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Italian Impersonal Si: How to Say 'One Does' or 'People Do' in Italian

7 min read · Grammar

The impersonal 'si' is one of those structures that English speakers find strange at first, but Italians use it constantly. It allows you to talk about what 'one does', 'people do', 'you do in general', or 'it is done' — without naming a specific subject. Once you get it, you will notice it everywhere: on menus, in instructions, in everyday conversation.

The construction is simple in its basic form: si + third person singular of the verb. So 'si mangia' means 'one eats / people eat / you eat (in general)'. It is the Italian equivalent of the French 'on' or the English use of 'you' in a general sense ('you know how it is'). It is also the construction used on menus ('si serve fino alle 23'), in recipes, and on signs.

Impersonal Si — Basic Pattern

Italian	Literal	Natural English
In Italia si mangia bene.	In Italy one eats well.	In Italy people eat well.
Si parla italiano qui.	One speaks Italian here.	Italian is spoken here.
Si lavora troppo in questo paese.	One works too much in this country.	People work too much in this country.
A che ora si cena?	At what hour does one dine?	What time do people eat dinner?
Come si dice 'hello' in italiano?	How does one say 'hello' in Italian?	How do you say 'hello' in Italian?
Si può fumare qui?	Can one smoke here?	Can you/one smoke here?

There is an important rule when the verb following 'si' has an object. If the object is plural, the verb agrees with the object and becomes third person plural. This trips up many learners.

Si with Plural Objects — Verb Agreement

Italian	Why	English
Si mangia la pizza.	Pizza is singular → verb is singular	One eats pizza / Pizza is eaten.
Si mangiano le pizze.	Pizze is plural → verb is plural	One eats pizzas / Pizzas are eaten.
Si beve il vino.	Vino is singular	One drinks wine.
Si bevono i vini locali.	Vini is plural	One drinks the local wines.
Si vende una casa.	Casa is singular	A house is for sale.
Si vendono appartamenti.	Appartamenti is plural	Apartments are for sale.

With reflexive verbs, you cannot use 'si' + reflexive 'si' because that would give two 'si' particles. The solution is to use 'ci si' instead. This is a specific exception that even intermediate learners often miss.

Ci Si — Impersonal of Reflexive Verbs

Ci si sveglia presto in campagna.

One wakes up early in the countryside.

Ci si abitua a tutto.

One gets used to everything.

Ci si diverte molto al carnevale.

One has a lot of fun at carnival.

Ci si sente stanchi dopo il lavoro.

One feels tired after work.

In the past tense, impersonal 'si' always uses essere (never avere), and the past participle agrees with the object or defaults to masculine singular when there is no object. This is another area where learners make mistakes.

Impersonal Si in the Past (Passato Prossimo)

Italian	Notes	English
Si è mangiato bene.	No object → masc. sing.	One ate well. / We ate well.
Si è parlato molto.	No object → masc. sing.	There was a lot of talking.
Si sono mangiati i tortellini.	Tortellini is plural → plural agreement	The tortellini were eaten.
Si è bevuto il vino.	Vino is singular → sing. agreement	The wine was drunk.

One of the most useful applications of the impersonal si is on menus, signs, and instructions — all the places where Italian needs a passive-like construction without naming an agent. If you see 'si accettano carte di credito' (credit cards accepted), 'si parla inglese' (English spoken here), or 'si prega di non fumare' (please do not smoke), you are seeing the impersonal si in action.

Si on Signs, Menus, and Instructions

Si prega di non fumare—Please do not smoke (lit. one is asked not to smoke)

Si prega di non fumare all'interno. — Please do not smoke inside.

Si accettano carte di credito—Credit cards accepted

Si accettano carte di credito e bancomat. — Credit cards and debit cards accepted.

Si parla inglese—English spoken here

Si parla inglese, francese e tedesco. — English, French and German spoken.

Si affitta—For rent

Si affitta appartamento al terzo piano. — Third-floor flat for rent.

Si vende—For sale

Si vende casa con giardino. — House with garden for sale.

Si prega di attendere—Please wait

Si prega di attendere fuori. — Please wait outside.

Si as an informal 'we'

The impersonal 'si' is also how Italians say 'we' informally in some situations — especially in Tuscany and central Italy. Instead of 'noi andiamo', you might hear 'si va' — we're going. 'Si mangia insieme stasera?' means 'Are we eating together tonight?' This Tuscan use of si for noi is one of the dialect features that has spread into informal standard Italian.

Si in Recipes and Instructions

Si aggiunge un po' di sale.

Add a little salt. (recipe instruction)

Si cuoce per venti minuti.

Cook for twenty minutes.

Si mescola bene.

Mix well.

Si serve caldo.

Serve hot.

Notice how Italian recipes almost always use the impersonal si rather than direct imperatives. 'Si taglia la cipolla' (one cuts the onion / the onion is cut) sounds more elegant and less bossy than 'Taglia la cipolla!' (Cut the onion!). This is one reason why Italian recipe prose has a distinctive, almost meditative quality — it describes the process rather than commanding the cook.

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