Italian Grammar: Your Guide to Easily Understanding Basic Rules

How to structure sentences in Italian for proper word order

You can build a sentence in Italian just like in English, using the basic structure of subject + verb + noun.

• Carlo vuole una pizza. = Carlo wants a pizza.

However, there are four things to know about word order in Italian. Knowing these will help you construct sentences in Italian properly.

Dropping the subject

When talking about yourself, or when the subject is clear from context because it has already been mentioned, you can drop the subject. Italians do this all the time, so it can be confusing if you don’t know that’s what is happening.

• Io sto guidando. = I am driving.
• Tu sei molto simpatico. = You are very funny.
• Carlo è qui con me. Noi stiamo andando in spiaggia. = Carlo is here with me. We are going to the beach.

Asking questions

In Italian, the word order doesn’t change when asking a question. Intonation, or a question mark in writing, will get the job done. Simply raise your voice on the last word or syllable to indicate a question. Easy peasy!

• Mary ha chiuso la porta? = Did Mary shut the door?
• Mary ha chiuso la porta. = Mary closed the door.

Using the negative form

To build a negation sentence in Italian is straightforward yet a little different from English.

• Basic negation: Use the negation non before the verb.
  • Non capisco. (I don’t understand.)
• Double negatives: They are common and used for emphasis.
  • Non ho visto nessuno. (I didn’t see anyone. It’s like wrongly saying in English: “I didn’t see nobody.”)

Placing adjectives correctly

Unlike in English, Italian adjectives come after the noun like this: Ho visto un tramonto stupendo. (I saw a beautiful sunset.)

However, this rule is flexible, so placing the adjective before the noun is acceptable and won’t change the meaning. If you do, it will make you sound a little more poetic: Ho visto un bellissimo tramonto.

Formal and informal address in Italian

Deciding whether to address someone formally or informally is crucial in Italian. Using the correct form in each situation can prevent misunderstandings and social faux pas. Italian uses two forms of address: tu and lei. Knowing when to use each is straightforward, just keep in mind a couple of key rules.

Tu means “you” (singular). It is like calling someone by their first name. It’s friendly, casual, and relaxed. Use it with:

• Friends
• Family
• People your age or younger

Lei is the synonym of “she/him” and the Italian version of saying “mister” or “miss.” In Italy, we call it dare del lei (literally, “give the she/him”). It’s respectful, polite, and formal. Use it with:

• Strangers
• Older people
• In professional settings

Remember to adapt Italian greetings to the tone. Ciao (hi) fits better the sentences with tu. For formal situations, it is better to use greetings like buongiorno (good morning), buonasera (good evening), or salve (which is like “hi” but a little more formal).

Voi (the plural “you”) is still used in some areas, especially in South Italy, though it is considered archaic in other regions.

Italian grammar rules for articles

When learning Italian, you’ll need to know that they can be singular, plural, feminine, or masculine. But, like in English, they can also be definite or indefinite. The difference is in the function.

Definite articles are like “the” in English. They refer to a specific noun already known to the speaker and listener or a noun that was previously mentioned in the conversation.

Indefinite articles are like “a/an” in English. They are used when the singular noun’s identity is unknown or not specified. Italian does not have plural forms of indefinite articles. Instead, you use expressions like alcuni (some) or dei/delle (some). For example, alcuni libri (some books) or delle case (some houses).

Plurals and genders for Italian nouns

Italian nouns indicate who or what is doing the action (the subject) or having that action done to it (the object). So, it is crucial to understand how they work in Italian grammar. Like English, common nouns can be singular or plural. However, common Italian nouns also have a gender. And articles must always correlate to the gender and number of the nouns.

The key is to think of Italian nouns as a combination of a root (the initial part of a word that does not change) and the desinenza (ending), the final part that varies depending on number and gender. Looking at the ending, you can tell if a word is singular or plural and what its gender is, which makes it easier to know which article to pair.

There are some exceptions, though, which you’ll want to be familiar with.

Masculine nouns ending with “-a.” The plural ends in “-i.” 

• problema/problemi = problem/problems

Professional names ending in “-ista” have the same form in both genders when singular. But the plural is different. For example, with il dentista/la dentista (the dentist), only the article changes with the gender, but the plural is different: i dentisti/le dentiste.

Some nouns are invariable in the plural:

• All nouns that accentuate the last letter, like il caffè/i caffè (coffee/coffees)
• Female nouns ending in “-si” or “-o” (except for la mano/le mani = hand/hands)
• All loanwords from foreign languages, like l’hotel/gli hotel.

Adjectives adapt to the noun gender and follow the same Italian grammar rules:

• Questa stanza è luminosa. (feminine) = This room is bright.
• Questo salotto è luminoso. (masculine) = This living room is bright.

Italian grammar rules for verbs

Italian verb conjugation may be the toughest part of Italian grammar for a native English speaker. There are so many variations to learn, but Rosetta Stone’s Live Lessons can help you improve your conjugation skills.

There are four things to keep in mind when conjugating verbs.

• The way the verbs end in the infinitive. These are called coniugazioni (conjugations). These will dictate how each verb will vary. Verbs can end with “-are,” “-ere,” and “-ire.”
• The type of sentence. There are seven modi verbali (verb moods). The verb mood can vary depending on the intention of the sentence. Italian speakers use different verb variations to explain something and to give an order, for example.
• The situation. The tempi (tenses) express actions occurring in the present, past, and future or for hypothetical situations.
• The subject that is taking action. Verbs can vary depending on whether it’s you, another person, or a group doing something. Look how a regular verb like leggere (to read) changes depending on the person in the simple present tense:
  • Io leggo
  • Tu leggi
  • Egli legge
  • Noi leggiamo
  • Voi leggete
  • Essi leggono

Practice is key to mastering Italian verbs, so take your time. Here’s a little secret: even native Italians sometimes second-guess their verb forms, so hang in there. You’ll get it right!

Verb tenses and mood in Italian

Using the proper verb conjugation in Italian is essential to delivering your message. Conjugating a verb correctly will tell your audience who is taking the action (even when the subject it’s not mentioned), when (the tenses), and what the intention is (the verb moods).

Italian verbs vary according to seven verb moods. Each mood has its own tenses for a total of 21 tenses.

This may sound like a lot. The good news is that you need just four of them to start most conversations in Italian: presente (present), passato prossimo (present perfect), imperfetto (imperfect), and futuro semplice (simple future). 

Modo indicativo (indicative mood) in Italian

The modo indicativo is the one you will use the most in your daily conversations. It states facts, describes reality, and expresses certainty. 

• Parlo italiano. = I speak Italian.

The following chart uses the verb parlare (to speak) as an example of how the ending of a regular verb varies across different tenses. For irregular verbs, you may need to learn them as you go.

Parlare – to speak

There are a few other verb forms for additional conversations that are a little more advanced: trapassato prossimo (past perfect), passato remoto (remote past), trapassato remoto (preterite perfect), futuro anterior (future perfect).

Parlare – to speak

There are a few other moods for common verbs in Italian that you’ll want to learn after getting familiar with the indicative mood.

• modo congiuntivo (subjunctive mood) which expresses uncertain contexts, such as doubt, wishes, emotions, hypothetical situations, or opinions.
• condizionale (conditional) describes what would happen under certain circumstances.
• imperativo (imperative) is used to give commands in direct speech.
• Infinito (infinitive) uses the verb’s infinitive form after other verbs and prepositions.
• participio (participles) are used to build compound tenses or can function as an adjective.
• gerundio describes an action in progress or how an action is performed.

Understanding Italian adverbs

Adverbs in Italian, just like in English, are used to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They provide additional information about how, when, where, and to what extent an action is performed.

Common adverbs are: sempre (always), mai (never), molto (very), and bene (well). 

Many adverbs are formed by adding “-mente” to the feminine singular form of adjectives. This is similar to adding “-ly” in English. For example, rapidamente (rapidly) or chiaramente (clearly.)

Here are some common Italian phrases that include adverbs:

• Lei è sempre molto gentile. (formal) = You are always very kind.
• Sono sempre di fretta. = I’m always in a hurry. 
• Il caffè è troppo caldo. = The coffee is too hot.
• Come posso arrivarci rapidamente? = How can I get there quickly?

Possessive pronouns and adjectives in Italian

Possessive adjectives and pronouns show ownership or who something belongs to – whether it’s a personal belonging, a family member, or a part of something.

The difference between the two is simple:

• Possessive adjectives precede the noun and have the same gender and number as the noun they modify.
  • Questa è la mia bici. = This is my bike.
• Possessive pronouns replace the noun and coincide in gender and number with the noun they refer to.
  • Questo cappotto è nero. Il mio è grigio. = This coat is black. Mine is gray.

Capitalization in Italian

The Italian grammar rules about capitalization say you must use maiuscolo or lettere maiuscole (capital letters) in two cases:

• Capitalize the first letter of the first word in a sentence, after a full stop, exclamation point, or question mark, and to start a quotation.
  • Che bello! Oggi andremo a Firenze. = How wonderful! Today we will go to Florence.
  • Lei mi ha detto: «Questo libro è fantastico!». = She told me: “This book is fantastic!”
• Capitalize the nomi propri (proper nouns) of persons, animals, gods, places, geographical areas, buildings, trademarks, historical eras or movements, and official holidays.
  • Il mio cane si chiama Luna. = My dog’s name is Luna.
  • Il padre degli dei greci era Zeus. = The father of the Greek gods was Zeus.
  • Vivo a Trastevere. = I live in Trastevere.
  • La Sardegna è un’isola del mar Mediterraneo. = Sardinia is an island in the Mediterranean Sea.
  • Ho visitato il Colosseo. = I visited the Colosseum. 
  • Mi piace la pittura del Rinascimento. = I like Renaissance painting.
  • Passeremo il Natale insieme. = We will spend Christmas together.

There are some exceptions to the capitalization rules above:

• After a direct quotation, you can use an initial lowercase for continuity.
  • «Il dado è tratto!», disse Giulio Cesare. = “The die is cast!” said Julius Caesar.
• In poetry, every verse starts with a capital letter despite punctuation.
• Names of institutions, associations, and political parties may use capital letters for every word as a sign of respect.
  • la Chiesa Cattolica/la Chiesa cattolica = the Catholic Church
  • lo Stato Italiano = the Italian State
  • la Repubblica (the republic – when used as a synonym of Italy)
• Acronyms and abbreviations can be all caps
  • FIAT/Fiat (The car company Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino)
  • CdA (consiglio d’amministrazione = board of directors)
  • Sig./Sig.ra (abbreviation of Signor and Signora you can find in official documents or letters. It means “mister/miss.”)

Capitalization differences between Italian and English

There are scenarios in which the difference between the two languages is clear and others in which Italian doesn’t have a defined rule.

• You don’t need to capitalize every word in Italian book titles like in English.
  • La grammatica italiana = The Italian Grammar
• Nationalities don’t need capital letters in Italian, except when they refer to ancient populations.
  • i Romani (ancient Romans)/i romani (modern people from the city of Rome)
• Months, days, and languages are always lowercase in Italian.
  • lunedì = Monday
  • luglio = July
  • Io parlo italiano. = I speak Italian.

• Pronouns are never capitalized, except if they are the first word of a sentence.
• Em dashes are not part of Italian punctuation, so there is no rule for them. However, they sometimes appear in modern journalism. Capital or lowercase words may follow as a style choice.

Frequently asked questions about Italian grammar rules

Learning Italian is an exciting journey for language enthusiasts. If you are taking your first steps or wondering if it will be a good fit for you, this section answers common questions and provides insights to help you navigate the nuances of Italian grammar.

Is Italian grammar harder to learn than English?

Due to some similarities of words, many people consider Italian relatively easy to learn for English speakers. For example, the sentence structure in Italian is almost the same as in English. However, Italian grammar has some nuances that can be challenging, such as using different genders for all nouns, articles, and adjectives. 

Italian is not a difficult language to learn—reaching professional working proficiency takes about 24-30 weeks. According to the Foreign Service Institute, the most difficult languages take 88 weeks to learn.

Why is this so different from English? Italian is a Romance language, part of the family that evolved from Roman Latin and its local dialects, known as vulgar Latin. This family of languages includes Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Romanian.

On the other hand, English is a Germanic language, like Danish, Norwegian, and Dutch. Yet nearly 60% of English words have Latin origins due to the Normans’ Old French influence, who conquered and ruled England from 1066 to 1250. So as you begin learning grammar in Italian, you can feel confident that there will be plenty of crossover to help you learn the language, especially if you already know Spanish or Portuguese.

What’s the hardest part of learning Italian?

Verbs are the most challenging since there are many tenses and irregular forms. Fun fact: one of the most common mistakes made by native Italian speakers is using the indicativo (indicative) instead of the congiuntivo (subjunctive). For example, you should say, Spero che lui arrivi presto (I hope he arrives soon), but you often hear Spero che lui arriva presto. So don’t worry if you don’t get all your verb tenses correct!

When can I switch from formal lei to informal tu?

If you feel it’s time to make the conversation more friendly, ask: Posso dare del tu? which means “Can I use ‘tu’ with you?”

It’s polite to ask even when you just met someone. However, be aware that it can come across as quite cold if someone responds with a “no” to this question. So, if you prefer to maintain formality and distance, lei is better until the other person suggests switching to tu.

Why do natives speak differently from Italian grammar rules?

Dialects and convenience heavily influence Italian speakers. So when you hear native speakers talking, you may notice they break many rules, like cutting words, using “wrong” verbs, or even changing the sentence structure.

This is perfectly normal in a country like Italy, where every region still uses its own dialect to create many of the languages spoken in Italy. The best way to be prepared for the native use (or lack) of Italian grammar is to practice speaking with a native Italian tutor through your Rosetta Stone app!