Grammar
Italian Articles: When to Use il, lo, la, i, gli and le
The noun tells you its gender and number; its first sound helps choose the article. Use this guide to choose Italian articles without memorizing every phrase.
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Learning guides
Italian grammar, explained in English.
Every grammar guide we publish, gathered in one place - verb tenses, pronouns, prepositions, pronunciation and the errors English speakers repeat most. Written by our teaching team, with example sentences you can take straight into a lesson.
What these guides cover
Verbs and tenses
Passato prossimo against imperfetto, the future, the conditional, the subjunctive, the imperative and the past perfect - when each one is used, and why the English equivalent is a trap.
Pronouns and prepositions
Direct and indirect object pronouns, reflexive verbs, comparatives and superlatives, and the seven prepositions that refuse to map one-to-one onto English.
Sounds and common errors
Pronunciation, stress and double consonants, connectors that make speech flow, false friends, and the mistakes English speakers repeat most often.
All grammar guides
21 guides · updated as we publish
Grammar
Essere vs Avere in Italian: Conjugation, Uses and Examples
Essere means “to be” and avere means “to have,” but Italian uses them in expressions English builds differently. Learn both verbs in real sentences.
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Grammar
Italian Present Tense: Regular -are, -ere and -ire Verbs
The Italian present tense handles what you do now, what you do regularly and some near-future plans. Three ending patterns make regular verbs predictable.
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Grammar
Most Common Italian Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense
Irregular Italian verbs are common enough to learn early. Start with the verbs you need to say where you go, what you do and what you can do.
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Grammar
Italian Noun Gender and Plurals: Rules and Exceptions
Italian nouns have a grammatical gender and a singular or plural form. Their endings give helpful clues, but the article and the whole phrase matter more.
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Grammar
Italian Possessive Adjectives: Mio, Tuo, Suo and Loro
Italian possessives agree with the thing owned, not the owner. Once you learn the article pattern and the family exception, everyday phrases become clearer.
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Grammar
Ci vs Ne in Italian: Meanings, Placement and Examples
Ci often points to a place or replaces “to/about it”; ne often replaces “of it” or a quantity. Learn the question each pronoun answers.
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Grammar
Italian Linking Words: Connectors for Fluent Speech & Writing
Linking words transform choppy Italian into fluent discourse. Learn connectors for cause, contrast, addition, and conclusion-with examples for speaking and writing.
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Grammar
Italian Trapassato Prossimo: Past Perfect Tense Explained
The trapassato prossimo describes what had happened before another past event. Master formation with imperfetto auxiliaries and know when it replaces English past perfect.
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Grammar
Italian Comparatives & Superlatives: più, meno, and -issimo
Compare people, places, and things in Italian with più and meno, build superlatives with -issimo, and master irregular forms like migliore and peggiore.
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Grammar
Italian Imperative: Complete Guide to Commands (Imperativo)
The Italian imperative turns requests into clear commands-from ordering coffee to giving directions. Learn all forms, irregular verbs, and negative commands with practical examples.
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Grammar
Italian Prepositions: Complete Guide to a, di, da, in, su, per, con, tra
Italian prepositions confuse even advanced learners. This complete guide explains every major preposition with rules, examples, and the crucial combined forms.
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Grammar
Italian Reflexive Verbs (Verbi Riflessivi): The Complete Guide
Italian reflexive verbs are essential for talking about daily routines. Learn how to conjugate them, when to use essere, and the most important vocabulary.
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Grammar
Italian Object Pronouns: How to Use mi, ti, lo, la, ci, vi, li, le
Italian object pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition. This guide covers direct, indirect, and combined pronoun forms with rules and real examples.
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Grammar
Italian Future Tense: Complete Guide to Futuro Semplice and Anteriore
The Italian future tense is more versatile than you think. Learn to form it, use it for predictions and probability, and know when the present tense works better.
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Grammar
Italian Conditional Tense: How to Use Condizionale Presente and Passato
The Italian conditional is essential for polite requests, wishes, and hypothetical situations. Master condizionale presente and passato with clear rules and examples.
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Grammar
Italian Pronunciation Guide: Sounds, Stress & Double Consonants
A complete Italian pronunciation guide for English speakers-vowels, tricky consonants, double consonants, word stress, and practical drills.
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Grammar
Italian Subjunctive Made Simple: The Complete Congiuntivo Guide
A practical guide to the Italian subjunctive: when to use it, how to form it, and the most useful phrases to learn at B1 and B2.
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Grammar
Passato Prossimo vs Imperfetto: The Complete Italian Guide
Clear rules, contrast examples, and memory tricks for choosing between passato prossimo and imperfetto-the #1 challenge for Italian learners.
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Grammar
Italian False Friends: 40 Words That Fool English Speakers
False cognates between Italian and English catch learners off-guard. This guide lists 40+ confusing pairs with correct meanings and usage examples.
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Grammar
Common Italian Grammar Mistakes English Speakers Make
Frequent Italian grammar mistakes for English speakers-gender, verbs, past tenses, pronouns-and how to fix them with focused practice.
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