{"id":30169,"date":"2020-02-15T11:20:45","date_gmt":"2020-02-15T02:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/?p=30169"},"modified":"2026-04-29T17:38:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T08:38:17","slug":"italian-impersonal-verbs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-impersonal-verbs\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian Impersonal Verbs: Andare, Capitare, Convenire, Dispiacere (B1)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-tldr-italian-impersonal-verbs\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<p><strong>TL;DR.<\/strong> 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&#8217;d better. This B1 guide covers the four most useful.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-background is-style-wide\" style=\"background-color:#ab2227;color:#ab2227\" \/>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-toc-italian-impersonal-verbs\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-toc-imp-title gb-headline-text\">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 is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#rule\">The rule: italian impersonal verbs in one line<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#andare\">Andare with pronouns: I feel like<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#capitare\">Capitare: it happens (by chance)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#convenire\">Convenire: I&#8217;d better, it&#8217;s worth<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#dispiacere\">Dispiacere: I&#8217;m sorry, do you mind<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#traps\">Five traps for English speakers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#cheat-sheet\">Cheat sheet<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#dialog\">Dialogue at a Roman pizzeria<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-imp-rule gb-headline-text\" id=\"rule\">The rule: italian impersonal verbs in one line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Italian impersonal verbs work like the famous <em>piacere<\/em>: the person who experiences something becomes an indirect object pronoun (<em>mi, ti, gli, le, ci, vi<\/em>), while the thing experienced is the grammatical subject. Compound tenses use <em>essere<\/em>, and the past participle agrees with the subject (the thing), not with the experiencer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This guide focuses on four high-frequency members beyond <em>piacere<\/em>: <em>andare<\/em> (I feel like), <em>capitare<\/em> (it happens by chance), <em>convenire<\/em> (it&#8217;s worth, I&#8217;d better), <em>dispiacere<\/em> (I&#8217;m sorry, I mind). All four are everyday spoken italian and natives use them constantly.<\/p>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-imp-andare gb-headline-text\" id=\"andare\">Andare with pronouns: I feel like<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Outside its motion meaning, <em>andare<\/em> with an indirect-object pronoun shifts to <em>to feel like<\/em> or <em>to be in the mood for<\/em>. <em>Mi va di uscire<\/em> = I feel like going out. The construction is <em>mi\/ti\/gli\/le\/ci\/vi va<\/em> + <em>di<\/em> + infinitive, or <em>mi va<\/em> + noun (<em>mi va una pizza<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-andare-imp\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Observe:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ti andrebbe<\/strong> di andare al mare? <em>Would you feel like going to the sea?<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Stefano e stanco. <strong>Non gli va<\/strong> di uscire. <em>Stefano is tired. He doesn&#8217;t feel like going out.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Sono a dieta, <strong>non mi vanno<\/strong> le patate. <em>I&#8217;m on a diet, I don&#8217;t fancy potatoes.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>L&#8217;albergo vicino alla stazione <strong>ci va benissimo<\/strong>. <em>The hotel near the station works great for us.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Il nuovo fidanzato di mia figlia <strong>non mi va a genio<\/strong>. <em>My daughter&#8217;s new boyfriend isn&#8217;t to my taste.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>La camicia nuova <strong>ti va proprio a pennello<\/strong>. <em>The new shirt fits you perfectly.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-ms1-andare-mc\">\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udfaf Mini-Challenge:<\/strong> andare with pronouns<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1. Translate: &#8220;I don&#8217;t feel like cooking tonight.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>2. Translate: &#8220;Do you fancy a coffee?&#8221; (informal tu)<\/li>\n<li>3. Translate: &#8220;The hotel near the airport works great for them.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<details>\n<summary><strong>Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Stasera <strong>non mi va<\/strong> di cucinare.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ti va<\/strong> un caffe?<\/li>\n<li>L&#8217;albergo vicino all&#8217;aeroporto <strong>gli va benissimo<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-imp-capitare gb-headline-text\" id=\"capitare\">Capitare: it happens (by chance)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Capitare<\/em> is a near-synonym of <em>succedere<\/em> with one specific shade: it implies chance, unpredictability. <em>Mi e capitato<\/em> = it happened to me (by chance). <em>Mi e successo<\/em> = it happened to me (neutral). The construction takes indirect-object pronouns and uses <em>essere<\/em> in compound tenses.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-capitare\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Observe:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Non mi era mai capitato<\/strong> di trovare lavoro cosi facilmente. <em>I had never (had it) happen to me to find work this easily.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Purtroppo <strong>e capitata<\/strong> una disgrazia. <em>Unfortunately a misfortune happened.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Se <strong>capitasse a voi<\/strong>, non sapreste come comportarvi. <em>If it happened to you, you wouldn&#8217;t know how to behave.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Avevo bisogno di una mano. <strong>Capiti<\/strong> proprio a fagiolo! <em>I needed a hand. You arrive at the perfect moment!<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Non ti devi vergognare, <strong>capita<\/strong> a tutti di sbagliare. <em>Don&#8217;t be ashamed, it happens to everyone to make mistakes.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-ms2-capitare-mc\">\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udfaf Mini-Challenge:<\/strong> capitare<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1. Translate: &#8220;Has it ever happened to you to lose your keys?&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>2. Translate: &#8220;It happens to everyone to be tired sometimes.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<details>\n<summary><strong>Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Ti e mai capitato<\/strong> di perdere le chiavi?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Capita<\/strong> a tutti di essere stanchi a volte.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-imp-convenire gb-headline-text\" id=\"convenire\">Convenire: I&#8217;d better, it&#8217;s worth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Convenire<\/em> with an indirect-object pronoun translates as <em>I&#8217;d better<\/em>, <em>it&#8217;s convenient for me<\/em>, <em>it&#8217;s worth my while<\/em>. The structure: <em>mi conviene + infinitive<\/em> or <em>mi conviene + noun<\/em>. Italians use it constantly to express smart practical advice.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-convenire\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Observe:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Non ti conviene<\/strong> fare il furbo. <em>You&#8217;d better not act clever.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Ci conviene<\/strong> andare prima che faccia buio. <em>We&#8217;d better go before it gets dark.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>A questo punto, penso <strong>convenga<\/strong> prendere un taxi. <em>At this point, I think it&#8217;s better to take a taxi.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Ti conviene<\/strong> il treno alle sette, e diretto. <em>The seven o&#8217;clock train suits you, it&#8217;s direct.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-ms3-convenire-mc\">\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udfaf Mini-Challenge:<\/strong> convenire<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1. Translate: &#8220;It&#8217;s better for me to leave early.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>2. Translate: &#8220;Does this offer suit you?&#8221; (formal Lei)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<details>\n<summary><strong>Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Mi conviene<\/strong> partire presto.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Le conviene<\/strong> questa offerta?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-imp-dispiacere gb-headline-text\" id=\"dispiacere\">Dispiacere: I&#8217;m sorry, do you mind<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Dispiacere<\/em> doesn&#8217;t mean <em>to dislike<\/em> in modern italian. The two main uses: <em>mi dispiace<\/em> = I&#8217;m sorry (apology, regret), <em>le dispiace se<\/em> = do you mind if (polite request, formal Lei). The double negative <em>non mi dispiace<\/em> means <em>I quite like it<\/em> or <em>not bad<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-dispiacere\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Observe:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Mi dispiace<\/strong>, avevo dimenticato l&#8217;appuntamento. <em>I&#8217;m sorry, I had forgotten the appointment.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Ci e dispiaciuto<\/strong> molto quando ve ne siete andati. <em>We were very sorry when you left.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Le dispiace<\/strong> se mi siedo accanto a Lei? <em>Do you mind if I sit next to you?<\/em> (formal)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Non mi dispiace<\/strong> il caffe amaro. <em>I quite like coffee without sugar.<\/em> (double negative)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ti dispiace<\/strong> chiudere la finestra? <em>Do you mind closing the window?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-ms4-dispiacere-mc\">\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udfaf Mini-Challenge:<\/strong> dispiacere<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1. Translate (formal Lei): &#8220;Do you mind if I open the door?&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>2. Translate: &#8220;I&#8217;m sorry I missed your birthday.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>3. Translate: &#8220;I quite like spicy food.&#8221; (double negative)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<details>\n<summary><strong>Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Le dispiace<\/strong> se apro la porta?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mi dispiace<\/strong> di aver perso il tuo compleanno.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Non mi dispiace<\/strong> il cibo piccante.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-imp-traps gb-headline-text\" id=\"traps\">Five traps for English speakers<\/h2>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trap 1: the experiencer is NOT the subject<\/h3>\n\n<p>The english <em>I<\/em> in <em>I feel like<\/em>, <em>I&#8217;d better<\/em>, <em>I&#8217;m sorry<\/em>, <em>it happens to me<\/em> becomes the italian indirect-object pronoun <em>mi<\/em> in <em>mi va, mi conviene, mi dispiace, mi capita<\/em>. The grammatical subject is the action or thing experienced. Get this perspective right and the rest follows.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trap 2: compound tenses use ESSERE with subject agreement<\/h3>\n\n<p><em>Mi e capitato<\/em> (masculine subject), <em>mi e capitata<\/em> (feminine subject), <em>mi sono capitate<\/em> (plural feminine subject). The participle agrees with the thing, not with you. The same applies to all italian impersonal verbs.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trap 3: capitare vs succedere<\/h3>\n\n<p>Both translate as <em>to happen<\/em>. <em>Capitare<\/em> implies chance or unpredictability: <em>capita di sbagliare<\/em> (mistakes can happen). <em>Succedere<\/em> is more neutral and works also for planned events: <em>cosa e successo?<\/em> (what happened?). In doubt, <em>capitare<\/em> for accidents and surprises, <em>succedere<\/em> for everything else.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trap 4: dispiacere is NOT to dislike<\/h3>\n\n<p><em>Mi dispiace<\/em> in 95% of cases means <em>I&#8217;m sorry<\/em>, not <em>I dislike<\/em>. To say <em>I don&#8217;t like<\/em> use <em>non mi piace<\/em>. The double negative <em>non mi dispiace<\/em> means <em>I quite like it<\/em>, the opposite of what an english speaker might expect.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trap 5: convenire is not to convene<\/h3>\n\n<p>The english cognate <em>convene<\/em> (gather, meet) exists in italian only as a formal, rare meaning. The everyday italian <em>convenire<\/em> with indirect-object pronoun means <em>to be worth, to be advantageous, to be the smart move<\/em>. <em>Mi conviene partire<\/em> = I&#8217;d better leave (it&#8217;s the smart choice).<\/p>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-imp-cs gb-headline-text\" id=\"cheat-sheet\">Cheat sheet: italian impersonal verbs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table>\n<thead><tr><th>Verb<\/th><th>Construction<\/th><th>English meaning<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr><td>andare (with pron)<\/td><td>mi va di + inf \/ + noun<\/td><td>I feel like, I&#8217;m in the mood for<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>capitare<\/td><td>mi capita di + inf<\/td><td>it happens to me (by chance)<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>convenire<\/td><td>mi conviene + inf \/ + noun<\/td><td>I&#8217;d better, it&#8217;s worth my while<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>dispiacere (regret)<\/td><td>mi dispiace + che \/ di<\/td><td>I&#8217;m sorry<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>dispiacere (request)<\/td><td>le dispiace se<\/td><td>do you mind if<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>non dispiacere<\/td><td>non mi dispiace + noun<\/td><td>I quite like it<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-imp-dialog gb-headline-text\" id=\"dialog\">Dialogue at a Roman pizzeria<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Two friends choosing what to order on a Friday night.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-dialog-imp\">\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffb <strong>Ti va<\/strong> una pizza ai funghi? <em>Do you fancy a mushroom pizza?<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffc <strong>Mi capita<\/strong> raramente di mangiare funghi. <strong>Mi va<\/strong> piuttosto una margherita. <em>I rarely eat mushrooms. I&#8217;d rather have a margherita.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffb <strong>Ti conviene<\/strong> ordinare anche un antipasto, qui le porzioni sono piccole. <em>You&#8217;d better order a starter too, portions are small here.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffc Hai ragione. <strong>Ti dispiace<\/strong> se prendiamo una bruschetta da dividere? <em>You&#8217;re right. Do you mind if we share a bruschetta?<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffb Affatto, anzi. <strong>Mi dispiace<\/strong> solo che il vino qui non sia mai eccezionale. <em>Not at all, on the contrary. I&#8217;m just sorry the wine here is never great.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffc <strong>Non mi dispiace<\/strong> il loro Chianti, in realta. <em>I quite like their Chianti, actually.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc68\ud83c\udffb Bene allora, una bottiglia. <strong>Ti capita mai<\/strong> di pranzare qui? <em>Then a bottle. Do you ever happen to have lunch here?<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffc Solo il sabato. <strong>Mi conviene<\/strong> a pranzo, e meno affollato. <em>Only on Saturdays. It works better for me at lunch, less crowded.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-ms5-cap-imp-mc\">\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udfaf Mini-Challenge:<\/strong> capstone<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1. Translate: &#8220;Do you (informal) feel like going for a walk?&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>2. Translate (formal Lei): &#8220;Do you mind if I close the window? It&#8217;s cold.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>3. Translate: &#8220;It happened to me to forget my password three times this week.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<details>\n<summary><strong>Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Ti va<\/strong> di fare una passeggiata?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Le dispiace<\/strong> se chiudo la finestra? Fa freddo.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mi e capitato<\/strong> di dimenticare la password tre volte questa settimana.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:0.9em;opacity:0.85\"><em>Further reading: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.treccani.it\/vocabolario\/dispiacere\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Treccani: dispiacere<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-banner-milano-v5\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-thumbnail is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Milano-logo-100x100-1.png\" alt=\"Milano course logo\" width=\"100\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Milano: A2\/B1 group course on Zoom<\/h3>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Drill impersonal verbs in real conversation with weekly small-group lessons. Book a free trial.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-16018d1d wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\"><div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-vivid-red-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/our-courses\/\" style=\"border-radius:6px\">Discover Milano<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-imp-faq gb-headline-text\" id=\"faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-imp-q1\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What are italian impersonal verbs?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>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&#8217;d better), dispiacere (mi dispiace = I&#8217;m sorry) all work this way.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-imp-q2\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">How do I conjugate andare to mean I feel like?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-imp-q3\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What is the difference between capitare and succedere?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Both translate as &#8216;to happen&#8217;. Capitare implies chance or unpredictability: capita di sbagliare (mistakes happen, can&#8217;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.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-imp-q4\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Does mi dispiace mean I dislike?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>No, in 95% of cases mi dispiace means I&#8217;m sorry (apology or regret). To say I don&#8217;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&#8217;m sorry, I can&#8217;t).<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-imp-q5\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">How do I make a polite request with le dispiace?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-imp-q6\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What does mi conviene mean?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Mi conviene means I&#8217;d better, it&#8217;s worth my while, it&#8217;s the smart choice for me. The structure: mi conviene + infinitive (mi conviene partire = I&#8217;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.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-imp-q7\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Why do compound tenses use essere with these verbs?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-imp-q8\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What does mi va a genio mean?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Mi va a genio is an idiom meaning &#8216;is to my taste&#8217; or &#8216;I take a liking to&#8217;. The literal phrase doesn&#8217;t translate cleanly. The opposite is non mi va a genio (I don&#8217;t take to). It&#8217;s more colloquial than the standard mi piace and carries a personal-chemistry shade.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related guides<\/h2>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-piacere\/\">Italian Piacere<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-pronominal-verbs\/\">Italian Pronominal Verbs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-andare-idioms\/\">Italian Andare Idioms<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-modal-verbs\/\">Italian Modal Verbs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-anzi-vs-invece\/\">Italian Anzi vs Invece<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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&#8217;d better. This B1 guide covers the four most useful. Cosa impareremo oggi \ud83d\udc46\ud83c\udffb Jump to section The rule: italian impersonal verbs in one line Italian &#8230; <a title=\"Italian Impersonal Verbs: Andare, Capitare, Convenire, Dispiacere (B1)\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-impersonal-verbs\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Italian Impersonal Verbs: Andare, Capitare, Convenire, Dispiacere (B1)\">Read more \u226b<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10020,"featured_media":30198,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","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":[7],"tags":[500,1255,998,1367],"class_list":["post-30169","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lingua","tag-andare","tag-capitare","tag-convenire","tag-dispiacere","no-featured-image-padding","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30169","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=30169"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30169\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59688,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30169\/revisions\/59688"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}