{"id":24937,"date":"2019-07-03T15:34:22","date_gmt":"2019-07-03T06:34:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/?p=24937"},"modified":"2026-05-16T19:12:30","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T10:12:30","slug":"italian-per-idioms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-per-idioms\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian PER Idioms: Stare Per, Per Poco Non and More"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>\ud83d\udd0d <strong>In short.<\/strong> <strong>Italian per idioms<\/strong> are the fixed expressions built on the small preposition <em>per<\/em>. The big four are <em>stare per<\/em> + infinitive (&#8220;to be about to&#8221;), <em>per poco non<\/em> (&#8220;almost&#8221;, with a pleonastic <em>non<\/em>), <em>per<\/em> + a time span (&#8220;for three hours&#8221;), and a long list of frozen adverbials: <em>per caso<\/em> (by chance), <em>per fortuna<\/em> (luckily), <em>per forza<\/em> (necessarily), <em>per sbaglio<\/em> (by mistake), <em>per scherzo<\/em> (as a joke), <em>per ora<\/em> (for now), <em>per lo pi\u00f9<\/em> (mostly), <em>per filo e per segno<\/em> (in full detail). They are everyday A2 building blocks, learned whole rather than analysed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Get the italian per idioms right and a big chunk of natural speech opens up: &#8220;I am about to leave&#8221;, &#8220;I almost missed it&#8221;, &#8220;luckily&#8221;, &#8220;by mistake&#8221;. By the end you will use the four core patterns and the frozen phrases without translating word by word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-toc-24937\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n<p><\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-toc-h-24937 gb-headline-text\" style=\"text-align:center;font-size:24px\">Cosa impareremo oggi<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\ud83d\udc46\ud83c\udffb Jump to section<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#what\">What Italian PER idioms are<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#stareper\">Stare per + infinitive: to be about to<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#perpoco\">Per poco non: almost, by a hair<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#pertime\">Per + a time span<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#adverbials\">The frozen adverbials: per caso, per fortuna<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#finireper\">Finire per and per quanto<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#purpose\">Per for purpose: ti scrivo per dirti<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#morephrases\">More fixed phrases worth knowing<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#cheat-sheet\">Cheat sheet: italian per idioms<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#mistakes\">Common mistakes English speakers make<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#dialog\">Dialog: at the Lucca station<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#related\">Related guides<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#quiz\">Quiz<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what\">What Italian PER idioms are<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The preposition <em>per<\/em> on its own means &#8220;for&#8221;, &#8220;through&#8221;, &#8220;in order to&#8221;. But it also anchors a cluster of set phrases whose meaning you cannot get by translating the parts. These italian per idioms are fixed: <em>per poco non<\/em> does not mean &#8220;for little not&#8221;, it means &#8220;almost&#8221;; <em>per forza<\/em> is not &#8220;for force&#8221;, it is &#8220;necessarily&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two kinds. A few are productive grammar patterns you can build (<em>stare per<\/em> + infinitive, <em>per<\/em> + a duration). Most are frozen adverbials you simply memorise as units. This guide sorts the italian per idioms into both groups so you know which to build and which to learn by heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"stareper\">Stare per + infinitive: to be about to<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The most useful productive pattern among the italian per idioms is <em>stare per<\/em> + infinitive. It means an action is on the very edge of happening, &#8220;to be about to&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Sbrigati, il treno per Modena <strong>sta per<\/strong> partire!<\/em><br>Hurry up, the train to Modena is about to leave!<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Stavamo per<\/strong> entrare quando \u00e8 arrivato Pietro.<\/em><br>We were about to go in when Pietro arrived.<\/li>\n<li><em>Prendi l&#8217;ombrello, <strong>sta per<\/strong> piovere.<\/em><br>Take the umbrella, it is about to rain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p>The strength of <em>stare per<\/em> is that it works for any subject, including the weather (<em>sta per piovere<\/em>). The more formal alternatives <em>essere sul punto di<\/em> and <em>essere in procinto di<\/em> only work with a deliberate human subject, so within the italian per idioms <em>stare per<\/em> is the everyday default.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"perpoco\">Per poco non: almost, by a hair<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the trap of the italian per idioms for English speakers. <em>Per poco non<\/em> + verb means the event almost happened but did not. The <em>non<\/em> is pleonastic: it does not negate, it marks the near miss.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em><strong>Per poco non<\/strong> perdevo la coincidenza, sono salito all&#8217;ultimo secondo.<\/em><br>I almost missed the connection, I got on at the last second. (I did catch it)<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Per poco non<\/strong> cadevo dalle scale con le scatole in mano.<\/em><br>I almost fell down the stairs with the boxes in my hands.<\/li>\n<li><em>Che gara: <strong>per poco non<\/strong> vincevamo il campionato.<\/em><br>What a match: we almost won the league.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p>The close cousin <em>per un pelo<\/em> (&#8220;by a hair&#8221;) is used the same way: <em>l&#8217;ho preso per un pelo<\/em> (&#8220;I caught it by a hair&#8221;). Both are core italian per idioms for narrow escapes. The verb after <em>per poco non<\/em> is usually the imperfetto.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-focus-pp-24937\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<p>\ud83d\udd0d <strong>Do not read the non.<\/strong> Among the italian per idioms, <em>per poco non sono caduto<\/em> means &#8220;I almost fell&#8221; (and did not), not &#8220;I did not nearly fall&#8221;. The <em>non<\/em> is decorative emphasis, the same expletive <em>non<\/em> you meet in <em>finch\u00e9 non<\/em> and <em>a meno che non<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"pertime\">Per + a time span<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A productive pattern among the italian per idioms: <em>per<\/em> + a length of time marks how long something lasts. English &#8220;for&#8221; maps onto it directly.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Il concerto \u00e8 durato <strong>per<\/strong> tre ore.<\/em><br>The concert lasted for three hours.<\/li>\n<li><em>Ho vissuto a Padova <strong>per<\/strong> cinque anni.<\/em><br>I lived in Padua for five years.<\/li>\n<li><em>Resto a Lucca <strong>per<\/strong> tutta l&#8217;estate.<\/em><br>I am staying in Lucca for the whole summer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p>One natural simplification: after inherently durative verbs like <em>durare<\/em> or <em>aspettare<\/em>, the <em>per<\/em> is often dropped. <em>Dovettero aspettare otto mesi<\/em> (&#8220;they had to wait eight months&#8221;) needs no <em>per<\/em>. So in the italian per idioms of time, <em>per<\/em> is available but not always obligatory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"adverbials\">The frozen adverbials: per caso, per fortuna<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the long tail of the italian per idioms: fixed adverbial phrases you cannot build, only memorise. They are extremely frequent in everyday speech.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em><strong>per caso<\/strong><\/em> (by chance): <em>Ho incontrato Caterina <strong>per caso<\/strong> davanti alla biblioteca.<\/em><br>I met Caterina by chance in front of the library.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>per fortuna<\/strong><\/em> (luckily): <em><strong>Per fortuna<\/strong> Pietro aveva un ombrello.<\/em><br>Luckily Pietro had an umbrella.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>per forza<\/strong><\/em> (necessarily, against one&#8217;s will): <em>Devo <strong>per forza<\/strong> finire il restauro entro venerd\u00ec.<\/em><br>I really have to finish the restoration by Friday, no choice.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>per sbaglio<\/strong><\/em> (by mistake): <em>Mi ha dato <strong>per sbaglio<\/strong> il numero di Elena.<\/em><br>He gave me Elena&#8217;s number by mistake.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>per scherzo<\/strong><\/em> (as a joke): <em>L&#8217;ha detto solo <strong>per scherzo<\/strong>, non offenderti.<\/em><br>He said it only as a joke, do not be offended.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>per ora<\/strong><\/em> (for now): <em><strong>Per ora<\/strong> riposati, il resto lo vediamo domani.<\/em><br>For now rest, we will see the rest tomorrow.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>per lo pi\u00f9<\/strong><\/em> (mostly): <em>I turisti a Lucca sono <strong>per lo pi\u00f9<\/strong> nordeuropei.<\/em><br>The tourists in Lucca are mostly northern Europeans.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>per filo e per segno<\/strong><\/em> (in full detail): <em>Elena mi ha spiegato la faccenda <strong>per filo e per segno<\/strong>.<\/em><br>Elena explained the matter to me down to the last detail.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>per le lunghe<\/strong><\/em> (to drag on): <em>Con la burocrazia la pratica rischia di andare <strong>per le lunghe<\/strong>.<\/em><br>With the bureaucracy the paperwork risks dragging on.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>per via di<\/strong><\/em> (because of): <em>\u00c8 difficile viaggiare <strong>per via di<\/strong> uno sciopero.<\/em><br>It is hard to travel because of a strike.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p>Add <em>per esempio<\/em> (for example), <em>per sempre<\/em> (forever), <em>per mezzo di<\/em> (by means of) and <em>per giunta<\/em> (moreover) and you have the working set. The only way to own these italian per idioms is exposure: meet them in context, reuse them as blocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"finireper\">Finire per and per quanto<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Two more patterns round out the italian per idioms at the A2 to B1 edge.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em><strong>finire per<\/strong><\/em> + infinitive (to end up doing): <em>A forza di rimandare, <strong>ho finito per<\/strong> perdere l&#8217;occasione.<\/em><br>By keeping postponing, I ended up missing the chance.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>per quanto<\/strong><\/em> + subjunctive (however much, although): <em><strong>Per quanto<\/strong> sia stanca, Caterina finisce il lavoro.<\/em><br>However tired she is, Caterina finishes the job.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>stare per<\/strong><\/em> vs <em><strong>stare<\/strong><\/em> + gerund: <em>sta per partire<\/em> (about to) versus <em>sta partendo<\/em> (in the act of).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p><em>Finire per<\/em> is the mild-regret cousin of <em>finire di<\/em>; <em>per quanto<\/em> is a concessive that takes the subjunctive. Both stretch the italian per idioms toward B1, but they are worth meeting early because they are common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"purpose\">Per for purpose: ti scrivo per dirti<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Behind many of the italian per idioms sits the most basic job of <em>per<\/em>: introducing a purpose, &#8220;in order to&#8221;. With an infinitive it builds the implicit final clause, the everyday way to say why you do something when both clauses share the same subject.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Ti scrivo <strong>per<\/strong> dirti che arrivo domani.<\/em><br>I am writing to you to tell you I am arriving tomorrow.<\/li>\n<li><em>Sono passato in officina <strong>per<\/strong> ritirare il preventivo.<\/em><br>I dropped by the workshop to collect the quote.<\/li>\n<li><em>Studio il tedesco <strong>per<\/strong> lavorare a Padova.<\/em><br>I am studying German in order to work in Padua.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p>This <em>per<\/em> + infinitive is the implicit twin of the explicit final clause with <em>affinch\u00e9<\/em> + subjunctive: <em>ti scrivo per dirti<\/em> (same subject) versus <em>ti scrivo affinch\u00e9 tu sappia<\/em> (different subjects). Recognising this purpose <em>per<\/em> is what makes the rest of the italian per idioms feel logical rather than random.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"morephrases\">More fixed phrases worth knowing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A second batch of frozen italian per idioms rounds out the everyday set. Add these once the core ten are solid.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em><strong>per esempio<\/strong><\/em> (for example): <em>Conoscere le lingue \u00e8 utile: <strong>per esempio<\/strong>, in viaggio.<\/em><br>Knowing languages is useful: for example, when travelling.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>per sempre<\/strong><\/em> (forever): <em>Caterina si \u00e8 trasferita a Lucca <strong>per sempre<\/strong>.<\/em><br>Caterina moved to Lucca for good.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>per mezzo di<\/strong><\/em> (by means of): <em>Ho avuto lo sconto <strong>per mezzo di<\/strong> un amico.<\/em><br>I got the discount through a friend.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>per giunta<\/strong><\/em> (on top of that): <em>\u00c8 arrivato tardi e <strong>per giunta<\/strong> non si \u00e8 scusato.<\/em><br>He arrived late and on top of that did not apologise.<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>per conto di<\/strong><\/em> (on behalf of): <em>Telefono <strong>per conto di<\/strong> mia madre.<\/em><br>I am calling on behalf of my mother.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p>Like the first set, these italian per idioms resist literal translation and are best stored as ready-made chunks. The more you read, the faster they move from recognition to active use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One practical habit speeds this up. When you meet a new <em>per<\/em> phrase in a text, write the whole sentence, not just the phrase, so you keep the context that tells you when to use it. A ten-minute daily reading of a newspaper or a novel will surface most of the italian per idioms in natural settings within a few weeks, far faster than memorising a bare list, because you see each idiom doing a real job in a real sentence. Treat the cheat sheet below as a map, not as the territory: the italian per idioms stick only once you have heard and reused them yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cheat-sheet\">Cheat sheet: italian per idioms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The whole set on one card. Keep it open and reuse the phrases as blocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Idiom<\/th><th>Meaning<\/th><th>Example<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>stare per + inf.<\/td><td>to be about to<\/td><td><em>sta per piovere<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>per poco non<\/td><td>almost (did not happen)<\/td><td><em>per poco non cadevo<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>per un pelo<\/td><td>by a hair<\/td><td><em>l&#8217;ho preso per un pelo<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>per + time<\/td><td>for (a duration)<\/td><td><em>per tre ore<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>per caso \/ fortuna \/ forza<\/td><td>by chance \/ luckily \/ necessarily<\/td><td><em>l&#8217;ho visto per caso<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>per sbaglio \/ scherzo<\/td><td>by mistake \/ as a joke<\/td><td><em>l&#8217;ha detto per scherzo<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>finire per + inf.<\/td><td>to end up doing<\/td><td><em>ho finito per accettare<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>per quanto + subj.<\/td><td>however much, although<\/td><td><em>per quanto sia tardi<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mistakes\">Common mistakes English speakers make with italian per idioms<\/h2>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Reading per poco non as a negative.<\/strong> \u274c &#8220;per poco non cadevo&#8221; = &#8220;I did not fall&#8221;. \u2705 It means &#8220;I almost fell&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Stare + infinitive without per.<\/strong> \u274c <em>Sto partire<\/em>. \u2705 <em>Sto per partire<\/em> (about to) or <em>sto partendo<\/em> (in the act).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Translating the frozen phrases literally.<\/strong> \u274c &#8220;per forza&#8221; = &#8220;for force&#8221;. \u2705 It means &#8220;necessarily \/ against one&#8217;s will&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Indicative after per quanto.<\/strong> \u274c <em>per quanto \u00e8 tardi<\/em>. \u2705 <em>per quanto sia tardi<\/em> (subjunctive).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Confusing finire per and finire di.<\/strong> <em>Ho finito di lavorare<\/em> (stopped) is not <em>ho finito per lavorare<\/em> (ended up working).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p>For the expletive <em>non<\/em> in detail, see our guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-pleonastic-non\/\">Italian pleonastic non<\/a>. For the base preposition, <a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-simple-prepositions\/\">Italian simple prepositions<\/a>. For the contrast with the progressive, <a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-stare-gerundio-progressive\/\">Italian stare + gerundio<\/a>. The institutional reference is the Accademia della Crusca note on the <a href=\"https:\/\/accademiadellacrusca.it\/it\/consulenza\/uso-delle-preposizioni\/170\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">uso delle preposizioni<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-task-1-24937\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<p>\ud83c\udfaf <strong>Mini-challenge.<\/strong> Fill the gap with the right PER idiom. Read each sentence aloud once.<\/p>\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Sbrigati, il treno _____ partire!<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>_____ perdevo la coincidenza, sono salito all&#8217;ultimo.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Ho incontrato Caterina _____ al mercato di Lucca.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Devo _____ finire entro venerd\u00ec, non c&#8217;\u00e8 scelta.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Mi ha dato _____ il numero sbagliato.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Ho vissuto a Padova _____ cinque anni.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<details><summary><strong>Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>1. <em>sta per<\/em> partire \u00b7 2. <em>Per poco non<\/em> perdevo \u00b7 3. <em>per caso<\/em> \u00b7 4. <em>per forza<\/em> \u00b7 5. <em>per sbaglio<\/em> \u00b7 6. <em>per<\/em> cinque anni<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"dialog\">Dialog: at the Lucca station<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Pietro and Caterina catch a delayed train at Lucca. The dialog runs the italian per idioms across <em>stare per<\/em>, <em>per poco non<\/em>, and the frozen adverbials.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-dialog-24937\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Pietro:<\/strong> Corri, il regionale <strong>sta per<\/strong> partire dal binario tre!<br><em>Run, the regional train is about to leave from platform three!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Caterina:<\/strong> Eccomi. <strong>Per poco non<\/strong> lo perdevo, mi sono persa all&#8217;ingresso.<br><em>Here I am. I almost missed it, I got lost at the entrance.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Pietro:<\/strong> <strong>Per fortuna<\/strong> era in ritardo anche lui. Hai trovato i biglietti?<br><em>Luckily it was late too. Did you find the tickets?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Caterina:<\/strong> S\u00ec, ma <strong>per sbaglio<\/strong> ho stampato quello di ieri. Devo <strong>per forza<\/strong> ricomprarlo.<br><em>Yes, but by mistake I printed yesterday&#8217;s. I have no choice but to buy it again.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Pietro:<\/strong> Tranquilla, lo prendi dal capotreno. Senti, ho incontrato Elena <strong>per caso<\/strong> stamattina.<br><em>Do not worry, you get it from the conductor. Listen, I ran into Elena by chance this morning.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Caterina:<\/strong> Davvero? Raccontami tutto <strong>per filo e per segno<\/strong>, abbiamo due ore di viaggio.<br><em>Really? Tell me everything in full detail, we have a two-hour trip.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Pietro:<\/strong> <strong>Per ora<\/strong> sistemiamo le valigie, poi te lo dico con calma.<br><em>For now let us settle the bags, then I will tell you calmly.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffc\u200d\ud83e\uddb0 <strong>Caterina:<\/strong> Va bene. Speriamo che il viaggio non vada <strong>per le lunghe<\/strong>, ho una riunione a Modena.<br><em>All right. Let us hope the trip does not drag on, I have a meeting in Modena.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Count them: <em>sta per partire, per poco non, per fortuna, per sbaglio, per forza, per caso, per filo e per segno, per ora, per le lunghe<\/em>. One short trip runs the everyday core of the italian per idioms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"quiz\">Test your understanding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The quiz below drills the italian per idioms: <em>stare per<\/em>, <em>per poco non<\/em>, the time pattern and the frozen adverbials. Take it after the cheat sheet.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-quiz-24937\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n        <div class=\"wpProQuiz_content\" id=\"wpProQuiz_82\">\n                    <div style=\"display: none;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_time_limit\">\n            <div class=\"time\">Time limit: <span>0<\/span><\/div>\n            <div class=\"wpProQuiz_progress\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"wpProQuiz_checkPage\" style=\"display: none;\">\n            <h4 class=\"wpProQuiz_header\">Quiz-summary<\/h4>\n\n            <p>\n                <span>0<\/span> of 1 questions completed            <\/p>\n\n            <p>Questions:<\/p>\n\n            <div style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_box\">\n                <ol>\n                                            <li>1<\/li>\n                                    <\/ol>\n                <div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n\n            \n            <input type=\"button\" name=\"endQuizSummary\" value=\"Finish quiz\"\n                   class=\"wpProQuiz_button\">\n        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"wpProQuiz_infopage\" style=\"display: none;\">\n            <h4>Information<\/h4>\n\n            \n            <input type=\"button\" name=\"endInfopage\" value=\"Finish quiz\"\n                   class=\"wpProQuiz_button\">\n        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"wpProQuiz_text\">\n            <p>\n                <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">LOADING QUIZ&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n            <\/p>\n\n            \n            <div>\n                <input class=\"wpProQuiz_button\" type=\"button\" value=\"Start quiz\"\n                       name=\"startQuiz\">\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n                <div style=\"display: none;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_lock\">\n            <p>\n                You have already completed the quiz before. Hence you can not start it again.            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n                <div style=\"display: none;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_loadQuiz\">\n            <p>\n                Quiz is loading...            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n                <div style=\"display: none;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_startOnlyRegisteredUser\">\n            <p>\n                \n    <div class=\"dante-quiz-login-box\">\n        <h2 class=\"dante-quiz-login-badge has-text-align-center\">Free Italian Quiz<\/h2>\n        <br>\n        <h3 class=\"dante-quiz-login-title has-text-align-center\">\"Italian PER Idioms: Stare Per, Per Poco Non and More\"<\/h3>\n        <p class=\"has-text-align-left\">\n            Sign up for free to try this quiz and get early access to new Italian lessons before anyone else.\n        <\/p>\n        \n        <div class=\"dante-quiz-social-buttons\">\n                <div class=\"dante-login-form\">\n        <div class=\"dante-social-btns\">\n            <a href=\"\/eng\/wp-login.php?loginSocial=google&redirect=%2Feng%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F24937\" class=\"dante-social-btn\">\n                <svg width=\"18\" height=\"18\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n                    <path fill=\"#4285f4\" d=\"M22.56 12.25c0-.78-.07-1.53-.2-2.25H12v4.26h5.92c-.26 1.37-1.04 2.53-2.21 3.31v2.77h3.57c2.08-1.92 3.28-4.74 3.28-8.09z\"\/>\n                    <path fill=\"#34a853\" d=\"M12 23c2.97 0 5.46-.98 7.28-2.66l-3.57-2.77c-.98.66-2.23 1.06-3.71 1.06-2.86 0-5.29-1.93-6.16-4.53H2.18v2.84C3.99 20.53 7.7 23 12 23z\"\/>\n                    <path fill=\"#fbbc05\" d=\"M5.84 14.09c-.22-.66-.35-1.36-.35-2.09s.13-1.43.35-2.09V7.07H2.18C1.43 8.55 1 10.22 1 12s.43 3.45 1.18 4.93l2.85-2.22.81-.62z\"\/>\n                    <path fill=\"#ea4335\" d=\"M12 5.38c1.62 0 3.06.56 4.21 1.64l3.15-3.15C17.45 2.09 14.97 1 12 1 7.7 1 3.99 3.47 2.18 7.07l3.66 2.84c.87-2.6 3.3-4.53 6.16-4.53z\"\/>\n                <\/svg>\n                Continue with Google            <\/a>\n            <a href=\"\/eng\/wp-login.php?loginSocial=facebook&redirect=%2Feng%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F24937\" class=\"dante-social-btn\">\n                <svg width=\"18\" height=\"18\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n                    <path fill=\"#1877f2\" d=\"M24 12.073c0-6.627-5.373-12-12-12s-12 5.373-12 12c0 5.99 4.388 10.954 10.125 11.854v-8.385H7.078v-3.47h3.047V9.43c0-3.007 1.792-4.669 4.533-4.669 1.312 0 2.686.235 2.686.235v2.953H15.83c-1.491 0-1.956.925-1.956 1.874v2.25h3.328l-.532 3.47h-2.796v8.385C19.612 23.027 24 18.062 24 12.073z\"\/>\n                <\/svg>\n                Continue with Facebook            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n        \n        <div class=\"dante-divider\"><span>or<\/span><\/div>\n        \n        <form class=\"dante-auth-form\">\n            <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"nonce\" value=\"211293ce35\">\n            <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"redirect\" value=\"\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24937\">\n            <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"show_register\" value=\"true\">\n            \n            <!-- HONEYPOT FIELD - Anti-Bot Protection -->\n            <div style=\"position: absolute; 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Redirecting...'\n        };\n        \n        $('#email').on('input', function() {\n            const email = $(this).val();\n            const showReg = $('input[name=\"show_register\"]').val();\n            \n            clearTimeout(timeout);\n            \n            if (!email.includes('@')) {\n                resetForm();\n                return;\n            }\n            \n            timeout = setTimeout(() => {\n                $.post('https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php', {\n                    action: 'dante_check_email',\n                    email: email,\n                    nonce: $('input[name=\"nonce\"]').val()\n                }, function(r) {\n                    if (r.success) {\n                        if (r.data.exists) {\n                            setLoginMode();\n                        } else if (showReg === 'true') {\n                            setRegisterMode();\n                        } else {\n                            setLoginMode();\n                        }\n                    }\n                });\n            }, 800);\n        });\n        \n        function resetForm() {\n            $('#name-field, #gdpr-field').hide();\n            $('#submit-btn').text(texts.continue);\n            $('#password').attr('placeholder', texts.enterPassword);\n        }\n        \n        function setLoginMode() {\n            mode = 'login';\n            $('#name-field, #gdpr-field').hide();\n            $('#submit-btn').text(texts.signIn);\n            $('#password').attr('placeholder', texts.enterYourPassword);\n        }\n        \n        function setRegisterMode() {\n            mode = 'register';\n            $('#name-field, #gdpr-field').show();\n            $('#submit-btn').text(texts.createAccount);\n            $('#password').attr('placeholder', texts.choosePassword);\n        }\n        \n        function showMessage(message, type = 'error') {\n            const messageDiv = $('#form-message');\n            messageDiv.removeClass('dante-success dante-error').addClass('dante-' + type);\n            messageDiv.text(message).show();\n            setTimeout(() => messageDiv.hide(), 5000);\n        }\n        \n        $('.dante-auth-form').on('submit', function(e) {\n            e.preventDefault();\n            \n            const email = $('#email').val();\n            const password = $('#password').val();\n            const name = $('#name').val();\n            const gdpr = $('#gdpr').is(':checked');\n            const redirect = $('input[name=\"redirect\"]').val();\n            \n            if (!email || !password) {\n                showMessage(texts.emailPasswordRequired);\n                return;\n            }\n            \n            if (mode === 'register') {\n                if (!name) {\n                    showMessage(texts.nameRequired);\n                    return;\n                }\n                if (!gdpr) {\n                    showMessage(texts.acceptTerms);\n                    return;\n                }\n            }\n            \n            $('#submit-btn').prop('disabled', true).text(texts.processing);\n            $('#form-message').hide();\n            \n            $.post('https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php', {\n                action: 'dante_process_auth',\n                mode: mode,\n                email: email,\n                password: password,\n                name: name,\n                redirect: redirect,\n                website: $('#website').val(),\n                nonce: $('input[name=\"nonce\"]').val()\n            }, function(r) {\n                if (r.success) {\n                    showMessage(texts.success, 'success');\n                    setTimeout(() => window.location.href = r.data.redirect, 1000);\n                } else {\n                    showMessage(r.data);\n                    $('#submit-btn').prop('disabled', false).text(mode === 'login' ? texts.signIn : texts.createAccount);\n                }\n            });\n        });\n    });\n    <\/script>\n    \n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n                <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n                <div style=\"display: none;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_prerequisite\">\n            <p>\n                You have to finish following quiz, to start this quiz:                <span><\/span>\n            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n                <div style=\"display: none;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_results\">\n            <h4 class=\"wpProQuiz_header\">Results<\/h4>\n                        <p class=\"wpProQuiz_time_limit_expired\" style=\"display: none;\">\n                Time has elapsed            <\/p>\n                            <p class=\"wpProQuiz_points\">\n                    You scored <span>0<\/span> out of <span>0<\/span> points, (<span>0<\/span>)                <\/p>\n                                        <div class=\"wpProQuiz_resultTable\">\n                    <table>\n                        <tbody>\n                        <tr>\n                            <td class=\"wpProQuiz_resultName\">Average score<\/td>\n                            <td class=\"wpProQuiz_resultValue\">\n                                <div style=\"background-color: #6CA54C;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n                                <span>&nbsp;<\/span>\n                            <\/td>\n                        <\/tr>\n                        <tr>\n                            <td class=\"wpProQuiz_resultName\">Your score<\/td>\n                            <td class=\"wpProQuiz_resultValue\">\n                                <div style=\"background-color: #F79646;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n                                <span>&nbsp;<\/span>\n                            <\/td>\n                        <\/tr>\n                        <\/tbody>\n                    <\/table>\n                <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"wpProQuiz_catOverview\" style=\"display:none;\">\n                <h4>Categories<\/h4>\n\n                <div style=\"margin-top: 10px;\">\n                    <ol>\n                                                    <li data-category_id=\"0\">\n                                <span class=\"wpProQuiz_catName\">Not categorized<\/span>\n                                <span class=\"wpProQuiz_catPercent\">0%<\/span>\n                            <\/li>\n                                            <\/ol>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <div>\n                <ul class=\"wpProQuiz_resultsList\">\n                                            <li style=\"display: none;\">\n                            <div>\n                                <hr \/>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">Prova una lezione su Skype<\/h1>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">55 minuti con un insegnante italiano madrelingua<\/p>\n<p>[process_steps type=&#8221;horizontal&#8221; size=&#8221;small&#8221;] [process_step title=&#8221;seleziona data e orario&#8221; icon_image=&#8221;21212&#8243;] dicci quando hai tempo [\/process_step] [process_step title=&#8221;controlla la tua posta&#8221; icon_image=&#8221;20577&#8243;] riceverai un messaggio dal tuo insegnante [\/process_step] [process_step title=&#8221;ci vediamo su skype&#8221; icon_image=&#8221;20586&#8243;] \u00e8 tutto, prepara carta e penna! [\/process_step] [\/process_steps]<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>[contact-form-7 id=&#8221;15171&#8243; title=&#8221;trial due colonne&#8221;]<\/p>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/li>\n                                    <\/ul>\n            <\/div>\n                        <div style=\"margin: 10px 0px;\">\n                                    <input class=\"wpProQuiz_button\" type=\"button\" name=\"reShowQuestion\"\n                           value=\"View questions\">\n                                            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewDiv\" style=\"display: none;\">\n            <div class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewQuestion\">\n                <ol>\n                                            <li>1<\/li>\n                                    <\/ol>\n                <div style=\"display: none;\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewLegend\">\n                <ol>\n                    <li>\n                        <span class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewColor\" style=\"background-color: #6CA54C;\"><\/span>\n                        <span class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewText\">Answered<\/span>\n                    <\/li>\n                    <li>\n                        <span class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewColor\" style=\"background-color: #FFB800;\"><\/span>\n                        <span class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewText\">Review<\/span>\n                    <\/li>\n                <\/ol>\n                <div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <div>\n                                    <input type=\"button\" name=\"review\" value=\"Review question\"\n                           class=\"wpProQuiz_button2\" style=\"float: left; display: block;\">\n                                        <div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"wpProQuiz_quizAnker\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/div>\n                <div style=\"display: none;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_quiz\">\n            <ol class=\"wpProQuiz_list\">\n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_listItem\" style=\"display: none;\">\n                        <div\n                            class=\"wpProQuiz_question_page\" style=\"display:none;\" >\n                            Question <span>1<\/span> of <span>1<\/span>                        <\/div>\n                        <h5 style=\"display: none;\"\n                            class=\"wpProQuiz_header\">\n                            <span>1<\/span>. Question                        <\/h5>\n\n                        \n                                                <div class=\"wpProQuiz_question\" style=\"margin: 10px 0 0 0;\">\n                            <div class=\"wpProQuiz_question_text\">\n                                <h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">Italian idioms and sayings<\/h1>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">with the preposition PER<\/h1>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Write the correct one at the right place.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Some could change according to gender and number.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">You can\u00a0write <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>carit\u00e0<\/strong><\/span> or <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>carita&#8217;<\/strong><\/span> with the apostrophe<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n                            <\/div>\n                                                        <ul class=\"wpProQuiz_questionList\" data-question_id=\"316\"\n                                data-type=\"cloze_answer\">\n                                \n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_questionListItem\" data-pos=\"0\">\n\n                                        <ul>\r\n \t<li>Il mio gatto si \u00e8 trovato <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"11\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(a tu per tu)<\/span><\/span> con un Pit Bull ed \u00e8 scappato via.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Nonostante gli anni, io e Mario siamo rimasti amici <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"12\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">( per la pelle)<\/span><\/span>.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Devi raccontarmi <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"20\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(per filo e per segno)<\/span><\/span> del tuo appuntamento di ieri con Laura.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Ha cominciato a piovere e <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"10\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(per giunta)<\/span><\/span> ho perso l'ultimo autobus.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Ho paura che la seduta dal dentista vada\u00a0<span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"13\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(per le lunghe)<\/span><\/span>. Odio quel posto.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Avevo perso il portafoglio ma <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"11\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(per fortuna)<\/span><\/span> un signore gentile me lo ha ritrovato.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Posso mangiare di tutto, ma non datemi il gorgonzola <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"11\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(per carit\u00e0 , per carita' )<\/span><\/span>!<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Dobbiamo <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"9\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(per forza)<\/span><\/span> pagare l'affitto entro domani, altrimenti sono guai.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Non dare mai <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"12\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">( per scontato)<\/span><\/span> che gli amici ti aiuteranno sempre.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Tuo fratello \u00e8 un tipo simpatico, ma mi prende sempre\u00a0<span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"14\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(per i fondelli)<\/span><\/span>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>                                    <\/li>\n                                                                <\/ul>\n                        <\/div>\n                                                    <div class=\"wpProQuiz_response\" style=\"display: none;\">\n                                <div style=\"display: none;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_correct\">\n                                                                            <span class=\"wpProQuiz_respone_span\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCorrect\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br>\n                                    <p><hr \/>\n<p>Controlla le risposte giuste e finisci il quiz.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><span class=\"blink_text\" style=\"font-size: 28pt; color: #ff0000;\">\u2193\u2193\u2193<\/span><\/p><\/p>                                <\/div>\n                                <div style=\"display: none;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_incorrect\">\n                                                                            <span class=\"wpProQuiz_respone_span\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIncorrect\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br>\n                                    <p><hr \/>\n<p>Controlla le risposte giuste e finisci il quiz.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><span class=\"blink_text\" style=\"font-size: 28pt; color: #ff0000;\">\u2193\u2193\u2193<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        \n                        \n                                                <input type=\"button\" name=\"back\" value=\"Back\"\n                               class=\"wpProQuiz_button wpProQuiz_QuestionButton\"\n                               style=\"float: left !important; margin-right: 10px !important; display: none;\">\n                                                <input type=\"button\" name=\"check\" value=\"Check\"\n                               class=\"wpProQuiz_button wpProQuiz_QuestionButton\"\n                               style=\"float: right !important; margin-right: 10px !important; display: none;\">\n                        <input type=\"button\" name=\"next\" value=\"Next\"\n                               class=\"wpProQuiz_button wpProQuiz_QuestionButton\" style=\"float: right; display: none;\">\n\n                        <div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n\n                        \n                    <\/li>\n\n                            <\/ol>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n            window.wpProQuizInitList = window.wpProQuizInitList || [];\n\n            window.wpProQuizInitList.push({\n                id: '#wpProQuiz_82',\n                init: {\n                    quizId: 82,\n                    mode: 2,\n                    globalPoints: 10,\n                    timelimit: 0,\n                    resultsGrade: [0],\n                    bo: 7552,\n                    qpp: 0,\n                    catPoints: [10],\n                    formPos: 0,\n                    lbn: \"Finish quiz\",\n                    json: {\"316\":{\"type\":\"cloze_answer\",\"id\":316,\"catId\":0,\"points\":[1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1],\"correct\":[[\"a tu per tu\"],[\"per la pelle\"],[\"per filo e per segno\"],[\"per giunta\"],[\"per le lunghe\"],[\"per fortuna\"],[\"per carit\\u00e0\",\"per carita'\"],[\"per forza\"],[\"per scontato\"],[\"per i fondelli\"]]}}                }\n            });\n        <\/script>\n        \n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"font-size:36px;color:#ab2227;margin-top:50px;margin-bottom:10px;letter-spacing:0.3em;font-family:Georgia,serif\">\u00a7<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Seven questions about the italian per idioms come up in every A2 cohort. The answers draw on classroom usage and on the Accademia della Crusca note on the <a href=\"https:\/\/accademiadellacrusca.it\/it\/consulenza\/uso-delle-preposizioni\/170\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">uso delle preposizioni<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-pi-1\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What does stare per plus infinitive mean?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>It means to be about to do something, an action on the very edge of happening: il treno sta per partire, sta per piovere, stavamo per entrare. It works with any subject, including the weather. The more formal essere sul punto di and essere in procinto di only work with a deliberate human subject.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-pi-2\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What does per poco non mean?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>It means almost, and the thing did not happen. Per poco non perdevo il treno means I almost missed the train, but I caught it. The non is pleonastic, decorative emphasis, not a negation, the same expletive non you meet in finch\u00e9 non and a meno che non. The verb is usually the imperfetto.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-pi-3\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">How do I say for a period of time?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Use per plus the time span: per tre ore, per cinque anni, per tutta l&#8217;estate. After inherently durative verbs like durare and aspettare the per is often dropped: dovettero aspettare otto mesi. So per is available but not always obligatory in time expressions.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-pi-4\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What are the most common frozen per phrases?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Per caso (by chance), per fortuna (luckily), per forza (necessarily), per sbaglio (by mistake), per scherzo (as a joke), per ora (for now), per lo pi\u00f9 (mostly), per filo e per segno (in full detail), per le lunghe (to drag on), per via di (because of), per esempio, per sempre, per mezzo di. Learn them as blocks.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-pi-5\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What is the difference between finire per and finire di?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Finire di plus infinitive means to stop doing: ho finito di lavorare, the work is over. Finire per plus infinitive means to end up doing, often with mild regret: ho finito per accettare, I ended up accepting. Changing the preposition changes the meaning.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-pi-6\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Does per quanto take the subjunctive?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Yes, in its concessive use meaning however much or although: per quanto sia tardi, finiamo stasera; per quanto si impegni, non basta. With a quantity question per quanto can also mean for how much or how long, where the mood follows normally.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-pi-7\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What is the difference between sta per partire and sta partendo?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Sta per partire means it is about to leave, the action has not started yet. Sta partendo means it is leaving right now, the action is in progress. Stare per plus infinitive is imminence; stare plus gerund is the progressive.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"related\">Related guides<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Three guides that pair with the italian per idioms, plus an institutional reference.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-pleonastic-non\/\">Italian Pleonastic Non<\/a>: the expletive non in per poco non.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-simple-prepositions\/\">Italian Simple Prepositions<\/a>: the preposition per and the other seven.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-stare-gerundio-progressive\/\">Italian Stare + Gerundio<\/a>: sta per partire versus sta partendo.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/accademiadellacrusca.it\/it\/consulenza\/uso-delle-preposizioni\/170\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Accademia della Crusca: uso delle preposizioni<\/a>: institutional note.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\ud83d\udd0d In short. Italian per idioms are the fixed expressions built on the small preposition per. The big four are stare per + infinitive (&#8220;to be about to&#8221;), per poco non (&#8220;almost&#8221;, with a pleonastic non), per + a time span (&#8220;for three hours&#8221;), and a long list of frozen adverbials: per caso (by chance), &#8230; <a title=\"Italian PER Idioms: Stare Per, Per Poco Non and More\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-per-idioms\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Italian PER Idioms: Stare Per, Per Poco Non and More\">Read more \u226b<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10020,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1864],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-a2","no-featured-image-padding","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24937","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10020"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24937"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24937\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60190,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24937\/revisions\/60190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}