What does having a cold, a romantic partner and a talent for making mistakes in Italian have in common?
In Italian, it’s the verb essere.
Normally, essere in Italian means “to be”. But not always! There are a few little phrases that don’t translate word for word.
It can be frustrating when Italians shrug and say “that’s just how we say it”. But these kinds of phrases are worth paying attention to, because they’ll help your Italian sound really natural.
So in this lesson, you’ll learn 4 surprising ways to use essere in Italian. And a couple of bonus ones that will get you sounding really native.
The first phrase is for when…
Etcì! … (that’s Italian for “achoo!”)
…The first phrase is for when you’re not feeling too well.
I have a cold in Italian
In English, a cold is something you have. You wake up with it as the seasons turn, like an unwanted Christmas present. In Italian, however, we can think of a cold as something that affects you, like a feeling or a mood. We say:
Sono raffreddata/o = I have a cold (literally “I’m cooled”)
That’s right! When you wake up with a blocked nose, sneezing and coughing, in Italian, you literally say “I’m cooled”. Sounds quite cute, doesn’t it?
But maybe it’s not so strange after all.
In English, we say “I’m sick” to talk about having a sickness. So why not say “I’m cooled” to talk about having a cold? Kind of makes sense in a weird way!
You might also like to know that there are two ways to say “I have a cold” in Italian, and the other way is a lot closer to English!
Sono raffreddata/o = literally “I am cooled”
Ho il raffreddore = literally “I have the cold”
Just note that in Italian, we say “I have THE cold”: ho IL raffreddore.
The ending is also slightly different between the two options. The first one agrees with gender, so Katie would say raffreddatA and Matteo would say raffreddatO. In the second, we say raffreddore, which doesn’t change.
Both options are correct, so you can use whichever one you prefer.
It’s nice to have choices in life, don’t you agree? Speaking of which, let’s learn how to agree in Italian!
How to say “I agree”
Time for our next funny phrase with essere in Italian. Do you know how to say “I agree”?
Sono d’accordo
The literal meaning is “I am of accord”, which sounds rather old fashioned in English: you can almost imagine yourself wearing a monocle when you say it 🧐
Let’s look at a few more details to help you use this phrase like a native.
First, see that little d’ before accordo? It’s short for di which means “of”.
Next, remember that accordo always ends in -o. It doesn’t change based on gender or number:
Katie è d’accordo = Katie agrees
Matteo è d’accordo = Matteo agrees
Siamo tutti d’accordo = We all agree
Finally, a quick pronunciation tip! Notice that double cc in d’accordo? Remember to make it nice and long. Sometimes it helps to imagine a little pause between the two letters: d’ac-cordo.
Conjugation of ESSERE in Italian (to be)
So far, we’ve been talking a lot about how to say sono (“I am”) in Italian. The verb essere changes for different people, so we thought we’d do a quick pitstop to review the different forms.
Here they are:
| Essere | To be |
| sono | I am |
| sei | You are - informal |
| è | S/he is; you are - formal |
| siamo | We are |
| siete | You all/both are - plural, for 2 or more people |
| sono | They are |
Now you know how to say that other people agree, too!
Sono d’accordo = I agree (lit. I am of accord)
Sei d’accordo = You agree (lit. you are of accord)
È d’accordo = S/he agrees (lit. s/he is of accord) - also you formal
Siamo d’accordo = We agree (lit. we are of accord)
Siete d’accordo = You all/both agree (lit. you are of accord - plural)
Sono d’accordo = They agree (lit. they are of accord)
Keep this table as a reference, because it will come in handy for all the other expressions in this article too. Just match the form of essere to the person you’re talking about.
Ready to learn more interesting phrases with essere in Italian?
Continuiamo - let’s continue!
I have a talent for something in Italian
Do you have a natural talent in something? Whether you’ve been quietly honing your drawing skills since the age of 5 or make a mean carbonara, you’re portata/o.
Sono portata/o per… - I have a talent for…
You might recognise the word portare hidden in there, which means “to carry”. And yes, literally it means “I am carried”! But Italians use this word with essere to say that they have a “talent”, “flair”, or “aptitude” for something.
More often than not, you’ll see it followed by per which means “for”, and then the talent.
Let’s practise with some examples:
Sono portata/o per le lingue - I have a talent for languages
Sono portata/o per l’italiano - I have a talent for Italian
Sono portata/o per la cucina - I have a talent for cooking
Sono portata/o per il disegno - I have a talent for drawing
And if you don’t have a talent, don’t worry, it sounds even better to use this phrase to talk about something you’re bad at:
Non sono portata/o per la cucina - I have no talent for cooking
Non sono portata/o per il disegno - I have no talent for drawing
Only a few phrases left, keep it up, you can do it! Hmm… that’s actually our next Italian phrase.
Cheer someone on in Italian
Imagine you’re watching someone you love compete in a sporting event, like running a race. They’re looking tired, but they’re edging towards the finish. They’re in need of some encouragement, so it’s time to start shouting:
Sei tutti noi! - Go on, you can do it!
This expression might look odd at first because it literally means “you are all of us”, as in:
sei - you are
tutti - all
noi - us
But there is a kind of weird logic to it. It’s a bit like saying: we’re so behind you in this moment, it’s as if you’re doing it for all of us… so much so that you’ve become all of us, you’re all of us!
For this phrase it’s best to focus on the feeling of it, and when to use it. Let’s see some more examples:
- Your friend is preparing for a difficult exam, and the day of the test has arrived. You hope they do well: sei tutti noi!
- You’re watching your favourite athlete from the stands. You join in the chant with the other supporters: sei tutti noi!
When it comes to pronouncing this phrase, it works best when you really shout it!
Time for a couple of bonus situations when we use essere in Italian. They’re similar to English in some ways, but require a bit of extra attention so you can get used to the Italian way of thinking!
How to talk about having a romantic partner
Finding the right words to describe a romantic relationship is difficult in any language! In Italian, you can say:
Sono fidanzata/o - I have a romantic partner
It’s a simple and common expression which is neither too formal nor informal.
Cultural note: While you can use this phrase at any age, it can sound a little young, so if you’re looking for a more mature or serious feel, say ho un compagno or ho una compagna, which means “I have a partner”.
But let’s come back to today’s phrase essere fidanzata/o. Doesn’t it sound a lot like the word fiancé?
Here’s where things get interesting…
Literally speaking, fidanzata/o means “fiancé” and sono fidanzata/o means “I’m engaged”. However, in modern, natural Italian, we use it for any kind of semi-serious relationship, a bit like the phrase “going-steady” in English.
Italians don’t really have a separate word for “engaged”, but it turns out, you don’t really need one! We can just say:
Si sposano - They’re getting married
To use the phrase correctly, you’ll need to change the last letter of fidanzata/o to agree with the gender or number of people you’re talking about.
For example:
- Katie says sono fidanzata - I have a partner
- Matteo says sono fidanzato - I have a partner
- Together they say siamo fidanzati - We’re a couple
If you hear Italians saying the word fidanzata or fidanzato, you might notice the way they pronounce the Z - it’s more like a TS sound, a bit like the Z in pizza!
Where’s the last surprising place you’ll find essere in Italian? You might already know this one: it has to do with the past.
The Italian past tense
Sometimes, when you’re talking about the past in Italian, you’ll need the verb essere. For example:
Sono andato - I went (literally “I am gone”).
Saying “I am gone” instead of “I went”, might seem alien to us now, but we used to talk like this in English too!
For example, you don’t have to go too far back in history to find sentences like this:
“I am gone forever” - William Shakespeare, the Winter’s Tale
“Oh look, Charlotte is come” - Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
“I am come to save the word” - The Holy Bible
When do Italians use essere to talk about the past? It’s usually with verbs which refer to movement: either going from one place to another, or staying in the same place.
For example:
Sono andata/o = I went (lit. I am gone)
Sono arrivata/o = I arrived (lit. I am arrived)
Sono venuta/o = I came (lit. I am come)
Sono partita/o = I left (lit. I am parted)
Sono stata/o = I stayed (lit. I am stayed)
As with most of the expressions with essere in this article, the last letter changes based on gender and number. Here’s a quick revision:
Katie says sono andata
Matteo says sono andato
Together, they say siamo andati
Now you’ve made it to the end, it’s time for a quick quiz and review. You can do it, sei tutti noi!
4 Ways to use ESSERE (that might surprise you!): Review
So, you can use essere in Italian to talk about having a cold or having a talent, being in a relationship, or being behind someone all the way. Use it to show you agree, or even to show you’re talking in the past.
Sono raffreddata/o - I have a cold
Sono d’accordo - I agree
Sono portata/o per.. - I have a talent for…
Sei tutti noi! - Go on, you can do it!
And don’t forget our two bonus situations:
Sono fidanzata/o - I’m in a serious relationship
Sono andata/o - I went (lit. “I am gone”)
But can you really use essere in all these contexts? It’s time to put your knowledge to the test!
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Vocabulary: 4 Ways to Use ESSERE in Italian
Sono raffreddato= I have a cold (lit. I am cooled. masculine)
Sono raffreddata= I have a cold (lit. I am cooled. feminine)
Sono portato= I have a talent for it (masculine)
Sono portata= I have a talent for it (feminine)
Non sono portato= I don’t have a talent for it (masculine)
Non sono portata= I don’t have a talent for it (feminine)
Sono d'accordo= I agree (lit. I am of accord)
Sei tutti noi!= you can do it! (lit. you are all us)
Quiz: 4 Ways to Use ESSERE in Italian
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Flashcards: 4 Ways to Use ESSERE in Italian
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Transcript: 4 Ways to Use ESSERE in Italian
Please note, this is not a word for word transcript.
K- Ciao a tutti e benvenuti! Welcome to Learn Italian with Joy of Languages. I’m Katie. And… where is Matteo? Hmm… Anyway, in this episode you’ll learn four phrases that are surprisingly tricky to translate from Italian.
They all use the verb essere, which normally means “to be”. It’s the one which has the forms sono, sei, è etc.
We’ll get started with the dialogue just as soon as Matteo gets here… ah! Here he is.
M: ETCì! Scusami, sono raffreddato.
K: Ma stasera dobbiamo uscire a cena.
M: È vero.
K: Allora stiamo a casa.
M: OK.
K: Posso cucinare! Ma… non sono portata.
M: Sono d’accordo.
K: Ehi! Ma hai ragione. Non voglio cucinare.
M: Allora devo guarire.
K: Riposo…
M: …frutta e vitamine!
K: Forza Matteo, sei tutti noi!
K- Let’s break the conversation down word for word:
M: ETCI
K: That’s Italian for “achoo”!
M: Scusami, sono raffreddato.
K: Sorry, I have a cold. Literally:
M:
scusami - excuse me
sono - I am
raffreddato - cooled
K- So here’s our first phrase: essere raffreddato. Literally that’s “to be cooled”, but it means “to have a cold”.
M- It sounds strange, but that’s how we say it in Italian!
K- I have a cold, literally “I am cooled”
M - Sono raffreddato
K - I would say sono raffreddata, with an -A at the end. Another thing to notice, there are a couple of double letters in this word. Double ff and double dd.
M - Raffreddato
K - Remember that in Italian they’re nice and long. It can help to try to do a little pause in between the two ffs and the two dds.
M - Raf-fred-dato, raf-fred-dato, raf-fred-dato
K - Next I said:
M - Ma stasera dobbiamo uscire a cena.
K - But tonight we’re supposed to go out to dinner. Literally
M -
Ma - But
Stasera - This evening
Dobbiamo - We have to
Uscire - Go out
A - To
Cena - Dinner
K - And Matteo said:
M - È vero.
K - It’s true. So I suggested
M - Allora stiamo a casa.
K - Well let’s stay at home. Word for word:
M -
Allora - Well
Stiamo - We stay
A - At
Casa - House or home in this case
K - Matteo agrees:
M - OK.
K - Then I have a suggestion to make sure we don’t starve:
M - Posso cucinare!
K - I can cook!
K - But I soon realised the small problem with my plan, and said:
M - Ma… non sono portata
K - But… I don’t have a talent for it. Literally:
M -
Ma - But
Non - Not
Sono - I am
Portata - Carried
K- And here’s our next funny phrase with essere. Essere portato, or essere portata is a way of saying that you have talent, aptitude or some kind of skill. I say “sono portata” and Matteo would say:
M - Sono portato, with an -o at the end.
K - Next, Matteo said:
M - Sono d’accordo.
K - I agree. Unbelievable. How rude. And here we see our next phrase with essere. To say “I agree” in Italian, we literally say “I am of accord”
M -
Sono - I am
Di - Of
Accordo - Accord
K - The “di” and “accordo” get smushed together, d apostrophe “accordo”, so it becomes:
M - d’accordo. Sono d’accordo.
K - Sounds rather old-fashioned and formal in English, I am of accord. You can almost imagine someone wearing a monocle when they say it… I am of accord.
M - Sono d’accordo.
K - Next, I said
M - Ehi!
K - The Italian word for “hey”, just to show my indignation at Matteo’s rude agreeing. Then I realise he is right though, and say:
M - hai ragione
K - you’re right, literally:
M
Hai - You have
Ragione - Reason
For more funny phrases like this with “have”, you can check out our last episode, number 90. Next I said:
M - Non voglio cucinare.
K - I don’t want to cook. Word for word:
M -
Non - Not
Voglio - I want
Cucinare - To cook
K - If Matteo wants to escape my cooking, there’s only one thing to do. He says:
M - Allora devo guarire
K - Well I have to get better then. Word for word:
M -
Allora - Well then
Devo - I must
Guarire - Heal
K - Then I say:
M - Riposo
K - Rest
M - … frutta e vitamine!
K - … fruit and vitamins!
K - Finally to give him encouragement, I say:
M: Forza Matteo, sei tutti noi!
K: Come on Matteo, you can do it! Literally:
M:
Forza Matteo - strength Matteo
Sei - you are
Tutti - all
Noi - us
K- So our last phrase is one that’s tough to translate. Literally “you are all us”.
M- Sei tutti noi
K - But there is a kind of weird logic behind it. It’s a bit like saying: we’re so behind you in this moment, it’s as if you’re doing it for all of us… so much so that you’ve become all of us, you’re all of us!
M - Sei tutti noi!
K - But you don’t need to worry too much about the logic of this. If you prefer, you can also just learn it as a fixed expression:
M - Sei tutti noi!
K - So let’s listen to the whole conversation one more time:
M: ETCì! Scusami, sono raffreddato.
K: Ma stasera dobbiamo uscire a cena.
M: È vero.
K: Allora stiamo a casa.
M: OK.
K: Posso cucinare! Ma… non sono portata.
M: Sono d’accordo.
K: Ehi! Ma hai ragione. Non voglio cucinare.
M: Allora devo guarire.
K: Riposo…
M: …frutta e vitamine!
K: Forza Matteo, sei tutti noi!
K - So there you go, these tricky phrases with essere will enrich your Italian conversations with native sounding phrases.
To learn a few more phrases which follow this pattern and get bonus materials, like vocabulary cards and a quiz, head over to our website by clicking the link in the description.
M: Or you can go to joyoflanguages.com/italianpodcast and search for episode 91.
K: See you next time. Or as we say in Italian.K, M: Alla prossima!
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