

Ce l’ho messa tutta, ma non ho superato l’esame lo stesso!

I gave it my all but I failed (didn’t pass) the exam anyway!

Dai! Dobbiamo vincere questa partita. Metticela tutta!

C’mon! We have to win this match. Give it all you’ve got!

*To make sense of the construction “Ce l’ho messa,” we must remember that the l’ stands in for ” la”  and therefore is feminine. La drops its “a” in the passato prossimo before ho, to make l’ho, which is easier to say. Then, this dropped “a” reappears as the new ending for the past participle! These rules are explained in detail in our Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Verbs” book.

 

8. Common Italian sayings that use mettere

Mettere i soldi in cassa = to make money (literally to put money in the cash register)

Mettere a pane e acqua = a harsh punishment (literally to give someone only bread and water)

Mettere i piedi in testa a = walk over/trample over somebody

Mettere il carro davanti ai buoi = put the cart in front of the horse

Mettere in piazza qualcosa = to be open about something/lay your cards on the table

Mettere in primo piano = make a priority of something/ emphasize/focus on

Mettere il becco in = to stick your nose in/interfere

Mettere bocca su tutto = always commenting on/have an opinion on everything

Mettere i puntini sulle “i” = dot your i’s/ be nitpicky

There are even more ways to use the Italian verb mettere than space in this blog! 
Practice listening for the Italian phrases that use mettere and
try them out in your own Italian conversations!

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

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

 

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

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Conversational Italian for Travelers books

Buon Natale a tutti voi!

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

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

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

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

Many “commonly used phrases” in Italian

are used during the 
Christmas  Holiday Season

See below for how this works.

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

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

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

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

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

 

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Christmas in Italy

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

Young girl celebrating Santa Lucia Day

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

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

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

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 An Italian Holiday Party Conversation

 

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

Introductions:

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

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

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

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

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

 

Responses:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pietro:	Caterina, ti presento il mio amico Paolo.
	Kathy, (I) introduce to you (fam.) my friend Paul.
Caterina:	Piacere di conoscerla.
	(It is a) pleasure to meet you (fam.).
	(Caterina uses the polite form for a person she has just met, even though Paolo is Pietro’s friend.)
Pietro:	E questo è il mio amico Luigi.
	And this is my friend Louis.
Caterina:	Piacere.
	(It is) a pleasure.
Luigi:	Piacere mio. Io sono professore dell’italiano, come Pietro.
	Paolo è un medico.
	(The) pleasure is mine. I am (an) Italian professor, like Peter.
	Paul is a physician.
Caterina:	Molto interessante.
	Very interesting.
Paolo:	Io sono di Novara, una città vicino a Milano.
	Diamoci del tu, per favore!
	I am from Novara, a town near to Milan.
	Let’s use the familiar form of you with each other, please!
	(Paolo officially asks if he can use the familiar, or “tu” form with Caterina.)
Caterina:	Va bene. Volentieri!
	O.K. Gladly!

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

Auguri a tutti voi!

Make it a “Conversational Italian” Christmas! “Just the Phrases” makes a great stocking stuffer. Or Just download the Conversational Italian for Travelers books on your phone for easy reference anywhere you go! Download at www.learntravelitalian.com. Purchase books at Amazon.com

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

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

Many “commonly used phrases” in conversation

use the Italian verb
tenere.

See below for how this works.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s Talk About…

The Many Uses of the  Italian Verb

Tenere

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Allianz Stadium in Turin holds 41,507 spectators.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tengo gli attrezzi per cucinare di là.

I keep the cooking utensils over there.

Tenga pure il resto!

Keep the change, please!

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

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

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

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

Tieni conto dei clienti e dagli quello che vogliono!

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

for “to consider.”

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

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

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

Devo tenere in conto anche le altre regole.

I must also consider the other rules.

 

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

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

Teniamoci in contatto!

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

Ragazzi, tenetevi al regolamento o non vincerete la partita!

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

 

Tieniti il tuo cappello; è molto ventoso oggi!

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

Tieniti alla ringhiera bambini!

Hold onto the handrail, children!

 

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

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

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

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

 

6. Common Italian phrases with [tenere + a] 

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

To keep under control =  Keep your pets under control.

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

La mamma tiene molto ai suoi bambini.

The mother cares very much for her children.

La mamma ci tiene a loro.

The mother cares very much for them.

 

 

Ci tieni a me?

Do you care about me?

Si! Ci tengo a te!

Yes! I care about you!

 

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

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

Ci tengo a fare la cosa giusta.

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Many “commonly used phrases” in conversation

use the Italian verb
Mancare

See below for how this works.

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

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

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

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

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

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Overview of Italian Verbs

that take

Indirect Object Pronouns

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

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

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

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

Piacere	to like
Servire	to need
Mancare	to miss someone to be missing to need something
Accadere Capitare Succedere	to happen
Bastare	to be enough
Interessare	to be interested in to be affected by

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

mi	to me
ti	to you (familiar)
Le	to you (polite)
le	to her
gli	to him
ci	to us
vi	to you all
gli	to them

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

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How to Say, “I miss you!”

with Mancare

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

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

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

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

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

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

              I         +     miss      +      John.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mancare = To Be Missing (To)

io	manco	I am missing (to…)
tu	manchi*	you (fam.) are missing (to…)
Lei lei/lui	manca	you (polite) are missing (to…) she/he/it is missing (to…)
noi	manchiamo*	we are missing (to…)
voi	mancate	you all are missing (to…)
loro	mancano	they are missing (to…)

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

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

Example Sentences with Mancare 

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

 

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

 

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

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

See below for the passato prossimo conjugation of mancare:

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

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

*There are situations in which the past participle of mancare takes avere. This will be covered in another blog!

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

See below for the imperfetto conjugation of mancare:

Singular forms: mancavo, mancavi, mancava

Plural forms: mancavamo, mancavate, mancavano

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!® The many uses of the Italian verb “Riuscire”

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

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

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

Many Italian verbs have a similar use to those in English, which simplifies translation from one language to the other. However, many times the use of an Italian verb will vary  from the usual English connotation.  And in many situations, the same verb can have many different meanings in both languages, depending on the context. Riuscire, the  Italian verb that is commonly followed by “a” to mean “to be able to do something” is one of those verbs that is used in many ways in Italian and is important to “manage to learn” if one wants to use it correctly.

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

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

This post is the 46th in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group.  If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases” in conversation

use the Italian verb
riuscire.

See below for how this works.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s Talk About…

The Many Uses of the  Italian Verb

Riuscire

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

The Italian verb riuscire, when linked by the conjunction a to another verb, is translated into English as “to be able to” or “to manage to.”  The meaning is similar to potere, with an important exception: riuscire lends an undertone of personal effort on the speaker’s part. Hence the translation into English as “to manage to.”  In the negative sense, the use of riuscire a  implies that despite maximal work beforehand, it was not possible to make something happen.

In short, the use of  riuscire is in a way more sophisticated than the use of potere.  Potere is used to make a simple statement about whether something is possible, without stating if the issue is under one’s control or not. There is no reason given or backstory implied with the verb potere. Specifically, with potere, there is no reference as to the ability of a person to make something happen.  Riuscire is commonly used in Italy, even by children, when they want to include a personal emphasis in their statement.

Riuscire a can also mean “to turn out” or “to come out.”  When something has turned out well, the veb riuscire is commonly followed by the phrase “alla perfezione.” 

When riuscire is conjugated and followed by [bene + verb], riuscire takes on the meaning of  “to be good at” something. Riuscire can also be used when describing that one is successful at something.

In two situations, when riuscire is followed by the adjectives simpatico/antipatico or difficile/facile, the meaning changes again, to: “to seem” or “to come across as.” This is a colloquial use of riuscire.

Finally, riuscire can be used to mean “to succeed” and also as [ri + uscire] to mean “to go out again.”

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

Present tense: riuscire is an irregular -isco verb in the present tense. The present tense conjugation is below:

io	riesco
tu	riesci
Lei,lei,lui	riesce
noi	riusciamo
voi	riuscite
loro	riescono

Past tense: When used in the passato prossimo to describe a single event, essere is the helping verb and the past participle is riuscito. And, of course, remember our usual rule for past participles: if you are female, or your subject is a group of people, make sure to change the past participle riuscito to riuscita, riusciti, or riuscite!

Riuscire is regular in the imperfetto past tense (riuscivo, riuscivi, riusciva, riuscivamo, riuscivate, riuscivano).

Future tense: Riuscire is regular in the future tense (riuscirò, riuscirai, riuscirà, riusciremo, riuscirete, riusciranno).

Finally, an important grammar rule: use indirect object pronouns (le = to her /gli = to him/ gli = to them) with riuscire. 

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1. Use [riuscire a + action verb] to describe “being able to do” something

• Notice that when linking the verb riuscire with a action verb, the preposition “a” is required.
• Common daily phrases link riuscire a with trovare, prendere, or fare to describe if one has been able to find, get, or do something.
• Note that a substitute verb for riuscire a would be potere, which also means “to be able to,” although riuscire a  is often used to emphasize one’s efforts beforehand (as described above). Potere, on the other hand, is used to make a simple statements regarding whether something is or is not possible, without taking into account if a situation is under one’s control or not.

“Ho guardato in tutta la casa. Ma non riesco a trovare il mio telefonino da nessuna parte!”

“I’ve looked all over the house. But I can’t find my telephone anywhere!”

“Sei riuscito a prendere un appuntamento con il dottore?”

“Have you been able to get an appointment with the doctor?”

 

2.  Use [riuscire a + action verb] to describe “managing to do” something

• Use riuscire a with the meaning of “to manage to do” something, often in the past tense. As in our examples in #1, the use of riuscire emphasizes that the speaker has been struggling beforehand, and is the verb used to communicate that one has or has not “managed to” get something done.
• Riuscire a can also be used with the future tense to emphasize one’s willingness to “manage to” get something done.
• Riuscire a can be used in place of farcela, which means, “to make it,” but can also mean “to manage to” or “to succeed.”

“Sono riuscito a trovare i documenti necessario per la riunione di domani.”

“I managed to find the necessary documents for the meeting tomorrow.”

“Sono riuscito a fare la spesa per la cena stasera dopo il lavoro.”

“I managed to go grocery shopping for dinner tonight after work.”

“Non sono riuscito a parlare con Maria alla festa ieri; lei era molto occupata.”

“I didn’t manage to talk with Maria at the party yesterday; she was very busy.”

“Sei riuscito a finire ancora il progetto? È passato già un mese!”

“You haven’t managed to finish the project yet? It’s been a month already!”

 

“Ho molto da fare la settimana prossima, ma riuscirò a venire a trovarti!”

“I have a lot to do next week, but I will manage to visit you!”

“Nostro figlio riuscirà a risparmiare i soldi per una macchina nuova. Anzi, dovrà riuscire; non gli diamo una lira!”

“Our son will manage to save money for a new car. Actually, he will have to manage; we will not give him a cent!”

 

“Marco sta male stamattina. Non ce la farà ad andare a scuola oggi.”

“Mark is not feeling well this morning. He will not make it to school today.”

“Marco sta male stamatina. Non riesce ad andare a scuola oggi.

“Mark does not feel well this morning. He cannot manage to go to school today.”

 

3. Use riuscire to describe how something has “turned out.”

“A mia nonna riesce alla perfezione la pasta al forno ogni volta.”

“My grandmother turns out perfect baked pasta every time.”

“Molte persone sono riuscite a venire alla la festa ieri sera.”

“Many people turned out for the party last night.”

 

 

4. Use [riuscire + bene] to describe if someone is “good at” something

• The verb riuscire is followed directly by bene when using the verb to describe what someone is “good at.” An alternative method would be to use bravo(a) + a to describe that a person is very talented or knowledgeable in their field.
• When using riuscire,  the verb that describes exactly what a person’s special talent is can be placed at the end of the sentence in it’s infinitive form.
• Or, the action verb describing what someone is “good at” can start the sentence and riuscire can be placed at the end. With this sentence structure, “a” should be placed before a name, to signify “to + name.” An indirect object pronoun should be placed before the verb risucire if an individuals’ name is not mentioned.

“Maria riesce bene a cucinare.  Ma lei non riesce bene a far cuocere il pane.”

“Maria is good at cooking. But she is not good at baking bread.”

“Cucinare a Maria riesce bene.  Ma cuocere il pane non le riesce bene.”

“Maria is good at cooking. But she is not good at baking bread.”

 

5. Use riuscire to describe being successful at something.

“La mia mostra è riuscita. Ho venduto dieci dipinti!”

“My show was a success. I sold ten paintings!”

“Giovanni è un bravo atleta; lui riesce in ogni sport che prova.”

“John is a talented athlete; he is successful at every sport he tries.”

 

6. Use riuscire with the adjectives simpatico/antipatico or difficile/facile colloquially to describe how someone or something “seems” or “comes across.”

 

“Maria mi è riuscito simpatico.”  / “Giorgio mi è riuscito antipatico.”

“Mary seems nice to me.”           / “George comes across as nasty to me.”

“Mi riesce facile immaginare di vivere in Italia.”  /  “Mi riesce difficile immaginare di vivere senza te.”

“It seems easy for me to imagine living in Italy.” / “It seems difficult for me to imagine living without you.”

7. Use the riuscire to describe “going out” again. 

• There are many Italian verbs that begin with “ri” to signify repetition of an action. Of note: ripetere  means to repeat. 
• Ri + uscire can mean “to go out again.” Therefore, the words “di nuovo” or “ancora” are not necessary.
• Riuscire is not used in the sense of “going out” on a date, which instead in Italian is simply, “Ho un appuntamento con…” for “I have an appointment/date with…”

“Devo riuscire di casa per sprigare commissioni.”

“I have to go out of the house again to run errands.”

“Sono appena tornato da fare la spesa ma ho dimenticato il vino per cena stasera. Devo risucire e comprarlo subito!”

“I just returned from grocery shopping but forgot the wine for dinner tonight. I have to go out again and buy it right away!”

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

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Verbs”

   Available on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com

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

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

Buon giorno a tutti! I have been trying to help you to learn Italian 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.” 

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

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

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

This post is the 44th in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group.  If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE.

Many “commonly used phrases” in Italian

start with “As far as I know…” 

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

See below for how this works.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sappia — Subjunctive Mood of Sapere 

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

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

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

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

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

Sapere – Presente Congiuntivo

io	sappia	I know
tu	sappia	you (familiar) know
Lei  lei/lui	sappia	you (polite) know she/he knows
noi	sappiamo	we know
voi	sappiate	you all know
loro	sappiano	they know

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just Grammar” and “Just the Verbs” books are now available to download on your cell phone. No APP needed! Purchase the rights today from our website at: http://www.learntravelitalian.com.

Books available on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com

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

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

Many “commonly used phrases” in conversation

use the Italian verb
prendere.

See below for how this works.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s Talk About…

The Many Uses of the  Italian Verb

Prendere

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

2. Use prendere to describe “picking up” someone

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

“Passerò/Passo a prenderti alle otto.”

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

Grazie! Passa a prendermi alle otto! Sto aspettando!

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

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

“Può venire alla stazione a prendermi?”

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

“Dai, prendi l’ultima fetta di pane!”

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

“Che cosa vuole prendere per dolce, signore?”

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

 

4. Use prendere to describe the act of taking medicine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Ho preso cinquanta euro al lavoro iera sera.”

“I earned 50 euros at work last night.”

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

He did not earn much money last year selling shoes.

 

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

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

“Sono preso(a) da questo libro.”

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

“Sono preso(a) da te.”

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

 

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

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

“Sono stato(a) preso da te.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Ha preso un abbaglio.”

“I made a mistake.”

 

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

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

“Mi sono preso un brutto raffredore improvvisamente.”

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

“Mi sono preso l’influenza ieri.”

“I came down with the flu yesterday.”

 

 

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

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

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

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

I was offended by you last night during the meeting!

 

 

9. Two more common phrases that use prendere 

Prendere in giro = to make fun of, to tease

Mio fratello maggiore mi prende sempre in giro. My big brother is always teasing me. Non mi prendere in giro! (negative command) Don’t make fun of me!

Prendere il sole = to sunbathe

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

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

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Verbs”

   Available on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com

Valentine Phrases in Italian for Your Special Someone

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.

 

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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. 

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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?

 

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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! 

 

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*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

 

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

 Purchase at amazon.com or Learn Travel Italian.com

 

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

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

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.” 

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.

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

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

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

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.” 

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.

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

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!

Conversational Italian for Travelers: “Just the Verbs”

   Available on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com