Are you learning Italian and want your way of speaking to sound truly natural? Then you absolutely must avoid those common mistakes that immediately betray a foreigner. In this article you’ll discover the 10 (+1) most frequent errors that prevent you from speaking like a real Italian.
Once you’ve learned to recognize and avoid them, your Italian will appear much more fluent and authentic!
10 Mistakes to Avoid to Sound Like a Native Speaker
Speaking of mistakes, in this article you’ll find 10 to avoid to not make an Italian mother angry.
1. Incorrect Use of “Bello” and “Quello” Before Nouns
One of the most common mistakes concerns the use of “bello” and “quello” before nouns. Many students incorrectly say:
❌ WRONG:
- Belli amici [beautiful friends]
- Quelli libri [those books]
✅ CORRECT:
- Begli amici [beautiful friends]
- Quei libri [those books]
The fundamental rule: “bello” and “quello” used before a noun or adjective function exactly like definite articles. So we’ll say:
- Bell’amico [beautiful friend] (like “l’amico”)
- Begli amici [beautiful friends] (like “gli amici”)
- Quel libro [that book] (like “il libro”)
- Quei libri [those books] (like “i libri”)
- Quell’albero [that tree] (like “l’albero”)
- Quegli alberi [those trees] (like “gli alberi”)
Remember: “belli” and “quelli” should NEVER be used before a noun! These are forms used only when the adjective is separated from the noun.
2. Millions and Billions: A Single “L” and the Preposition “Di”
A very common mistake concerns the writing of “milioni” and “miliardi” [millions and billions]. Attention: in Italian they have a single “L”!
✅ CORRECT:
- Un milione di euro [one million euros]
- Un miliardo di persone [one billion people]
Important rule: After “milione” or “miliardo” never forget the preposition “DI”!
Exceptions to remember:
- If after “milione” (or “miliardo”) there’s another quantity, the preposition is no longer used: “Un milione e 520mila persone“ [one million and 520 thousand people]
- The preposition “DI” returns with “e mezzo”: “Un milione e mezzo di persone“ [one and a half million people], “Un milione e mezzo di euro“ [one and a half million euros]
3. Verbs That Require the Auxiliary “Essere”
Many students think that only verbs of movement or verbs of state change require the auxiliary “essere” [to be] in compound tenses. But beware! There are other important verbs that use “essere”:
- Piacere [to please/like]: “Quel libro non mi è piaciuto per niente” [I didn’t like that book at all]
- Costare [to cost]: “Questa casa è costata molto” [This house cost a lot] / “Questo viaggio è costato molto” [This trip cost a lot]
- Durare [to last]: “Il film è durato troppo” [The movie lasted too long]
- Mancare [to miss]: “Voi mi siete mancati” [I missed you]
These verbs are often forgotten by foreign students, but they’re fundamental for speaking Italian correctly!
4. Repetition: Imperfect vs Present Perfect
Many students get confused when they need to express repetition in the past. The question is: when to use the imperfect and when the present perfect?
The rule is simple but crucial:
- IMPERFECT = repetition not determined in number
- PRESENT PERFECT = repetition with a determined number
Practical examples:
- “Da bambina mangiavo spesso i biscotti” [As a child I often ate cookies] (we don’t know how many times)
- “Da bambina ho mangiato 10 volte i biscotti” [As a child I ate cookies 10 times] (precise number)
- “Ve l’ho ripetuto mille volte!” [I’ve repeated it to you a thousand times!] (determined number, even if exaggerated)
5. Andare vs Venire: The Difference That Makes the Difference
One of the hardest mistakes to correct concerns the use of “andare” and “venire” [to go and to come]. The difference is fundamental for sounding natural:
- ANDARE = indicates moving away from the speaker (or listener)
- VENIRE = indicates approaching toward the speaker (or listener)
Clarifying examples:
- “Tu vai a Parigi” [You’re going to Paris] (I’m not in Paris)
- “Tu vieni a Parigi” [You’re coming to Paris] (I’m in Paris)
- “Io vado a Parigi” [I’m going to Paris] (the listener is not in Paris)
- “Io vengo a Parigi” [I’m coming to Paris] (the listener is in Paris)
Important special case: VENIRE is also used when the speaker and listener move TOGETHER toward the same destination, even if neither of them is there.
Example:
- “Stasera vado al cinema.” [Tonight I’m going to the movies.]
- “Vengo anche io!” [I’m coming too!] (with you, together, to that place)
Also in indirect cases: “Ho chiesto a Sara e lei ha deciso di venire in vacanza con noi.” [I asked Sara and she decided to come on vacation with us.]
6. Dates: How to Express Them Correctly
Expressing dates in Italian has a precise and simple rule that many foreigners get wrong:
Correct formula: IL + day number + month
Examples:
- Il 3 maggio [May 3rd]
- Il 21 dicembre [December 21st]
- L’8 novembre [November 8th] (apostrophe because the number starts with a vowel)
- L’11 gennaio [January 11th] (apostrophe because the number starts with a vowel)
Special attention: when the day number starts with a vowel (1, 8, 11), the article “il” becomes “l'” with an apostrophe.
One place to learn Italian
Join the LearnAmo Academy7. “Prendere” vs “Fare”: A Very Common Mistake
Many students incorrectly use the verb “prendere” [to take] in situations where they should use “fare” [to do/make].
❌ WRONG:
- Prendere una foto [take a photo]
- Prendere una doccia [take a shower]
- Prendere una pausa [take a break]
- Prendere una passeggiata [take a walk]
✅ CORRECT:
- Fare una foto [take a photo]
- Fare una doccia [take a shower]
- Fare una pausa [take a break]
- Fare una passeggiata [take a walk]
The rule to remember: PRENDERE indicates physically grabbing something and bringing it close to oneself. In all other cases, especially with daily actions, use FARE.
8. “Tutti Che” vs “Tutti Quelli Che”: A Serious Grammatical Error
This is an error that sounds really bad to the ears of a native Italian speaker:
❌ WRONG:
- Tutti che vengono in Italia, si innamorano [Everyone who comes to Italy falls in love]
- Tutti che conosco hanno una casa al mare [Everyone I know has a house by the sea]
- Tutto che ho fatto ieri era studiare italiano [All I did yesterday was study Italian]
✅ CORRECT:
- Tutti quelli che vengono in Italia, si innamorano [Everyone who comes to Italy falls in love]
- Tutti quelli che conosco hanno una casa al mare [Everyone I know has a house by the sea]
- Tutto quello che ho fatto ieri era studiare italiano [All I did yesterday was study Italian]
The correct forms to use are:
- TUTTO QUELLO CHE [everything that]
- TUTTO CIÒ CHE [everything that]
- TUTTI QUELLI CHE [everyone who]
- TUTTE QUELLE CHE…
9. The Gerund and the Subject: A Fundamental Rule
The gerund in Italian has a very precise rule that is often violated by foreigners. Consider this sentence:
“Vedo la gente camminando“ [I see people walking]
Is it right or wrong? IT DEPENDS! The crucial question is: who is walking?
Case 1 – CORRECT:
- “Vedo la gente camminando” [I see people while walking] (I walk while I see the people)
Case 2 – INCORRECT:
- “Vedo la gente camminando” [I see people walking] (if we want to say that the people are walking)
Fundamental rule: You can use the gerund in the implicit form only if the subject of the gerund is the same as the main verb.
If you want to say that the people are walking, you must use:
- “Vedo la gente CHE CAMMINA“ [I see people WHO ARE WALKING] (the people walk!)
10. “Bello” as an Adverb: A Completely Italian Usage
The last mistake concerns a particular use of “bello” as an adverb. In this case, “bello” means “very”, “perfectly”, “quite” and agrees in gender and number with the adjective that follows.
Correct examples:
- “Mangia questo panino: è bello caldo!” [Eat this sandwich: it’s nice and hot!] (very hot)
- “Mangia questa pizza: è bella croccante!” [Eat this pizza: it’s nice and crispy!] (very crispy)
- “Dopo questa camminata, siamo belli stanchi!” [After this walk, we’re nice and tired!] (very tired)
Pay attention to agreement:
- Bello + masculine singular adjective = bello caldo
- Bella + feminine singular adjective = bella croccante
- Belli + masculine plural adjective = belli stanchi
This usage is typically colloquial and very Italian: learning it will make you sound truly like a native speaker!
Summary Table of the Most Common Mistakes
| MISTAKE | INCORRECT FORM | CORRECT FORM |
|---|---|---|
| Bello + noun | Belli amici | Begli amici |
| Quello + noun | Quelli libri | Quei libri |
| Millions | Un millione di euro | Un milione di euro |
| Daily actions | Prendere una foto | Fare una foto |
| Relative pronouns | Tutti che conosco | Tutti quelli che conosco |
| Dates | 3 maggio | Il 3 maggio |
| Movement | Vado con te (if you’re already there) | Vengo con te |
Never Be Fooled by Appearances in Italian!
As you can see, Italian is a language rich in nuances and particularities that can easily deceive even the most advanced students. The key to speaking like a real Italian is paying attention to details and never taking anything for granted.
Remember that these mistakes are very common and correcting them will make you take a big step forward in your mastery of the Italian language. Constant practice and attention to these grammatical aspects will help you develop that naturalness that distinguishes those who truly speak Italian well.
Italian, like all languages, has its implicit rules and subtle conventions that are learned with time and experience. Don’t get discouraged if at first these aspects seem complicated to you: even native speakers had to learn them gradually during their growth!
Want to take Italian lessons with our qualified native speaker teachers? Purchase your Intensive Italian package!
If you don’t want to be deceived by appearances, learn all the nuances of the verb INGANNARE by reading this article
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