Top Mistakes Italian Learners Make and the Fixes

Level: B1 (but useful from A1). The same handful of Italian mistakes come up again and again. Here is each one, the fix, and the lesson that drills it.

By the end of this page you can…

…recognise the six errors that most slow Italian learners, and know which grammar lesson corrects each.

1. Wrong gender and broken agreement

Italian nouns are masculine or feminine, and the article and adjective must agree. The ending usually shows gender, but common exceptions trap learners.

• ❌ la problema → ✅ il problema. Problema is masculine despite the -a (plural i problemi).
• ❌ le case rossi → ✅ le case rosse. A feminine plural noun needs a feminine plural adjective.

Fix: nail gender in Italian Noun Gender and Number and agreement in Italian Plurals: Nouns and Adjectives.

2. essere where Italian wants avere

English “to be” does not always map to Italian essere. Several everyday states use avere (“to have”).

• ❌ Sono fame → ✅ Ho fame. (“I have hunger.”)
• ❌ Sono 20 anni → ✅ Ho vent’anni. (“I have 20 years” = I am 20.)
• ❌ Sono caldo (says “I am hot-tempered/sexy”) → ✅ Ho caldo. (“I feel hot.”)

Fix: learn the avere idioms in avere in the present and the split with essere in the present.

3. Plural-spelling slips

Plurals of nouns in -co/-go and -ca/-ga keep their hard sound with an h, and a few words are exceptions.

• ❌ le amice → ✅ le amiche. -ca adds an h.
• ❌ gli amichi → ✅ gli amici. Amico is the exception that drops the h.

Fix: see the spelling section of Italian Plurals.

4. The wrong article (il vs lo, i vs gli)

Masculine nouns take lo (plural gli) before s+consonant, z, gn, ps, x and before a vowel as l’; otherwise il (plural i).

• ❌ il studente → ✅ lo studente (plural gli studenti).
• ❌ il zaino → ✅ lo zaino.
• ❌ i amici → ✅ gli amici (before a vowel).

Fix: choose the right article in Italian Definite Articles.

5. Overusing subject pronouns

Italian verb endings already show the subject, so io, tu, lui are used only for emphasis or contrast. Saying them every time sounds unnatural.

• ❌ Io sono italiano e io studio a Roma → ✅ Sono italiano e studio a Roma.

Fix: see when to keep a pronoun in Italian subject pronouns.

6. False friends

Some Italian words look English but mean something else — check them, don’t guess.

• caldo = hot, not “cold” (cold is freddo).
• libreria = bookshop; a library is biblioteca.
• parenti = relatives; parents are i genitori.

Hear the corrected sentences

1. Il problema è difficile.
   The problem is difficult.
   problema is masculine
2. Le case sono rosse.
   The houses are red.
   feminine plural agreement
3. Ho fame.
   I'm hungry (I have hunger).
   avere, not essere
4. Ho vent'anni.
   I'm twenty (I have twenty years).
   age with avere
5. Ho caldo.
   I feel hot.
   heat with avere
6. Le amiche sono simpatiche.
   The (female) friends are nice.
   -ca becomes -che
7. Gli amici sono italiani.
   The friends are Italian.
   amico becomes amici; gli before a vowel
8. Lo studente studia molto.
   The student studies a lot.
   lo before s+consonant
9. Sono italiano e studio a Roma.
   I'm Italian and I study in Rome.
   no io needed
10. Oggi fa caldo.
    Today it's hot.
    caldo = hot

How to say it

Italian reads as written, but a few sounds decide meaning in these words:

Quick recap before the quiz.

Practice

Practice

Fix the common mistakes

Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.

1 Fix it: '___ problema è difficile.'

La Il Lo Le

Check

Show answer

Il — problema is masculine: il problema.

2 'I'm hungry' (lit. I have hunger): ____ fame.

Check

Hint: use avere

Show answer

Ho — Italian uses avere: Ho fame.

3 Correct article: ___ studente

il lo la l'

Check

Show answer

lo — Before s+consonant use lo: lo studente.

4 Build without extra pronouns: 'I'm Italian and I study in Rome.'

eSonostudioitalianoa Roma

CheckReset

Show answer

Sono italiano e studio a Roma — The verb ending shows the subject; no io needed.

5 Match the false friend to its real meaning.

• caldo Match for caldo — choose — bookshophotlibraryrelatives
• libreria Match for libreria — choose — bookshophotlibraryrelatives
• parenti Match for parenti — choose — bookshophotlibraryrelatives
• biblioteca Match for biblioteca — choose — bookshophotlibraryrelatives

Check

Show answer

• caldo → hot
• libreria → bookshop
• parenti → relatives
• biblioteca → library

caldo = hot, libreria = bookshop, parenti = relatives, biblioteca = library.

Quiz

Check yourself

Common Italian mistakes

10 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.

0/10 0 answered

1. 1Correct: '___ problema'

   A la B il C lo D le
   Show answer

   il — problema is masculine: il problema.

2. 2'I'm hungry' in Italian uses…

   A essere (sono) B avere (ho) C stare (sto) D fare (faccio)
   Show answer

   avere (ho) — Ho fame — hunger uses avere.

3. 3'I'm twenty years old' is…

   A Sono venti B Ho vent'anni C Sono vent'anni D Faccio venti
   Show answer

   Ho vent'anni — Age uses avere: Ho vent'anni.

4. 4The plural of 'amico' is…

   A amichi B amici C amice D amics
   Show answer

   amici — amico drops the h: amici.

5. 5Correct article: ___ studente

   A il B lo C la D gli
   Show answer

   lo — lo before s+consonant: lo studente.

6. 6Which is the natural Italian?

   A Io sono italiano e io studio B Sono italiano e studio C Io italiano sono D Sono io italiano
   Show answer

   Sono italiano e studio — Drop io unless you need emphasis: Sono italiano e studio.

7. 7'caldo' means…

   A cold B hot C warm drink D calm
   Show answer

   hot — caldo = hot; cold is freddo.

8. 8A 'libreria' is a…

   A library B bookshop C bakery D bedroom
   Show answer

   bookshop — libreria = bookshop; a library is biblioteca.

9. 9'The houses are red': le case ____.
   Check
   Show answer

   rosse — Feminine plural agreement: le case rosse.

10. 10'parenti' means…

    A parents B relatives C friends D neighbours
    Show answer

    relatives — parenti = relatives; parents are i genitori.

Fix one at a time

• Gender and agreement: Italian Noun Gender and Number
• Plurals and spelling: Italian Plurals: Nouns and Adjectives
• essere vs avere: avere in the present
• Articles: Italian Definite Articles

Next

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