PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: COMPLETE ITALIAN GRAMMAR (PREMIUM SECOND EDITION)

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Complete

Italian Grammar

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Marcel Danesi, PhD

Complete

Italian Grammar

PREMIUM SECOND EDITION

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reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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v

Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xi

1 Nouns and titles 1

Common nouns 1

Gender patterns 5

Spelling adjustments in the plural 7

Mass nouns 10

Proper nouns and titles 11

Grammar in culture 14

2 More about nouns 16

More gender patterns 16

Nouns of Greek origin 18

Other types of nouns 20

Altered nouns 23

Compound nouns 25

Grammar in culture 28

3 Articles 29

The indefinite article 29

The definite article 31

Uses of the indefinite article 34

Uses of the definite article 35

Grammar in culture 41

4 Adjectives 42

Descriptive adjectives 42

Invariable adjectives 43

Position 45

Form-changing adjectives 48

Comparison of adjectives 53

Grammar in culture 57

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vi Contents

5 Pronouns 59

Subject pronouns 59

Object pronouns 61

Stressed pronouns 64

Other pronouns 67

Grammar in culture 70

6 More pronouns 72

Object pronouns with compound tenses 72

Double pronouns 74

Attached pronouns 76

Grammar in culture 80

7 Demonstratives 82

The demonstrative of nearness 82

The demonstrative of farness 83

Demonstrative pronouns 85

Indicating words and expressions 88

Grammar in culture 90

8 Possessives 92

Possessive adjective forms 92

The third-person forms 95

Possessives with kinship nouns 97

Possessive pronouns 99

Grammar in culture 103

9 Partitives 104

Partitives with count nouns 104

Alternative forms 106

Partitives with mass nouns 108

Partitives in the negative 109

Adjectives indicating quantity 111

Grammar in culture 113

10 Present tenses 115

The present indicative of regular verbs 115

Irregular verbs in the present indicative 120

The present subjunctive of regular verbs 122

Irregular verbs in the present subjunctive 126

Special uses of the subjunctive 128

Grammar in culture 131

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Contents vii

11 Past tenses 132

The present perfect 132

Irregular past participles 137

The past subjunctive 140

The past absolute 142

Irregular verbs in the past absolute 145

Grammar in culture 149

12 The imperfect and pluperfect tenses 150

The imperfect indicative 150

The imperfect subjunctive 153

The pluperfect tenses 156

Grammar in culture 161

13 The progressive tenses 162

The gerund 162

The present progressive tenses 164

The imperfect progressive tenses 166

Grammar in culture 170

14 The future and conditional tenses 171

The future 171

The future perfect 175

The conditional (present and past) 177

Hypothetical sentences 182

Grammar in culture 185

15 The imperative 186

Regular forms of the imperative 186

The negative imperative 190

Irregular forms 191

Grammar in culture 195

16 Reflexive verbs 196

Forms 196

Compound tenses 199

Imperative forms 201

Grammar in culture 205

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viii Contents

17 Prepositions and adverbs 206

Prepositional contractions 206

Uses of the prepositions 209

Adverbs of manner 211

Other kinds of adverbs 213

Comparison of adverbs 216

Grammar in culture 218

18 Sentences 220

Interrogative sentences 220

Question words 222

Negative sentences 225

Objects 227

Conjunctions and relative pronouns 229

Grammar in culture 233

19 Numbers 235

The cardinal numbers 235

Telling time 240

The ordinal numbers 243

Numerical expressions 245

Dates 246

Grammar in culture 249

20 Miscellaneous topics 250

The verb piacere 250

The passive and the impersonal si 253

Other topics 256

Grammar in culture 260

Irregular verb tables 261

Italian-English glossary 272

English-Italian glossary 279

Answer key 286

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ix

Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian Grammar focuses on topics of importance to intermediate- to advanced-level learners. By concentrating on areas of

grammar for making more complex, meaningful sentences and conversations,

the book is designed to improve the ability to communicate effectively in Italian

at higher levels.

Practice Makes Perfect is, thus, geared toward those who have already learned

the basics of grammar, focusing on topics that consistently need to be practiced in

an in-depth manner by non-beginning learners. The book covers topics that often

prove difficult for English speakers when they learn Italian, such as the correct use

of object pronouns. Numerous practical exercises give students the opportunity

to test what they have learned.

There are twenty chapters covering everything from the formation and use

of nouns to the structure of sentences and clauses. Each chapter is designed to

deal with a topic of grammar as completely as possible.

Each chapter presents the main points related to a topic. Each point is followed by an Esercizio. Along the way, information boxes provide further detail

on some topics, offer tips, or introduce related vocabulary. At the back of the book,

there are Italian-English and English-Italian glossaries (containing all the words

and expressions used in the book), irregular verb charts, and the answers to all

the exercises.

This handbook is designed as a reference grammar for intermediate or

advanced learners with a large practice component—there are over 300 distinct

exercise questions consisting of various types and parts. As they say, practice

makes perfect. It can also be used as a textbook in intermediate courses of Italian,

since it contains the same kinds of information and exercises that are normally

found in such courses and in more elaborate formal textbooks. The difference is

that this book takes nothing for granted. As mentioned, it contains many sidebars

throughout to clarify, supplement, or complement a topic. This feature will allow

you to stay within the confines of this single book. You will not need to resort to

other materials. Although it is review grammar, very little has been taken for

granted!

This Premium Second Edition presents several new features. At the end of

each chapter is a Grammar in culture section that links a grammar topic to culture or usage, with a related exercise. This section underscores the relevance of

grammar to the study of culture.

Preface

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In addition, extensive support materials are available in the McGraw-Hill Education Language Lab app:

◆ Flash cards comprising all vocabulary used in this book

◆ An auto-fill glossary (a digital version of the glossaries at the back of this book)

◆ Audio recordings of the Answer key for exercises with complete-sentence answers in Italian. With the mobile version of this app, you can record your own answers, then replay

them alongside the native-speaker recordings.

Buon divertimento!

x Preface

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xi

Acknowledgments

I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Garret Lemoi of McGraw-Hill for his

superb editing and encouragement, not to mention his wonderful advice. I also

thank Grace Freedson for her support and help. I am truly grateful to her.

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Complete

Italian Grammar

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1

Nouns and titles

Simple Italian sentences, like English sentences, are composed of a subject, a verb,

and an object. The subject consists of a noun or noun phrase. It is what the sentence is about and around which the rest of the sentence revolves. The subject is,

more generally, the performer of some action. Many types of objects also consist

of a noun (or noun phrase). In this case the noun is the person, concept, thing,

etc., toward which the action of the verb is directed or to which a preposition

expresses some relation. This unit and the next one describe nouns.

Mio nipote studia la matematica. My grandson studies math. (subject

noun phrase)

L’amore esiste dappertutto. Love exists everywhere. (subject noun)

Ieri sera io ho chiamato mia nipote. Last night I called my granddaughter.

(object noun phrase)

Lui è un amico caro. He’s a dear friend. (object noun

phrase)

Lei vive in periferia. She lives in the suburbs. (object noun

phrase)

Abbiamo comprato un televisore We bought a plasma TV. (object noun

plasma. phrase)

Nouns can be regular or irregular. Regular ones have predictable endings in

the singular and plural. Nouns are also classified as either common or proper. The

former refer to persons, objects, places, concepts, and all the other things that

make up the world. Proper nouns are the actual names and surnames given to

people, geographical places and formations, brands, and the like.

Common nouns

A common noun can generally be recognized by its vowel ending, which indicates

if it is masculine or feminine. This is called grammatical gender. Gender is important because it determines the form of both the articles and adjectives that accompany nouns in sentences and phrases. Generally, nouns ending in -o are masculine.

They are made plural by changing the -o to -i.

·1·

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2 practice makes perfect Complete Italian Grammar

MASCULINE SINGULAR MASCULINE PLURAL

figlio son figli sons

gatto cat gatti cats

libro book libri books

ragazzo boy ragazzi boys

zio uncle zii uncles

Nouns ending in -a are generally feminine. They are made plural by changing the -a to -e.

FEMININE SINGULAR FEMININE PLURAL

casa house case houses

figlia daughter figlie daughters

penna pen penne pens

ragazza girl ragazze girls

zia aunt zie aunts

Lastly, nouns ending in -e are either masculine or feminine. This is not an option; gender is

fixed by the grammar of Italian. To find out if a noun ending in -e is masculine or feminine you

will have to consult a dictionary, or else you will have to infer it by observing the form (article,

adjective, etc.) that accompanies it. Such nouns are made plural by changing the -e to -i, no matter what their gender is.

MASCULINE SINGULAR MASCULINE PLURAL

(il) cane (the) dog (i) cani (the) dogs

(il) cellulare (the) cell phone (i) cellulari (the) cell phones

(il) padre (the) father (i) padri (the) fathers

(il) portatile (the) laptop (i) portatili (the) laptops

FEMININE SINGULAR FEMININE PLURAL

(la) madre (the) mother (le) madri (the) mothers

(la) nazione (the) nation (le) nazioni (the) nations

(la) notte (the) night (le) notti (the) nights

(la) parete (the) wall (partition) (le) pareti (the) walls (partitions)

Here’s a tip. Most nouns ending in -ione, especially in -zione and -sione, are feminine.

la stazione the (train) station

la regione the region

la riunione the meeting

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Nouns and titles 3

Useful common nouns

anno year gonna skirt

giorno day macchina car

vestito dress, suit

casa house chiave (f.) key

cosa thing cognome (m.) surname, family name

cravatta necktie giornale (m.) newspaper

donna woman nome (m.) name

(m. = masculine, f. = feminine)

Common nouns are not capitalized unless they occur at the beginning of a sentence. Unlike

English, nouns referring to languages, speakers of a language, or inhabitants of an area are not

normally capitalized.

L’italiano è una bellissima lingua. Italian is a very beautiful language.

Lui è italiano, ma lei non è italiana. He is Italian, but she is not Italian.

Lui invece è americano, e anche He, instead, is American, and she, too, is

lei è americana. American.

Ci sono tanti siciliani in questo posto. There are a lot of Sicilians in this place.

Note: The noun gente (people) is singular in Italian.

La gente parla troppo. People talk too much.

Lui conosce tanta gente. He knows a lot of people.

Note: The plural of l’uomo (the man) is irregular; it is gli uomini (the men).

Lui è un bravo uomo. He is a good man.

Chi sono quegli uomini? Who are those men?

Also, note that some nouns ending in -ione are masculine. Those ending in -one are all

masculine.

il copione the script

il cordone the rope

il mattone the brick

1·1

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the singular or plural form of each noun, as required.

SINGULAR PLURAL

1. zio

2. ragazzi

3. libro

4. gatti

5. figlio

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4 practice makes perfect Complete Italian Grammar

6. zie

7. ragazza

8. penne

9. figlia

10. case

11. cane

12. cellulari

13. padre

14. pareti

15. madre

16. nazioni

17. notte

18. cose

19. casa

20. anni

21. giorno

22. vestiti

23. cravatta

24. donne

25. gonna

26. macchine

27. chiave

28. cognomi

29. giornale

30. nomi

31. copione

32. riunioni

33. cordone

34. mattoni

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Nouns and titles 5

B. Provide the missing endings to the common nouns in the following sentences.

1. A suo nipot piace la matematic .

2. L’amor conquista (conquers) tutto.

3. Quella donn ha chiamato mia nipot .

4. Marco è un caro amic .

5. La mia amic vive in periferi .

6. I miei amic hanno comprato un televisor plasma.

7. L’italian è una lingu facile.

8. Lui è italian , ma lei è american .

9. Dov’è quella region ?

10. A che ora c’è la riunion ?

C. There is an error in each sentence. Spot it and rewrite the sentence to correct it. You might have to make

adjustments to the other words as well.

1. Quei due uomi sono italiani.

2. La gente parlano troppo.

3. Sara è Siciliana.

4. Alessandro parla Francese.

Gender patterns

Every noun in Italian is marked for gender—that is to say, it is classified as either masculine or

feminine. In the case of nouns referring to people (or animals), the grammatical gender of the

noun usually matches the biological sex of the person (or animal).

With few exceptions, nouns that refer to males (people or animals) are masculine, and those

that refer to females (people or animals) are feminine.

MASCULINE (MALES) FEMININE (FEMALES)

l’americano the male American l’americana the female American

l’amico the male friend l’amica the female friend

l’italiano the male Italian l’italiana the female Italian

il gatto the male cat la gatta the female cat

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There are exceptions. For example, il soprano (soprano) is a masculine noun but it refers to

a female person and la guardia (guard) is a feminine noun but can refer to either a male or female

person.

Nouns ending in -a and referring to both males and females

la persona person (male or female)

la spia spy (male or female)

la stella star (male or female)

Some nouns ending in -e refer to males or females. Note that with these nouns any other

forms (articles, adjectives, etc.) that accompany the nouns must indicate the correct grammatical

gender.

MASCULINE (MALES) FEMININE (FEMALES)

il cantante the male singer la cantante the female singer

il francese the French man la francese the French woman

il nipote the grandson; nephew la nipote the granddaughter; niece

il padre the father la madre the mother

l’inglese the English man l’inglese the English woman

Some masculine nouns ending in -e correspond to feminine nouns ending in -a.

MASCULINE (MALES) FEMININE (FEMALES)

il cameriere the waiter la cameriera the waitress

il signore the gentleman la signora the lady

l’infermiere the male nurse l’infermiera the female nurse

Note: The plural ending -i is used when the noun refers to both male and female beings

taken together as a group, whereas the plural ending -e refers only to a group of females.

SINGULAR PLURAL

l’italiano the (male) Italian gli italiani the Italians (males only or

males and females together)

l’italiana the (female) Italian le italiane the Italians (females only)

l’americano the (male) American gli americani the Americans (males only or

males and females together)

l’americana the (female) American le americane the Americans (females only)

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Nouns and titles 7

1·2

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the corresponding nouns referring to males and females. The first one is done

for you.

MALE FEMALE

1. American americano americana

2. Italian

3. friend

4. soprano

5. guard

6. star

7. spy

8. person

9. English

10. French

11. singer

12. nurse

B. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. grandson or nephew il

2. Americans (in general) gli

3. female Italians le

4. granddaughter or niece la

5. waiters (in general) i

6. waitresses le

7. gentleman il

8. lady la

Spelling adjustments in the plural

The consonants in the noun endings -co, -go, -ca, and -ga represent hard sounds. There are two

possibilities for changing the -co and -go endings to the plural.

If the hard sounds are to be retained, the masculine plural endings are spelled respectively

-chi and -ghi. To remember that ch and gh represent hard sounds in Italian, think of English

words that use them in the same way: chemistry, ache, school, charisma, ghost.

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SINGULAR PLURAL

gioco game giochi games

tedesco German tedeschi Germans

lago lake laghi lakes

luogo place luoghi places

If the corresponding soft sounds are required instead, the masculine plural endings are

spelled respectively -ci and -gi.

SINGULAR PLURAL

amico friend amici friends

greco Greek greci Greeks

biologo biologist biologi biologists

antropologo anthropologist antropologi anthropologists

So, when do you use one or the other plural form? In general, if -co is preceded by e or i (as

in amico and greco), the noun is pluralized to -ci (amici, greci). Otherwise the hard sound is

retained (-chi). In the case of -go, the tendency is to retain the hard sound. However, when the

noun ends in the suffix -logo and refers to a profession, career, or activity, then the appropriate

plural suffix is -logi.

il teologo the theologian i teologi the theologians

These rules should be considered “rules of thumb” rather than strict grammatical rules (covering

a large number of cases, however).

Exceptions to the rules of thumb

il porco the pig i porci the pigs

il fico the fig i fichi the figs

il sindaco the mayor i sindaci the mayors

il monaco the monk i monaci the monks

The endings -ca and -ga are always changed to -che and -ghe, which represent hard

sounds.

SINGULAR PLURAL

banca bank banche banks

greca female Greek greche female Greeks

riga straight ruler righe straight rulers

The consonants in the endings -cio and -gio represent soft sounds. Note that the i is not

pronounced. It is put there simply to indicate that the consonants are to be pronounced softly.

There is only one way to change such nouns to the plural, which is to retain the soft sounds with

the endings: -ci and -gi.

SINGULAR PLURAL

bacio kiss baci kisses

orologio watch orologi watches

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Nouns and titles 9

If the i in -io is stressed, it is retained in the plural, otherwise it is not retained. To be sure if

it is stressed or not, consult a dictionary.

SINGULAR PLURAL

zio (stressed) uncle zii uncles

occhio (unstressed) eye occhi eyes

There are two possibilities for changing nouns ending in -cia and -gia to the plural. If the i

in the ending is stressed, it is pronounced in the plural and, thus, retained in spelling.

SINGULAR PLURAL

farmacia pharmacy farmacie pharmacies

bugia lie bugie lies

If the i indicates that the preceding consonant represents a soft sound in the singular but is

not stressed in the pronunciation, it is not retained in the plural spelling.

SINGULAR PLURAL

valigia suitcase valige suitcases

faccia face facce faces

To know if the i is stressed or not, consult a dictionary. The only exception to these rules

applies to the word for shirt.

SINGULAR PLURAL

camicia shirt camicie shirts

1·3

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the plural forms of the following nouns.

1. luogo

2. tedesco

3. antropologo

4. greco

5. amico

6. gioco

7. biologo

8. lago

9. monaco

10. fico

11. sindaco

12. porco

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13. riga

14. greca

15. banca

16. camicia

B. Now, do the reverse. Provide the singular forms of the given plural nouns.

1. baci

2. occhi

3. zii

4. orologi

5. farmacie

6. bugie

7. facce

8. valige

Mass nouns

There are two types of common nouns: count and mass. Count nouns refer to persons, things,

etc., that can be counted (as their designation suggests). They have both singular and plural forms.

The nouns you have been using so far are count nouns.

Mass nouns refer instead to things that cannot be counted, and therefore generally have

only a singular form.

l’acqua water

la fame hunger

la sete thirst

lo zucchero sugar

Mass nouns can, of course, be used in a figurative or poetic way. In such cases they can be

put in the plural.

le acque del mare the waters of the sea

Common mass nouns

la carne meat il riso rice

il latte milk il sale salt

il pane bread l’uva grapes

il pepe pepper

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Nouns and titles 11

A few nouns have only a plural form. They refer to things made up of more than one part.

i baffi mustache

le forbici scissors

gli occhiali (eye)glasses

le mutande underwear

i pantaloni pants

1·4

ESERCIZIO

A. Can you figure out what each clue refers to?

1. È dolce. (It is sweet.)

2. Si usano per vedere. (They are used for seeing.)

3. Crescono sopra le labbra. (They grow above the lips.)

4. È un liquido bianco. (It’s a white liquid.)

5. Si usa per fare il vino. (It is used to make wine.)

B. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. salt and pepper

2. meat, bread, and rice

3. hunger and thirst

4. water

5. the waters of the sea

6. pants and underwear

7. scissors and eyeglasses

Proper nouns and titles

The same gender patterns described above apply to proper nouns. However, such nouns generally

have only a singular form, with some exceptions. For example, the United States, as in English, is

plural in Italian, even though it is a proper noun: gli Stati Uniti. Note that a proper noun is

capitalized.

MASCULINE FEMININE

Alessandro Alexander Alessandra Alexandra

Franco Frank Franca Franca

Giovanni John Maria Mary

Paolo Paul Paola Paula

Pasquale Pat l’Italia Italy

il Natale Christmas la Pasqua Easter

il Tevere the Tiber Giovanna Joanne

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Proper Italian names ending in -a but referring to males

Luca Luke Andrea Andrew Nicola Nicholas

Italians use more titles than Americans do to address people. Here are a few common

ones.

MALE TITLE FEMALE TITLE MEANING

signore signora, signorina Mr.; Mrs./Ms., Miss

dottore dottoressa Doctor

professore professoressa Professor

avvocato avvocato Lawyer

geometra geometra Draftsperson

ragioniere ragioniera Accountant (Bookkeeper)

architetto architetto Architect

Title peculiarities

The title of dottore/dottoressa is used to address both a medical doctor and any university

graduate.

The title of professore/professoressa is used to address both a university professor and

any junior high and high school teacher.

Capitalizing titles is optional.

Note: The final -e of a masculine title is dropped before a name. This rule does not apply to

feminine titles. This is a rule of style, rather than strict grammar. So, it is not technically wrong

to keep the -e, but very few Italians do so.

MASCULINE TITLE USED BEFORE A NAME

il signore the gentleman il signor Verdi Mr. Verdi

il professore the professor il professor Rossi Professor Rossi

il dottore the doctor il dottor Bianchi Dr. Bianchi

FEMININE TITLE USED BEFORE A NAME

la signora the lady la signora Verdi Mrs. Verdi

la professoressa the professor la professoressa Rossi Professor Rossi

la dottoressa the doctor la dottoressa Bianchi Dr. Bianchi

Note as well that the title is preceded by the definite article. The article is dropped in direct

speech (talking to someone and using the title):

TITLE DIRECT SPEECH

il dottor Giusti «Buongiorno, dottor Giusti.» “Good morning, Dr. Giusti.”

la professoressa Dini «Salve, professoressa Dini.» “Hello, Prof. Dini.”

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Nouns and titles 13

1·5

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the corresponding male or female form.

MALE FEMALE

1. Paolo

2. Franca

3. Alessandro

4. Giovanna

5. nipote

6. signora

7. professore

8. dottoressa

9. geometra

10. ragioniera

11. il dottor Totti

12. la professoressa Nardini

13. architetto

14. avvocato

B. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. Luke, Andrew, and Nicholas are friends.

2. I love Christmas and Easter in Italy.

3. Mr. Rossi is a friend of the family (famiglia).

4. “Hello, Mr. Rossi.”

5. Mrs. Rossi is a friend of the family.

6. “Good morning, Mrs. Rossi.”

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C. Use check marks to indicate the categories to which each given noun belongs.

NOUN COMMON PROPER COUNT MASS MASC. FEM. SING. PL.

1. ragazzo

2. Giovanna

3. libri

4. camicie

5. Tevere

6. casa

7. pane

8. antropologi

D. Rewrite each sentence by changing it from the masculine to the feminine, or vice versa, as required by

the noun(s) in parentheses.

example Maria è un’amica. (Giovanni)

Giovanni è un amico.

1. Il signor Rossini è italiano. (la signora Binni)

2. Giovanni e Luca sono due uomini. (Maria e Paola)

3. I ragazzi sono francesi. (le ragazze)

4. La professoressa Smith è americana. (il professor Jones)

5. Maria è mia zia. (Pasquale)

Grammar in culture

Many nouns have cultural and social naming functions. Among these are the names of the

20 Italian regions (le regioni) and their capital cities (i capoluoghi). Locate these regions

and cities on a map of Italy, and try to commit the names and relative geographical locations

to memory.

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REGIONE CAPOLUOGO

Abruzzo L’Aquila

Basilicata Potenza

Calabria Catanzaro

Campania Napoli

Emilia-Romagna Bologna

Friuli-Venezia Giulia Trieste

Lazio Roma

Liguria Genova

Lombardia Milano

Marche Ancona

Molise Campobasso

Piemonte Torino

Puglia Bari

Sardegna Cagliari

Sicilia Palermo

Toscana Firenze

Trentino-Alto Adige Trento

Umbria Perugia

Valle d’Aosta Aosta

Veneto Venezia

1·6

ESERCIZIO

There is incorrect information in each sentence. Rewrite the sentence with the correct

information.

1. Trento è il capoluogo della Lombardia.

2. La Sardegna, l’Umbria e la Valle d’Aosta sono capoluoghi.

3. Venezia è il capoluogo del Piemonte.

4. Firenze e Aosta sono regioni.

5. La Basilicata è il capoluogo del Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Nouns and titles 15

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16

·2·

In the languages of the world, nouns make up from 70 to 80 percent of all words.

In Italian it is almost 85 percent. Obviously, knowing as much as possible about

nouns is an important aspect of learning Italian grammar. So, a second unit is

devoted to this topic.

In the previous unit, we dealt with basic noun forms and gender patterns. In

this unit we will go a little more in depth, completing the “grammatical story” of

Italian nouns.

More gender patterns

Let’s start with a few more gender patterns.

Nouns ending in -ista refer to both male and female persons, and are thus

both masculine and feminine. Many of these nouns are used to indicate occupations, professions, etc.

MASCULINE (MALES) FEMININE (FEMALES)

il musicista the male musician la musicista the female musician

il dentista the male dentist la dentista the female dentist

il pianista the male pianist la pianista the female pianist

il farmacista the male pharmacist la farmacista the female pharmacist

Their plural forms vary according to gender. If the noun is used to indicate a

group of males or a mixed group of males and females, then the masculine plural

is formed by changing the final vowel to -i. If it is used to indicate a group of

females, then the feminine plural is formed by changing the final vowel to -e.

MASCULINE SINGULAR MASCULINE PLURAL

il musicista the male musician i musicisti the male musicians /

the musicians

(in general)

il dentista the male dentist i dentisti the male dentists /

the dentists (in general)

FEMININE SINGULAR FEMININE PLURAL

la musicista the female musician le musiciste the female musicians

la dentista the female dentist le dentiste the female dentists

Masculine nouns ending in -tore often correspond to feminine nouns ending in -trice.

More about nouns

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More about nouns 17

MASCULINE (MALES) FEMININE (FEMALES)

l’attore the male actor l’attrice the female actor

il pittore the male painter la pittrice the female painter

l’autore the male author l’autrice the female author

lo scultore the male sculptor la scultrice the female sculptor

Some masculine nouns, generally ending in -e, correspond to feminine nouns ending in

-essa.

MASCULINE (MALES) FEMININE (FEMALES)

il dottore the male doctor la dottoressa the female doctor

l’elefante the male elephant l’elefantessa the female elephant

il leone the lion la leonessa the lioness

il professore the male professor la professoressa the female professor

lo studente the male student la studentessa the female student

Some feminine forms have been eliminated in Italy, especially in the area of the

professions.

l’architetto male or female architect

l’avvocato male or female lawyer

lo scultore male or female sculptor

The names of trees are generally masculine, whereas the names of the fruits they bear are

usually feminine.

TREE = MASCULINE FRUIT = FEMININE

l’arancio the orange tree l’arancia the orange

il ciliegio the cherry tree la ciliegia the cherry

il melo the apple tree la mela the apple

il pero the pear tree la pera the pear

il pesco the peach tree la pesca the peach

Exceptions

Il limone (the lemon), il fico (the fig), and il mandarino (the mandarin) refer to both the tree

and the fruit.

2·1

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the singular form of each noun.

SINGULAR PLURAL

1. pianiste

2. dentisti

3. farmacisti

4. musiciste

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B. Provide the corresponding male or female form of each noun.

MALE FEMALE

1. attore

2. scultrice

3. autore

4. pittrice

5. farmacista

6. dottoressa

7. leone

8. professoressa

9. elefante

10. avvocato

11. studente

C. You are given the name of either a tree or a fruit. Provide the other as required.

TREE FRUIT

1. ciliegio

2. pera

3. melo

4. arancia

5. pesco

6. limone

7. mandarino

8. fico

Nouns of Greek origin

Some Italian nouns are of Greek origin. Some end in -ema and -amma, which correspond to

English nouns ending in -em and -am. They are all masculine.

il diagramma the diagram

il dramma the drama

il problema the problem

il programma the program

il sistema the system

il teorema the theorem

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More about nouns 19

As masculine nouns, the final -a changes to -i in the plural.

SINGULAR PLURAL

il diagramma the diagram i diagrammi the diagrams

il problema the problem i problemi the problems

il programma the program i programmi the programs

Nouns ending in -si in the singular are also of Greek origin. They correspond to English

nouns ending in -sis. They are all feminine.

l’analisi the analysis

la crisi the crisis

l’ipotesi the hypothesis

la tesi the thesis

Note: THere is an exception to this rule; il brindisi (drinking toast) is masculine and is of

Germanic origin.

The singular -si ending for all these words is not changed in the plural.

SINGULAR PLURAL

il brindisi the toast i brindisi the toasts

la crisi the crisis le crisi the crises

l’ipotesi the hypothesis le ipotesi the hypotheses

la tesi the thesis le tesi the theses

2·2

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the plural forms of the following nouns.

SINGULAR PLURAL

1. ipotesi

2. tesi

3. programma

4. problema

5. sistema

B. Now, provide the singular forms.

1. brindisi

2. crisi

3. diagrammi

4. teoremi

5. drammi

6. analisi

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Other types of nouns

Nouns ending in an accented -à or -ù are feminine; those ending in other accented vowels are

masculine.

MASCULINE FEMININE

il caffè the coffee la città the city

il lunedì Monday la gioventù youth

il tassì the taxi l’università the university

il tè the tea la virtù virtue

Exceptions

Il papà (dad), il menù (menu), and il ragù (meat sauce) are masculine.

These endings are not changed in the plural.

SINGULAR PLURAL

il caffè the coffee i caffè the coffees

la città the city le città the cities

il tassì the taxi i tassì the taxis

il tè the tea i tè the teas

l’università the university le università the universities

A few nouns ending in -o are feminine, because they are shortened forms and thus retain

their original feminine gender.

FEMININE NOUN SHORTENED FORM

la fotografia the photograph la foto the photo

la motocicletta the motorcycle la moto the motorcycle

la radiofonia the radio transmission la radio the radio

A few nouns ending in -a are masculine because they are, analogously, shortened forms and

thus retain their original masculine gender.

MASCULINE NOUN SHORTENED FORM

il cinematografo the movie theater il cinema the movies

Shortened nouns are not changed in the plural.

SINGULAR PLURAL

il cinema the movie theater i cinema the movie theaters

la foto the photo le foto the photos

la moto the motorcycle le moto the motorcycles

la radio the radio le radio the radios

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More about nouns 21

Nouns that have been borrowed from other languages, primarily English, are generally masculine. These typically end in a consonant.

l’autobus the bus

il clacson the car horn

il computer the computer

lo sport the sport

il tennis tennis

il tram the streetcar, trolley

Exceptions

The following are feminine.

la chat chatroom

la mail (l’e-mail) e-mail, e-mail message

Such nouns are invariable—that is, they are not changed in the plural.

SINGULAR PLURAL

il clacson the car horn i clacson the car horns

il computer the computer i computer the computers

la mail the e-mail le mail the e-mails

lo sport the sports gli sport the sports

Like the English nouns memorandum and compendium, which have the plural forms memoranda and compendia, Italian also has a few nouns whose plural forms end in -a. These derive

from Latin words that were pluralized in this way. In Italian, these nouns are masculine in the

singular but feminine in the plural.

SINGULAR PLURAL

il braccio arm le braccia arms

il dito the finger le dita the fingers

il ginocchio the knee le ginocchia the knees

il labbro the lip le labbra the lips

il paio the pair le paia the pairs

There are not too many of these nouns, and most refer to parts of the human body. In some cases,

the regular plural form is used when the noun is used with an extended or figurative meaning.

i bracci della croce the arms of a cross

i labbri della ferita the lips of a wound

Note: There are also some nouns which are simply irregular and don’t follow a rule or

pattern.

il bue the ox

la mano the hand

il pianeta the planet

il vaglia the money order

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They are also irregular in the plural.

SINGULAR PLURAL

il bue the ox i buoi the oxen

la mano the hand le mani the hands

il pianeta the planet i pianeti the planets

il vaglia the money order i vaglia the money orders

2·3

ESERCIZIO

A. Indicate if the noun is masculine or feminine.

NOUN MASCULINE FEMININE

1. città

2. lunedì

3. papà

4. tè

5. menù

6. ragù

7. caffè

8. gioventù

9. virtù

10. università

11. tassì

12. tram

13. autobus

B. Provide the singular or plural form of each noun, as required.

SINGULAR PLURAL

1. caffè

2. città

3. foto

4. cinema

5. moto

6. computer

7. vaglia

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More about nouns 23

8. mail

9. dito

10. braccia

11. paio

12. ginocchia

13. il braccio della croce

14. i labbri della ferita

15. bue

16. radio

17. mano

18. pianeti

19. clacson

20. sport

Altered nouns

Suffixes are forms with set meanings that are attached after a noun (or other part of speech), altering its meaning in some specific way. Such nouns are called, logically enough, altered nouns.

Common suffixes are as follows.

The suffixes -ino, -etto, and -ello, with corresponding feminine forms -ina, -etta, and -ella,

are often used to add a nuance of “littleness” or “smallness” to the meaning of the noun.

NOUN ALTERED NOUN

ragazzo boy ragazzino small boy

ragazza girl ragazzina little girl

gallo rooster galletto little rooster

asino donkey asinello small donkey

Be careful!

There are a number of exceptions. For example: il libretto does not mean small book but

opera libretto or bankbook. The appropriate suffix is il libricino (the little book). Also la

manina means little hand but la manetta means handcuff.

The suffix -one/-ona is sometimes used to add a nuance of “bigness” or “largeness” to the

meaning of the noun.

NOUN ALTERED NOUN

libro book librone big book

ragazza girl ragazzona big girl

ragazzo boy ragazzone big boy

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The suffix -uccio/-uccia (also -uzzo/-uzza) is sometimes used to add a nuance of “smallness”

with a tinge of criticism or, on the contrary, “dearness” to the meaning of the noun. The suffix

-accio/-accia is used instead to add a nuance of “badness” or “ugliness” to the meaning of the

noun.

NOUN ALTERED NOUN

affare business transaction affaraccio hollow business transaction

corpo body corpaccio ugly body

Sara Sarah Saruccia dear little Sarah

There is no steadfast rule as to when such suffixes can be used and with which nouns they

can be used. Their use is more a matter of style than it is of grammar. Only through exposure and

practice will you develop facility with them.

2·4

ESERCIZIO

A. Add a suffix to each noun as indicated, altering its meaning accordingly.

NOUN SMALLNESS SUFFIX LARGENESS SUFFIX

1. asino

2. ragazza

3. libro

4. mano

B. How would you say the following, using appropriate suffixes?

1. a big arm un

2. an ugly body un

3. a handcuff una

4. a small problem un

5. a big problem un

6. un ugly, bad problem un

7. a hollow business transaction un

8. a big business transaction un

9. cute little Mary

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More about nouns 25

Compound nouns

Compound nouns are nouns made of two parts of speech. For example, in English, the compound noun handkerchief is made up of two nouns hand + kerchief. Here are some common

Italian compound nouns.

CONSTITUENT PARTS COMPOUND NOUN

arco + baleno l’arcobaleno rainbow

caccia + vite il cacciavite screwdriver

capo + luogo il capoluogo capital of a region

capo + reparto il caporeparto head of a department

cassa + forte la cassaforte safe (for valuables)

ferro + via la ferrovia railroad

franco + bollo il francobollo postage stamp

piano + forte il pianoforte piano

salva + gente il salvagente life jacket

To form the plural of such nouns, observe the following guidelines.

Most compound nouns are pluralized in the normal fashion, by changing the final vowel.

SINGULAR PLURAL

l’arcobaleno the rainbow gli arcobaleni the rainbows

la ferrovia the railroad le ferrovie the railroads

But there are exceptions. In some cases, the final vowels of both parts of the word are

changed.

SINGULAR PLURAL

la cassaforte safe (for valuables) le casseforti safes (for valuables)

If the compound noun has a verb as one of its parts, it does not change at all in traditional

grammar. Today, however, there is a tendency to pluralize such a noun in the normal fashion. The

following examples conform to tradition.

SINGULAR PLURAL

il cacciavite the screwdriver i cacciavite the screwdrivers

il salvagente the life jacket i salvagente the life jackets

To be certain of the correct plural form, you will need to look up such nouns in a good dictionary (as do most native speakers, by the way).

2·5

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the singular or plural form of each noun, as required.

SINGULAR PLURAL

1. arcobaleno

2. salvagente

3. ferrovia

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4. casseforti

5. pianoforte

B. Can you figure out what compound noun corresponds to each clue?

example Ci passa sopra il treno. (The train goes over it.)

la ferrovia

1. Si chiama anche «manager» oggi. (He/She is also called “manager” today.)

2. È un utensile. (It’s a utensil/tool.)

3. Si mette sulla busta. (It’s put on an envelope.)

4. È lo strumento di Chopin. (It’s Chopin’s instrument.)

5. È la città principale di una regione. (It’s the main city of a region.)

C. Choose the appropriate form that corresponds to each phrase. (Note: piccolo = little, small;

caro = dear; grande = big; plurale = plural; frutta = fruit.)

1. il piccolo Marcello

a. Marcellino b. Marcellone

2. la piccola e cara Teresa

a. Teresina b. Teresuccia

3. il grande Alessandro

a. Alessandrone b. Alessandruccio

4. un piccolo gallo

a. una gallina b. un galletto

5. il plurale di problema

a. problemi b. problema

6. la frutta del pesco

a. la pesca b. il pesco

7. la frutta del limone

a. la limonata b. il limone

8. il plurale di ipotesi

a. ipotesi b. ipotesina

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More about nouns 27

D. Complete the chart with the missing noun forms.

MASC. SING. MASC. PL. FEM. SING. FEM. PL.

1. pianista

2. farmacisti

3. attrice

4. scultrici

5. elefante

6. studenti

E. You are given eight nouns in their singular form. However, the sentences provided require that they be

inserted in their plural form. So, complete each sentence with the appropriate noun in its plural form (which,

of course, might be the same form as the singular).

autobus sport caffè tennis

foto città paio dito

1. Bevo sempre troppi . (I always drink too many . . . .)

2. Voglio vedere tante in Italia. (I want to see many . . . in Italy.)

3. Dove sono le delle vacanze? (Where are the . . . from vacation?)

4. Mio nipote pratica tanti . (My grandson plays a lot of . . . .)

5. Il mio sport preferito è il . (My favorite sport is . . . .)

6. Iero ho preso l’ per andare a scuola. (Yesterday I took the . . . to

go to school.)

7. Lui ha le lunghe. (He has long . . . .)

8. Ieri lei ha comprato due di scarpe. (Yesterday she bought

two . . . of shoes.)

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Grammar in culture

Many Italian nouns associated with the Internet, social media, and mobile devices are borrowed from English.

l’app app

il blog blog

Facebook Facebook

il file file

Instagram Instagram

Internet Internet

Twitter Twitter

il wiki wiki

YouTube YouTube

Other computer-related terms are not English borrowings.

il caricamento uploading

la navigazione navigation (of the Web)

la piattaforma platform

la rete sociale (social network) social network

lo scaricamento downloading

il sito web website

2·6

ESERCIZIO

Choose the appropriate word.

1. È una piattaforma web.

a. app b. YouTube

2. È un servizio di rete sociale (social network).

a. Facebook b. scaricamento

3. È un servizio di rete sociale che permette di scattare (to take) foto.

a. Instagram b. caricamento

4. È un particolare tipo di sito.

a. sito web b. blog

5. È un servizio gratuito (free) di rete sociale e microblogging.

a. Twitter b. navigazione

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29

Articles are “function words” which mark nouns as specific or nonspecific, that is,

as referring to something in particular or in general. A function word is a form

that has grammatical meaning or value.

SPECIFIC REFERENCE NONSPECIFIC REFERENCE

il bambino the child un bambino a child

la porta the door una porta a door

The indefinite article

The indefinite article, un (the form listed in the dictionary), corresponds to both

English indefinite article forms a and an. It has only singular forms that vary

according to the gender and initial letter of the noun they precede.

The form uno is used before a masculine singular noun beginning with z, s

+ consonant, gn, or ps.

uno zio an uncle

uno studente a student

uno gnocco a dumpling

uno psicologo a psychologist

The form un is used before a masculine singular noun beginning with any

other letters (consonants or vowels).

un amico a friend

un orologio a watch

un portatile a laptop

un ragazzo a boy

The form una is used before a feminine singular noun beginning with any

consonant (including z, s + consonant, gn, or ps).

una porta a door

una zia an aunt

una studentessa a student

una psicologa a psychologist

Articles ·3·

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Lastly, the form un’ is used before a feminine singular noun beginning with any vowel.

un’americana an American

un’amica a friend

un’isola an island

un’ora an hour

Be careful!

When an adjective precedes the noun, it is necessary to adjust the indefinite article according to the beginning letters of the adjective.

un’amica a friend una cara amica a dear friend

uno zio an uncle un caro zio a dear uncle

3·1

ESERCIZIO

A. You are given some nouns taken from the above lists and from previous units. Provide

the appropriate form of the indefinite article for each one.

1. americano 13. caffè

2. americana 14. foto

3. studente 15. computer

4. zia 16. mano

5. studentessa 17. radio

6. ora 18. pianoforte

7. gnocco 19. isola

8. portatile 20. porta

9. tesi 21. psicologo

10. brindisi 22. psicologa

11. problema 23. orologio

12. programma

B. Now you are given some noun phrases consisting of the indefinite article, an adjective, and a noun.

Provide the corresponding masculine or feminine noun phrase as required. Again, the words are taken from

this and previous units. (Note: bravo = good; grande = big, important.)

MASCULINE FEMININE

1. un caro amico

2. una piccola zia

3. un bravo figlio

4. una brava cantante

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Articles 31

5. un grande professore

6. una brava signora

7. un bravo musicista

8. una grande scultrice

The definite article

The definite article has both singular and plural forms. The singular forms are as follows.

The form lo is used before a masculine singular noun beginning with z, s + consonant, gn,

or ps. It corresponds to the previously described uses of uno.

lo zio the uncle

lo studente the student

lo gnocco the dumpling

lo psicologo the psychologist

The form il is used before a masculine singular noun beginning with any other consonant.

It corresponds to the previously described uses of un.

il bambino the child

il cellulare the cell phone

il portatile the laptop

il ragazzo the boy

The form la is used before a feminine singular noun beginning with any consonant. It corresponds to the previously described uses of una.

la porta the door

la zia the aunt

la studentessa the student

la psicologa the psychologist

The form l’ is used before a masculine or feminine singular noun beginning with any vowel.

It corresponds in the feminine to the previously described uses of un’ and in the masculine to the

previously described uses of un.

l’amico the (male) friend

l’isola the island

l’ora the hour

l’orologio the watch

The corresponding plural forms of the definite article are as follows.

The form gli is used before a masculine plural noun beginning with z, s + consonant, gn,

ps, or any vowel. It is the plural of both lo and l’.

SINGULAR PLURAL

lo zio the uncle gli zii the uncles

lo studente the student gli studenti the students

lo gnocco the dumpling gli gnocchi the dumplings

lo psicologo the psychologist gli psicologi the psychologists

l’amico the friend gli amici the friends

l’orologio the watch gli orologi the watches

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The form i is used before a masculine plural noun beginning with any other consonant. It is

the plural of il.

SINGULAR PLURAL

il bambino the child i bambini the children

il cellulare the cell phone i cellulari the cell phones

il portatile the laptop i portatili the laptops

il ragazzo the boy i ragazzi the boys

The form le is used before a feminine plural noun beginning with any sound (consonant or

vowel). It is the plural of both la and l’.

SINGULAR PLURAL

l’isola the island le isole the islands

l’ora the hour le ore the hours

la porta the door le porte the doors

la zia the aunt le zie the aunts

Once again, be careful!

When an adjective precedes the noun, it is necessary to adjust the definite article according

to the beginning letters of the adjective.

l’amica the friend la cara amica the dear friend

gli amici the friends i cari amici the dear friends

lo zio the uncle il caro zio the dear uncle

3·2

ESERCIZIO

A. You are given some noun phrases composed of the indefinite article and a noun. Provide

the corresponding noun phrase with the definite article for each one. Then, make the new

phrase plural.

example un ragazzo

il ragazzo i ragazzi

SINGULAR PLURAL

1. un vestito

2. una studentessa

3. uno psicologo

4. una psicologa

5. una tesi

6. un tedesco

7. uno sport

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8. un problema

9. un orologio

10. un’ora

11. un amico

12. un’amica

13. uno zio

14. una zia

15. un bambino

16. una bambina

17. uno gnocco

18. uno studente

B. Now you are given a phrase that is either in the singular or the plural. Provide its corresponding form

as required.

SINGULAR PLURAL

1. lo zio

2. i vaglia

3. la valigia

4. le virtù

5. l’uomo

6. i tè

7. lo gnocco

8. i sistemi

9. lo scultore

10. i programmi

11. la radio

12. le università

13. il paio

14. gli orologi

15. il musicista

16. le infermiere

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Uses of the indefinite article

English and Italian use the articles in similar ways. However, there are differences. They are

described in this and the remaining sections of this unit.

The indefinite article is omitted in exclamations of the type shown below.

Che buon caffè! What a good coffee!

Che macchina bella! What a beautiful car!

It is also omitted in the expression mal di… .

mal di denti a toothache

mal di gola a sore throat

mal di stomaco a stomachache

mal di testa a headache

In Italian, the indefinite article must be repeated before every noun, while the article is often

used only before the first noun in English.

un amico e uno studente a friend and (a) student

un ragazzo e una ragazza a boy and (a) girl

una zia e uno zio an aunt and (an) uncle

3·3

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the appropriate indefinite article forms for the following sentences. If no article

is required, leave the space blank. (Note: anche = also, too; e = and; film = movie;

grande = great; o = or; sempre = always; simpatico = nice; solo = only; studiare

= to study.)

1. Mia madre aveva (had) mal di denti ieri.

2. Anch’io ho mal di gola.

3. Che bella musica!

4. Mio padre ha mal di testa o

mal di stomaco.

5. Che bella macchina!

6. In questa classe conosco (I know) solo studente

e studentessa.

7. Lui è persona simpatica; e anche lei è

persona simpatica.

8. Io studio sempre ora ogni giorno (every day).

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B. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. I have only an aunt and uncle.

2. I bought (ho comprato) a car.

3. What a nice house!

4. What a great movie!

Uses of the definite article

The definite article is normally used in front of a mass noun, especially if it is the subject of a

sentence.

L’acqua è un liquido. Water is a liquid.

Lui beve solo il caffè. He drinks only coffee.

La pazienza è una virtù. Patience is a virtue.

It is also used with nouns in the plural that express generalizations.

Gli americani sono simpatici. Americans are nice.

Oggi tutti hanno i cellulari. Today everybody has cell phones.

The definite article is used in front of geographical names (continents, countries, states, rivers, islands, mountains, etc.), except the names of cities.

le Alpi the Alps

il Belgio Belgium

la California California

l’Italia Italy

il Mediterraneo the Mediterranean

il Piemonte Piedmont

la Sicilia Sicily

gli Stati Uniti the United States

il Tevere the Tiber

But:

Firenze Florence

Napoli Naples

Roma Rome

Venezia Venice

It is usually dropped after the preposition in plus an unmodified geographical noun.

Vado in Italia. I’m going to Italy.

Vivo in Francia. I live in France.

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But when the noun is modified, the definite article must be restored. (Note, if you have forgotten: nell’ = in + l’; nella = in + la; nel = in + il; nei = in + i; negli = in + gli; nelle = in

+ le.)

Vado nell’Italia centrale. I’m going to central Italy.

Vivo nella Francia meridionale. I live in southern France.

Like the indefinite article, the definite article must be repeated before each noun.

l’amico e lo studente the friend and the student

il ragazzo e la ragazza the boy and the girl

Useful expressions

settentrionale northern

centrale central

meridionale southern

orientale eastern

occidentale western

The definite article is commonly used in place of possessive adjectives if referring to family

members, parts of the body, and clothing.

Oggi vado in centro con la zia. Today I’m going downtown with my aunt.

Mi fa male la testa. My head hurts.

Lui non si mette mai la giacca. He never puts his jacket on.

The definite article is used with the days of the week to indicate a habitual action.

Il lunedì gioco sempre a tennis. On Mondays I always play tennis.

La domenica vado regolarmente in On Sundays I go regularly to church.

chiesa.

Days of the week

lunedì (m.) Monday

martedì (m.) Tuesday

mercoledì (m.) Wednesday

giovedì (m.) Thursday

venerdì (m.) Friday

sabato (m.) Saturday

domenica (f.) Sunday

Note that domenica is the only day of the week that is feminine.

The definite article is used with titles, unless the person bearing the title is being spoken to

directly.

Il dottor Rossi è italiano. Dr. Rossi is Italian.

La professoressa Bianchi è molto brava. Professor Bianchi is very good.

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But:

«Dottor Rossi, come va?» “Dr. Rossi, how is it going?”

«Professoressa Bianchi, come sta?» “Professor Bianchi, how are you?”

The definite article is used before the names of languages and nouns referring to school

subjects.

Amo lo spagnolo. I love Spanish.

Mi piace solo la matematica. I only like mathematics.

School subjects

la biologia biology la lingua language

la chimica chemistry la matematica math

la fisica physics la musica music

il francese French la scienza science

la geografia geography lo spagnolo Spanish

l’italiano Italian la storia history

However, it is dropped when the prepositions di and in precede the school subject.

Ecco il mio libro di spagnolo. Here is the Spanish book.

Lui è molto bravo in matematica. He is very good in math.

But the definite article is restored if the noun is plural or modified.

Lei è molto brava nelle lingue moderne. She is very good in modern languages.

The definite article is used with scorso (last) and prossimo (next) in time expressions.

la settimana scorsa last week

il mese prossimo next month

Time vocabulary

oggi today

ieri yesterday

domani tomorrow

la settimana week

il mese month

l’anno year

But, it is not used in some other common expressions.

a destra to/on the right

a sinistra to/on the left

a casa at home

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3·4

ESERCIZIO

A. Complete each sentence with the appropriate form of the definite article (if required).

1. acqua è necessaria per vivere (to live).

2. caffè è buono.

3. italiani sono simpatici.

4. pazienza è la virtù più importante.

5. Anche americani sono simpatici.

6. Mi piacciono (I like) lingue e storia.

7. Sicilia è una bella regione.

8. anno prossimo vado in Piemonte.

9. Forse vado (in) Italia settentrionale.

10. Mia zia vive (a) Roma.

11. Lei si mette sempre giacca per andare (to go) in centro.

12. venerdì, io gioco sempre a tennis.

13. domenica vado regolarmente in chiesa.

14. martedì o mercoledì guardo (I watch) la televisione.

15. giovedì o sabato vado in centro.

16. Come si chiama (What is the name of) professoressa d’italiano?

17. Come sta, professoressa Bianchi?

18. Mi fa male testa.

B. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. I drink only tea.

2. I love (amo) spaghetti.

3. I have only an aunt and uncle in Italy.

4. He lives in southern Italy.

5. She lives in the eastern United States.

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6. I instead (invece) live in the western United States.

7. I like (Mi piacciono) biology, chemistry, science, geography, math, and physics.

8. She is very good in music and in languages.

9. Last month I bought (ho comprato) a car.

10. Next year I am going (vado) to Italy.

11. Next week I am going downtown.

12. He lives to the left and she lives to the right.

C. Provide the corresponding indefinite or definite article, as required.

INDEFINITE ARTICLE DEFINITE ARTICLE

1. un ragazzo

2. l’anno

3. una settimana

4. il mese

5. un caffè

6. lo psicologo

D. Rewrite each phrase in the plural.

SINGULAR PLURAL

1. il ragazzo

2. lo spagnolo

3. la scienza

4. la giacca

5. l’amico

6. l’amica

7. il cellulare

8. la virtù

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E. Complete each sentence with the article or word required, if one is necessary.

1. Che bel film! (What a nice movie!)

2. Ho mal di stomaco. (I have a stomachache.)

3. Loro hanno un cane e gatto. (They have a dog and cat.)

4. Sono la zia e zio dall’Italia. (They’re the aunt and uncle from Italy.)

5. Io amo carne. (I love meat.)

6. italiani sanno vivere. (Italians know how to live.)

7. Loro vanno spesso Italia. (They go often to Italy.)

8. Francia è un bel paese. (France is a beautiful country.)

9. Oggi vado in centro con zio. (Today I am going downtown

with my uncle.)

10. venerdì vanno spesso al cinema. (On Fridays they often go to

the movies.)

11. Conosci professor Martini? (Do you know Professor Martini?)

12. Mio fratello ama matematica. (My brother loves math.)

13. Lei è andata al cinema settimana scorsa. (She went to the movies

last week.)

14. Loro vivono destra. (They live on the right.)

F. Match the words and expressions in the left column with those in the right column to make complete

logical sentences.

1. Lui è a. dottoressa Rossi, come va?

2. Lui va spesso b. il mio libro.

3. Buongiorno, c. i miei libri.

4. Mio fratello è bravo d. le mie amiche.

5. Questo è e. nell’Italia settentrionale.

6. Quelli sono f. un caro zio.

7. Quelle sono g. in matematica.

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Grammar in culture

In the changing world of technology, grammar follows suit. Today, the Italian article is

rarely used with a noun that refers to the Internet or to a specific social media site.

Vado spesso su Internet. not Vado spesso sul Internet.

Non sono su Facebook. not Non sono sul Facebook.

Amo Twitter. not Amo il Twitter.

Mi piace molto Instagram. not Mi piace molto l’Instagram.

Otherwise, the article is used.

Mi piace molto il sito del tuo amico. not Mi piace molto sito del tuo amico.

3·5

ESERCIZIO

Complete each sentence with the appropriate article, if one is needed.

1. Non leggo mai blog di quel giornalista.

2. Non mi piace Facebook; preferisco Twitter.

3. Anche tu usi spesso Instagram?

4. Questo è sito della mia professoressa.

5. Oggi Internet ha cambiato (changed) tutto.

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42

Adjectives are words that modify or describe nouns and other parts of speech.

È una macchina nuova. It’s a new car.

Mi piacciono solo le macchine italiane. I only like Italian cars.

In general, adjectives are identifiable by changes in the vowel endings, which

show agreement with the nouns they modify.

lo studente americano the (male) American student

gli studenti americani the American students

la studentessa italiana the (female) Italian student

le studentesse italiane the (female) Italian students

Descriptive adjectives

The most common type of adjective is called descriptive. As its name implies, it is

a word that describes the noun it modifies—that is, it indicates whether someone

is tall or short, something is good or bad, and so on. What does modifying a noun

mean grammatically? For most intents and purposes, it means that the final vowel

of an adjective must change to match the gender and number of the noun.

There are two main types of descriptive adjectives, as listed in the

dictionary:

1. the type that ends in -o

alto tall

2. the type that ends in -e

intelligente intelligent

As with masculine singular nouns which end in -o or -e, the masculine plural forms of both of these types of adjectives end in -i.

SINGULAR PLURAL

l’uomo alto the tall man gli uomini alti the tall men

l’uomo the intelligent man gli uomini the intelligent men

intelligente intelligenti

il cantante alto the tall singer i cantanti alti the tall singers

il cantante the intelligent i cantanti the intelligent

intelligente singer intelligenti singers

·4· Adjectives

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Adjectives 43

The corresponding feminine singular forms of these two types of adjectives end, as you may

expect, in -a and -e, respectively. The feminine plural forms of type (1) adjectives end in -e; the

feminine plural forms of type (2) adjectives end in -i.

SINGULAR PLURAL

la donna alta the tall woman le donne alte the tall women

la donna the intelligent le donne the intelligent women

intelligente woman intelligenti

la scultrice alta the tall (female) le scultrici alte the tall sculptors

sculptor

la scultrice the intelligent le scultrici

intelligente sculptor intelligenti the intelligent sculptors

Common descriptive adjectives

alto tall basso short

bello beautiful brutto ugly

grande big piccolo small

magro skinny grasso fat

nuovo new vecchio old

ricco rich povero poor

Invariable adjectives

A few adjectives are invariable; that is, their ending does not change. The most common are the

color adjectives: arancione (orange), blu (dark blue), marrone (brown), rosa (pink), and viola

(violet, purple).

SINGULAR PLURAL

la giacca arancione the orange jacket le giacche arancione the orange jackets

il vestito blu the blue dress i vestiti blu the blue dresses

la camicia marrone the brown shirt le camicie marrone the brown shirts

la sciarpa rosa the pink scarf le sciarpe rosa the pink scarves

lo zaino viola the purple gli zaini viola the purple backpacks

backpack

Other color adjectives

These are regular color adjectives, that is, their endings change according to the normal rules for

adjectives.

azzurro blue

bianco white

celeste sky blue

giallo yellow

grigio gray

nero black

rosso red

verde green

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Note: Adjectives ending in -co, -go, -cio, and -gio undergo the same spelling changes when

pluralized that the nouns with these endings do (see Unit 1).

SINGULAR PLURAL

l’uomo simpatico the nice man gli uomini simpatici the nice men

la camicia bianca the white shirt le camicie bianche the white shirts

il bambino stanco the tired child i bambini stanchi the tired children

la gonna lunga the long skirt le gonne lunghe the long skirts

il vestito grigio the gray suit i vestiti grigi the gray suits

When two nouns are modified by an adjective, the adjective must be in the plural. If the two

nouns are feminine, then the appropriate feminine plural ending is used; if the two nouns are

both masculine, or of mixed gender, then the appropriate masculine plural ending is used.

Two feminine nouns

La camicia e la gonna sono rosse. The shirt and (the) skirt are red.

Two masculine nouns

Il cappotto e l’impermeabile sono rossi. The coat and (the) raincoat are red.

Mixed gender nouns

La camicia e il cappotto sono rossi. The shirt and (the) coat are red.

4·1

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the missing ending for each adjective.

1. la bambina ricc 13. le sciarpe viol

2. i ragazzi alt 14. la camicia bianc

3. la casa grand 15. le camicie marron

4. le case grand 16. gli zaini celest

5. gli uomini stanc 17. le gonne grig

6. le donne pover 18. i vestiti ros

7. la bambina bell 19. l’impermeabile azzurr

8. i cantanti brutt 20. gli impermeabili giall

9. le cantanti magr 21. i cappotti arancion

10. la giacca ross 22. la camicia e la sciarpa bianc

11. le giacche bl 23. la gonna e il cappotto ross

12. le sciarpe verd

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Adjectives 45

B. Provide the corresponding singular or plural phrase, as required.

SINGULAR PLURAL

1. lo zio vecchio

2. le studentesse intelligenti

3. la valigia grande

4. le città piccole

5. l’uomo ricco

6. le donne stanche

7. il ragazzo simpatico

8. le cantanti simpatiche

9. il vestito lungo

10. le sciarpe lunghe

C. Rewrite each phrase with the opposite adjective.

example l’uomo alto

l’uomo basso

1. la macchina nuova

2. gli uomini alti

3. le donne povere

4. il cane grande

5. i cantanti grassi

6. i professori belli

7. le ragazze povere

8. il vestito nero

Position

Descriptive adjectives generally come after the noun or nouns they modify.

una camicia bianca a white shirt

un libro interessante an interesting book

Some adjectives, however, can come either before or after.

È una bella camicia. (or) È una camicia bella. It’s a beautiful shirt.

Giulia è una ragazza simpatica. (or) Giulia è una simpatica Julie is a nice girl.

ragazza.

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Be careful!

As discussed in Unit 3, you will have to adjust the form of the article to the adjective that is

put before a noun.

lo zio simpatico but il simpatico zio

l’amico povero but il povero amico

un’amica simpatica but una simpatica amica

gli studenti nuovi but i nuovi studenti

You will have to learn which descriptive adjectives can come before through practice and

use. As you listen to someone speak or as you read something, make a mental note of the position of the adjective. Some common adjectives that can come before or after a noun are the

following.

bello beautiful

brutto ugly

buono good

caro dear; expensive

cattivo bad

giovane young

grande big, large; great

nuovo new

povero poor

simpatico nice, charming

vecchio old

A few of these adjectives change in meaning depending on their position. Needless to say,

when you are unsure of the meaning and use of an adjective, check a dictionary. Here are the four

most common adjectives whose meaning changes depending on their position before or after the

noun.

BEFORE THE NOUN AFTER THE NOUN

caro dear expensive

Lui è un caro amico. È una giacca cara.

He’s a dear friend. It’s an expensive jacket.

grande great big

È un grande libro. È un libro grande.

It’s a great book. It’s a big book.

povero poor (deserving of pity) poor (not wealthy)

Lui è un povero uomo. Lui è un uomo povero.

He is a poor man (pitiable). He is a poor man (not wealthy).

vecchio old (known for many years) old (in age)

Lei è una vecchia amica. Lei è una donna vecchia.

She is an old friend. She is an old woman.

Note: Descriptive adjectives can also be separated from the nouns they modify by a linking

verb. The most common linking verbs are: essere (to be), sembrare (to seem), and diventare (to

become).

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Adjectives 47

Quella giacca è nuova. That jacket is new.

Quell’uomo sembra intelligente. That man seems intelligent.

Questa macchina sta diventando vecchia. This car is becoming old.

Adjectives used in this way are known as predicate adjectives, because they occur in the

predicate slot, after the verb that links them to the noun or nouns they modify.

One final word about the position of descriptive adjectives. When these adjectives are

accompanied by an adverb, another adjective, or some other part of speech, they must follow the

noun.

Lui è un simpatico uomo. He is a nice man.

But:

Lui è un uomo molto simpatico. He is a very nice man.

Lui è un uomo simpatico e bravo. He is a nice and good man.

4·2

ESERCIZIO

A. Rewrite each sentence by changing the position of the adjective—if it is before the noun

move it after and vice versa—and by making any other changes that are then required.

1. Lui è uno studente simpatico.

2. È un nuovo zaino.

3. Ho comprato un orologio nuovo.

4. Marco e Maria sono amici simpatici.

5. Lei è un’amica ricca.

B. Match each sentence to its correct English equivalent.

1. Lei è una donna vecchia.

a. She’s an elderly woman. b. She is a woman whom I have known for a while.

2. Loro sono vecchi amici.

a. They are elderly friends. b. They are friends whom we have known for ages.

3. Noi siamo persone povere.

a. We are impoverished people. b. We are unfortunate people.

4. Lui è un povero cantante.

a. He is an impoverished singer. b. He is a pitiable singer.

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5. La Ferrari è una macchina cara.

a. The Ferrari is an expensive car. b. The Ferrari is a dear car.

6. Giulio è un caro amico.

a. Giulio is an expensive friend. b. Giulio is a dear friend.

7. Quello è un grande film.

a. That is a big movie (long in length). b. That is a great movie.

8. Alessandro è un ragazzo grande.

a. Alexander is a big boy. b. Alexander is a great boy.

Form-changing adjectives

The adjectives buono (good, kind), bello (beautiful, nice, handsome), grande (big, large, great),

and santo (saint) undergo changes in form when they are placed before a noun.

Let’s start with buono. Before masculine nouns beginning with z, s + consonant, gn, and

ps, its forms are as follows (remember that the partitive dei = some).

SINGULAR PLURAL

buono buoni

un buono zio a kind uncle dei buoni zii (some) kind uncles

un buono studente a kind student dei buoni studenti (some) kind students

Before masculine nouns beginning with any other consonant or any vowel, its forms are as

follows.

SINGULAR PLURAL

buon buoni

un buon ragazzo a good boy dei buoni ragazzi (some) good boys

un buon amico a good friend dei buoni amici (some) good friends

Before feminine nouns beginning with any consonant, its forms are as follows (remember

that the partitive delle = some).

SINGULAR PLURAL

buona buone

una buona bambina a good child delle buone bambine (some) good children

una buona pizza a good pizza delle buone pizze (some) good pizzas

Before feminine nouns beginning with any vowel, the forms are as follows.

SINGULAR PLURAL

buon’ buone

una buon’amica a good friend delle buone amiche (some) good friends

una buon’infermiera a good nurse delle buone infermiere (some) good nurses

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Adjectives 49

Tips!

Note that the singular forms undergo the same kinds of form changes as the indefinite article (see Unit 3).

uno → buono

un → buon

una → buona

un’ → buon’

Note also that the apostrophe is used only with the feminine form (buon’), as is the case

with the indefinite article.

When referring to people, buono means good in the sense of good in nature, kind. If good at

doing something is intended, then the adjective bravo is more appropriate.

È un buon ragazzo. He is a good (natured) boy.

È un bravo studente. He is a good student. (He is good at being a

student.)

When buono is placed after the noun, it is treated as a normal type (1) descriptive adjective

ending in -o (remember the forms of the partitive: di + i = dei, di + gli = degli, di + le = delle).

BEFORE THE NOUN AFTER THE NOUN

un buon amico a good friend (m.) un amico buono a good friend (m.)

una buon’amica a good friend (f.) un’amica buona a good friend (f.)

un buono zio a kind uncle uno zio buono a kind uncle

dei buoni amici good friends (m.) degli amici buoni good friends (m.)

delle buone amiche good friends (f.) delle amiche buone good friends (f.)

dei buoni zii kind uncles degli zii buoni kind uncles

Be careful!

As discussed above and in Unit 3, you will have to adjust the form of the article (or partitive)

to the adjective that is put before a noun.

uno zio buono but un buono zio

l’amico buono but il buon amico

un’amica buona but una buon’amica

degli studenti buoni but dei buoni studenti

Now, let’s consider bello. Before masculine nouns beginning with z, s + consonant, gn, and

ps, its forms are as follows.

SINGULAR PLURAL

bello begli

un bello zaino a nice backpack dei begli zaini (some) nice backpacks

un bello sport a nice sport dei begli sport (some) nice sports

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Before masculine nouns beginning with any other consonant, its forms are as follows.

SINGULAR PLURAL

bel bei

un bel cane a beautiful dog dei bei cani (some) beautiful dogs

un bel gatto a beautiful cat dei bei gatti (some) beautiful cats

Before masculine nouns beginning with any vowel, its forms are as follows.

SINGULAR PLURAL

bell’ begli

un bell’uomo a handsome man dei begli uomini (some) handsome men

un bell’orologio a beautiful watch dei begli orologi (some) beautiful watches

Before feminine nouns beginning with any consonant, its forms are as follows.

SINGULAR PLURAL

bella belle

una bella donna a beautiful woman delle belle donne (some) beautiful women

una bella camicia a nice shirt delle belle camicie (some) nice shirts

Before feminine nouns beginning with any vowel, the forms are as follows.

SINGULAR PLURAL

bell’ belle

una bell’amica a beautiful friend delle belle amiche (some) beautiful friends

una bell’attrice a beautiful actress delle belle attrici (some) beautiful actresses

Tip!

Note that bello undergoes the same kinds of form changes as the definite article (see Unit 3).

lo → bello

l’ → bell’

gli → begli

il → bel

i → bei

la → bella

le → belle

If placed after the noun, bello is treated like a normal type (1) descriptive adjective ending

in -o.

BEFORE AFTER

un bell’uomo a handsome man un uomo bello a handsome man

una bell’attrice a beautiful actress un’attrice bella a beautiful actress

un bello zaino a nice backpack uno zaino bello a nice backpack

dei begli uomini handsome men degli uomini belli handsome men

delle belle attrici beautiful actresses delle attrici belle beautiful actresses

dei begli zaini nice backpacks degli zaini belli nice backpacks

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Adjectives 51

Once again, be careful!

As discussed above and in Unit 3, you will have to adapt the form of the article (or partitive)

to the adjective that is put before a noun.

uno zaino bello but un bello zaino

l’amico bello but il bell’amico

l’amica bella but la bell’amica

degli studenti belli but dei begli studenti

Grande has the optional forms gran (before a masculine singular noun beginning with any

consonant except z, s + consonant, ps, and gn), and grand’ (before any singular noun beginning

with a vowel). Otherwise, it is treated as a normal type (2) adjective ending in -e.

un gran film (or) un grande film a great movie

un grand’amico (or) un grande amico a great friend

una grand’attrice (or) una grande attrice a great actress

But in all other cases only grande is allowed. And there is only one plural form: grandi.

un grande scrittore a great writer

una grande donna a great woman

dei grandi amici great friends

delle grandi attrici great actresses

Finally, consider santo. It undergoes changes only before proper names. Before masculine

singular proper names beginning with z, s + consonant, gn, and ps, the form used is Santo.

Santo Stefano St. Stephen

Santo Spirito Holy Spirit

Before masculine singular proper names beginning with any other consonant, the form

used is San.

San Paolo St. Paul

San Giovanni St. John

Before masculine and feminine proper names beginning with any vowel, the form used is

Sant’.

Sant’Anna St. Ann

Sant’Antonio St. Anthony

Sant’Elisabetta St. Elizabeth

Sant’Eugenio St. Eugene (Eugenius)

Before feminine proper names beginning with any consonant, the form used is Santa.

Santa Maria St. Mary

Santa Caterina St. Catherine

With common nouns, santo is treated like a normal type (1) adjective ending in -o.

un santo bambino a saintly child

una santa donna a saintly woman

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4·3

ESERCIZIO

A. Rewrite each phrase by putting the adjective before the noun and by making any other

necessary changes.

example amico buono

buon amico

1. zio buono

2. zia buona

3. amico buono

4. amica buona

5. padre buono

6. ragazzi buoni

7. amiche buone

8. zaino bello

9. libro bello

10. orologio bello

11. zaini belli

12. libri belli

13. orologi belli

14. donna bella

15. donne belle

16. attrice bella

17. attrici belle

B. Rewrite each phrase by putting the adjective after the noun. Don’t forget to make any necessary

changes to the article or partitive.

BEFORE AFTER

1. un bello zaino

2. dei grandi scultori

3. un buon caffè

4. dei buoni ragionieri

5. un bell’uomo

6. un buon portatile

7. dei bei programmi

8. un buono psicologo

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Adjectives 53

9. una buona psicologa

10. un gran problema

11. una buona pesca

12. delle grandi autrici

13. un buon orologio

14. un gran musicista

15. una bella donna

16. un buon affare

C. Each of the following is the name of a saint. Add the appropriate form of santo to each name.

1. Marco

2. Isabella

3. Bernardo

4. Francesco

5. Agnese (f.)

6. Alessio

Comparison of adjectives

Someone or something can have a comparatively equal, greater, or lesser degree of some quality

(as specified by some adjective). These degrees are called: positive, comparative, and superlative.

For the positive degree either così... come or tanto... quanto are used. (Note: felice = happy.)

Alessandro è così felice come sua sorella. Alexander is as happy as his sister.

Loro sono tanto simpatici quanto They are as nice as they are intelligent.

intelligenti.

The first words in these constructions are optional in colloquial or informal speech.

Alessandro è felice come sua sorella.

Loro sono simpatici quanto intelligenti.

For the comparative degree più (more) or meno (less) is used, as the case may be.

Marco è intelligente. Mark is intelligent. Maria è più intelligente. Mary is more

intelligent.

Lui è simpatico. He’s nice. Lei è meno simpatica. She is less nice.

Sara è alta. Sarah is tall. Alessandro è più alto. Alexander is taller.

For the superlative degree the definite article is used (in its proper form, of course!) followed

by più or meno, as the case may be. The English preposition in is rendered by di in this case.

(Note: costoso = costly, expensive. Recall that di + il = del; di + la = della, etc.)

Maria è la più alta della sua classe. Mary is the tallest in her class.

Lui è il più simpatico della famiglia. He is the nicest in the family.

Quelle macchine sono le meno costose. Those cars are the least expensive.

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In superlative constructions, the definite article is not repeated if it is already in front of a

noun.

Maria è la ragazza più alta della classe. Mary is the tallest girl in the class.

Bruno è il ragazzo meno intelligente Bruno is the least intelligent boy in the class.

della classe.

Note the following

In comparative constructions, the word than is rendered in one of two ways.

◆ If two forms (nouns or noun phrases) are compared by one adjective, the preposition di

is used.

Giovanni è più alto di Marco. John is taller than Mark.

Maria è meno ricca di sua sorella. Mary is less rich than her sister.

◆ If two adjectives are used to compare the same form, che is used instead.

Lui è più simpatico che intelligente. He is nicer than he is intelligent.

Maria è meno elegante che simpatica. Mary is less elegant than she is nice.

The construction di quello che (also di quel che or di ciò che) corresponds to the English

form than before a dependent clause (a clause that generally follows the main one).

Marco è più intelligente di quel che crede. Mark is more intelligent than what he believes.

Maria è meno elegante di quello che Mary is less elegant than what she thinks.

pensa.

Some adjectives have both regular and irregular comparative and superlative forms.

buono good più buono (or) migliore better

cattivo bad più cattivo (or) peggiore worse

grande big più grande (or) maggiore bigger (older)

piccolo small più piccolo (or) minore smaller (younger)

Questo pane è buono, ma quello This bread is good, but that one is better.

è migliore.

Questo caffè è cattivo, ma quello This coffee is bad, but that one is worse.

è peggiore.

Lui è il fratello maggiore. He is the oldest brother.

Lei è la sorella minore. She is the youngest sister.

To express very as part of the adjective, just drop the final vowel of the adjective and add

-issimo. These adjectives are then treated like normal type (1) adjectives ending in -o.

alto → alt- + -issimo = altissimo very tall

buono → buon- + -issimo = buonissimo very good

facile → facil- + -issimo = facilissimo very easy

grande → grand- + -issimo = grandissimo very big

Marco è intelligentissimo. Mark is very intelligent.

Anche Claudia è intelligentissima. Claudia is also very intelligent.

Quelle ragazze sono bravissime. Those girls are very good.

Quelle lezioni sono facilissime. Those classes are very easy.

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Adjectives 55

4·4

ESERCIZIO

A. Say the following things using complete sentences.

example Mark is than Claudia.

taller → Marco è più alto di Claudia.

1. John is as as Mary.

a. tall

b. intelligent

c. nice

d. happy

2. Mr. Sabatini is than the students.

a. happier

b. richer

c. nicer

d. more tired

3. Mrs. Sabatini is less than the students.

a. happy

b. rich

c. nice

d. tired

4. The jackets are than the coats.

a. more expensive

b. longer

c. more beautiful

d. newer

5. The raincoats are than the dresses.

a. less expensive

b. longer

c. less beautiful

d. older

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B. Complete each sentence with the appropriate form. If no form is necessary, leave the space blank.

1. Lui è professore più bravo università.

2. Lei è più intelligente tutti (everyone).

3. Giovanni è più bravo intelligente.

4. Giovanni è più bravo Pasquale.

5. Gli studenti sono più simpatici intelligenti.

6. Maria è più intelligente crede.

C. Provide an equivalent form.

1. più buoni

2. più grande

3. più cattiva

4. più piccole

5. più grandi

6. molto ricco

7. molto rossi

8. molto facile

9. molto belle

10. molto simpatici

11. molto simpatiche

12. molto buona

D. Provide the corresponding masculine or feminine form of each noun phrase, as required.

MASCULINE FEMININE

1. l’uomo intelligente

2. l’amica elegante

3. lo zio alto

4. la bella studentessa

5. il fratello simpaticissimo

6. la buon’amica

7. il ragazzo francese

8. una bravissima professoressa

9. un buono zio

10. una bella ragazza

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Adjectives 57

11. un bell’amico

12. Santa Maria

E. Choose the correct response.

1. To refer to a man who is not wealthy, you would say .

a. un povero uomo b. un uomo povero

2. To refer to a friend who is old in age, you would say .

a. un vecchio amico b. un amico vecchio

3. Sara è così brava il fratello.

a. tanto b. come

4. Alessandro è più simpatico Maria.

a. di b. che

5. Marco è più simpatico intelligente.

a. di b. che

6. Maria è più intelligente quel che crede.

a. di b. che

Grammar in culture

Adjectives have many social functions. One of these is talking about the weather (il tempo).

The following sentences use weather-related adjectives.

Il tempo è bello. / Fa bel tempo. The weather is nice.

Il tempo è brutto. / Fa brutto tempo. The weather is bad.

Il tempo è cattivo. / Fa cattivo tempo. The weather is awful.

È sereno. It’s clear.

È nuvoloso. It’s cloudy.

È umido. It’s humid.

È piovoso. It’s rainy.

È burrascoso. It’s stormy.

È ventoso. It’s windy.

Some weather-related expressions require nouns rather than adjectives in Italian, even

though the nouns are treated like adjectives in English.

Fa caldo. It is hot.

Fa fresco. It is cool.

Fa freddo. It is cold.

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4·5

ESERCIZIO

How do you say the following in Italian?

1. It’s hot and it’s rainy.

2. It’s always cold here (qui) and it’s always cloudy.

3. The weather is nice today. It’s clear and cool.

4. It’s rainy today. The weather is awful.

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59

Pronouns are words used in place of nouns, substantives (words taking on the

function of nouns), or noun phrases (nouns accompanied by articles, demonstratives, adjectives, etc.).

Giovanni è italiano. John is Italian.

Lui è italiano. He is Italian.

We will deal with several types of pronouns in other units, including demonstrative, possessive, interrogative, indefinite, and relative pronouns. The discussion in this and the next unit will thus focus on personal pronouns (I, me, you, us,

them, etc.).

Subject pronouns

Personal pronouns are classified as subject, object, or reflexive pronouns. They are

also classified according to the person(s) speaking (first person), the person(s)

spoken to (second person), or the person(s) spoken about (third person). The pronoun can, of course, be in the singular (referring to one person) or in the plural

(referring to more than one person).

Subject pronouns are used as the subjects of verbs.

Io parlo italiano e lui parla francese. I speak Italian and he speaks

French.

Anche loro andranno in Italia. They, too, will be going to Italy.

The Italian subject pronouns are (fam. = familiar; pol. = polite):

SINGULAR PLURAL

FIRST PERSON io I noi we

SECOND PERSON tu you (fam.) voi you (fam.)

THIRD PERSON lui he loro they

lei she Loro you (pol.)

Lei you (pol.)

Note that io is not capitalized unless it is the first word of a sentence.

Pronouns are optional in simple affirmative sentences, because it is easy to

tell from the verb which person is the subject.

Io non capisco. (or) Non capisco. I do not understand.

Loro vanno in Italia. (or) Vanno in Italia. They are going to Italy.

Pronouns ·5·

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However, they must be used for emphasis, to avoid ambiguity, or if more than one subject

pronoun is required.

Devi parlare tu, non io! You have to speak, not I!

Non è possibile che l’abbiano fatto loro. It’s not possible that they did it.

Mentre lui guarda la TV, lei ascolta While he watches TV, she listens to the radio.

la radio.

Lui e io vogliamo che tu dica la verità. He and I want you to tell the truth.

Note

Subject pronouns must also be used after the following words.

anche also, too

neanche neither, not even (synonyms are neppure

and nemmeno)

proprio really

Anche tu devi venire alla festa. You, too, must come to the party.

Non è venuto neanche lui. He didn’t come either.

Signor Rossini, è proprio Lei? Mr. Rossini, is it really you?

The subject pronoun it is not usually stated in Italian.

È vero. It is true.

Sembra che sia vero. It appears to be true.

However, if this subject is required, then the following can be used.

esso (m., sing.) essi (m., pl.)

essa (f., sing.) esse (f., pl.)

È una buona ragione, ma neanche essa It’s a good reason, but not even it will be believed.

sarà creduta.

Sono buone ragioni, ma neanche esse They are good reasons, but not even they will

saranno credute. be believed.

You has both familiar and polite forms.

Maria, anche tu studi l’italiano? Mary, are you also studying Italian?

Signora Giusti, anche Lei studia Mrs. Giusti, are you also studying Italian?

l’italiano?

In writing, the polite forms (Lei, Loro) are capitalized in order to distinguish them from lei

meaning she and loro meaning they, but this is not obligatory. In the plural, there is a strong tendency in current Italian to use voi as the plural of both tu and Lei. Loro is restricted to very formal situations.

The forms lui and lei are used in ordinary conversation and for most purposes. However,

there are two more formal pronouns: egli and ella, respectively. These are used especially in reference to famous people.

Dante scrisse la Divina Commedia. Egli Dante wrote the Divine Comedy. He was

era fiorentino. Florentine.

Chi era Natalia Ginzburg? Ella era una Who was Natalia Ginzburg? She was a

grande scrittrice. great writer.

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Pronouns 61

5·1

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the missing pronouns.

1. Anch’ voglio andare in Italia.

2. Devi chiamare , non io!

3. Non è possibile che siano stati .

4. Mio fratello guarda sempre la TV. guarda sempre programmi interessanti.

5. Mia sorella legge molto. vuole diventare professoressa d’università.

6. Anche siamo andati in centro ieri.

7. Siete proprio ?

8. Galileo era un grande scienziato (scientist). era toscano.

9. Elsa Morante è una grande scrittrice. è molto famosa.

10. Maria, vai anche alla festa?

11. Signora Marchi, va anche al cinema?

12. Signore e signori, anche siete/sono felici?

B. Rewrite each sentence by making each verb plural and adjusting the rest of the sentence accordingly.

(Note: importante = important; interessante = interesting.)

1. Anche esso è un problema importante.

2. Anche essa è una tesi interessante.

3. Io andrò in Italia quest’anno.

4. Lui è italiano.

5. Lei è italiana.

Object pronouns

Object pronouns are used as objects of verbs and other structures. Their main use is to replace

direct or indirect objects.

Direct object

Marco sta leggendo quel libro adesso. Marco is reading that book now.

Marco lo sta leggendo. Marco is reading it.

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Indirect object

Marco darà quel libro a sua sorella. Marco will give that book to his sister.

Marco le darà quel libro domani. Marco will give her that book tomorrow.

Italian object pronouns generally come right before the verb. There are some exceptions,

however, as will be discussed later on. The direct and indirect object pronouns are as follows.

DIRECT INDIRECT

mi me mi to me

ti you (fam., sing.) ti to you (fam., sing.)

La you (pol., sing.) Le to you (pol., sing.)

lo him; it gli to him

la her; it le to her

ci us ci to us

vi you (fam., pl.) vi to you (fam., pl.)

li them (m.) gli to them (m.)

le them (f.) gli to them (f.)

Notice that the plural of the indirect object pronouns gli (to him) and le (to her) is gli (to them).

This means that you will have to be very careful when determining which meaning is intended

by the context of the sentence.

Dove sono i tuoi amici? Where are your (male) friends?

Gli voglio parlare. I want to speak to them.

Dove sono le tue amiche? Where are your (female) friends?

Gli voglio parlare. I want to speak to them.

Third-person forms

The English direct object pronouns it and them are expressed by the third-person direct object

pronouns. Be careful! Choose the pronoun according to the gender and number of the noun it

replaces. And, again, these go before the verb.

Masculine singular

Il ragazzo comprerà il gelato domani. The boy will buy the ice cream tomorrow.

Il ragazzo lo comprerà domani. The boy will buy it tomorrow.

Masculine plural

Quella donna comprerà i biglietti domani. That woman will buy the tickets tomorrow.

Quella donna li comprerà domani. That woman will buy them tomorrow.

Feminine singular

Mio fratello comprerà la rivista domani. My brother will buy the magazine tomorrow.

Mio fratello la comprerà domani. My brother will buy it tomorrow.

Feminine plural

Sua sorella comprerà le riviste domani. His sister will buy the magazines tomorrow.

Sua sorella le comprerà domani. His sister will buy them tomorrow.

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Pronouns 63

5·2

ESERCIZIO

A. Complete each sentence with the appropriate direct or indirect pronoun, as required.

Use the English pronouns given as a guide. (Note: va bene = OK; indirizzo = address.)

1. (to) me

a. Giovanni chiama ogni sera.

b. Giovanni ha dato la sua penna.

2. (to) you (fam., sing.)

a. La sua amica ha telefonato, non è vero?

b. Lui vuole che io chiami stasera.

3. (to) you (pol., sing.)

a. Professoressa, chiamo domani, va bene?

b. Professoressa, do il mio compito domani, va bene?

4. (to) him

a. Conosci Marco? Mia sorella telefona spesso.

b. Sì, io conosco molto bene.

5. (to) her

a. Ieri ho visto Maria e ho dato il tuo indirizzo.

b. Anche tu hai visto Maria, no? No, ma forse chiamo stasera.

6. (to) us

a. Marco e Maria, quando venite a visitare?

b. Signor Verdi e signora Verdi, quando telefonerete?

7. (to) you (fam., pl.)

a. Claudia e Franca, devo dire qualcosa.

b. Claudia e Franca, non ho dato niente ieri.

8. (to) them (m.)

a. Conosci quegli studenti? No, non conosco.

b. Scrivi mai a quegli studenti? No, non scrivo mai.

9. (to) them (f.)

a. Conosci quelle studentesse? No, non conosco.

b. Scrivi mai a quelle studentesse? No, non scrivo mai.

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B. Rewrite each sentence by replacing the italicized object with the appropriate pronoun. (Note: volentieri

= gladly; stivale [m.] = boots.)

example Io comprerò quella camicia domani.

Io la comprerò domani.

1. Marco guarda sempre la televisione ogni sera.

2. Anche lei preferisce quel programma.

3. Mangeremo gli spaghetti volentieri in quel ristorante.

4. Anche Maria vuole le patate.

5. Compreremo le scarpe domani.

6. Loro compreranno gli stivali in centro.

7. Anch’io prendo l’espresso, va bene?

8. Vuoi la carne anche tu?

Stressed pronouns

There is a second type of personal object pronoun that goes after the verb. It is known as a stressed

or tonic pronoun.

DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS

BEFORE, UNSTRESSED AFTER, STRESSED

mi me me me

ti you (fam.) te you (fam.)

La you (pol.) Lei you (pol.)

lo him lui him

la her lei her

ci us noi us

vi you (fam., pl.) voi you (fam., pl.)

li them (m.) loro them

le them (f.) loro them

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Pronouns 65

INDIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS

BEFORE, UNSTRESSED AFTER, STRESSED

mi to me a me to me

ti to you (fam., sing.) a te to you (fam., sing.)

Le to you (pol., sing.) a Lei to you (pol., sing.)

gli to him a lui to him

le to her a lei to her

ci to us a noi to us

vi to you (fam., pl.) a voi to you (fam., pl.)

gli to them (m.) a loro to them

gli to them (f.) a loro to them

For most purposes, the two types can be used alternatively, although the unstressed pronouns are more common in most types of discourse. The stressed pronouns are more appropriate

when emphasis is required or in order to avoid ambiguity.

Marco lo darà a me, non a te! Mark will give it to me, not to you!

Ieri ho scritto a te, e solo a te! Yesterday I wrote to you, and only you!

These are the only object pronouns you can use after a preposition.

Maria viene con noi. Mary is coming with us.

Il professore parla di te. The professor is speaking about you.

L’ha fatto per me. He did it for me.

5·3

ESERCIZIO

A. Complete each sentence with the appropriate stressed direct or indirect object pronoun,

as required. Use the English pronouns given as a guide.

1. (to) me

a. Claudia chiama solo ogni sera, non la sua amica.

b. Giovanni ha dato la sua penna , non al suo amico.

2. (to) you (fam., sing.)

a. Claudia ha telefonato , non è vero?

b. Lui vuole che io chiami anche stasera.

3. (to) you (pol., sing.)

a. Dottor Marchi, chiamo , non l’altro medico, domani, va bene?

b. Professoressa Verdi, do il mio compito domani, va bene?

4. (to) him

a. Conosci il professor Giusti? Mia sorella telefona solo per studiare per gli esami.

b. Sì, io conosco proprio molto bene.

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5. (to) her

a. Ieri ho visto la tua amica e ho dato il tuo indirizzo anche .

b. Anche tu hai visto Paola, no? No, ma forse esco con stasera.

6. (to) us

a. Marco e Maria, quando uscirete con ?

b. Signor Verdi e signora Verdi, quando telefonerete ?

7. (to) you (fam., pl.)

a. Marco e Maria, parlerò di alla professoressa.

b. Claudia e Franca, non ho dato niente ieri.

8. (to) them (m.)

a. Conosci quegli studenti? Sì, e domani parlerò di al professore.

b. Scrivi mai a quegli studenti? No, non scrivo mai .

9. (to) them (f.)

a. Conosci quelle studentesse? Sì, e domani parlerò di al professore.

b. Scrivi mai a quelle studentesse? No, non scrivo mai .

B. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. Mark will give your address to me, not to him!

2. Yesterday I wrote to you (fam., sing.), and only you!

3. Mary is coming with us, not with them, to the movies tomorrow.

4. The professor is always speaking about you (fam., pl.), not about us!

5. Mary, I did it for you!

6. Mrs. Verdi, I did it for you!

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Other pronouns

Words such as molto, tanto, etc., can also function as pronouns.

Lui mangia assai. He eats quite a lot.

Tuo fratello dorme molto, no? Your brother sleeps a lot, doesn’t he?

Ieri ho mangiato troppo. Yesterday I ate too much.

When referring to people in general, use the plural forms alcuni, molti, parecchi, pochi,

tanti, tutti, etc.

Molti vanno in Italia quest’anno. Many (people) are going to Italy this year.

Tutti sanno quello. Everyone knows that.

Use the corresponding feminine forms (molte, alcune, etc.) when referring to females.

Di quelle ragazze, molte sono italiane. Of those girls, many are Italian.

Di tutte quelle donne, alcune sono Of all those women, some are American.

americane.

The pronoun ne has four main functions. It is placed before the verb when used to replace the

following structures:

◆ partitives

Comprerai anche delle patate? Will you also buy some potatoes?

Sì, ne comprerò. Yes, I’ll buy some.

◆ numbers and quantitative expressions

Quanti libri devi leggere? How many books do you have to read?

Ne devo leggere tre. I have to read three (of them).

◆ indefinite expressions

Leggi molti libri di solito, non è vero? You usually read a lot of books, don’t you?

Sì, ne leggo molti di solito. Yes, I usually read a lot (of them).

◆ topic phrases introduced by di

Ha parlato di matematica, vero? He spoke about mathematics, didn’t he?

Sì, ne ha parlato. Yes, he spoke about it.

The locative (place) pronoun ci means there. It also is placed before the verb.

Andate in Italia, non è vero? You are going to Italy, aren’t you?

Sì, ci andiamo domani. Yes, we are going there tomorrow.

Marco vive a Perugia, non è vero? Marco lives in Perugia, doesn’t he?

Sì, ci vive da molti anni. Yes, he has been living there for many years.

Ne is used instead to express from there.

Sei arrivato dall’Italia ieri, non è vero? You arrived from Italy yesterday, didn’t you?

Sì, ne sono arrivato proprio ieri. Yes, I came from there just yesterday.

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5·4

ESERCIZIO

A. Rewrite each sentence by replacing the italicized word or phrase with either ne or ci.

1. Sì, comprerò delle matite.

2. Mio fratello comprerà degli zaini domani.

3. Devo guardare due programmi stasera.

4. Di solito leggo molte riviste ogni settimana.

5. Anche lei ha parlato di Dante.

6. Andiamo in Italia domani.

7. Mia sorella vive a Chicago da molti anni.

8. Loro arrivano dalla Francia tra poco.

B. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. My brother eats quite a lot.

2. Does your sister sleep a lot?

3. Yesterday we ate too much.

4. Only a few are going to Italy this year. But many went last year.

5. Of those women, many are Italian and a few are American.

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Pronouns 69

C. Choose the appropriate pronoun to complete each sentence.

1. Giovanni è andato anche in Italia.

a. lui b. egli

2. Petrarca era anche un fiorentino.

a. lui b. egli

3. Claudia, quando hai chiamato?

a. mi b. me

4. Marco, è vero che hai parlato già?

a. gli b. lui

5. Noi abbiamo parlato a tuo fratello ieri. Non abbiamo detto proprio niente.

a. gli b. le

6. Noi abbiamo parlato a quella donna ieri. Non abbiamo detto proprio niente.

a. gli b. le

7. Vieni con in centro!

a. mi b. me

D. Rewrite each sentence by replacing the italicized object pronoun words or phrases with the appropriate

unstressed pronouns and by making all necessary changes.

1. Claudia darà il libro a me domani.

2. Io darò le matite a te dopo.

3. Io ho dato le scarpe alla loro amica.

4. Voglio gli gnocchi anch’io.

5. Lui chiama spesso il fratello e sua sorella.

6. Lui vuole delle scarpe.

7. Non voglio la carne.

8. Prendo due matite.

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9. Marco andrà in Italia domani.

10. Lei comprerà molte cose per la festa.

11. Prendo quattro tazze di caffè di solito.

Grammar in culture

Familiar vs. polite address in Italian is an important social distinction. Grammatically, this

involves using appropriate pronouns and verb forms. Use the third-person plural polite

forms with strangers and those with whom you are on a formal social basis; otherwise use

the second-person familiar forms (with family, friends, children, colleagues, and animals).

FAMILIAR POLITE

tu Lei

Anche tu sei italiana, Maria, vero? Anche Lei è italiana, dottoressa Verdi, vero?

Maria, you’re Italian as well, right? Dr. Verdi, you’re Italian as well, right?

voi Loro

Venite anche voi, Marco e Maria? Vengono anche Loro, signor e signora Rossi?

You’re coming too, Marco and Maria? You’re coming too, Mr. and Mrs. Rossi?

ti La

Maria, ti chiamo domani. Professore, La chiamo domani.

Maria, I’ll call you tomorrow. Professor, I’ll call you tomorrow.

ti / a te Le / a Lei

Maria, ti ho detto tutto. Signore, Le ho detto tutto.

Mary, I told you everything. Sir, I told you everything.

Maria, ho dato il mio cellulare a te. Signore, ho dato il mio cellulare a Lei.

Maria, I gave my cell phone to you. Sir, I gave my cell phone to you.

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5·5

ESERCIZIO

Rewrite each sentence, using the addressee in parentheses and making all necessary

changes.

example Maria, vieni anche tu? (Signora Verdi)

Signora Verdi, viene anche Lei?

1. Professore, La chiamo domani, va bene? (Gina)

2. Mamma, ti ho dato il regalo (gift) per Natale. (Professore)

3. Signor e signora Marchi, partono anche Loro domani? (Gina e Claudia)

4. Ragazzino (little boy), chi sei tu? (Signore)

5. Marco, ho dato quella cosa a te ieri. (Professoressa)

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72

As you saw in the previous unit, pronouns constitute a fairly complex part of

Italian grammar. And there is more to know about them, as you may recall

from previous study. In this unit, we will conclude the treatment of these pesky

pronouns.

Object pronouns with compound tenses

The past participle of verbs in compound tenses agrees with the object pronouns

lo, la, li, le, and ne.

Agreement with lo

Hanno visto il nuovo film? Did they see the new movie?

Sì, lo hanno visto (l’hanno visto). Yes, they saw it.

Agreement with la

Hai comprato la camicia? Did you buy the shirt?

Sì, la ho comprata (l’ho comprata) ieri. Yes, I bought it yesterday.

Agreement with li

Avete finito gli spaghetti? Did you finish the spaghetti?

Sì, li abbiamo finiti. Yes, we finished them.

Agreement with le

Hai mangiato le mele? Did you eat the apples?

Sì, le ho mangiate. Yes, I ate them.

Agreement with ne (when used to replace quantitative

expressions only)

Quante mele hai mangiato? How many apples did you eat?

Ne ho mangiate quattro. I ate four of them.

Quanti panini hai mangiato? How many sandwiches did you eat?

Ne ho mangiati tanti. I ate a lot.

Note: Only the singular forms lo and la can be elided with the auxiliary

forms of avere.

Agreement with the other direct object pronouns—mi, ti, ci, vi—is optional.

Claudia ci ha chiamato. (or) Claudia called us.

Claudia ci ha chiamati.

·6· More pronouns

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There is no agreement with indirect object pronouns.

Giovanni gli ha scritto. John wrote to him (to them).

Giovanni le ha scritto. John wrote to her.

So, be careful!

Direct object pronoun: agreement

Lui ha già mangiato le patate. He already ate the potatoes.

Lui le ha già mangiate. He already ate them.

Indirect object pronoun: no agreement

Lui ha scritto a sua sorella. He wrote to his sister.

Lui le ha scritto. He wrote to her.

6·1

ESERCIZIO

A. Rewrite each sentence by replacing each italicized object word or phrase with the

appropriate unstressed object pronoun and by making all other necessary changes.

1. Mio fratello ha comprato quello zaino ieri.

2. Abbiamo dato quello zaino a mio fratello.

3. Loro hanno preso quegli stivali ieri.

4. Ho dato quegli stivali ai miei amici ieri.

5. Mia sorella ha comprato quella borsa ieri.

6. Mia madre ha dato quella borsa a mia sorella.

7. Abbiamo visto quelle scarpe in centro.

8. Abbiamo dato quelle scarpe alle nostre amiche ieri.

9. Ho mangiato tre patate.

10. Abbiamo comprato molte cose in centro ieri.

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B. Answer each question affirmatively using the appropriate unstressed pronoun and making any

necessary adjustment to the past participle.

example Hai preso quella matita?

Sì, l’ho presa.

1. Hai preso quello zaino?

2. Hai comprato quelle scarpe?

3. Hai visto la tua amica?

4. Hai chiamato i tuoi amici?

5. Hai mangiato delle patate?

Double pronouns

When both direct and indirect object pronouns are used, the following rules apply:

◆ The indirect object pronoun always precedes the direct object pronoun (the only possible

forms are lo, la, li, le) and the pronoun ne.

Claudia mi darà il libro domani. Claudia will give the book to me tomorrow.

Claudia me lo darà domani. Claudia will give it to me tomorrow.

Giovanni mi comprerà delle matite. John will buy me some pencils.

Giovanni me ne comprerà. John will buy me some.

◆ The indirect pronouns mi, ti, ci, and vi are changed to me, te, ce, and ve, respectively.

Lei mi darà il libro domani. She is giving me the book tomorrow.

Lei me lo darà domani. She is giving it to me tomorrow.

Maria vi darà quelle scarpe per Natale. Mary will give you those shoes for Christmas.

Maria ve le darà per Natale. Mary will give you them for Christmas.

Note that the rule regarding agreement between the direct object pronoun and the past participle still applies.

Lui ci ha dato la sua bella penna ieri. He gave his beautiful pen to us yesterday.

Lui ce l’ha data ieri. He gave it to us yesterday.

Giovanni ti ha dato i suoi libri già. John has already given his books to you.

Giovanni te li ha dati già. John has already given them to you.

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◆ The indirect pronouns gli and le are both changed to glie and combined with lo, la, li, le,

or ne to form one word: glielo, gliela, glieli, gliele, gliene.

Claudia dà il libro a Paolo domani. Claudia will give the book to Paul tomorrow.

Claudia glielo dà domani. Claudia will give it to him tomorrow.

Maria darà quella borsa a sua sorella. Mary will give her sister that purse.

Maria gliela darà. Mary will give it to her it.

Note again the agreement between the past participle and the direct object pronoun, even

though it is part of the combined word.

Io ho dato i miei orologi ad Alessandro. I gave my watches to Alexander.

Io glieli ho dati. I gave them to him.

Io ho dato le mie chiavi a Marco. I gave my keys to Mark.

Io gliele ho date. I gave them to him.

Io ho comprato due matite a mio zio. I bought my uncle two pencils.

Io gliene ho comprate due. I bought him two (of them).

6·2

ESERCIZIO

A. Rewrite each sentence by replacing the italicized object words or phrases with the

appropriate double object pronouns and by making all other necessary changes.

1. Mia sorella mi ha comprato quello zaino ieri.

2. Gli ho dato quello zaino ieri.

3. Loro ti hanno preso quegli stivali ieri.

4. Le ho dato quegli stivali ieri.

5. Nostra madre ci ha comprato quella macchina qualche anno fa.

6. Mia madre le ha dato quella borsa.

7. Vi abbiamo comprato quelle scarpe in centro.

8. Gli abbiamo dato quelle scarpe ieri.

9. Gli ho dato tre patate.

10. Le abbiamo comprato molte cose in centro ieri.

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B. Answer each question affirmatively using the appropriate double pronoun and making any necessary

adjustment to the past participle.

example Mi hai preso quella matita?

Sì, te l’ho presa.

1. Ci hai preso quello zaino?

2. Gli hai comprato quelle scarpe?

3. Ti ho dato le mie matite?

4. Le hai detto quelle cose?

5. Mi hai preso delle patate?

Attached pronouns

Object pronouns are attached to an infinitive or gerund. Double pronouns are both attached.

Note that the final -e of the infinitive is dropped when a single or double pronoun is attached.

Prima di mangiare il gelato, voglio Before eating the ice cream, I want ravioli.

i ravioli.

Prima di mangiarlo, voglio i ravioli. Before eating it, I want ravioli.

Vedendo Maria, l’ho chiamata. Seeing Mary, I called her.

Vedendola, l’ho chiamata. Seeing her, I called her.

They are also attached to the form ecco (see Unit 7).

Ecco la matita. Here is the pencil.

Eccola. Here it is.

Ecco Giovanni e Claudia. Here are John and Claudia.

Eccoli. Here they are.

Ecco le chiavi per te. Here are the keys for you.

Eccotele. Here they are for you.

All double pronouns are written as one unit when attached to a verb.

With the modal verbs (potere, dovere, volere) you can either attach the object pronouns to

the infinitive, or put them before the modal verb.

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Non posso mangiare la carne. I cannot eat meat.

Non posso mangiarla. (or) Non la I cannot eat it.

posso mangiare.

Lei gli vuole dare il suo portatile. She wants to give him her laptop.

Lei vuole darglielo. (or) Lei glielo She wants to give it to him.

vuole dare.

Object pronouns with imperative verbs

The object pronouns (single and double) are also attached to the familiar forms of the imperative

(tu, noi, voi). They are not attached to the polite Lei and Loro forms.

Familiar

Giovanni, mangia la mela! John, eat the apple!

Giovanni, mangiala! John, eat it!

Sara, scrivi l’e-mail a tuo fratello! Sarah, write the e-mail to your brother!

Sara, scrivigliela! Sarah, write it to him!

Marco e Maria, date la vostra penna Mark and Mary, give your pen to me!

a me!

Marco e Maria, datemela! Mark and Maria, give it to me!

Polite

Signor Marchi, mangi la mela! Mr. Marchi, eat the apple!

Signor Marchi, la mangi! Mr. Marchi, eat it!

Signor Dini, scriva l’e-mail a Suo fratello! Mr. Dini, write the e-mail to your brother!

Signor Dini, gliela scriva! Mr. Dini, write it to him!

When attaching pronouns to familiar forms ending with an apostrophe—da’, di’, fa’, sta’,

and va’ (see Unit 15)—you must double the first letter of the pronoun. There is, of course, no double gl.

Da’ la penna a me! Give the pen to me!

Dammi la penna! Give me the pen!

Dammela! Give it to me!

Di’ la verità a lui! Tell him the truth!

Dilla a lui! Tell it to him!

Digliela! Tell it to him!

Fa’ quel compito per lui! Do that task for him!

Fallo per lui! Do it for him!

Faglielo! Do it for him!

Da’ due matite a me! Give me two pencils!

Danne due a me! Give me two (of them)!

Dammene due! Give me two (of them)!

Va’ in Italia! Go to Italy!

Vacci! Go there!

With the second-person singular negative infinitive form, you can either attach the pronouns to the infinitive or else put them before.

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE

Mangialo! Eat it! Non mangiarlo! (or) Non lo mangiare! Don’t eat it!

Mandamela! Send it to me! Non mandarmela! (or) Non me la Don’t send it

mandare! to me!

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6·3

ESERCIZIO

A. Rewrite each sentence by replacing the italicized words with single or double object

pronouns, as necessary, and by making all necessary changes. (Note: favore [m.] = favor.)

1. Prima di bere la bibita, voglio mangiare.

2. Vedendo i miei amici, li ho chiamati.

3. Ecco le tue amiche.

4. Ecco gli stivali nuovi per te.

5. Non voglio mangiare gli spaghetti.

6. Potremo andare in Italia tra poco.

7. Vogliamo scrivere molte cose a lui.

8. Giovanni, bevi il caffè!

9. Alessandro da’ la tua penna a me!

10. Maria, fa’ questo favore a tua madre!

11. Signora Marchi, dica la verità a me!

12. Franco, di’ la verità a me!

B. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. John, give the pen to me! Don’t give it to her!

2. Doctor Verdi, tell him the truth! But don’t tell it to them (f.)!

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3. Mom, do that task for me! But don’t do it for him!

4. Mark, do me a favor! But don’t do it for them (m.)!

5. Mary, go downtown with us! Don’t go there with him!

6. Mrs. Verdi, go downtown with us! Don’t go there with her!

C. Rewrite each sentence by replacing the italicized object pronoun words or phrases with the appropriate

unstressed pronouns and by making all other necessary changes.

1. Marco mi darà il portatile domani.

2. Io ti ho dato le scarpe ieri.

3. Loro hanno dato le matite alla loro amica.

4. Prima di mangiare gli gnocchi, voglio mangiare l’antipasto.

5. Ecco il fratello e sua sorella.

6. Lui ha comprato le scarpe nuove ieri.

7. Non voglio mangiare la carne.

8. Claudia, mangia le patate!

9. Giovanni, dammi due matite!

10. Mio fratello è andato in Italia ieri.

11. Lei ha comprato molte mele ieri.

12. Ci sono quattro matite nello zaino.

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D. Rewrite each sentence by replacing each italicized phrase with the appropriate unstressed object

pronoun. Then, rewrite the sentence again by making the italicized phrase plural and resubstituting the

appropriate unstressed object pronoun. Make all other necessary changes.

example Io ho sempre detto la stessa cosa.

Io l’ ho sempre detta.

Io ho sempre detto le stesse cose.

Io le ho sempre dette.

1. Bruno mi ha comprato quell’orologio.

2. Marco, mangia quella mela!

3. Paola vi darà quel libro domani.

4. Anche tu mi hai comprato quella camicia nello stesso negozio, vero?

5. Lui ha bevuto quel caffè volentieri.

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Grammar in culture

Whether a pronoun comes before or after the verb depends on the structure of the sentence.

In some cases, however, as in the negative imperative, the pronoun may come before or after;

this is a matter of style or emphasis. The difference between Marco, non lo mangiare and

Marco, non mangiarlo (Marco, don’t eat it!) is that the latter command stresses the verb

more, thus giving the action more emphasis.

6·4

ESERCIZIO

Provide the emphatic or nonemphatic version of each sentence.

emphatic nonemphatic

1. Gina, non darmela!

2. Luca, non ci andare!

3. Posso darti questo libro?

4. Ti voglio chiamare subito.

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82

Demonstratives are special kinds of adjectives (see Unit 4). They mark nouns as

referring to someone or something that is relatively near or far from someone or

something else.

RELATIVELY NEAR RELATIVELY FAR

questo bambino this child quel bambino that child

questa porta this door quella porta that door

The demonstrative of nearness

As listed in the dictionary, the demonstrative indicating nearness is questo (this).

Like any adjective, it modifies the noun—that is, it changes in form to indicate the

gender and number of the noun. Its forms are given below.

The form questo is used before a masculine noun. Its plural form is questi.

SINGULAR PLURAL

questo amico this friend questi amici these friends

questo cane this dog questi cani these dogs

questo ragazzo this boy questi ragazzi these boys

questo studente this student questi studenti these students

questo zio this uncle questi zii these uncles

And the form questa is used before a feminine noun. Its plural form is queste.

SINGULAR PLURAL

questa amica this friend queste amiche these friends

questa camicia this shirt queste camicie these shirts

questa ragazza this girl queste ragazze these girls

questa studentessa this student queste studentesse these students

questa zia this aunt queste zie these aunts

The form quest’ can be used (optionally) in front of a singular noun (masculine or feminine) beginning with a vowel.

questo orologio (or) quest’orologio this watch

questa amica (or) quest’amica this friend

·7· Demonstratives

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Be careful!

Unlike in English, in Italian you must repeat the demonstrative before each noun.

questo zio e questa zia this uncle and aunt

questi ragazzi e queste ragazze these boys and girls

7·1

ESERCIZIO

A. Rewrite each of the following phrases in the plural. If you have forgotten the meanings

of the nouns used in this and the next Esercizio, look them up in the glossary at the back

of this book.

1. quest’affare

2. quest’attrice

3. questo biologo

4. questa bugia

5. questo cameriere

6. questa cameriera

B. Now, rewrite each phrase in the singular. Some of the items are tricky, although you have come across

the grammar behind them in previous units. So, be careful!

1. questi diagrammi

2. queste dita

3. questi francesi

4. queste francesi

5. questi giornali

The demonstrative of farness

The demonstrative adjective indicating farness is quello (that). Its forms vary as follows.

◆ The form quello is used before a masculine noun beginning with z, s + consonant, gn,

or ps. Its plural form is quegli.

SINGULAR PLURAL

quello zio that uncle quegli zii those uncles

quello studente that student quegli studenti those students

quello gnocco that dumpling quegli gnocchi those dumplings

quello psicologo that psychologist quegli psicologi those psychologists

◆ The form quel is used before a masculine noun beginning with any other consonant. Its

plural form is quei.

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SINGULAR PLURAL

quel cane that dog quei cani those dogs

quel giornale that newspaper quei giornali those newspapers

quel giorno that day quei giorni those days

quel ragazzo that boy quei ragazzi those boys

◆ The form quell’ is used before a masculine noun beginning with any vowel. Its plural

form is quegli.

SINGULAR PLURAL

quell’amico that friend quegli amici those friends

quell’avvocato that lawyer quegli avvocati those lawyers

quell’impermeabile that raincoat quegli impermeabili those raincoats

quell’orologio that watch quegli orologi those watches

◆ The form quella is used before a feminine noun beginning with any consonant. Its plural

form is quelle.

SINGULAR PLURAL

quella camicia that shirt quelle camicie those shirts

quella ragazza that girl quelle ragazze those girls

quella studentessa that student quelle studentesse those students

quella zia that aunt quelle zie those aunts

◆ And the form quell’ is used before a feminine noun beginning with any vowel. Its plural

form is also quelle.

SINGULAR PLURAL

quell’amica that friend quelle amiche those friends

quell’attrice that actress quelle attrici those actresses

quell’infermiera that nurse quelle infermiere those nurses

quell’ora that hour quelle ore those hours

Tips and reminders!

As with the articles, when an adjective precedes a noun, you will have to change the demonstrative according to the adjective’s initial sound.

quello zio that uncle but quel simpatico zio that nice uncle

quegli amici those friends but quei simpatici amici those nice friends

Remember to repeat the demonstratives before every noun:

quel ragazzo e quella ragazza that boy and girl

As was the case with bello (see Unit 4), quello undergoes the same kinds of form

changes as the definite article (see Unit 3).

lo → quello

l’ → quell’

gli → quegli

il → quel

i → quei

la → quella

le → quelle

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Demonstratives 85

7·2

ESERCIZIO

A. Rewrite each of the following phrases in the plural. If you have forgotten the meanings

of the nouns and adjectives used in this and the next Esercizio, look them up in the glossary

at the back of this book.

1. quell’architetto

2. quell’autrice

3. quel braccio

4. quella cameriera

5. quello zaino

6. quell’ipotesi

7. quella macchina

8. quel simpatico bambino

9. quel bel ragazzo

10. quella bella ragazza

B. Now, rewrite each phrase in the singular.

1. quei programmi

2. quei problemi

3. quegli inglesi

4. quelle inglesi

5. quei nomi

6. quelle notti

7. quegli occhi

8. quelle paia

9. quegli spagnoli simpatici

10. quei teoremi e quelle tesi

Demonstrative pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns replace noun phrases formed with demonstrative adjectives.

Questa ragazza è americana. This girl is American.

Questa è americana. This one is American.

Quel ragazzo è italiano. That boy is Italian.

Quello è italiano. That one is Italian.

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The pronouns retain the gender and number of the demonstratives they replace. However,

once you do this you will have to make adjustments. Here are all the possibilities.

MASCULINE DEMONSTRATIVES

SINGULAR ADJECTIVE FORM CORRESPONDING PRONOUN FORM

questo (or) quest’ questo

questo zaino this backpack questo this one (referring to zaino)

quest’uomo this man questo this one (referring to uomo)

quel, quello, (or) quell’ quello

quel ragazzo that boy quello that one (referring to ragazzo)

quello psicologo that psychologist quello that one (referring to psicologo)

quell’orologio that watch quello that one (referring to orologio)

PLURAL ADJECTIVE FORM CORRESPONDING PRONOUN FORM

questi questi

questi zaini these backpacks questi these ones (referring to zaini)

questi uomini these men questi these ones (referring to uomini)

quei (or) quegli quelli

quei ragazzi those boys quelli those ones (referring to ragazzi)

quegli psicologi those psychologists quelli those ones (referring to psicologi)

quegli orologi those watches quelli those ones (referring to orologi)

FEMININE DEMONSTRATIVES

SINGULAR ADJECTIVE FORM CORRESPONDING PRONOUN FORM

questa (or) quest’ questa

questa ragazza this girl questa this one (referring to ragazza)

quest’amica this friend questa this one (referring to amica)

quella quella

quella ragazza that girl quella that one (referring to ragazza)

quell’amica that friend quella that one (referring to amica)

PLURAL ADJECTIVE FORM CORRESPONDING PRONOUN FORM

queste queste

queste ragazze these girls queste these ones (referring to ragazze)

queste amiche these friends queste these ones (referring to amiche)

quelle quelle

quelle ragazze these girls quelle those ones (referring to ragazze)

quelle amiche these friends quelle those ones (referring to amiche)

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Demonstratives 87

7·3

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the appropriate demonstrative pronoun for each phrase.

1. quel vestito rosa

2. quelle sciarpe rosse

3. quell’uomo alto

4. quegli zaini marrone

5. quel fratello simpatico

6. quegli zii

7. quegli psicologi simpatici

8. quegli orologi

9. quelle isole

10. questa macchina

11. quest’ora

12. queste amiche

13. questo bambino

14. quest’impermeabile

15. questi bambini

16. questi ingegneri

B. You are asked if you want this item or these items nearby. Answer that, no, you want that one or those

ones farther away.

example Desidera questa macchina?

No, quella.

Desidera...

1. quest’orologio?

2. questi impermeabili?

3. questa camicia?

4. queste sciarpe?

5. questo libro?

6. questi zaini?

7. questo vestito?

8. quest’arancia?

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Indicating words and expressions

The adverbs qui (here), qua (right here), lì (there), là (over there) can be used alone, of course, or

with demonstratives to emphasize the nearness or farness of someone or something, or else to

indicate their relative farness or nearness.

questo ragazzo this boy questo ragazzo qui this boy here

questa ragazza this girl questa ragazza qua this girl right here

quei libri those books quei libri lì those books there

quelle sciarpe those scarves quelle sciarpe là those scarves over there

The verb essere (to be) combined with ci (there) produces the construction esserci (to be

there). It is conjugated like essere with ci before the verb. Note, however, that it can only be used

in the third person (singular and plural). The conjugations of essere are found in the irregular

verb section at the back of this book.

C’è troppo zucchero nel caffè. There is too much sugar in the coffee.

Ci sono molte persone alla festa. There are many people at the party.

Ecco means here is, here are, there is, or there are. But it is used to indicate or point out something or someone directly. Essere, esserci, and ecco are often confusing to learners. Note the

differences between them.

SINGULAR PLURAL

Che cosa è? What is it? Che cosa sono? What are they?

È un libro. It’s a book. Sono dei libri. They are books.

C’è Dino? Is Dino there? Ci sono Dino e Maria? Are Dino and Mary there?

Sì, c’è. Yes, he is (there/here). Sì, ci sono. Yes, they are (there/here).

No, non c’è. No, he is not (there/ No, non ci sono. No, they are not (there/

here). here).

Dov’è Dino? Where is Dino? Dove sono Dino Where are Dino and

e Maria? Mary?

Ecco Dino. Here/There is Dino. Ecco Dino e Maria. Here/There Dino and

Mary are.

7·4

ESERCIZIO

A. You are asked if you want this item or these items nearby. Answer that, no, you want that

item or those items farther away.

example Desidera questa penna qui?

No, quella penna lì.

Desidera...

1. quest’orologio qui?

2. questi impermeabili qui?

3. questa camicia qua?

4. queste sciarpe qua?

5. questo libro qui?

6. questi zaini qua?

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Demonstratives 89

B. Answer each question with an appropriate form of essere, esserci, or ecco, as required. If you have

forgotten how to conjugate essere look it up in the irregular verb section at the back of this book.

1. Dov’è la penna?

2. C’è un’americano qui?

3. È uno studente d’italiano?

4. Dove sono quelle persone?

5. Ci sono persone italiane lì?

6. Sono amici?

C. Provide the corresponding demonstrative of nearness or farness, as required. Note that you could be

given an adjective or pronoun form of the demonstrative. If you have forgotten the meanings of the nouns

and adjectives in this and the next sets of exercises, look them up in the glossary at the back of this book.

NEARNESS FARNESS

1. questo ragazzo

2. quella nuova macchina

3. questo qui

4. quegli studenti là

5. queste amiche simpatiche

6. quei simpatici psicologi

7. questi gnocchi lì

8. quelle paia di pantaloni

D. A friend says that he or she wants, buys, needs, etc., this or these. Indicate instead that you want, will

buy, need, etc., that or those of the same item or items.

example Voglio (I want) questa sciarpa.

Io, invece, voglio quella sciarpa.

1. Voglio questo impermeabile.

2. Voglio questi libri.

3. Voglio questa camicia.

4. Voglio queste giacche.

5. Voglio questo zaino.

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6. Voglio questi orologi.

7. Voglio queste foto.

E. How do you say the following in Italian? (Note: dove = where; che cosa = what.)

1. John and Mary are not here.

2. Where are those shirts? Here are the shirts.

3. What is it? It is a new car.

4. Where are the students? There are the students.

5. Are they right here? No, they are over there.

Grammar in culture

The form ecco has many social and conversational uses. Here are a few:

◆ As a conversational hedge or support:

Ecco, quello che voglio dire è questo. Well, what I want to say is this.

Eccoci finalmente arrivati. Well, we have arrived at last.

◆ With the meaning this is:

Ecco perché ho fatto questo. This is why I did it.

◆ To indicate that something is done or complete:

Ecco fatto. All done. / It’s done.

Ecco tutto. This is all of it. / That’s all.

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Demonstratives 91

7·5

ESERCIZIO

How do you say the following in Italian?

1. This is why he didn’t do it.

2. Well, this is the truth (la verità).

3. This is all of it. There is nothing else (altro) to (da) say.

4. Well, here we are at last.

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92

Possessives are adjectives that indicate ownership of, or relationship to, something

or someone. Like all other adjectives, they modify nouns.

il mio libro my book i miei libri my books

(ownership of)

la nostra amica our friend le nostre amiche our friends

(relationship to)

Possessive adjective forms

Like descriptive adjectives (see Unit 4), demonstratives (see Unit 7), and ordinal

number words (see Unit 19), possessives agree in number and gender with the

noun or nouns they modify. One of the possessives, however, is invariable: loro.

Unlike most descriptive adjectives, however, they come before the noun (as do

demonstratives and ordinals).

Unlike English, the definite article is part of the possessive. It is not optional.

Here are the forms of the possessive adjective:

◆ mio my

SINGULAR PLURAL

MASCULINE il mio amico my (male) i miei amici my (male) friends

friend

FEMININE la mia amica my (female) le mie amiche my (female)

friend friends

◆ tuo your (fam., sing.)

SINGULAR PLURAL

MASCULINE il tuo orologio your watch i tuoi orologi your watches

FEMININE la tua giacca your jacket le tue giacche your jackets

·8· Possessives

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Possessives 93

◆ suo his/her, its

SINGULAR PLURAL

MASCULINE il suo espresso his/her espresso i suoi espressi his/her espressos

FEMININE la sua bibita his/her soft drink le sue bibite his/her soft drinks

◆ Suo your (pol., sing.)

SINGULAR PLURAL

MASCULINE il Suo espresso your espresso i Suoi espressi your espressos

FEMININE la Sua bibita your soft drink le Sue bibite your soft drinks

◆ nostro our

SINGULAR PLURAL

MASCULINE il nostro amico our friend i nostri amici our friends

FEMININE la nostra amica our friend le nostre amiche our friends

◆ vostro your (fam., pl.)

SINGULAR PLURAL

MASCULINE il vostro orologio your watch i vostri orologi your watches

FEMININE la vostra giacca your jacket le vostre giacche your jackets

◆ loro their (invariable)

SINGULAR PLURAL

MASCULINE il loro espresso their espresso i loro espressi their espressos

FEMININE la loro bibita their soft drink le loro bibite their soft drinks

◆ Loro your (pol., pl., invariable)

SINGULAR PLURAL

MASCULINE il Loro cellulare your cell phone i Loro cellulari your cell phones

FEMININE la Loro macchina your car le Loro macchine your cars

Note: The possessive adjective can be put after the noun for emphasis.

È il mio cane. It’s my dog. È il cane mio! It’s my dog!

Chiama il tuo amico. Call your friend. Chiama l’amico tuo! Call your friend!

When preceded by the indefinite, rather than the definite, article, the possessive adjective

renders the same concept as can be found in English phrases such as of mine, of yours, etc.

un mio zio an uncle of mine

una sua amica a friend of his/hers

To express (very) own, use the adjective proprio.

il mio proprio cane my (very) own dog

la sua propria motocicletta his/her (very) own motorcycle

il loro proprio indirizzo their (very) own address

la nostra propria casa our (very) own house

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8·1

ESERCIZIO

A. Complete the chart as indicated, providing the appropriate forms of the indicated

possessives. The first one is done for you.

MY YOUR (FAM., SING.) OUR THEIR

1. bibita la mia bibita la tua bibita la nostra bibita la loro bibita

2. cappuccino

3. bicchieri

4. braccia (Be careful!)

5. cappotto

6. cravatta

7. dita (Be careful!)

8. diagrammi

B. You are asked a question. Answer in the negative, providing the correct information indicated in

parentheses, which tells you which possessive to use.

example È la sua macchina? (your, fam., pl.)

No, è la vostra macchina.

1. È il suo espresso? (their)

2. Sono i vostri figli? (her)

3. Sono le vostre figlie? (his)

4. È il tuo giornale? (their)

5. È la sua professoressa? (your, fam., sing.)

6. Sono i vostri amici? (his)

7. Sono le sue chiavi? (my)

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Possessives 95

The third-person forms

Both his and her are expressed by the same possessive form suo (which takes on its appropriate

form before the noun). This is a constant source of blunders for many learners.

HIS HER

il suo orologio his watch il suo orologio her watch

i suoi orologi his watches i suoi orologi her watches

la sua bibita his soft drink la sua bibita her soft drink

le sue bibite his soft drinks le sue bibite her soft drinks

To avoid making potential blunders, keep this simple rule in mind—make the possessive adjective agree with the noun, without worrying about what it means in English. Otherwise, you will

confuse its form with its meaning.

You can also figure out the meaning by using a corresponding genitive phrase, which is

introduced by di. This is equivalent to English forms such as John’s, the boy’s, etc. If you have forgotten how to contract the preposition di with the definite article, jump forward to Unit 9. The

genitive phrase provides information on the meaning, not the form of the possessive.

GENITIVE CORRESPONDING POSSESSIVE

il cappotto di Marco Mark’s coat il suo cappotto his coat

il cappotto di Maria Mary’s coat il suo cappotto her coat

la giacca del ragazzo the boy’s jacket la sua giacca his jacket

la giacca della ragazza the girl’s jacket la sua giacca her jacket

i libri di Marco Mark’s books i suoi libri his books

i libri di Maria Mary’s books i suoi libri her books

le giacche del ragazzo the boy’s jackets le sue giacche his jackets

le giacche della ragazza the girl’s jackets le sue giacche her jackets

Notice that there are familiar and polite possessives that correspond to the English possessive

your. As these terms imply, you must use familiar forms with the people you know well and with

whom you are on familiar terms; otherwise, you must use the polite forms.

Basically, you use the familiar forms (tuo in the singular and vostro in the plural) with people with whom you are on a first-name basis (family members, friends, children, colleagues, etc.).

Otherwise, you use the polite forms (Suo in the singular and Loro in the plural) with anyone else

(strangers, store clerks, etc.).

The polite forms are identical to the suo forms in the singular, and to the loro forms in the

plural. To keep the two types distinct in writing, the polite forms are often capitalized, as has

been done here.

HIS/HER YOUR (POL., SING.)

il suo cane his/her dog il Suo cane your dog

i suoi cani his/her dogs i Suoi cani your dogs

la sua bibita his/her soft drink la Sua bibita your soft drinks

le sue bibite his/her soft drinks le Sue bibite your soft drinks

THEIR YOUR (POL., PL.)

il loro amico their friend il Loro amico your friend

i loro amici their friends i Loro amici your friends

la loro fotografia their photograph la Loro fotografia your photograph

le loro fotografie their photographs le Loro fotografie your photographs

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Thus, when you see or hear these forms, you will have to figure out what they mean from the

context.

In current Italian, it is not unusual to find the vostro forms used as the plural of both the

familiar and polite forms. The use of Loro as the polite plural possessive is restricted to very formal situations.

8·2

ESERCIZIO

A. Answer each question affirmatively, using the appropriate form of the possessive.

example È la macchina di Maria?

Sì, è la sua macchina.

1. È la macchina di Paolo?

2. È il caffè di quell’uomo?

3. È il caffè di quella donna?

4. Sono gli amici del bambino?

5. Sono gli amici della bambina?

6. Sono le amiche del bambino?

7. Sono le amiche della bambina?

8. È la foto di quella donna?

9. Sono le foto di quell’uomo?

B. Complete each question with the missing possessive adjective. Insert the familiar or polite form of the

appropriate possessive, as required.

example 1 Marco, è il tuo libro?

example 2 Signor Dini, è il Suo libro?

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Possessives 97

1. Maria, è caffè?

2. Signora Rossi, è caffè?

3. Gino, è cappuccino?

4. Signor Bruni, è cappuccino?

5. Claudia, sono amiche?

6. Signorina Verdi, sono amiche?

7. Giovanni, sono forbici?

8. Professor Marchi, sono forbici?

9. Maria e Claudia, è caffè?

10. Signora Rossi e signorina Verdi, è caffè?

11. Gino e Marco, è cappuccino?

12. Signor Bruni e dottor Rossini, è cappuccino?

13. Claudia e Maria, sono amiche?

14. Signorina Verdi e dottoressa Dini, sono amiche?

15. Giovanni e Claudia, sono forbici?

16. Professor Marchi e dottoressa Bruni, sono forbici?

Possessives with kinship nouns

The definite article is dropped from all forms except loro when the noun to which the possessive

refers is a singular, unmodified kinship noun (padre, madre, etc.).

The most common kinship terms

il padre father

la madre mother

il figlio son

la figlia daughter

il fratello brother

la sorella sister

il nonno grandfather

la nonna grandmother

lo zio uncle

la zia aunt

il cugino / la cugina cousin

il genero son-in-law

il suocero / la suocera father-in-law / mother-in-law

la nuora daughter-in-law

il cognato / la cognata brother-in-law / sister-in-law

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SINGULAR KINSHIP NOUN PLURAL KINSHIP NOUN

tuo cugino your cousin i tuoi cugini your cousins

sua zia his/her aunt le sue zie his/her aunts

mia sorella my sister le mie sorelle my sisters

nostro fratello our brother i nostri fratelli our brothers

SINGULAR KINSHIP NOUN MODIFIED OR ALTERED KINSHIP NOUN

tuo cugino your cousin il tuo cugino americano your American

cousin

sua zia his/her aunt la sua zia vecchia his/her old aunt

mia sorella my sister la mia sorella minore my little sister

nostra cugina our cousin la nostra cugina italiana our Italian cousin

The article is always retained with loro, even in the singular possessive forms.

il loro figlio their son

la loro figlia their daughter

il loro fratello their brother

la loro sorella their sister

The above set of rules are optional in the case of the following kinship nouns (when singular

and unmodified, of course).

nonno grandfather

nonna grandmother

mamma mom

papà (or) babbo dad

mia mamma my mom (or) la mia mamma my mom

tuo papà / tuo babbo your dad (or) il tuo papà / il tuo babbo your dad

mio nonno my grandfather (or) il mio nonno my grandfather

mia nonna my grandmother (or) la mia nonna my grandmother

Be careful!

As in the case of articles and demonstratives, you must repeat the possessive before each

noun.

mio zio e mia sorella my uncle and sister

tuo fratello e la tua amica your brother and friend

8·3

ESERCIZIO

A. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. Marco è...

a. my cousin

b. her younger brother

c. your (fam., sing.) father

d. our Italian uncle

e. their friend

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Possessives 99

2. Maria è...

a. my cousin

b. his older sister

c. your (fam., sing.) mother

d. your (fam., pl.) aunt

e. their friend

3. Il signor Verdi e la signora Verdi sono...

a. my grandfather and grandmother

b. his Italian uncle and aunt

c. your (fam., sing.) father-in-law and mother-in-law

d. your (fam., pl.) son-in-law and daughter-in-law

e. their Italian brother-in-law and sister-in-law

B. Rewrite each phrase in the plural.

1. mio cugino

2. mia nonna

3. tuo fratello

4. tua sorella

5. suo zio

6. sua zia

7. nostro genero

8. nostra suocera

9. vostro cognato

10. vostra cognata

11. il loro fratello

12. la loro sorella

Possessive pronouns

A possessive pronoun replaces a noun phrase containing a possessive adjective. The pronouns

correspond to English mine, yours, his, hers, ours, and theirs. There is a perfect match between the

adjective and pronoun forms of the possessive.

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POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE CORRESPONDING POSSESSIVE PRONOUN

mio

Il mio amico è italiano. Il mio è italiano.

My friend is Italian. Mine is Italian.

La mia amica è simpatica. La mia è simpatica.

My friend is nice. Mine is nice.

I miei professori sono italiani. I miei sono italiani.

My professors are Italian. Mine are Italian.

Le mie professoresse sono italiane. Le mie sono italiane.

My professors (f.) are Italian. Mine are Italian.

tuo

Il tuo amico è italiano. Il tuo è italiano.

Your friend is Italian. Yours is Italian.

La tua amica è simpatica. La tua è simpatica.

Your friend is nice. Yours is nice.

I tuoi professori sono italiani. I tuoi sono italiani.

Your professors are Italian. Yours are Italian.

Le tue professoresse sono italiane. Le tue sono italiane.

Your professors (f.) are Italian. Yours are Italian.

suo

Il suo amico è italiano. Il suo è italiano.

His/Her friend is Italian. His/Hers is Italian.

La sua amica è simpatica. La sua è simpatica.

His/Her friend is nice. His/Hers is nice.

I suoi professori sono italiani. I suoi sono italiani.

His/Her professors are Italian. His/Hers are Italian.

Le sue professoresse sono italiane. Le sue sono italiane.

His/Her professors (f.) are Italian. His/Hers are Italian.

nostro

Il nostro amico è italiano. Il nostro è italiano.

Our friend is Italian. Ours is Italian.

La nostra amica è simpatica. La nostra è simpatica.

Our friend is nice. Ours is nice.

I nostri professori sono italiani. I nostri sono italiani.

Our professors are Italian. Ours are Italian.

Le nostre professoresse sono italiane. Le nostre sono italiane.

Our professors (f.) are Italian. Ours are Italian.

vostro

Il vostro amico è italiano. Il vostro è italiano.

Your friend is Italian. Yours is Italian.

La vostra amica è simpatica. La vostra è simpatica.

Your friend is nice. Yours is nice.

I vostri professori sono italiani. I vostri sono italiani.

Your professors are Italian. Yours are Italian.

Le vostre professoresse sono italiane. Le vostre sono italiane.

Your professors (f.) are Italian. Yours are Italian.

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Possessives 101

POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE CORRESPONDING POSSESSIVE PRONOUN

loro

Il loro amico è italiano. Il loro è italiano.

Their friend is Italian. Theirs is Italian.

La loro amica è simpatica. La loro è simpatica.

Their friend is nice. Theirs is nice.

I loro professori sono italiani. I loro sono italiani.

Their professors are Italian. Theirs are Italian.

Le loro professoresse sono italiane. Le loro sono italiane.

Their professors (f.) are Italian. Theirs are Italian.

The article is always used with the pronoun forms, even when the noun phrase replaced

contained singular, unmodified, kinship nouns.

Sua sorella è simpatica. His/Her sister is pleasant.

La sua è simpatica. His/Hers is pleasant.

Nostro zio è giovane. Our uncle is young.

Il nostro è giovane. Ours is young.

The article can be dropped if the pronoun occurs as a predicate; that is, if it occurs after the

verb essere (to be), or some other linking verb.

Questo cappotto è mio. This coat is mine.

È tua questa camicia? Is this shirt yours?

Quei libri sono suoi. Those books are his/hers.

8·4

ESERCIZIO

A. Answer each question affirmatively using the appropriate possessive pronoun.

example Giovanni è tuo fratello? (Is John your brother?)

Sì, è il mio.

1. Maria è la tua amica?

2. La signora Verdi è la loro nonna?

3. Io sono il vostro amico?

4. Tu sei sua zia?

5. Lui è suo zio?

6. Marco è il loro amico?

7. Quegli uomini sono i tuoi cugini?

8. Quelle donne sono le vostre cugine?

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B. Answer each question as suggested by the italicized word in parentheses.

example Di chi è questo cappotto? (Whose coat is it?) (mine)

È il mio.

1. Di chi è questa giacca? (mine)

2. Di chi è questo impermeabile? (his)

3. Di chi è quella macchina? (hers)

4. Di chi è quello zaino? (ours)

5. Di chi sono quei vestiti rossi? (theirs)

6. Di chi sono quelle sciarpe verdi? (mine)

7. Di chi sono questi bicchieri? (his)

8. Di chi sono quelle bibite? (hers)

C. Provide the corresponding singular or plural form, as required.

SINGULAR PLURAL

1. il mio orologio

2. le nostre amiche

3. la mia camicia

4. i nostri libri

5. il tuo cane

6. le vostre amiche

7. la tua macchina

8. i vostri amici

9. il suo gatto

10. le sue amiche

11. il loro amico

12. le loro case

D. Complete each sentence with the appropriate form of the indefinite or definite article, if needed. If the

article is not needed, leave the space blank.

1. Lui è mio fratello. (He is my brother.)

2. Lei è nostra sorella maggiore. (She is our older sister.)

3. Quel ragazzo è loro figlio. (That boy is their son.)

4. Lei è sua figlia più grande. (She is his oldest daughter.)

5. Signora Marchi, come si chiama Sua figlia? (Mrs. Marchi, what’s

your daughter’s name?)

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Possessives 103

6. Signora e signor Marchi, come si chiama Loro figlio? (Mrs. and

Mr. Marchi, what’s your son’s name?)

7. Lui è mio amico, tra molti amici. (He is one of my friends, among

many friends.)

8. Anche lei è mia amica, tra molte amiche. (She is also one of my

friends, among many friends.)

9. Questo libro è mio. Dov’è tuo? (This book is mine. Where is yours?)

Grammar in culture

The omission of the article in kinship possessives is probably due to convention and frequency of usage. The article is used, in fact, with other people to whom you have a social or

emotional attachment.

amico (friend) il mio amico, il tuo amico...

amica (friend) la mia amica, la tua amica...

fidanzato (fiancé) il mio fidanzato, il tuo fidanzato...

fidanzata (fiancée) la mia fidanzata, la tua fidanzata...

ragazzo (boyfriend) il mio ragazzo, il tuo ragazzo...

ragazza (girlfriend) la mia ragazza, la tua ragazza...

amante (m./f.) (lover) il mio amante, la mia amante...

8·5

ESERCIZIO

How do you say the following in Italian?

1. She’s my sister, not my lover!

2. Here’s my boyfriend and your brother.

3. She’s my girlfriend, not yet my fiancée.

4. My sister is also my friend.

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104

Partitives are forms used with nouns to indicate a part of something as distinct

from its whole.

l’acqua water dell’acqua some water

un esame an exam degli esami some exams

un’amica a (female) friend delle amiche some friends

lo zucchero sugar dello zucchero some sugar

Partitives with count nouns

Before count nouns (nouns that have a plural form), the partitive functions grammatically as the plural of the indefinite article. The most commonly used type of

partitive in this case consists of the preposition di + the appropriate plural forms

of the definite article.

Contractions of di with the masculine plural forms

of the definite article

di + i → dei di + i libri → dei libri some books

di + gli → degli di + gli studenti → degli studenti some students

Contractions of di with the feminine plural forms

of the definite article

di + le → delle di + le penne → delle penne some pens

MASCULINE SINGULAR MASCULINE PLURAL

uno, un (before a vowel) degli

uno sbaglio a mistake degli sbagli some mistakes

un albero a tree degli alberi some trees

un dei

un bicchiere a glass dei bicchieri some glasses

un coltello a knife dei coltelli some knives

·9· Partitives

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Partitives 105

FEMININE SINGULAR FEMININE PLURAL

una delle

una forchetta a fork delle forchette some forks

una sedia a chair delle sedie some chairs

un’ delle

un’automobile an automobile delle automobili some automobiles

un’arancia an orange delle arance some oranges

As always, be careful when an adjective precedes the noun. You must adjust the form of the

partitive accordingly.

degli zii some uncles dei simpatici zii some nice uncles

degli zaini some backpacks dei nuovi zaini some new backpacks

Useful vocabulary

The following words, referring to items in the house, will come in handy. They are used in the

Esercizio that follows.

il bagno bathroom la cucina kitchen

il bicchiere drinking glass la forchetta fork

la bottiglia bottle il salotto living room

la camera bedroom la sedia chair

il coltello knife la stanza room

il cucchiaino teaspoon la tavola eating table

il cucchiaio spoon

9·1

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the singular or plural form of each phrase, as required.

SINGULAR PLURAL PARTITIVE

1. un coltello

2. degli sbagli

3. una forchetta

4. dei salotti

5. uno zio

6. delle cucine

7. uno psicologo

8. dei bagni

9. una camera

10. delle bottiglie

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11. una sedia

12. delle tavole

13. un bicchiere

14. dei cucchiai

15. un cucchiaino

16. delle forchette

17. un coltello

18. degli gnocchi

19. un’automobile

20. degli amici

B. For each question provide an answer in the plural, using the indicated adjective.

example È un coltello? (nuovo)

Sono dei coltelli nuovi. / Sono dei nuovi coltelli.

1. È un’automobile? (italiano)

2. È una sedia? (nuovo)

3. È uno psicologo? (bravo)

4. È un amico? (vecchio)

5. È un’amica? (vecchio)

6. È un bagno? (grande)

7. È una camera? (piccolo)

8. È un salotto? (bello)

9. È una cucina? (bello)

Alternative forms

In place of di + definite article, the pronouns alcuni (m., pl.) and alcune (f., pl.) can be used to

correspond more precisely to the idea of several.

degli zii some uncles alcuni zii several (a few) uncles

dei bicchieri some glasses alcuni bicchieri several (a few) glasses

delle forchette some forks alcune forchette several (a few) forks

delle amiche some friends alcune amiche several (a few) friends

The invariable pronoun qualche can also be used to express the partitive with count nouns.

But be careful with this one! It must be followed by a singular noun, even though the meaning is

plural.

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Partitives 107

degli zii some uncles qualche zio some uncles

dei bicchieri some glasses qualche bicchiere some glasses

delle forchette some forks qualche forchetta some forks

delle amiche some friends qualche amica some friends

The pronoun forms (qualche or alcuni/alcune) are often used at the start of sentences, rather

than the partitive forms with di. Once again, be careful with qualche. It requires a singular verb!

Alcuni studenti studiano il francese. Some students study French.

Qualche studente studia il francese. Some students study French.

9·2

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the equivalent partitive phrase with alcuni/alcune.

1. dei coltelli

2. delle sedie

3. degli gnocchi

4. delle automobili

5. dei cucchiai

6. degli amici

B. Now, provide the equivalent partitive phrase with qualche.

1. dei cucchiaini

2. delle tavole

3. degli zaini

4. delle automobili

5. dei bicchieri

6. degli sbagli

C. Complete each sentence with the appropriate form of the verb essere, è (is) or sono (are), as required.

1. Alcuni amici nostri italiani.

2. Qualche amico nostro italiano.

3. Alcune ragazze americane.

4. Qualche ragazza americana.

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Partitives with mass nouns

With mass nouns (nouns that do not, normally, have a plural form), the partitive is rendered by

either di + the singular forms of the definite article, or by the expression un po’ di (a bit of ).

Contractions of di with the masculine singular forms

of the definite article

di + il → del di + il pane → del pane some bread

di + lo → dello di + lo zucchero → dello zucchero some sugar

di + l’ → dell’ di + l’orzo → dell’orzo some barley

Contractions of di with the feminine singular forms

of the definite article

di + la → della di + la carne → della carne some meat

di + l’ → dell’ di + l’acqua → dell’acqua some water

PARTITIVE FORM ALTERNATIVE FORM

del pane some bread un po’ di pane a little bread

dell’orzo some barley un po’ d’orzo a little barley

dello zucchero some sugar un po’ di zucchero a little sugar

della pasta some pasta un po’ di pasta a little pasta

dell’acqua some water un po’ d’acqua a little water

Useful vocabulary

Mass nouns Count nouns

l’acqua water la carota carrot

la carne meat il fagiolino string bean

l’insalata salad il fagiolo bean

la minestra soup la patata potato

l’orzo barley il pomodoro tomato

la pasta pasta

il pesce fish (as a food)

il riso rice

l’uva grapes

lo zucchero sugar

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Partitives 109

9·3

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the corresponding partitive phrase.

PARTITIVE ALTERNATIVE FORM

1. dell’insalata

2. un po’ d’uva

3. del pesce

4. un po’ di carne

5. della minestra

6. un po’ di riso

7. dello zucchero

8. un po’ d’orzo

9. della pasta

10. un po’ d’acqua

B. Say that you want both the items indicated. Follow the example, using only partitive forms (not their

alternatives).

example meat and potatoes

Voglio della carne e delle patate.

1. fish and beans

2. salad and carrots

3. pasta and string beans

4. meat and apples

5. coffee and sugar

6. grapes and potatoes

Partitives in the negative

In negative sentences, the partitive is omitted.

AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCE NEGATIVE SENTENCE

Ho dei biglietti. I have some tickets. Non ho biglietti. I don’t have (any) tickets.

Ho alcune riviste. I have some Non ho riviste. I don’t have (any)

magazines. magazines.

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The negative partitive can also be rendered by non... nessuno. As we will see in the unit on

numbers (see Unit 19), nessuno is made up of ness + indefinite article. It renders the idea of not

. . . any. This means that in Italian the noun is always in the singular, even though the meaning is

plural.

Non ho nessun biglietto. I don’t have any tickets.

Non ho nessuna rivista. I don’t have any magazines.

This cannot be used with mass nouns.

AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCE NEGATIVE SENTENCE

Prendo dello zucchero. I’ll take some Non prendo zucchero. I don’t take sugar.

sugar.

Mangio un po’ di pasta. I’ll eat a little Non mangio pasta. I don’t eat pasta.

pasta.

9·4

ESERCIZIO

A. Rewrite each sentence in the negative, as required. Do not use nessuno in this exercise.

1. Mario mangia delle patate.

2. Io voglio dei fagiolini.

3. Il ragazzo prende un po’ di carne.

4. La ragazza vuole dello zucchero.

5. Anch’io voglio alcuni biglietti.

6. Maria prende qualche pomodoro. (Be careful!)

B. Now, rewrite each phrase in the negative with nessuno.

1. delle carote

2. dei fagiolini

3. dei cucchiai

4. delle patate

5. degli zaini

6. delle arance

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Partitives 111

Adjectives indicating quantity

In addition to descriptive, demonstrative, ordinal, and possessive adjectives (see Units 4, 7, 8, and

19), there are certain words that have various adjectival functions. Some grammar texts classify

them as adjectives (as we do here), others as different types of structures. Here are the most common. Most of these indicate quantity of some sort. Notice also that these come before the noun

they modify.

abbastanza enough

assai quite a lot, enough

certo certain

molto much, a lot

ogni each, every

parecchio several, quite a few, a lot

poco little, few

qualsiasi whichever, any

qualunque whichever, any

stesso the same

tanto much, a lot

troppo too much

tutto all

ultimo last

The adjectives abbastanza, assai, ogni, qualsiasi, and qualunque are invariable (that is,

they do not change).

Non ho abbastanza soldi. I do not have enough money.

Lui mangia assai carne. He eats quite a lot of meat.

Ogni mattina legge il giornale. Every morning he reads the newspaper.

Possiamo andare a qualsiasi ristorante. We can go to any restaurant.

The others are treated like any regular adjective.

Conosco un certo signore che si I know a certain gentleman named Robert.

chiama Roberto.

Lui mangia molti (tanti) dolci. He eats a lot of sweets.

Ci sono poche studentesse in There are few female students in this class.

questa classe.

Parecchi turisti visitano Venezia. A lot of tourists visit Venice.

Abbiamo mangiato troppa carne. We ate too much meat.

Questa è l’ultima volta che ti chiamo. This is the last time I’m going to call you.

Notice that tutto is separated from the noun by the definite article.

Lei ha mangiato tutto il formaggio. She ate all the cheese.

Giovanni ha mangiato tutta la minestra. John ate all the soup.

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9·5

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the missing adjective ending for each phrase.

1. l’ultim donna

2. poc studenti

3. tutt la minestra

4. parecch bambini

5. una cert signora

6. qualsias città

7. qualunqu ristorante

8. abbastanz soldi

9. assa studenti

10. ogn settimana

B. Write a sentence to indicate that you need much, many, little, etc., of the item or items indicated.

example dei fagioli / molto

Ho bisogno di (I need) molti fagioli.

1. delle patate / poco

2. dei fagioli / tutto

3. delle carote / tanto

4. alcuni fagiolini / molto

5. qualche mela / poco

6. un po’ di minestra / tutto

7. della pasta / tanto

8. dei cucchiai / molto

C. Provide the equivalent partitive noun phrases for each item. The first item is done completely for you.

1. dei bambini alcuni bambini qualche bambino

2. delle patate

3. qualche fagiolo

4. alcune mele

5. degli zaini

6. qualche forchetta

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Partitives 113

D. Choose the correct response to complete each sentence.

1. Non ho .

a. degli amici b. amici

2. Non ho mangiato .

a. delle patate b. nessuna patata

3. Prendo zucchero.

a. qualche b. un po’ di

4. Non prendo .

a. nessun pane b. pane

5. Voglio .

a. dell’acqua b. qualche acqua

6. Ecco buono zucchero.

a. del b. dello

Grammar in culture

Classifying a noun as count or mass is a matter of cultural convention, even though there is

a great deal of correspondence between lists of English and Italian nouns in this respect.

This correspondence deviates for the following important Italian nouns.

◆ Informazione (information) is a count noun when it refers to a piece of information

or similar item; as a general concept, informazione is a mass noun.

◆ Comunicazione (communication) is a count noun when it refers to correspondence

or a message of some sort; as a general concept, comunicazione is a mass noun.

AS A COUNT NOUN AS A MASS NOUN

Ho ricevuto poche informazioni da lui. L’informazione oggi controlla tutto.

I received little information from him. Information controls everything today.

Tutte le sue comunicazioni sono brevi. La comunicazione scritta è importante.

All his messages are brief. Written communication is important.

◆ Uva (grapes) is a mass noun. Chicco is used to refer to a single grape.

Quest’uva è molto buona. Questo chicco d’uva è marcio.

These grapes are very good. This grape is rotten.

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9·6

ESERCIZIO

How do you say the following in Italian?

1. I love grapes.

2. She sent me a few messages yesterday.

3. This grape is blue!

4. He always sends me little information.

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115

Verbs are words that convey the action performed by the subject of a sentence. For

this reason, they agree with the subject’s person (first, second, or third) and number (singular or plural). Verbs are also marked for tense (present, past, future, etc.)

to indicate the time an action occurred—now (present tense), before (past tense),

or after (future tense); and they are marked for mood (indicative, imperative, conditional, etc.).

io mangio I eat tu mangi you eat

io ho mangiato I ate tu hai mangiato you ate

io mangerò I will eat tu mangerai you will eat

The infinitive is the verb form that you will find in a dictionary. It is the

“default” form of the verb. Italian verbs are divided into three main conjugations

according to their infinitive endings. Verbs of the first conjugation end in -are,

those of the second in -ere, and those of the third in -ire.

FIRST CONJUGATION SECOND CONJUGATION THIRD CONJUGATION

parlare to speak vendere to sell dormire to sleep

arrivare to arrive cadere to fall finire to finish

The present indicative of regular verbs

The indicative mood is used to express or indicate facts. It is the most commonly

used mood in everyday conversation. The present indicative, as its name implies,

is used to express or indicate facts in the present or related to the present in some

way.

To conjugate regular verbs in the present indicative, drop the infinitive ending, and add the appropriate ending according to person and number shown

below.

First conjugation

parlare to speak, talk → parlio parlo I speak, am speaking, do speak

tu parli you (fam., sing.) speak, are speaking, do speak

Lei parla you (pol., sing.) speak, are speaking, do speak

lui/lei parla he/she speaks, is speaking, does speak

noi parliamo we speak, are speaking, do speak

voi parlate you (fam., pl.) speak, are speaking, do speak

Loro parlano you (pol., pl.) speak, are speaking, do speak

loro parlano they speak, are speaking, do speak

Present tenses ·10·

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Second conjugation

vendere to sell → vendio vendo I sell, am selling, do sell

tu vendi you (fam., sing.) sell, are selling, do sell

Lei vende you (pol., sing.) sell, are selling, do sell

lui/lei vende he/she sells, is selling, does sell

noi vendiamo we sell, are selling, do sell

voi vendete you (fam., pl.) sell, are selling, do sell

Loro vendono you (pol., pl.) sell, are selling, do sell

loro vendono they sell, are selling, do sell

Third conjugation (type 1)

dormire to sleep → dormio dormo I sleep, am sleeping, do sleep

tu dormi you (fam., sing.) sleep, are sleeping, do sleep

Lei dorme you (pol., sing.) sleep, are sleeping, do sleep

lui/lei dorme he/she sleeps, is sleeping, does sleep

noi dormiamo we sleep, are sleeping, do sleep

voi dormite you (fam., pl.) sleep, are sleeping, do sleep

Loro dormono you (pol., pl.) sleep, are sleeping, do sleep

loro dormono they sleep, are sleeping, do sleep

Third conjugation (type 2)

finire to finish → finio finisco I finish, am finishing, do finish

tu finisci you (fam., sing.) finish, are finishing, do finish

Lei finisce you (pol., sing.) finish, are finishing, do finish

lui/lei finisce he/she finishes, is finishing, does finish

noi finiamo we finish, are finishing, do finish

voi finite you (fam., pl.) finish, are finishing, do finish

Loro finiscono you (pol., pl.) finish, are finishing, do finish

loro finiscono they finish, are finishing, do finish

Note that there are two sets of endings for third-conjugation verbs, and this fact is a constant

source of blunders for learners. Essentially, you will have to learn to which category (type 1 or 2)

a third-conjugation verb belongs. This information is contained in a good dictionary.

Type 1 verbs Type 2 verbs

aprire to open capire to understand

dormire to sleep finire to finish

partire to leave preferire to prefer

The subject pronouns are optional. The reason for this is obvious: the endings generally

make it clear which person is the subject of the verb.

Second-person forms are used for familiar (informal) address; third-person forms are used

instead for polite (formal) address. The pronouns for the latter are normally capitalized in writing

(Lei, Loro) to keep them distinct from the pronouns standing for she (lei) and they (loro).

Familiar

Maria, (tu) cosa preferisci? Mary, what do you prefer?

Marco e Maria, capite (voi)? Mark and Mary, do you understand?

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Present tenses 117

Polite

Professore, (Lei) cosa preferisce? Professor, what do you prefer?

Signor Marchi e Signora Verdi, Mr. Marchi and Mrs. Verdi, do you understand?

capiscono (Loro)?

The English subject pronouns it and they are not normally expressed in Italian.

Apre a mezzogiorno. It opens at noon.

Chiudono alle sei. They close at six.

Verbs that undergo spelling changes

If a verb ends in -care or -gare, the hard sound is preserved by inserting an h before the endings

-i and -iamo.

cercare to look for → cercio cerco I look for, am looking for, do look for

tu cerchi you (fam., sing.) look for, are looking for, do look for

Lei cerca you (pol., sing.) look for, are looking for, do look for

lui/lei cerca he/she looks for, is looking for, does look for

noi cerchiamo we look for, are looking for, do look for

voi cercate you (fam., pl.) look for, are looking for, do look for

Loro cercano you (pol., pl.) look for, are looking for, do look for

loro cercano they look for, are looking for, do look for

pagare to pay → pagio pago I pay, am paying, do pay

tu paghi you (fam., sing.) pay, are paying, do pay

Lei paga you (pol., sing.) pay, are paying, do pay

lui/lei paga he/she pays, is paying, does pay

noi paghiamo we pay, are paying, do pay

voi pagate you (fam., pl.) pay, are paying, do pay

Loro pagano you (pol., pl.) pay, are paying, do pay

loro pagano they pay, are paying, do pay

If a verb ends in -ciare or -giare, the -i of these endings is dropped before adding the conjugated endings -i and -iamo.

cominciare to start, begin → cominciio comincio I start, am starting, do start

tu cominci you (fam., sing.) start, are starting, do start

Lei comincia you (pol., sing.) start, are starting, do start

lui/lei comincia he/she starts, is starting, does start

noi cominciamo we start, are starting, do start

voi cominciate you (fam., pl.) start, are starting, do start

Loro cominciano you (pol., pl.) start, are starting, do start

loro cominciano they start, are starting, do start

mangiare to eat → mangiio mangio I eat, am eating, do eat

tu mangi you (fam., sing.) eat, are eating, do eat

Lei mangia you (pol., sing.) eat, are eating, do eat

lui/lei mangia he/she eats, is eating, does eat

noi mangiamo we eat, are eating, do eat

voi mangiate you (fam., pl.) eat, are eating, do eat

Loro mangiano you (pol., pl.) eat, are eating, do eat

loro mangiano they eat, are eating, do eat

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Uses

The present indicative is used mainly to state facts in the present, to indicate an ongoing action,

to refer to a continuous or habitual action, or to indicate an immediate future action.

Facts in the present

Studio l’italiano. I study Italian.

Finisco di lavorare alle sei. I finish working at six.

Ongoing actions

In questo momento mangio una pizza. At this moment I am eating a pizza.

Loro guardano la TV. They are watching TV.

Continuous or habitual actions

Il lunedì mangio sempre la pizza. On Mondays I always eat pizza.

Ogni giorno studio l’italiano. Every day I study Italian.

Immediate future actions

Domani mangio gli spaghetti. Tomorrow I am going to eat spaghetti.

Loro arrivano la settimana prossima. They are arriving next week.

As you will see in Unit 17, the present indicative can also be used with the preposition da,

meaning both since and for, to correspond to English progressive tenses such as those below.

Aspetto da lunedì. I have been waiting since Monday.

Aspetto da due giorni. I have been waiting for two days.

Lui dorme da ieri. He has been sleeping since yesterday.

Lui dorme da 48 ore. He has been sleeping for 48 hours.

10·1

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the complete present indicative conjugation for each verb.

1. First-conjugation verbs

a. arrivare

b. cercare

c. cominciare

d. mangiare

e. pagare

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2. Second-conjugation verbs

a. chiedere

b. rispondere

c. vendere

d. leggere

e. chiudere

3. Third-conjugation verbs type 1

a. aprire

b. dormire

c. partire

4. Third-conjugation verbs type 2

a. capire

b. finire

c. preferire

B. Rewrite each sentence by changing the verb to indicate that the subject in parentheses also does the

same thing. Be careful! If the sentence is affirmative the appropriate form to use is anche; if it is negative

the form is neanche (or nemmeno or neppure).

example 1 Giovanni mangia la pizza. (io)

Anch’ io mangio la pizza.

example 2 I miei amici non giocano a tennis. (noi)

Neanche (Nemmeno/Neppure) noi giochiamo a tennis.

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1. Marco non capisce la lezione. (io)

2. Loro partono domani. (noi)

3. La ragazza gioca a calcio da molti anni. (tu)

4. I miei cugini non aspettano mai. (voi)

5. Io telefono spesso a mia sorella. (Luigi)

6. Tu giochi sempre a tennis. (le mie amiche)

C. Rewrite each question by changing the verb to direct the question to the subject in parentheses.

Remember to use the polite form when appropriate.

example Maria, mangi la pizza stasera? (Signora Marchi)

Signora Marchi, mangia la pizza stasera?

1. Alessandro, capisci la lezione? (Signor Verdi)

2. Signora Rossini, cerca qualcosa? (Sara)

3. Marco e Maria, partite domani? (Signori [Gentlemen])

4. Signore (Ladies), cominciano a studiare la matematica? (Ragazze)

Irregular verbs in the present indicative

Irregular verbs—that is, verbs that are not conjugated according to the pattern indicated above—

are always problematic, since they have to be learned by memory. It is not possible to cover all

the irregular verbs here. Below are the most commonly used and their present indicative

conjugations.

andare (to go) vado vai va andiamo andate vanno

avere (to have) ho hai ha abbiamo avete hanno

bere (to drink) bevo bevi beve beviamo bevete bevono

dare (to give) do dai dà diamo date danno

dire (to say, tell) dico dici dice diciamo dite dicono

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dovere (to have to) devo devi deve dobbiamo dovete devono

essere (to be) sono sei è siamo siete sono

fare (to do, make) faccio fai fa facciamo fate fanno

potere (to be able to) posso puoi può possiamo potete possono

sapere (to know) so sai sa sappiamo sapete sanno

stare (to stay) sto stai sta stiamo state stanno

tenere (to hold, keep) tengo tieni tiene teniamo tenete tengono

uscire (to go out) esco esci esce usciamo uscite escono

venire (to come) vengo vieni viene veniamo venite vengono

volere (to want) voglio vuoi vuole vogliamo volete vogliono

Special uses of avere, fare, and stare

avere caldo to be (feel) hot stare bene to be (feel) well

avere freddo to be (feel) cold stare male to be (feel) bad

fare bel tempo to be good weather stare così così to be so-so

fare brutto tempo to be bad weather

fare cattivo tempo to be awful weather

10·2

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the appropriate present indicative forms for each verb.

IO TU LUI/LEI NOI VOI LORO

1. volere

2. venire

3. uscire

4. tenere

5. stare

6. sapere

7. potere

8. fare

9. essere

10. dovere

11. dire

12. dare

13. bere

14. avere

15. andare

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B. Complete the following dialogue between Maria and Marco with the missing forms of the verbs avere,

fare, and stare. Note that ciao means both hi and bye in informal speech.

1. Marco: Ciao, Maria, come ?

2. Maria: Ciao, Marco, io molto bene. E tu?

3. Marco: Io così così. Anzi, male.

4. Maria: Perché?

5. Marco: male quando cattivo o brutto tempo.

freddo!

6. Maria: Domani, per fortuna, dovrebbe (it should) bel tempo.

7. Marco: Meno male! (Thank heavens!) E allora spero di (I hope to) caldo!

C. Rewrite each question by changing the form of the verb to direct the question to the subject in

parentheses. Remember to use the polite form when appropriate.

1. Marco, dove vai? (Signor Rossi)

2. Signora, come sta? (Maria)

3. Alessandro, cosa vuoi? (Signorina Verdi)

4. Signor Rossini, quando viene alla festa? (Giovanni)

5. Marco e Maria, quando uscite stasera? (Signor Verdi e Signora Verdi)

The present subjunctive of regular verbs

Verbs also allow you to convey a specific manner of thinking. This characteristic of a verb is

known as its mood.

While the indicative mood is used to express facts, the subjunctive mood allows you to

express a point of view, fear, doubt, hope, possibility, etc.—that is, anything that is not a sure fact.

The subjunctive is, thus, a counterpart to the indicative, the mood that allows you to convey facts

and information.

The subjunctive is formed by dropping the infinitive ending of the verb, and then adding on

the appropriate ending according to person and number.

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First conjugation

aspettare to wait (for) → aspettio aspetti I wait

tu aspetti you (fam., sing.) wait

Lei aspetti you (pol., sing.) wait

lui/lei aspetti he/she waits

noi aspettiamo we wait

voi aspettiate you (fam., pl.) wait

Loro aspettino you (pol., pl.) wait

loro aspettino they wait

Second conjugation

chiudere to close → chiudio chiuda I close

tu chiuda you (fam., sing.) close

Lei chiuda you (pol., sing.) close

lui/lei chiuda he/she closes

noi chiudiamo we close

voi chiudiate you (fam., pl.) close

Loro chiudano you (pol., pl.) close

loro chiudano they close

Third conjugation (type 1)

aprire to open → aprio apra I open

tu apra you (fam., sing.) open

Lei apra you (pol., sing.) open

lui/lei apra he/she opens

noi apriamo we open

voi apriate you (fam., pl.) open

Loro aprano you (pol., pl.) open

loro aprano they open

Third conjugation (type 2)

preferire to prefer → preferio preferisca I prefer

tu preferisca you (fam., sing.) prefer

Lei preferisca you (pol., sing.) prefer

lui/lei preferisca he/she prefers

noi preferiamo we prefer

voi preferiate you (fam., pl.) prefer

Loro preferiscano you (pol., pl.) prefer

loro preferiscano they prefer

To preserve the hard c and g sounds of verbs ending -care and -gare, an h must be inserted

before adding the appropriate ending for all forms of the conjugation.

cercare (to look for) → cerchcerchi cerchi cerchi cerchiamo cerchiate cerchino

pagare (to pay) → paghpaghi paghi paghi paghiamo paghiate paghino

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The -i of verbs ending in -ciare and -giare is not repeated.

cominciare (to begin) → cominccominci cominci cominci cominciamo cominciate comincino

mangiare (to eat) → mangmangi mangi mangi mangiamo mangiate mangino

Because the endings are often the same, the subject pronouns are used much more frequently with the subjunctive than with the indicative.

È necessario che tu finisca quel lavoro. It is important that you finish that job.

È necessario che lui finisca quel lavoro. It is important that he finish that job.

The subjunctive is used mainly in subordinate clauses introduced by che (see Unit 18). So,

when a verb in the main clause (the verb to the left of che) expresses something that is a doubt, an

opinion, etc., then the verb in the subordinate clause (the verb to the right of che) is normally in

the subjunctive.

Spero che loro parlino italiano. I hope that they speak Italian.

Penso che lui cominci a lavorare alle I think that he starts working at nine.

nove.

Crede che loro arrivino domani. He thinks (that) they are arriving tomorrow.

Immagino che lei capisca tutto. I imagine (that) she understands everything.

Dubitiamo che voi finiate in tempo. We doubt that you will finish in time.

Not all verbs in subordinate clauses necessarily require the subjunctive—only those connected to a main clause verb that expresses a “nonfact” (opinion, fear, supposition, anticipation,

wish, hope, doubt, etc.) will require the subjunctive.

INDICATIVE SUBJUNCTIVE

Sa che arriva dopo. Pensa che arrivi dopo.

He knows she is arriving later. He thinks she is arriving later.

Sono sicuro che parlano italiano. Credo che parlino italiano.

I am sure that they speak Italian. I believe that they speak Italian.

Be careful!

Note that che is always used in Italian, whereas it is often dropped in English. Needless to

say, this is a frequent source of blunders for learners.

Common verbs that, when used in the main clause, require the use of the subjunctive in the

subordinate clause are the following.

credere to believe

desiderare to desire

dubitare to doubt

immaginare to imagine

pensare to think

sembrare to seem

sperare to hope

volere to want

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10·3

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the complete present subjunctive conjugation for each verb.

1. First-conjugation verbs

a. telefonare

b. cercare

c. cominciare

d. mangiare

e. pagare

2. Second-conjugation verbs

a. scrivere

b. leggere

3. Third-conjugation verbs (type 1)

a. aprire

b. partire

4. Third-conjugation verbs (type 2)

a. capire

b. preferire

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B. Rewrite each sentence using the verb in parentheses in the main clause. Adjust the verb in the

subordinate clause to the subjunctive or indicative, as required.

1. So che Mario dorme fino a tardi. (pensare)

2. Lui dice che tu finisci alle sei? (credere)

3. Desideriamo che voi scriviate un’e-mail. (sapere)

4. Sara dubita che tu capisca tutto. (sapere)

5. La professoressa Marchi immagina che noi studiamo molto. (dire)

6. È vero che lui studia molto. (sembrare)

7. Marco dice che io pago il conto (the bill). (sperare)

8. Loro dicono che lui comincia a studiare. (volere)

Irregular verbs in the present subjunctive

The following common verbs are irregular in the present subjunctive. By the way, the verbs that

are irregular in the present indicative (see the preceding section of this unit) are also irregular in

the present subjunctive.

andare vada vada vada andiamo andiate vadano

avere abbia abbia abbia abbiamo abbiate abbiano

bere beva beva beva beviamo beviate bevano

dare dia dia dia diamo diate diano

dire dica dica dica diciamo diciate dicano

dovere deva (debba) deva (debba) deva (debba) dobbiamo dobbiate devano (debbano)

essere sia sia sia siamo siate siano

fare faccia faccia faccia facciamo facciate facciano

potere possa possa possa possiamo possiate possano

sapere sappia sappia sappia sappiamo sappiate sappiano

stare stia stia stia stiamo stiate stiano

tenere tenga tenga tenga teniamo teniate tengano

uscire esca esca esca usciamo usciate escano

venire venga venga venga veniamo veniate vengano

volere voglia voglia voglia vogliamo vogliate vogliano

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10·4

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the corresponding subjunctive form of each verb.

1. io

a. voglio

b. vengo

c. esco

2. tu

a. tieni

b. stai

c. sai

3. lui/lei; Lei

a. può

b. fa

c. è

4. noi

a. dobbiamo

b. diciamo

c. diamo

5. voi

a. bevete

b. avete

c. andate

6. loro; Loro

a. sono

b. fanno

c. danno

B. Rewrite each sentence by using the verb in parentheses as the new main clause. Follow the example.

Remember to adjust accordingly the verb in the subordinate clause to the subjunctive.

example Mario beve solo il latte. (penso)

Penso che Mario beva solo il latte.

1. È vero. (penso)

2. Domani fa caldo. (crediamo)

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3. Sara sta bene. (sembra)

4. Alessandro dà i soldi a sua sorella. (dubito)

5. Lui può venire alla festa. (speriamo)

6. Loro devono studiare di più. (sembra)

7. Marco vuole uscire. (penso)

8. Lui dice sempre la verità (truth). (crediamo)

Special uses of the subjunctive

Impersonal verbs and expressions also require that the subordinate clause verb be in the subjunctive. These are verbs and expressions that have only third-person forms.

È probabile che lui non venga alla festa. It’s probable that he will not come to the party.

Bisogna che loro studino di più. It is necessary that they study more.

Superlative expressions also require that the verb in the subordinate clause be in the subjunctive. (Note that conoscere = to know someone.)

Lei è la persona più intelligente che She is the most intelligent person I know.

io conosca.

Tu sei la persona più elegante che You are the most elegant person I know.

io conosca.

Certain conjunctions and indefinite structures also require that the verb that immediately

follows be in the subjunctive.

Dovunque tu vada, io ti seguirò. Wherever you go, I will follow you.

Benché piova, esco lo stesso. Although it is raining, I’m going out just the same.

The most common ones are the following.

a meno che unless

affinché so that

benché although

dovunque wherever

nel caso che in the event that

nonostante che despite

prima che before

purché provided that

sebbene although

senza che without

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Finally, the subjunctive is used in wish expressions.

Che piova, se vuole! Let it rain, if it wants to!

Che Dio ce la mandi buona! May God help us!

Note: When the subjects of two clauses are the same, then di + infinitive is used, even if the sentence expresses opinion, doubt, and so on.

Different subjects

Lui crede che io scriva bene. He believes that I write well.

Maria pensa che loro parlino Mary thinks that they speak Italian well.

italiano bene.

Same subjects

Lui crede di scrivere bene. He believes that he writes well.

Maria pensa di parlare italiano bene. Mary thinks that she speaks Italian well.

10·5

ESERCIZIO

A. Complete each sentence with the appropriate subjunctive form of the verb in

parentheses.

1. È probabile che domani non (fare) caldo.

2. Bisogna che tu (dire) la verità.

3. Lui è la persona più elegante che (esserci) .

4. Vengo anch’io alla festa, a meno che non (esserci) la tua amica.

5. Devi studiare di più, affinché tu (potere) parlare italiano meglio.

6. Benché (fare) brutto tempo, esco lo stesso (just the same).

7. Dovunque tu (andare) , vengo anch’io.

8. Nel caso che (venire) tuo cugino alla festa, io sto a casa.

9. Nonostante che tu (dire) questo, io non ci credo.

10. Prima che loro (uscire) , devono studiare.

11. Faccio quello che dici, purché (essere) facile.

12. Sebbene lui (volere) uscire stasera, io devo stare a casa a studiare.

13. Faccio tutto, senza che tu (dire) niente.

14. Che (fare) brutto tempo!

B. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. She believes that I can go out tonight.

2. We believe that he speaks Italian well.

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3. He thinks that he (himself) writes well.

4. They believe that they (themselves) speak Italian well.

C. Choose the appropriate form of the verb to complete each sentence. (Note: lavorare = to work;

vivere = to live; piovere = to rain.)

1. Immaginiamo che loro domani.

a. arrivano b. arrivino

2. Penso che loro di lavorare alle sei.

a. finiscono b. finiscano

3. Pensiamo che loro domani per l’Italia.

a. partono b. partano

4. È probabile che lei non l’italiano.

a. capisce b. capisca

5. Dubitiamo che voi prima delle sei.

a. uscite b. usciate

6. Io so che lui una brava persona.

a. è b. sia

7. È certo che anche lui alla festa.

a. viene b. venga

8. È probabile che lui non dov’è la festa.

a. sa b. sappia

9. Bisogna che loro di più.

a. lavorano b. lavorino

10. Lui è il professore più intelligente che io .

a. conosco b. conosca

11. Tu sei la persona più simpatica che in quella città.

a. vive b. viva

12. Dovunque tu , ci vengo anch’io.

a. vai b. vada

13. Benché , lui vuole uscire lo stesso.

a. piove b. piova

14. Che , se vuole!

a. piove b. piova

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D. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. Mary, are you studying Italian?

2. Mrs. Verdi, are you studying mathematics?

3. I think that Mary is going out tonight.

4. Although it is cold, I am going out just the same.

Grammar in culture

A common grammar-culture myth is that English has no subjunctive. In fact, it does. Consider the English equivalents of the subjunctive Italian verbs in the following sentences.

È necessario che lui parta subito. It is necessary that he leave (not leaves) right

away.

È importante che lei lo faccia. It is important that she do (not does) this.

10·6

ESERCIZIO

Translate the following Italian sentences into English, so that you can compare how the two

languages express the subjunctive.

1. Bisogna che lui dica sempre la verità.

2. Spero che lui dica sempre la verità.

3. È cruciale (crucial) che lei faccia questo.

4. Dubito che lei faccia questo spesso.

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132

Past tenses allow you to talk about events that occurred before the present time.

There are three main past tenses in Italian: the present perfect, the past subjunctive, and the past absolute.

PRESENT PERFECT Ieri ho mangiato la pizza. Yesterday I ate pizza.

PAST SUBJUNCTIVE Penso che lui abbia mangiato I think that he ate pizza

la pizza ieri. yesterday.

PAST ABSOLUTE Mangiammo la pizza alla We ate a Neapolitan

napoletana molto tempo fa. pizza a long time ago.

The present perfect

The present perfect tense is used to express actions that have been completed at

the present time (at the time of speaking). It is a compound tense formed with the

present indicative form of the auxiliary verb (avere or essere) plus the past participle of the verb of meaning, in that order.

Ieri ho mangiato tutto. Yesterday I ate everything.

Marco è andato al cinema ieri. Mark went to the movies yesterday.

The present indicative conjugations of the auxiliary verbs avere and essere

are found in the previous unit. The regular past participle is formed by replacing

the infinitive ending with the appropriate ending shown below.

FIRST CONJUGATION SECOND CONJUGATION THIRD CONJUGATION

aspettare to wait vendere to sell finire to finish

aspettato waited venduto sold finito finished

Verbs conjugated with avere

Here are the complete conjugations of three verbs conjugated with avere in the

present perfect.

·11· Past tenses

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parlare to speak

io ho parlato I have spoken, spoke, did speak

tu hai parlato you (fam., sing.) have spoken, spoke, did speak

Lei ha parlato you (pol., sing.) have spoken, spoke, did speak

lui/lei ha parlato he/she has spoken, spoke, did speak

noi abbiamo parlato we have spoken, spoke, did speak

voi avete parlato you (fam., pl.) have spoken, spoke, did speak

Loro hanno parlato you (pol., pl.) have spoken, spoke, did speak

loro hanno parlato they have spoken, spoke, did speak

vendere to sell

io ho venduto I have sold, sold, did sell

tu hai venduto you (fam., sing.) have sold, sold, did sell

Lei ha venduto you (pol., sing.) have sold, sold, did sell

lui/lei ha venduto he/she has sold, sold, did sell

noi abbiamo venduto we have sold, sold, did sell

voi avete venduto you (fam., pl.) have sold, sold, did sell

Loro hanno venduto you (pol., pl.) have sold, sold, did sell

loro hanno venduto they have sold, sold, did sell

finire to finish

io ho finito I have finished, finished, did finish

tu hai finito you (fam., sing.) have finished, finished, did finish

Lei ha finito you (pol., sing.) have finished, finished, did finish

lui/lei ha finito he/she has finished, finished, did finish

noi abbiamo finito we have finished, finished, did finish

voi avete finito you (fam., pl.) have finished, finished, did finish

Loro hanno finito you (pol., pl.) have finished, finished, did finish

loro hanno finito they have finished, finished, did finish

Verbs conjugated with essere

The past participle of verbs conjugated with essere agrees in number and gender with the subject

of the verb. Here are the complete conjugations of three verbs conjugated with essere in the present perfect.

arrivare to arrive

io sono arrivato (-a) I have arrived, arrived, did arrive

tu sei arrivato (-a) you (fam., sing.) have arrived, arrived, did arrive

Lei è arrivato (-a) you (pol., sing.) have arrived, arrived, did arrive

lui è arrivato he has arrived, arrived, did arrive

lei è arrivata she has arrived, arrived, did arrive

noi siamo arrivati (-e) we have arrived, arrived, did arrive

voi siete arrivati (-e) you (fam., pl.) have arrived, arrived, did arrive

Loro sono arrivati (-e) you (pol., pl.) have arrived, arrived, did arrive

loro sono arrivati (-e) they have arrived, arrived, did arrive

cadere to fall

io sono caduto (-a) I have fallen, fell, did fall

tu sei caduto (-a) you (fam., sing.) have fallen, fell, did fall

Lei è caduto (-a) you (pol., sing.) have fallen, fell, did fall

lui è caduto he has fallen, fell, did fall

lei è caduta she has fallen, fell, did fall

noi siamo caduti (-e) we have fallen, fell, did fall

voi siete caduti (-e) you (fam., pl.) have fallen, fell, did fall

Loro sono caduti (-e) you (pol., pl.) have fallen, fell, did fall

loro sono caduti (-e) they have fallen, fell, did fall

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partire to leave

io sono partito (-a) I have left, left, did leave

tu sei partito (-a) you (fam., sing.) have left, left, did leave

Lei è partito (-a) you (pol., sing.) have left, left, did leave

lui è partito he has left, left, did leave

lei è partita she has left, left, did leave

noi siamo partiti (-e) we have left, left, did leave

voi siete partiti (-e) you (fam., pl.) have left, left, did leave

Loro sono partiti (-e) you (pol., pl.) have left, left, did leave

loro sono partiti (-e) they have left, left, did leave

Selecting the auxiliary verb

When do you use avere or essere? The best learning strategy is to assume that most verbs are

conjugated with avere (which is true), and then memorize those verbs which are conjugated with

essere. All the latter are intransitive (that is, they do not take a direct object). Moreover, many of

them generally refer to some kind of motion (going, arriving, staying, entering, etc.).

Common verbs conjugated with essere in compound tenses

andare to go partire to leave

arrivare to arrive sembrare to seem

cadere to fall stare to stay

diventare to become tornare to return

entrare to enter uscire to go out

essere to be venire to come

nascere to be born

Impersonal verbs are all conjugated with essere. These are verbs that have only third-person

forms.

durare to last

Lo spettacolo è durato tre ore. The show lasted three hours.

costare to cost

Quanto sono costate le arance? How much did the oranges cost?

Uses

Basically, the present perfect covers three English past tenses: for example, I spoke, I have spoken,

and I did speak.

Ieri ho parlato al signor Verdi. Yesterday, I spoke to Mr. Verdi.

Maria ha venduto la sua macchina. Mary sold her car.

Loro hanno dormito troppo ieri. They slept too much yesterday.

Ho già mangiato. I have already eaten.

Il nostro amico è arrivato ieri. Our friend arrived yesterday.

Tua cugina è arrivata la settimana scorsa. Your cousin arrived last week.

Quando siete venuti? When did you come?

Quando è partita, signora Verdi? When did you leave, Mrs. Verdi?

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Remember that third-person forms are used in polite address. When using Lei or Loro, be

sure that the past participle of verbs conjugated with essere indicates the gender of the person or

people you are addressing.

Signor Verdi, è uscito ieri? Mr. Verdi, did you go out yesterday?

Signora Verdi, è uscita ieri? Mrs. Verdi, did you go out yesterday?

Signor e signora Verdi, sono usciti ieri? Mr. and Mrs. Verdi, did you go out yesterday?

Adverbs that generally indicate use of the past tense

appena just

fa ago

già already

ieri yesterday

prima before

Of these, già and appena are put generally between the auxiliary verb and the past participle.

Ho già mangiato. I have eaten already.

Sono appena arrivati. They have just arrived.

11·1

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the complete present perfect conjugation for each verb.

1. First-conjugation verbs

a. cercare

b. andare

2. Second-conjugation verbs

a. conoscere

b. volere

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3. Third-conjugation verbs

a. capire

b. uscire

B. Rewrite each sentence by changing the verb to indicate that the subject in parentheses also does the

same thing.

example Giovanni ha mangiato la pizza ieri. (io)

Anch’ io ho mangiato la pizza ieri.

1. Marco non ha capito la lezione. (io)

2. Loro sono già partiti. (noi)

3. La ragazza ha già studiato la lezione. (tu)

4. I miei cugini sono appena usciti. (voi)

5. Io ho telefonato prima a mia sorella. (Luigi)

6. Tu sei andato in Italia un anno fa. (le mie amiche)

C. Rewrite each question by changing the verb to direct the question to the subject in parentheses.

Remember to use the polite form when appropriate.

example Maria, hai mangiato la pizza ieri? (Signora Marchi)

Signora Marchi, ha mangiato la pizza ieri?

1. Alessandro, hai capito la lezione? (Signor Verdi)

2. Signora Rossini, ha pagato il conto? (Sara)

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3. Marco e Maria, siete usciti ieri sera? (Signori)

4. Signore (Ladies), hanno cominciato a studiare la matematica? (Ragazze)

Irregular past participles

The following common verbs have irregular past participles. The verbs conjugated with essere are

identified by a notation in parentheses.

VERB PAST PARTICIPLE

aprire to open aperto opened

bere to drink bevuto drunk

chiedere to ask (for) chiesto asked

chiudere to close chiuso closed

dare to give dato given

decidere to decide deciso decided

dire to say, tell detto said

essere (essere) to be stato been

fare to do, make fatto done, made

leggere to read letto read

mettere to put messo put

nascere (essere) to be born nato born

perdere to lose perso lost

prendere to take preso taken

scegliere to choose, select scelto chosen, selected

scendere (essere) to descend, go down sceso descended, gone down

scrivere to write scritto written

stare (essere) to stay stato stayed

vedere to see visto seen

venire (essere) to come venuto come

vincere to win vinto won

Note: The verb scegliere is also irregular in the present indicative and present subjunctive.

PRESENT INDICATIVE (io) scelgo, (tu) scegli, (lui/lei; Lei) sceglie,

(noi) scegliamo, (voi) scegliete, (loro; Loro) scelgono

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE (io) scelga, (tu) scelga, (lui/lei; Lei) scelga,

(noi) scegliamo, (voi) scegliate, (loro; Loro) scelgano

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11·2

ESERCIZIO

A. Rewrite each sentence by changing the verb to the present perfect form.

example Lui vince spesso.

Lui ha vinto spesso.

1. Io apro la finestra.

2. Tu bevi l’espresso.

3. Marco chiede qualcosa.

4. Quando chiudono?

5. A chi dà la rivista tuo fratello?

6. Voi non decidete, vero?

7. Anche loro dicono la verità.

8. Loro sono in Italia.

9. Che tempo fa?

10. Che cosa leggi?

11. Dove metti quel libro?

12. Chi perde spesso?

13. Cosa prendete voi?

14. Quale scegli, Maria?

15. A che ora scendono?

16. A chi scrivete?

17. Io sto in casa.

18. Vedo i miei amici.

19. A che ora vengono le ragazze?

B. Provide the present indicative, present subjunctive, and present perfect forms of each phrase according

to the subject of the verb in parentheses. (Note: adesso = now.)

example vincere la partita (voi)

PRESENT INDICATIVE Voi vincete la partita adesso.

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE Penso che voi vinciate la partita adesso.

PRESENT PERFECT Voi avete già vinto la partita.

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1. scegliere la borsa (tu)

PRESENT INDICATIVE

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

PRESENT PERFECT

2. scrivere l’e-mail (tu)

PRESENT INDICATIVE

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

PRESENT PERFECT

3. scegliere lo zaino (loro)

PRESENT INDICATIVE

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

PRESENT PERFECT

4. venire (lei)

PRESENT INDICATIVE

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

PRESENT PERFECT

5. venire (lui)

PRESENT INDICATIVE

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

PRESENT PERFECT

6. dire la verità (loro)

PRESENT INDICATIVE

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

PRESENT PERFECT

7. fare niente (voi)

PRESENT INDICATIVE

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

PRESENT PERFECT

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The past subjunctive

Like the present perfect, the past subjunctive is a compound tense. It is formed with the present

subjunctive of the auxiliary verb plus the past participle of the verb, in that order. Here are two

verbs conjugated completely for you, one conjugated with avere and the other with essere.

parlare to speak

io abbia parlato I have spoken, spoke

tu abbia parlato you (fam., sing.) have spoken, spoke

Lei abbia parlato you (pol., sing.) have spoken, spoke

lui/lei abbia parlato he/she has spoken, spoke

noi abbiamo parlato we have spoken, spoke

voi abbiate parlato you (fam., pl.) have spoken, spoke

Loro abbiano parlato you (pol., pl.) have spoken, spoke

loro abbiano parlato they have spoken, spoke

arrivare to arrive

io sia arrivato (-a) I have arrived, arrived

tu sia arrivato (-a) you (fam., sing.) have arrived, arrived

Lei sia arrivato (-a) you (pol., sing.) have arrived, arrived

lui sia arrivato he has arrived, arrived

lei sia arrivata she has arrived, arrived

noi siamo arrivati (-e) we have arrived, arrived

voi siate arrivati (-e) you (fam., pl.) have arrived, arrived

Loro siano arrivati (-e) you (pol., pl.) have arrived, arrived

loro siano arrivati (-e) they have arrived, arrived

Essentially, the past subjunctive expresses in the subordinate clause an action that occurred

in the past with respect to the main clause verb.

Non credo che lui abbia capito. I don’t believe he understood.

Non è possibile che loro siano già It’s not possible that they have already left.

partiti.

Benché abbia piovuto ieri, è uscito Although it rained yesterday, he went out just

lo stesso. the same.

11·3

ESERCIZIO

A. Rewrite each sentence by using the main clause in parentheses and by making all other

necessary changes. (Note: probabile = probable; possibile = possible.)

example Marco ha mangiato la pizza ieri. (Penso che...)

Penso che Marco abbia mangiato la pizza ieri.

1. Io ho appena scritto quell’e-mail. (Mio fratello crede che...)

2. Io sono già stato in Italia. (Tutti pensano che...)

3. Anche tu non hai capito, no? (Credo che...)

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4. Quella donna ha finito di lavorare presto. (È probabile che...)

5. Quella donna è uscita al cinema con gli amici. (Dubito che...)

6. Marco ha visto la sua professoressa in centro ieri. (Non è possibile che...)

7. Quell’uomo è uscito al cinema con gli amici. (Immagino che...)

8. Noi abbiamo già letto quel libro. (Lui dubita che...)

9. Tu sei stato a Roma due anni fa, vero? (Non credo che...)

10. Noi siamo andati al cinema ieri sera. (Lei non crede che...)

11. Voi siete tornati tardi ieri sera. (Dubito che...)

12. Voi non avete mai studiato l’italiano, vero? (È probabile che...)

13. I miei amici hanno preso un caffellatte. (Penso che...)

14. I tuoi amici sono venuti tardi alla festa. (Credo che...)

15. Le nostre amiche hanno detto la verità. (Dubito che...)

16. Quelle camicie sono costate così tanto. (Non è possibile che...)

B. Complete each sentence with the appropriate form of the verb in parentheses (the verb of the

subordinate clause).

example Sono uscito lo stesso ieri, benché abbia piovuto (piovere).

1. Siamo andati al cinema lo stesso, sebbene (fare brutto tempo).

2. Mio fratello è venuto alla festa, nonostante (piovere).

3. Marco e Maria sono usciti lo stesso ieri sera, benché (lavorare

fino a tardi).

4. Io ho scritto quell’e-mail, sebbene (non avere tanto tempo).

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The past absolute

The past absolute covers many of the same uses of the present perfect, except the one referring to

present past actions. Thus, it is never translated with the English compound verb forms I have

gone, you have eaten, and so on. It corresponds only to the forms I went, you ate, and so on. The

past absolute is used more than the present perfect to refer to actions that occurred in the distant

past.

Ieri loro sono andati in Italia. Yesterday they went to Italy.

Andarono in Italia molti anni fa. They went to Italy many years ago.

The past absolute is formed by dropping the infinitive ending and adding the appropriate

ending according to person and number.

First conjugation

cantare to sing → cantio cantai I sang

tu cantasti you (fam., sing.) sang

Lei cantò you (pol., sing.) sang

lui/lei cantò he/she sang

noi cantammo we sang

voi cantaste you (fam., pl.) sang

Loro cantarono you (pol., pl.) sang

loro cantarono they sang

Second conjugation

vendere to sell → vendio vendei (vendetti) I sold

tu vendesti you (fam., sing.) sold

Lei vendé (vendette) you (pol., sing.) sold

lui/lei vendé (vendette) he/she sold

noi vendemmo we sold

voi vendeste you (fam., pl.) sold

Loro venderono (vendettero) you (pol., pl.) sold

loro venderono (vendettero) they sold

Third conjugation

finire to finish → finio finii I finished

tu finisti you (fam., sing.) finished

Lei finì you (pol., sing.) finished

lui/lei finì he/she finished

noi finimmo we finished

voi finiste you (fam., pl.) finished

Loro finirono you (pol., pl.) finished

loro finirono they finished

As mentioned, the past absolute can be used in place of the present perfect in most cases. It

is, however, the only tense to be used in reference to historical events and events that occurred in

the distant past.

I miei genitori tornarono in Italia anni fa. My parents returned to Italy years ago.

Marco Polo portò tanti tesori indietro. Marco Polo brought back many treasures.

Finirono quel lavoro tanto tempo fa. They finished that job a long time ago.

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Past tenses 143

The past absolute cannot be used with temporal adverbs such as fa (ago), già (already), and

poco fa (a little while ago), which limit the action to the immediate past. Only the present perfect

can be used in such cases.

Alessandro è arrivato poco tempo fa. Alexander arrived a little while ago.

Ho già telefonato a lei. I already phoned her.

Outside of this restriction, the past absolute can be used (judiciously) as an alternative to the

present perfect.

Maria è venuta in America (or) Maria venne in America Mary came to America

nel 2004. nel 2004. in 2004.

Ieri ti ho telefonato alle (or) Ieri ti telefonai Yesterday I phoned you

due. alle due. at two.

The past absolute is primarily a literary past tense. It is used in particular in the narration of

historical events.

11·4

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the corresponding past absolute form of each conjugated verb.

(Note: portare = to bring; comprare = to buy.)

1. io

a. ho mangiato

b. ho dovuto

c. ho capito

2. tu

a. sei andato

b. hai potuto

c. hai preferito

3. lui/lei; Lei

a. ha cominciato

b. ha venduto

c. ha finito

4. noi

a. siamo arrivati

b. abbiamo dovuto

c. siamo partiti

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5. voi

a. avete portato

b. avete potuto

c. siete usciti

6. loro; Loro

a. hanno comprato

b. hanno venduto

c. hanno dormito

B. Rewrite each sentence by changing the verb to the past absolute and indicating that the action was

done many years ago.

example Maria è andata in Italia.

Maria andò in Italia molti anni fa.

1. Io ho mangiato il risotto alla milanese.

2. Tu sei andata in Italia.

3. Mia sorella ha venduto la macchina.

4. Mio fratello ha dovuto fare quella cosa.

5. Noi abbiamo finito di studiare.

6. Anche voi avete mangiato il risotto.

7. Loro sono tornati.

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Irregular verbs in the past absolute

As with other tenses, there are irregular verbs in the past absolute. Here are the most common

ones.

Tip!

Note that most of the verbs have regular tu (second-person singular), noi (first-person plural), and voi (second-person plural) forms. For example, the verb avere is conjugated as a

regular second-conjugation verb in these three persons: (tu) avesti, (noi) avemmo, (voi)

aveste. The other forms are irregular: (io) ebbi, (lui/lei; Lei) ebbe, (loro; Loro) ebbero

avere (to have) ebbi avesti ebbe avemmo aveste ebbero

bere (to drink) bevvi bevesti bevve bevemmo beveste bevvero

(bevetti) (bevette) (bevettero)

cadere (to fall) caddi cadesti cadde cademmo cadeste caddero

chiedere (to ask chiesi chiedesti chiese chiedemmo chiedeste chiesero

for)

chiudere (to close) chiusi chiudesti chiuse chiudemmo chiudeste chiusero

conoscere (to know, conobbi conoscesti conobbe conoscemmo conosceste conobbero

be familiar with)

dare (to give) diedi desti diede demmo deste diedero

decidere (to decide) decisi decidesti decise decidemmo decideste decisero

dire (to say, tell) dissi dicesti disse dicemmo diceste dissero

essere (to be) fui fosti fu fummo foste furono

fare (to do, make) feci facesti fece facemmo faceste fecero

leggere (to read) lessi leggesti lesse leggemmo leggeste lessero

mettere (to put) misi mettesti mise mettemmo metteste misero

nascere (to be born) nacqui nascesti nacque nascemmo nasceste nacquero

perdere (to lose) persi perdesti perse perdemmo perdeste persero

prendere (to take) presi prendesti prese prendemmo prendeste presero

sapere (to know) seppi sapesti seppe sapemmo sapeste seppero

scegliere (to choose, scelsi scegliesti scelse scegliemmo sceglieste scelsero

select)

scendere (to scesi scendesti scese scendemmo scendeste scesero

descend, go down)

scrivere (to write) scrissi scrivesti scrisse scrivemmo scriveste scrissero

stare (to stay) stetti stesti stette stemmo steste stettero

vedere (to see) vidi vedesti vide vedemmo vedeste videro

venire (to come) venni venisti venne venimmo veniste vennero

volere (to want) volli volesti volle volemmo voleste vollero

Other past tenses

There are also past infinitive and past gerund forms. The latter will be discussed in Unit 13. The

past infinitive is a compound form consisting of the infinitive of the auxiliary verb and the past

participle of the verb of meaning, in that order.

aver(e) parlato having spoken esser(e) arrivato (-a) having arrived

aver(e) venduto having sold esser(e) caduto (-a) having fallen

aver(e) dormito having slept esser(e) partito (-a) having left

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Note that the final -e of the auxiliary may be dropped.

Dopo essere arrivato, Marco ha After having arrived, Mark called.

chiamato.

Dopo essere arrivata, Maria ha After having arrived, Mary called.

chiamato.

Dopo essere arrivati, i miei amici After having arrived, my friends called.

hanno chiamato.

Dopo essere arrivate, le mie amiche After having arrived, my (female) friends called.

hanno chiamato.

11·5

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the past absolute forms for each verb.

IO TU LUI/LEI NOI VOI LORO

1. volere

2. venire

3. vedere

4. stare

5. scrivere

6. scendere

7. scegliere

8. sapere

9. prendere

10. perdere

11. nascere

12. mettere

13. leggere

14. fare

15. essere

16. dire

17. decidere

18. dare

19. conoscere

20. chiudere

21. chiedere

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Past tenses 147

22. cadere

23. bere

24. avere

B. Use each sequence of words to create a sentence; use the past absolute form of the verb. Each sentence

tells you something about Italian history or culture. (Note: inventare = to invent.)

example Dante / scrivere / la Divina Commedia

Dante scrisse la Divina Commedia.

1. Galileo / inventare / il telescopio

2. Colombo / venire / nel Nuovo Mondo nel 1492

3. Leonardo Fibonacci / essere / un grande matematico

4. Leonardo Da Vinci / fare / molte scoperte (discoveries)

5. Il compositore Giuseppe Verdi / nascere / nel 1813.

6. Alessandro Manzoni / scrivere / I promessi sposi.

C. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. After having eaten, we went to the movies.

2. After having bought that car, we sold our other car.

3. After having gone to Italy, my (female) friends started to speak Italian very well.

D. Provide the present perfect, past subjunctive, and past absolute forms of each verb. The first one is done

for you.

PRESENT PERFECT PAST SUBJUNCTIVE PAST ABSOLUTE

1. (tu) cantare hai cantato abbia cantato cantasti

2. (io) mangiare

3. (lui) pagare

4. (noi) vendere

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5. (voi) leggere

6. (loro) scrivere

7. (lei) nascere

8. (io) capire

9. (tu) finire

10. (lui) venire

11. (loro) dire

12. (voi) dare

13. (noi) fare

14. (io) chiedere

15. (lui) essere

E. Complete each sentence with the appropriate form of the auxiliary verb and with the missing final vowel

of the past participle.

1. Marco vendut la sua macchina ieri.

2. Maria andat al cinema ieri.

3. Maria comprat le scarpe nuove ieri.

4. I miei amici andat in Italia la settimana scorsa.

5. Anche le sue amiche andat in Italia qualche giorno fa.

6. Loro vist quel film già.

7. Voi già mangiat , non è vero?

8. Noi tutti andat al cinema ieri.

9. Signor Verdi, quando uscit ieri Lei?

10. Signora Verdi, quando uscit ieri Lei?

F. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. I think that the movie lasted three hours.

2. How much did the meat cost?

3. Although my sister sold her car, she has a motorcycle.

4. Yesterday we spoke to Mr. Verdi.

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5. I think he slept too much yesterday.

6. Although I have already eaten, I want to eat again.

7. Our grandfather came to the United States in 1994.

Grammar in culture

The use of the past absolute tense to narrate historical events probably reflects how we wish

to imprint them in our cultural memory. The past absolute seems to give these events significance and uniqueness.

11·6

ESERCIZIO

How do you say the following in Italian?

1. Michelangelo sculpted (scolpire) David.

2. Giuseppe Verdi wrote many beautiful operas.

3. Petrarch wrote some beautiful poems (poesie).

4. Pavarotti was a great tenor (tenore).

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150

The present perfect (see Unit 11) allows you, in essence, to refer to a finished past

action—an action that can be visualized as having started and ended.

Ieri ho dormito quattro ore. Yesterday I slept for four hours.

However, if it is necessary to refer to an action that continued for an indefinite period of time, then the imperfect tense is called for.

Ieri, mentre io dormivo, tu Yesterday, while I was sleeping,

guardavi la TV. you were watching TV.

The imperfect is also used to refer to habitual or repeated actions in the past,

and to describe the characteristics of people and things as they used to be.

Quando ero giovane, suonavo When I was young, I used to

il pianoforte. play the piano.

Da giovane, lei aveva i capelli biondi. As a youth, she had (used to

have) blond hair.

The imperfect indicative

The imperfect is formed by dropping the infinitive ending and adding the appropriate ending according to person and number.

First conjugation

suonare to play (an instrument) → suonio suonavo I was playing, used to play

tu suonavi you (fam., sing.) were playing, used to play

Lei suonava you (pol., sing.) were playing, used to play

lui/lei suonava he/she was playing, used to play

noi suonavamo we were playing, used to play

voi suonavate you (fam., pl.) were playing, used to play

Loro suonavano you (pol., pl.) were playing, used to play

loro suonavano they were playing, used to play

The imperfect and

pluperfect tenses ·12·

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The imperfect and pluperfect tenses 151

Second conjugation

mettere to put → mettio mettevo I was putting, used to put

tu mettevi you (fam., sing.) were putting, used to put

Lei metteva you (pol., sing.) were putting, used to put

lui/lei metteva he/she was putting, used to put

noi mettevamo we were putting, used to put

voi mettevate you (fam., pl.) were putting, used to put

Loro mettevano you (pol., pl.) were putting, used to put

loro mettevano they were putting, used to put

Third conjugation

venire to come → venio venivo I was coming, used to come

tu venivi you (fam., sing.) were coming, used to come

Lei veniva you (pol., sing.) were coming, used to come

lui/lei veniva he/she was coming, used to come

noi venivamo we were coming, used to come

voi venivate you (fam., pl.) were coming, used to come

Loro venivano you (pol., pl.) were coming, used to come

loro venivano they were coming, used to come

Tip!

Another way to conjugate verbs in the imperfect indicative is to drop the -re of the infinitive

(suona-, mette-, veni-) and then add one set of endings to all three conjugations: -vo, -vi, -va,

-vamo, -vate, -vano. Try it!

As mentioned, the imperfect allows you to refer to continuous past actions (actions that went

on for a while), to states and conditions that were habitual or recurring, and to the characteristics

of people and things as they used to be or once were. (Note: guardare = to watch, look at.)

Mentre tu studiavi, io suonavo While you were studying, I played (was playing)

il pianoforte. the piano.

Da giovane, lui guardava sempre la TV. As a youth, he always watched TV.

Da bambina, io avevo i capelli biondi. As a child, I had blond hair.

Note that sometimes English uses a perfect tense in place of the Italian imperfect.

Mentre dormivo, tu guardavi la TV. While I slept (was sleeping), you watched TV.

You must, therefore, always look for clues among the other words in a sentence to determine

whether the imperfect should or should not be used. Words such as the following generally indicate that the imperfect is required.

di solito usually

mentre while

sempre always

Di solito i miei genitori andavano in Usually my parents went to Italy for their

Italia per le vacanze. vacation.

Da bambino, mio fratello giocava As a child, my brother always played on

sempre al computer. the computer.

Alcuni anni fa, guardavo sempre le A few years ago, I used to always watch soccer

partite di calcio in televisione. games on television.

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Irregular forms

Predictably, there are irregular verb forms in the imperfect. Here are the most common.

bere (to drink) bevevo bevevi beveva bevevamo bevevate bevevano

dare (to give) davo davi dava davamo davate davano

dire (to say, tell) dicevo dicevi diceva dicevamo dicevate dicevano

essere (to be) ero eri era eravamo eravate erano

fare (to do, make) facevo facevi faceva facevamo facevate facevano

stare (to stay) stavo stavi stava stavamo stavate stavano

12·1

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the appropriate imperfect form of each verb. The first one is done for you.

1. (io) cantare (io) cantavo

2. (io) stare

3. (io) fare

4. (lui) cominciare

5. (lui) essere

6. (lui) dire

7. (io) leggere

8. (noi) dare

9. (noi) bere

10. (io) capire

11. (tu) guardare

12. (io) bere

13. (tu) dormire

14. (tu) vedere

15. (tu) essere

16. (lei) avere

17. (noi) dare

18. (lui) fare

19. (voi) essere

20. (voi) uscire

21. (lei) dire

22. (noi) sapere

23. (voi) potere

24. (noi) pagare

25. (voi) mangiare

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The imperfect and pluperfect tenses 153

26. (loro) arrivare

27. (loro) avere

28. (loro) venire

29. (lei) preferire

30. (noi) capire

B. Choose the appropriate form of the verb to complete each sentence.

1. Da bambina, mia sorella il pianoforte.

a. ha suonato b. suonava

2. Da giovane, mio fratello i capelli lunghi.

a. ha avuto b. aveva

3. Ieri, mentre mio padre dormiva, io la TV.

a. ho guardato b. guardavo

4. Ieri tutta la giornata (all day long).

a. ho dormito b. dormivo

5. Mentre io studiavo, lui al computer.

a. ha giocato b. giocava

6. Da bambino, nostro cugino una sola volta (only once) in Italia.

a. è andato b. andava

7. Da bambina, lei non mangiare la pasta.

a. ha voluto b. voleva

8. Alcuni anni fa, io spesso al cinema, ma non più.

a. sono andata b. andavo

The imperfect subjunctive

The imperfect subjunctive is formed by dropping the infinitive ending and adding the appropriate ending according to person and number.

First conjugation

guardare to watch → guardio guardassi I was watching, used to watch

tu guardassi you (fam., sing.) were watching, used to watch

Lei guardasse you (pol., sing.) were watching, used to watch

lui/lei guardasse he/she was watching, used to watch

noi guardassimo we were watching, used to watch

voi guardaste you (fam., pl.) were watching, used to watch

Loro guardassero you (pol., pl.) were watching, used to watch

loro guardassero they were watching, used to watch

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Second conjugation

potere to be able to → potio potessi I was able to, used to be able to (could)

tu potessi you (fam., sing.) were able to, used to be able to (could)

Lei potesse you (pol., sing.) were able to, used to be able to (could)

lui/lei potesse he/she was able to, used to be able to (could)

noi potessimo we were able to, used to be able to (could)

voi poteste you (fam., pl.) were able to, used to be able to (could)

Loro potessero you (pol., pl.) were able to, used to be able to (could)

loro potessero they were able to, used to be able to (could)

Third conjugation

uscire to go out → uscio uscissi I was going out, used to go out

tu uscissi you (fam., sing.) were going out, used to go out

Lei uscisse you (pol., sing.) were going out, used to go out

lui/lei uscisse he/she was going out, used to go out

noi uscissimo we were going out, used to go out

voi usciste you (fam., pl.) were going out, used to go out

Loro uscissero you (pol., pl.) were going out, used to go out

loro uscissero they were going out, used to go out

Tip!

Another way to conjugate verbs in the imperfect subjunctive is to drop the -re of the infinitive (guarda-, pote-, usci-) and then add one set of endings to all three conjugations: -ssi,

-ssi, -sse, -ssimo, -ste, -ssero. Try it!

As in the case of the imperfect indicative, the imperfect subjunctive is used in a subordinate

clause to indicate a repeated or habitual action in the past.

Speravo che tu avessi capito. I was hoping that you had understood.

Sembrava che lui dicesse la verità. It seemed that he was telling the truth.

Credo che lei avesse i capelli biondi I believe she had blond hair as a child.

da bambina.

Hanno creduto che venisse anche lui. They believed that he was coming as well.

Irregular forms

The verbs that are irregular in the imperfect indicative are also irregular in the imperfect

subjunctive.

bere (to drink) bevessi bevessi bevesse bevessimo beveste bevessero

dare (to give) dessi dessi desse dessimo deste dessero

dire (to say, tell) dicessi dicessi dicesse dicessimo diceste dicessero

essere (to be) fossi fossi fosse fossimo foste fossero

fare (to do, make) facessi facessi facesse facessimo faceste facessero

stare (to stay) stessi stessi stesse stessimo steste stessero

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The imperfect and pluperfect tenses 155

12·2

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the corresponding imperfect subjunctive forms of each verb. The first one is done

for you.

1. (io) cantavo (io) cantassi

2. (io) facevo

3. (io) stavo

4. (lui) era

5. (lui) cominciava

6. (lui) leggeva

7. (io) dicevo

8. (noi) bevevamo

9. (noi) davamo

10. (io) guardavo

11. (tu) capivi

12. (io) bevevo

13. (tu) dormivi

14. (tu) vedevi

15. (tu) eri

16. (lei) aveva

17. (noi) davamo

18. (lui) faceva

19. (voi) eravate

20. (voi) uscivate

21. (lei) diceva

22. (noi) sapevamo

23. (voi) potevate

24. (noi) pagavamo

25. (voi) mangiavate

26. (loro) arrivavano

27. (loro) venivano

28. (loro) avevano

29. (lei) preferiva

30. (noi) capivamo

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B. Rewrite each sentence by using the main clause in parentheses and by making all necessary changes.

example Tuo fratello suonava il pianoforte da bambino. (Penso che...)

Penso che tuo fratello suonasse il pianoforte da bambino.

1. Da bambina, mia madre suonava il pianoforte. (È possibile che...)

2. Da giovane, mio padre aveva i capelli lunghi. (Credo che...)

3. Mentre lui dormiva, tu guardavi la TV. (Pensavamo che...)

4. Di solito lui studiava il sabato. (Sembra che...)

5. Mentre tu studiavi, lui giocava a calcio. (Credevamo che...)

6. Da bambini, i nostri amici andavano spesso in Italia. (È possibile che...)

7. Da bambina, lei non voleva mangiare la pasta. (Credo che...)

8. Alcuni anni fa, io andavo spesso al cinema. (Lui pensa che...)

The pluperfect tenses

The pluperfect is a compound tense. As such, it is conjugated with an auxiliary verb, either avere

or essere in the imperfect (indicative or subjunctive as the case may be), and the past participle

of the verb, in that order. So, there is nothing really new to learn in this case—the same verbs

require either avere or essere, the same verbs have irregular past participles, and so on.

The pluperfect indicative

Here are the complete conjugations of one verb conjugated with avere and another conjugated

with essere (in the pluperfect indicative).

comprare to buy

io avevo comprato I had bought

tu avevi comprato you (fam., sing.) had bought

Lei aveva comprato you (pol., sing.) had bought

lui/lei aveva comprato he/she had bought

noi avevamo comprato we had bought

voi avevate comprato you (fam., pl.) had bought

Loro avevano comprato you (pol., pl.) had bought

loro avevano comprato they had bought

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The imperfect and pluperfect tenses 157

partire to leave

io ero partito (-a) I had left

tu eri partito (-a) you (fam., sing.) had left

Lei era partito (-a) you (pol., sing.) had left

lui era partito he had left

lei era partita she had left

noi eravamo partiti (-e) we had left

voi eravate partiti (-e) you (fam., pl.) had left

Loro erano partiti (-e) you (pol., pl.) had left

loro erano partiti (-e) they had left

The pluperfect tense (literally, “more than perfect” or “more than past”) is used primarily to

indicate an action that occurred before a simple past action (as expressed by the present perfect,

the imperfect, or the past absolute).

Dopo che era arrivata, ha telefonato. After she had arrived, she phoned.

Lui ha detto che aveva già parlato He said that he had already talked to the

al professore. professor.

Essentially, this tense corresponds to the English pluperfect. But be careful! In colloquial

usage of English, the pluperfect is sometimes only implied, whereas in Italian it must be used

explicitly.

Sono andati in Italia dopo che They went to Italy after they finished (had

avevano finito gli esami. finished) their exams.

The pluperfect subjunctive

The pluperfect subjunctive is formed with the imperfect subjunctive of the auxiliary verb plus the

past participle of the verb, in that order. Here are two verbs conjugated completely, one with avere

and one with essere.

ascoltare to listen to

io avessi ascoltato I had listened

tu avessi ascoltato you (fam., sing.) had listened

Lei avesse ascoltato you (pol., sing.) had listened

lui/lei avesse ascoltato he/she had listened

noi avessimo ascoltato we had listened

voi aveste ascoltato you (fam., pl.) had listened

Loro avessero ascoltato you (pol., pl.) had listened

loro avessero ascoltato they had listened

venire to come

io fossi venuto (-a) I had come

tu fossi venuto (-a) you (fam., sing.) had come

Lei fosse venuto (-a) you (pol., sing.) had come

lui fosse venuto he had come

lei fosse venuta she had come

noi fossimo venuti (-e) we had come

voi foste venuti (-e) you (fam., pl.) had come

Loro fossero venuti (-e) you (pol., pl.) had come

loro fossero venuti (-e) they had come

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This tense corresponds to the pluperfect indicative in usage. It expresses a past action in the

subordinate clause that occurred before a past action in the main clause.

Sembrava che lui fosse già arrivato. It seemed that he had already arrived.

Eravamo contenti che voi foste venuti. We were happy that you had come.

12·3

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the appropriate pluperfect indicative and pluperfect subjunctive forms for each

verb. The first one is done for you.

PLUPERFECT INDICATIVE PLUPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE

1. ho mangiato avevo mangiato avessi mangiato

2. ho venduto

3. sono partita

4. ho avuto

5. sei andato

6. hai venduto

7. sei uscito

8. hai fatto

9. è arrivato

10. ha potuto

11. ha preferito

12. è stata

13. abbiamo pagato

14. abbiamo dovuto

15. abbiamo dormito

16. abbiamo detto

17. avete cantato

18. avete potuto

19. siete partiti

20. avete dato

21. hanno cominciato

22. hanno dovuto

23. hanno capito

24. sono nati

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The imperfect and pluperfect tenses 159

B. Choose the appropriate form of the verb to complete each sentence. (Note: avere fame = to be hungry;

chiamare = to call; rientrare = to get back, return home.)

1. I miei amici già quando hai chiamato.

a. fossero rientrati b. erano rientrati

2. È possibile che i miei genitori per l’Italia già.

a. fossero partiti b. erano partiti

3. Le tue amiche già quando siamo arrivati.

a. fossero uscite b. erano uscite

4. Lui ha detto che tu già quel libro.

a. avessi letto b. avevi letto

5. Pensavamo che lui prima di noi.

a. fosse uscito b. era uscito

6. Ieri non avevo fame perché già.

a. avessi mangiato b. avevo mangiato

7. Dopo che lui a Roma, fece molte cose.

a. fosse andato b. era andato

C. Provide the corresponding imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive form of each given verb.

1. io ero arrivato

2. io vendevo

3. io avevo preferito

4. io andavo

5. io avevo avuto

6. tu mangiavi

7. tu avevi messo

8. tu mettevi

9. tu bevevi

10. tu eri caduto

11. lui cominciava

12. lei aveva chiesto

13. lui aveva capito

14. Lei dava

15. lei era

16. noi pagavamo

17. noi avevamo chiuso

18. noi avevamo finito

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19. noi facevamo

20. noi potevamo

21. voi cercavate

22. voi mettevate

23. voi avevate preferito

24. voi sapevate

25. voi avevate tenuto

26. loro mangiavano

27. loro avevano chiesto

28. loro erano andati

29. loro vedevano

30. loro venivano

D. Choose the appropriate form of the verb to complete each sentence. Note that more than one answer

is possible in some cases.

1. Penso che lui già.

a. abbia mangiato b. mangiasse c. avesse mangiato

2. Credevo che quando ho chiamato ieri.

a. abbia mangiato b. mangiasse c. avesse mangiato

3. Pensavamo che lui già, quando abbiamo chiamato.

a. abbia studiato b. studiasse c. avesse studiato

4. È improbabile che loro già.

a. siano partiti b. partissero c. fossero partiti

5. Benché ieri, è uscito lo stesso.

a. abbia piovuto b. piovesse c. avesse piovuto

6. Spero che voi .

a. abbiate capito b. capiste c. aveste capito

7. Penso che lui la verità.

a. abbia detto b. dicesse c. avesse detto

8. Speravo che voi .

a. abbiate capito b. capiste c. aveste capito

9. Sembrava che lui la verità.

a. abbia detto b. dicesse c. avesse detto

10. Benché i soldi, non ha comprato la macchina.

a. abbia avuto b. avesse c. avesse avuto

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The imperfect and pluperfect tenses 161

Grammar in culture

In comparison with the present perfect tense, the imperfect signals not only differences in

the duration of past actions, but also nuances of meaning. Consider the verbs sapere and

conoscere, which have slightly different meanings in the present perfect and imperfect

tenses.

PRESENT PERFECT IMPERFECT

Ho saputo che veniva anche lui. Sapevo che veniva anche lui.

I found out that he was also coming. I knew that he was also coming.

Ho conosciuto Maria due anni fa. Conoscevo Maria da bambina.

I met Maria two years ago. I knew Maria when she was a child.

12·4

ESERCIZIO

Choose the appropriate verb form according to context and meaning.

1. Quando il tuo professore?

a. hai conosciuto b. conoscevi

2. Quando ero bambino, la sua famiglia molto bene.

a. ho conosciuto b. conoscevo

3. Viene anche Maria? No, che è ammalata (sick).

a. ho saputo b. sapevo

4. Lo sai che viene anche Maria alla festa? Sì, lo .

a. ho saputo b. sapevo

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162

·13·

Progressive tenses are tenses that allow language users to zero in on an ongoing

action.

In questo momento lui sta guardando At this moment he is watching

la TV. TV.

Mentre stava studiando, io ho chiamato. While he was studying, I called.

Penso che lui stia guardando la TV. I think he is watching TV.

Pensavo che stesse guardando la I thought he was watching TV

TV quando ho chiamato. when I called.

There are four main progressive tenses in Italian, two in the present and two in

the imperfect. Other progressive tenses are rarely used and will not be discussed

in this book.

The gerund

The gerund is used to conjugate verbs in progressive tenses. Gerunds are formed

by dropping the infinitive ending of a verb and adding -ando to the stems of

first-conjugation verbs and -endo to the stems of the verbs of the other two

conjugations.

FIRST CONJUGATION SECOND CONJUGATION THIRD CONJUGATION

parlare to speak cadere to fall dormire to sleep

parlando speaking cadendo falling dormendo sleeping

arrivare to arrive vendere to sell partire to leave

arrivando arriving vendendo selling partendo leaving

As you will soon see, the most important use of the gerund is in progressive tenses,

which are made up of the verb stare plus the gerund.

The gerund is also used, as in English, to express indefinite actions, replacing

mentre (while) + imperfect when the subjects of the two clauses are the same.

Mentre camminavo, ho visto Marco. While I was walking, I saw Mark.

(or)

Camminando, ho visto Marco. While walking, I saw Mark.

There is also a past gerund, consisting of the auxiliary verb in the gerund

(avendo or essendo) and a past participle.

The progressive tenses

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The progressive tenses 163

avendo parlato having spoken essendo arrivato (-a) having arrived

avendo venduto having sold essendo caduto (-a) having fallen

avendo dormito having slept essendo partito (-a) having left

Once again, the past participle of verbs conjugated with essere is treated like an adjective.

Avendo mangiato tutto, siamo usciti. Having eaten everything, we went out.

Essendo andati in Italia, visitarono Having gone to Italy, they visited many cities.

tante città.

There are very few irregular gerunds. The most important ones are:

bere to drink → bevendo drinking

dare to give → dando giving

dire to say → dicendo saying

fare to do, make → facendo doing, making

stare to stay → stando staying

13·1

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the missing infinitive, gerund, or past gerund, as required.

INFINITIVE GERUND PAST GERUND

1. andare

2. facendo

3. essendo stato (-a)

4. leggere

5. dando

6. avendo detto

7. venire

8. bevendo

B. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. Watching TV, he became tired.

2. Having done everything, he went out.

3. Studying Italian last night, she became quite tired.

4. Having gone to Italy, they learned to speak well.

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The present progressive tenses

Progressive tenses are made up of the verb stare plus the gerund. The present progressive tense

is conjugated with the present indicative of stare plus the gerund; the present subjunctive form

is conjugated with the present subjunctive of stare plus the gerund. Here are two verbs conjugated

fully, one in the indicative and the other in the subjunctive.

Indicative

mangiare to eat

io sto mangiando I am eating

tu stai mangiando you (fam., sing.) are eating

Lei sta mangiando you (pol., sing.) are eating

lui/lei sta mangiando he/she is eating

noi stiamo mangiando we are eating

voi state mangiando you (fam., pl.) are eating

Loro stanno mangiando you (pol., pl.) are eating

loro stanno mangiando they are eating

Subjunctive

uscire to go out

io stia uscendo I am going out

tu stia uscendo you (fam., sing.) are going out

Lei stia uscendo you (pol., sing.) are going out

lui/lei stia uscendo he/she is going out

noi stiamo uscendo we are going out

voi stiate uscendo you (fam., pl.) are going out

Loro stiano uscendo you (pol., pl.) are going out

loro stiano uscendo they are going out

The present progressive tenses are alternatives to the present indicative and present subjunctive, allowing you to zero in on an ongoing action.

In questo momento, mia sorella sta At this moment, my sister is eating.

mangiando.

Penso che in questo momento, lei stia I think that at this moment, she is eating.

mangiando.

Note that the present progressive is always translated with English progressive forms such as I am

reading, you are going, etc.

13·2

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the corresponding present progressive form of each verb along with an

appropriate English translation.

example 1 lui canta

lui sta cantando

he is singing

example 2 che lui canti

che lui stia cantando

that he is singing

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The progressive tenses 165

PROGRESSIVE FORM TRANSLATION

1. io mangio

2. tu leggi

3. Lei finisce

4. noi guardiamo

5. voi vedete

6. lui dice

7. lei fa

8. loro imparano

9. che io aspetti

10. che tu scriva

11. che Lei beva

12. che noi andiamo

13. che voi usciate

14. che loro vadano

15. che lui faccia

16. che lei veda

B. Rewrite each sentence by using the main clause in parentheses and by making all other necessary

changes.

example In questo momento mia sorella sta leggendo. (Penso che...)

Penso che in questo momento mia sorella stia leggendo.

1. Giovanni sta mangiando in questo momento. (Penso che...)

2. Voi state guardando un programma alla televisione adesso. (Maria crede che...)

3. Mio fratello sta dormendo. (Sembra che...)

4. Io sto scrivendo un’e-mail. (Lui crede che...)

5. I miei amici stanno uscendo. (Lei pensa che...)

6. Noi stiamo bevendo un caffè. (Loro credono che...)

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7. Voi state leggendo quel romanzo (novel) in questo momento. (Dubito che...)

8. Lui sta suonando il pianoforte. (Sembra che...)

C. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. Frank, what are you drinking? Are you drinking an espresso?

2. What program are they watching at this moment?

3. Mrs. Marchi, what are you saying?

4. Mark and Mary are going out at this moment.

5. Where is Alexander? He’s sleeping.

6. What are they drinking? I think that they are drinking a cappuccino.

The imperfect progressive tenses

The imperfect progressive is conjugated with the imperfect of stare (indicative or subjunctive as

the case may be). Here are two verbs conjugated fully, one in the indicative and the other in the

subjunctive.

Indicative

imparare to learn

io stavo imparando I was learning

tu stavi imparando you (fam., sing.) were learning

Lei stava imparando you (pol., sing.) were learning

lui/lei stava imparando he/she was learning

noi stavamo imparando we were learning

voi stavate imparando you (fam., pl.) were learning

Loro stavano imparando you (pol., pl.) were learning

loro stavano imparando they were learning

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The progressive tenses 167

Subjunctive

sentire to feel, hear

io stessi sentendo I was feeling

tu stessi sentendo you (fam., sing.) were feeling

Lei stesse sentendo you (pol., sing.) were feeling

lui/lei stesse sentendo he/she was feeling

noi stessimo sentendo we were feeling

voi steste sentendo you (fam., pl.) were feeling

Loro stessero sentendo you (pol., pl.) were feeling

loro stessero sentendo they were feeling

The imperfect progressive tenses are alternatives to the imperfect indicative and subjunctive

(see Unit 12), allowing you to zero in on an ongoing action in the past. Note that the imperfect

progressive is always translated with English progressive forms such as I was reading, you were

going, etc.

Mentre lei stava studiando, io guardavo While she was studying, I was watching TV.

la TV.

Penso che ieri stesse studiando, I think she was studying yesterday, when he

quando è arrivato. arrived.

13·3

ESERCIZIO

A. Rewrite each phrase in the corresponding imperfect progressive form.

example 1 lui mangiava

lui stava mangiando

example 2 che lui mangiasse

che lui stesse mangiando

1. io andavo

2. tu cominciavi

3. noi scrivevamo

4. loro leggevano

5. voi preferivate

6. lei dormiva

7. che io cominciassi

8. tu bevevi

9. noi davamo

10. loro facevano

11. voi dicevate

12. lui studiava

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13. che tu leggessi

14. che lei uscisse

15. che lui mangiasse

16. che noi venissimo

17. che voi usciste

B. Choose the appropriate imperfect form of the verb to complete each sentence. Note: both choices,

a and b, may be correct in some cases.

1. Mentre lei una rivista, io parlavo al telefono ieri.

a. stava leggendo b. leggeva

2. Che cosa tu ieri, quando sono arrivato?

a. stavi facendo b. facevi

3. Penso che la signora Marchi un caffè, quando ho chiamato.

a. stesse bevendo b. bevesse

4. Mentre noi , ha squillato il telefono (the phone rang).

a. stavamo uscendo b. uscivamo

5. Penso che loro quando sei rientrato.

a. stessero studiando b. studiassero

6. Di solito, lui in Italia durante l’estate (summer).

a. stava andando b. andava

C. Provide the missing infinitive, past infinitive, gerund, or past gerund as required. The first one is

done for you.

INFINITIVE PAST INFINITIVE GERUND PAST GERUND

1. parlare aver(e) parlato parlando avendo parlato

2. esser(e) arrivato (-a)

3. cadendo

4. avendo venduto

5. dormire

6. esser(e) partito (-a)

7. fare

8. aver(e) detto

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The progressive tenses 169

9. bevendo

10. dare

D. Choose the correct form to complete each sentence.

1. Dopo essere , loro hanno chiamato.

a. arrivati b. arrivato

2. Dopo studiato, noi usciremo.

a. avere b. essere

3. Alessandro crede molto intelligente.

a. che sia b. di essere

4. Devo imparare italiano bene.

a. a parlare b. che parli

5. di studiare, hanno guardato la TV.

a. Finendo b. Avendo finito

E. Choose the appropriate progressive form of the verb to complete each sentence.

1. Dubito che lei ieri quando ho chiamato.

a. stava mangiando b. stesse mangiando

2. Mentre Sara , io ho chiamato.

a. stava mangiando b. stesse mangiando

3. Pensavo che Alessandro quando voi avete chiamato.

a. stava studiando b. stesse studiando

4. Daniela, che cosa ieri quando ho chiamato?

a. stavi facendo b. stessi facendo

5. Non so cosa ieri Cristofero quando ho chiamato.

a. stava facendo b. stesse facendo

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Grammar in culture

Another verb form, the present participle, is often confused with the gerund. It is formed

by adding -ante to first-conjugation verb stems (parlare → parl- → parlante) and -ente to

second- and third-conjugation verb stems (ridere (to laugh) → rid- → ridente and bollire

(to boil) → boll- → bollente).

A present participle may be used as an adjective or noun; its meaning depends on social

context and historical convention. Parlante commonly means speaker; ridente, smiling,

laughing, joyful; and bollente, boiling.

13·4

ESERCIZIO

Write the present participle for each verb, then provide its likely meaning in English.

VERB PRESENT PARTICIPLE LIKELY MEANING

1. pesare (to weigh)

2. pendere (to hang)

3. eccitare (to excite)

4. insegnare (to teach)

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171

The simple future, as its name implies, allows you to talk about an action that will

occur in the future. The future perfect refers, instead, to actions that occurred

before simple future actions.

Domani andremo in centro. Tomorrow we will be going

downtown.

Dopo che saremo andati in centro, After we have gone downtown,we’ll

chiameremo. call.

The conditional (present and past) allows you basically to express a condition of the present or past, as the case may be: I would go . . . ; We would have done

it . . . ; etc.

Uscirei oggi, ma devo studiare. I would go out today, but I have to

study.

Avrei comprato questa, ma non I would have bought this one, but I

avevo soldi. didn’t have money.

The future

The simple future is formed by dropping the final -e of the infinitives of all three

conjugations, changing the -ar of first-conjugation verbs to -er, and then adding

on the same set of endings for all three conjugations.

First conjugation

incontrare to run into, meet → incontrerio incontrerò I will meet

tu incontrerai you (fam., sing.) will meet

Lei incontrerà you (pol., sing.) will meet

lui/lei incontrerà he/she will meet

noi incontreremo we will meet

voi incontrerete you (fam., pl.) will meet

Loro incontreranno you (pol., pl.) will meet

loro incontreranno they will meet

Second conjugation

mettere to put → metterio metterò I will put

tu metterai you (fam., sing.) will put

Lei metterà you (pol., sing.) will put

lui/lei metterà he/she will put

The future and

conditional tenses ·14·

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noi metteremo we will put

voi metterete you (fam., pl.) will put

Loro metteranno you (pol., pl.) will put

loro metteranno they will put

Third conjugation

sentire to feel → sentirio sentirò I will feel

tu sentirai you (fam., sing.) will feel

Lei sentirà you (pol., sing.) will feel

lui/lei sentirà he/she will feel

noi sentiremo we will feel

voi sentirete you (fam., pl.) will feel

Loro sentiranno you (pol., pl.) will feel

loro sentiranno they will feel

To preserve the hard c and g sounds of verbs ending in -care and -gare, an h is added to the

stem.

cercare to look for → cercherio cercherò I will look for

tu cercherai you (fam., sing.) will look for

Lei cercherà you (pol., sing.) will look for

lui/lei cercherà he/she will look for

noi cercheremo we will look for

voi cercherete you (fam., pl.) will look for

Loro cercheranno you (pol., pl.) will look for

loro cercheranno they will look for

pagare to pay → pagherio pagherò I will pay

tu pagherai you (fam., sing.) will pay

Lei pagherà you (pol., sing.) will pay

lui/lei pagherà he/she will pay

noi pagheremo we will pay

voi pagherete you (fam., pl.) will pay

Loro pagheranno you (pol., pl.) will pay

loro pagheranno they will pay

The i of verbs ending in -ciare or -giare is not maintained.

cominciare to start → comincerio comincerò I will start

tu comincerai you (fam., sing.) will start

Lei comincerà you (pol., sing.) will start

lui/lei comincerà he/she will start

noi cominceremo we will start

voi comincerete you (fam., pl.) will start

Loro cominceranno you (pol., pl.) will start

loro cominceranno they will start

mangiare to eat → mangerio mangerò I will eat

tu mangerai you (fam., sing.) will eat

Lei mangerà you (pol., sing.) will eat

lui/lei mangerà he/she will eat

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noi mangeremo we will eat

voi mangerete you (fam., pl.) will eat

Loro mangeranno you (pol., pl.) will eat

loro mangeranno they will eat

The future tense corresponds, generally, to the same tense in English: I will go, you will write,

and so on. It also conveys the idea expressed in English with forms such as I am going to write and

I will be writing.

Note

Use the preposition tra/fra to indicate future time in expressions such as:

tra una settimana in a week (in a week’s time)

fra un anno in a year (in a year’s time)

Manderò un’e-mail al mio amico I will send an e-mail to my friend tomorrow.

domani. I will be sending an e-mail to my friend

tomorrow.

I am going to send an e-mail to my friend

tomorrow.

Partiranno tra un mese. They will leave in a month.

They will be leaving in a month.

They are going to leave in a month.

It is also used to convey probability.

Sai quanto costa quell’orologio? Do you know how much that watch costs?

Costerà mille euro. It probably costs one thousand euros.

Chi sarà? Who can that be?

A quest’ora sarà tua sorella. At this hour it is probably your sister.

Irregular forms

As with other tenses, there are irregular forms in the future. Here are the most common irregular

verbs in the future.

andare (to go) andrò andrai andrà andremo andrete andranno

avere (to have) avrò avrai avrà avremo avrete avranno

bere (to drink) berrò berrai berrà berremo berrete berranno

cadere (to fall) cadrò cadrai cadrà cadremo cadrete cadranno

dare (to give) darò darai darà daremo darete daranno

dovere (to have to) dovrò dovrai dovrà dovremo dovrete dovranno

essere (to be) sarò sarai sarà saremo sarete saranno

fare (to do, make) farò farai farà faremo farete faranno

potere (to be able to) potrò potrai potrà potremo potrete potranno

sapere (to know) saprò saprai saprà sapremo saprete sapranno

stare (to stay) starò starai starà staremo starete staranno

tenere (to hold, keep) terrò terrai terrà terremo terrete terranno

vedere (to see) vedrò vedrai vedrà vedremo vedrete vedranno

venire (to come) verrò verrai verrà verremo verrete verranno

volere (to want) vorrò vorrai vorrà vorremo vorrete vorranno

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Tip!

Note that many irregular forms involve simply dropping both vowels of the infinitive.

andare → andravere → avretc.

14·1

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the future forms for each verb. (Note: mandare = to send; indicare = to

indicate; navigare = to navigate [especially on the Internet]; baciare = to kiss.)

IO TU LUI/LEI NOI VOI LORO

1. mandare

2. indicare

3. navigare

4. baciare

5. leggere

6. preferire

7. volere

8. venire

9. vedere

10. stare

11. sapere

12. potere

13. fare

14. essere

15. dovere

16. dare

17. cadere

18. bere

19. avere

20. andare

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The future and conditional tenses 175

B. How do you say the following in Italian? (Note: la scarpa = shoe.)

1. I will be sending an e-mail to my sister tomorrow.

2. She is going to navigate on the Internet shortly.

3. They are going to leave in a week.

4. Do you know how much those shoes cost? They probably cost 500 euros.

5. Who can that be? At this hour it is probably your brother.

C. Rewrite each question by using the subject in parentheses and the polite form.

example Maria, andrai in centro domani? (Signora Verdi)

Signora Verdi, andrà in centro domani?

1. Marcello, quando vedrai tua figlia? (Signor Dini)

2. Claudia, dove andrai in vacanza? (Signorina Marchi)

3. Marco e Alessandro, a che ora verrete alla festa? (Signor Verdi e signora Verdi)

4. Maria e Sara, quando uscirete? (Signora Rossini e signor Rossini)

The future perfect

Like the present perfect and the pluperfect (see Units 11 and 12), the future perfect is a compound

tense. It is formed with the future of the auxiliary verb plus the past participle of the verb, in that

order. Here are two verbs conjugated fully, one conjugated with avere and the other with essere.

portare to bring

io avrò portato I will have brought

tu avrai portato you (fam., sing.) will have brought

Lei avrà portato you (pol., sing.) will have brought

lui/lei avrà portato he/she will have brought

noi avremo portato we will have brought

voi avrete portato you (fam., pl.) will have brought

Loro avranno portato you (pol., pl.) will have brought

loro avranno portato they will have brought

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guarire to get better, heal, cure

io sarò guarito (-a) I will have healed

tu sarai guarito (-a) you (fam., sing.) will have healed

Lei sarà guarito (-a) you (pol., sing.) will have healed

lui sarà guarito he will have healed

lei sarà guarita she will have healed

noi saremo guariti (-e) we will have healed

voi sarete guariti (-e) you (fam., pl.) will have healed

Loro saranno guariti (-e) you (pol., pl.) will have healed

loro saranno guariti (-e) they will have healed

Generally, this Italian future perfect corresponds to its English counterpart. It is used to

refer to actions that occurred before simple future actions.

Andremo al cinema, dopo che avrai We will go to the movies, after you (will)

finito di lavorare. have finished working.

However, in conversational Italian, the simple future can often be used instead.

Andremo al cinema, appena finirai We will go to the movies, as soon as you finish

di lavorare. working.

Like the simple future, the future perfect can also be used to convey probability.

Quanto sarà costata quella macchina? How much did that car probably cost?

Sarà costata molto. It must have cost a lot.

A che ora ha telefonato? At what time did he phone?

Avrà telefonato alle sei. He must have phoned at six.

14·2

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the corresponding future perfect forms of each verb.

1. (io) ho imparato

2. (io) sono uscita

3. (tu) hai fatto

4. (tu) sei venuto

5. (lui) ha scritto

6. (lui) è andato

7. (lei) ha letto

8. (lei) è tornata

9. (noi) abbiamo visto

10. (noi) siamo entrati

11. (voi) avete chiamato

12. (voi) siete stati

13. (loro) hanno bevuto

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The future and conditional tenses 177

14. (loro) erano rientrati

15. (io) ho navigato

B. Complete each sentence with the appropriate future or future perfect form of the verb. (Note: piatto =

dish, plate; dolce = sweet.)

1. Mangerò anche la carne, appena io (finire) la pasta.

2. Sono sicura che lui (uscire) già.

3. Claudia (arrivare) domani verso il tardo pomeriggio.

4. Quando (andare) in Italia, tu e tua sorella?

5. È vero che (venire) anche loro alla festa?

6. A quest’ora Sara (andare) già a dormire.

7. Appena (arrivare), loro andranno al cinema insieme.

8. Quando loro (vedere) quel film, diranno che è un grande film.

9. Dopo che tu (mangiare) questo dolce, sono sicuro che vorrai un

altro dolce.

10. Quanto (costare) quella macchina che poi non avete comprato?

11. A che ora ha chiamato la tua amica? Lei (chiamare) alle cinque.

The conditional (present and past)

The present conditional is formed like the simple future: the final -e of the infinitives of all three

conjugations is dropped (changing the -ar of first-conjugation verbs to -er), and the same set of

endings is added on.

comprare to buy → comprerio comprerei I would buy

tu compreresti you (fam., sing.) would buy

Lei comprerebbe you (pol., sing.) would buy

lui/lei comprerebbe he/she would buy

noi compreremmo we would buy

voi comprereste you (fam., pl.) would buy

Loro comprerebbero you (pol., pl.) would buy

loro comprerebbero they would buy

leggere to read → leggerio leggerei I would read

tu leggeresti you (fam., sing.) would read

Lei leggerebbe you (pol., sing.) would read

lui/lei leggerebbe he/she would read

noi leggeremmo we would read

voi leggereste you (fam., pl.) would read

Loro leggerebbero you (pol., pl.) would read

loro leggerebbero they would read

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pulire to clean → pulirio pulirei I would clean

tu puliresti you (fam., sing.) would clean

Lei pulirebbe you (pol., sing.) would clean

lui/lei pulirebbe he/she would clean

noi puliremmo we would clean

voi pulireste you (fam., pl.) would clean

Loro pulirebbero you (pol., pl.) would clean

loro pulirebbero they would clean

As with the simple future, to preserve the hard c and g sounds of verbs ending in -care and

-gare, an h is added to the stem.

giocare to play → giocherio giocherei I would play

tu giocheresti you (fam., sing.) would play

Lei giocherebbe you (pol., sing.) would play

lui/lei giocherebbe he/she would play

noi giocheremmo we would play

voi giochereste you (fam., pl.) would play

Loro giocherebbero you (pol., pl.) would play

loro giocherebbero they would play

allegare to attach → allegherio allegherei I would attach

tu allegheresti you (fam., sing.) would attach

Lei allegherebbe you (pol., sing.) would attach

lui/lei allegherebbe he/she would attach

noi allegheremmo we would attach

voi alleghereste you (fam., pl.) would attach

Loro allegherebbero you (pol., pl.) would attach

loro allegherebbero they would attach

And, as in the case of the future, the i of verbs ending in -ciare or -giare is not maintained

in the conditional.

cominciare to start → comincerio comincerei I would start

tu cominceresti you (fam., sing.) would start

Lei comincerebbe you (pol., sing.) would start

lui/lei comincerebbe he/she would start

noi cominceremmo we would start

voi comincereste you (fam., pl.) would start

Loro comincerebbero you (pol., pl.) would start

loro comincerebbero they would start

mangiare to eat → mangerio mangerei I would eat

tu mangeresti you (fam., sing.) would eat

Lei mangerebbe you (pol., sing.) would eat

lui/lei mangerebbe he/she would eat

noi mangeremmo we would eat

voi mangereste you (fam., pl.) would eat

Loro mangerebbero you (pol., pl.) would eat

loro mangerebbero they would eat

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The very same verbs that are irregular in the future are also irregular in the conditional in

the same way. For example, conjugating the irregular future and conditional forms of andare

involves dropping both vowels from the infinitive ending and then adding on the appropriate

future or conditional endings. Here are a few forms compared for you.

FUTURE CONDITIONAL

io andrò I will go io andrei I would go

noi saremo we will be noi saremmo we would be

lui potrà he will be able to lui potrebbe he would be able to

loro verranno they will come loro verrebbero they would come

The conditional tense corresponds, generally, to the English conditional—I would go; you

would write; etc.

Pagherei il conto, ma non ho soldi. I would pay the bill, but I have no money.

Comprerebbe la macchina, ma non He would buy the car, but he doesn’t have money.

ha soldi.

In addition, it is used to make a polite request.

Potrei parlare? May I speak?

Mi darebbe la sua penna? Would you give me your pen?

And it is used to convey that something is an opinion, rather than fact. (Note: secondo = according to; opinione (f.) = opinion.)

Secondo lui, lei sarebbe intelligente. According to him, she must be (is) intelligent.

Nella loro opinione, lui sarebbe In their opinion, he is very good.

bravissimo.

The past conditional

The past conditional is a compound tense. It is formed with the conditional of the auxiliary verb

plus the past participle of the verb, in that order. Here are two verbs conjugated fully, one conjugated with avere and the other with essere.

mangiare to eat

io avrei mangiato I would have eaten

tu avresti mangiato you (fam., sing.) would have eaten

Lei avrebbe mangiato you (pol., sing.) would have eaten

lui/lei avrebbe mangiato he/she would have eaten

noi avremmo mangiato we would have eaten

voi avreste mangiato you (fam., pl.) would have eaten

Loro avrebbero mangiato you (pol., pl.) would have eaten

loro avrebbero mangiato they would have eaten

partire to leave

io sarei partito (-a) I would have left

tu saresti partito (-a) you (fam., sing.) would have left

Lei sarebbe partito (-a) you (pol., sing.) would have left

lui sarebbe partito he would have left

lei sarebbe partita she would have left

noi saremmo partiti (-e) we would have left

voi sareste partiti (-e) you (fam., pl.) would have left

Loro sarebbero partiti (-e) you (pol., pl.) would have left

loro sarebbero partiti (-e) they would have left

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Generally, the Italian past conditional corresponds to the English past conditional: I would

have eaten, you would have bought, and so on. It is used to refer to conditional (hypothetical)

actions that can only logically be expressed in a perfect tense, as shown below.

Mi ha detto che sarebbe venuto. He told me that he would (would have) come.

Sapeva che io avrei capito. He knew I would have understood.

As with the present conditional, it is also used to convey that something was (or has been)

an opinion, rather than a fact.

Secondo lui, lei avrebbe dovuto According to him, she should have studied more.

studiare di più.

Nella loro opinione, io avrei dovuto In their opinion, I should have won.

vincere.

14·3

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the corresponding conditional and past conditional forms for each verb.

PRESENT CONDITIONAL PAST CONDITIONAL

1. io arriverò

2. io venderò

3. io preferirò

4. io andrò

5. io avrò

6. tu mangerai

7. tu metterai

8. tu aprirai

9. tu berrai

10. tu cadrai

11. lui comincerà

12. lei chiederà

13. lui capirà

14. Lei darà

15. lei sarà

16. noi pagheremo

17. noi chiuderemo

18. noi finiremo

19. noi faremo

20. noi potremo

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21. voi cercherete

22. voi metterete

23. voi preferirete

24. voi saprete

25. voi terrete

26. loro mangeranno

27. loro chiederanno

28. loro preferiranno

29. loro vedranno

30. loro verranno

31. voi verrete

32. noi andremo

B. How do you say the following in Italian? (Note: tazza = cup; per favore = please;

grazie = thank you.)

1. I would like (want) to send an e-mail to my brother tomorrow.

2. They would have gone to Italy, but they didn’t have enough money.

3. They would have bought that car, but they didn’t know how to drive.

4. May I have a cup of coffee, please?

5. We would have gone to the movies yesterday, but we had to study.

6. He told me that he would (would have) come.

7. He knew I would have understood.

8. According to Sarah, I should have studied more.

9. In their opinion, we should have won.

10. May I say something?

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11. Could you give me your pen, please? Thanks!

12. In their opinion, he is a good person.

Hypothetical sentences

The imperfect subjunctive is used after se (if) in hypothetical sentences (also called counterfactual) when the verb in the main clause is in the present conditional.

Se tu andassi a Roma, vedresti il If you were to go to Rome, you would see

Colosseo. the Coliseum.

Se potessimo, andremmo in Italia subito. If we could, we would go to Italy right away.

It is also used after magari (if only, I wish) to express a wish or desire.

Magari non piovesse! If only it wouldn’t rain!

Magari vincessi la lotteria! If only I would win the lottery!

The pluperfect subjunctive is also used after se in counterfactual sentences. In this case, it is

used mainly when the main clause verb is in the past conditional.

Se avessi avuto i soldi, avrei comprato If I had had the money, I would have bought

la macchina. the car.

Se tu avessi studiato ieri, saresti potuto If you had studied yesterday, you could have come.

venire.

14·4

ESERCIZIO

A. Complete each sentence with the present or past conditional form of the verb. (Note:

sicuro = sure; compito = task, homework assignment; pace [f.] = peace.)

1. Se noi potessimo, (comprare) quella casa.

2. Se lui avesse soldi, (andare) in Italia.

3. Se voi aveste più tempo, sono sicuro che (andare) al cinema

più spesso.

4. Se io vivessi in Italia, (bere) solo il caffè espresso.

5. Se loro fossero stati in Italia, (vedere) tante belle cose.

6. Se tu avessi fatto i compiti ieri, oggi (potere) guardare la TV

in pace.

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B. Now, complete each sentence with the imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive form of the verb.

1. Se noi (potere), compreremmo quella macchina.

2. Se io (avere) soldi, andrei subito in Italia.

3. Se voi (sapere) parlare italiano, sono sicuro che andreste in Italia.

4. Se io (essere) in Italia, avrei visto molte belle cose.

5. Se loro (conoscere) un buon ristorante, saremmo andati lì ieri sera.

6. Magari non (piovere)!

C. Provide the corresponding future, future perfect, conditional, and past conditional forms for each verb.

FUTURE FUTURE PERFECT CONDITIONAL PAST CONDITIONAL

1. io arrivo

2. io vendo

3. io preferisco

4. io vado

5. io ho

6. tu mangi

7. tu metti

8. tu apri

9. tu bevi

10. tu cadi

11. lui comincia

12. lei chiede

13. lui capisce

14. Lei dà

15. lei è

16. noi paghiamo

17. noi chiudiamo

18. noi finiamo

19. noi facciamo

20. noi possiamo

21. voi cercate

22. voi mettete

23. voi preferite

24. voi sapete

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25. voi tenete

26. loro mangiano

27. loro chiedono

28. loro finiscono

29. loro vedono

30. loro vengono

D. Choose the appropriate form of each verb for each sentence. In some cases, more than one choice is

possible. (Note: patente [f.] = driver’s license; conto = bill, check.)

1. Alessandro il conto, ma non ha soldi.

a. pagherà b. avrà pagato c. pagherebbe d. avrebbe pagato

2. Sara la macchina, ma non ha ancora la patente.

a. comprerà b. avrà comprato c. comprerebbe d. avrebbe comprato

3. Domani il mio amico il conto di sicuro.

a. pagherà b. avrà pagato c. pagherebbe d. avrebbe pagato

4. dire qualcosa, per favore?

a. Potrò b. Avrò potuto c. Potrei d. Avrei potuto

5. Mi la Sua penna, professore?

a. darà b. avrà dato c. darebbe d. avrebbe dato

6. Dopo che di mangiare, usciremo.

a. finiremo b. avremo finito c. finiremmo d. avremmo finito

7. Secondo mio fratello, quella ragazza italiana.

a. sarà b. sarà stata c. sarebbe d. sarebbe stata

8. Quella ragazza l’italiano l’anno prossimo.

a. studierà b. avrà studiato c. studierebbe d. avrebbe studiato

9. Se sua sorella fosse venuta alla festa, le sue migliori amiche.

a. vedrà b. avrà visto c. vedrebbe d. avrebbe visto

10. Nella loro opinione, l’Italia vincere l’anno scorso.

a. dovrà b. avrà dovuto c. dovrebbe d. avrebbe dovuto

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The future and conditional tenses 185

Grammar in culture

As mentioned earlier in this chapter, the conditional may be used to make a polite request—

a critical social function of language.

14·5

ESERCIZIO

Use the conditional to say the following in Italian.

1. May I have a cup of coffee, please?

2. Could you (polite) tell me where Verdi Street (via) is?

3. What would you (familiar) recommend (raccomandare)?

4. Could you (familiar) help me?

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186

·15·

The imperative allows speakers of a language to give commands, advice, orders,

instructions, and so on.

Giovanni, mangia la pesca! John, eat the peach!

Signor Rossini, legga il giornale! Mr. Rossini, read the newspaper!

Regular forms of the imperative

The imperative is formed by dropping the infinitive ending of the verb, and then

adding the appropriate endings according to person and number.

First conjugation

aspettare to wait (for) → aspetttu aspetta wait (fam., sing.)

Lei aspetti wait (pol., sing.)

noi aspettiamo let’s wait

voi aspettate wait (fam., pl.)

Loro aspettino wait (pol., pl.)

Second conjugation

chiudere to close → chiudtu chiudi close (fam., sing.)

Lei chiuda close (pol., sing.)

noi chiudiamo let’s close

voi chiudete close (fam., pl.)

Loro chiudano close (pol., pl.)

Third conjugation (type 1)

aprire to open → aprtu apri open (fam., sing.)

Lei apra open (pol., sing.)

noi apriamo let’s open

voi aprite open (fam., pl.)

Loro aprano open (pol., pl.)

Third conjugation (type 2)

finire to finish → fintu finisci finish (fam., sing.)

Lei finisca finish (pol., sing.)

noi finiamo let’s finish

voi finite finish (fam., pl.)

Loro finiscano finish (pol., pl.)

The imperative

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The imperative 187

To preserve the hard c and g sounds of verbs ending in -care and -gare, an h must be added

before the -i, -iamo, and -ino endings.

cercare to look for

tu cerca look for (fam., sing.)

Lei cerchi look for (pol., sing.)

noi cerchiamo let’s look for

voi cercate look for (fam., pl.)

Loro cerchino look for (pol., pl.)

pagare to pay

tu paga pay (fam., sing.)

Lei paghi pay (pol., sing.)

noi paghiamo let’s pay

voi pagate pay (fam., pl.)

Loro paghino pay (pol., pl.)

The i of verbs ending in -ciare and -giare is not repeated before the -i, -iamo, and -ino

endings.

cominciare to begin

tu comincia begin (fam., sing.)

Lei cominci begin (pol., sing.)

noi cominciamo let’s begin

voi cominciate begin (fam., pl.)

Loro comincino begin (pol., pl.)

mangiare to eat

tu mangia eat (fam., sing.)

Lei mangi eat (pol., sing.)

noi mangiamo let’s eat

voi mangiate eat (fam., pl.)

Loro mangino eat (pol., pl.)

Tip!

If you look carefully at the polite forms of the imperative (Lei and Loro forms), you will see

that they are exactly the same as their corresponding present subjunctive forms.

Uses

As in English, the imperative allows you to issue commands, give orders, make requests, etc.

Giovanni, aspetta qui! John, wait here!

Signora Rossi, scriva il Suo nome qui! Mrs. Rossi, write your name here!

Maria e Carla, aprite i vostri libri! Mary and Carla, open your books!

Signora Verdi e signor Rossi, Mrs. Verdi and Mr. Rossi, wait here!

aspettino qui!

Signor Dini, cerchi i Suoi occhiali! Mr. Dini, look for your glasses!

Paghiamo il conto! Let’s pay the bill!

E ora, mangiamo! And now, let’s eat!

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Pay close attention to the differences between the familiar and polite forms.

Tu (familiar singular)

Maria, mangia la pizza! Mary, eat the pizza!

Alessandro, finisci gli spaghetti! Alexander, finish the spaghetti!

Voi (familiar plural)

Marco e Maria, mangiate la pizza! Mark and Mary, eat the pizza!

Alessandro e Sara, finite gli spaghetti! Alexander and Sarah, finish the spaghetti!

Lei (polite singular)

Signora Verdi, mangi la pizza! Mrs. Verdi, eat the pizza!

Signor Rossi, finisca gli spaghetti! Mr. Rossi, finish the spaghetti!

Loro (polite plural)

Signora Verdi e signor Rossi, mangino Mrs. Verdi and Mr. Rossi, eat the pizza!

la pizza!

Signora Verdi e signor Rossi, finiscano Mrs. Verdi and Mr. Rossi, finish the spaghetti!

gli spaghetti!

15·1

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the imperative forms of each verb.

TU LEI NOI VOI LORO

1. parlare

2. indicare

3. allegare

4. baciare

5. mangiare

6. leggere

7. aprire (type 1)

8. pulire (type 2)

B. Provide an appropriate command to tell each subject given to do the indicated things. (Note: finestra =

window.)

example Tell Mark to speak Italian.

Marco, parla italiano!

1. Tell John to . . .

a. eat the apple

b. call Mary

c. write an e-mail to his uncle

d. open the window

e. finish studying

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The imperative 189

2. Tell Mrs. Verdi to . . .

a. wait for the bus

b. look for the book

c. put the key in her purse

d. open the door

e. finish the coffee

3. Tell Mark and Mary to . . .

a. start studying

b. speak Italian

c. shut the window

d. open the door

e. clean the house

4. Tell Mr. Rossini and Mrs. Rossini to . . .

a. eat the meat

b. wait here

c. shut the window

d. open the door

e. clean the house

C. Rewrite each command to tell the subject indicated in parentheses to do the same things, making all

necessary changes.

example Marco, aspetta qui! (Professore)

Professore, aspetti qui!

1. Claudia, ascolta la radio! (Signorina Bruni)

2. Signor Marchi, prenda questa tazza! (Marco)

3. Ragazzi e ragazze, giocate a calcio! (Professori)

4. Signore e signori, leggano il giornale! (Ragazzi e ragazze)

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The negative imperative

To form the negative imperative, add non in the usual way before the verb. However, you must

make one adjustment in this case—you must change second-person singular forms to infinitives.

As you might know, this is a frequent source of blunders.

Tu forms

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE

Aspetta! Wait! Non aspettare! Don’t wait!

Scrivi! Write! Non scrivere! Don’t write!

Finisci! Finish! Non finire! Don’t finish!

Other forms

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE

Aspetti! Wait! (pol., sing.) Non aspetti! Don’t wait!

Scriviamo! Let’s write! Non scriviamo! Let’s not write!

Finite! Finish! (fam., pl.) Non finite! Don’t finish!

Aspettino! Wait! (pol., pl.) Non aspettino! Don’t wait!

15·2

ESERCIZIO

A. Rewrite each command in the negative. (Note: torta = cake; romanzo = novel.)

example Maria, aspetta l’autobus!

Maria, non aspettare l’autobus!

1. Maria...

a. mangia la torta!

b. paga il conto!

2. Signora Marchi...

a. pulisca la casa!

b. chiuda la porta!

3. Ragazzi e ragazze...

a. aprite i vostri libri!

b. leggete quel romanzo!

4. Signore e signori...

a. paghino il conto!

b. ascoltino la radio!

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The imperative 191

B. Now, rewrite each negative command in the affirmative.

1. Signore e signori...

a. non mangino la torta!

b. non paghino il conto!

2. Ragazzi e ragazze...

a. non pulite la casa!

b. non chiudete la porta!

3. Signora Verdi...

a. non apra il Suo libro!

b. non legga quel romanzo!

4. Maria...

a. non finire tutta la torta!

b. non ascoltare la radio!

Irregular forms

Here are the most common irregular verbs in the imperative.

andare (to go) va’ vada andiamo andate vadano

avere (to have) abbi abbia abbiamo abbiate abbiano

bere (to drink) bevi beva beviamo bevete bevano

dare (to give) da’ dia diamo date diano

dire (to say, tell) di’ dica diciamo dite dicano

essere (to be) sii sia siamo siate siano

fare (to do, make) fa’ faccia facciamo fate facciano

salire (to go up, climb) sali salga saliamo salite salgano

sapere (to know) sappi sappia sappiamo sappiate sappiano

scegliere (to choose, select) scegli scelga scegliamo scegliete scelgano

stare (to stay) sta’ stia stiamo state stiano

tenere (to hold, keep) tieni tenga teniamo tenete tengano

uscire (to go out) esci esca usciamo uscite escano

venire (to come) vieni venga veniamo venite vengano

Be careful!

Remember, in the negative imperative you must use the infinitive for the tu forms.

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE

Maria, fa’ questo! Mary, do this! Maria, non fare questo! Mary, don’t do this!

Carla, di’ questo! Carla, say this! Carla, non dire questo! Carla, don’t say this!

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15·3

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the imperative forms of each verb.

tu Lei noi voi Loro

1. venire

2. uscire

3. tenere

4. stare

5. scegliere

6. sapere

7. salire

8. fare

9. essere

10. dire

11. dare

12. bere

13. avere

14. andare

B. Provide the affirmative or negative imperative form, as required. (Note: andare via = to go away;

stare zitto = to be quiet.)

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE

1. Claudia, vieni qui!

2. Signora Dini, non faccia quella cosa!

3. Marco, di’ la verità!

4. Professore, non vada via!

5. Franca, sta’ zitta!

6. Paolo, non andare via!

7. Professoressa, stia qui!

8. Bruno, non bere quella bibita!

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The imperative 193

C. Provide the corresponding familiar or polite form of the singular or plural imperative, as required. (Note:

pazienza = patience.)

FAMILIAR POLITE

1. Mangia la pizza!

2. Cominci a mangiare!

3. Aspetta qui!

4. Apra la porta!

5. Finisci la mela!

6. Cerchi la chiave!

7. Paga il conto!

8. Scriva l’e-mail!

9. Chiudi la porta!

10. Dorma!

11. Aprite le porte!

12. Chiudano le porte!

13. Finite di studiare!

14. Abbia pazienza!

15. Va’ a dormire!

D. Provide the corresponding affirmative or negative form of the imperative singular or plural, as required.

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE

1. Mangia la pesca!

2. Non guardi la televisione!

3. Finiamo di mangiare!

4. Non chiudere la porta!

5. Bevi tutta l’acqua!

6. Non dica questo!

7. Usciamo stasera!

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E. Provide an appropriate command to tell each subject given to do the indicated things.

1. Tell Claudia to . . .

a. eat the apple

b. not drink the water

c. close the door

d. open the window

2. Now, tell both Claudia and Paul to . . .

a. eat the apple

b. not drink the water

c. close the door

d. open the window

3. This time tell Mrs. Verdi to . . .

a. eat the apple

b. not drink the water

c. close the door

d. open the window

4. Finally, tell both Mrs. Verdi and Mr. Rossi to . . .

a. eat the apple

b. not drink the water

c. close the door

d. open the window

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The imperative 195

Grammar in culture

As discussed in the previous chapter, the conditional may be used to make a polite request.

In a formal or delicate situation, a polite form of the present tense of potere may be used

instead of the imperative.

15·4

ESERCIZIO

Change each imperative sentence into a polite request using può, as shown in the example.

example Signor Verdi, venga qui!

Signor Verdi, può venire qui?

1. Dottoressa Marchi, mi dia la ricetta (prescription)!

2. Cameriere, mi porti subito il caffè!

3. Signora, mi dica tutto!

4. Professore, mi aiuti!

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196

A reflexive verb is a verb, in any tense or mood, that requires reflexive pronouns.

More technically, it is a verb having an identical subject and direct object, as in I

dressed myself.

A reflexive infinitive in Italian is identifiable by the ending -si (oneself)

attached to the infinitive (minus the final -e).

lavare + si → lavarsi (to wash oneself)

divertire + si → divertirsi (to enjoy oneself)

Below is a list of common reflexive verbs.

alzarsi to get up

annoiarsi to become bored

arrabbiarsi to become angry

chiamarsi to be called (named)

dimenticarsi to forget

divertirsi to enjoy oneself, have fun

lamentarsi to complain

lavarsi to wash oneself

mettersi to put on, wear; to set about, begin to

preoccuparsi to worry

prepararsi to prepare oneself

sentirsi to feel

sposarsi to marry, get married

svegliarsi to wake up

vergognarsi to be (feel) ashamed, embarrassed

vestirsi to get dressed

Forms

Reflexive verbs are conjugated in exactly the same manner as non-reflexive verbs

with, of course, the addition of reflexive pronouns. These pronouns are: mi, ti, si,

ci, vi, si.

Io mi alzo presto ogni giorno. I get up early every day.

Sembra che tu ti diverta sempre in Italia. It seems that you always enjoy

yourself in Italy.

Lui si sposerà l’anno prossimo. He is getting married next year.

Lei si sposerebbe, se avesse più soldi. She would get married if she

had more money.

Come si chiama suo fratello? What’s her brother’s name?

·16· Reflexive verbs

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Reflexive verbs 197

(Noi) ci divertivamo sempre da bambini. We always used to have fun as children.

Penso che voi vi siate annoiati ieri. I think that you became bored yesterday.

Anche loro si divertirono in Italia. They also had fun in Italy.

Note that some verbs are reflexive in Italian, but not in English. Needless to say, this is a

common source of error for learners.

Reflexive pronouns are changed to me, te, se, ce, ve, and se before direct object pronouns.

Marco si mette sempre la giacca. Mark always puts on a jacket.

Marco se la mette sempre. Mark always puts it on.

Some verbs can be used with reflexive pronouns. These are the reciprocal forms of the verb.

VERB RECIPROCAL

parlare to speak, talk parlarsi to talk to each other

telefonare to phone telefonarsi to phone each other

vedere to see vedersi to see each other

capire to understand capirsi to understand each other

Loro si parlano spesso. They speak to each other often.

Noi ci telefoniamo ogni giorno. We phone each other every day.

Voi non vi vedete da molto, vero? You haven’t seen each other for quite a while, no?

Loro non si capiscono mai. They never understand each other.

16·1

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the appropriate present indicative, present subjunctive, and past absolute forms

of each reflexive verb. This is your chance to review the tenses, the irregular forms, and so

on, covered so far in this book. The first one is done for you.

PRESENT INDICATIVE PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE PAST ABSOLUTE

1. (tu) alzarsi (tu) ti alzi (tu) ti alzi (tu) ti alzasti

2. (lei) annoiarsi

3. (lui) arrabbiarsi

4. (io) alzarsi

5. (noi) dimenticarsi

6. (voi) divertirsi

7. (io) lamentarsi

8. (loro) lavarsi

9. (tu) mettersi

10. (lei) preoccuparsi

11. (lui) prepararsi

12. (noi) sentirsi

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13. (voi) sposarsi

14. (loro) svegliarsi

15. (lui) vestirsi

B. Now, provide the appropriate future, conditional, and present progressive (both indicative and

subjunctive) forms for each verb.

PRESENT

PROGRESSIVE

(INDICATIVE AND

FUTURE CONDITIONAL SUBJUNCTIVE)

1. (tu) alzarsi

2. (lei) annoiarsi

3. (lui) arrabbiarsi

4. (io) alzarsi

5. (noi) dimenticarsi

6. (voi) divertirsi

7. (io) lamentarsi

8. (loro) lavarsi

9. (tu) mettersi

10. (lei) preoccuparsi

11. (lui) prepararsi

12. (noi) sentirsi

13. (voi) sposarsi

14. (loro) svegliarsi

15. (lui) vestirsi

C. And now, provide the appropriate imperfect indicative, imperfect subjunctive, and imperfect progressive

(indicative and subjunctive) forms for each verb. By now, you should really know your tenses!

IMPERFECT

PROGRESSIVE

(INDICATIVE AND

IMPERFECT INDICATIVE IMPERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE SUBJUNCTIVE)

1. (tu) alzarsi

2. (lei) annoiarsi

3. (lui) arrabbiarsi

4. (io) alzarsi

5. (noi) dimenticarsi

6. (voi) divertirsi

7. (io) lamentarsi

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Reflexive verbs 199

8. (loro) lavarsi

9. (tu) mettersi

10. (lei) preoccuparsi

11. (lui) prepararsi

12. (noi) sentirsi

13. (voi) sposarsi

14. (loro) svegliarsi

15. (lui) vestirsi

D. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. We speak to each other often.

2. They phone each other every day.

3. They haven’t seen each other in a while.

4. We never understand each other.

Compound tenses

In compound tenses, all reflexive verbs are conjugated with essere.

Io mi sono alzato (-a) tardi ieri. I got up late yesterday.

Perché non ti sei messa la giacca? Why didn’t you put a jacket on?

Loro si sono divertiti molto a Roma. They had a lot of fun in Rome.

Dopo che ci saremo alzati, usciremo. After we have gotten up, we’ll be going out.

Quando si saranno sposati, andranno When they will have gotten married,

via. they will leave.

With double pronouns—reflexive and direct object pronouns—agreement in compound

tenses is between the past participle and the object pronoun, not the subject. So, be careful!

Agreement with the subject

Marco si è messo la giacca ieri. Mark put on his jacket yesterday.

Maria si è lavata i capelli. Mary washed her hair.

Agreement with the object pronoun

Marco se la è messa ieri. Mark put it on yesterday.

Maria se li è lavati. Mary washed it (them).

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16·2

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the appropriate present perfect, past subjunctive, and future perfect forms of

each verb. This is your chance, once again, to review the tenses, the irregular forms, and so

on, covered in this book. The first one is done for you.

PRESENT PERFECT PAST SUBJUNCTIVE FUTURE PERFECT

1. (tu) alzarsi (tu) ti sei alzato (-a) (tu) ti sia alzato (-a) (tu) ti sarai alzato (-a)

2. (lei) annoiarsi

3. (lui) arrabbiarsi

4. (io) alzarsi

5. (noi) dimenticarsi

6. (voi) divertirsi

7. (io) lamentarsi

8. (loro) lavarsi

9. (tu) mettersi

10. (lei) preoccuparsi

11. (lui) prepararsi

12. (noi) sentirsi

13. (voi) sposarsi

14. (loro) svegliarsi

15. (lui) vestirsi

B. Now, provide the past conditional, pluperfect indicative, and pluperfect subjunctive forms of each verb.

PLUPERFECT

PAST CONDITIONAL PLUPERFECT (INDICATIVE) (SUBJUNCTIVE)

1. (tu) alzarsi

2. (lei) annoiarsi

3. (lui) arrabbiarsi

4. (io) alzarsi

5. (noi) dimenticarsi

6. (voi) divertirsi

7. (io) lamentarsi

8. (loro) lavarsi

9. (tu) mettersi

10. (lei) preoccuparsi

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Reflexive verbs 201

11. (lui) prepararsi

12. (noi) sentirsi

13. (voi) sposarsi

14. (loro) svegliarsi

15. (lui) vestirsi

C. Rewrite each sentence by replacing the italicized words with the appropriate object pronoun and by

making all necessary changes. (Note: testa = head; piede [m.] = foot.)

1. Io mi sono messo quella giacca per la festa.

2. Tu ti sei già lavato la testa, vero?

3. Lui si è lavato le mani già.

4. Lei si è lavata i piedi già.

5. Noi ci siamo messi il cappotto, perché faceva freddo.

6. Voi vi siete dimenticati il biglietto.

7. Loro si sono messi la camicia.

Imperative forms

The reflexive pronouns are attached to the (tu), (voi), and (noi) forms of the affirmative

imperative.

FAMILIAR POLITE

TU FORMS LEI FORMS

Dino, vestiti! Dino, get dressed! Signor Rossi, si vesta! Mr. Rossi, get dressed!

Maria, alzati! Mary, get up! Signora Rossi, si alzi! Mrs. Rossi, get up!

NOI FORMS

Divertiamoci! Let’s have fun! Prepariamoci! Let’s get ready!

Sposiamoci! Let’s get married! Vestiamoci! Let’s get dressed!

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VOI FORMS LORO FORMS

Divertitevi! Enjoy yourselves! Si divertano! Enjoy yourselves!

Alzatevi! Get up! Si alzino! Get up!

The pronouns are also attached in the negative imperative in the same way, as a general

guideline. However, in the case of the second-person singular (tu) form, recall that the infinitive

is the negative imperative form of the verb (see Unit 15). In this case, the pronoun may be attached

or put before the verb. If attached, the final -e of the infinitive is dropped.

TU FORMS

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE

Marco, alzati! Mark, get up! Marco, non ti alzare! Mark, don’t get up!

Maria, alzati! Mary, get up! Maria non alzarti! Mary, don’t get up!

The imperative of reflexive verbs is complicated, and for this reason is a constant source of

blunders for learners.

16·3

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the affirmative imperative forms for each verb.

TU LEI NOI VOI LORO

1. alzarsi

2. divertirsi

3. lavarsi

4. mettersi

5. prepararsi

6. svegliarsi

7. vestirsi

B. Write an appropriate command to tell each subject given to do the indicated things.

example Tell Mark to wake up early.

Marco, svegliati presto!

1. Tell Mark to . . .

a. wash his hair

b. not put on the new jacket

c. get up early

d. get dressed right away

e. enjoy himself at the party

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2. Tell Mrs. Verdi to . . .

a. wash her hair

b. not put on the new dress

c. get up early

d. get dressed right away

e. enjoy herself downtown

3. Tell Mark and Mary to . . .

a. wash their hair

b. not put on new shoes

c. get up early

d. get dressed right away

e. enjoy themselves at the party

4. Tell Mr. Rossi and Mrs. Rossi to . . .

a. prepare themselves to go out

b. not wake up early

c. not get angry

d. not forget to call

e. enjoy themselves at the party

C. Rewrite each command to tell each subject in parentheses to do the same things, making all necessary

changes.

example Marco, divertiti! (Professore)

Professore, si diverta!

1. Claudia, alzati presto! (Signorina Bruni)

2. Signor Marchi, non si arrabbi! (Marco)

3. Ragazzi e ragazze, divertitevi! (Professori)

4. Signore e signori, si preparino! (Ragazzi e ragazze)

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D. Provide the opposite command—affirmative or negative—as required.

example Marco, alzati!

Marco, non alzarti! (non ti alzare!)

1. Marco e Maria, non mettetevi gli stivali!

2. Signor Marchi, si alzi!

3. Sara, alzati!

4. Signorina Verdi, si preoccupi!

5. Alessandro, non dimenticarti!

E. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. We get up early every day.

2. It seems that he always enjoys himself in Italy.

3. She would get married if she meets the right person.

4. I always used to have fun as a child.

5. She got up late yesterday.

6. We do not speak to each other anymore.

7. They phone each other often.

8. Frank and Claudia, you haven’t seen each other for many years, isn’t that right?

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Grammar in culture

It is interesting how different cultures classify and perceive the world. For example, a reflexive verb in one language/culture may not have a corresponding reflexive verb in another. The

following Italian verbs are reflexive, but their English counterparts are not.

ITALIAN ENGLISH

vestirsi to dress, get dressed

rendersi conto to realize

svegliarsi to wake up

alzarsi to get up

One of the most interesting Italian verbs in this regard is chiamarsi (to call oneself, be

named), which is used in expressions like Come ti chiami? What’s your name?

16·4

ESERCIZIO

How do you say the following in Italian?

1. I got dressed a few minutes ago.

2. She didn’t realize that you (familiar) were here.

3. He never wakes up early.

4. She got up early this morning.

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206

A preposition is a word (usually of one syllable) that comes before some part of

speech, generally a noun or noun phrase, to show its relationship to some other

part.

La borsa di Claudia è nuova. Claudia’s purse is new.

Lui va a scuola in macchina. He goes to school by car.

An adverb is a word or expression modifying a verb, an adjective, or another

adverb.

La borsa di Claudia è molto bella. Claudia’s purse is very beautiful.

Lui va a scuola sempre in macchina. He always goes to school by car.

Prepositional contractions

When the following prepositions immediately precede a definite article form,

they contract with it to form one word.

a to, at

da from

di of

in in

su on

da + l’ = dall’

Arrivano dall’Italia lunedì. They are arriving from Italy

on Monday.

di + il = del

Questo è il portatile del fratello di This is the laptop of Claudia’s

Claudia. brother.

in + la = nella

Ci sono venti euro nella scatola. There are twenty euros in

the box.

The following chart summarizes the contracted forms.

·17· Prepositions and adverbs

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il i lo gli l’ la le

a al ai allo agli all’ alla alle

da dal dai dallo dagli dall’ dalla dalle

di del dei dello degli dell’ della delle

in nel nei nello negli nell’ nella nelle

su sul sui sullo sugli sull’ sulla sulle

Contraction with the preposition con (with) is optional. In actual fact, only the forms con +

il = col and con + l’ = coll’ are found in current day Italian with any degree of frequency.

Lui parla col professore domani. He will speak with the professor tomorrow.

Loro arrivano coll’Alitalia. They are arriving with Alitalia.

Other prepositions do not contract.

fra/tra between, among

per for, through, on account of

sopra above, on top

sotto under, below

L’ho messo tra la tavola e la sedia. I put it between the table and the chair.

L’ho messo sotto la tavola. I put it under the table.

The article is dropped in expressions that have a high degree of usage or have become idiomatic. A lot of these expressions include locations about town (home, the bank, the library, etc.)

and forms of transportation (car, bus, train, etc.).

Sono a casa. I am at home.

Vado in macchina. I’m going by car.

Angela è in centro. Angela is downtown.

However, if the noun in such expressions is modified in any way whatsoever, then the article

must be used.

Andremo alla casa nuova di Alessandro. We will be going to Alexander’s new home.

Vado nella macchina di Sara. I’m going in Sarah’s car.

17·1

ESERCIZIO

A. Rewrite each phrase with the contracted form of the preposition given.

1. a

a. la scuola

b. le città

c. il ragazzo

d. la ragazza

e. i professori

f. gli avvocati

g. lo zio

h. l’amico

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2. di

a. la ragazza

b. le donne

c. il professore

d. la professoressa

e. i bambini

f. gli uomini

g. lo studente

h. l’amica

3. da

a. la scuola

b. le città

c. il Giappone

d. la Spagna

e. i medici (doctors)

f. gli Stati Uniti

g. lo zio

h. l’Italia

4. in

a. la città

b. le città

c. il centro

d. la scuola

e. i ristoranti

f. gli Stati Uniti

g. lo sport

h. l’anno

5. su

a. la scuola

b. le città

c. il ragazzo

d. la ragazza

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Prepositions and adverbs 209

e. i professori

f. gli avvocati

g. lo zio

h. l’amico

B. How do you say the following in Italian? (Note: guidare = to drive.)

1. I put the knife between the spoon and the fork.

2. I am speaking with Mrs. Verdi this evening.

3. He is driving through (around) the city.

4. I put the key above the box.

5. It is under the box.

6. He is at home.

7. I am going in my friends’ car.

Uses of the prepositions

Prepositions have many uses. All of them cannot be covered here, but these are the most common

ones:

◆ A is used in front of a city name to render the idea of in a city.

Vivo a Roma. I live in Rome.

Vivono a Milwaukee. They live in Milwaukee.

◆ For areas larger than a city, in is normally used.

Vivo in Toscana, in Italia. I live in Tuscany, in Italy.

Vivono in (nella) Florida, negli They live in Florida, in the United States.

Stati Uniti.

◆ Di is used to indicate possession or relationship.

È la macchina nuova di Alessandro. It’s Alexander’s new car.

Come si chiama la figlia del professore? What’s the name of the professor’s daughter?

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◆ Da means from or to in expressions such as the following.

Vado dal medico domani. I’m going to the doctor’s tomorrow.

Vengo dalla farmacia. I’m coming from the pharmacy.

It translates both since and for in expressions of time.

Vivo qui dal 2004. I have been living here since 2004.

Vivo qui da venti anni. I have been living here for twenty years.

It also translates the expression as a . . . .

Te lo dico da amico. I’m telling it to you as a friend.

Da bambino, navigavo spesso As a child, I used to navigate (surf) the

in Internet. Internet often.

In expressions consisting of a noun + da it is translated in various ways.

una macchina da vendere a car for sale

un abito da sera an evening dress

◆ Per is used in time expressions when future duration with a definite end is implied.

Abiterò in questa città per tre anni. I will live in this city for three years.

17·2

ESERCIZIO

A. Complete each sentence with the appropriate simple or contracted preposition,

as required.

1. I soldi sono scatola (box).

2. Ecco i cellulari amici miei.

3. Le scarpe (shoes) sono tavola.

4. Domani mio zio andrà medico.

5. Arrivano dieci stasera (tonight).

6. Noi viaggeremo (We will travel) Alitalia.

7. Il tappeto (rug) è la sedia e la tavola.

8. Il gatto dorme tavola, non sotto.

9. Maria rimane (will remain) casa domani tutto il giorno.

10. Preferisco andare macchina a scuola.

11. Andremo casa nuova di mio fratello.

12. Andremo macchina di mia sorella.

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B. How do you say the following in Italian? (Note: amare = to love.)

1. I live in Florence.

2. They live in the United States.

3. There’s Sarah’s new car.

4. What’s the name of your (familiar) professor’s daughter?

5. Are they going to the doctor’s tomorrow?

6. I’m coming from Italy.

7. They have been living in Italy for six years.

8. As a child, I used to navigate the Internet often.

9. She loves her evening dress.

Adverbs of manner

Many of the prepositional phrases discussed above have an adverbial function. Adverbs express

relations of time, place, intensity, and manner.

Giovanni guida lentamente. John drives slowly.

Questa casa è molto bella. This house is very beautiful.

Adverbs of manner are formed as described below. Notice that the ending -mente corresponds in general to the English ending -ly.

Change the -o ending of a type (1) descriptive adjective (see Unit 4) to -a. Then add -mente.

certo certain certa + mente → certamente certainly

lento slow lenta + mente → lentamente slowly

If the adjective is a type (2) adjective ending in -e, then simply add -mente.

elegante elegant elegantemente elegantly

semplice simple semplicemente simply

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However, if the adjective ends in -le or -re preceded by a vowel, then the final -e is dropped

before adding -mente.

facile easy facil + mente → facilmente easily

popolare popular popolar + mente → popolarmente popularly

Exceptions to these rules are given below.

ADJECTIVE ADVERB

benevolo benevolent benevolmente benevolently

leggero light leggermente lightly

violento violent violentemente violently

Adjectives

Here are some adjectives that are commonly changed into adverbs.

enorme enormous speciale special

felice happy triste sad

preciso precise utile useful

raro rare vero true

regolare regular

Adverbs of manner normally follow the verb, but may begin a sentence for emphasis.

Lui scrive delle mail ai suoi amici He writes his friends e-mails regularly.

regolarmente.

Regolarmente, lui scrive delle mail ai Regularly, he writes his friends e-mails.

suoi amici.

17·3

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the adjectival or adverbial form of each word, as required.

1. certamente

2. semplice

3. facilmente

4. popolare

5. benevolmente

6. leggero

7. enorme

8. felicemente

9. preciso

10. specialmente

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11. utile

12. veramente

13. lento

14. elegantemente

15. regolare

16. tristemente

17. vero

18. simpatico

B. First, indicate an adjective that expresses the opposite meaning of the one given, then provide

the adverbial form. You will need to know adjectives that have been used in this and previous units.

(Note: difficile = difficult; veloce = fast; pesante = heavy; comune = common.)

example difficile facile facilmente

1. basso

2. triste

3. veloce

4. pesante

5. vecchio

6. comune

Other kinds of adverbs

Adverbs cover a wide range of meanings, from time relations to quantity. Here are some very

common adverbs and adverbial phrases, a number of which have been introduced in previous

units. These will come in handy for the Esercizio.

allora then

anche also, too

ancora again, still, yet

anzi as a matter of fact

appena just, barely

bene well

di nuovo again, anew

domani tomorrow

finora until now

fra/tra poco in a little while

già already

in fretta in a hurry

insieme together

invece instead

lontano far

male bad(ly)

nel frattempo in the meantime

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oggi today

oggigiorno nowadays

ormai by now

per caso by chance

piuttosto rather

poi after, then

presto early

prima first

purtroppo unfortunately

quasi almost

sempre always

solo only

spesso often

stamani this morning

stasera this evening

subito right away

tardi late

vicino near(by)

Here are some examples of how they are used.

Claudia l’ha fatto ancora una volta. Claudia did it again (one more time).

Io abito lontano e loro vicino. I live far and they nearby.

Prima voglio mangiare e poi studierò. First I want to eat, and then I will study.

Sono quasi le quattro. It’s almost four o’clock.

Noi andiamo spesso al cinema. We often go to the movies.

In compound tenses (see Unit 11), some of these adverbs can be put between the auxiliary

verb and the past participle. The ones most commonly placed is this position are ancora, appena,

and già.

Non abbiamo ancora finito di lavorare. We haven’t yet finished working.

Ha appena telefonato. She just phoned.

Sono già usciti. They went out already.

The quantitative adjectives molto, parecchio, poco, tanto, and troppo (see Unit 9) can also

be used as adverbs. But be careful! As adverbs, there is no agreement to be made.

ADJECTIVES ADVERBS

Lei ha molti soldi. She has a lot of Lei è molto She is very intelligent.

money. intelligente.

Ci sono pochi There are few Loro studiano They study little.

studenti. students. poco.

Tip!

To determine if a word such as molto is an adjective or adverb, check the word that comes

after. If it is a noun, then molto is an adjective, agreeing with the noun. Otherwise it can be

either an adverb or pronoun. In either of these cases, no agreement is required.

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17·4

ESERCIZIO

A. Choose the appropriate adverb to complete each sentence.

1. Noi andiamo al cinema.

a. spesso b. già

2. Lui l’ha fatto una volta.

a. ancora b. sempre

3. Mio fratello vive , e mia sorella vicino.

a. lontano b. sempre

4. È l’una.

a. quasi b. poi

5. Noi abbiamo finito di lavorare.

a. subito b. appena

6. Prima voglio guardare quel programma e studierò.

a. poi b. anzi

7. Loro mangiano .

a. molti b. molto

8. Noi invece mangiamo .

a. pochi b. poco

B. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. First this, then that.

2. There he is, too.

3. again tomorrow

4. until now

5. in a little while

6. in a hurry

7. together

8. It’s going well and bad.

9. nowadays

10. in the meantime

11. by now

12. by chance

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13. this morning, not this evening

14. often

15. rather

Comparison of adverbs

Adverbs are compared in the same manner as adjectives (see Unit 4).

ADVERB COMPARATIVE/SUPERLATIVE FORMS

lentamente slowly più lentamente more slowly

facilmente easily meno facilmente less easily

lontano far il più lontano the farthest

Note the irregular comparative forms below.

ADVERB COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

bene well più bene (or) meglio better il meglio the best

male bad(ly) più male (or) peggio worse il peggio the worst

Recall the adjective forms migliore (better) and peggiore (worse). Notice that the adverb

forms meglio and peggio are translated in the exact same way.

To figure out which form is the appropriate one, go back in your mind to the uncompared

form in English.

This soft drink is good. (uncompared form)

That soft drink is better. (compared form)

Now you can see that better in this case corresponds to the comparative form of the adjective buono.

Questa bibita è buona. This soft drink is good.

Quella bibita è migliore. That soft drink is better.

Now, consider better as an adverb.

This watch works well. (uncompared form)

That watch works better. (compared form)

Now you can see that better in this case corresponds to the comparative form of the adverb

bene.

Quest’orologio funziona bene. This watch works well.

Quell’orologio funziona meglio. That watch works better.

Use the exact same kind of “backward thinking” for peggiore and peggio.

Questa bibita è cattiva. This soft drink is bad.

Quella bibita è peggiore. That soft drink is worse.

Quest’orologio funziona male. This watch works badly.

Quell’orologio funziona peggio. That watch works worse.

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17·5

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the comparative and superlative forms for each adverb. The first one is done

for you.

COMPARATIVE (MORE) COMPARATIVE (LESS) SUPERLATIVE (POSITIVE)

1. velocemente più velocemente meno velocemente il più velocemente

2. vicino

3. regolarmente

4. presto

5. spesso

6. tardi

B. Choose the appropriate form, adjective or adverb, to complete each sentence.

1. Quel libro è di questo.

a. migliore b. meglio

2. Oggi va di ieri.

a. migliore b. meglio

3. Quelle patate sono di queste.

a. migliori b. meglio

4. Loro vivono di noi.

a. migliore b. meglio

5. Quelle carote sono di queste.

a. peggiori b. peggio

6. Oggi va di ieri.

a. peggiore b. peggio

7. Quelle bibite sono di queste.

a. peggiori b. peggio

8. In città si vive (one lives) che in campagna (in the country).

a. peggiore b. peggio

C. Complete each sentence with the appropriate simple or contracted preposition, as required.

1. La borsa Maria è bella.

2. Lui va università macchina.

3. Questo è il cellulare fratello di Sara.

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4. Ci sono venti dollari scatola.

5. Arrivano Francia lunedì.

6. L’ho messo la porta e quella sedia.

7. Vivo Napoli.

8. Vivono Italia e precisamente Italia

settentrionale.

9. Domani vado medico.

10. Viviamo Stati Uniti quarant’anni.

D. Complete each sentence with an appropriate adverb or adverbial expression.

1. Maria va in centro .

2. Questo film è molto bello.

3. Noi andiamo al cinema.

4. Marco l’ha fatto una volta.

5. Lui vive e lei .

6. Sono le venti.

7. voglio mangiare e poi vado al cinema.

8. Sono usciti.

Grammar in culture

Prepositions used with types of media often show a different perspective in Italian. For

example, to say in the newspaper in Italian, you use su (on): sul giornale. On the radio and

on TV are rendered in Italian by alla radio and alla televisione (or sometimes, in televisione). The two languages coincide, however, with respect to the Internet: on the Internet is

su Internet.

17·6

ESERCIZIO

How do you say the following in Italian?

1. Yesterday, I went on the Internet for two hours.

2. I saw that program on TV yesterday.

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3. I heard it on the radio.

4. I read it in the newspaper.

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220

·18·

A sentence is a series of words arranged into a meaningful whole. It begins with a

capital letter and ends with a punctuation mark, such as a period, a question mark,

or an exclamation point. It has a subject and a predicate.

Marco è italiano. Mark is Italian.

È italiano Marco? Is Mark Italian?

Certo, è veramente italiano! Certainly, he is really Italian!

Subject and predicate

The subject is “who” or “what” the sentence is about. It is often the first element in a simple sentence. A predicate is the part of a sentence that expresses

what is said about the subject. In the above sentence Marco è italiano, Marco

is the subject and è italiano is the predicate.

Interrogative sentences

Interrogative sentences allow you to ask questions. In writing, they always have a

question mark at the end.

Maria è italiana? Is Mary Italian?

Maria è italiana, non è vero? Mary is Italian, isn’t she?

Di che nazionalità è Maria? Of what nationality is Mary?

There are three main types of interrogative sentences: those that are designed

to elicit a yes or no response; those that seek information of some kind; and those

that simply seek consent or agreement.

The most common method of forming an interrogative sentence designed to

get a yes or no response is simply to add a question mark at the end of the corresponding affirmative sentence.

Maria è italiana. Mary is Italian.

È italiana? She’s Italian?

Sì, è italiana. Yes, she’s Italian.

Roberto parla molte lingue. Robert speaks a lot of languages.

Lui parla francese? Does he speak French?

Sì, parla francese. Yes, he speaks French.

Tua sorella va in Italia quest’anno? Is your sister going to Italy this year?

No, lei va in Francia. No, she’s going to France.

Sentences

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I tuoi amici giocano a tennis? Do your friends play tennis?

No, non giocano a tennis, giocano No, they don’t play tennis, they play soccer.

a calcio.

Another way to form this type of interrogative sentence is to put the entire subject at

the end.

È italiana Maria? Is Mary Italian?

Parla francese lui? Does he speak French?

Va in Italia quest’anno tua sorella? Is your sister going to Italy this year?

Giocano a tennis i tuoi amici? Do your friends play tennis?

Tag questions

Tag questions are interrogative sentences designed to elicit consent or agreement of some kind.

They are called tag because they end with an expression “tagged on.” In Italian, that expression

can be as follows.

vero? right?

non è vero? isn’t that correct?

no? no?

non pensi? don’t you think?

non credi? don’t you believe (it)?

non dici? don’t you say so?

Lui è americano, non è vero? He’s American, isn’t he?

Viene anche lei, vero? She’s coming, too, right?

Prendi molto zucchero, no? You take a lot of sugar, don’t you?

L’italiano è una lingua bella, Italian is a beautiful language, don’t you think?

non pensi?

18·1

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide an alternative form of each interrogative sentence.

example Lui parla italiano?

Parla italiano lui?

1. Marco è spagnolo?

2. È italiana Maria?

3. Lui parla francese?

4. Va in Italia quest’anno tuo fratello?

5. I tuoi amici giocano a tennis?

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B. Provide the question that could have produced each response.

example Sì, Claudia parla italiano.

Claudia parla italiano? / Parla italiano Claudia?

1. Sì, Giovanni è italiano.

2. No, Maria non è francese.

3. Sì, i miei amici sono italiani.

4. No, la mia amica non va in Francia, va in Italia.

5. Sì, i miei amici giocano a calcio.

6. No, non ci sono i miei amici in questa classe.

C. Provide the tag question that could have produced each response.

1. Sì, prendo molto zucchero nel caffè. (Yes, I take a lot of sugar in my coffee.)

2. Non, non mi piace quel programma. (No, I don’t like that program.)

3. Sì, penso che l’italiano sia una bella lingua. (Yes, I believe that Italian is a beautiful language.)

4. No, mio fratello non è francese. (No, my brother is not French.)

Question words

Interrogative sentences can also be formed with words such as what?, when?, where?, etc., that

allow you to get information from someone. The main interrogative words are as follows:

◆ che what

Che libro leggi? What book are you reading?

Che leggi? What are you reading?

When used as a subject on its own, rather than as an adjective, the more appropriate

form is the following one.

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◆ che cosa / cosa what

Che cosa fai? What are you doing?

Cosa sono quelle cose? What are those things?

◆ chi who

Chi è quella persona? Who is that person?

Chi viene alla festa? Who is coming to the party?

Note the following:

di chi whose

a/da (etc.) chi to/from (etc.) whom

Di chi è questa rivista? Whose magazine is this?

A chi hai dato la rivista? To whom did you give the magazine?

◆ come how

Maria, come stai? Mary, how are you?

Come si chiama il tuo amico? What is the name of your friend?

◆ dove where

Dove vivono i tuoi amici? Where do your friends live?

Dove vai a scuola? Where do you go to school?

◆ perché why, because

Perché dici questo? Why are you saying this?

Perché non vai alla festa? Why aren’t you going to the party?

Non vado perché non ho tempo. I’m not going because I have no time.

◆ quale which

Note that with this question word the ending changes according to the gender and

number of the noun it modifies.

Quale persona parla italiano? Which person speaks Italian?

Quali sono gli studenti italiani? Which ones are the Italian students?

◆ quando when

Quando vai in Italia? When are you going to Italy?

Quando arrivano? When are they arriving?

◆ quanto how much

Note that with this question word the ending also changes according to the gender

and number of the noun it modifies.

Quanto zucchero prendi? How much sugar do you take?

Quanta carne mangi? How much meat do you eat?

Quanti studenti sono italiani? How many students are Italian?

Quante studentesse conosci? How many students do you know?

In writing, it is normal to drop the final -e from come, dove, and quale before the verb form è

(is). In the case of both come and dove an apostrophe is added. But this is not the case for quale.

Com’è? How is it?

Dov’è? Where is it?

Qual è? Which is it?

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18·2

ESERCIZIO

A. Provide the question that could have produced each response.

example Lui si chiama Claudio.

Come si chiama (lui)?

1. È una sedia.

2. Sono due scatole.

3. È un uomo italiano.

4. È la rivista di mia sorella.

5. Ho dato quel libro a mio fratello.

6. Sto molto bene, grazie.

7. Vivo a Chicago.

8. Non vado in centro perché non ho tempo.

9. Loro sono gli studenti d’italiano.

10. Mangio poca carne oggi.

11. Lei mangia poche carote di solito.

12. Arrivano domani.

13. La mela è buonissima!

14. È la mia, non la sua!

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B. Complete each sentence with the appropriate question word.

1. vanno quest’anno? Vanno in Italia.

2. si chiama tua sorella? Si chiama Sara.

3. studia matematica tuo fratello? Perché lui è molto intelligente.

4. fai stasera? Vado al cinema.

5. caffè vuoi, questo o quello? Voglio quel caffè.

6. è quella donna? È mia cugina.

7. è quel libro? È di mia mamma.

8. caffè vuoi? Poco.

9. studi l’italiano? Perché voglio vivere in Italia.

10. è? È una macchina nuova.

Negative sentences

To make any sentence negative in Italian, just put non before the verb.

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE

Maria aspetta l’autobus. Maria non aspetta l’autobus

Mary is waiting for the bus. Mary is not waiting for the bus.

Il bambino dorme. Il bambino non dorme.

The child is sleeping. The child is not sleeping.

This simple rule applies as well to interrogative sentences.

INTERROGATIVE NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE

Maria aspetta l’autobus? Maria non aspetta l’autobus?

Is Mary waiting for the bus? Isn’t Mary waiting for the bus?

Il bambino dorme? Il bambino non dorme?

Is the child sleeping? The child isn’t sleeping?

Negatives

Negatives are words that allow you to deny, refuse, or oppose something.

Non conosco nessuno qui. I do not know anyone here.

Non lo faccio più. I won’t do it anymore.

The following are some common negatives. Notice that non is retained.

non... affatto not at all

non... mai never

non... nessuno no one

non... niente, nulla nothing

non... più no more, no longer

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non... neanche/nemmeno/neppure not even

non... né... né neither . . . nor

non... mica not really, quite

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE

Lui canta sempre. He always sings. Lui non canta mai. He never sings.

Ci vado spesso. I go there a lot. Non ci vado mai. I never go there.

Parlo e scrivo bene. I speak and write Non parlo né scrivo I neither speak nor

well. bene. write well.

Lui conosce tutti. He knows everyone. Lui non conosce He doesn’t know

nessuno. anyone.

A negative can be put at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis. In this case, non is

dropped.

Nessuno parla! No one is speaking!

Mai capirò i verbi! Never will I understand verbs!

18·3

ESERCIZIO

A. Rewrite each sentence in the negative.

1. Lui mangia sempre gli spaghetti.

2. Ieri ho mangiato la carne e le patate.

3. Marco conosce tutti in quella scuola.

4. Lui vuole qualcosa.

5. Quello è proprio vero.

B. Answer each question negatively.

1. Marco aspetta il suo amico?

2. Dorme Maria?

3. Conosci qualcuno qui?

4. Vai spesso in Italia?

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5. Ti piace tutto, vero?

6. Studi ancora?

7. Ti piace anche la pizza, non è vero?

8. Vuoi il caffè o il tè?

9. È proprio vero, no?

Objects

The predicate of sentences may or may not have an object. An object is the noun or noun phrase

that receives the action of a verb, and normally follows the verb. A pronoun can also function as

an object, as we saw in Units 5 and 6.

There are two types of objects: direct and indirect. These can be identified very easily as

follows.

A noun or noun phrase that directly follows the verb—usually answering the question who

or what—is a direct object. The noun phrase il professore below is a direct object.

Quella ragazza chiama il professore That girl calls the professor often.

spesso.

A noun or noun phrase that follows the verb, but is introduced by a preposition—often a—is

an indirect object. The noun phrase al professore below is an indirect object.

Quella ragazza scrive al professore That girl writes to the professor often.

spesso.

Whether an object is direct or indirect depends on the verb. Some verbs must be followed

only by one type of object or the other. Fortunately, most verbs in Italian match their English

equivalents when it comes to whether or not a direct or indirect object should follow. Mangiare

(to eat) takes a direct object in both languages and andare (to go) takes an indirect object in

both.

Mio fratello mangia sempre la pizza. My bother always eats pizza.

Mio fratello va spesso alla pizzeria. My brother goes often to the pizza parlor.

However, there are some differences! Here are the most important ones.

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Verbs requiring a direct object

ascoltare to listen (to)

Mia madre ascolta la radio ogni sera. My mother listens to the radio every evening.

aspettare to wait (for)

Maria sta aspettando l’autobus. Mary is waiting for the bus.

cercare to look (for)

Lei sta cercando la sua borsa. She is looking for her purse.

Verbs requiring an indirect object

chiedere (a) to ask (someone)

Marco chiede al professore di venire. Mark asks the professor to come.

telefonare (a) to phone, call (by phone)

Daniela telefona spesso a sua madre. Danielle phones her mother often.

rispondere (a) to answer

La studentessa risponde sempre alle The student always answers the questions.

domande.

18·4

ESERCIZIO

A. Answer each question affirmatively with the nouns or noun phrases in parentheses.

To facilitate this exercise, the other parts of the answer are given to you.

example 1 Cosa mangi? (pizza)

Mangio la pizza.

example 2 Dove vai? (centro)

Vado in centro.

1. A che cosa risponde sempre la professoressa? (domande)

La professoressa risponde sempre .

2. A chi telefoni ogni sera, Maria? (la mia amica)

Ogni sera telefono .

3. A chi hai chiesto quella cosa? (Marco)

Ho chiesto quella cosa .

4. Che cosa cerchi? (una nuova macchina)

Cerco .

5. Chi aspettano Alessandro e Giovanni? (la loro sorella)

Alessandro e Giovanni aspettano .

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B. Now answer each question by using the indicated nouns or noun phrases in parentheses as objects.

1. Dove vai spesso? (centro)

2. Che cosa mangi spesso? (la pasta)

3. Che cosa ascolti ogni sera? (la radio)

4. Chi chiami spesso? (mia sorella)

5. Che cosa aspetti? (l’autobus)

Conjunctions and relative pronouns

A sentence can have more than one subject or predicate. In such cases the different subject and

predicate structures are called clauses. Clauses are united by forms such as conjunctions and relative pronouns.

To join two sentences, two clauses, two words, etc., the conjunctions e (and), o (or), and ma

(but) are often used.

Lei studia e suo fratello guarda la TV. She is studying and her brother is watching TV.

Vengo in macchina o a piedi. I’m coming by car or on foot.

Mi piace la matematica, ma studio I like math, but I am studying Italian.

l’italiano.

(In Unit 10 we discussed conjunctions that require the subjunctive in the clauses they introduce.)

Clauses that are used as objects are called subordinate clauses. Consider the following sentence that is made up of a main clause and a subordinate clause connected by che. This connector

word is called a relative pronoun.

Maria dice che il francese è una Mary says that French is a beautiful language.

bella lingua.

Main clause = Maria dice

Relative pronoun = che

Subordinate clause = il francese è una bella lingua

As you can see, a clause is a group of related words that contains a subject and predicate and is

part of the main sentence.

There are two main types of subordinate clauses. First, a relative clause is a subordinate

clause introduced by a relative pronoun, as we have just seen. Note that in English the relative

pronoun can often be omitted. This is not the case in Italian.

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The relative pronouns in Italian are as follows.

che that, which, who

cui (used after a preposition) which, of whom, to whom, etc.

chi whoever (he who, she who, they who)

ciò che, quel che, quello che that which

Here are some examples of their uses.

La donna che legge il giornale è The woman who is reading the newspaper is

mia sorella. my sister.

Il ragazzo a cui ho dato il libro è The boy to whom I gave the book is my cousin.

mio cugino.

Non trovo lo zaino in cui ho messo il I can’t find the backpack in which I put your book.

tuo libro.

Ecco la rivista di cui ho parlato. Here is the magazine of which I spoke.

Chi va in Italia si divertirà. Whoever goes to Italy will enjoy himself/herself.

Ciò che dici non ha senso. What you are saying makes no sense.

Non sai quel che dici. You don’t know what you are saying.

Quello che dici è vero. What (That which) you are saying is true.

Both che and cui can be replaced by the definite article + quale, if there is an antecedent

(the noun or noun phrase to which quale refers). Quale changes in form according to the number

of the antecedent and is always preceded by the definite article (which must also indicate the gender and number of the antecedent).

L’uomo che legge il giornale è italiano. The man who is reading the newspaper is Italian.

(or)

L’uomo il quale legge il giornale è italiano. The man who is reading the newspaper is Italian.

Gli uomini che leggono il giornale sono The men who are reading the newspaper are

italiani. Italian.

(or)

Gli uomini i quali leggono il giornale The men who are reading the newspaper are

sono italiani. Italian.

La donna che legge il giornale è italiana. The woman who is reading the newspaper is

Italian.

(or)

La donna la quale legge il giornale The woman who is reading the newspaper

è italiana. is Italian.

Le donne che leggono il giornale The women who are reading the newspapers

sono italiane. are Italian.

(or)

Le donne le quali leggono il giornale The women who are reading the newspaper

sono italiane. are Italian.

The form il cui is used to convey possession: whose. The article varies according to the gender and number of the noun modified.

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Ecco il ragazzo il cui padre è professore. Here is the boy whose father is a professor.

Ecco gli scrittori i cui romanzi Here are the writers whose novels are famous.

sono celebri.

Ecco la ragazza la cui intelligenza Here is the girl whose intelligence is extraordinary.

è straordinaria.

Ecco la ragazza le cui amiche sono Here is the girl whose friends are Italian.

italiane.

A temporal clause is a subordinate clause introduced by conjunctions that indicate time

relations.

appena as soon as

dopo (che) after

mentre while

quando when

Andremo al cinema, dopo che avremo We will go to the movies, after (having

finito di mangiare. finished) eating.

Quando arriveranno, cominceremo When they arrive, we’ll begin eating.

a mangiare.

18·5

ESERCIZIO

A. Choose the conjoining structure (conjunction or relative pronoun) that best introduces

each clause.

1. Giacomo arriva, andremo al negozio (store).

a. Quando b. Che

2. arriva la madre, ci metteremo a (we will start to) studiare.

a. Quel che b. Appena

3. che sei uscito, è arrivata Sandra.

a. Quando b. Dopo

4. tu studi, io leggo il giornale.

a. Mentre b. Dopo che

5. La persona legge il giornale è una mia amica.

a. che b. cui

6. Le scarpe (shoes) hai comprato ieri sono molto belle.

a. le cui b. le quali

7. La persona hai dato il libro è un mio amico.

a. a cui b. al quale

8. va a Roma, si divertirà.

a. Ciò che b. Chi

9. Ecco il ragazzo sorella vuole essere medico.

a. il cui b. la cui

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B. Rewrite the two sentences as one with an appropriate conjoining structure.

1. Sara sta studiando. Suo fratello guarda la TV.

2. La ragazza ha i capelli biondi (blond hair). La ragazza parla italiano molto bene.

3. Paolo parla italiano. Franca parla italiano.

4. Mi piace il libro. Maria sta leggendo (is reading) il libro.

5. Non trovo (I can’t find) lo zaino. Nello zaino ho messo il tuo libro.

C. Provide the question that could have produced each response.

1. Sì, Maria è italiana.

2. No, loro non prendono zucchero.

3. Sì, Marco parla italiano molto bene.

4. No, lui non è andato al cinema ieri.

D. Provide the question that could have produced each response.

1. Leggo una rivista.

2. È un amico.

3. È la mia penna.

4. Il mio amico si chiama Alessandro.

5. I miei amici vivono negli Stati Uniti.

6. Non vado alla festa perché sono stanco.

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7. Mi piace questa rivista, non quella.

8. Vado a Roma domani.

9. Prendo tanto zucchero.

E. Complete each sentence with an appropriate conjoining structure.

1. Marco studia sua sorella guarda la TV.

2. Lui viene in autobus a piedi.

3. Studio la matematica, mi piace l’italiano.

4. La persona legge quella rivista è mia sorella.

5. Il ragazzo a ho dato il libro è mio fratello.

6. Non trovo la borsa in ho messo la mia chiave.

7. Ecco la rivista di ho parlato.

8. va in Italia si divertirà.

9. dici non è affatto vero.

10. Ecco l’uomo la sorella è medico.

11. Ecco la persona alla ho dato il mio portatile.

12. Ecco le persone delle ho parlato ieri.

Grammar in culture

Digital communications are changing how Italian sentences are written, especially in text

messages and social media. Sentences are shorter and contain numerous abbreviations and

acronyms. Here is an example.

Ciao Maria, tvb Ciao Maria, ti voglio bene.

Bye Maria, ilu Bye, Maria, I love you.

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18·6

ESERCIZIO

Try to figure out what the following abbreviations and acronyms stand for in Italian.

Good luck!

1. c6?

2. ×ké

3. qnd

4. tvtb

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235

As you know, number words replace digits and other mathematical symbols to

specify how many people, things, events, etc., there are. They are divided into cardinal numbers and ordinal numbers. The former are the counting numbers; the

latter are used to indicate the order of something (first, second, etc.).

Cardinal

Quanti bambini ci sono nella famiglia? How many children are there

in the family?

Ci sono due bambini nella famiglia. There are two children in the

family.

Ordinal

Come si chiama il primo nato? What’s the name of the first

born?

Si chiama Alessandro. His name is Alexander.

The cardinal numbers

The first twenty counting numbers are given below.

0 zero 11 undici

1 uno 12 dodici

2 due 13 tredici

3 tre 14 quattordici

4 quattro 15 quindici

5 cinque 16 sedici

6 sei 17 diciassette

7 sette 18 diciotto

8 otto 19 diciannove

9 nove 20 venti

10 dieci

As in English, the number words from twenty on are formed by combining

number words logically as shown below.

Numbers ·19·

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22 → venti + due = ventidue

89 → ottanta + nove = ottantanove

112 → cento + dodici = centododici (or) cento dodici

1234 → mille + duecento + trentaquattro = milleduecentotrentaquattro

(or) mille duecento trentaquattro

There are a few adjustments to be made.

When uno and otto are used in numbers greater than twenty, the final vowel of the number

word to which they are attached is dropped.

21 → venti + uno = ventuno

48 → quaranta + otto = quarantotto

When tre is added on, it must be written with an accent (to show that the stress is on the

final vowel).

33 → trenta + tre = trentatré

53 → cinquanta + tre = cinquantatré

Here are the number words from 20 to 100.

20 venti 21, 22, 23, etc. ventuno, ventidue, ventitré, etc.

30 trenta 31, 32, 33, etc. trentuno, trentadue, trentatré, etc.

40 quaranta 41, 42, 43, etc. quarantuno, quarantadue, quarantatré, etc.

50 cinquanta 51, 52, 53, etc. cinquantuno, cinquantadue, cinquantatré, etc.

60 sessanta 61, 62, 63, etc. sessantuno, sessantadue, sessantatré, etc.

70 settanta 71, 72, 73, etc. settantuno, settantadue, settantatré, etc.

80 ottanta 81, 82, 83, etc. ottantuno, ottantadue, ottantatré, etc.

90 novanta 91, 92, 93, etc. novantuno, novantadue, novantatré, etc.

100 cento 101, 102, 103, etc. centuno, centodue, centotré, etc.

To form the number words for 200, 300, etc., simply add cento, as shown below:

200 duecento

300 trecento

400 quattrocento

500 cinquecento

600 seicento

700 settecento

800 ottocento

900 novecento

1000 mille

The words for the higher numbers are constructed in the same way. Here are some examples. Note that, when written out, larger numbers can remain separate words or be joined together

to form one single (long) word.

201 duecentuno

302 trecentodue

403 quattrocentotré

524 cinquecento ventiquattro (or) cinquecentoventiquattro

635 seicento trentacinque (or) seicentotrentacinque

1000 mille

1001 milleuno

1002 milledue

1234 mille duecento trentaquattro (or) milleduecentotrentaquattro

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Numbers 237

The plural of mille is mila.

2000 duemila

3000 tremila

40.574 quarantamila cinquecento settantaquattro

100.000 centomila

200.000 duecentomila

The plural of milione is milioni.

1.000.000 un milione

2.000.000 due milioni

3.000.000 tre milioni

Milione is always followed by di when used before a noun.

un milione di dollari a million dollars

due milioni di euro two million euros

Note that euro is invariable.

Remember, cardinal numbers may be written as one word. But for large numbers, it is often

better to separate them logically, so that they can be read easily.

Italians use periods where Americans use commas, and vice versa. (Note: virgola = comma.)

ITALIAN AMERICAN

30.256 30,256 trentamila duecento cinquantasei

2,54 2.54 due virgola cinquantaquattro

When the number uno (or any number constructed with it, such as ventuno, trentuno, etc.)

is used with a noun, it is treated like the indefinite article, with the final vowel changing according to the initial letter(s) of the noun that follows.

uno zio one uncle

ventun anni twenty-one years

trentuna ragazze thirty-one girls

ventuno zaini twenty-one backpacks

Note: The word nessuno has a negative meaning in the sense of none, no one, or not one. It

is made up of ness + uno, and is thus treated like the indefinite article when used with a noun

(see Unit 3). Note that the noun is always in the singular, even if its meaning is plural. In sum:

uno → nessuno

un → nessun

una → nessuna

un’ → nessun’

nessuno zio no uncle/uncles

nessun amico no friend/friends (m.)

nessuna zia no aunt/aunts

nessun’amica no friend/friends (f.)

The indefinite article us used in front of altro (other) to produce the word another. Its two

forms are: un altro (m.) and un’altra (f.).

un altro zio another uncle

un’altra ragazza another girl

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Coffee and other drinks!

This vocabulary will come in handy for doing the Esercizio that follows.

aranciata orange drink limonata lemonade

bibita soft drink (caffè) lungo long/mild coffee

bicchiere (m.) glass (caffè) macchiato coffee with a drop of milk

caffellatte (m.) coffee with milk (a “latte”) (caffè) ristretto short/strong coffee

cappuccino cappuccino succo di frutta fruit juice

(caffè) corretto coffee with a drop of alcohol tè (m.) tea

espresso espresso zabaione (m.) egg custard

latte (m.) milk

19·1

ESERCIZIO

A. Write out all the number words (up to 99) that end with the given digit. Follow

the example.

example 3 (= 3, 13, 23, 33, 43, 53, 63, 73, 83, 93)

tre, tredici, ventitré, trentatré, quarantatré, cinquantatré,

sessantatré, settantatré, ottantatré, novantatré

1. 2

2. 4

3. 9

4. 8

5. 7

6. 1

7. 5

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Numbers 239

8. 6

9. 0

B. Translate each phrase, providing the appropriate number word for each digit. (Note: centimetro =

centimeter; metro = meter.)

example 334 children

trecento trentaquattro bambini

1. 701 men

2. 291 women

3. 1.568 students

4. 45.553 cell phones

5. 789.278 dollars

6. 2.456.233 euros

7. 18 waiters

8. 8.000.000 euros

9. 122 cars

10. 991 dollars

11. 3,58 centimeters

12. 0,56 meters

C. Provide the appropriate translations of another and none for each phrase. The first one is done for you.

NOUN ANOTHER NONE

1. caffè un altro caffè nessun caffè

2. espresso

3. tè

4. caffè ristretto

5. caffè lungo

6. caffè corretto

7. zabaione

8. bibita

9. bicchiere di vino

10. bicchiere di latte

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11. caffellatte

12. cappuccino

13. aranciata

14. limonata

15. succo di frutta

Telling time

Perhaps the most common of all the communicative functions associated with numbers is telling

time. Here’s how to tell time in Italian.

Che ora è? What time is it? (literally: What hour is it?)

(or)

Che ore sono? What time is it? (literally: What hours are they?)

The hours are feminine in gender. Therefore, they are preceded by the feminine forms of the

definite article.

l’una one o’clock (Note: This is the only singular form.)

le due two o’clock

le tre three o’clock

le quattro four o’clock

Useful vocabulary Useful expressions

la mattina morning Buongiorno! Good morning!, Good day!

il pomeriggio afternoon Buon pomeriggio! Good afternoon!

la sera evening Buonasera! Good evening!

la notte night Buonanotte! Good night!

In ordinary conversation, the morning, afternoon, and evening hours are distinguished by

the following expressions.

di/della mattina (del mattino) in the morning

di/del pomeriggio in the afternoon

di/della sera in the evening

di/della notte in the night / at night

Sono le otto di mattina. It’s eight o’clock in the morning.

Sono le nove di sera. It’s nine o’clock in the evening.

Officially, however, telling time in Italian is carried out on the basis of the twenty-four-hour

clock. Thus, after the noon hour, continue sequentially with the numbers.

le tredici 1:00 p.m. (thirteen hundred hours)

le quattordici 2:00 p.m. (fourteen hundred hours)

le quindici 3:00 p.m. (fifteen hundred hours)

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le sedici 4:00 p.m. (sixteen hundred hours)

Sono le quindici. It’s 3:00 p.m.

Sono le venti. It’s 8:00 p.m.

Sono le ventiquattro. It’s (twelve) midnight.

Minutes are simply added to the hour with the conjunction e.

Sono le tre e venti. It’s three-twenty.

È l’una e quaranta. It’s one-forty.

Sono le sedici e cinquanta. It’s 4:50 p.m.

Sono le ventidue e cinque. It’s 10:05 p.m.

As the next hour approaches, an alternative way of expressing the time is: the next hour

− (meno) the number of minutes left.

8.58 le otto e cinquantotto (or) le nove meno due

10.50 le dieci e cinquanta (or) le undici meno dieci

Note that where the colon is used with telling time in English, the period is generally used

in Italian.

The expressions un quarto (a quarter) and mezzo or mezza (half) can be used for the quarter and half hour.

3.15 le tre e quindici (or) le tre e un quarto

4.30 le quattro e trenta (or) le quattro e mezzo/mezza

5.45 le cinque e quaranta cinque (or) le sei meno un quarto (or) le cinque e

tre quarti (three quarters)

Noon and midnight can also be expressed by il mezzogiorno and la mezzanotte,

respectively.

Sono le dodici. (or) È mezzogiorno. It’s noon.

Sono le ventiquattro. (or) È mezzanotte. It’s midnight.

Note: The following expressions are used in everyday conversation.

preciso exactly

È l’una precisa. It’s exactly one o’clock.

Sono le otto precise. It’s exactly eight o’clock.

in punto on the dot

È l’una in punto. It’s one o’clock on the dot.

Sono le otto in punto. It’s eight o’clock on the dot.

Time!

The word ora means time in the sense of hour. The abstract concept of time is expressed by

il tempo.

Come passa il tempo! How time flies!

And the concept of time to indicate a particular moment or occurrence is expressed by la

volta.

una volta once, one time

due volte twice

tre volte three times

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19·2

ESERCIZIO

A. Write out the time in Italian using the twenty-four-hour clock.

example 3:42 p.m.

Sono le quindici e quarantadue.

1. 2:20 p.m.

2. 8:35 a.m.

3. 4:50 p.m.

4. 9:14 a.m.

5. 5:12 p.m.

6. 10:42 a.m.

7. 1:05 a.m.

8. 11:28 a.m.

9. 7:18 p.m.

10. 8:29 p.m.

11. 10:30 p.m.

12. 11:38 p.m.

B. Provide an equivalent way of telling the time. Do not use the twenty-four-hour clock in this Esercizio.

Follow the time with an expression that fits it best.

example 1 2:20 p.m.

Sono le due e venti del pomeriggio.

Buon pomeriggio!

example 2 8:45 a.m.

Sono le otto e quarantacinque (della mattina/del mattino).

Sono le nove meno quindici. / Sono le nove meno un quarto.

Buongiorno!

1. 6:15 a.m.

2. 7:30 p.m.

3. 9:45 a.m.

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4. 8:30 p.m.

5. 9:58 a.m.

6. 12:00 a.m.

7. 12:00 p.m.

8. 1:00 p.m.

9. 8:00 a.m.

C. How do you say the following in Italian? (Note: fare qualcosa = to do something.)

1. Time flies!

2. I always do something two or three times.

3. What time is it?

The ordinal numbers

The first ten ordinal numbers are as follows.

first (1st) primo (1o)

second (2nd) secondo (2o)

third (3rd) terzo (3o)

fourth (4th) quarto (4o)

fifth (5th) quinto (5o)

sixth (6th) sesto (6o)

seventh (7th) settimo (7o)

eighth (8th) ottavo (8o)

ninth (9th) nono (9o)

tenth (10th) decimo (10o)

The remaining ordinals are easily constructed in the following manner.

Take the corresponding cardinal number, drop its vowel ending, and add -esimo.

eleventh/11th undici + -esimo = undicesimo/11o

forty-second/42nd quaranta due + -esimo = quarantaduesimo/42o

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If the cardinal number ends in -tré, remove the accent mark but retain the e.

twenty-third/23rd ventitré + -esimo = ventitreesimo/23o

thirty-third/33rd trentatré + -esimo = trentatreesimo/33o

If the cardinal number ends in -sei, do not drop the final i.

twenty-sixth/26th ventisei + -esimo = ventiseiesimo/26o

Unlike the cardinal numbers, ordinal numbers are adjectives. Therefore, they agree with the

noun they modify in gender and number. (Note: The superscript letter which accompanies the

ordinal digit in Italian must also change to indicate gender and number.)

il primo (1o) giorno the first (1st) day

la ventesima (20a) volta the twentieth (20th) time

tutti gli ottavi (8i

) capitoli all the eighth (8th) chapters

Like any adjective, an ordinal can be easily transformed into a pronoun.

(Lui) È il terzo in fila. He is the third in line.

Sono tra i primi della classe. They are among the first of their class.

Unlike English usage, in Italian the definite article is not used when the ordinals are used

with a proper name.

Elisabetta II Elizabeth (the) II (Elizabeth the Second)

Papa Giovanni XXIII (Ventitreesimo) Pope John (the) XXIII

Luigi XIV (Quattordicesimo) Louis (the) XIV

Note: As in English, cardinals are used to express the numerator and ordinals the denominator of fractions. Note that if the numerator is greater than 1, the denominator, being an ordinal

adjective, must be in the plural.

¹⁄₁₇ un diciasettesimo

¾ tre quarti

⁵⁄₉ cinque noni

Be careful!

The fraction ½ is different.

½

mezzo (adjective) un mezzo litro a half liter

metà (noun) la metà di tutto half of everything

19·3

ESERCIZIO

A. Translate each phrase, providing the appropriate ordinal number word. (Note: piano =

floor [of a building].)

1. 1st time and 11th time

2. 2nd time and 22nd time

3. 3rd floor and 33rd floor

4. 4th chapter and 44th day

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5. 5th soft drink and 55th espresso

6. 6th photograph and 66th week

7. 7th glass of milk and 77th month

8. 8th cappuccino and 88th year

9. 9th lemonade and 99th time

10. 10th student (f.) and 100th class

11. 1⁄18 and 5⁄7

12. 2⁄3 and 1⁄2 of everything

13. 1⁄2 liter

B. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. Pope John the XXIII

2. She is the first of the class.

3. He is the eighth in line.

Numerical expressions

Note the following useful expressions.

= fa equals

+ più plus

23 + 36 = 59 ventitré più trentasei fa cinquantanove

− meno minus

8 − 3 = 5 otto meno tre fa cinque

× per times

7 × 2 = 14 sette per due fa quattordici

÷ diviso divided

16 ÷ 2 = 8 sedici diviso per due fa otto

The following expression is used to ask someone’s age. It translates literally as How many

years do you have?

Quanti anni ha? How old are you? (pol., sing.)

Quanti anni hai? How old are you? (fam., sing.)

Ho ventidue anni. I am twenty-two years old.

Ho ottantotto anni. I am eighty-eight years old.

Note two other useful numerical expressions.

il doppio double

una dozzina a dozen

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Dates

Dates are expressed by the following formula.

Che giorno è? What’s today’s date? / What day is it?

È il quindici settembre. It’s September 15th. (literally: the fifteen

September)

È il ventun settembre. It’s September 21st. (literally: the twenty-one

September)

The exception to this formula is the first day of every month, for which you must use the

ordinal number primo.

Che giorno è? What’s today’s date?

È il primo ottobre. It’s October 1st.

È il primo giugno. It’s June 1st.

Years are always preceded by the definite article.

È il 2010. It’s 2010.

Quando sei nato (-a)? When were you born?

Sono nato (-a) il due marzo del 1994. I was born on March 2, 1994.

Months

gennaio January luglio July

febbraio February agosto August

marzo March settembre September

aprile April ottobre October

maggio May novembre November

giugno June dicembre December

19·4

ESERCIZIO

A. Express the date in Italian. Write out all numbers.

1. January 23

2. February 14

3. March 7

4. April 4

5. May 3

6. June 30

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7. July 31

8. August 1

9. September 8

10. October 27

11. November 18

12. December 25

B. Answer each question with the information in parentheses or provide the answer if no information is

given. Write out all numbers except years.

example Che giorno è? (September 15, 2012)

È il quindici settembre, 2012.

1. Che giorno è? (December 21, 2014)

2. Quando sei nato (-a)?

3. Quanto caffè vuoi? (double)

4. Quanti studenti ci sono in classe? (a dozen)

5. Quanto fa due più otto?

6. Quanto fa otto meno tre?

7. Quanto fa quattro per ventidue?

8. Quanto fa venti diviso per quattro?

9. Quanti anni hai? (provide your age)

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C. Write out the cardinal and then the ordinal for each number.

CARDINAL ORDINAL

1. 7(th)

2. 12(th)

3. 17(th)

4. 18(th)

5. 19(th)

6. 24(th)

7. 31(st)

8. 43(rd)

9. 58(th)

10. 398(th)

11. 2,012(th)

12. 34,599(th)

D. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. four thousand euros

2. five million dollars

3. twenty-one girls

4. I am thirty-three years old.

5. no uncles

6. no aunts

7. another boy

8. another girl

9. a half liter

10. 16 divided by 4 equals 4.

11. It’s Monday, July 12.

12. I was born on June 23.

13. What’s today’s date?

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Grammar in culture

In Italy, the 24-hour clock is commonly used, even in conversation. Although you may, of

course, use time expressions based on the 12-hour clock, it is important to get used to the

24-hour clock.

19·5

ESERCIZIO

Rephrase each sentence using the 24-hour clock.

example Sono le tre e mezzo del pomeriggio.

Sono le quindici e trenta.

1. Sono le sei e venti di sera.

2. Vengo alle dieci e un quarto stasera, va bene?

3. Di solito, usciamo alle otto di sera per andare a mangiare.

4. Arriveranno a mezzanotte.

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·20·

In this final unit we will review topics that have special grammatical characteristics or require only a quick refreshing. The main topics to be discussed here are

the verb piacere, the passive voice of verbs, and the two verbs that correspond to

to know.

The verb piacere

The verb piacere is used for expressing likes and dislikes. But it is a tricky verb

because it literally means to be pleasing to.

Mi piace la pizza. I like pizza. (Pizza is pleasing

to me.)

Non gli è piaciuta la pizza. He didn’t like the pizza. (The pizza

was not pleasing to him.)

Needless to say, because of this difference piacere is a constant source of difficulties and errors for learners. It is regular in all tenses, except the following

three.

Present indicative

piaccio piaci piace piacciamo piacete piacciono

Past absolute

piacqui piacesti piacque piacemmo piaceste piacquero

Present subjunctive

(io) piaccia, (tu) piaccia, (lui/lei; Lei) piaccia, (noi) piacciamo, (voi) piacciate,

(loro; Loro) piacciano

It is conjugated with essere in compound tenses.

Non mi è piaciuta la pasta. I didn’t like the pasta.

Non gli sono piaciuti gli spaghetti. He didn’t like the spaghetti.

When saying that you or someone else likes something, translate the English

expression into your mind as to be pleasing to and then follow the word order in

the formula below.

Miscellaneous topics

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EXPRESSION TRANSLATE TO ITALIAN EXPRESSION

I like that book. That book is pleasing to me. Mi piace quel libro. (Quel libro

piace a me.)

We like those books. Those books are pleasing to us. Ci piacciono quei libri.

She likes her brothers. Her brothers are pleasing to her. Le piacciono i suoi fratelli.

The brothers like her. She is pleasing to her brothers. Lei piace ai suoi fratelli.

If you think of the verb piacere in this way, you will always be correct. Notice that the real

subject is the thing or person that is liked (that is pleasing) and usually comes after the verb

(although this is not necessary).

Mary likes John. John is pleasing to Mary. A Maria piace Giovanni. (or) Giovanni

piace a Maria.

In compound tenses the past participle agrees with the subject.

I didn’t like her. She was not pleasing to me. (Lei) non mi è piaciuta.

She didn’t like us. We were not pleasing to her. (Noi) non le siamo piaciuti.

You might need to use stressed pronouns for reasons of emphasis or clarity (see Unit 5).

La musica piace a me, non a te! I like the music, not you! (The music is pleasing

to me, not to you!)

A handy rule of thumb

Since the verb is often used with indirect object pronouns, think of these pronouns as corresponding to the subject of the verb in English: I like = mi piace/piacciono. Then make the verb

agree with the predicate (the thing or things liked).

Mi piace la pizza. I like (the) pizza. ([The] Pizza is pleasing to me.)

Ti piacciono gli spaghetti. You like (the) spaghetti. ([The] Spaghetti are

pleasing to you.)

Gli piace la pizza. He likes (the) pizza. ([The] Pizza is pleasing

to him.)

Le piacciono gli spaghetti. She likes (the) spaghetti. ([The] Spaghetti are

pleasing to her.)

Ci piace la pizza. We like (the) pizza. ([The] Pizza is pleasing to us.)

Vi piacciono gli spaghetti. You like (the) spaghetti. ([The] Spaghetti are

pleasing to you.)

Gli piace la pizza. They like (the) pizza. ([The] Pizza is pleasing to

them.)

This is merely a rule of thumb. If you are unsure, go through the procedure described above.

Note

To say that you like to do something, use the infinitive of the verb (of the activity you like to

do) and the third-person singular form of piacere.

Mi piace ascoltare la musica. I like listening to music.

A Laura piace correre la mattina. Laura likes to run (running) in the morning.

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20·1

ESERCIZIO

A. Choose the correct form of the verb to complete each sentence.

1. Claudia, ti quel film?

a. piace b. piaccio

2. Marco, io ti ?

a. piace b. piaccio

3. A mio fratello non quei libri.

a. piacerà b. piaceranno

4. A mia sorella non sono gli spaghetti.

a. piaciuta b. piaciuti

5. Da bambini, ci guardare spesso la TV.

a. piaceva b. piacevano

6. Noi non siamo a tua madre.

a. piaciuta b. piaciuti

7. A chi quelle riviste?

a. piace b. piacciono

B. How do you say the following in Italian?

1. We like that book.

2. But we don’t like those other books.

3. She likes him.

4. And he likes her.

5. Mary likes me.

6. I didn’t like them.

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7. He didn’t like us.

8. He likes that music, not her.

The passive and the impersonal si

Verbs are marked not only for mood and tense, as we have seen in previous units, but also for

voice, which can be active or passive. In an active sentence the subject acts upon the object.

Il bambino ha mangiato la pizza. The boy ate the pizza.

Many (non-reflexive) verbs also have a passive form, whereby the subject is acted upon by

the object (so to speak).

La pizza è mangiata dal bambino. The pizza is eaten by the boy.

An active sentence can be turned into a corresponding passive sentence according to the

following three rules.

1. Change the order of the subject and the object

ll bambino mangia la mela. The boy eats the apple.

→ La mela (mangia) il bambino.

2. Change the verb into the passive form by introducing the auxiliary verb essere in the

same tense and mood and by changing the verb into the past participle. Recall that the

past participle of a verb conjugated with essere agrees with the subject (which is now la

mela).

La mela (mangia) il bambino.

→ La mela è mangiata (il bambino). The apple is eaten (the boy).

3. Put da (by) before il bambino. Remember to use the contracted form of the preposition

when necessary.

La mela è mangiata dal bambino. The apple is eaten by the boy.

The following are some examples of corresponding active and passive forms of sentences.

Note that the tense and mood is retained in the auxiliary of the passive—that is, if the verb in the

active is the present indicative, then essere must be in the present indicative followed by the past

participle; if the verb in the active is the future, then essere must be in the future followed by the

past participle; and so on.

ACTIVE PASSIVE

PRESENT PERFECT PRESENT PERFECT + PAST PARTICIPLE

La donna ha letto quel libro. Quel libro è stato letto dalla donna.

The woman read that book. That book was read by the woman.

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FUTURE FUTURE + PAST PARTICIPLE

Quell’uomo comprerà quelle scarpe. Quelle scarpe saranno comprate da quell’uomo.

That man will buy those shoes. Those shoes will be bought by that man.

PAST ABSOLUTE PAST ABSOLUTE + PAST PARTICIPLE

Io scrissi quell’e-mail. Quell’e-mail fu scritta da me.

I wrote that e-mail. That e-mail was written by me.

Remember that io becomes an object pronoun, me, after a preposition (see Unit 5).

The passive form of the verb is used to express ideas and situations that are communicated

more appropriately in this form.

La lezione è finita alle sei. The class finished at six.

I negozi sono chiusi a quest’ora. Stores are closed at this hour.

The impersonal si

A similar general form of expression involves the use of the impersonal si, which means one (in

general), we, they, and so on. It has the following peculiar characteristics.

The verb appears to agree with what seems to be the predicate, not the subject, because, as

you can see below, the construction is really a type of passive form.

Si beve quel caffè solo in Italia. One drinks that coffee only in Italy.

Quel caffè è bevuto solo in Italia. That coffee is drunk only in Italy.

Si bevono quei vini solo in Italia. One drinks those wines only in Italy.

Quei vini sono bevuti solo in Italia. Those wines are drunk only in Italy.

In compound tenses, the auxiliary verb is essere.

Si è venduta quella macchina solo One sold that car only in Italy.

in Italia.

Quella macchina è stata venduta solo That car was sold only in Italy.

in Italia.

Si sono vendute quelle macchine solo One sold those cars only in Italy.

in Italia.

Quelle macchine sono state vendute Those cars were sold only in Italy.

solo in Italia.

When followed by a predicate adjective, the adjective is always in the plural.

Sì è felici in Italia. One is happy in Italy.

Si è molto simpatici in Italia. One is very nice in Italy.

Direct object pronouns are placed before the impersonal si.

Si deve dire sempre la verità. One must always tell the truth.

La si deve dire sempre. One must always tell it.

In front of the reflexive pronoun si, the impersonal si is changed to ci, to avoid using the

same pronoun twice.

Una persona si diverte in Italia. A person enjoys himself/herself in Italy.

Ci si diverte in Italia. One enjoys oneself in Italy.

Ci si annoia spesso al cinema oggigiorno. One gets bored often at the movies nowadays.

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20·2

ESERCIZIO

A. Rewrite each sentence in its active or passive form, as required.

1. Mia sorella non ha mangiato la pizza ieri.

2. Gli spaghetti sono mangiati solo da mio fratello.

3. Alessandro mangia sempre le patate a cena.

4. Quel libro è letto da tutti.

5. Quella donna comprerà la macchina giapponese.

6. Quell’e-mail fu scritta dal mio amico tempo fa.

7. Maria ha comprato quella giacca.

8. Quella casa è stata comprata dai miei genitori.

9. Gli studenti studieranno quella lezione per domani.

B. How do you say the following in Italian? (Note: negozio = store.)

1. The class began at nine.

2. Stores are open at this hour.

3. One drinks that coffee only in Italy.

4. One eats those potatoes only in Italy.

5. One saw that thing only in Italy.

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6. One is happy in Italy.

7. One always enjoys oneself in Italy.