Opinions and negotiations

Introduction to Expressing Opinions and Negotiations in Italian

This lesson focuses on using discorso indiretto (indirect speech) with the passato prossimo (present perfect tense) to discuss past opinions and negotiations. It's designed for A2 level learners who want to improve their ability to report what others have said about previous events, especially in formal or conversational contexts like project discussions and workplace negotiations.

Understanding Discorso Indiretto with Passato Prossimo

Indirect speech in Italian allows you to relay someone else's words without quoting them directly. Combined with the passato prossimo, it enables you to describe actions or opinions that have already happened. Example verbs frequently used include:

• convincere (to convince) – ha convinto
• rifiutare (to refuse) – ha rifiutato
• fare (to do/make) – ha fatto
• credere (to believe) – ha creduto

These verbs often appear in workplace or social discussions when sharing decisions or opinions.

Key Structures

• Marco dice che ha risolto tutto molto bene. (Marco says that he solved everything very well.)
• Maria pensa che abbiamo migliorato la comunicazione. (Maria thinks that we improved communication.)
• Paolo dice che è stato un progetto molto utile. (Paolo says it was a very useful project.)

Practical Examples from Common Scenarios

Discussing a Past Project

Express opinions and outcomes about a shared activity, like collaborating on a project. You might say:

• "Secondo me, all'inizio abbiamo avuto qualche difficoltà." (In my opinion, at the beginning we had some difficulties.)
• "Marco dice che ha risolto tutto molto bene." (Marco says he solved everything very well.)

Opinions on a New Restaurant

Report others’ experiences and different views on quality, price, or atmosphere by using indirect speech:

• "Giulia pensa che il locale sia accogliente." (Giulia thinks the place is welcoming.)
• "Marco dice che il prezzo è un po' alto, ma ne vale la pena." (Marco says the price is a bit high but worth it.)

Talking about a Work Agreement

Use reported speech to recount negotiations and decisions at work:

• "Paolo e Maria dicono che hanno fatto un compromesso importante." (Paolo and Maria say they made an important compromise.)
• "Fabio dice che ha rifiutato alcune condizioni troppo restrittive." (Fabio says he refused some too restrictive conditions.)

Verb Conjugations in Passato Prossimo to Remember

Mastering these conjugations will help you correctly form indirect speech about past events:

• convincere: io ho convinto, tu hai convinto, lui/lei ha convinto, noi abbiamo convinto, voi avete convinto, loro hanno convinto
• rifiutare: io ho rifiutato, tu hai rifiutato, lui/lei ha rifiutato, noi abbiamo rifiutato, voi avete rifiutato, loro hanno rifiutato
• fare: io ho fatto, tu hai fatto, lui/lei ha fatto, noi abbiamo fatto, voi avete fatto, loro hanno fatto
• credere: io ho creduto, tu hai creduto, lui/lei ha creduto, noi abbiamo creduto, voi avete creduto, loro hanno creduto

Notes on Differences Between English and Italian

In Italian, indirect speech often uses the verb dire (to say) or pensare (to think) followed by che and the verb tense that reflects the time frame, here the passato prossimo for recent past actions. English uses similar structures but often keeps the verb tense consistent with the main reporting verb (e.g., "He said he solved..." vs. Italian "Ha detto che ha risolto...").

Useful expressions include:

• "Dice che..." – "He/she says that..."
• "Pensa che..." – "He/she thinks that..."
• "Secondo me..." – "In my opinion..."
• "Sono d'accordo che..." – "I agree that..."

By practicing these constructions, you develop a natural way to convey spoken opinions and negotiations in everyday situations.