TL;DR. Italian impersonal verbs (andare, capitare, convenire, dispiacere) flip the english perspective. The english subject becomes an italian indirect-object pronoun. Mi va = I feel like, mi conviene = I’d better. This B1 guide covers the four most useful.
Cosa impareremo oggi
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The rule: italian impersonal verbs in one line
Italian impersonal verbs work like the famous piacere: the person who experiences something becomes an indirect object pronoun (mi, ti, gli, le, ci, vi), while the thing experienced is the grammatical subject. Compound tenses use essere, and the past participle agrees with the subject (the thing), not with the experiencer.
This guide focuses on four high-frequency members beyond piacere: andare (I feel like), capitare (it happens by chance), convenire (it’s worth, I’d better), dispiacere (I’m sorry, I mind). All four are everyday spoken italian and natives use them constantly.
Andare with pronouns: I feel like
Outside its motion meaning, andare with an indirect-object pronoun shifts to to feel like or to be in the mood for. Mi va di uscire = I feel like going out. The construction is mi/ti/gli/le/ci/vi va + di + infinitive, or mi va + noun (mi va una pizza).
🔍 Observe:
- Ti andrebbe di andare al mare? Would you feel like going to the sea?
- Stefano e stanco. Non gli va di uscire. Stefano is tired. He doesn’t feel like going out.
- Sono a dieta, non mi vanno le patate. I’m on a diet, I don’t fancy potatoes.
- L’albergo vicino alla stazione ci va benissimo. The hotel near the station works great for us.
- Il nuovo fidanzato di mia figlia non mi va a genio. My daughter’s new boyfriend isn’t to my taste.
- La camicia nuova ti va proprio a pennello. The new shirt fits you perfectly.
🎯 Mini-Challenge: andare with pronouns
- 1. Translate: “I don’t feel like cooking tonight.”
- 2. Translate: “Do you fancy a coffee?” (informal tu)
- 3. Translate: “The hotel near the airport works great for them.”
Show answers
- Stasera non mi va di cucinare.
- Ti va un caffe?
- L’albergo vicino all’aeroporto gli va benissimo.
Capitare: it happens (by chance)
Capitare is a near-synonym of succedere with one specific shade: it implies chance, unpredictability. Mi e capitato = it happened to me (by chance). Mi e successo = it happened to me (neutral). The construction takes indirect-object pronouns and uses essere in compound tenses.
🔍 Observe:
- Non mi era mai capitato di trovare lavoro cosi facilmente. I had never (had it) happen to me to find work this easily.
- Purtroppo e capitata una disgrazia. Unfortunately a misfortune happened.
- Se capitasse a voi, non sapreste come comportarvi. If it happened to you, you wouldn’t know how to behave.
- Avevo bisogno di una mano. Capiti proprio a fagiolo! I needed a hand. You arrive at the perfect moment!
- Non ti devi vergognare, capita a tutti di sbagliare. Don’t be ashamed, it happens to everyone to make mistakes.
🎯 Mini-Challenge: capitare
- 1. Translate: “Has it ever happened to you to lose your keys?”
- 2. Translate: “It happens to everyone to be tired sometimes.”
Show answers
- Ti e mai capitato di perdere le chiavi?
- Capita a tutti di essere stanchi a volte.
Convenire: I’d better, it’s worth
Convenire with an indirect-object pronoun translates as I’d better, it’s convenient for me, it’s worth my while. The structure: mi conviene + infinitive or mi conviene + noun. Italians use it constantly to express smart practical advice.
🔍 Observe:
- Non ti conviene fare il furbo. You’d better not act clever.
- Ci conviene andare prima che faccia buio. We’d better go before it gets dark.
- A questo punto, penso convenga prendere un taxi. At this point, I think it’s better to take a taxi.
- Ti conviene il treno alle sette, e diretto. The seven o’clock train suits you, it’s direct.
🎯 Mini-Challenge: convenire
- 1. Translate: “It’s better for me to leave early.”
- 2. Translate: “Does this offer suit you?” (formal Lei)
Show answers
- Mi conviene partire presto.
- Le conviene questa offerta?
Dispiacere: I’m sorry, do you mind
Dispiacere doesn’t mean to dislike in modern italian. The two main uses: mi dispiace = I’m sorry (apology, regret), le dispiace se = do you mind if (polite request, formal Lei). The double negative non mi dispiace means I quite like it or not bad.
🔍 Observe:
- Mi dispiace, avevo dimenticato l’appuntamento. I’m sorry, I had forgotten the appointment.
- Ci e dispiaciuto molto quando ve ne siete andati. We were very sorry when you left.
- Le dispiace se mi siedo accanto a Lei? Do you mind if I sit next to you? (formal)
- Non mi dispiace il caffe amaro. I quite like coffee without sugar. (double negative)
- Ti dispiace chiudere la finestra? Do you mind closing the window?
🎯 Mini-Challenge: dispiacere
- 1. Translate (formal Lei): “Do you mind if I open the door?”
- 2. Translate: “I’m sorry I missed your birthday.”
- 3. Translate: “I quite like spicy food.” (double negative)
Show answers
- Le dispiace se apro la porta?
- Mi dispiace di aver perso il tuo compleanno.
- Non mi dispiace il cibo piccante.
Five traps for English speakers
Trap 1: the experiencer is NOT the subject
The english I in I feel like, I’d better, I’m sorry, it happens to me becomes the italian indirect-object pronoun mi in mi va, mi conviene, mi dispiace, mi capita. The grammatical subject is the action or thing experienced. Get this perspective right and the rest follows.
Trap 2: compound tenses use ESSERE with subject agreement
Mi e capitato (masculine subject), mi e capitata (feminine subject), mi sono capitate (plural feminine subject). The participle agrees with the thing, not with you. The same applies to all italian impersonal verbs.
Trap 3: capitare vs succedere
Both translate as to happen. Capitare implies chance or unpredictability: capita di sbagliare (mistakes can happen). Succedere is more neutral and works also for planned events: cosa e successo? (what happened?). In doubt, capitare for accidents and surprises, succedere for everything else.
Trap 4: dispiacere is NOT to dislike
Mi dispiace in 95% of cases means I’m sorry, not I dislike. To say I don’t like use non mi piace. The double negative non mi dispiace means I quite like it, the opposite of what an english speaker might expect.
Trap 5: convenire is not to convene
The english cognate convene (gather, meet) exists in italian only as a formal, rare meaning. The everyday italian convenire with indirect-object pronoun means to be worth, to be advantageous, to be the smart move. Mi conviene partire = I’d better leave (it’s the smart choice).
Cheat sheet: italian impersonal verbs
| Verb | Construction | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| andare (with pron) | mi va di + inf / + noun | I feel like, I’m in the mood for |
| capitare | mi capita di + inf | it happens to me (by chance) |
| convenire | mi conviene + inf / + noun | I’d better, it’s worth my while |
| dispiacere (regret) | mi dispiace + che / di | I’m sorry |
| dispiacere (request) | le dispiace se | do you mind if |
| non dispiacere | non mi dispiace + noun | I quite like it |
Dialogue at a Roman pizzeria
Two friends choosing what to order on a Friday night.
- 👨🏻 Ti va una pizza ai funghi? Do you fancy a mushroom pizza?
- 👩🏼 Mi capita raramente di mangiare funghi. Mi va piuttosto una margherita. I rarely eat mushrooms. I’d rather have a margherita.
- 👨🏻 Ti conviene ordinare anche un antipasto, qui le porzioni sono piccole. You’d better order a starter too, portions are small here.
- 👩🏼 Hai ragione. Ti dispiace se prendiamo una bruschetta da dividere? You’re right. Do you mind if we share a bruschetta?
- 👨🏻 Affatto, anzi. Mi dispiace solo che il vino qui non sia mai eccezionale. Not at all, on the contrary. I’m just sorry the wine here is never great.
- 👩🏼 Non mi dispiace il loro Chianti, in realta. I quite like their Chianti, actually.
- 👨🏻 Bene allora, una bottiglia. Ti capita mai di pranzare qui? Then a bottle. Do you ever happen to have lunch here?
- 👩🏼 Solo il sabato. Mi conviene a pranzo, e meno affollato. Only on Saturdays. It works better for me at lunch, less crowded.
🎯 Mini-Challenge: capstone
- 1. Translate: “Do you (informal) feel like going for a walk?”
- 2. Translate (formal Lei): “Do you mind if I close the window? It’s cold.”
- 3. Translate: “It happened to me to forget my password three times this week.”
Show answers
- Ti va di fare una passeggiata?
- Le dispiace se chiudo la finestra? Fa freddo.
- Mi e capitato di dimenticare la password tre volte questa settimana.
Further reading: Treccani: dispiacere.
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Frequently asked questions
What are italian impersonal verbs?
Italian impersonal verbs (also called piacere-type verbs) are verbs that flip the english perspective. The english subject (I, you, she) becomes the italian indirect-object pronoun (mi, ti, le, gli). The thing experienced is the grammatical subject. Andare with pronouns (mi va = I feel like), capitare (mi capita = it happens to me), convenire (mi conviene = I’d better), dispiacere (mi dispiace = I’m sorry) all work this way.
How do I conjugate andare to mean I feel like?
Use third person singular or plural agreeing with the thing. Mi va una pizza (I feel like a pizza, singular subject). Mi vanno gli spaghetti (I feel like spaghetti, plural subject). With infinitive: mi va di uscire (I feel like going out). Negative: non mi va, non mi vanno. Conditional: mi andrebbe.
What is the difference between capitare and succedere?
Both translate as ‘to happen’. Capitare implies chance or unpredictability: capita di sbagliare (mistakes happen, can’t be helped). Succedere is more neutral: cosa e successo? (what happened?, asking for facts). In doubt: capitare for accidents and surprises, succedere for everything else. The two are often interchangeable in casual speech.
Does mi dispiace mean I dislike?
No, in 95% of cases mi dispiace means I’m sorry (apology or regret). To say I don’t like, use non mi piace. The fixed expression non mi dispiace (double negative) actually means I quite like it, the opposite of what english speakers expect. Mi dispiace can also start a polite refusal: mi dispiace, non posso (I’m sorry, I can’t).
How do I make a polite request with le dispiace?
The formal Lei + dispiace + se forms a tactful request. Le dispiace se mi siedo qui? (Do you mind if I sit here?). Le dispiace chiudere la finestra? (Would you mind closing the window?). The informal version uses ti dispiace. The pattern is dispiace + se + indicativo or dispiace + infinitive.
What does mi conviene mean?
Mi conviene means I’d better, it’s worth my while, it’s the smart choice for me. The structure: mi conviene + infinitive (mi conviene partire = I’d better leave) or mi conviene + noun (mi conviene questo treno = this train suits me). It always carries a practical, calculative undertone. Italians use it constantly to give and receive advice.
Why do compound tenses use essere with these verbs?
Italian impersonal verbs in this group all take essere as auxiliary in compound tenses, with the past participle agreeing with the grammatical subject (the thing experienced, not the experiencer). Examples: mi e capitato (masculine), mi e capitata (feminine), mi sono capitate (feminine plural). Same rule as piacere.
What does mi va a genio mean?
Mi va a genio is an idiom meaning ‘is to my taste’ or ‘I take a liking to’. The literal phrase doesn’t translate cleanly. The opposite is non mi va a genio (I don’t take to). It’s more colloquial than the standard mi piace and carries a personal-chemistry shade.
