Time expressions

Time expressions in Italian: three key patterns

In this unit you see three very common time expressions:

• una quantità di tempo + fa → due giorni fa
• scorso / scorsa → la settimana scorsa, il mese scorso
• prima → il giorno prima, due ore prima

They all refer to the past, but they do different jobs. The goal here: you can decide quickly which one you need and which past tense to use with it.

1. “Fa” – how long ago from now?

• Structure: number/quantity + time word + fa
• Meaning: “X time ago” from now
• Typical tense: passato prossimo

Important: you always keep “fa” at the end of the time expression.

• Correct: due giorni fa
• Incorrect: fa due giorni

When to choose “fa”?

• You want to say how long ago from today something happened.
• You are not comparing two past actions, just talking from the perspective of “now”.

2. “Scorso / scorsa” – last week, last month, last year

Scorso/a works like English “last”.

• Structure: article + time word + scorso / scorsa
• Meaning: the last completed period of that type.
• Typical tense: passato prossimo.

Agreement rule:

• scorso → masculine singular nouns: mese, anno
• scorsa → feminine singular nouns: settimana

Common errors to avoid

• No plural: due settimane scorse (not used here) → say due settimane fa.
• Correct article order:
  • Correct: il mese scorso
  • Incorrect: la mese scorso, il scorso mese

When to choose “scorso/a”?

• You talk about a fixed calendar period (last week, last month, last year).
• You do not need the exact number of days.

3. “Prima” – earlier than another past action

Prima does not mean “ago from now”. It shows the order between two past events.

• Question it answers: “What happened before that past event?”
• Typical tense with prima: trapassato prossimo (past perfect)

Notice the contrast:

• Due ore fa → two hours ago from now.
• Due ore prima → two hours before another past moment.

Common mistake:

• Do not mix “prima” with an isolated event if you don’t mention another past reference.
  • Incorrect: Ho aperto il conto due settimane prima.
  • Correct only if you continue: Ho aperto il conto due settimane prima di chiedere il prestito.

4. Which tense: passato prossimo or trapassato prossimo?

These expressions are strongly linked to the choice of tense.

Form reminder: trapassato prossimo

• avere/essere in imperfetto + participio passato.

5. Quick decision guide: fa, scorso/a, or prima?

1. Are you speaking from “now”, without another past reference?

   • Yes → Go to step 2.
   • No, I compare two past events → Use prima + trapassato prossimo.

2. Do you want a precise amount of time (2 days, 3 weeks, 5 months)?

   • Yes → Use numero + tempo + fa + passato prossimo.
     Ho fatto il bonifico tre giorni fa.
   • No, you want a calendar period (last week/month/year) → Use articolo + periodo + scorso/scorsa.
     Il mese scorso ho cambiato conto.

6. Self‑check: can you see the difference?

Compare these pairs. Ask yourself: From now, or in relation to another past event?

• A – from now:

  • Ho ricevuto lo stipendio una settimana fa.
  • Abbiamo aperto il conto il mese scorso.

• B – before another past event:

  • Quando ho pagato l’affitto, avevo ricevuto lo stipendio la settimana prima.
  • Quando siamo andati in banca, avevamo già aperto il conto il mese prima.

Check yourself step by step:

1. Do you see two past actions in the sentence?
2. Is the earlier action in trapassato prossimo (avevo / avevamo …)?
3. Is there a “prima” expression with that earlier action?
4. If there is only one past action and a time expression → you probably need fa or scorso/a with passato prossimo.

7. Typical problems and how to avoid them

• Problem 1: Using “prima” instead of “fa”

  • Ho aperto il conto due settimane prima.
  • Use: due settimane fa if you mean “two weeks ago (from now)”.
  • Use: due settimane prima only if you also mention another past event.
    Ho chiesto il prestito due settimane dopo aver aperto il conto.

• Problem 2: Wrong article or order with “scorso/a”

  • Incorrect: la mese scorso, la scorso settimana
  • Correct:
    • il mese scorso
    • la settimana scorsa

• Problem 3: Using passato prossimo instead of trapassato con “prima”

  • Less natural: Quando sono arrivato, ho prelevato il giorno prima.
  • Better: Quando sono arrivato, avevo prelevato il giorno prima.

8. Mini checklist: what you should now be able to do

Read each point and check if you can answer “yes”. If not, go back to the relevant section.

• I can form expressions with fa correctly (number + time + fa).
• I know when to say la settimana scorsa vs una settimana fa and I can make scorso / scorsa agree.
• I understand that prima expresses the order of two past actions, not “ago from now”.
• I can build sentences with trapassato prossimo + prima to talk about what had already happened.
• I can decide quickly between fa, scorso/a and prima using the decision guide.

If you can say “yes” to most of these, you are ready to use these expressions actively in conversation.