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Have you ever heard an Italian say “Vieni su!“ [Come up!], “Butta via quella roba!“ [Throw that stuff away!] or “Metti giù il telefono!“ [Put the phone down!] without understanding what they meant? Those are Italian phrasal verbs: expressions widely used in everyday spoken Italian, yet almost absent from grammar books. If you want to understand real Italian — the kind spoken on the street, at the bar, and at home — you absolutely need to know them.

Words like «per favore» [please], «mi dispiace» [I’m sorry], «sto bene» [I’m fine], «sono stanco» [I’m tired], «sono triste» [I’m sad] and «mi annoio» [I’m bored] are among the most used in Italian — but always using them only in their basic form can make your Italian sound repetitive and unnatural. In this article you will find 30 alternatives to enrich your vocabulary and speak in a more varied, precise and authentic way.

Understanding irony in a foreign language is the highest level of proficiency. Italian humor relies heavily on double meanings, on words that sound similar, and on specific cultural references — which is not easy at all. Let’s look together at a selection of Italian jokes and punchlines, with an explanation of the irony behind each one.

How well do you really know Italian grammar? With this quiz you will be able to test your real level on some of the most insidious points of the language — collective nouns, pronouns, subjunctive, conditional and much more. 10 questions, one correct answer for each: find out how many you know.

Have you ever wondered why some foreigners speak Italian so naturally and sophisticatedly that they almost seem like native speakers? The secret lies in mastering certain advanced grammar topics. These 10 topics will allow you to express yourself with the precision and elegance of a true Italian!

When you use combined pronouns in Italian, do you feel like you’re solving an impossible puzzle? Do you find yourself thinking: “La mi dice? Mi la dice? Glielo? Glilo?” Combined pronouns are one of the topics that challenge almost every Italian student, but after this guide you’ll learn to avoid the 5 most common mistakes and your Italian will sound much more natural and fluent.