19. Coming Back Home (Intermediate) Learn Italian with Podcasts at LearnItalianPod

19. Coming Back Home (Intermediate)

Level: Intermediate

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Coming back home

Today we’ll read you a letter that we just received from Jane (she’s coming back!). In this short letter we are going to learn some useful expressions you can use when writing to a friend, like “mi sei mancato” (I missed you), “non vedo l’ora di vederti” (I can’t wait to see you), or “a presto” (see you soon).

Intermediate Level – Lesson Nr. 19

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006 at 9:29 pm and is filed under Intermediate. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

10 Responses to "19. Coming Back Home (Intermediate)"

Gary Says:

August 3rd, 2006 at 11:28 am

will there be advanced lessons? (or are there any currently?)

LearnItalianPod.com Says:

August 3rd, 2006 at 12:16 pm

Yes, there will be advanced lessons – Italian only! At the present time, there are only beginner and intermediate level lessons.

jass Says:

August 12th, 2006 at 5:49 pm

Would it be possible to add a link to “The Italian Way” section that would help me get a little informed about major current events and concerns of the Italian people? Thank you!

LearnItalianPod.com Says:

August 12th, 2006 at 5:52 pm

Definitely possible. I’ll research the options, and see how it’s possible to implement such a nice feature.

Chris Says:

March 20th, 2007 at 1:13 pm

Hey guys. Im still really enjoying your podcasts. Keep up the good work

I was confused with the grammer on ‘mi sei mancato’. Mancato is a past participle and it normally takes ‘avere’. So why not ‘mi ha mancato’?

Grazie Mille!

p.s. do any lessons cover infinitive + pronoun. e.g. vedere + ti = vederti . or Racontami ( lesson 20) ?

LearnItalianPod.com Says:

March 20th, 2007 at 2:16 pm

Chris, “mancato” takes both “essere” and “avere”.

Examples:
“E’ mancata la luce” – the power went off (literally: the light is missed).
“Ho mancato il bersaglio” – I have missed the target

We’ve never made a specific episode on infinitive + pronoun – but we’ve definitely talked about that in quite a few different episodes – this very episode (20) is one example.

Lionel Says:

December 24th, 2009 at 9:06 pm

“mi sei mancato molto” looks like: you miss me very much
(sei is 2nd person singular of essere)
I miss you very much would seem to be

“ti sono mancato molto”

What am I getting wrong?

Neil Says:

December 26th, 2009 at 8:33 am

Hi Lionel,

Funnily enough, I was listening to episode 19 myself this week and, like you, wondered about this construction.
I have a copy of Maiden and Robustelli’s reference grammar (2nd edition) and they put the construction used with “mancare”, in the sense of missing someone or something, in the same group as that used with with “piacere” (liking someone or something), i.e. grammatically speaking, the verb is used intransitively with an indirect object.
They give “mi sei tanto mancata” as an example, lit. “you [feminine] have been lacking to me so much”, i.e. “I’ve missed you so much”. Compare “ci sono piaciute le tue poesie” meaning “we liked your poems”, lit. “your poems were pleasing to us”.
Jane uses “mancato” not “mancata” in her letter as it is Massimo who, literally, has been lacking to her.

Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Neil

Lionel Says:

December 27th, 2009 at 6:38 pm

To Neil,

Si, grazie mille.

Lionel(lo)

Ken Says:

December 31st, 2009 at 11:53 am

Neil, Grazie mille! I have been going crazy trying to understand mancare. Your explanation has helped so much.
Ken

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