Italian is often described as the language of music, poetry, and passion, where even a grocery list can sound sexy. I mean, try saying prosciutto out loud. It’s got a certain rhythm that is hard to resist, doesn’t it? But here’s the real question: as beautiful as it sounds, is Italian actually easy to learn or does its charm hide some serious challenges? In this article, we’ll explore the easiest and hardest things about Italian for English speakers.
The hardest things about Italian
Let’s get the tough stuff out of the way first. While Italian sounds beautiful, there are a few tricky aspects that can challenge English speakers:
1. Grammatical gender: masculine or feminine?
In Italian, every noun carries a gender. Not just people or animals, but even inanimate objects. Libro (book)? Masculine. Rivista (magazine)? Feminine. At first, this might seem manageable: feminine words usually end in -a, masculine ones in -o. But then come those little exceptions Italian loves so much. Like la mano (the hand) which, despite ending in -o, is totally feminine.
And let’s not forget the tricky lookalikes, such as la pasta (the carb-packed joy) vs. il pasto (the meal). A small vowel change, and the meaning and gender shift completely. Or how about la fine (the end) and il fine (the objective)? Same spelling, different genders and meanings.
But it gets even more interesting when nouns change gender in the plural form. For instance, l’uovo (the egg) is masculine, but le uova (the eggs) is feminine. Similarly, l’osso (the bone) is masculine, yet le ossa (the bones) are feminine.
So yes, grammatical gender is one of the trickiest parts of learning Italian, especially because it affects everything: articles, adjectives, and sometimes even past participles, all of which must match the noun’s gender (and number). So it’s definitely an area that requires close attention.
2. Conquering verbs
If grammatical gender can be a bit confusing, verbs are where things start to feel like a headache. Let’s start simple: Italian verbs must match the subject. So, in English, you say I eat, you eat, they eat (same verb every time), but in Italian, that’s io mangio, tu mangi, loro mangiano (same root, three different endings).
Italian verbs fall into three main conjugation groups, based on their infinitive endings: -are, -ere, and -ire. Each group has its own endings, and once you memorise the patterns, applying them becomes pretty straightforward. The bad news is that many of the verbs you’ll use most often are irregular and don’t follow these standard patterns. Take essere (to be): you might expect io esso for “I am” but nope, it’s io sono. Or avere (to have): instead of io avo, it’s io ho (I have).
But I know what you’re all thinking about: the subjunctive. Known as il congiuntivo in Italian, this is the mood that expresses opinions, possibility, uncertainty. It’s mostly used in subordinate clauses introduced by che (that). For example, we say:
- Penso che tu debba chiederle scusa (I think you should apologise to her), where debba is the second-person singular subjunctive of dovere.
- Controlla gli orari, è possibile che sia ancora chiuso. (Check the schedule, it might still be closed), where sia is the third-person singular subjunctive of essere.
For English speakers, the subjunctive can be difficult because English rarely uses it, so the whole concept might feel unfamiliar. But don’t worry, even we Italians get it wrong sometimes… I’m looking at you, se io sarei crowd (“if I were” should actually be se io fossi)!
Another challenge is navigating the three main past tenses: passato prossimo (recent past events), imperfetto (ongoing or habitual past actions), and passato remoto (distant past events). Each one comes with its own set of rules and preferred context, and yes, it can take a bit of time to master them all.
3. Making sense of pronominal verbs
Speaking of verbs, here’s another one of the hardest things about Italian: pronominal verbs. These are verbs combined with one or more pronouns that don’t serve a grammatical function themselves but simply change the meaning of the base verb. For example, cascare means “to fall” but cascarci means “to be fooled”.
Pronominal verbs are everywhere in Italian, so if you want to sound natural, there’s no escaping them. We can group them based on the pronouns they include. Here are the main types:
- Verbs with CI
entrarci (to have something to do with it)
contarci (to count on something) - Verbs with NE
approfittarne (to take advantage)
averne abbastanza (to have enough of something/someone) - Verbs with LA
smetterla (to stop doing something)
piantarla (to cut it out) - Verbs with LE
prenderle (to get beaten up)
darle (to beat someone) - Verbs with SI + NE
andarsene (to leave)
fregarsene (to not care) - Verbs with SI + LA
prendersela (to take something personally)
tirarsela (to show off) - Verbs with CI + NE
volercene (to take a lot—of effort, time, etc.)
avercene (If only we had…) - Verbs with CI + LA
avercela (to be mad with someone)
farcela (to succeed)
A quick note on spelling: SI and CI become SE and CE when followed by another pronoun, so instead of farcila, it’s farcela.
What makes pronominal verbs especially hard is their conjugation, in particular figuring out where to place the pronouns in a sentence. Generally, when there’s just one pronoun, it goes before the verb, like with smetterla:
- Non la smetto (I won’t stop)
But when there are two pronouns, their placement depends on the verb form:
- If the verb is conjugated, the pronouns come before the verb, as in Non ce la faccio (I can’t manage it).
- If the verb is in the infinitive, the pronouns attach to the end, attached to the verb, as in Devo farcela (I have to manage).
4. Dropping subject pronouns
Closely linked to verb conjugation is another feature of Italian that can feel tricky for English speakers: dropping the subject pronoun. In Italian, you can (and often should) leave out the subject pronoun because the verb ending already clarifies who the subject is. For example, instead of saying noi mangiamo una pizza (we eat a pizza), we simply say mangiamo una pizza. The -iamo ending clearly shows it’s first person plural (we), so there’s no need to say noi.
That said, we do use subject pronouns when we want to make it clear who is doing the action, especially to create contrast, emphasis or emotion, such as:
Io vado, tu fai quello che vuoi!
I’m going, you do whatever you want!
In this sentence, using io and tu adds stress and contrast that wouldn’t come through with the verbs alone.
Another time we use the subject pronouns is when the verb feels ambiguous, for example:
Chiara pensa che sia ancora in palestra.
Chiara thinks that [someone] is still at the gym.
Here, sia is the subjunctive form of essere (to be) and can mean io sia, tu sia, or lui/lei sia. Without context or a subject pronoun, it could be unclear who sia refers to.
5. Prepositions: small words, big headache
Prepositions are another sore point when learning Italian. You may think you’ve got them figured out, but 99% of the time you then hear or read something that turns your understanding upside down. For example, is it tra or fra? And what about di vs da to indicate origin?
Trying to directly map English prepositions onto Italian ones is a fast track to frustration. While it might seem logical that “I’m from Milan” translates as Sono da Milano, that’s actually incorrect because in Italian, you’re not from a place, you’re of it: Sono di Milano. Also, in English, you go to the shop, while in Italian you go in it: Vado in profumeria (I go to the perfume shop).
Similarly, sometimes English uses a preposition where Italian skips it entirely. For example, in English you look for something and you listen to a song, but in Italian we simply cerchiamo qualcosa and ascoltiamo una canzone, with no preposition.
To complicate things further, in Italian we also have the preposizioni articolate (articulated prepositions), which are combinations of a preposition + a definite article that merge into a single word. Here are a few common ones:
- in + il = nel —> Ho messo le chiavi nel cassetto (I put the keys in the drawer.)
- a + le = alle —> Ci vediamo alle otto (See you at eight.)
- su + il = sul —> Lascia le borse sul tavolo (Leave the bags on the table)
So, yes, Italian prepositions can feel intimidating, no objection there. However, with enough exposure (and many attempts), they do start to feel more intuitive.
6. Formal vs informal language
Here’s something English speakers usually don’t have to worry about: choosing the right version of “you.” In English, your best friend, your boss, your grandma, the waiter are all just “you.” Easy. In Italian, though, there’s a clear line between formal and informal situations, and it all comes down to how you say “you”:
- tu (informal)
- Lei (formal, with a capital L)
We use tu with friends and family, children, and often strangers who are around our age or younger. Lei, on the other hand, is used to show respect, especially when speaking to strangers, someone older or people in a position of authority (like a professor or a police officer).
When you’re unsure which to use, it’s best to go with Lei. You can always suggest switching to tu by saying Possiamo darci del tu? (Can we use tu with each other?) or Diamoci del tu! (Let’s use tu!).
A quick word about regional variations: in Southern Italy, you might hear Voi instead of Lei. Technically, voi means “you” plural, but down south it’s still used as a polite singular form. So don’t panic if someone says Volete un caffè? (Would you like a coffee?) even though it’s only you: they’re probably just being polite, not offering espresso to a whole group!
7. The pronoun particles CI and NE
Now let’s talk about two of the smallest but most puzzling words in Italian: ci and ne. They appear everywhere and carry multiple meanings, which is why they often confuse learners. At their core, both ci and ne are pronoun particles, so they stand in for other words or phrases, making sentences shorter and more efficient. But understanding when and how to use them takes some practice.
Here’s a quick overview, and if you want to dive deeper into this topic, you can find more detailed explanations in this CI and NE guide.
Ci can mean:
- The reflexive pronoun “ourselves”
Ci vestiamo e arriviamo (We get dressed and arrive) - The direct pronoun “us”
Ci portano anche al museo (They also take us to the museum) - The indirect pronoun “to us”
Ci hanno detto che non verranno (They told us they won’t come) - An adverb of place (here, there)
Mi piace quel ristorante, ci vado spesso (I like that restaurant, I go there often)
Here, ci replaces “to that restaurant.” - It can replace phrases with verbs + preposition a:
Hai pensato a quello che ti ho detto? Sì, ci ho pensato (Did you think about what I told you? Yes, I thought about it) - As we’ve seen earlier, it can also be part of pronominal verbs like starci (to fit), volerci (to take/be needed), or metterci (to take time): Ci vuole tanta pazienza (It takes a lot of patience)
Ne, on the other hand, can mean:
- Quantity (some, any), usually followed by a number or quantity adjective:
Quante mele vuole? Ne vorrei un chilo (How many apples do you want? I’d like a kilo) - To substitute part of a sentence meaning “of/about/from something or someone”:
Andrea ama viaggiare, ne parla sempre (Andrea loves traveling; he talks about it all the time). Here, ne stands for “about traveling.” - It’s also part of pronominal verbs such as andarsene (to leave) or fregarsene (to not care) Me ne vado! (I’m leaving!)
8. Dialects and regionalisms
So far, we’ve focused on tricky grammar, but one of the hardest parts of learning Italian for English speakers isn’t grammar at all… it has to do with history! For centuries, Italy was not a unified country but a mosaic of kingdoms and city-states, each with its own dialect. And while Dante developed a literary “standard” in the 1300s, that language wasn’t what people spoke in daily life.
When Italy finally unified in 1861, language varied wildly, shaped by centuries of influence from foreign rulers across the country like the Spanish, French, and Austrians. It wasn’t until the 1950s, with the rise of national television, that a standardized Italian began spreading. A big push came from an educational TV program called Non è mai troppo tardi (“It’s never too late”), which taught reading and writing in standard Italian to adults.
However, local varieties of Italian are still very much alive, and they can definitely confuse learners. For example:
- in some parts of Northern Italy, it’s common to add a definite article in front of names like Domani andiamo dalla Stefania (Tomorrow we’re going to Stefania’s). Technically, this isn’t standard Italian, but it’s very common and totally accepted in conversation.
- In Southern Italy, you might hear stare (to stay) used instead of avere (to have), like Tengo una fame! (literally “I hold a hunger!” but it means “I’m starving!”. In standard Italian, it would be Ho una fame!)
- Also common in the South is adding the preposition a before direct objects, for instance Salutami a tua mamma (Say hi to your mom for me). In standard Italian, it would simply be Salutami tua mamma.
The easiest things about Italian!
Now, let’s take a look at some aspects that make learning Italian more accessible than you might expect:
9. The straightforward pronunciation
One of the easiest aspects of Italian is its phonetic spelling. Unlike English, where words frequently sound different from how they’re written and tricky sounds like the voiceless “r” (think bird or father) can be confusing, Italian is delightfully straightforward to pronounce. Almost every word sounds precisely as it appears, for example:
- Libro (book) is pronounced exactly as it’s written, LEE-broh
- Amore (love) sounds like ah-MOH-reh
- Mare (sea) is MAH-reh
That said, some Italian sounds may be a bit difficult at first, especially:
- The rolling R like in ruota (wheel) or raro (rare)
- The GLI sound, like in famiglia (family) or meraviglia (wonder)
- Double consonants, such as in interruttore (switch) or assolutamente (absolutely). This one is especially important because in certain cases, doubling a consonant can completely change a word’s meaning, like in fato (fate) vs. fatto (fact)
These sounds might feel new to English speakers, but they’re totally doable with a bit of practice. Maybe try some fun scioglilingua (tongue twisters) to get your tongue ready!
10. Many words come from Latin just like English
Here’s a big advantage for English speakers: Italian and English both drew many of their words from Latin. This results in many Italian words that look and sound similar to English ones (the so-called cognates). Clearly, this is a huge help when building your Italian vocabulary!
Here are some examples:
- Abilità = Ability
- Adorabile = Adorable
- Famiglia = Family
- Informazione = Information
- Natura = Nature
- Qualità = Quality
- Tradizione = Tradition
- Università = University
11. You can start speaking early
Yes, you read that right! This is especially true when it comes to verbs. You don’t need to memorize every conjugation or irregular verb to begin speaking Italian. In fact, just a handful of versatile verbs can help you express a lot.
Take fare (to do/to make), for example. It’s a super useful verb that we often use instead of more specific verbs, like:
- fare fotografie instead of fotografare (to take photos)
- fare un errore instead of sbagliare (to make a mistake)
- fare amicizia instead of stringere amicizia (to make friends)
- fare da mangiare instead of cucinare (to cook)
Another way to keep things simple yet effective is learning the conjugation of modal verbs and pair them with an infinitive. For example, instead of saying Vieni a Roma con noi? (Are you coming to Rome with us?) you could say Vuoi venire a Roma con noi? (Do you want to come to Rome with us?)
Or instead of Mia nonna cucina qualunque tipo di minestra (My grandmother cooks all kinds of soup), you could say Mia nonna sa cucinare qualunque tipo di minestra (My grandmother knows how to cook all kinds of soup).
Valentina Nicastro is a travel writer in love with her home country, Italy. Having travelled widely around the globe, she realised there was more to explore closer to home and decided to put the passport aside for a while. When she is not immersed in documenting Italy, you’ll find her donning her communication consultant hat, weaving words as a content writer and bridging linguistic divides as a translator.
