Time expressions are the words and phrases that anchor every story you tell — when something happened, how often it happens, how long it took, what came before what. Italian organizes them into clear families: past markers (ieri, l'altro ieri, la settimana scorsa, l'anno scorso, due giorni fa), present and frequency markers (oggi, adesso, sempre, spesso, di solito, qualche volta, raramente, mai), future markers (domani, dopodomani, la prossima settimana, fra/tra due ore), and sequencing words (prima, poi, dopo, infine, già, ancora, appena, subito). Mastering these gives your Italian a clear narrative structure and makes you sound much more confident.
The single most important contrast to internalize is fa vs. fra/tra. Use fa AFTER the time period for past events: due giorni fa (two days ago), un anno fa (a year ago). Use fra or tra (interchangeable) BEFORE the time period for future events: fra due giorni (in two days), tra un anno (in a year). Another key pair is per (completed duration: Ho studiato per due ore — I studied for two hours, and stopped) vs. da (ongoing: Studio da due ore — I've been studying for two hours, still going). In the exercises below you'll practice picking the right time word for each context, placing frequency adverbs in their natural positions (sempre, spesso, mai usually go after the verb), and combining time expressions with the past tenses you already know. These small words are the connective tissue of every story.
Italian has a rich system of time expressions that tell us when something happens, how long it lasts, and in what sequence events occur. Mastering these expressions will make your Italian sound natural and fluent. They fall into five main categories: past, present/habitual, future, duration, and sequencing.
| Italian | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ieri | yesterday | Ieri ho mangiato la pizza. — Yesterday I ate pizza. |
| l'altro ieri | the day before yesterday | L'altro ieri siamo andati al cinema. — The day before yesterday we went to the cinema. |
| la settimana scorsa | last week | La settimana scorsa ho lavorato molto. — Last week I worked a lot. |
| il mese scorso | last month | Il mese scorso sono andato a Roma. — Last month I went to Rome. |
| l'anno scorso | last year | L'anno scorso ho imparato l'italiano. — Last year I learned Italian. |
| ... fa | ... ago | Due giorni fa ho visto Marco. — Two days ago I saw Marco. |
| tempo fa | some time ago | Tempo fa vivevo a Milano. — Some time ago I lived in Milan. |
| una volta | once / used to | Una volta andavo spesso al mare. — I used to go to the sea often. |
| Italian | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| oggi | today | Oggi ho una riunione. — Today I have a meeting. |
| adesso / ora | now | Adesso non posso parlare. — Now I cannot talk. |
| al momento | at the moment | Al momento sto studiando. — At the moment I am studying. |
| sempre | always | Mangio sempre la colazione. — I always eat breakfast. |
| spesso | often | Spesso vado in palestra. — I often go to the gym. |
| di solito | usually | Di solito mi sveglio alle sette. — I usually wake up at seven. |
| qualche volta | sometimes | Qualche volta cucino a casa. — Sometimes I cook at home. |
| ogni tanto | every now and then | Ogni tanto esco con gli amici. — Every now and then I go out with friends. |
| raramente | rarely | Raramente mangio la carne. — I rarely eat meat. |
| mai | never (with non) | Non guardo mai la televisione. — I never watch television. |
| ogni giorno | every day | Leggo ogni giorno. — I read every day. |
| una volta alla settimana | once a week | Vado in piscina una volta alla settimana. — I go to the pool once a week. |
| due volte al mese | twice a month | Faccio la spesa due volte al mese. — I do the shopping twice a month. |
| Italian | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| domani | tomorrow | Domani andrò dal dottore. — Tomorrow I will go to the doctor. |
| dopodomani | the day after tomorrow | Dopodomani partiamo per la Spagna. — The day after tomorrow we leave for Spain. |
| la prossima settimana | next week | La prossima settimana ho un esame. — Next week I have an exam. |
| il prossimo mese | next month | Il prossimo mese cambio lavoro. — Next month I am changing jobs. |
| l'anno prossimo | next year | L'anno prossimo mi sposo. — Next year I am getting married. |
| fra / tra + time | in ... (time from now) | Fra due giorni torno a casa. — In two days I will be back home. |
| tra un'ora | in an hour | Arrivo tra un'ora. — I will arrive in an hour. |
| presto | soon | Ci vediamo presto! — See you soon! |
| più tardi | later | Ti chiamo più tardi. — I will call you later. |
| Italian | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| per + time | for (completed duration) | Ho studiato per due ore. — I studied for two hours. |
| da + time | for / since (ongoing) | Studio italiano da sei mesi. — I have been studying Italian for six months. |
| durante | during | Durante le vacanze ho riposato. — During the holidays I rested. |
| prima | before / first | Prima di mangiare mi lavo le mani. — Before eating I wash my hands. |
| poi / dopo | then / after | Poi siamo andati al bar. — Then we went to the bar. |
| infine / alla fine | finally / in the end | Alla fine abbiamo deciso di restare. — In the end we decided to stay. |
| subito | immediately | Vengo subito! — I am coming immediately! |
| già | already | Ho già mangiato. — I have already eaten. |
| ancora | still / yet | Stai ancora dormendo? — Are you still sleeping? |
| non ancora | not yet | Non ho ancora finito. — I have not finished yet. |
| appena | just | Sono appena arrivato. — I have just arrived. |
1. Use 'fa' AFTER the time period for past events: 'due giorni fa' (two days ago). Use 'fra/tra' BEFORE the time period for future events: 'fra due giorni' (in two days). 2. 'Da' is used with the PRESENT tense for actions still ongoing: 'Studio da tre anni' (I have been studying for three years). 3. 'Per' is used for completed durations, typically with the past: 'Ho lavorato per otto ore' (I worked for eight hours). 4. 'Già' (already) and 'ancora/non ancora' (still/not yet) are very common with the passato prossimo. 5. Frequency words like 'sempre', 'spesso', 'mai' usually come AFTER the verb. 6. 'Scorso' (last) comes AFTER the noun: 'la settimana scorsa', 'il mese scorso'. 'Prossimo' (next) comes BEFORE or AFTER depending on usage: 'la prossima settimana' or 'il mese prossimo' — both are correct.
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Past Time Expressions – Ieri & L'altro ieri
10 questions
Past Time Expressions – Scorso (Last)
10 questions
Past Time Expressions – Fa (Ago)
10 questions
Past Time Expressions – Fill in the Blank
10 questions
Past Time Expressions – Una volta & Tempo fa
10 questions
Past Time Expressions – Mixed Practice
10 questions
Past Time Expressions – Choose the Correct Tense
10 questions
Past Time Expressions – Translation Practice
10 questions
Past Time Expressions – Advanced Fill in the Blank
10 questions
Past Time Expressions – Comprehensive Review
10 questions
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Habitual Expressions — di solito & spesso
10 questions
Frequency Expressions – Sempre, Mai, Raramente
10 questions
Frequency Expressions – Ogni & Volte
10 questions
Present & Habitual Expressions – Fill in the Blank
10 questions
Frequency Expressions – Qualche Volta & Ogni Tanto
10 questions
Present Expressions – Al Momento, Ora, Adesso
10 questions
Habitual Expressions — adverb position
10 questions
Habitual Expressions — Mixed Review
10 questions
Habitual Expressions — Choosing the Right Tense
10 questions
Habitual & Frequency Expressions — Advanced Fill in the Blank
10 questions
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Future Time Expressions — domani & dopodomani
10 questions
Future Time Expressions — prossimo (next)
10 questions
Future Time Expressions — fra/tra (in ... time)
10 questions
Future Time Expressions — presto, più tardi & Mixed Future
10 questions
Future Time Expressions — Fill in the Blank
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Future Time Expressions — Correct Verb Tense
10 questions
Future Time Expressions — Translation Practice
10 questions
Future Time Expressions — Mixed Practice
10 questions
Future Expressions — Comprehensive Review
10 questions
Duration: per and durante
10 questions
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Sequencing: prima, poi, dopo, infine
10 questions
Sequencing: subito, già, ancora, non ancora, appena
10 questions
Duration expressions in context
10 questions
già, ancora, non ancora — placement and meaning
10 questions
Sequencing words in narrative
10 questions
Time expressions with past tenses
10 questions
Future time expressions
10 questions
Habitual frequency expressions
10 questions
fra/tra vs. fa — future vs. past
10 questions
Mixed sequencing and duration
10 questions
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Choosing the right tense: past time expressions
10 questions
Choosing the right tense: future time expressions
10 questions
Mixed time expressions — identifying the category
10 questions
Complete sentences with the right time expression
10 questions
Mixed tenses triggered by time expressions
10 questions
Time expressions — error correction
10 questions
Time expressions in conversation
10 questions
Time expressions — translation and meaning
10 questions
Advanced mixed time expressions
10 questions
Final review: all time expressions
10 questions
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Useful expressions include: oggi (today), ieri (yesterday), domani (tomorrow), dopodomani (the day after tomorrow), l’altro ieri (the day before yesterday), tra poco (in a little while), fra un’ora (in an hour), poco fa (a little while ago), il mese scorso (last month), la settimana prossima (next week).
Use "per" + time for completed durations: "Ho studiato per due ore" (I studied for two hours). Use "da" + time + present for ongoing: "Studio da due ore" (I have been studying for two hours). Use "in" + time for completion limit: "L’ho fatto in due ore" (I did it in two hours).
Use "scorso" for past and "prossimo" for future, both following the noun: "la settimana scorsa" (last week), "il mese prossimo" (next month), "l’anno scorso" (last year). They agree in gender and number.
A2 Topics