Grammar, untangled
The concepts that confuse learners most, explained simply — with examples and the classic mistakes to avoid.
Essere vs. Stare
Both can mean “to be” — but Italian uses them very differently from Spanish.
Read guidePassato prossimo vs. Imperfetto
The most common past-tense puzzle: completed events vs. background and habits.
Read guideAvere or Essere in compound tenses?
How to pick the right helping verb — and when the past participle has to agree.
Read guideArticulated prepositions (del, nella, sugli…)
Why “in the” becomes nel, nella, negli — a complete chart and how to read it.
Read guideHow “piacere” really works
Italian doesn't say “I like pizza” — it says “pizza is pleasing to me”.
Read guideConoscere vs. Sapere
Two verbs for “to know” — one for people and places, one for facts and skills.
Read guideThe particles ci and ne
Two tiny words that replace whole phrases — and why Italians use them constantly.
Read guideTu, Lei and Voi: being polite
When to switch to the formal “you” — and why it uses the third person.
Read guideBuono, bello and quello
Three adjectives that change shape before a noun, just like the definite article.
Read guideDirect vs. indirect object pronouns
Lo or gli? La or le? Learn which verbs take which pronoun.
Read guideReflexive verbs
Mi chiamo, mi sveglio, mi piace? How reflexives work and when they aren't really reflexive.
Read guideThe partitive: del, della, dei…
How to say “some” and “any” — and when to leave it out entirely.
Read guideSurprising uses of the future
Italians use the future for guesses, and the present for plans. Here's how.
Read guideWhen to use the congiuntivo
The words and feelings that trigger the subjunctive, with a cheat sheet.
Read guideDa, per and fa with time
“For” and “ago” in Italian are not what English speakers expect.
Read guidePiù di or più che?
Comparatives, superlatives and the irregular migliore / meglio pair.
Read guideCompound Nouns: The Three Bridges (a, di, da)
English stacks nouns — “coffee cup”, “steam engine”. Italian links them with a, di or da, and each bridge means something different.
Read guideVerb Stacking: The Two-Step Flowchart (Zero, A, or Di)
“I want to leave”, “I decided to go”, “I started to understand” — when two verbs meet, a quick two-step check tells you whether to use che, a, di, or nothing at all.
Read guidePossessives: when to drop the article
Il mio libro but mia madre — why family words lose the article, and when they get it back.
Read guideThe imperative (and the negative tu trick)
Giving commands in Italian — including why 'don't speak' is non parlare, not non parla.
Read guideDouble pronouns: me lo, glielo and friends
How to say 'give it to me' — the indirect pronoun goes first and changes shape.
Read guideSi impersonale and si passivante
Si mangia bene, si vendono case — how Italian says 'one', 'people' and 'is done'.
Read guideThe conditional: politeness, wishes and rumours
Vorrei, dovresti, sarebbe — four everyday jobs of the condizionale.
Read guideIndicative vs. subjunctive: matching the tenses
Voglio che tu parta, vorrei che tu partissi — how the first verb decides the mood and tense of the second.
Read guide