How does the formal form "" work in Italian?

To show respect to the person you are referring to, in Italian it is important to use the third singular form "lei" instead of the second singular one "tu";as a consequence, all the adjectives, pronouns and verbs will be inflected and conjugated according to this.For instance, the phrase "I am sorry, but I disagree with your opinion." will be "Mi scusi, ma non sono d'accordo con lasua opinione." instead of "Scusami, ma non sono d'accordo con la tua opinione."In addition to this, there are also specific words to avoid when using the formal form, such as "Ciao", which can be easily substituted with "Salve", "Buongiorno", "Buonasera", etc...

AF
Answered by Angela F. Italian tutor

2760 Views

See similar Italian A Level tutors

Related Italian A Level answers

All answers ▸

What are the tips to understand the meaning of an Italian saying/idiom if I have never encountered it before?


When is 'Congiuntivo' used in Italian?


When does the past participle change form if conjugated with the verb avere?


What is the difference between the passato prossmo/remoto and the imperfetto?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning