Tag Archives: Italian idiomatic verbs
Idiomatic Verbs Using ‘Ci’ Posted by Geoff on Aug 29, 2018
In my previous article about ‘ci‘, we looked at its use as the personal pronoun ‘us’, ‘each other’, or ‘we’, and as the adverb ‘there’ or ‘here’. Today, things get a bit more complex as we move into the mystic realm of idioms. Ci is used in a number of important idiomatic verbs that can…
Italian Animalistic Expressions Posted by Serena on Jul 26, 2017
It all started a couple of weeks ago when we were walking through the beautiful Tudor Kentwell Hall in Suffolk. From out of nowhere, un pavone (a peacock) graciously strolled into the deserted courtyard. It was like being taken back in time to a magical fairytale kingdom. As the peacock moved around, proudly dragging his…
The Verb Sentire Posted by Serena on Jul 30, 2014
The verb sentire can be quite confusing due to its wide variety of meanings. 1. sentire literally means ‘to sense’, and is used to describe four of the five senses: l’udito (hearing), il tatto (touch), il gusto (taste), and l’olfatto (smell). When used to describe perceptions its definition is contextual, as can be seen in…
Tricky little words: Ne Posted by Serena on Aug 23, 2009
In my previous ‘Tricky Little Words’ article I dealt with the dreaded ‘ci’. Now it’s time to get to grips with that other ubiquitous two letter word that can be such a nightmare for learners of Italian: ne! Firstly though I want to clarify the distinction between the congiunzione ‘né … né’ (note the accent…