Do you speak Italian well but express yourself in an unnatural or artificial way? It’s a common problem. In this article, you’ll discover eight fundamental tricks that will transform the way you communicate in Italian, making it more natural, idiomatic, and expressive: exactly like a true native speaker.
8 Tricks to Speak Like a Real Italian
1) Omission of the Subject Pronoun
One of the most distinctive characteristics of spoken Italian is that the subject pronoun is generally not said, but omitted. This happens because the Italian verb ending already clearly indicates who is performing the action, making the pronoun redundant in most cases.
When the Subject Pronoun Is Used
However, there are important exceptions where the subject pronoun is expressed:
- Emphasizing who performs the action: When you want to stress that it’s precisely you (or another specific person) doing something.
- Creating a comparison or contrast: When you put two different subjects in opposition.
Practical Examples
| Natural sentence (without pronoun) | Context |
|---|---|
| “Domani andiamo al cinema.” [Tomorrow we’re going to the cinema.] | Normal use, the pronoun “noi” [we] is implied |
| “Stasera usciamo con gli amici.” [Tonight we’re going out with friends.] | Normal use, the pronoun “noi” [we] is implied |
| Sentence with pronoun (emphasis/contrast) | Context |
|---|---|
| “Io resto a casa, sono stanco morto.” [I am staying home, I’m dead tired.] | Contrast: the others are going out, but I’m not |
| “Tu vai pure, io preferisco rimanere.” [You go ahead, I prefer to stay.] | Comparison between two different choices |
2) Collocations: Fixed Word Combinations
Collocations are combinations of words that Italians habitually use together. Knowing them is essential to sound natural, because even if a sentence is grammatically correct, it might sound strange if it doesn’t respect these typical combinations.
Verb + Noun Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning | Common mistake to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| “fare colazione” [to have breakfast] | to eat the morning meal | “prendere colazione” (calque from English) |
| “dare un’occhiata” [to take a look] | to look quickly | “fare un’occhiata“ |
| “fare un salto” [to pop over/stop by] | to go briefly to a place | “prendere un salto“ |
| “prendere una decisione” [to make a decision] | to decide | “fare una decisione“ |
| “avere un dubbio” [to have a doubt] | to be uncertain | “fare un dubbio“ |
Adjective + Noun Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning | Example of use |
|---|---|---|
| “silenzio assordante” [deafening silence] | total and impressive silence | “C’era un silenzio assordante nella stanza” [There was a deafening silence in the room] |
| “pioggia torrenziale” [torrential rain] | very heavy rain | “Non uscire, c’è una pioggia torrenziale” [Don’t go out, there’s torrential rain] |
| “freddo pungente” [biting cold] | intense and penetrating cold | “Stamattina c’è un freddo pungente” [This morning there’s a biting cold] |
| “fame da lupi” [ravenous hunger, lit. “wolf’s hunger”] | very intense hunger | “Ho una fame da lupi, non mangio da ore!” [I’m ravenously hungry, I haven’t eaten for hours!] |
Verb + Adverb Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning | Example of use |
|---|---|---|
| “innamorarsi perdutamente” [to fall madly in love] | to fall completely in love | “Si è innamorato perdutamente di lei” [He fell madly in love with her] |
| “credere fermamente” [to firmly believe] | to believe with conviction | “Credo fermamente nelle sue capacità” [I firmly believe in his abilities] |
| “rifiutare categoricamente” [to categorically refuse] | to refuse absolutely | “Ha rifiutato categoricamente l’offerta” [He categorically refused the offer] |
3) Discourse Markers: Conversation Fillers
Discourse markers are small words or expressions that help the listener navigate the conversation. They don’t have a precise meaning, but they perform very important communicative functions: they signal hesitation, introduce explanations, change the topic, or express agreement/disagreement.
Example of a Natural Dialogue
Here’s an example of an authentic conversation between two Italian friends, with all the discourse markers highlighted:
Paolo: “Ma… hai deciso dove andare in vacanza?” [So… have you decided where to go on vacation?]
Marco: “Dunque, stavo pensando alla Sicilia…” [Well, I was thinking about Sicily…]
Paolo: “Scusa, ma non ci sei già stato l’anno scorso?” [Sorry, but didn’t you already go there last year?]
Marco: “Beh… sì, però mi era piaciuta tanto…” [Well… yes, but I liked it so much…]
Paolo: “Sì, ma non volevi vedere posti nuovi?” [Yes, but didn’t you want to see new places?]
Marco: “Mah, insomma… dipende. Nel senso, la Sicilia è grande. Cioè, come dire, ci sono ancora tante cose da vedere.” [Hmm, well… it depends. I mean, Sicily is big. Like, how can I say, there are still so many things to see.]
Paolo: “Uhm… capisco. Vabbè, fammi sapere quando decidi.” [Uhm… I understand. Okay then, let me know when you decide.]
Guide to the Main Discourse Markers
| Marker | Function | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| “ma” [but/so] | Introduces a question | At the beginning of a question to make it more natural |
| “dunque” [well/so] | Introduces a reflection | When you’re thinking about what to say |
| “scusa” [sorry/excuse me] | Interrupts politely | To politely insert yourself into a conversation |
| “beh” / “mah” [well/hmm] | Expresses hesitation or partial disagreement | When you’re not entirely convinced |
| “nel senso” / “cioè” [I mean/that is] | Explains better or gives examples | To clarify what you just said |
| “vabbè” [okay then/alright] | Concludes or changes topic | To close a discussion or move on |
| “insomma” [well/in short] | Summarizes or expresses uncertainty | To conclude a reasoning or show doubt |
4) Marked Sentences: Changing Word Order
Marked sentences are constructions in which the standard word order (subject-verb-object) is modified to highlight a particular element of the sentence. This technique is very typical of spoken Italian and serves to emphasize the topic you’re talking about.
Left Dislocation
It consists of moving the object to the beginning of the sentence, then picking it up again with a pronoun:
| Standard sentence | Marked sentence (left dislocation) |
|---|---|
| “Hai comprato il pane?” [Did you buy the bread?] | “Il pane, l’hai comprato?” [The bread, did you buy it?] |
| “Non capisco quella cosa.” [I don’t understand that thing.] | “Quella cosa non la capisco.” [That thing, I don’t understand it.] |
| “Ho chiamato tua sorella.” [I called your sister.] | “Tua sorella, l’ho chiamata.” [Your sister, I called her.] |
Right Dislocation
The object is moved to the end of the sentence, anticipated by a pronoun:
| Standard sentence | Marked sentence (right dislocation) |
|---|---|
| “Ho chiamato tua sorella.” [I called your sister.] | “L’ho chiamata, tua sorella.” [I called her, your sister.] |
| “Sono stato a Napoli.” [I’ve been to Naples.] | “Ci sono stato, a Napoli.” [I’ve been there, to Naples.] |
| “Ho comprato il pane.” [I bought the bread.] | “L’ho comprato, il pane.” [I bought it, the bread.] |
One place to learn Italian
Join the LearnAmo Academy5) Idiomatic Expressions: Speaking Like a Native
Idiomatic expressions are phrases whose meaning cannot be deduced from the sum of the individual words. Knowing and using them correctly is essential to speak like a real Italian, because they are used constantly in everyday conversation.
Common Idiomatic Expressions
| Expression | Meaning | Example of use |
|---|---|---|
| “dare buca” [to stand someone up] | to not show up to an appointment | “Mi ha dato buca all’ultimo momento!” [He/She stood me up at the last minute!] |
| “la frittata è fatta” [the omelette is made = the damage is done] | a situation can no longer be fixed | “Ormai la frittata è fatta, non possiamo tornare indietro” [The damage is done now, we can’t go back] |
| “è un gioco da ragazzi” [it’s child’s play] | it’s very easy | “Montare quel mobile? È un gioco da ragazzi!” [Assembling that furniture? It’s child’s play!] |
| “costa due lire” [it costs two lire = it costs peanuts] | it’s very cheap | “Quel ristorante costa due lire ed è buonissimo” [That restaurant is dirt cheap and delicious] |
| “avere le mani in pasta” [to have one’s hands in the dough = to have a finger in the pie] | to be involved in something | “Lui ha le mani in pasta in tutti gli affari del quartiere” [He has his hands in all the neighborhood’s business] |
| “prendere in giro” [to pull someone’s leg/to tease] | to joke/mock someone | “Non ti arrabbiare, ti sto solo prendendo in giro!” [Don’t get angry, I’m just teasing you!] |
6) Informal Conditional Sentences: The Imperfect Instead of the Subjunctive
In informal spoken Italian, it’s very common to use the imperfect indicative instead of the subjunctive and conditional in conditional sentences. Even though this construction doesn’t follow traditional grammar rules, it’s absolutely normal and extremely widespread in the everyday speech of all Italians.
Comparison Between Standard and Informal Forms
| Standard form (written/formal) | Informal form (spoken) |
|---|---|
| “Se avessi saputo, sarei venuto anch’io alla festa.” [If I had known, I would have come to the party too.] | “Se sapevo, venivo anch’io alla festa.” [If I knew, I came to the party too. = same meaning] |
| “Se avessi saputo che saresti venuto, avrei preparato qualcosa.” [If I had known you would come, I would have prepared something.] | “Se sapevo che venivi, preparavo qualcosa.” [If I knew you were coming, I prepared something. = same meaning] |
| “Se mi avessi chiamato prima, ti sarei venuto a prendere.” [If you had called me earlier, I would have come to pick you up.] | “Se mi chiamavi prima, ti venivo a prendere.” [If you called me earlier, I came to pick you up. = same meaning] |
Important note: This form is perfectly acceptable in informal spoken contexts among friends and family. In formal contexts (work, exams, written documents) it’s preferable to use the standard form with subjunctive and conditional.
7) Expressive Diminutives and Augmentatives
Italians use diminutives and augmentatives very frequently to add emotional nuances to words. It’s not just about indicating small or large sizes, but about expressing affection, irony, annoyance, or other emotions.
Diminutives: Expressing Affection and Kindness
Diminutives (suffixes -ino, -etto, -ello) often indicate something small and cute, or make a request more gentle:
| Expression | Emotional nuance | Context of use |
|---|---|---|
| “Ci facciamo un caffettino?” [Shall we have a little coffee?] | Friendly and informal invitation | Among colleagues or friends |
| “Facciamo una pausetta?” [Shall we take a little break?] | Gentle and light proposal | During work or study |
| “Mi fai un favorino?” [Can you do me a little favor?] | Polite request, minimizes the inconvenience | When asking someone for something |
Augmentatives: Expressing Greatness, Annoyance, or Irony
Augmentatives (suffix -one) can indicate something large, but also express annoyance or irony:
| Expression | Emotional nuance | Context of use |
|---|---|---|
| “Che librone!” [What a big book!] | Can indicate admiration or annoyance at the thickness | When seeing a very thick book |
| “È un pigrone!” [He’s such a lazybones!] | Affectionate or playful criticism | When talking about someone very lazy |
| “Che macchinone!” [What a big car!] | Admiration for a large and powerful car | When seeing an impressive car |
8) The Ethical Dative: Emotional Involvement
The ethical dative is the use of a personal pronoun (mi, ti, ci, vi) that doesn’t have a specific grammatical function, but serves to express the emotional involvement of the speaker or listener. It’s a very typical characteristic of spoken Italian that adds expressiveness to the sentence.
Examples of the Ethical Dative
| Expression | Meaning and nuance | Without ethical dative |
|---|---|---|
| “Che mi combini?” [What are you up to (on me)?] | “Cosa stai facendo?” [What are you doing?] (with a tone of surprise/concern) | “Che combini?” [What are you up to?] |
| “Stammi bene!” [Stay well (to me)!] | “Stai bene!” [Stay well!] (with affection and personal interest) | “Stai bene!” [Stay well!] |
| “Indovina chi ti incontro?” [Guess who I run into (for you)?] | “Indovina chi ho incontrato?” [Guess who I met?] (involving the listener) | “Indovina chi incontro?” [Guess who I meet?] |
| “Mi raccomando!” [I beg you! / Please make sure!] | “Ti prego di fare attenzione!” [Please be careful!] (with emotional involvement) | “Raccomando!” [I recommend!] |
The ethical dative makes communication warmer, more engaging, and typically Italian. Using it correctly will make you sound much more natural in everyday conversations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Wrong to Always Use the Subject Pronoun?
It’s not grammatically wrong, but it sounds unnatural and “foreign.” Italians omit the pronoun in the vast majority of cases and only use it for emphasis or contrast. Always using it is one of the most obvious signs that someone is not a native speaker.
How Can I Learn the Right Collocations?
The best way is exposure to authentic language: movies, TV series, podcasts, conversations with native speakers. When you encounter a new word, try to understand which other words it’s habitually used with. There are also very useful Italian collocation dictionaries for study.
Can I Use the Informal Conditional Sentence in Writing Too?
It depends on the context. In informal messages with friends (WhatsApp, social media) it’s perfectly acceptable. In formal contexts (work emails, official documents, academic texts) it’s preferable to use the standard form with subjunctive and conditional.
Are Discourse Markers the Same in All Italian Regions?
The main discourse markers (“dunque”, “beh”, “mah”, “cioè”, “insomma” [well, well, hmm, that is, in short]) are used throughout Italy. However, there are regional variants: for example, in some northern regions “niente” [nothing] is used a lot as a discourse marker (“Niente, ti volevo dire che…” [So, I wanted to tell you that…]), while in the south “tipo” [like] or “praticamente” [basically] are more common.
When Is It Appropriate to Use Diminutives?
Diminutives are appropriate in informal contexts and when you want to express affection, kindness, or make a request less direct. Avoid them in very formal or professional contexts, where they might seem unserious. With time and experience, you’ll develop a natural intuition for when to use them.
If this article was useful to you, don’t miss the in-depth look at the ethical dative: one of the tricks most loved by native speakers!
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