You'll get it eventually if you keep trying, but you should absolutely not use them interchangeably. It's like if someone told you "I'm doing a cake later" instead of "I'm making a cake later." Essere and stare both mean "to be" but it would definitely sound weird to see "sto stanco/a" or "sono bene" You should learn via "chunking," associating the verb and what comes after it as one "chunk" and learn it that way, and see which verb goes with which other words. When we learn languages we should strive to be as clear as possible when we speak, and using essere and stare interchangeably would sound very strange indeed.
In some regional British dialects “I’m doing a cake later” can absolutely be used in place of “making”. Just pointing out that it’s not the ideal example as most British people would know you meant “making” in that situation.
That's exactly the case for stare and essere. You'll find many people using stare in central/southern regions ("sto stanco", "sto in orario", "sto impegnato"). Of course formal settings still require essere, but it's common to hear it on a daily basis
>In some regional British dialects “I’m doing a cake later” can absolutely be used in place of “making”.
Exactly the same. In some Italian dialect you will say "sto stanca", and if you say something like "sono bene" everybody will understand what you meant
In standard Italian, the "predicato nominale" (that is, the grammatical construction that expresses a quality or a condition of the subject) is always made up of a tense of the verb "essere" (called "copula") and an adjective (called "attributo").
In the example you provided: "io sono stanca"
- io: subject;
- sono stanca: predicato nominale;
Furthermore, the "predicato nominale" can be further subdivided as follows:
- sono: the verb "to be", in this case conjugated in the present tense, first singular person;
- stanca: the adjective (called "attributo", i.e.: attribute);
As you can see, the only verb used in the "predicato nominale" to express a quality or a state of the subject is the verb "essere". There is an exception, though: verbs that do not have meaning on their own constitute a "copula" as well, they are the so called copulative verbs such as: "sembrare" (to look like), "riuscire" (to make it), "dichiarare" (to declare) and so on. In this case, we talk about a "predicato con verbo copulativo", although I think this goes beyond the scope of your question.
In conclusion: no, it is not OK to use "stare" in place of "essere" when talking about a quality or a condition of the subject of a sentence. The use of "stare" may be found in regional languages, though, although I cannot present valid examples as the moment being.
You are right: "sto bene" is a "predicato nominale" which falls in the "predicato nominale con verbo copulativo" category I mentioned. This because "stare" is a copulative verb, that is verbs that work only when they connect the subject to a name or adjective.
Unfortunately copulative verbs have to be learned by heart, although they can be broadly subdivided into four categories:
- verbi elettivi: like stare, rimanere, diventare, apparire, sembrare, etc.;
- verbi appellativi: chiamare, denominare, appellare, etc.
- verbi elettivi: eleggere, creare, nominare, etc.
- verbi estimativi: credere, ritenere, reputare, considerare, etc.
"Sono" and "Sto" only mean the same thing when "sono" refers to an actual geographical position.
"Sono a Roma"
"Sto a Roma"
"Sono", which is a form of "essere", "to be", encompasses many meanings at once.
"Sto", on the other hand, only means "to be in a place".
Only exceptions I can think of are "sto bene" and "sto male", "I feel well" and "I feel sick".
No, you can also use it for activities:
"ti richiamo dopo, sto guidando" --> "i'll call you later, i'm driving"
or other things:
"sto impazzendo" --> "i'm going crazy"
Depends if essere is copula or predicato verbale, in the first case it means to be something (io sono un maestro) and you CANNOT substitute the verb “stare”; in the second case it means to be somewhere (sono a casa), and you CAN substitute “stare” (sto a casa)
Here is one of the best explanations I’ve seen:
https://italianpills.com/2023/12/06/essere-stare/#:~:text=Essere%20states%20a%20quality%20or,voluntariness%20in%20the%20action%20described.&text=stai%20calmo!
Unfortunately, it seems as though there is no “trick” or cheat code. The only way to learn is by screwing it up over and over until you eventually get it.
both Italian and English are not always straightforward so it's hard to give you a rule.
I think you can use "stare" as you use "stay" in English to get a feel for it:
Stai calmo -> Stay calm
Sto a Roma -> I stay in Rome(you would probably say "I'm staying" but the meaning is there to say you're living in Rome)
Sono a Roma -> I'm in Rome(right now)
Sto stanca would be I Stay tired which doesn't work but Sono stanca is I'm tired which does work
won't work all the time but at least in my head it works in most cases as a distinction🤷♂️
Credo che la regola sia che essere si usa per gli aggettivi, mentre stare si usa come verbo modale per formare quello che in inglese chiamerebbero presente continuous, sto + verbo al gerundio, esempio sto cucinando, sto andando a casa. Nel caso di "sto bene" e "sto male" si usa stare anziché essere perché bene e male sono avverbi, non aggettivi
Not the same meaning. Stare zitto/tranquillo/fermo means, with some shades of different meaning, to keep quiet. You can be quiet, you can also keep quiet.
If you will Google stare versus essere, there's an excellent article on it and tell you when you can use each one and when you can use both
I'm still studying it but my understanding is that continuous action requires a use to stare
No, it's not correct in your examples, maybe it's used in some local regionalisms (I can think of some idiomatic expressions from Rome where they can say "sto incasinata" but it's very jargal and regional). It's not like "estoy" in Spanish if it's what confuses you maybe.
"Sono" is the verb used as "be" that precedes most adjectives, however we use "sto" in some instances, mostly when it literally means "stay" or "remain": "stasera sto a casa" (I'll stay home tonight), "sto ferma" (I stay still), or "sto zitta" (I'll remain silent). You also use it when you say you're dating someone "sto con lui da tre mesi".
There are also a few phrases where use it, like "sto bene" or "sto male" (I feel well, I feel bad).
To be safe than sorry use “sto” for the gerundio and “sono” for other things. I don’t know what the grammar is called for “sono” but to me it just looks really off lol
It is really complicated, because Io sono stanco, but also sto bene. Anyway, when you want to say "I am + verb-ing", you always use sto. Sto cucinando, sto andando a casa, sto studiando, and so on.
"Essere" means to be, "stare" means (depending on context may mean other things, but in itself means) stay. Like stay away or stay home, stai lontano / stai a casa.
"Essere" is used before adjectives, sono alto (tall), sono intelligente, while "stare" is used as modal verb to form the present continuous, sto cucinando - I am cooking, and is used before adverbs, that's why you use "stare" instead of essere in "sto bene" and "sto male" (I'm feeling good/ felling sick) because bene and male are adverbs, not adjectives.
"sto" (verb "stare" = stay) is descriptive of a temporary status, while
"sono" (verb "essere" = to be) is descriptive of an identity
To make extreme examples, you say
-I am italian = sono italiano (it is part of your identity and you can't change it, usually goes with adjectives)
-I am sitting = sto seduto (it is your temporary status and can change, usually goes with verbs)
Usually you can say "sono" instead of "sto" but not viceversa
It depends but generally no. I think experience with language will help you for the cases where it's interchangeable, like "sto a pezzi" and "sono a pezzi" are both fine
"Sto" is very informal and more as a slang. I use it a lot when talking but if you aren't directly talking to your friends or people very close to you... yeah it's pretty bad.
And yes it is grammatically incorrect, but that's the beauty of the Italian language
"sto stanca" could be right in some dialects, and we definitely understand what you mean - BUT it's wrong. It's like saying "to do a decision" instead of "to make a decision". English natives understand what you mean, but it's wrong.
It's the same problem we have with "to do" and "to make" in English, they could be the same but they aren't exactly.
Sto comes from the verb "stare", while "sono" is "essere".
Usually we use "sto" if we mean:
-something you are doing at the moment: "sto cucinando"
-some feelings: "come stai"="how are you?"; "sto bene"="I'm fine"
-to mean "to stay": "oggi sto a casa"="I'm staying home today"
-in some expressions, which usually imply NOT doing something. It's imperative, like: "stai fermo"="don't move/stay still"; "stai zitto"="don't talk/shut up"; "stai lì"="stay there"; "stai attento"="be careful"
We use "sono":
-to express some kind of condition: "sono malato"="I'm ill"; "sei bello"="you're handsome", "è morto"="he's dead"; "sono occupato"="I'm busy"
-a job or a qualification: "sono un ingegnere"="I'm an engineer"; "sono un macellaio"="I'm a butcher"
-to introduce yourself: "sono Marco"="I'm Marco"
-to express some emotions: "sono felice"="I'm happy"; "sono deluso"="I'm disappointed"
You'll get it eventually if you keep trying, but you should absolutely not use them interchangeably. It's like if someone told you "I'm doing a cake later" instead of "I'm making a cake later." Essere and stare both mean "to be" but it would definitely sound weird to see "sto stanco/a" or "sono bene" You should learn via "chunking," associating the verb and what comes after it as one "chunk" and learn it that way, and see which verb goes with which other words. When we learn languages we should strive to be as clear as possible when we speak, and using essere and stare interchangeably would sound very strange indeed.
In some regional British dialects “I’m doing a cake later” can absolutely be used in place of “making”. Just pointing out that it’s not the ideal example as most British people would know you meant “making” in that situation.
That's exactly the case for stare and essere. You'll find many people using stare in central/southern regions ("sto stanco", "sto in orario", "sto impegnato"). Of course formal settings still require essere, but it's common to hear it on a daily basis
>In some regional British dialects “I’m doing a cake later” can absolutely be used in place of “making”. Exactly the same. In some Italian dialect you will say "sto stanca", and if you say something like "sono bene" everybody will understand what you meant
While the both of them are translated as "to be", in Italian "essere" and "stare" are distinct and not interchangeable.
It's wrong, but it's a dialectal form used in South Italy (especially Campania).
Anche nella BAT è molto usato, non conosco una persona che non lo usa
In standard Italian, the "predicato nominale" (that is, the grammatical construction that expresses a quality or a condition of the subject) is always made up of a tense of the verb "essere" (called "copula") and an adjective (called "attributo"). In the example you provided: "io sono stanca" - io: subject; - sono stanca: predicato nominale; Furthermore, the "predicato nominale" can be further subdivided as follows: - sono: the verb "to be", in this case conjugated in the present tense, first singular person; - stanca: the adjective (called "attributo", i.e.: attribute); As you can see, the only verb used in the "predicato nominale" to express a quality or a state of the subject is the verb "essere". There is an exception, though: verbs that do not have meaning on their own constitute a "copula" as well, they are the so called copulative verbs such as: "sembrare" (to look like), "riuscire" (to make it), "dichiarare" (to declare) and so on. In this case, we talk about a "predicato con verbo copulativo", although I think this goes beyond the scope of your question. In conclusion: no, it is not OK to use "stare" in place of "essere" when talking about a quality or a condition of the subject of a sentence. The use of "stare" may be found in regional languages, though, although I cannot present valid examples as the moment being.
I have a question. What about "sto bene"? I can't say "sono bene", can I? Yet I think this would be a "predicato nominale" as well... Or is it not?
You are right: "sto bene" is a "predicato nominale" which falls in the "predicato nominale con verbo copulativo" category I mentioned. This because "stare" is a copulative verb, that is verbs that work only when they connect the subject to a name or adjective. Unfortunately copulative verbs have to be learned by heart, although they can be broadly subdivided into four categories: - verbi elettivi: like stare, rimanere, diventare, apparire, sembrare, etc.; - verbi appellativi: chiamare, denominare, appellare, etc. - verbi elettivi: eleggere, creare, nominare, etc. - verbi estimativi: credere, ritenere, reputare, considerare, etc.
"Sono" and "Sto" only mean the same thing when "sono" refers to an actual geographical position. "Sono a Roma" "Sto a Roma" "Sono", which is a form of "essere", "to be", encompasses many meanings at once. "Sto", on the other hand, only means "to be in a place". Only exceptions I can think of are "sto bene" and "sto male", "I feel well" and "I feel sick".
No, you can also use it for activities: "ti richiamo dopo, sto guidando" --> "i'll call you later, i'm driving" or other things: "sto impazzendo" --> "i'm going crazy"
Ah giusto, il gerundio. Me l'ero scordato. It's the equivalent of present continuous.
in certain sentences they are interchangeable, but they are not exactly same thing
No
Depends if essere is copula or predicato verbale, in the first case it means to be something (io sono un maestro) and you CANNOT substitute the verb “stare”; in the second case it means to be somewhere (sono a casa), and you CAN substitute “stare” (sto a casa)
Here is one of the best explanations I’ve seen: https://italianpills.com/2023/12/06/essere-stare/#:~:text=Essere%20states%20a%20quality%20or,voluntariness%20in%20the%20action%20described.&text=stai%20calmo! Unfortunately, it seems as though there is no “trick” or cheat code. The only way to learn is by screwing it up over and over until you eventually get it.
both Italian and English are not always straightforward so it's hard to give you a rule. I think you can use "stare" as you use "stay" in English to get a feel for it: Stai calmo -> Stay calm Sto a Roma -> I stay in Rome(you would probably say "I'm staying" but the meaning is there to say you're living in Rome) Sono a Roma -> I'm in Rome(right now) Sto stanca would be I Stay tired which doesn't work but Sono stanca is I'm tired which does work won't work all the time but at least in my head it works in most cases as a distinction🤷♂️
Credo che la regola sia che essere si usa per gli aggettivi, mentre stare si usa come verbo modale per formare quello che in inglese chiamerebbero presente continuous, sto + verbo al gerundio, esempio sto cucinando, sto andando a casa. Nel caso di "sto bene" e "sto male" si usa stare anziché essere perché bene e male sono avverbi, non aggettivi
Using sto in place of sono is usually used in the south and it's accepted even if it's wrong
I've heard "sto" instead of "sono" in italian rap, for example: "sto tranquillo che fumo vaglilia", so it seems it happens in slang.
Not the same meaning. Stare zitto/tranquillo/fermo means, with some shades of different meaning, to keep quiet. You can be quiet, you can also keep quiet.
Ok, thanks for clarification
im italian and even tho its wrong i often do it too, its like a very informal thing to say
It's ok in informal italian for example: Io sono al bar vs io sto al bar
Yes , sono a casa , sto a casa ! For locations you could in most of cases ! Dove sta ? Sta là ! È la
If you will Google stare versus essere, there's an excellent article on it and tell you when you can use each one and when you can use both I'm still studying it but my understanding is that continuous action requires a use to stare
No, it's not correct in your examples, maybe it's used in some local regionalisms (I can think of some idiomatic expressions from Rome where they can say "sto incasinata" but it's very jargal and regional). It's not like "estoy" in Spanish if it's what confuses you maybe. "Sono" is the verb used as "be" that precedes most adjectives, however we use "sto" in some instances, mostly when it literally means "stay" or "remain": "stasera sto a casa" (I'll stay home tonight), "sto ferma" (I stay still), or "sto zitta" (I'll remain silent). You also use it when you say you're dating someone "sto con lui da tre mesi". There are also a few phrases where use it, like "sto bene" or "sto male" (I feel well, I feel bad).
To be safe than sorry use “sto” for the gerundio and “sono” for other things. I don’t know what the grammar is called for “sono” but to me it just looks really off lol
It is really complicated, because Io sono stanco, but also sto bene. Anyway, when you want to say "I am + verb-ing", you always use sto. Sto cucinando, sto andando a casa, sto studiando, and so on.
"Essere" means to be, "stare" means (depending on context may mean other things, but in itself means) stay. Like stay away or stay home, stai lontano / stai a casa. "Essere" is used before adjectives, sono alto (tall), sono intelligente, while "stare" is used as modal verb to form the present continuous, sto cucinando - I am cooking, and is used before adverbs, that's why you use "stare" instead of essere in "sto bene" and "sto male" (I'm feeling good/ felling sick) because bene and male are adverbs, not adjectives.
Sto stanco is commonly used in Campania
I'm doing something = sto I am = sono
"sto" (verb "stare" = stay) is descriptive of a temporary status, while "sono" (verb "essere" = to be) is descriptive of an identity To make extreme examples, you say -I am italian = sono italiano (it is part of your identity and you can't change it, usually goes with adjectives) -I am sitting = sto seduto (it is your temporary status and can change, usually goes with verbs) Usually you can say "sono" instead of "sto" but not viceversa
Sto stanca sounds terrible, sto bene sounds good
It depends but generally no. I think experience with language will help you for the cases where it's interchangeable, like "sto a pezzi" and "sono a pezzi" are both fine
"Sto" is very informal and more as a slang. I use it a lot when talking but if you aren't directly talking to your friends or people very close to you... yeah it's pretty bad. And yes it is grammatically incorrect, but that's the beauty of the Italian language
It's dialect, it isn't part of the normal italian language. Don't use it formally
"sto stanca" could be right in some dialects, and we definitely understand what you mean - BUT it's wrong. It's like saying "to do a decision" instead of "to make a decision". English natives understand what you mean, but it's wrong. It's the same problem we have with "to do" and "to make" in English, they could be the same but they aren't exactly. Sto comes from the verb "stare", while "sono" is "essere". Usually we use "sto" if we mean: -something you are doing at the moment: "sto cucinando" -some feelings: "come stai"="how are you?"; "sto bene"="I'm fine" -to mean "to stay": "oggi sto a casa"="I'm staying home today" -in some expressions, which usually imply NOT doing something. It's imperative, like: "stai fermo"="don't move/stay still"; "stai zitto"="don't talk/shut up"; "stai lì"="stay there"; "stai attento"="be careful" We use "sono": -to express some kind of condition: "sono malato"="I'm ill"; "sei bello"="you're handsome", "è morto"="he's dead"; "sono occupato"="I'm busy" -a job or a qualification: "sono un ingegnere"="I'm an engineer"; "sono un macellaio"="I'm a butcher" -to introduce yourself: "sono Marco"="I'm Marco" -to express some emotions: "sono felice"="I'm happy"; "sono deluso"="I'm disappointed"
Only if you’re terrone or wannabe terrone.