Earlier this week we looked at some of the common ways in which we begin to assert our opinions in Italian. A conversation, however, is a two way thing, and we also want to find out what others have to say. Let’s see how we can turn things around and ask our Italian friends and acquaintances what their opinions are.
N.B. In order to get the most out of this article I recommend that you refer to my post: Express Your Opinion In Italian!

In Your Opinion …….

Here are the same four examples from my previous article, this time expressed as questions rather than assertions.

secondo te = in your opinion (informal), example: secondo te, oggi sarà molto caldo? (in your opinion will be very hot today?)
secondo lei = in your opinion (formal)
secondo voi = in your opinion (plural)
secondo loro = in their opinion

a tuo avviso = in your opinion (informal), example: a tuo avviso ho sbagliato? (in your opinion have I made a mistake?)
a suo avviso = in your opinion (formal)
a vostro avviso = in your opinion (plural)
a loro avviso = in their opinion

Now using exactly the same formula have a go at completing the following examples by filling in the gaps:

1. A Tuo Parere

example: a tuo parere = in your opinion (informal), example: a tuo parere dovevano piantare qualche albero per creare un po’ d’ombra? (in your opinion should they have planted some trees to create a bit of shade?)
in your opinion (formal) what is the most beautiful town in Italy? __________ qual è la città più bella d’Italia?
in your opinion (plural) is it better to take the train or the bus? __________ è meglio prendere ii treno o l’autobus?
in their opinion who is the better singer? __________ chi è il cantante migliore?

2. A Tuo Giudizio

example: a tuo giudizio = in  your opinion (informal), example: a tuo giudizio cosa bisogna fare per mettere a posto quella casa diroccata? (in your opinion what needs doing to sort that crumbling house out?)
in your opinion (formal) how many tons of cement will we need? __________ quante tonnellate di cemento ci vogliono?
in your opinion (plural) is the house safe? __________ è sicura la casa?
in their opinion will it be necessary to rebuild the roof? __________ sarà necessario rifare il tetto?

Don’t forget, secondo me is probably the most commonly used of these expressions in colloquial speech, so if you want to practice using just one of the above … secondo te non è meglio imparare l’espressione ‘secondo te’? (in your opinion isn’t it best to learn the expression ‘secondo te’?)

Next week we’ll take a look at how we ask people what they believe or think.

A Presto! …