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How to use the impersonal ‘si’ in Italian?

By: Claudia Quesito Fri Aug 30 2024
Italian
Pronouns

The si impersonale(impersonal si) in Italian is used to make generalizations, or to form a sentence where the doer is not specified. It is formed with the pronoun si and a verb in the third person singular, as in:

In biblioteca si deve parlare a bassa voce.

At the library one must speak quietly.

NOTE:
Sometimes the si impersonale gets confused with the si we use in the passive voice, but they’re a little different! Check out our post on the si passivante(passive si), to learn about the other use of si.

In this post, we’ll unravel all the secrets of the si impersonale for you, how to use it, how to form it, and why it’s different from the passive. Keep reading!

Table of Contents

    How to use the impersonal ‘si’?

    The impersonal si is the Italian equivalent of “one,” the generic “you” or “we,” “they,” or “people” (in general). It is used to express actions performed by an unknown or unspecified agent. More specifically:

    • To express general and impersonal information:

      Nel week-end si dorme più del solito.

      On the week-end people sleep more than usual.

      IMPORTANT!
      Note that, while the agent is not expressed, it always refers to people.

    • To talk about rules:

      Non si può entrare prima delle 5.

      You cannot enter before 5.

    • To ask for, and give, directions:

      • Come si arriva alla stazione?

        How does one get to the station?

      • Si gira a sinistra e poi a destra.

        You turn left and then right.

    • To find out how to say things properly:

      Cosa si dice prima di iniziare a mangiare?

      What do you say before starting to eat?

    Tip

    Two very common expressions with the impersonal siare:

    • si vede che(you can tell that)

      Che faccia rilassata! Si vede che sei stata in vacanza!

      What a relaxed face! You can tell that you’ve been on vacation!

    • si dice che(they say that)

      Si dice che la sua band suonerà per ultima.

      They say that her band will play last.

    How to form the impersonal ‘si’?

    The impersonal si is always followed by a verb in the third-person singular (lui / lei).

    Si è felici in Italia.

    One is happy in Italy.

    Important

    With the verbs essere(to be) and diventare(to become), plural adjectives are needed:

    • Quando si è rilassati, tutto sembra più facile.

      When you are relaxed, everything seems easier.

    • Di fronte a certi episodi si diventa necessariamente preoccupati.

      In the face of certain episodes, one inevitably becomes worried.

    • The verb following the si impersonale can be an intransitive verb or a transitive verb with no direct object.

      • In treno si arriva velocemente.

        By train one arrives quickly.

      • In questo ristorante si mangia bene.

        In this restaurant people eat well.

      Tip

      The impersonal si is often followed by an adverb or a prepositional phrase:

      • + adverb:

        Nel Sud Italia si cena tardi.

        In Southern Italy people have dinner late.

      • + prepositional phrase:

        La domenica si pranza al ristorante.

        On Sundays people have lunch at the restaurant.

    • When the si construction is used with reflexive verbs (e.g. svegliarsi(to wake up) there’s a little twist: to avoid the double si, the phrase ci si is used.

      In settimana ci si deve svegliare prima.

      During the week one needs to wake up earlier.

    • When the si impersonale is used in compound tenses, it always takes essere as its helping verb.

      In settimana ci si deve svegliare prima.

      During the week one needs to wake up earlier.

      Compare these sentences in the passato prossimo:

      Durante il lockdown abbiamo letto molto.

      During the lockdown we read a lot.

      Durante il lockdown si è letto molto.

      During the lockdown people read a lot.

      → Notice that the past participle is singular, like the verb!

    In the first, “regular” sentence, letto (past participle of leggere(to read)) takes avere, while in the second sentence, with the impersonal si, it takes essere + masculine, singular past participle.

    If a verb normally takes Phrase as a helping verb (e.g. andare(to go)), the passato prossimo is formed with essere + masculine, plural past participle, as in:

    La scorsa estate si è andati spesso al mare.

    Last summer we/people often went to the sea.

    → Notice that the past participle here is plural because the verb andare usually forms compound tenses with essere!

    What is the difference between the impersonal ‘si’ and passive ‘si’?

    Does the si impersonale look similar to the si passivante to you? Well, you’re in good company: the distinction is pretty technical and complex even for native speakers! To put it simply: both the impersonal si and the passive si "hide" the agent and instead place emphasis on the action or on who receives it. However, the passive si requires an explicit subject, while the impersonal si does not.

    Or, with more technical words: the passive si is used with transitive verbs — verbs that take a direct object. The impersonal si is used with both intransitive verbs (the ones that do not take a direct object) and also transitive verbs that are when NOT followed by a noun phrase.

    Si expression
    Used with...
    Example

    Passive si

    transitive verbs only

    La Vigilia si mangia il pesce, mentre a Natale si mangiano i tortellini.

    On Christmas Eve, fish is eaten, while at Christmas, tortellini are eaten.

    Impersonal si

    transitive verbs with no noun phrase

    A che ora si mangia?

    What time do people eat?

    intransitive verbs

    Si entra da qui.

    You enter through here.

    Important

    As you can see from the table above, while the impersonal si is always followed by a verb in the third-person singular, the passive si can either be followed by a verb in the third-person singular (si mangia) or third-person plural (si mangiano), depending on whether the following noun is singular or plural.

    Summary

    The impersonal si is used to talk about events, actions, or situations involving a nonspecific subject; it corresponds to the English “one,” the generic “you” or “we,” “they,” or “people.” It is never followed by a noun phrase — in which case, it would be a passive si — and it always precedes a verb in the third-person singular.

    Ready to practice? We have prepared some activities for you to practice the Italian impersonal si.

    To know more, check out this overview of the several uses of si. Happy learning!

    Downloadable Resources

    Elevate your language-learning journey to new heights with the following downloadable resources.

    How does the Italian impersonal si work?~Activities

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