Italian grammar · Upper intermediate (B2)
Pronominal verbs: farcela, andarsene, prendersela
Common Italian verbs with fixed pronouns, like farcela, andarsene and prendersela: what they mean and how they change in each tense.
What they are
Some very common verbs come with one or two fixed pronouns, usually , or . The pronouns change their meaning: is “to do”, but is “to manage”; is “to go”, but is “to leave”.
They are frequent in speech, and many are informal. You'll recognise them in the dictionary by their ending: -cela, -sene, -sela.
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| to manage, to make it | ||
| to leave, to go away | ||
| to get upset, to take offence | ||
| to get by, to cope | ||
| to be cross with someone | ||
| to stop it | ||
| to take (time) | ||
| to take, to be needed |
How they change
The reflexive pronoun changes with the person, and become before and : . In , only is fixed: …
With a imperative, the pronouns join the end: (Go away!), (Stop it!). With , they go before the infinitive or join it: or .
In the passato prossimo
Verbs with a reflexive pronoun () take . and take . When comes before the verb, the participle agrees with it (feminine singular): , , . With , agrees with the subject: .
- Alla fine ce l'abbiamo fatta.In the end we managed.
- Due amici se ne sono andati presto.Two friends left early.
- Scherzavo: non te la sei presa, vero?I was joking: you didn't get upset, did you?