Italian grammar · Intermediate
Italian Pronominal Verbs
Italian pronominal verbs (i verbi pronominali) are verbs that carry one or more fixed pronouns, such as andarsene (to leave), farcela (to manage), and cavarsela (to get by). The pronouns si, ci, ne, and la are part of the verb and change its meaning: andare means to go, but andarsene means to go away. You find them in the dictionary with the pronouns attached to the infinitive.
È tardi, me ne vado.
It's late, I'm leaving.
What it is
A pronominal verb is a normal verb with pronouns fused to it, and the combination has its own meaning. English has the same idea in phrasal verbs: get becomes get by, get over, or get away with. In Italian, fare (to do) becomes farcela (to manage), and prendere (to take) becomes prendersela (to take offence). The pronouns move in front of the conjugated verb and change for the person: me ne vado, te ne vai.
andarsene → me ne vado, te ne vai, se ne va, ce ne andiamo, ve ne andate, se ne vanno.
How to spot it
Look for two short pronouns before a verb, such as me ne, ce la, or se la, or an infinitive that ends in -sene, -cela, -sela, or -ci.
- Non ce la faccio più. (I can't take it any more.)
- Con l'inglese me la cavo. (I get by in English.)
- Ci vuole pazienza. (It takes patience.)
- Perché ce l'hai con me? (Why are you angry with me?)
Before ne and la, the pronouns mi, ti, si, ci, and vi change to me, te, se, ce, and ve.
Pronominal Verbs Quick Reference
Common Italian pronominal verbs
| Verb | Pronouns | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| andarsene | si + ne | to leave, to go away | Me ne vado. (I'm leaving.) |
| farcela | ci + la | to manage, to make it | Ce la faccio. (I can manage.) |
| cavarsela | si + la | to get by, to cope | Me la cavo. (I get by.) |
| prendersela | si + la | to take offence, to get upset | Non prendertela. (Don't take it badly.) |
| avercela con | ci + la | to be angry with someone | Ce l'ha con me. (He's angry with me.) |
| sentirsela | si + la | to feel up to something | Non me la sento. (I don't feel up to it.) |
| volerci | ci | to take (time, effort), to be needed | Ci vuole un'ora. (It takes an hour.) |
| metterci | ci | to take (time), said of a person | Ci metto cinque minuti. (It takes me five minutes.) |
| smetterla | la | to stop it | Smettila! (Stop it!) |
Common Pronominal Verbs Examples in Italian
Italian pronominal verbs in real sentences:
Leaving and Coping
- È tardi, ce ne andiamo.
- It's late, we're leaving.
- Con l'inglese me la cavo.
- I get by in English.
- Non ce la faccio più.
- I can't take it any more.
Non ce la faccio più is the everyday way to say that you are exhausted or at the limit.
Feelings
- Perché ce l'hai con me?
- Why are you angry with me?
- Se l'è presa per niente.
- She got upset over nothing.
- Non me la sento di guidare stasera.
- I don't feel up to driving tonight.
Sentirsela takes di before an infinitive: non me la sento di uscire.
Time and Effort
- Quanto ci vuole per arrivare a Firenze?
- How long does it take to get to Florence?
- Ci ho messo un'ora a trovare parcheggio.
- It took me an hour to find a parking space.
- Ci vuole pazienza.
- It takes patience.
Volerci describes what a task needs. Metterci describes how long a person takes.
How Italian Pronominal Verbs Work
The pronouns change form, move before the verb, and decide which auxiliary the verb takes.
The Pronouns Change Before Ne and La
When a reflexive pronoun meets ne or la, its i becomes e: mi becomes me, ti becomes te, si becomes se. Ci and vi become ce and ve.
Me ne vado subito.
I'm leaving right away.
mi + ne = me ne; ci + la = ce la.
The Pronouns Go Before the Conjugated Verb
In the present, the past, and other conjugated forms, the pronouns move in front of the verb, in a fixed order. Only the first pronoun changes for the person.
Ce la fai da solo?
Can you manage on your own?
ce la faccio, ce la fai, ce la fa.
Verbs With Si Take Essere
In compound tenses, verbs that contain si (andarsene, cavarsela, prendersela) take essere. Farcela, avercela, and metterci contain no si, so they take avere.
Se n'è andato senza salutare.
He left without saying goodbye.
se n'è andato, but ce l'ha fatta.
The Participle Agrees With La
When la is part of the verb, the past participle agrees with it and is always feminine singular, whatever the gender of the subject.
Ce l'abbiamo fatta!
We made it.
ce l'ho fatta, me la sono cavata, se l'è presa.
Volerci vs Metterci
Volerci has no personal subject. It agrees with what is needed: ci vuole un'ora, ci vogliono due ore. Metterci has a person as subject and conjugates normally: ci metto, ci metti, ci mette.
In macchina ci vogliono tre ore, ma Marco ci mette due ore.
By car it takes three hours, but Marco does it in two.
ci vuole + singular; ci vogliono + plural.
Infinitive and Imperative: The Pronouns Attach
With an infinitive or an affirmative tu imperative, the pronouns attach to the end of the verb. In the negative tu imperative, which uses the infinitive, they can attach or go before it: non prendertela or non te la prendere.
Non prendertela, era solo uno scherzo.
Don't take it badly, it was only a joke.
vattene, smettila, non prendertela.
Common Mistakes with Pronominal Verbs
Incorrect: Mi ne vado. (I'm leaving.)
Correct: Me ne vado. (I'm leaving.)
Before ne, mi changes to me. The same change happens with ti, si, ci, and vi: te ne vai, se ne va.
Incorrect: Ce l'ho fatto. (I made it.)
Correct: Ce l'ho fatta. (I made it.)
The participle agrees with la, which is part of farcela. It is feminine singular for every subject.
Incorrect: Ci vuole due ore. (It takes two hours.)
Correct: Ci vogliono due ore. (It takes two hours.)
English uses it takes for everything. In Italian, volerci agrees with what is needed, so a plural noun needs ci vogliono.
Incorrect: Se ne ha andato. (He left.)
Correct: Se n'è andato. (He left.)
Andarsene contains si, so it takes essere in compound tenses, and the participle agrees with the subject.
Pronominal Verbs in the Present and the Passato Prossimo
These four verbs show the main patterns: andarsene and cavarsela with essere, farcela with avere, and the agreement of the participle with la.
The Present Tense
The verb conjugates normally. The first pronoun changes for the person, except in farcela, where ce stays the same.
| Pronoun | andarsene | farcela | cavarsela | prendersela |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| io | me ne vado | ce la faccio | me la cavo | me la prendo |
| tu | te ne vai | ce la fai | te la cavi | te la prendi |
| lui / lei / Lei | se ne va | ce la fa | se la cava | se la prende |
| noi | ce ne andiamo | ce la facciamo | ce la caviamo | ce la prendiamo |
| voi | ve ne andate | ce la fate | ve la cavate | ve la prendete |
| loro | se ne vanno | ce la fanno | se la cavano | se la prendono |
In farcela, ce comes from ci (there, in it), not from a reflexive pronoun, so it does not change for the person.
The Passato Prossimo
Andarsene agrees with the subject. Farcela, cavarsela, and prendersela agree with la, so the participle ends in -a.
| Pronoun | andarsene | farcela | cavarsela | prendersela |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| io | me ne sono andato / andata | ce l'ho fatta | me la sono cavata | me la sono presa |
| tu | te ne sei andato / andata | ce l'hai fatta | te la sei cavata | te la sei presa |
| lui / lei / Lei | se n'è andato / andata | ce l'ha fatta | se l'è cavata | se l'è presa |
| noi | ce ne siamo andati / andate | ce l'abbiamo fatta | ce la siamo cavata | ce la siamo presa |
| voi | ve ne siete andati / andate | ce l'avete fatta | ve la siete cavata | ve la siete presa |
| loro | se ne sono andati / andate | ce l'hanno fatta | se la sono cavata | se la sono presa |
La elides to l' before a form of avere or essere that starts with a vowel or h: ce l'ho fatta, se l'è presa.
Quick Check: Pronominal Verbs
Give the correct form of the pronominal verb in brackets.
1. (andarsene) Io ___ adesso.
Answer: me ne vado
Mi changes to me before ne.
2. (farcela) Noi non ___.
Answer: ce la facciamo
Ce stays the same for every person in farcela.
3. (volerci) ___ dieci minuti a piedi.
Answer: Ci vogliono
Dieci minuti is plural, so volerci is plural.
4. (cavarsela, passato prossimo) Giulia ___ bene all'esame.
Answer: se l'è cavata
Essere, and the participle agrees with la.
5. (prendersela) Dai, non ___!
Answer: prendertela
The negative tu imperative uses the infinitive. Non te la prendere is also correct.
Pronominal Verbs FAQs
- What are pronominal verbs in Italian?
- They are verbs that include one or more fixed pronouns, which give the verb a new meaning. Examples are andarsene (to leave), farcela (to manage), cavarsela (to get by), prendersela (to take offence), and volerci (to take time or effort). In a wider sense, reflexive verbs such as lavarsi are also pronominal.
- How do you conjugate andarsene?
- Conjugate andare and put the pronouns in front: me ne vado, te ne vai, se ne va, ce ne andiamo, ve ne andate, se ne vanno. In the passato prossimo it takes essere: me ne sono andato, se n'è andata.
- What does ce la faccio mean?
- It means I can manage, or I can make it. It comes from farcela. Non ce la faccio means I can't manage or I can't cope. In the past, ce l'ho fatta means I made it or I did it, and the participle fatta agrees with la.
- What is the difference between ci vuole and ci metto?
- Ci vuole (from volerci) says what a task needs in general: ci vuole un'ora, it takes an hour. Ci metto (from metterci) says how long a particular person takes: ci metto un'ora, it takes me an hour. Ci vuole changes to ci vogliono with a plural noun.
- Do Italian pronominal verbs take essere or avere?
- Verbs that contain si, such as andarsene, cavarsela, and prendersela, take essere. Verbs without si, such as farcela, avercela, and metterci, take avere. When la is part of the verb, the participle agrees with it: ce l'ho fatta, me la sono cavata.