The si impersonale(impersonal si) in Italian is used to make generalizations, or to form a sentence where the doer is not specified. It is formed with the pronounNo definition set for pronounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.si and a verbNo definition set for verbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. in the third personNo definition set for third personLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.singularNo definition set for singularLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., as in:
In biblioteca si deve parlare a bassa voce.
At the library one must speak quietly.
NOTE:
Sometimes the si impersonale gets confused with the si we use in the passive voice, but they’re a little different! Check out our post on the si passivante(passive si), to learn about the other use of si.
In this post, we’ll unravel all the secrets of the si impersonale for you, how to use it, how to form it, and why it’s different from the passive. Keep reading!
Table of Contents
How to use the impersonal ‘si’?
The impersonal si is the Italian equivalent of “one,” the generic “you” or “we,” “they,” or “people” (in general). It is used to express actions performed by an unknown or unspecified agentNo definition set for agentLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.. More specifically:
To express general and impersonal information:
Nel week-end si dorme più del solito.
On the week-end people sleep more than usual.
IMPORTANT!
Note that, while the agent is not expressed, it always refers to people.
To talk about rules:
Non si può entrare prima delle 5.
You cannot enter before 5.
To ask for, and give, directions:
Come si arriva alla stazione?
How does one get to the station?
Si gira a sinistra e poi a destra.
You turn left and then right.
To find out how to say things properly:
Cosa si dice prima di iniziare a mangiare?
What do you say before starting to eat?
Tip
Two very common expressions with the impersonal siare:
si vede che(you can tell that)
Che faccia rilassata! Si vede che sei stata in vacanza!
What a relaxed face! You can tell that you’ve been on vacation!
si dice che(they say that)
Si dice che la sua band suonerà per ultima.
They say that her band will play last.
How to form the impersonal ‘si’?
The impersonal si is always followed by a verb in the third-personNo definition set for third-personLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.singularNo definition set for singularLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. (lui / lei).
Si è felici in Italia.
One is happy in Italy.
Important
With the verbs essere(to be) and diventare(to become), plural adjectivesNo definition set for adjectivesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. are needed:
Quando si è rilassati, tutto sembra più facile.
When you are relaxed, everything seems easier.
Di fronte a certi episodi si diventa necessariamente preoccupati.
In the face of certain episodes, one inevitably becomes worried.
The verb following the si impersonale can be an intransitiveNo definition set for intransitiveLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. verb or a transitiveNo definition set for transitiveLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. verb with no direct objectNo definition set for direct objectLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum..
In treno si arriva velocemente.
By train one arrives quickly.
In questo ristorante si mangia bene.
In this restaurant people eat well.
Tip
The impersonal si is often followed by an adverbNo definition set for adverbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. or a prepositional phraseNo definition set for prepositional phraseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.:
+ adverb:
Nel Sud Italia si cena tardi.
In Southern Italy people have dinner late.
+ prepositional phrase:
La domenica si pranza al ristorante.
On Sundays people have lunch at the restaurant.
When the si construction is used with reflexive verbs (e.g. svegliarsi(to wake up) there’s a little twist: to avoid the double si, the phrase ci si is used.
In settimana ci si deve svegliare prima.
During the week one needs to wake up earlier.
When the si impersonale is used in compound tensesNo definition set for compound tensesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., it always takes essere as its helping verb.
In settimana ci si deve svegliare prima.
During the week one needs to wake up earlier.
Compare these sentences in the passato prossimo:
Durante il lockdown abbiamo letto molto.
During the lockdown we read a lot.
Durante il lockdown siè letto molto.
During the lockdown people read a lot.
→ Notice that the past participle is singular, like the verb!
In the first, “regular” sentence, letto (past participleNo definition set for past participleLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. of leggere(to read)) takes avere, while in the second sentence, with the impersonal si, it takes essere + masculine, singular past participle.
If a verb normally takes Phrase as a helping verb (e.g. andare(to go)), the passato prossimo is formed with essere + masculine, plural past participle, as in:
La scorsa estate siè andati spesso al mare.
Last summer we/people often went to the sea.
→ Notice that the past participle here is plural because the verb andare usually forms compound tenses with essere!
What is the difference between the impersonal ‘si’ and passive ‘si’?
Does the si impersonale look similar to the si passivante to you? Well, you’re in good company: the distinction is pretty technical and complex even for native speakers! To put it simply: both the impersonal si and the passive si "hide" the agent and instead place emphasis on the action or on who receives it. However, the passive sirequires an explicit subject, while the impersonal sidoes not.
Or, with more technical words: the passive si is used with transitive verbs — verbs that take a direct object. The impersonal si is used with both intransitive verbs (the ones that do not take a direct object) and also transitive verbs that are when NOT followed by a noun phraseNo definition set for noun phraseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum..
Si expression
Used with...
Example
Passive si
transitive verbs only
La Vigilia si mangia il pesce, mentre a Natale si mangiano i tortellini.
On Christmas Eve, fish is eaten, while at Christmas, tortellini are eaten.
Impersonal si
transitive verbs with no noun phrase
A che ora si mangia?
What time do people eat?
intransitive verbs
Si entra da qui.
You enter through here.
Important
As you can see from the table above, while the impersonal si is always followed by a verb in the third-person singular, the passive si can either be followed by a verb in the third-person singular (si mangia) or third-person plural (si mangiano), depending on whether the following noun is singular or plural.
Summary
The impersonal si is used to talk about events, actions, or situations involving a nonspecific subject; it corresponds to the English “one,” the generic “you” or “we,” “they,” or “people.” It is never followed by a noun phrase — in which case, it would be a passive si — and it always precedes a verb in the third-person singular.
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