6 Parola del Giorno - Grammatica (1) Flashcards
The preposition “di” (1)
The preposition “di” (1)
Parola del Giorno - Grammatica Centrale
The next few posts will feature some highlights from our Piccola Guida series on prepositions.
Prepositions are notoriously difficult to master in Italian, but, with some patience and practice, you will soon get the hang of them!
The preposition (la preposizione) “di” has a variety of uses in Italian.
It should be noted that prepositions do not always translate easily from Italian to English, and there can be many meanings depending on how the preposition is used.
It is helpful to understand and learn how they are used in particular contexts; this method will help you master their uses!
Here are some of the most common uses of di:
1 POSSESSION
In Italian, the preposition “di” is used to convey possession.
Whereas English often uses an “apostrophe + s” to convey possession (Marco’s jacket), Italian uses “di + possessor”:
a. Questa è l’auto di mia sorella. Stai attento a non sporcarla, lei è una maniaca della pulizia!
→ This is my sister’s car. Pay attention not to get it dirty, she is a neat freak!
2 AUTHORSHIP
Use the preposition “di” to say that a book, article, poem, etc. is written by a particular person:
a. “Il vecchio e il mare” è un libro importante di Ernest Hemingway.
→ “The Old Man and the Sea” is an important book by Ernest Hemingway.
The preposition “di” (2)
The preposition “di”
Grammatica centrale
Parola del Giorno (#PdG)
I find the use of prepositions in any language — even English — to be complicated.
The preposition “di” is an important preposition in Italian, and it has a variety of uses
It is used to convey:
1 Possession:
a. L’auto di mia sorella è sporca.
→ My sister’s car is dirty.
2 Authorship:
a. Questo libro è di Mario Soldato.
→ This book is by Mario Soldato.
3 Material:
a. Prendo questa borsa di cuoio o di stoffa?
→ Do I get the leather or cloth bag?
4 For comparisons:
a. Giovanni è più basso di Marco.
→ Giovanni is shorter than Marco.
5 Time expressions; for example:
a. di mattina
→ in the morning
b. di notte
→ at night
6 Origins:
a. Di dove sei? Sono di Roma.
→ Where are you from? I’m from Rome.
7 Partitive:
The “Partitivo” is used to convey indefinite quantities of something
a. Vorresti dei biscotti o delle fragole dopo cena?
→ Would you like some cookies or some strawberries after dinner?
The verb “Piacere”
Piacere
For students learning Italian, learning how to use verbs like “piacere” can be challenging.
The verb “piacere” means “to like”, but it is important to remember that the more literal translation of “piacere” is “to be pleasing (to someone)”.
For example, if I wanted to say that I liked coffee, I could say:
→ Mi piace il caffè.
or
→ Il caffè piace a me.
or
→ Il caffè mi piace.
In Italian, the Object that one likes is the Subject of the sentence.
Remember that the Subject determines the form of the verb, not the person or people liking the object.
If I like both coffee and tea, then the form of “piacere” changes:
→ Mi piacciono il caffè e il te.
If I want to tell someone what you like coffee coffee and tea (like me), I can say:
→ Ti piacciono il caffè e il te.
If you and I want to say that we like both, you can say:
→ Ci piacciono il caffè e il te.
With the examples shown thus far, we have focused only on pronouns. These pronouns are indirect object pronouns since piacere is an intransitive verb. But what if you wanted to say that Giovanna, for example, likes both coffee and tea?
→ A Giovanna piacciono il caffè e il te.
Giovanna likes coffee and tea.
or
Coffee and tea are pleasing to Giovanna.
To recap: The number of the verb is determined by the object or objects being liked, not the person or people doing the liking!
In compound tenses, piacere requires the verb “essere”, not “avere”:
a. A Giovanna sono piaciuti il caffè e il te, ma ora non le piacciono più.
→ Giovanna liked coffee and tea, but now she does not like them anymore.
You can also liking an action of some kind. In Italian, infinitives follow piacere — no preposition is required to introduce the infinitive:
b. A loro piace ballare!
→ They like to dance!
If you want to say that you also like a particular thing or things or a similar activity, use the adverb anche and the proper tonic pronoun:
c. Michela: Mi piace ballare un sacco!
Giovanni: Anche a me piace ballare. Andiamo in discoteca sabato sera!
The verbs service, “occorrere” and “bastare” (to name a few) also utilize the same indirect construction as “piacere”.
Forming adverbs (Gli avverbi)
Forming adverbs (Gli avverbi)
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In Italian, adverbs typically precede the words that they modify. Italian adverbs come in three main types: simple, derived, and compound.
The simple ones are single words whose only function is to be an adverb, like “sempre”, “tardi”, etc.
Derived adverbs are those that are formed from adjectives by adding the suffix “-mente”, such as “lentamente” or “dolcemente”.
They can also be formed from nouns and verbs by adding the suffix “-oni”, such as “gattoni” (on all fours) or “ruzzoloni” (tumbling down)¹.
Compound adverbs are those that are made up of two or more words, like “dappertutto”, “infatti”, and so on.
Adverbs can also be phrasal, such as “di sera”, “poco fa”, and so on.
Many (derived) adverbs are formed from adjectives, which are quite common in spoken and written Italian.
To form them:
1 Add the suffix “-mente” to the end of the feminine for of an adjective if it has one.
2 If the adjective ends in “-e”, just add the “-mente” to the end: e.g.: “intelligente” becomes “intelligentemente”.
3 BUT…if the adjective ends in “-re”, you need to drop the last “-e”: “celere” become “celermente”.
4 BUT STILL…if the adjective ends in “-le”, you also need to drop the last “-e”: “visibile” becomes “visibilmente”
You can also form adjectives by using the expression “in modo” by simply placing the adjective after the expression: e.g.: “veloce” becomes “in modo veloce” = “velocemente”
Can you think of any adverbs that fall into the simple (also called primitive or primitivi), derived, or compound that are common and useful for our readers to know?
1 “Gattoni” comes from the noun “gatto” (cat).
“Ruzzoloni” comes from the verb “ruzzolare”, which means “to fall/tumble”.
Fare + Infinito - Diversi Esempi (1)
Grammatica Centrale
Fare + Infinito - Diversi Esempi (1)
Do you know how to use the verb “Fare + infinito”?
This construction is common in Italian; you will hear and read it everywhere. Therefore, it is important to understand what it means, how it is used, and how to use it in your own writing and conversation.
“Fare + infinito” means “to have/make someone do something” or “to have something done”.
a. Faccio ristrutturare la casa — non ne ho la più pallida idea come si fanno queste cose!
→ I am having the house renovated — I haven’t the slightest idea how one does these things!
b. Mia madre mi ha fatto rifare tutti i compiti perché secondo lei la qualità era terribile!
→ My mother made me redo all my homework because in her opinion the quality was terrible!
Fare + Infinito - Diversi Esempi (2)
Fare + Infinito - Diversi Esempi (2)
Object pronouns in “fare + infinito” constructions precede the verb unless “fare” is in the Infinitive:
a. Lo faccio pulire domani mattina quando vado in lavanderia.
→ I will have it cleaned tomorrow morning when I go to the cleaner’s.
Fare + Infinito - Diversi Esempi (3)
Fare + Infinito - Diversi Esempi (3)
When this construction is used in the Infinitive or Imperative (Command) Form, the (Direct and in some cases Indirect Object) Pronoun attaches to “fare”:
a. Devo farli capire che studiare è importante!
→ I have to make them understand that studying is important.
and
b. Fallo capire che non può giocare a calcio finchè non fa i compiti!
→ Make him understand that he cannot play soccer until he does his homework!
In sentences that use this construction where there are two objects, the thing is the Direct Object and the person (followed by the Preposition “a” when a noun or pronoun) is the Indirect Object:
a. Il professore mi ha mandato tutti i compiti che mio figlio non aveva completato due settimane fa. Gli faccio finire i compiti questo week end.
→ The teacher sent me all the homework that my son hadn’t completed two weeks ago. I will make him finish the homework this weekend.
b. Il professore mi ha mandato tutti i compiti che mio figlio non aveva completato due settimane fa. Li faccio finire a mio figlio questo week end.
→ The teacher sent me all the homework that my son hadn’t completed two weeks ago. I will make my son finish it this weekend.
c. Il professore mi ha mandato tutti i compiti che mio figlio non aveva completato due settimane fa. Glieli faccio finire questo week end.
→ The teacher sent me all the homework that my son hadn’t completed two weeks ago. I will make him finish it this weekend.
Fare + Infinito - Diversi Esempi (4)
Fare + Infinito - Diversi Esempi (4)
If you use the “fare + infinito” construction with a Compound Tense, the Past Participle (Il Participio Passato) for the verb “fare” — “fatto” — agrees in gender and number with the direct object pronoun:
a. Mi avete fatto lavare i piatti dopo cena ogni sera! Sono stanca di farlo! Chiedi a Mario, non fa niente di importante al momento.
→ You had me wash the dishes after dinner every evening! I am tired of doing it! Ask Mario, he’s not doing anything important right now.
b. Me li avete fatti lavare dopo cena ogni sera! Sono stanca di farlo! Chiedi a Mario, non fa niente di importante al momento.
→ You had me wash them after dinner every evening! I am tired of doing it! Ask Mario, he’s not doing anything important right now.
Prepositions in Italian - Types of
Grammar Note:
Did you know that in Italian there are four types of prepositions?
1 Semplice (like a, di, da, su, etc.),
2 Articolate (when the preposition combines with the definite article, like alla, dello, sullo, etc.),
3 Improprie (such as secondo, lungo, durante), and
4 Locuzioni preposizionali (such as a causa di, per mezzo di, etc.).
Preposizioni (I)
Preposizioni (I)
The simple preposition “a” in Italian has a multitude of uses.
The preposition “a” is often used before particular cities or places:
a Roma
a Firenze
a Berlino
but in Toscana¹
The following places and locations are also used with the preposition “a”:
a casa²
→ at home
a letto
→ in bed, to bed
alla stazione
→ at the station
Note that almost all the simple prepositions - except “per” and “fra”/”tra” - combine with the definite article.
1 The preposition in is used with regions and countries (in Toscana, in Italia).
2 Note that in some of these constructions, the Definite Article is not used.
Il Congiuntivo (I)
Il congiuntivo (I)
Understanding and using the Subjunctive
Parola del Giorno (#PdG)
The Subjunctive (il Congiuntivo) is not a tense but a mood (un modo).
If you are learning Italian, you will at some point need to learn the Subjunctive.
As a mood, the Subjunctive (or il Congiuntivo) is used to convey doubt, impossibility, and opinions.
In English, we sort of walk around the Subjunctive, but it’s common when we want to convey hypotheticals:
a. If I were taller, I could have been a basketball player.
As I have already grown up, I am not likely to get taller, so my statement is an expression of something that might have happened had I grown another few inches in height.
In English, the use of the Subjunctive conveys formality.
In Italian, the use of the Subjunctive is more common (although some linguists claim it is dying). Over the next couple of weeks, I will profile some important things to know about the Subjunctive.
For non-native speakers, the easiest way to approach learning this mood is to know and recognize verbs and expressions that require it, such as the following verbs:
1 Avere paura (di)
→ to be afraid (of)
2 Crèdere¹
→ to believe
3 Desiderare
→ to desire, to want
4 Immaginare
→ to imagine
5 Pensare
→ to think
6 Preferire
→ to prefer
7 Sperare
→ to hope
8 Temere
→ to fear
9 Volere
→ to want
Here are some examples:
a. Voglio che tu² non mi dica bugie!
→ I don’t want you to lie to me!
[Literally: I don’t want that you lie to me.]
b. Speriamo che non sia un problema per voi.
→ I hope it’s not a problem for you.
1 Remember in a previous post, we talked about how verbs ending in “-ere” have their stress either in the stem or the suffix. This verb has the stress in the stem.
2 Note the use of the Subject Pronoun! In our upcoming language guide on pronouns, the Subject Pronoun is often used in the Subjunctive to avoid ambiguity since all the verb forms are the same in the singular forms.
Il Congiuntivo (II)
Il Congiuntivo (II)
Part 2 in our posts on the Subjunctive (Il Congiuntivo) covers some important impersonal expressions that require the Subjunctive:
1 (Non) è giusto che…
→ It is (not) right that…
2 (Non) è importante che…
→ It is (not) important that…
3 (Non) è intelligente…
→ It is (not) intelligent that…
4 (Non) è meglio…
→ It is (not) better that…
5 (Non) è probabile…
→ It is (not) probable that…
6 (Non) è strano…
→ It is (not) strange that…
Some examples:
a. È strano che Maria non sia venuta alla festa di Giovanna.
→ It is strange that Maria didn’t come to Giovanna’s party.
b. Non è giusto che il professore ci abbia dato così tante pagine da leggere!
→ It is not right that the professor gave us so many pages to read!
Articolo indeterminativo
Grammatica Centrale – Indefinite Article
The Italian equivalent to the English “a” or “an” are the Indefinite Articles “un”, “uno” and “una” (un’).
The masculine forms are: “un” and “uno”.
The feminine forms are: “una” and “un’ “.
Here are some grammar rules that govern Indefinite Articles:
“Un” is used for masculine nouns that start with a vowel and most consonants:
→ un albero
or
→ un carciofo
ATTENZIONE! Sometimes students use the “un’ “ form with masculine nouns that begin with vowels!
The elision with nouns that start with a vowel IS ONLY FOR feminine nouns.
“Uno” is used before nouns that begin with “s+consonant”, “ps-“, “gn-“, “y”, and “z”:
→ uno zio, uno psicologo, uno gnocco, uno yogurt.
“Una” elides with nouns that start with vowels and becomes “un’”:
→ un’anatra, un’idiota (f.)
“Una” is used before all other feminine nouns:
→ una macchina, una penna
Reciprocal Verb – Verbi Reciproci
Reciprocal Verb – Verbi Reciproci
Grammatica Centrale
A previous post featured the verb “frequentare” (as well as “sposare”) that were used reciprocally.
A reciprocal verb form in Italian is used in the plural forms (noi, voi, and loro) because:
1 It involves two or more people.
2 Describes an action that they do to or with each other.
3 Reciprocal Verb forms are only used in the plural because there are always at least 2 people involved.
4 They typically include/imply each other in the translation (see the list of verbs below).
5 They take “essere” is compound tenses:
a. Ci siamo frequentati per due anni prima di sposarsi.
→ We dated each other for two years before getting married.
Some common reciprocal verbs:
1 abbracciarsi
→ to hug each other
2 frequentarsi
→ to date each other
3 odiarsi
→ to hate each other
4 scriversi
→ to write each other
5 vedersi
→ to see each other
Note that verbs can have non-reciprocal meanings as well!
Verbs conjugated using “Essere” (to be) and “Avere” (to have) (1)
Reminder:
In Il Passato Prossimo (the Perfect Tense), verbs can be conjugated with “avere” (to have) or “essere” (to be).
AVERE
a. Mario ha mangiato la polenta.
→ Mario ate the polenta / Mario has eaten the polenta.
b. Toni è andato a Milano.
→ Toni went to Milan / Toni has gone to Milan (literally “Toni is gone to Milan”).
With most verbs, we use “avere” (to have), especially those with a Direct Object.
a. Ho visto Lucia al supermercato.
→ I saw Lucia at the supermarket / I have seen Lucia at the supermarket.
b. Abbiamo preparato un dolce.
→ We made dessert / We have made dessert.
Verbs conjugated using “Essere” (to be) and “Avere” (to have) (2)
ESSERE
We use “essere” with:
1 Reflexive verbs like “lavarsi” (to wash), “vestirsi” (to get dressed), “divertirsi” (to have fun), etc.:
a. Mi sono divertita alla festa.
→ I had fun at the party.
b. Dove vi siete conosciuti?
→ Where did you meet each other?
2 Verbs showing movement, place, or change.
a. Ieri sono andato al cinema, mentre Bianca è rimasta a casa.
→ Yesterday I went to the movies, but Bianca stayed home.
b. Ma come sei cresciuto!
→ My, how you’ve grown!
Notes:
In compound tenses, verbs that are only used in the third person like:
“piacere” (to please),
“sembrare” (to seem),
“accadere” (to take place),
“succedere” (to happen),
“capitare” (to occur),
“bastare” (to be enough) or
“mancare” (to be missing)
are conjugated using “essere” (to be).
a. Mi è sembrato di vedere un gatto.
→ It seemed to me that I’d seen a cat.
b. Quanto è durato il film?
→ How long did the film last?
Verbs conjugated using “Essere” (to be) and “Avere” (to have) (3)
AVERE + ESSERE
Some verbs can be used with either “avere” (to have) or “essere” (to be).
a. Abbiamo cominciato l’università.
→ We started university / We have started university.
b. La lezione è cominciata?
→ Has class started?
We use the auxiliary verb “avere” (to have) when “avere” is the main verb and the auxiliary verb “essere” (to be) when “essere” is the main verb.
a. Ciro ha avuto in regalo un conto in banca.
→ Ciro has had a bank account given to him as a gift.
b. Betty è stata la proprietaria del Baldoria.
→ Betty was the owner of the Baldoria (more literally “has been”).
Subject Pronouns in Italian / Pronomi personali soggetto
In Italian, Subject Pronouns (Pronomi Personali Soggetto) are generally omitted since the Verb Endings (Le Eesinenze) provide for the number and person — in other words, they tell us not only singular and plural but also the Subject.
However, Subject Pronouns are typically used when:
1 When the verb ending is ambiguous, such as with the Subjunctive where the singular forms of the verb are identical:
a. All’università i miei colleghi sono convinti che io sia un somaro.
→ At university my colleagues are convinced I’m a dunce.
2 When the subject or subjects need to highlighted or contrasted for emphasis:
a. Non mi va di uscire! Io sono stanco, ma lei ha sempre la voglia, chiedi a Marina!
→ I don’t feel like going out. I am tired, but she always feels like it, ask Marina!
3 When the verb is not stated:
a. Madre/Mother: Ragazzi, chi vuole andare al cinema stasera?
→ Guys, who wants to go to the movies tonight?
Rodolfo: Io, mamma!
→ I do, mom!
Giulia: Non posso, mamma! Devo studiare!
→ I can’t, mom! I have to study!
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