Use Dovrei…? (Should I…?) followed by the verb in the infinitive to ask if you should do something. dovrei comes from the verb dovere (to have to). For more information on dovere, see here.
Should I…?
| Dovrei invitare Anna? | Should I invite Anna? |
| Dovrei richiamarla? | Should I call her back? |
| Dovrei scusarmi? | Should I apologize? |
When talking to people in a social or work situation, you may wish to express your opinion of something. In Italian you can use credo or penso (I think). When you use credere and pensare with che, the verb which follows is in the subjunctive. For more information on the subjunctive, see here.
I think…
| Penso che sia una splendida idea. | I think it’s a great idea. |
| Penso proprio che sia troppo tardi per andare al cinema. | I think it’s really too late to go to the cinema. |
| Credo che Sonia abbia ragione. | I think Sonia’s right. |
| Non credo proprio che sia così. | I don’t think that’s the case at all. |
| Non credo che sia una buona idea rivederci. | I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to see each other again. |
In my opinion…
| Secondo me è una buona idea. | In my opinion, it’s a good idea. |
| Secondo me ci creerà problemi. | In my opinion, it will cause us problems. |
| Secondo me è la decisione giusta. | In my opinion, it’s the right decision. |
| Per me non è vero. | In my opinion, it’s not true. |
If you want to ask other people what they think of something, use Che ne pensa di…? (What do You think of…?). Use Che ne pensi di…? if you are talking to somebody you know well or to somebody young.
What do you think of…?
| Che ne pensa del suo ultimo film? | What do You think of his latest movie? |
| Che ne pensa di questo ristorante? | What do You think of this restaurant? |
| Che ne pensi di questa idea? | What do you think of this idea? |
| Che ne pensa? | What do You think? |
To agree or disagree with what other people say, use sono d’accordo or non sono d’accordo.
I agree…
| Sono d’accordo. | I agree. |
| Sono d’accordo con Nigel. | I agree with Nigel. |
| Sono completamente d’accordo con lei! | I entirely agree with You! |
| Non sono del tutto d’accordo con Giovanni. | I don’t altogether agree with Giovanni. |
| Non condivido questa decisione. | I don’t agree with this decision. |
Where we use the verb to be in English in the phrases to be right and to be wrong, Italian speakers use avere (to have): avere ragione (to be right), avere torto (to be wrong).
You’re right…
| Hai ragione! | You’re right! |
| Secondo me ha ragione. | I think You’re right. |
| Ha ragione Matteo. | Matteo’s right. |
| Credo che abbiate ragione voi. | I think you’re right. |
| Per me Marina ha torto. | I think Marina is wrong. |
| Fai male a non ascoltarla. | You’re wrong not to listen to her. |
When talking to your colleagues and friends you will want to tell them about your plans. In Italian, as in English, the present is very often used to talk about plans, especially for things that have been arranged and that are definite. For more on the present tense, see here.
I’m…
| Vedo Gianni giovedì. | I’m seeing Gianni on Thursday. |
| La vedo questo pomeriggio. | I’m seeing her this afternoon. |
| Andiamo al cinema stasera. | We’re going to the cinema tonight. |
| Pranziamo insieme venerdì prossimo. | We’re going for lunch next Friday. |
In English, when we talk about the future we often say I’m going to. In Italian you can either use the future or the present tense (see here).
I’m going to…
| Gli telefonerò. | I’m going to phone him. |
| Lo avvertirò che non posso venire. | I’m going to let him know I can’t come. |
| Dirò loro di venire un po’ più tardi. | I’m going to tell them to come a bit later. |
| Usciamo a cena domani sera. | We’re going to go out for dinner tomorrow night. |
| Andiamo a trovarli lunedì. | We’re going to go and see them on Monday. |
Are you going to…?
| Glielo dici oggi? | Are you going to tell him the news today? |
| Pensi di rivederlo? | Are you going to see him again? |
| Lei ci va a questa festa? | Are You going to go to this party? |
| Comprerà una casa? | Are You going to buy a house? |
When talking about what you intend to do, you can use ho intenzione di (I intend to) followed by a verb in the infinitive.
I intend to…
| Ho intenzione di
|