Creating Emphasis in Italian

Emphasis is defined as “special importance, value, or prominence given to something.” In rhetoric, it refers to the techniques—both intentional and unintentional—that highlight certain elements of a sentence, making them stand out to the reader or listener. The goal of rhetorical emphasis is to enhance communication, whether by conveying urgency, danger, or surprise. In spoken …

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The Italian Verb ‘Piacere’ and How to Use It

Today we are going to tackle one of the trickiest Italian verbs for English speakers: the verb piacere / to like. But why is it so difficult? What is the problem? I have to admit that there are quite a few critical points, and in this article I will try to explain them in an …

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The Differences Between Bene, Buono, Bravo & Bello in Italian

These four little words starting with b- are known to most students of Italian from the very beginning of their learning process, and sometimes even before that. At the same time bene, buono, bravo and bello are very easy to confuse and their correct usage, especially during a spontaneous conversation, can take a long time …

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The Passive Voice in Italian (and How to Use it)

The Passive Voice in Italian and How to Use it

Many of our readers often feel puzzled about the passive voice in Italian and how to use it correctly. Much of this confusion probably stems from the fact that many people aren’t familiar with what the passive voice is. In this article, our goal is to explain the passive voice and its usage in the …

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The Present and Past Conditional Tenses in Italian

The Italian conditional mood (il modo condizionale) gives us the possibility to formulate a sentence about what can or cannot happen in certain conditions. These conditions may be clearly stated, as in the formulation of a hypothesis, or implicit, as in the case of a polite request. Moreover, these same conditions could actually be expired, …

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How to Use Ci and Ne in Italian

Ci and ne are two small particles that, despite being key elements of the Italian language, often appear arcane, and confuse even those who are no longer beginners. Not only do these particles have several meanings, but they can also be placed in different positions of the same sentence, and they can even (slightly) change …

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