All Questions

Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
24 votes
4 answers
4k views

Past participle and changing endings with auxiliary verb "avere"

I have read many times that the endings of the past participle doesn't change when used in conjunction with the auxiliary verb "avere". However I am increasingly noticing that is is not the case. For ...
Groky's user avatar
  • 1,031
21 votes
2 answers
3k views

Usage of prepositions "a" and "in" in statements about places and directions

The use of prepositions, showing direction and answering the questions "Dove?" and "Verso dove?", is usually explained with very few rules, such as a with the names of cities, in with the names of ...
I.M.'s user avatar
  • 5,128
28 votes
2 answers
3k views

When can 'ci' be used to mean 'it'

I know that 'ci' can mean 'us' and 'there', but it appears it can also mean 'it'. For example: ci penso su - I'll think about it I've heard that it means kind of "it, in general" but I find the ...
Groky's user avatar
  • 1,031
20 votes
1 answer
16k views

Preposition "a" or "al"?

I know all the rules about how to form the articulated prepositions in Italian, so I don't have to understand how to construct them, but rather I have a doubt on when to use the simple and when to use ...
Happyone's user avatar
  • 201
16 votes
8 answers
3k views

Is it a common Italian practice the use of definite article for feminine proper names, like in Veneto region?

I noticed a common practice in Veneto, which is the strange use of definite articles with proper names. Some feminine examples I hear very often: Chiama la Marcella per vedere che cosa è successo. ...
symbiotech's user avatar
  • 1,835
16 votes
2 answers
4k views

Quando si deve togliere la "e" finale di un verbo all'infinito?

So che a volte si deve scrivere un verbo all'infinito senza la "e" finale. Per esempio, scrivere Cerca di calmarti per poter pensare con chiarezza invece di Cerca di calmarti per potere pensare ...
Charo's user avatar
  • 38.8k
15 votes
4 answers
7k views

Perché a volte si scrive l'accento acuto sulla "i" o sulla "u"?

Ho osservato che alcuni autori usano l'accento acuto sulla "i" o sulla "u" nelle loro opere letterarie, cioè scrivono "í" o "ú" invece di "ì" o "ù". Perché si fa questo? Ecco alcuni esempi tratti da ...
Charo's user avatar
  • 38.8k
36 votes
2 answers
25k views

What is the rule for adjective order?

Some adjectives seem to change meaning depending on the position (before of after the noun), e.g. un bambino piccolo - a young child un piccolo bambino - a small child Other simply don't "sound ...
user avatar
18 votes
7 answers
65k views

What does "Boh!" mean, precisely?

I often heard people saying "Boh!" especially, but not only, when I stayed in Rome. However, I'm unsure what the intended meaning of "Boh!" is, either in Rome or elsewhere. Does it mean I don't know, ...
Kyriakos Kyritsis's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
315 views

Is this verb in subjunctive?

Could you please help me out with this subjunctive problem I've got? Is the verb tornare in this sentence in subjunctive? Aspetterò che torni come aspetto il sole If yes, then why isn't the verb ...
Cerbari Anatol's user avatar
16 votes
3 answers
10k views

When does passato prossimo become passato remoto?

I have searched past questions but cannot find an answer. Now I have reached a point in my learning when I am brave enough to use more then the present tense. I am confused about the difference ...
Jim's Mum's user avatar
  • 761
14 votes
1 answer
17k views

What is the correct way to format currency in Italian?

According to Wikipedia, Euro amounts should be written as: 1.006,28 € With the currency symbol behind. However, there are other websites that show it going in front for Italy, but behind for the ...
Jason's user avatar
  • 241
14 votes
2 answers
2k views

Are there rules for the positioning of clitic pronouns?

Are there rules for the positioning of clitic pronouns? Is there a preference between “poterlo dire” and “poter dirlo”, apart from how it sounds within a given sentence?
DaG's user avatar
  • 36.6k
13 votes
1 answer
3k views

"e" vs. "ed" seguito da vocale diversa da "e"

Alle elementari mi insegnarono a trasformare "e" in "ed" se era seguita da una qualunque vocale, mentre qualche anno fa a un corso di sceneggiatura l'insegnante disse che ultimamente si preferiva ...
o0'.'s user avatar
  • 829
11 votes
1 answer
295 views

Present perfect vs simple past from a geographical perspective

This question deals with the usage of passato prossimo vs passato remoto from a grammatical perspective and the answers cover the subject quite extensively. There is a hint at the geographical ...
user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
367 views

Can "si passivante" be constructed with null subject in certain contexts?

Consider the following exchange in which si passivante appears: A scuola, si leggono i libri? Surely a grammatical answer would be Sì, si leggono i libri. If I wanted to not mention "i libri" ...
JMC's user avatar
  • 500
5 votes
3 answers
640 views

Frase interrogativa: "È corretto ...?", "... è corretto?" oppure "È ... corretto?"

Nei commenti a questo post si è accennato un'argomento interessante: quello dell'ordinamento delle parole in una frase interrogativa. Ho pensato che questo argomento meriti una domanda perché, almeno ...
Charo's user avatar
  • 38.8k
4 votes
2 answers
172 views

Di tempo ormai ce n'è poco

I have heard the following line in a TV series: Di tempo ormai ce n'è poco The translation in the English subtitle was "Time is running out". Is there any difference in meaning between it and "il ...
Alan Evangelista's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

"Dammi un bacio": How to construct "dammi" from "dare"?

I understand dammi probably is a combination of dare and mi, but I would like to know how to construct it. And what is the grammar phenomenon behind it so I can search about it. Also, I translated ...
jxhyc's user avatar
  • 1,061
2 votes
1 answer
394 views

"Andare a quel posto" vs "andare in quel posto"

I have read the following sentence: Lei non vuole andare in quel posto. (= She does not want to go to that place) Is "andare a quel posto" also correct/usual?
Alan Evangelista's user avatar
20 votes
7 answers
4k views

An Italian book suitable for a beginner

I have been learning Italian for several months now and I am looking for a book --- the genre is not important --- suitable for someone with a rather basic understanding of the language. It need not ...
user12344567's user avatar
13 votes
4 answers
102k views

Quando si usano "egli", "ella", "esso", "essa", "essi", "esse" invece di "lui", "lei" o "loro"?

Non riesco a capire in quali situazioni è necessario o conveniente usare i pronomi "egli", "ella", "esso", "essa", "essi", "esse" invece di "lui", "lei" o "loro". Potreste spiegarmelo?
Charo's user avatar
  • 38.8k
12 votes
4 answers
345 views

Article comparison in "un francese e due svizzeri" and "uno svizzero e due francesi"

1) "un francese e due svizzeri" 2) "uno svizzero e due francesi" Do the bolded un and uno mean the same thing? If so, can 1) be rewritten this way: 3) "uno francese e due svizzeri" If not, can ...
Kyriakos Kyritsis's user avatar
11 votes
3 answers
4k views

Complete table of Italian irregular verbs

Is there a complete list of all Italian irregular verbs? I would appreciate it in particular to find a table that includes the various subregularities, too.
shuhalo's user avatar
  • 211
11 votes
2 answers
2k views

Possessive adjective with or without article for personal relationships

Take a look to these examples mio padre mia moglie mia zia mio suocero le mie zie i miei suoceri il mio amico la mia collega le mie vicine These are correct expressions. Less correct and more ...
bluish's user avatar
  • 374
10 votes
1 answer
3k views

When to use "andare a" vs "andare al, allo, alla, ai, agli, alle" vs "andare in"?

I'm trying to understand the rules but I don't seem to find a proper pattern. The main problem is my Spanish and French conflict with Italian... Io voglio andare a USA? Io voglio andare ai USA? Io ...
JOX's user avatar
  • 327
9 votes
1 answer
3k views

Using vicino or vicina

Can someone explain if there is a difference in meaning or usage between vicino and vicina. As far as I can tell, they seem to be interchangeable, yet I've seen both used.
user avatar
9 votes
5 answers
3k views

Difference between "darsi del tu" and "del lei"

In Italian there's the usage of "darsi del tu" (referring to your interlocutor in second person singular) and "darsi del lei" (using instead the feminine third person singular). What's the difference?...
Matteo Italia's user avatar
8 votes
3 answers
46k views

Essere vicino o vicina?

Tenendo conto del fatto che sono una donna, quale tra queste due frasi sarebbe la scelta giusta? Cerco di avere molta pazienza con i miei alunni e di essergli vicino. Cerco di avere molta ...
Charo's user avatar
  • 38.8k
8 votes
1 answer
1k views

“dei ‘Promessi Sposi’”, “di ‘I Promessi Sposi’” o “de ‘I Promessi Sposi’”?

Visto che nei commenti a un'altra domanda era emerso questo dubbio, ne faccio una domanda a sé. Quando si menziona un titolo che comprende un articolo (per esempio I Promessi Sposi) preceduto da una ...
DaG's user avatar
  • 36.6k
7 votes
1 answer
2k views

Raddoppiamento delle consonanti in parole composte: esiste qualche regola?

Nella formazione di parole composte ho osservato che molte volte si raddoppiano consonanti che sono semplici nei vocaboli da cui provviene la parola composta. Per esempio: così + detto --> ...
Charo's user avatar
  • 38.8k
7 votes
3 answers
14k views

Sull'uso di "gli" come terza persona plurale del pronome personale complemento di termine

In un commento a questo post si è menzionato che usare "gli" invece di "loro" per la terza persona plurale del pronome personale complemento di termine "si sente sempre di ...
Charo's user avatar
  • 38.8k
7 votes
2 answers
1k views

The "della" in "Vorrei dell'uva"

What does the "della" in the sentence "Vorrei dell'uva" mean? I checked it with the following website: http://www.analisi-grammaticale.biz and the result was, that it stands for an "articolo ...
Daiz's user avatar
  • 395
6 votes
2 answers
3k views

Baciato vs Baciata

Se devo dire che ho baciato una ragazza, cosa devo dire? L'ho baciato L'ho baciata Il primo mi sembra più corretto, perché sta per "ho baciato lei", però sento sempre dire il secondo. Quale dei due ...
Matteo's user avatar
  • 254
4 votes
1 answer
235 views

Venga da me - meaning of "da"

I know that "da" may mean to/at, when someone is talking about "one's place/home" or "one's work place", as "chez" in French. Examples: Devo portare il piccolo Luigi dal pediatra. (I must take the ...
Alan Evangelista's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
328 views

Perché è "in Alba" con la preposizione "in"?

Ecco l'inizio del romanzo La luna e i falò, di Cesare Pavese:       C’è una ragione perché sono tornato in questo paese, qui e non invece a Canelli, a Barbaresco o in Alba. Il fatto ...
Charo's user avatar
  • 38.8k
4 votes
1 answer
347 views

Problem using subjunctive mood in different tenses

How are these sentences translated this in Italian? I am having problem using the congiuntivo. If I had asked it later, she wouldn't have accepted it. If I had her number I would call her. If I had ...
FabioSpaghetti's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
378 views

Redundant direct object pronoun

I have heard the following rhetorical question in a movie: Lo sai che l'avvocato è l'unico che può farti uscire? The direct object "lo" seems redundant to me, as the sentence "che l'avvocato è..." ...
Alan Evangelista's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
3k views

"Mai ... fu/furono ..." oppure "mai ... non fu/furono ..."?

Quale tra questi due costrutti è quello che si usa in italiano per dare alla frase un senso superlativo in modo enfatico: "mai ... fu/furono ..." oppure "mai ... non fu/furono ..."? (o un altro verbo ...
Charo's user avatar
  • 38.8k
3 votes
1 answer
7k views

Il passato progressivo (stare all'imperfetto + il gerundio o l'imperfetto)?

Ciao! I was curious how the English "Past Continuous" tense is translated in Italian. In many cases online I have seen it written as either of the two options: 1) Stare (l'imperfetto) + verbo (il ...
pj2452's user avatar
  • 293
3 votes
1 answer
453 views

Indicative or subjunctive after "chiedere"

I understand that the subjunctive is used on a dependent clause when the subjects of the main clause and of the dependent clause are different and after verbs which express order, permission, opinion, ...
Alan Evangelista's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
13k views

Imperfetto indicativo al posto del congiuntivo

Noto che spesso viene usato l'imperfetto al posto del congiuntivo, per esempio: se io facevo avrei, se io studiavo avrei... Quando è accettabile?
Ruggero Turra's user avatar
44 votes
15 answers
105k views

Can I say bravo to a female performer?

Everywhere in the world after a successful performance like a live music show or theater play, you can hear audience yelling "Bravo!" to the performers regardless of their gender or number. Is this ...
Vado a fare la spesa's user avatar
21 votes
5 answers
17k views

What is the difference between 'mucca' and 'vacca'?

A textbook of mine translates 'cow' with 'vacca', Duolingo has 'mucca'. Is there a difference?
pesche's user avatar
  • 321
21 votes
1 answer
7k views

Are "che", "che cosa" and "cosa" interchangeable in simple "what questions"?

When I want to ask "what do you have for breakfast?", can I use any of the three, "che", "che cosa", or "cosa", to ask the question? I'm not referring to specific structures like "che ore sono?".
Vic's user avatar
  • 2,121
20 votes
5 answers
901 views

Plural form of "olio"

Wikipedia lists some rules and suggests that the plural form of olio is olii. I used to think that oli sounds (and writes) better, and Dizionario d'ortografia e di pronunzia confirms that. Treccani, ...
I.M.'s user avatar
  • 5,128
17 votes
3 answers
10k views

How should I translate "mica" adverb into English?

I sometimes guess the meaning in some uses of the Italian "mica" adverb, but I don't know how to exactly translate it into English. Let's consider these examples from Treccani: non è mica ...
symbiotech's user avatar
  • 1,835
11 votes
1 answer
274 views

PrEndere but tenEre

Could anyone refer me to a rule explaining why verbs ending with -ere have different stressed syllables? What I have understood so far is that I should look them up in the dictionary. Thank you
Logan Xav's user avatar
  • 113
11 votes
1 answer
17k views

“Riguardo” o “riguardo a”?

Nel testo di questa domanda qualcuno ha corretto le parole “Ho un dubbio riguardo all'uso della parola...” in “Ho un dubbio riguardo l'uso della parola...” commentando “riguardo all'uso is sloppy ...
DaG's user avatar
  • 36.6k
11 votes
4 answers
40k views

What is the difference between “ti amo” and “ti voglio bene”?

Can we use “ti amo” for expressing love between siblings? And we use “ti voglio bene” for expressing love between two passionate lovers?
keramus's user avatar
  • 689

15 30 50 per page
1
2 3 4 5
8