🔍 In short. Italian verbs followed by di need the preposition di before a second verb in the infinitive: spero di arrivare, cerco di capire, ho finito di lavorare. They cluster in four meaning groups: declarative verbs (dire, affermare, promettere, negare), opinion verbs (pensare, credere, sperare, sospettare), stopping verbs (finire, smettere, cessare), and trying or deciding verbs (cercare, decidere, dimenticarsi, ricordarsi). They take di only when the subject is the same in both clauses; otherwise Italian switches to che plus a finite verb.
Get the italian verbs followed by di right and the most common B1 sentence type, “I hope to / I decided to / I forgot to”, finally lands cleanly: no more spero a partire or ho finito a lavorare. This guide is the companion to our verbs-with-a page, and together they cover almost every verb that governs an infinitive.
Cosa impareremo oggi
👆🏻 Jump to section
- What “verb + di + infinitive” means
- Group 1: declarative verbs
- Group 2: believing, hoping, thinking
- Group 3: stopping and finishing
- Group 4: trying, deciding, remembering
- The same-subject rule: di or che
- A or di: is there a rule?
- Replacing di + phrase with ne
- Finire di vs finire a
- Asking, permitting, forbidding: the object pattern
- Cheat sheet: italian verbs followed by di
- Common mistakes English speakers make
- Dialog: at the Lucca travel agency
- Frequently asked questions
- Related guides
What “verb + di + infinitive” means
When two verbs meet, the second goes in the infinitive and the first decides the link. Modals link with nothing (voglio partire), one family links with a (comincio a capire), and a very large family links with di. The italian verbs followed by di are that last family: the governing verb requires di before its dependent infinitive.
This is the bigger of the two prepositional families, because it includes all the verbs of saying, thinking and hoping, the backbone of everyday talk. The italian verbs followed by di also share one structural condition: they use di plus infinitive only when the two clauses have the same subject.
Group 1: declarative verbs
The first family of italian verbs followed by di covers saying, declaring, promising and denying. These are extremely frequent in reported speech.
- Pietro dice di essere stanco.
Pietro says he is tired. - Elena promette di portare il preventivo domani.
Elena promises to bring the quote tomorrow. - Il direttore ha negato di aver firmato quel documento.
The director denied having signed that document. - Caterina ammette di aver sbagliato strada per Modena.
Caterina admits she took the wrong road to Modena.
The group includes affermare, aggiungere, annunciare, confessare, dichiarare, dire, giurare, informare, negare, promettere, raccontare, riferire, rifiutarsi, rispondere, scrivere, spiegare. They are core italian verbs followed by di whenever the speaker is talking about themselves.
Group 2: believing, hoping, thinking
The second family of italian verbs followed by di is about opinion and expectation. This is the one English speakers most often get wrong, because English uses “to” everywhere and Italian here insists on di.
- Spero di arrivare in tempo alla riunione di Lucca.
I hope to arrive in time for the Lucca meeting. - Penso di essere stato influenzato dal corso di tedesco.
I think I was influenced by the German course. - Caterina crede di avere ragione.
Caterina believes she is right. - Sospetto di aver lasciato le chiavi in officina.
I suspect I left the keys at the workshop.
The group includes credere, dubitare, immaginare, pensare, ritenere, sospettare, sperare, supporre, plus phrases like essere convinto di, rendersi conto di, avere il sospetto di. All take di, never a, so they belong squarely to the italian verbs followed by di.
🔍 The “say, think, hope” rule of thumb. If the governing verb means say, declare, think, believe or hope, it is almost always one of the italian verbs followed by di. Dico di, penso di, spero di, credo di. This single cluster covers a huge slice of real conversation about yourself.
Group 3: stopping and finishing
Verbs that mark the end of an activity all take di, and this is the cleanest sub-rule among the italian verbs followed by di.
- Ho finito di lavorare alle sei.
I finished working at six. - Smetti di lamentarti, non è così grave.
Stop complaining, it is not that serious. - Il bambino non cessa di fare domande.
The child does not stop asking questions. - Pietro ha smesso di fumare l’anno scorso.
Pietro stopped smoking last year. - Caterina non finisce mai di stupirmi con i suoi restauri.
Caterina never stops amazing me with her restorations. - Smettila di rimandare, prenota il treno per Padova adesso.
Stop putting it off, book the train to Padua now.
The core verbs are finire, smettere, cessare, all signalling that an action terminates. They are reliable italian verbs followed by di: there is no finire a with this meaning (see the dedicated section below on the trap).
Group 4: trying, deciding, remembering
The fourth family of italian verbs followed by di is about attempting, choosing and recalling.
- Caterina cerca di finire il restauro entro venerdì.
Caterina is trying to finish the restoration by Friday. - Pietro ha deciso di trasferirsi a Padova.
Pietro has decided to move to Padua. - Mi sono dimenticato di chiamare il meccanico.
I forgot to call the mechanic. - Ti consiglio di prenotare prima, è alta stagione.
I advise you to book in advance, it is high season.
This group includes cercare, decidere, dimenticarsi, ricordarsi, accettare, accorgersi, augurarsi, evitare, pentirsi, sforzarsi, temere, and the advice and command verbs consigliare, chiedere, permettere, suggerire, ordinare (these last ones take an indirect object: ti consiglio di). They round out the italian verbs followed by di.
The same-subject rule: di or che
This is the structural heart of the italian verbs followed by di. They use di plus infinitive only when the subject of the main verb and the subject of the second verb are the same person. When the subjects differ, Italian switches to che plus a finite verb.
- Same subject: Pietro dice di essere stanco.
Pietro says he (Pietro) is tired. - Different subjects: Pietro dice che sua sorella è stanca.
Pietro says that his sister is tired. - Same subject: Spero di arrivare presto. Different: Spero che tu arrivi presto.
I hope to arrive early. / I hope you arrive early.
So the test for the italian verbs followed by di has two steps: is this verb in the di-family, and is the subject the same? If yes to both, use di plus infinitive. If the subject changes, drop the infinitive and go to che (with the subjunctive for opinion and hope verbs).
A or di: is there a rule?
No clean rule predicts a versus di from meaning. Cominciare takes a, finire takes di, though both describe phases of an action. The italian verbs followed by di must be learned as chunks with their preposition, exactly like their a counterparts.
- Cerco di capire. but Riesco a capire.
I try to understand. but I manage to understand. - Smetto di fumare. but Comincio a fumare.
I quit smoking. but I start smoking. - Spero di partire. but Mi preparo a partire.
I hope to leave. but I get ready to leave.
Practical strategy: every time you meet a new governing verb, store it with its preposition. Our companion page lists the verbs that take a; this one lists the italian verbs followed by di. Between the two, you have the whole map.
Replacing di + phrase with ne
A shortcut mirrors the ci trick of the a verbs. When the di phrase after one of the italian verbs followed by di is known from context, you can replace it with the particle ne.
- Hai deciso di partire? Sì, ne ho già deciso. (more often: l’ho già deciso)
Have you decided to leave? Yes, I have decided. - Ti sei accorto dell’errore? Sì, me ne sono accorto.
Did you notice the mistake? Yes, I noticed it. - Ti sei pentito di averlo detto? Sì, me ne sono pentito.
Did you regret saying it? Yes, I regretted it.
The particle ne stands in for the di complement, just as ci stands in for an a complement. It is a further sign that the preposition is genuinely part of how the italian verbs followed by di work.
Finire di vs finire a
One verb shows why the preposition is not interchangeable. With the italian verbs followed by di, finire di means “to stop doing”; finire a exists too but means something completely different, “to end up doing”.
- Ho finito di lavorare.
I have finished working. (the work is over) - È finito a vendere giornali.
He ended up selling newspapers. (an unexpected outcome)
The lesson generalises: changing the preposition can change the meaning entirely, so treat each verb plus preposition as one unit. For the standard “finish doing” sense, finire stays firmly among the italian verbs followed by di.
Asking, permitting, forbidding: the object pattern
A distinct sub-family of the italian verbs followed by di covers asking, allowing, ordering, forbidding and preventing. Here di plus infinitive appears even when the doer is the object of the main verb, not its subject, and the second subject is left unexpressed.
- With a direct object: pregare, implorare, supplicare. Ti prego di arrivare puntuale.
I beg you to arrive on time. - With an indirect object: chiedere, ordinare, permettere, impedire, vietare, proibire, consigliare, raccomandare. Ho chiesto a Pietro di aspettare.
I asked Pietro to wait. - La timidezza gli impedisce di suonare il campanello.
Shyness stops him from ringing the bell. - Il responsabile ha vietato ai visitatori di entrare in officina.
The manager forbade visitors from entering the workshop.
One useful alternation: with these italian verbs followed by di you can almost always switch to che plus the subjunctive without changing the meaning. Ti chiedo di venire equals ti chiedo che tu venga; disse al contadino di aspettare equals disse che il contadino aspettasse. The infinitive form is shorter and far more common in speech, so prefer it whenever the object person is clear. As with the rest of the italian verbs followed by di, a little daily reading fixes these patterns faster than any list, because you see the verb and its preposition working together in real sentences.
Cheat sheet: italian verbs followed by di
The high-frequency list on one card. Learn each verb together with its di.
| Group | Verbs + di | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Declarative | dire, affermare, promettere, negare, ammettere | dice di essere stanco |
| Opinion | pensare, credere, sperare, sospettare, ritenere | spero di arrivare |
| Stopping | finire, smettere, cessare | ho finito di lavorare |
| Trying | cercare, decidere, evitare, sforzarsi | cerco di capire |
| Remembering | ricordarsi, dimenticarsi, accorgersi, pentirsi | mi dimentico di chiamare |
| Advice + object | consigliare, chiedere, permettere, suggerire | ti consiglio di prenotare |
| Same subject only | di + infinitive; else che + verb | dice di / dice che |
Common mistakes English speakers make with italian verbs followed by di
- Using a instead of di. ❌ Spero a partire. ✅ Spero di partire.
- Dropping the preposition. ❌ Ho finito lavorare. ✅ Ho finito di lavorare.
- Di + infinitive with different subjects. ❌ Spero di tu venga. ✅ Spero che tu venga.
- Che + infinitive when subjects match. ❌ Penso che essere stanco. ✅ Penso di essere stanco.
- Finire a for “finish doing”. ❌ Ho finito a lavorare (means “ended up”). ✅ Ho finito di lavorare.
For the other half of the system, see our companion guide on Italian verbs followed by A. For the full infinitive picture, the Italian infinitive. For the ne shortcut, ci and ne in Italian. The institutional reference is the Accademia della Crusca note on valenze e reggenze dei verbi.
🎯 Mini-challenge. Conjugate the verb in the tense given, then add di, a, che, or nothing. The governing verb is not always one of the italian verbs followed by di: think first, then read each sentence aloud once.
- Elena (sperare – presente) _____ arrivare in tempo alla riunione di Lucca.
- (io, sperare – presente) _____ tu arrivi in tempo, il treno è in ritardo.
- Ieri Pietro (finire – passato prossimo) _____ lavorare alle sette di sera.
- Caterina (cercare – presente) _____ capire dove ha sbagliato strada per Modena.
- Domani (noi, dovere – presente) _____ partire prestissimo.
- Dopo un’ora di museo il bambino (cominciare – passato prossimo) _____ stancarsi.
Show answers
1. spera di arrivare (same subject, family DI) · 2. spero che tu arrivi (different subject, sperare che + subjunctive) · 3. ha finito di lavorare (family DI) · 4. cerca di capire (family DI) · 5. dobbiamo partire (dovere is a modal: no preposition) · 6. ha cominciato a stancarsi (cominciare takes a, not di)
Dialog: at the Lucca travel agency
Caterina books a trip; Pietro is the travel agent in Lucca. Watch the italian verbs followed by di across declaring, hoping, deciding and the same-subject rule.
👩🏼🦰 Caterina: Buongiorno, ho deciso di partire per Padova a fine mese.
Good morning, I have decided to leave for Padua at the end of the month.
👨🏼🦰 Pietro: Ottimo. Le consiglio di prenotare adesso, spero di trovarle ancora posto sul diretto.
Great. I advise you to book now, I hope to still find you a seat on the direct train.
👩🏼🦰 Caterina: Va bene. Temo di non avere la carta con me, posso pagare dopo?
All right. I am afraid I do not have my card with me, can I pay later?
👨🏼🦰 Pietro: Certo. Le chiedo solo di confermare entro domani. Pensa di tornare lo stesso giorno?
Of course. I only ask you to confirm by tomorrow. Are you thinking of returning the same day?
👩🏼🦰 Caterina: No, conto di fermarmi due notti. Spero che l’albergo sia vicino alla stazione.
No, I plan to stay two nights. I hope the hotel is near the station.
👨🏼🦰 Pietro: Le assicuro di averne trovato uno a dieci minuti a piedi. Ha smesso di piovere, controllo gli orari.
I assure you I found one a ten-minute walk away. It has stopped raining, I will check the times.
👩🏼🦰 Caterina: Perfetto. Mi raccomando, non si dimentichi di mandarmi la conferma via email.
Perfect. Please remember to send me the confirmation by email.
👨🏼🦰 Pietro: Non mancherò. Le prometto di inviarla appena finisco di compilare la prenotazione.
I will not fail. I promise to send it as soon as I finish filling in the booking.
Notice spero che l’albergo sia: different subjects, so che plus subjunctive, not di. Everywhere the subject stays the same, the italian verbs followed by di take di plus infinitive: deciso di, consiglio di, spero di, temo di, chiedo di, conto di, assicuro di, dimentichi di, prometto di, finisco di.
Test your understanding
A quiz on the italian verbs followed by di, the four families and the same-subject rule, is on its way. For now, redo the mini-challenge from memory and rebuild the cheat-sheet list.
(Quiz coming soon)
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Frequently asked questions
Seven questions about the italian verbs followed by di come up in every B1 cohort. The answers draw on classroom usage and on the Accademia della Crusca note on valenze e reggenze dei verbi.
Which Italian verbs are followed by di plus infinitive?
Four big families. Declarative: dire, affermare, promettere, negare, ammettere. Opinion: pensare, credere, sperare, sospettare, ritenere. Stopping: finire, smettere, cessare. Trying and remembering: cercare, decidere, dimenticarsi, ricordarsi, evitare. Plus advice verbs with an object: consigliare, chiedere, permettere, suggerire.
Why is it spero di partire and not spero a partire?
Because sperare belongs to the opinion and hope family, which always takes di: spero di, penso di, credo di, temo di. Spero a partire is wrong. The same goes for cercare di, decidere di, finire di. There is no rule from meaning; the verb simply governs di.
When do I use di plus infinitive and when che plus verb?
Same subject in both clauses: di plus infinitive. Pietro dice di essere stanco (Pietro is tired). Different subjects: che plus a finite verb. Pietro dice che sua sorella è stanca. With opinion and hope verbs the che clause takes the subjunctive: spero che tu arrivi.
Is there a rule for a versus di?
No reliable rule from meaning. Cominciare takes a, finire takes di, although both describe phases of an action. You learn each verb as a chunk with its preposition. Our companion guide lists the verbs that take a; this one lists the verbs that take di.
Can I replace the di phrase with ne?
Yes, when the action is known. Ti sei accorto dell’errore? Si, me ne sono accorto. Ti sei pentito di averlo detto? Si, me ne sono pentito. The particle ne stands in for the di complement, just as ci stands in for an a complement.
What is the difference between finire di and finire a?
Finire di means to stop doing: ho finito di lavorare, the work is over. Finire a means to end up doing, an unexpected outcome: è finito a vendere giornali. Changing the preposition changes the meaning, so learn each verb plus preposition as one unit.
Do advice and command verbs take di?
Yes, with an indirect object: ti consiglio di prenotare, le chiedo di confermare, gli ho permesso di uscire, vi suggerisco di partire presto. The person who receives the advice or order is the one who performs the action in the infinitive.
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Related guides
Three guides that pair with the italian verbs followed by di, plus an institutional reference.
- Italian Verbs Followed by A: the companion family, the other half of the system.
- Italian Infinitive: the full di-or-a-before-the-infinitive picture.
- Ci and Ne in Italian: the ne that replaces a di complement.
- Accademia della Crusca: valenze e reggenze dei verbi: institutional note.
This is so useful and seems to be a constant struggle for me.
You just need to learn which verbs are associated to DI or A. There’s no rule and all students struggle a bit with that. It’s just a matter of practicing. You will get there. Ciao!
This is an interesting article, but is there a general rule as to which verbs can be followed by ‘di”?
No. There are patterns, but no precise rules. Same with “a”. That’s why there’s a list of verbs and not a rule in this article. Experience will help you to choose the correct preposition. Ciao.