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

3086 Views

See similar Italian A Level tutors

Related Italian A Level answers

All answers ▸

How can I sound like a native speaker?


Can you explain me, with examples, what the CONGIUNTIVO tense is and how do you form it?


How to use direct pronouns in Italian?


Do you need to use pronouns in italian?


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:

© 2026 by IXL Learning