Lorna at Vicenza

That question was asked almost a whole year ago.

Maybe1day

You obviously don't follow Italian politics................

Plan B

I do like the way English can be incorporated into Italian as in this example in a local paper today:
Qualcuno ha bypassato il comitato ...

Ugo51

heritagestanley

If "I'm looking forward to x" is "non vedo l'ora di x" how does one say "I'm not looking forward to x"? Surely not "vedo l'ora..."?!!

philat98

The non has to be always there. You can make it a negative by changing the intonation but the non stays put.

heritagestanley

OK thanks

Lorna at Vicenza

If somebody asked me a question like, "are you excited about Simon's wedding?" I think you can reply ----- ma no che non vedo l'ora, but it's just easier and simpler to say,

non ho nessuna voglia di fare .......................
non ho proprio voglia di andare ..................... etc.

heritagestanley

Thanks Lorna.
Can I try another question? As I understand it, "mi faccio vivo" means something like "I'll let you know". So if I ask somebody to let me know e.g. when they're able to come, can I say "ti fai vivo quando puoi venire"?

Listen Very Carefully

Hi
Is there any easy way of forming the imperativo in Italian or is just a case of learning each of the different forms depending on the verb group?
I am happy with the negative form
Thank you in advance

Lorna at Vicenza

Mi faccio vivo is more like -------------- I'll be in touch, so it would be ------- fatti vivo. I'd probably say, fatti vivo se hai intemzione di venire or fammi sapere se puoi venire.

Lorna at Vicenza

As far as I know, there is no easy way of learning any Italian verbs and all their endings. Even kids at school spend hours and hours on this and then promptly forget it all when they leave school, especially up here in the Veneto where the present tense seems to be used for almost everything when folks are not speaking in strong dialect. Some satirical TV programmes have also laughed at presenters or commentators that have used the wrong verb tense or the wrong ending.

The only helpful thing is that most verbs finish in the same way for each person:

Tu) mangia (Noi) mangiamo (Voi) mangiate

(Tu) credi (Noi) crediamo (Voi) credete

(Tu) parti (Noi) partiamo ( Voi) partite


The negative is easier because it isn't formed with the imperative but the infinitive so it's simply: non mangiare. Non partire. Non andare. Non parlare. Non pagare.

Listen Very Carefully

Thank you for the prompt reply I am happy with Italian verbs generally and most of the tenses it is just the imperative that seems so complicated I suppose I could just stop going around telling people what to do

heritagestanley

Easier to tell them what not to do

heritagestanley

If I want to say "over to you" (i.e. it's now for you to get on with some task) can I just say something like "Ora a te"? Or is there some phrase that's more specific?