Common Mistakes English Speakers Make in Italian: 25 Errors and How to Fix Them

Italian may look relatively approachable for English speakers. The alphabet is familiar, pronunciation is more regular than in English, and many Italian words are recognizable because English contains thousands of words of Latin origin.

But this apparent familiarity creates its own problems.

English speakers often transfer English grammar, word order, prepositions and sentence patterns directly into Italian. The result is a kind of “translated Italian”: understandable, but not always natural or grammatically correct.

Typical examples include:

❌ Sono 30 anni.
❌ Aspetto per Marco.
❌ Sono in Roma.
❌ Ho andato al lavoro.
❌ Io sono freddo.

Correct Italian would be:

✔ Ho 30 anni.
✔ Aspetto Marco.
✔ Sono a Roma.
✔ Sono andato/a al lavoro.
✔ Ho freddo.

In this guide, we look at the most common mistakes English speakers make when learning Italian, why they happen, and how to correct them.

Why Do English Speakers Make Specific Mistakes in Italian?

The main reason is language interference.

Your brain already has a complete system for expressing ideas in English. When you speak Italian, it naturally tries to reuse that system.

Sometimes the two languages match:

I work in Rome.
Lavoro a Roma.

But often they do not.

For example:

I am 30 years old.

An English speaker may instinctively search for a form of essere, because English uses “to be”.

But Italian says:

Ho 30 anni.

Literally: “I have 30 years.”

The key to speaking natural Italian is therefore not just learning vocabulary, but learning Italian sentence patterns as complete units.

Quick Overview: Common English-Speaker Mistakes

Incorrect	Correct
Sono 30 anni	Ho 30 anni
Sono freddo	Ho freddo
Sono in Roma	Sono a Roma
Vivo a Italia	Vivo in Italia
Aspetto per te	Ti aspetto
Ho andato	Sono andato/a
Maria è arrivato	Maria è arrivata
Lo non so	Non lo so
Io parlo italiano	Parlo italiano
Sono qui per 5 anni	Sono qui da 5 anni
Mi piace i libri	Mi piacciono i libri

Mistake 1: Using ESSERE for Age

English uses to be:

“I am 35.”

Italian uses avere:

✔ Ho 35 anni.

Not:

❌ Sono 35 anni.

Questions work the same way:

Quanti anni hai?
How old are you?

Ho ventotto anni.
I’m 28.

This pattern should be memorized as a complete expression.

Mistake 2: Translating “I Am Cold” Literally

English speakers naturally think:

“I am cold” → Sono freddo.

But in Italian, if you mean that you feel cold, you use avere:

✔ Ho freddo.

Similarly:

Ho caldo.
I’m hot.

Ho fame.
I’m hungry.

Ho sete.
I’m thirsty.

Ho sonno.
I’m sleepy.

Important Contrast

Sono freddo.

can describe a person or object as cold, emotionally cold, or physically cold depending on context.

But:

Ho freddo.

means:

I feel cold.

Mistake 3: Using STARE as a Direct Equivalent of “To Be”

English speakers sometimes learn that stare can mean “to stay” or “to be” and then begin using it too broadly.

For example:

❌ Sto stanco.

Standard Italian:

✔ Sono stanco.

Also:

✔ Sono felice.
✔ Sono triste.
✔ Sono nervoso.
✔ Sono pronto.

But:

✔ Sto bene.
I’m well.

✔ Sto male.
I’m not well.

And:

✔ Sto lavorando.
I’m working.

So stare is not a general replacement for English “to be”.

Mistake 4: Using IN with Cities

English says:

“I live in Rome.”

This often leads to:

❌ Vivo in Roma.

But in Italian, cities normally use a:

✔ Vivo a Roma.

✔ Studio a Milano.

✔ Vado a Torino.

Countries and regions usually use in:

✔ Vivo in Italia.

✔ Studio in Francia.

✔ Abito in Toscana.

Quick Rule

Place	Preposition
City	a
Country	in
Region	in
Continent	in

If prepositions are one of your weak points, a structured Italian course for beginners A1–A2 can help you learn them through complete phrases rather than isolated rules.

Mistake 5: Saying “Sono di Italy”

English speakers may translate:

“I’m from Italy.”

as:

❌ Sono di Italia.

With cities, di works naturally:

✔ Sono di Roma.

✔ Sono di Napoli.

But with a country, Italian normally uses nationality or venire da:

✔ Sono italiano / italiana.

✔ Vengo dall’Italia.

Similarly:

✔ Sono inglese.

✔ Vengo dall’Inghilterra.

Mistake 6: Forgetting Articles

English uses articles, so this problem is not as extreme as for speakers of some other languages. But Italian articles are more complex because they change according to gender, number and initial sound.

For example:

il libro

lo studente

la casa

l’amico

gli studenti

le ragazze

Common mistakes include:

❌ il studente

✔ lo studente

❌ i studenti

✔ gli studenti

❌ una amica

✔ un’amica

Learning nouns together with their article is much more effective than memorizing the noun alone.

Mistake 7: Overusing Subject Pronouns

English normally requires a subject:

I work.

She studies.

We live in Italy.

Italian usually does not.

Instead of:

Io lavoro a Roma.

Italian often simply says:

Lavoro a Roma.

Instead of:

Io studio italiano.

more naturally:

Studio italiano.

The verb ending already tells us who the subject is.

When Is the Pronoun Useful?

For contrast or emphasis:

Io studio italiano, lui studia francese.

Here io and lui are meaningful because the speakers are being contrasted.

Mistake 8: Using English Word Order Too Rigidly

English depends heavily on fixed word order.

Italian is more flexible.

English:

I always drink coffee in the morning.

Italian:

Bevo sempre il caffè la mattina.

Not necessarily:

❌ Io sempre bevo il caffè…

Another example:

I really like Rome.

Natural Italian:

✔ Mi piace molto Roma.

Trying to map each English word onto the same position often creates unnatural sentences.

Mistake 9: Putting Object Pronouns After the Verb

English says:

“I know him.”

The pronoun comes after the verb.

Italian says:

Lo conosco.

The object pronoun comes before the conjugated verb.

Other examples:

La vedo ogni giorno.
I see her every day.

Ti chiamo domani.
I’ll call you tomorrow.

Gli scrivo stasera.
I’ll write to him tonight.

Incorrect:

❌ Conosco lo.

❌ Chiamo ti.

Mistake 10: Wrong Word Order with NON

With object pronouns:

✔ Non lo so.

Not:

❌ Lo non so.

The basic structure is:

NON + pronoun + verb

Examples:

Non ti capisco.

Non la conosco.

Non gli telefono oggi.

This is one of those structures best learned as a complete phrase:

Non lo so.

Mistake 11: Saying “Aspetto per…”

English:

“I’m waiting for Marco.”

Because English uses for, learners often say:

❌ Aspetto per Marco.

But Italian aspettare is transitive:

✔ Aspetto Marco.

With a pronoun:

✔ Lo aspetto.

“I’m waiting for you”:

✔ Ti aspetto.

Not:

❌ Aspetto per te.

However, per te is perfectly correct in other meanings:

Questo regalo è per te.
This gift is for you.

Mistake 12: Using “Cercare per”

The same thing often happens with cercare.

English:

“I’m looking for a job.”

Italian:

✔ Cerco lavoro.

Not:

❌ Cerco per lavoro.

Also:

Cerco un appartamento.

Cerco Marco.

English prepositions should not automatically be transferred into Italian.

Mistake 13: Confusing ESSERE and AVERE in the Passato Prossimo

One of the most common A1–A2 mistakes:

❌ Ho andato a Roma.

Correct:

✔ Sono andato/a a Roma.

Some verbs use avere:

Ho mangiato.

Ho lavorato.

Ho studiato.

Ho comprato un libro.

Others use essere:

Sono andato/a.

Sono arrivato/a.

Sono partito/a.

Sono tornato/a.

Sono nato/a.

Reflexive verbs also use essere:

Mi sono svegliato/a.

Mi sono alzato/a.

Mistake 14: Forgetting Agreement with ESSERE

English past participles do not change according to gender.

Italian participles used with essere normally do.

A man:

Marco è arrivato.

A woman:

Anna è arrivata.

Two women:

Anna e Maria sono arrivate.

Two men or a mixed group:

Marco e Luca sono arrivati.

So:

❌ Maria è arrivato.

✔ Maria è arrivata.

This is especially important in writing and formal exams.

Mistake 15: Confusing Passato Prossimo and Imperfetto

English does not map neatly onto the Italian distinction between passato prossimo and imperfetto.

Compare:

Ieri ho visto Marco.
I saw Marco yesterday.

But:

Quando ero piccolo, vedevo spesso Marco.
When I was a child, I often saw Marco.

Passato Prossimo

Usually describes a completed event:

Ieri ho mangiato una pizza.

Imperfetto

Often describes:

• repeated habits;
• background;
• descriptions;
• ongoing situations in the past.

Da bambino mangiavo spesso la pizza.

Combined

Mentre studiavo, Marco mi ha telefonato.

studiavo = background action;

ha telefonato = completed event.

Mistake 16: Using the Past Tense with DA

English says:

“I have lived in Italy for five years.”

This often leads English speakers to search for a perfect tense.

But if the situation continues now, Italian usually says:

✔ Vivo in Italia da cinque anni.

Literally:

“I live in Italy since five years.”

Other examples:

Studio italiano da due anni.

Lavoro qui da sei mesi.

Conosco Anna da molto tempo.

This is a very important everyday structure:

present tense + da

Mistake 17: Confusing SAPERE and CONOSCERE

English uses “to know” for both.

Italian has two main verbs.

CONOSCERE

To know or be familiar with a person, place or subject:

Conosco Marco.

Conosco bene Roma.

SAPERE

To know information or know how to do something:

So dove vive Marco.

So parlare italiano.

Non so la risposta.

Compare:

Conosco Anna.
I know Anna.

So che Anna vive a Milano.
I know that Anna lives in Milan.

Mistake 18: Confusing BENE and BUONO

English “good” and “well” are already different, but learners still often transfer the wrong form.

buono is generally an adjective:

È un buon ristorante.

La pizza è buona.

bene is an adverb:

Parlo bene italiano.

Marco cucina bene.

Incorrect:

❌ Parlo buono italiano.

Correct:

✔ Parlo bene italiano.

Mistake 19: Confusing MOLTO as an Adverb and an Adjective

As an adverb, molto does not change:

Lavoro molto.

Studio molto.

Viaggio molto.

As an adjective, it agrees:

molto lavoro

molta pazienza

molti amici

molte persone

So:

❌ Ho molto amici.

✔ Ho molti amici.

But:

✔ Lavoro molto.

Mistake 20: Translating “I Like” Directly

English structure:

I like Italian films.

Italian does not use the same logic.

We say:

Mi piacciono i film italiani.

With singular:

Mi piace questo film.

The verb agrees with what is liked.

Compare

Mi piace la pizza.

Mi piacciono le pizze italiane.

So:

❌ Mi piace i libri.

✔ Mi piacciono i libri.

Mistake 21: Using FUTURO SEMPLICE for Every Future Action

English uses “will” and “going to”, and learners often feel that anything happening tomorrow must be in the future tense.

But spoken Italian often uses the present for fixed plans:

Domani lavoro.

Sabato andiamo a Torino.

Stasera mangio con Marco.

The futuro semplice is also correct in many contexts:

Domani lavorerò.

But Italian does not require the future simply because the event is tomorrow.

This difference becomes particularly important around A2–B1.

Mistake 22: Misunderstanding the Future of Probability

Italian can use the future tense to express an assumption about the present.

For example:

Dov’è Marco? — Sarà a casa.

This can mean:

Where is Marco? — He’s probably at home.

Not necessarily:

“He will be at home.”

Another example:

Avrà quarant’anni.

Often means:

He/she is probably around 40.

This use surprises many English speakers because the tense is formally future but the meaning refers to the present.

Mistake 23: Pronouncing Every Vowel Like English

Italian vowels are much more stable than English vowels.

English speakers sometimes reduce unstressed vowels or turn them into a schwa.

Italian generally requires clearer vowels.

For example:

telefono

italiano

domani

Each vowel should remain relatively clear.

Good pronunciation in Italian depends less on imitating an accent and more on producing clear, stable vowel sounds.

Mistake 24: Ignoring Double Consonants

Double consonants are important in Italian.

Compare:

pala and palla

sete and sette

casa and cassa

They can change meaning.

Common words with doubles include:

• tutto;
• fatto;
• bello;
• anno;
• mamma;
• nonno;
• ragazza;
• mattina.

English speakers often pronounce a double consonant exactly like a single consonant, which can make speech less clear.

Mistake 25: Pronouncing Italian Words with English Stress Patterns

Italian pronunciation is usually much more regular, but English speakers may shift stress or reduce endings.

Words like:

telefono

università

possibile

italiano

should be learned with their natural stress.

One of the best methods is to repeat complete phrases rather than isolated vocabulary.

Common Mistakes by Level

A1

English speakers often struggle with:

• articles;
• gender;
• a / in;
• essere / avere;
• age;
• object pronouns;
• subject pronouns.

Examples:

❌ Sono 25 anni.

✔ Ho 25 anni.

❌ Vivo in Roma.

✔ Vivo a Roma.

A2

Typical problems include:

• passato prossimo;
• choosing essere or avere;
• participle agreement;
• reflexive verbs;
• direct and indirect pronouns;
• prepositions.

Example:

❌ Ho arrivato ieri.

✔ Sono arrivato/a ieri.

B1–B2

At intermediate level, the problems become more subtle:

• passato prossimo vs imperfetto;
• natural word order;
• pronoun combinations;
• future of probability;
• prepositions with verbs;
• literal translation from English;
• register and idiomatic expressions.

If you are moving toward independent communication, our Intermediate Italian B1–B2 course is designed to work on exactly these kinds of structures.

Exercise 1: Correct the Mistakes

Correct these sentences.

1. Sono 30 anni.
2. Vivo in Roma.
3. Sono freddo.
4. Aspetto per Marco.
5. Ho andato al supermercato.
6. Maria è arrivato.
7. Lo non conosco.
8. Mi piace i film italiani.
9. Sono qui per cinque anni.
10. Ho molto amici.
11. Cerco per un appartamento.
12. Io sempre bevo il caffè.

Answers

1. Ho 30 anni.
2. Vivo a Roma.
3. Ho freddo.
4. Aspetto Marco.
5. Sono andato/a al supermercato.
6. Maria è arrivata.
7. Non lo conosco.
8. Mi piacciono i film italiani.
9. Sono qui da cinque anni.
10. Ho molti amici.
11. Cerco un appartamento.
12. Bevo sempre il caffè.

Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Option

1. I live in Milan.

a) Vivo in Milano.
b) Vivo a Milano.

Correct: b

2. I am 40.

a) Sono 40 anni.
b) Ho 40 anni.

Correct: b

3. Anna arrived yesterday.

a) Anna ha arrivato ieri.
b) Anna è arrivata ieri.

Correct: b

4. I like Italian books.

a) Mi piace i libri italiani.
b) Mi piacciono i libri italiani.

Correct: b

5. I don’t know him.

a) Lo non conosco.
b) Non lo conosco.

Correct: b

Exercise 3: Passato Prossimo or Imperfetto?

Complete the sentences.

1. Quando ero bambino, ______ al parco ogni giorno. (andare)
2. Ieri ______ Marco al supermercato. (vedere)
3. Mentre ______, il telefono è suonato. (studiare)
4. Da piccolo ______ molta televisione. (guardare)
5. Sabato scorso ______ una pizza. (mangiare)

Answers

1. andavo
2. ho visto
3. studiavo
4. guardavo
5. ho mangiato

How Can English Speakers Stop Translating Literally?

It is unrealistic to stop translating completely when you are a beginner. But you can gradually reduce it.

Instead of learning:

freddo = cold

learn:

Ho freddo.

Instead of:

aspettare = to wait

learn:

Aspetto Marco.

Ti aspetto.

Instead of:

piacere = to like

learn:

Mi piace la pizza.

Mi piacciono i libri.

Instead of memorizing individual prepositions, learn full phrases:

a Roma

in Italia

dal medico

a casa

al lavoro

This is how grammar becomes automatic.

If you want to focus on your own recurring errors, private Italian lessons allow the course to be adapted to your level and specific difficulties.

If your grammar is already solid but speaking still feels slow or translated from English, regular Italian conversation classes can help turn passive knowledge into spontaneous speech.

FAQ: Italian Mistakes Made by English Speakers

What is the most common mistake English speakers make in Italian?

There is no single mistake, but literal translation is the source of many others: wrong prepositions, unnecessary subject pronouns, incorrect word order and confusion between essere and avere.

Why do Italians say “Ho 30 anni”?

Italian expresses age with avere:

Ho 30 anni.

This is simply a fixed Italian structure and should be learned as a complete phrase.

Is “Sono freddo” wrong?

If you mean “I feel cold”, say:

Ho freddo.

Sono freddo can have a different meaning depending on context.

Why do we say “a Roma” but “in Italia”?

Cities normally use a, while countries and regions normally use in.

Why is “Ho andato” wrong?

Because andare uses essere in the passato prossimo:

Sono andato for a man;

Sono andata for a woman.

What is the difference between sapere and conoscere?

Use conoscere for people, places and familiarity:

Conosco Marco.

Use sapere for facts and abilities:

So dove vive Marco.

So parlare italiano.

Do Italians always use the future tense for future events?

No. For fixed plans, the present is extremely common:

Domani lavoro.

Sabato partiamo.

How can I sound less “English” when speaking Italian?

Learn complete Italian phrases instead of translating sentence by sentence. Pay particular attention to prepositions, pronouns, word order, essere/avere and common everyday expressions.

Conclusion

English gives learners some advantages when studying Italian, especially vocabulary of Latin origin and a familiar alphabet. But it also creates predictable mistakes.

The most important areas to watch are:

• essere vs avere;
• age and physical states;
• a vs in;
• passato prossimo auxiliaries;
• participle agreement;
• passato prossimo vs imperfetto;
• direct and indirect pronouns;
• Italian word order;
• prepositions after verbs;
• literal translation from English;
• pronunciation and double consonants.

The goal is not to stop using English as a reference overnight. Instead, start replacing English-based translations with complete Italian patterns.

Instead of thinking:

“I am cold” → ?

learn:

Ho freddo.

Instead of:

“I’m waiting for you” → ?

learn:

Ti aspetto.

And instead of:

“I have lived here for five years” → ?

learn:

Vivo qui da cinque anni.

That shift—from translating individual words to recalling Italian structures—is one of the biggest steps toward natural, confident Italian.