“Modal verb.” Sounds like a scary grammatical term, doesn’t it? Well, it actually isn’t as fear-inducing as you might think! Modal verbs – known as a verbi servili in Italian – always serve the verb that follows them. Their job is to express likelihood, ability, permission, request, capacity, suggestion, order, obligation, or advice, or in …
Knowing when to use the verbs potere and riuscire in Italian can be challenging for a learner, since both translate as can or to be able to in English. To clear up the confusion, let’s take a look at some of the specific circumstances where each verb is used! When to use ‘potere’ in Italian …
The word potere (masculine, plural: poteri) in Italian can act as either a noun or a modal verb. When used as the former, it translates as power in most cases. Both potere and power can mean various things depending on the context, including authority or special ability. Il capo del governo ha il potere di …