Comparative Grammar 6.6. Idiomatic Pronominal Verbs in Italian & French

In this comparative grammar lesson of Romance languages, we study idiomatic pronominal verbs in Italian & French. A pronominal verb is a verb that is accompanied by at least one pronoun. An example of pronominal verbs is reflexive verbs indicating that the action is performed on oneself.

Table of Contents

• Most Common Pronominal Verbs in Italian
  • Conjugation
  • Examples
• Most Common Pronominal Verbs in French
  • Conjugation
  • Examples
• Level VI – Fluent

Not all pronominal verbs are reflexive. Some verbs simply change their meaning when attached to pronouns to form new idiomatic meanings that do not often make complete sense if translated literally into English.

Take, for example, the Italian verb “andare” (to go). If we attach the pronouns “si” and “ne” to the verb “andare,” we obtain the pronominal verb “andarsene,” which means “to go away,” often encountered in the command form “Vattene!” (Go away!), that is: “va” + “ti” + “ne,” or “Andiamocene!” (Let’s go!), that is: “andiamo” + “ci” + “ne.”

Similarly, if we attach the pronouns “ci” and “la” to the Italian verb “avere” (to have), we obtain the pronominal verb “avercela,” which means “to be mad or angry.”

Most Common Pronominal Verbs in Italian

There are many similar idiomatic pronominal verbs in Italian. Some are formed by attaching one pronoun, while others are formed by attaching two pronouns. The pronouns attached can be reflexive such as “si,” direct object such as “le” (it) and “la” (them), or the special pronouns “ci” and “ne.” Remember that the pronoun “mi,” “ti,” “ci,” or “vi” is changed to “me,” “te,” “ce,” or “ve,” respectively, when followed by a second pronoun attached to it. One notable exception is when “ci” and “si” are used together to form “-cisi” at the end of a pronominal verb.

Conjugation

Unless the pronominal verb is in the infinitive or the imperative, the pronouns are placed in the same order before the conjugated verb. If the conjugation needs a past participle, as in the present perfect tense, the past participle takes the treatment of an adjective and must follow the ending pronoun in gender and number. Here is the conjugation of the pronominal verb “farcela” (to make it or to succeed) and “prenderle” (to get it or to give a beating) in the present perfect:

Examples

The following table lists some of the most common idiomatic pronominal verbs in Italian:

Most Common Pronominal Verbs in French

There are many idiomatic pronominal verbs in French. Some are formed using one pronoun, while others are formed by using two pronouns. In general, a pronominal verb uses a reflexive pronoun and/or one of the the special pronouns “y” and “en.”

Conjugation

To conjugate a pronominal verb, the pronouns are placed in the same order before the conjugated verb. If the conjugation needs a past participle, as in the present perfect tense, the auxiliary “être” is used, and the past participle takes the treatment of an adjective, meaning it must follow the subject in gender and number. Here is the conjugation of the pronominal verbs “s’en aller” (to go away) and “s’y prendre” (to set about doing something) in the present perfect:

Examples

The following table lists some of the most common idiomatic pronominal verbs in French:

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