Summer or winter, if you are in Italy you can’t not go out and take a spritz. Have you ever drank it? Did you know it wasborn in Italy? And do you know why it is called that? Let’s see what is the famous Italian spritz and how to prepare it.
It is said that the soldiers of the Austrian Empire during the Venetian domination of the nineteenth century used to dilute the Venetian white wine that they considered too strong with water. In fact, in German the term “spritzen” means “to spray” and in fact recalls the action of adding water.
The famous Italian cocktail was born between the 20s and 30s of the last century between Padua and Venice when Aperol and Select were born, two low-alcohol aperitifs.
In the 1970s, Spritz began to become one of the most famous drinks ever. In 2019 it entered the Olympus of the best-selling cocktails in the world, according to the ranking prepared by Drinks International.
The original is precisely the one with Aperol. But present variations and interpretations. You can taste it with Campari, Select, Cynar, and China Martini.
YOU ONLY NEED THESE INGREDIENTS
-prosecco
-aperol (or campari select, cynar or china martini)
In every language we find the so-called ‘idiomatic expressions’, which are sentences characteristic for their expressiveness; they are difficult to translate literally or rationally, so here we are with some italian idiomatic expressions
Here is a small list of commonly used italian idiomatic expressions.
Avere la stoffa del campione
To have what it takes to be a champion(E.g. Hai la stoffa del campione = You have what it takes to be a champion)
Averne fin sopra i capelli
To be fed up with something or someone(E.g. Ne ho fin sopra i capelli del mio lavoro = I’m fed up with my work)
Dai!
Come on!(E.g. Dai, andiamo al cinema, non vieni mai! = Come on, let’s go to the movies, you never come!)
Dare un colpo di telefono
To telephone(E.g. Dalle un colpo di telefono = Call her)
Dare per scontato
To take for granted(E.g. Non do mai niente per scontato = I never take anything for granted)
Darsi del tu, Dare del tu
To speak to each other informally, use an informal approach(E.g. Diamoci del tu = Let’s speak informally)
Darsi del Lei, Dare del Lei
To speak to each other formally, use a formal approach(E.g. Dai del Lei all’insegnante = use a formal approach with the teacher)
Dare anni in meno o in più
To give less years or more years (to define the age of a person)
Essere a secco
To be out of money or gasoline(E.g. Sono a secco = I’m out of money)
Essere giù di morale
To feel down(E.g. Sei giù di morale, perché? = You are feeling down. Why?)
Essere in piena forma
To feel great; be in great shape(E.g. Sono in piena forma = I’m in great shape)
Essere fuori di sé
To be angry, enraged, furious(E.g. Ieri ero fuori di me = Yesterday I was enraged)
Essere fuori di testa
To be out of control; nuts(E.g. Stai attenta, quello è fuori di testa = Be careful, he is nuts)
Essere tagliato per un lavoro
To be cut out for the job(E.g. Lui non è tagliato per quel lavoro = He is not cut out for that job)
Fare il bagno
To take a bath(E.g. Vado a fare il bagno = lit. I go to take a bath = I’m going to take a bath)
Fare benzina
To get gasoline(E.g. Devi fare benzina = You need to get gas)
Fare colazione
To have breakfast(E.g. Faccio colazione alle 8 = I have breakfast at 8)
Fare due passi
To take a walk(E.g. Voglio fare due passi = I want to take a walk)
Fare la doccia
To take a shower(E.g. Fatti la doccia! = Take a shower!)
Fare una foto
To take a photograph(E.g. Mi piace fare foto in vacanza = I like to take pictures on vacation)
Fare quattro chiacchiere
To chat(E.g. Facciamo quattro chiacchiere = Let’s have a chat)
Fare un salto
To drop by someone or somewhere(E.g. Faccio un salto stasera = lit. I drop by tonight = I’m dropping by tonight or I will drop by tonight)
Farsi un nome
To become well known(E.g. si è fatto un nome, è famoso = He is well known, he is famous)
Farsi in quattro
To work very hard(E.g. Mi faccio in quattro tutti i giorni = I work very hard every day)
Farsi le ossa
To gain experience (E.g. Si è fatto le ossa in fabbrica = He has gained experience in the factory)
Farsi prendere
To get caught up, to allow something or someone to take control of us(E.g. Lui si è fatto prendere dalle emozioni = He got caught up in emotions)
In bocca al lupo
Good luck; break a leg(E.g. Hai l’esame domani? In bocca al lupo! = Do you have the exam tomorow? Break a leg!)
Lasciare stare; Lasciare perdere
To give up(E.g. Lascia perdere, non ne vale la pena = Give it up, it is not worth it)
Mettersi in proprio
To set up on one’s own(E.g. Si è messa in proprio che era giovanissima = She set up her own business when she was very young)
Mi prendono i cinque minuti
I become furious, enraged(E.g. Quando lo vedo mi prendono i cinque minuti = When I see him I become enraged)
Mollare l’osso
To let go (E.g. Molla l’osso, non ne vale la pena = Let go, it is not worth it)
Non mi fa né caldo né freddo
It doesn’t make any difference to me(E.g. Zucchero o miele non mi fanno né caldo né freddo = Sugar or honey does not make any difference to me)
Non mollare
Don’t give up(E.g. Non mollare, devi dare l’esame! = Don’t give up, you need to take the test!)
Non vedere l’ora di..
Looking forward to/ Can’t wait(E.g. Non vedo l’ora di partire = I’m looking forward to starting/ I can’t wait for my trip)
Osso duro
Tough cookie(E.g. Lui è un osso duro = He is a tough cookie)
Passarsela bene
To have a good period in life(E.g. Me la passo proprio bene ora = I really have a good period of life now)
Prendere in giro
To pull one’s leg(E.g. Lei mi prende sempre in giro = She is always teasing me, pulling my leg)
Tenere a freno
To stop/control something or someone(E.g. Tieni a freno le tue emozioni= Control your emotions)
Tenere duro
To hold on, don’t give up(E.g. Tieni duro, ancora poco e hai finito = Hold on, in a little while you will be done)
Un tipo in gamba
A smart, capable person(E.g. Lei è davvero una tipa in gamba = She is truly smart)
A chi tocca? Tocca a noi.
Whose turn is it? It’s our turn.(E.g. Ora è il Suo turno, deve andare = Now it’s your turn, you have to go)
Vecchia roccia
Good, old, strong person/ friend(E.g. E’ una vecchia roccia, niente lo abbatte = He is a strong person, nothing discourages him)
Tu hai detto: “voglio andare con la mia macchina.“
Lui ha detto che vuole andare con la sua macchina.
Direct speech
Indirect speech
Other elements usually change:
qui/qua (here)
lì/là (there)
questo (this)
quello (that)
ora (now)
allora (then)
oggi (today)
quel giorno (that day)
ieri (yesterday)
il giorno prima (the day before)
domani (tomorrow)
il giorno seguente, il giorno dopo, l’indomani (the following day)
venire (to come)
andare (to go)
Tu hai detto: “domani ci incontriamoqui.“
Lui ha detto che il giorno seguente si sarebbero incontrati lì.
Direct speech
Indirect speech
The verbs in the indirect speech change accordingly:
presente (when the verb introducing the speech is in the present or sometimes the passato prossimo)
presente
presente (when the verb introducing the speech is in the past)
imperfetto
imperativo
di+infinito
futuro
condizionale passato
condizionale presente
condizionale passato
passato prossimo
trapassato prossimo
passato remoto
trapassato prossimo
Tu dici sempre: “vado al cinema” ma poi non ci vai mai.Tu hai detto: “vado al cinema” ma poi non ci sei andato.Tu hai detto: “domani ci incontreremo qui.“
Lui dice sempre che va al cinema ma poi non ci va mai.Lui ha detto che andava al cinema ma poi non c’è andato.Lui ha detto che il giorno seguente si sarebbero incontrati lì.
INDIRECT QUESTIONS
The transformation from direct to indirect question is the same as that for direct/indirect speech:
Direct question
Indirect question
La mamma domanda al bambino: “Hai fatto i compiti?”
La mamma domanda al bambino se ha fatto i compiti.
La mamma domandò al bambino: “Hai fatto i compiti?”
La mamma domandò al bambino se aveva fatto i compiti.
However, when we want to emphasize the indirect question (especially in writing) the subjunctive is required instead of the indicative:
Direct question
Indirect question
La mamma domanda al bambino: “Hai fatto i compiti?”
La mamma domanda al bambino se abbia fatto i compiti.
La mamma domandò al bambino: “Hai fatto i compiti?”
La mamma domandò al bambino se avesse fatto i compiti.
Nowdays, there is an increasing tendency among Italians to use the indicative instead of the subjunctive. However, the subjunctive is required for a proper use of the language.
To become aware of the basic structure of an Italian sentence, find the subject (who is doing the action in the sentence. E.g. I, you, they, Mary, Robert etc.) and then the verb (the word indicating which action is performed. E.g. to walk, to smile, to dance, etc.)
Example: “Io dormo” (I SLEEP) = SUBJECT and VERB.
If there is an object in the sentence, it usually follows the verb.
Example: “Io guardo la televisione” (I watch TV) = subject, verb and OBJECT/noun.
Please note that the English language usually does not require articles. The Italian language almost always requires articles: LA televisione (THE television).
Sometimes, with certain verbs or certain expressions you need to add a preposition (example: parlare di):
“Il libro parla di storia.” (The book talks about history).
Adjectives usually follow the noun (a part some exceptions like “questo/quello”, numerals and adjectives indicating quantity like “molto, poco, altro, troppo…”)
Example: “Io leggo un libro interessante” (I read an interesting book) = subject, verb, object/noun and ADJECTIVE.
“Questo libro è interessante. Ho pochi libri interessanti.” (This book is interesting. I have few interesting books.)
Adverbs modify or specify the meaning of a verb, adjective or another adverb.
1.If the adverb is referring to the verb it follows the verb.
Example: “Io guardo molto la televisione” (I watch TV a lot)
2. If there is an object, the adverb is placed after the verb or at the end of the sentence.
Example: “Io guardo sempre la televisione”.
“Io guardo la televisione sempre“.
(I always watch television. I watch television always.)
3. Some adverbs (like “mai, sempre, spesso, subito, ancora, finalmente, nemmeno, neanche, neppure, certamente, forse…” – never, always, often, now, so, finally, even, of course, maybe …) with compound verbs are placed between the auxiliary and the participle.
Example: “Non ho mai visto quel film”. (I’ve never seen that movie.)
4. If an adverb refers to a noun or an adjective, it is placed in front of it.
Example: “Guardo principalmente film d’azione”.
“Sono, anche se non sembra, piuttosto stanco”. (I watch mainly action movies. I am, even though it doesn’t seem so, rather tired.)
Some adverbs can change position in the sentence and in doing so they change the meaning of the sentence.
Example: “Vado al cinema solo con Marco” = è l’unica persona con cui vado al cinema. (I’m going to the movies only with Marco = he is the only person with whom I go to the cinema.)
“Vado solo al cinema con Marco” = con Marco vado solo al cinema non faccio altro. (I’m only going to the movies with Marco = it’s all I do with Marco, nothing else.)
In Italian the active construction the subject of the sentence is ‘active’ and the verb expresses his/her/its action: “La mamma prepara la cena“. “La mamma” (the mother) is the active subject, “prepara” (prepares) is the verb, “la cena” (the dinner) is the object.
All transitive and intransitive verbs have the active form
In the passive construction the subject is ‘passive’ and “undergoes” or “receives” the action performed by a doer (agent).
The verb changes into the passive form (using the auxiliary “essere”): “La cena è preparata dalla mamma“. “La cena” (the dinner) is the subject, “è preparata” (is prepared) is the passive verb, “dalla mamma” (the mother) is the agent.
Only the transitive verbs with an object expressed can have the passive form
The meaning of an active sentence (“La mamma prepara la cena”) and the meaning of a passive sentence (“La cena è preparata dalla mamma”) are practically the same. However, as the subject changes the emphasis of the sentence changes: in the first sentence (active) “la mamma” is the focus of the action and the most important element; in the second sentence (passive) “la cena” is the focus of the action and the most important element.
HYPOTHETICAL CONSTRUCTION (conditional clauses)
In Italian there are three forms of conditional clauses:
1) “Realtà” (reality) = expresses an action that will happen or it is very likely to happen. It uses the “Indicativo” or “Imperativo”:
Se piove, prendo l’ombrello. (If it rains, I’ll get the umbrella)
Se piove, prendi l’ombrello! (If it rains, get the umbrella!)
2) “Possibilità” (possibility) = expresses an action that might happen. It uses the “Congiuntivo imperfetto” and the “Condizionale presente” or “Imperativo”:
Se piovesse, prenderei l’ombrello. (If it rained, I would get the umbrella)
Se piovesse, prendi l’ombrello! (In case it rains: get the umbrella!)
3) “Impossibilità o irrealtà” (irreality) = expresses an action that cannot happen or could have happened but did not. Depending on the time the hypothesis refers to, it uses the “Congiuntivo trapassato” and the “Condizionale presente” or “Condizionale passato”:
Se avessi avuto l’ombrello l’avrei usato. (If I had had an umbrella, I would have used it.)
Se avessi usato l’ombrello ora non avrei il raffreddore! (If I had used the umbrella now I would not have a cold!)
The italian nouns can be feminine and masculine. Nouns are words that name and designate people, things, places.
FEMININE AND MASCULINE NOUNS
Nouns ending with “O” AND “A”
Italian nouns can be masculine and feminine, singular and plural. For example, the noun “gatto” (cat) has 4 forms:
The plural form of nouns ending with “o” ends with “i”
The plural form of nouns ending with “a” ends with “e”
Nouns ending with “O” OR”A”
Some nouns have only the masculine OR the feminine form (singular and plural). For example, the noun “libro” (book) is masculine:
Masculine
Feminine
Singular
librO
Plural
librI
The noun “sedia” (chair) is feminine:
Masculine
Feminine
Singular
sediA
Plural
sediE
Nouns ending with “E”
Some Italian nouns end with “e”. They can be masculine OR feminine. The only way to know their gender is by consulting a dictionary or deducting it from the article in front of the noun.
For example, the noun “fiore” (flower) is masculine. The noun “televisione” (television) is feminine. The plural form of ALL nouns (feminine or masculine) ending with “E” ends with “I”.
Masculine
Feminine
Singular
fiorE
televisionE
Plural
fiorI
televisionI
SINGULAR AND PLURAL
Italian nouns and adjectives can be masculine and feminine, singular and plural.
They change the ending vowel according to their gender (feminine or masculine) and number (singular or plural).
See the chart below for all the different endings:
Masculine nouns and adjectives ending with O
Femininenouns and adjectives ending with A
Masculine or femininenouns and adjectives ending with E
Singular
gattObellO
gattAbellA
televisionEinteressantE
Plural
gattIbellI
gattEbellE
televisionIinteressantI
The plural form of nouns and adjectives ending with “O” is “i”
The plural form of nouns and adjectives ending with “A” is “e”
The plural form of nouns and adjectives ending with “E” is “i”
IRREGULAR NOUNS
The Italian language has many irregular nouns.
Irregular nouns
Masculine
Feminine
Some nouns have an irregular plural.
uomo/uomini (man/men)
Some nouns have an irregular feminine form. Certain people prefer to use only the masculine form of the nouns indicated by * instead of the irregular femminine form (e.g. “La Signora Rossi è il presidente della società” – Ms. Rossi is the president of the company)
Some nouns have only the singular form, including all nouns ending with an accented vowel and all foreign nouns (e.g. “un re, due re” – one king, two kings)
Italian adjectives have O and A endings (e.g. “carino, carina” – singular), change in the plural (e.g. “carini, carine”) and always agree with the noun to whom they refer:
Masculine
Feminine
Singular
un ragazzO carinOil ragazzO carinO
una ragazzA carinAla ragazzA carinA
Plural
i ragazzI carinI
le ragazzE carinE
There are also adjectives that have E endings (e.g. “importante“, singular -“importanti”, plural). Adjectives ending with “E” maintain the same form for feminine and masculine but they change in the plural:
Masculine
Feminine
Singular
un ragazzO importantEil ragazzO importantE
una ragazzA importantEla ragazzA importantE
Plural
i ragazzI importantI
le ragazzE importantI
When adjectives refer both to a feminine and masculine noun they take the plural masculine form:
una donna e un uomo italiani
le sorelle e i fratelli simpatici
Agreements help in creating the music of Italian language!
POSITION OF THE ADJECTIVES
Some adjectives always precede the noun. Those adjectives are:
questo/a
quello/a
numerali (uno, due; primo/a secondo/a…)
aggettivi che indicano quantità (poco/a, molto/a, troppo/a, altro/a…)
Some adjectives may precede or follow the noun. When they precede the noun their meaning may be more “emotional”; when they follow the noun their meaning is literal and objective. For example: “un vecchio amico” means “a long-time friend”, while “un amico vecchio” means a friend who is old. Some adjectives with this “double” meaning are:
bello/a
bravo/a
brutto/a
buono/a
giovane
grande
lungo/a
nuovo/a
vecchio/a
…
Some adjectives always follow the noun. These are adjectives indicating:
color (giallo, rosso, blu…) form (freddo/a, caldo/a, basso/a, alto/a…) nationality (italiano/a, americano/a, inglese…) or adjectives modified by an adverb (una donna veramente simpatica, una macchina troppo costosa, un libro poco interessante)
questa penna blu Two adjectives joined by the conjunction “e” follow the noun:
una minestra buona e calda
POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
Possessive adjectives indicate who is doing the possession; they have the same form as possessive pronouns.
Remember that the difference between adjectives and pronouns is that adjectives go with the noun: “la mia penna” (my pen) while pronouns substitute the noun: “è mia!” (it’s mine!)
Singular (Possessive adjective applied to singular nouns)
Masculine
Feminine
mio
my/mine
mia
tuo
your/yours
tua
suo
his/his/its
sua
her/hers/its
nostro
our/ours
nostra
vostro
your/yours
vostra
loro
their/theirs
loro
Plural (Possessive adjective applied to plural nouns)
miei
my/mine
mie
tuoi
your/yours
tue
suoi
his/his/its
sue
her/hers/its
nostri
our/ours
nostre
vostri
your/yours
vostre
loro
their/theirs
loro
IRREGULAR ADJECTIVES
The adjectives “questo, quello, bello, grande, buono, santo” change form as follow:
SINGULAR
Masculine
Feminine
questo, quel, bel, gran/grande, buon, San (used before masculine nouns starting with consonant: e.g. “libro, Carlo”)
questa, quella, bella, gran/grande, buona, Santa (used before feminine nouns starting with consonant: e.g. “donna, Teresa”)
quest’, quell’, bell’, grand’/grande, buon, Sant’ (used before masculine nouns starting with vowel: e.g. “uomo, Antonio”)
quest’, quell’, bella/bell’, grand’/grande, buon’/buona, Sant’ (used before feminine nouns starting with vowel: e.g. “automobile, Anna”)
questo, quello, bello, gran/grande, buon/buono, Santo (used before masculine nouns starting with s+ consonant: e.g. “studente, Stefano”)
PLURAL
questi, quei, bei, grandi, buoni, Santi (used before masculine nouns starting with consonant: e.g. “libri, Pietro e Paolo”)
queste, quelle, belle, grandi, buone, Sante (used before feminine nouns starting with consonant and vowel: e.g. “donne, automobili, Lucia e Teresa”)
questi, quegli, begli, grandi, buoni, Santi (used before masculine nouns starting with vowel and s + consonant: e.g. “uomini, studenti, Apostoli”)
The adjectives ending in “co/ca” and “go/ga” add “h” in the plural (masculine and feminine):
Singular
Plural
bianco, bianca (white)
bianchi, bianche
largo, larga (large)
larghi, larghe
poco, poca (few, little)
pochi, poche
…
…
Exception to this rule are the following adjectives (they add “h” only in the feminine plural):
Singular
Plural
simpatico, simpatica (nice, pleasant)
simpatici, simpatiche
antipatico, antipatica (not nice, not pleasant)
antipatici, antipatiche
greco, greca (Greek)
greci, greche
…
…
COMPARATIVE
To form a comparison Italian uses “più” (more) or “meno” (less) with “di” or “che” (than); “(così) come” (as) or “(tanto) quanto” (as):
When to use “più…di, meno…di”
When to use “più…che, meno…che”
in comparisons between nouns or pronouns: 1) Pino è più simpatico di Lucignolo (Pino is nicer than Lucignolo) 2) Lucignolo è meno simpatico di lui (Lucignolo is less nice than him) with numerals and pronouns: 1) Ci sono più di 10 studenti (there are more than 10 students) 2) Loro lavorano meno di voi (they work less then you)
in comparison between nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives (qualities), that relate to the same subject: 1) Pino è più simpatico che antipatico (Pino is more pleasant than he is unpleasant) 2) Pino ama meno studiare che giocare (Pino loves studying less than playing) 3) Pino ha più giocattoli che libri (Pino has more toys than books) in comparison between adverbs and verbs: 1) Preferisco camminare più lentamente che velocemente (I prefer to walk more slowly than quickly) 2) Questa carne è più bruciata che cotta (this meat is more burned than cooked) 3) Preferisco dormire più che mangiare (I prefer to sleep more than eat)in comparison with a conjugated verb adding “quel”: 1) Lui è più furbo di quel che pensi (He is smarter than what you think) 2) Il cantante è meno bravo di quel che sembrava (the singer is less good than what he/she seemed) “Che” is required when the second word to compare is introduced by a simple preposition (in, su, per …) or a combined preposition (negli, sulla, nel…): 1) È più bello andare al mare che in montagna (it is nicer to go to the seaside than to the mountain)
“Così” and “tanto” are commonly omitted:
When to use “(così) come“
When to use “(tanto) quanto“
very common in colloquial speach 1) Sono alto come te (I am as tall as you are) 2) Amo mangiare come giocare (I like eating as well as playing)
in a comparison of “quantity”1) Lui è tanto simpatico quanto bello (he is as pleasant as handsome) 2) Ho tanta fame quanto te (I am as hungry as you are) 3) Pinocchio spende tanti soldi quanti ne guadagna (Pinocchio spends as much money as he earns.) Notice that in this case “tanto” and “quanto” agree with the nouns they refer to.
Irregular forms. Remember that the irregular forms are used, instead of the regular ones, to emphasize professional or material qualities:
Adjective
Comparative
buono (good)
migliore; più buono
cattivo (bad)
peggiore; più cattivo
grande (big)
maggiore; più grande
piccolo (small)
minore; più piccolo
SUPERLATIVE
Italian has two forms of superlative:
Superlativo relativo
Superlativo assoluto
formed with the definite article and “più” or “meno”: 1) Lei è la meno simpatica di tutta la scuola (she is the less pleasant in the entire school) 2) Questo libro è il più noioso che ho letto (this is the most boring book I read)
Important: più or meno may follow the noun, in which case the article is not repeated: 3) Lei è la ragazza più intelligente della scuola (she is the most intelligent girl in the school)
formed by dropping the ending of the adjective and adding -issimo, -issima- issimi or -issime:1) I cantanti sono bravissimi (the singers are extremely good)2) Questo libro è noiosissimo (this book is extremely boring)3) Questa ragazza è intelligentissima (this girl is extremely intelligent)
Irregular forms. Remember that the irregular forms are used, instead of the regular ones, to enphasize professional or material qualities:
Adjective
Comparative
Superlative
buono (good)
migliore
ottimo (buonissimo/a)
cattivo (bad)
peggiore
pessimo (cattivissimo/a)
grande (big)
maggiore
massimo (grandissimo/a)
piccolo (small)
minore
minimo (piccolissimo)
INDEFINITE ADJECTIVES
Indefinite adjectives give a very generic or indefinite information about the noun they refer to. Here is a chart of the most used:
Special notes
used only in the singular form
ogni (each)
it is invariable for masculine and feminine: “ogni donna” (each woman); “ogni uomo” (each man)
nessuno/a (no, any, not any)
when placed before the verb it does not use “non”: “nessun bambino ha mangiato al pizza” (none of the children ate the pizza). After the verb it requires “non”: “non ha mangiato la pizza nessun bambino” (none of the childern ate the pizza)
qualche (some, a few)
it is invariable for masculine and feminine. It requires the object or subject to whom it refers to be in the singular form: “qualche donna” (some women); “qualche uomo” (some men)
qualunque (any, either, whichever)
it is invariable for masculine and feminine: “qualunque donna” (any woman); “qualunque uomo” (any man)
qualsiasi (any, either, whichever)
it is invariable for masculine and feminine: “qualsiasi donna” (any woman); “qualsiasi uomo” (any man)
used mostly in the plural form
alcuni/e (some, a few)
it is mostly used in the plural form and it requires the object or subject to whom it refers to be in the plural form: “ho alcuni libri” (I have a few books, some books.) It may be used in the singular form only in negative sentences: “non ho alcuna informazione” (I don’t have any information)
used in the singular and plural form
alcuno/a/i/e (some, a few, no, not any)
it is used in the singular form only in negative sentences: “non ho alcuna informazione” (I don’t have any information); it is mostly used in the plural form and it requires the object or subject to whom it refers to be in the plural form: “ho alcuni libri” (I have a few books, some books)
altrettanto/a/i/e (as much, as many)
altro/a/i/e (other, different)
it may have also other meanings like: “l’altra domenica” (the past Sunday) or, used with the definite adjective, “quest’altra domenica” (this coming Sunday)
certo/a/i/e (certain, a certain)
it is used in general in the singular form and with the article: “un certo; una certa”; when it refers to something or someone that is not known or specified: “ti ha telefonato un certo Mario”
ciascuno/a/i/e (each)
diverso/a/i/e (several, various)
molto/a/i/e (many)
parecchio/a/chi/chie (quite a lot of, several)
poco/a/chi/che (little, few)
tale/i (certain, a certain)
it is used in general with the article: “un tale; una tale”; when it refers to something or someone that is not known or specified: “ti ha telefonato un tale Mario”; “ti ha telefonato una tale Anna”
The Italian pronouns are the elements of the sentence that indicate or replace the person, the animal or the object, that is doing an action, or receiving an action, without specifying (or repeating) his/her/its name or noun.
SUBJECT PRONOUNS
These pronouns indicate who is the subject of a sentence.
In a very formal use of the language, (especially in writing), the pronouns “egli” (he), “ella” (she), replace “lui” and “lei”. Rarely used, “esso” (it, m. sing), “essa” (it, f. sing), “essi” (they, m. pl.), “esse” (they f. pl) refer to animals or inanimate objects (“essi/esse” also to people).
To indicate inanimate objects, Italians commonly repeat the name of the object, or use “questo/a, questi/e” (this, these) instead of “esso/a, essi/e”.
Person
Singular
Plural
1st
io
I
noi
we
2nd
tu
you
voi
you
3rd
lui
he
loro
they
lei
she
Lei
you (formal)
REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
Reflexive pronouns are used when the action of the verb falls back on the subject of the verb.
They usually precede the verb: “mi lavo…” (I wash myself), unless the verb is in the infinitive form, in which case the pronoun is attached to the ending of the verb dropping the final “e” of the verb: “vado a lavarmi” (I go to wash myself.) With the forms “gerundio”, past participle and imperative, the pronouns are attached to the ending of the verb: “lavandomi, lavatosi, lavati” (washing myself, having washed himself, wash yourself!)
If the verbs “dovere, potere, volere” precede the infinitive of another verb, the pronoun may precede the form of “dovere, potere, volere” or may be attached to the ending of the infinitive:”mi devo lavare” or “devo lavarmi” (I have to wash myself.)
In a negative sentence the pronoun remains in front of the verb: “non mi lavo” (I don’t wash myself.)With compound tenses the pronoun remains in front of the verb: “mi sono lavato” (I have washed myself.)
Person
Singular
Plural
1st
mi
myself
ci
ourselves
2nd
ti
yourself
vi
yourselves
3rd
si
himself
si
themselves
si
herself
si
yourself (formal)
DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS
These pronouns answer the questions “Chi? che cosa?” (whom? what?)”
-“Guardo la televisione” (I watch TV)
-“Cosa guardi?” (What do you watch?)
-“Guardo la televisione. La guardo.” (I watch TV. I watch it.)
Direct object pronouns precede the verb “la guardo” (I watch it), unless the verb is in the infinitive form, in which case the pronoun is attached to the ending of the verb dropping the final “e” of the verb: “vado a guardarla” (I go to watch it.) With the forms “gerundio”, past participle and imperative, the pronouns are attached to the ending of the verb: “guardandola, guardatala, guardala!” (watching it, having watched it, watch it!)
If the verbs “dovere, potere, volere” precede the infinitive of another verb, the pronoun may precede the form of “dovere, potere, volere” or may be attached to the ending of the infinitive: “la devo guardare” or “devo guardarla” (I have to watch it.)
In a negative sentence the pronoun remains in front of the verb: “non la guardo” (I don’t watch it.)
With compound tenses the pronoun remains in front of the verb: “L‘ho guardata” (I watched it.) Remember that “lo” and “la” drop the vowel and take the apostrophe in front of the conjugated forms of “avere”.
Please note: the past participle agrees with the object replaced by the direct object pronoun: “l‘ho vista” (I saw her), “l‘ho visto” (I saw him)…
Person
Singular
Plural
1st
mi
me
ci
us
2nd
ti
you
vi
you
3rd
lo
him
li
them (masculine)
la
her
le
them (feminine)
La
you (formal)
INDIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS
These pronouns answer the questions “A chi? A che cosa?” (to whom? to what?)”
-“Io parlo” (I talk)
-“A chi parli?” (To whom are you talking?)
-“Parlo a Mario. Gli parlo.” (I talk to Mario. I talk to him.)
Indirect object pronouns precede the verb, “gli parlo” (I talk to him), unless the verb is in the infinitive form, in which case the pronoun is attached to the ending of the verb dropping the final “e” of the verb: “vado a parlargli” (I’m going to talk to him.)
With the forms “gerundio”, past participle and imperative, the pronouns are attached to the ending of the verb: “parlandogli, parlatogli, parlagli!” (talking to him, having talked to him, talk to him!)
If the verbs “dovere, potere, volere” precede the infinitive of another verb, the pronoun may precede the form of “dovere, potere, volere” or may be attached to the ending of the infinitive: “gli devo parlare” or “devo parlargli” (I have to talk to him.)
In a negative sentence the pronoun remains in front of the verb: “non gli parlo” (I don’t talk to him.)
With compound tenses the pronoun remains in front of the verb.
Please note: with compound tenses the verb never agrees with the indirect pronoun: “gli ho parlato” (I talked to him), “le ho parlato” (I talked to her.)
In formal writing the pronoun “loro” is preferred to the plural pronoun “gli” (to them.) “Parlo loro” (I talk to them) instead of “gli parlo”. Notice that “loro” follows the verb.
Person
Singular
Plural
1st
mi
to me
ci
to us
2nd
ti
to you
vi
to you
3rd
gli
to him
gli
to them (masculine)
le
to her
gli
to them (feminine)
Le
to you (formal)
PRONOUNS “NE” and “CI”
“Ne” and “ci” are pronominal particles.
“Ne” replaces “di questo/a/i/e, un po’ di, alcuni/e, di ciò…” (of it, of them, some of it, any, about this…) or an entire sentence.
“Ci” replaces “là, lì, qui, qua” (there, here) or a previously mentioned place.
They follow the rules of the other pronouns:
*They precede the verb, “ne prendo” (I take some of it), “ci vado” (I go there), unless the verb is in the infinitive form, in which case the pronoun is attached to the ending of the verb dropping the final “e” of the verb: “vado a prenderne” (I’m going to take some of it),”voglio andarci” (I want to go there.) With the forms “gerundio”, past participle and imperative, the pronouns are attached to the ending of the verb: parlandone, parlatone, parlane!” (talking about that, having talked about that, talk about that!)
*If the verbs “dovere, potere, volere” precede the infinitive of another verb, the pronoun may precede the form of “dovere, potere, volere” or may be attached to the ending of the infinitive: “ne devo prendere” or “devo prenderne” (I have to take some of it); “ci devo andare” or “devo andarci” (I have to go there.)
*In a negative sentence the pronoun remains right in front of the verb: “non ne prendo”, “non ci vado” (I don’t take any of it; I don’t go there.)
*With compound tenses the pronoun remains in front of the verb. Please note: with compound tenses the past participle agrees with the object replaced by ne: “ne ho prese due” (di mele ) (I took two apples); “ne ho presi due” (di libri) (I took two books.)
RELATIVE PRONOUNS
Relative pronouns substitute a noun and create a ‘relation’ between two sentences:
“Abbiamo conosciuto delle persone che sono molto simpatiche”. (We have met some people who are very nice).
The pronouns “che”, “cui”, “il quale, la quale, i quali, le quali” (who, which, whom, that) are relative pronouns.
►”che” is the most used relative pronoun, but it cannot be used after a preposition:
“L’amica che arriva si chiama Roberta.” (The friend who is arriving is called Roberta.)
“Il libro che leggo è interessante.” (The book that I read is interesting. The book I’m reading is interesting.)
►”Cui” is used after a preposition:
“L’amica a cui scrivo si chiama Roberta.” (the friend to whom I’m writing is called Roberta.)
“La penna con cui scrivo non funziona bene.” (The pen with which I’m writing doesn’t work well.)
►”il quale, la quale, i quali, le quali” may replace “che” or “cui”. They are used, especially in writing, to create emphasis or to be more specific:
“L’amica alla quale scrivo si chiama Roberta.” (The friend to whom I’m writing is called Roberta.)
“La penna con la quale scrivo non funziona bene.” (The pen with which I’m writing doesn’t work well.)
“Il documento, il quale è stato firmato da voi, è stato spedito ieri.” (The document, which has been signed by you, was delivered yesterday.)
L’amica di Roberto, il quale è ospite da me, è simpatica. (The friend of Roberto, who is living with me, is very nice. In this case “il quale” specifies that Roberto is the one living with me.)
L’amica di Roberto, la quale è ospite da me, è simpatica. (The friend of Roberto, who is living with me, is very nice. In this case “la quale” specifies that the friend is the one living with me.)
Please note: in Italian there are other uses of “che”. In order to know if “che” is a relative pronoun, you can substitute it with “il quale, la quale…”. Otherwise it may be one of the following:
Interrogative adjective: Che libro porto a scuola oggi? (Which book do I bring to school today?)
Interrogative pronoun: Che vuoi? (What do you want?)
Exclamatory adjective: Che macchina! (What a car!)
Exclamatory pronoun: Che devo sentire! (What do I have to listen to!)
Comparative: È più bello mangiare che studiare! (Eating is better than studying.)
As a conjunction: Lui ha detto che torna domani. (He said that he is coming back tomorrow.)
“La ragazza che ho conosciuto ieri è simpatica.” (The girl whom I met yesterday is nice.)
“Ho trovato chi farà il lavoro”. (I found the person who will do the job.)
“Chi” is a mixed relative pronoun (indefinite or interrogative):
Interrogative: “Chi viene a cena?”
Indefinite: “Chi mi ama mi segua!”
COMPLEMENTO DI SPECIFICAZIONE
The definite article, “il, la, i, le”, + “cui” + noun, forms the “complemento di specificazione” (whose.) The article must agree in gender and number with the noun that follows “cui”:
►Alberto, la cui sorella hai conosciuto ieri, è partito per gli Stati Uniti. (Alberto, whose sister you met yesterday, left for the United States.)
►Alberto, il cui fratello hai conosciuto ieri, è partito per gli Stati Uniti. (Alberto, whose brother you met yesterday, left for the United States.)
PERSONAL OBJECT PRONOUNS – STRONG
These pronouns are called “strong” because they create emphasis in the sentence.
They are used only after a preposition or a verb:
“Vieni con me” (come with me)
“Lui pensa solo a sé”
“Voglio chiamare te
Compare:
Il direttore mi ha invitato a cena. (The director invited me for dinner).
Il direttore ha invitato me a cena. (The director invited me, just me, for dinner!)
Person
Singular
Plural
1st
me
me
noi
us
2nd
te
you
voi
you
3rd
lui, sé
him, himself,
loro, sé
them, themself (masculine)
lei, sé
her, herself
loro, sé
them, themself (feminine)
Lei
you (formal)
DOUBLE OBJECT PRONOUNS
The indirect object pronouns combined with the direct object pronouns form the double object pronouns.
Double pronouns avoid repetitions and create a certain emphasis and ‘speed’ in the sentence.
“Mando una lettera a lui. Gliela mando.” (I send a letter to him. I send it to him.)
Indirect Object Pronoun
+
Direct Object Pronoun
=
Double Object Pronouns
mi
+
lo, la, li, le, ne
=
me lo, me la, me li, me le, me ne
ti
+
lo, la, li, le, ne
=
te lo, te la, te li, te le, te ne
gli
+
lo, la, li, le, ne
=
glielo, gliela, glieli, gliele, gliene
le, Le
+
lo, la, li, le, ne
=
glielo, gliela, glieli, gliele, gliene
ci
+
lo, la, li, le, ne
=
ce lo, ce la, ce li, ce le, ce ne
vi
+
lo, la, li, le, ne
=
ve lo, ve la, ve li, ve le, ve ne
gli
+
lo, la, li, le, ne
=
glielo, gliela, glieli, gliele, gliene
si
+
lo, la, li, le, ne
=
se lo, se la, se li, se le, se ne
The position of the double object pronouns in the sentence follows the rules of the other pronouns:
Double object pronouns precede the verb, “gliene parlo” (I talk to him about that), unless the verb is in the infinitive form, in which case the pronoun is attached to the ending of the verb dropping the final “e” of the verb: “vado a parlargliene” (I’m going to talk to him about that.) With the forms “gerundio”, past participle and imperative, the pronouns are attached to the ending of the verb (parlandogliene, parlatogliene, parlagliene!) (talking to him/her about that, having talked to him/her about that, talk to him/her about that!)
If the verbs “dovere, potere, volere” precede the infinitive of another verb, the pronoun may precede the form of “dovere, potere, volere” or may be attached to the ending of the infinitive: “gliene devo parlare” or “devo parlargliene” (I have to talk to him about that.)
In a negative sentence the pronoun remains in front of the verb: “non gliene parlo” (I don’t talk to him about that.)
With compound tenses the pronouns remain in front of the verb. Please note: the past participle agrees with the object replaced by the double object pronoun: “le ho dato la mela” (I gave her the apple), “gliela ho data” (I gave it to her.)
Remember that “lo” and “la” drop the vowel and take the apostrophe in front of the conjugated forms of “avere”: “gliel‘ ho data” (I gave it to her) “me l‘ ha data” (he/she gave it to me)…
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
Indefinite pronouns give a very generic or indefinite information about the object or subject they refer to. Here is a chart of the most used:
Special notes
used only at the singular
chiunque (anyone, anybody)
ognuno/a (each one)
nessuno/a (nobody)
when placed before the verb it does not require “non”: “nessuno ha chiamato” (nobody called.) After the verb it requires “non”: “non ha chiamato nessuno” (nobody called.)
niente (nothing)
when placed before the verb it does not require “non”: “niente gli fa paura” (nothing scares him.) After the verb it requires “non”: “non gli fa paura niente” (nothing scares him.)
nulla (nothing)
when placed before the verb it does not require “non”: “nulla gli fa paura” (nothing scares him.) After the verb it requires “non”: “non gli fa paura nulla” (nothing scares him.)
qualcuno/a (someone)
qualcosa (something)
uno/a (one, someone)
used mostly or only at the plural
alcuni/e (some -people, things)
it is mostly used in the plural form and it requires the object or subject to whom it refers to be in the plural form: “alcuni non amano leggere” (some people don’t like to read.)
certi/e (some -people, things)
used at the singular and plural
alcuno/a/i/e (nobody, nothing, not any)
it is used in the singular form only in negative sentences: “ti ho già detto che non ho penne; non ne ho alcuna” (I already told you I don’t have pens; I don’t have any.)
altrettanto/a/i/e (as much, as many)
altro/a/i/e (other, different)
ciascuno/a/i/e (each one)
diverso/a/i/e (several, various)
molto/a/i/e (many)
parecchio/a/chi/chie (quite a lot of, several)
poco/a/chi/che (little, few)
tale/i (certain, a certain)
it is used in general with the article (“un tale; una tale”) when it refers to something or someone that is not known or specified: “ti ha telefonato un tale”; “ti ha telefonato una tale” (someone called you.)
tanto/a/i/e (a lot of, much, many)
troppo/a/i/e (too much, too many)
tutto/a/i/e (all)
vario/a/ri/rie (various, several quite a few)
VERBS COMBINED WITH PRONOUNS
Certain verbs, combined with certain pronouns, are used idiomatically. Here is a small list of commonly used ‘verbs with pronouns’. Check the lessons for more details.
Andarsene
To go away(E.g. Me ne vado = I’m going away)
Avercela con qualcuno
To be angry at someone (E.g. Ce l’ho con te = I’m angry at you)
Cavarsela
To get away with something or someone, to manage(E.g. Me la sono cavata bene = I have managed well)
Comprarsi
To buy for oneself(E.g. Mi sono comprato la macchina = I have purchased the car)
Farcela
To succeed(E.g. Ce l’ho fatta! = I made it! I have succeeded!)
Fregarsene
Not to give a damn(E.g. Me ne frego = I don’t give a damnFregatene = let go, forget it Non me ne frega niente = I do not care at all )
Mettercela tutta
To do everything one can possibly do(E.g. Ce la sto mettendo tutta = I’m doing all I can possibly do)
Metterci
How much time one needs to do something(E.g. Per andare in ufficio ci metto due ore = It takes me two hours to go to the office)
Passarsela bene
To have a good period in life(E.g. Me la passo bene = I have a good period of life)
Prendersela con qualcuno per qualcosa
To get offended with someone for something (E.g. Te la prendi sempre con lui per tutto = you always get offended with him for everything)
Provarci
To try to do something(E.g. Provaci! = Try!)
Riuscirci
To succeed(E.g. Ci sono riuscito = I have made it)
Sentirsela
To feel you can do something(E.g. Non me la sento = I don’t feel I can do it)
Volerci
To need; to take; how long or how much it takes to do something(E.g. ci vogliono tre ore per andare in città = it takes three hours to go in town.Quanto ci vuole? = how much is it?)
Volercene
To take a lot of effort to do something(E.g. Ce ne vuole per diventare ricchi! = it takes a lot of effort to become rich!)
Let’s see the Italian numbers. Cardinal numbers indicate quantity; they are invariable. Ordinal numbers indicate a sequence; they agree (in gender and number) with the noun to whom they refer.
Please note: “uno” is used like the article “un, una, uno” and agrees with the noun to whom it refers: “una penna” (a pen; one pen), “un cane” (a dog; one dog). The compound numbers “ventuno, trentuno…” are invariable: “ventuno penne” or “ventun penne” (twentyone pens), “ventuno cani” or “ventun cani” (twentyone dogs).
Cardinal
Ordinal
uno due tre quattro cinque sei sette otto nove dieci undici dodici tredici quattordici quindici sedici diciassette diciotto diciannove venti ventuno ventidue ventitré …
The Italian “prepositions” link and establish specific relations among words or group of words. They are divided in Simple and Combined.
SIMPLE PREPOSITIONS
Di
of, made of, about, by, from
A
to, in, at
Da
from, to, at, by
In
in, into, by, on
Con
with
Su
on, upon
Per
for, in order to, through
Tra, Fra
among, between, in, within
COMBINED PREPOSITIONS
The definite articles, “il, lo, l’, la, i, gli, le”(the), combined with the simple prepositions, “di, a, da, in, su” (of, to, from, in, on), form the combined prepositions.
Con, per, tra and fra do not combine with the article (e.g.: vado CON GLI amici – I go with the friends)
Articles
il
lo
l’
la
i
gli
le
Prepositions
Di
del
dello
dell’
della
dei
degli
delle
A
al
allo
all’
alla
ai
agli
alle
Da
dal
dallo
dall’
dalla
dai
dagli
dalle
In
nel
nello
nell’
nella
nei
negli
nelle
Con
Su
sul
sullo
sull’
sulla
sui
sugli
sulle
Per
Tra, Fra
USE OF PREPOSITIONS
The use of prepositions can, at times, be very confusing. Besides the most logical uses (e.g. “di” = of, used to indicate possession) prepositions are often used in an idiomatic way. Certain verbs, words and expressions require the use of specific prepositions.
The only way to learn the idiomatic uses of prepositions is by practicing the language, reading Italian texts, checking the dictionary (a good dictionary always indicates which prepositions are used with certain verbs or words) or asking an Italian friend or teacher for clarifications.
A small list of rules for the use of prepositions:
with the name of a town we use the preposition “a”; “abito a Roma” (I live in Rome)
with the name of a country we use the preposition “in”; “abito in Italia” (I live in Italy)
with names of countries used in the plural (e.g. “Stati Uniti”) we use the preposition combined with the article; “abito negli Stati Uniti; vengo dagli Stati Uniti” (I live in the United States; I’m coming from the States)
with “signora, signor, signore” and with names defining a profession (e.g. “dottore, professore, avvocato…”) we use the preposition combined with the article; “vado dalla signora Rossi. Telefono al dottore” (I pass by Mrs. Rossi. I call the doctor)
going to a place defined by the name of a person or by the profession of a person we use “da”; “vado da Mario. Vado dalla signora Rossi.Vado dal dottore” (I’m going at Mario’s. I’m passing by Mrs Rossi’s apartment. I’m going to the doctor)
to quantify time in the past we use the preposition “da”; “abito in Italia da tre anni” (I’ve been living in Italy for three years)
to express the use or destination of an object we use “da”; “vestito da sera; tazza da tè” (evening dress; tea cup)
The following words are commonly used with the following prepositions:
lontano da; “abito lontano da te” (I live away from you)
vicino a; “abito vicino a te” (I live near by you)
prima di; “prima di dormire lavo i denti” (before sleeping I brush my teeth)
di fronte a; “abito di fronte alla scuola” (I live in front of the school)
sono felice/contento di; “sono felice di vederti; sono contento di andare al cinema” (I’m happy to see you; I’m happy to go and see a movie)
avere bisogno di; avere bisogno di qualcuno o qualcosa, ho bisogno di te, ho bisogno di una penna (to be in need of; to need someone or something. I need you, I need a pen)
vado in montagna (I go to the mountains)
vado in campagna (I go to the countryside)
vado al mare (I go to the seaside; in this case the preposition “a” is combined with the article “il”)
vado a casa (I go home)
vado a scuola (I go to school)
vado in ufficio (I go to the office)
vado al cinema (I go to the movie theatre; in this case the preposition “a” is combined with the article “il”)
avere fiducia in qualcuno (to trust someone)
fino a… (until…)
VERBS FOLLOWED BY PREPOSITIONS
The following verbs are commonly used with the following prepositions:
telefonare a; “io telefono a mia madre” (I call my mother)
insegnare a; “insegno ai bambini; insegno a parlare italiano” (I teach children; I teach them to speak Italian)
andare a; “vado a casa. Vado a trovare il mio amico” (I’m going home. I’m going to visit my friend)
aiutare a + infinito; “aiuto i bambini a fare i compiti” (I help the children with the homeworks)
cominciare a + infinito; “comincia a fare freddo” (it is starting to be cold)
continuare a + infinito; “continua astudiare” (keep on studying)
divertirsi a + infinito; “mi diverto a dare fastidio al gatto” (I’m having fun bothering the cat)
imparare a + infinito; “imparo ad andare in bicicletta” (I’m learning to bike)
iniziare a + infinito; “inizio a studiare francese” (I’m starting to study French)
riuscire a + infinito; “riesco a pattinare un po'” (I manage to skate a little bit)
sorridere a + oggetto; “sorridere a qualcuno; sorrido a te” (to smile at someone; I smile at you)
venire a + infinito; “vengo a trovarti” (I’m coming to visit you)
cercare di + infinito; “cerca di imparare” (try to learn)
chiedere di + infinito; “ti chiedo di studiare di più” (I’m asking you to study more)
credere di + infinito; “credo di avere la febbre” (I believe I’m running a fever)
dimenticare di + infinito; “ti dimentichi sempre di telefonare!” (you always forget to call)
dire di + infinito; “la mamma dice di fare silenzio” (mommy says to be silent)
pensare di + infinito; “penso di studiare francese” (I’m thinking about studying french)
ricordarsi di + infinito; “ricordati di telefonarmi” (remember to call me)
smettere di + infinito; “smetti di fare così” (stop doing that)
suggerire di + infinito; “il professore suggerisce di studiare e fare sport” (the teacher suggest that we study and do sport)
