Spesso

Italian word of the day

Spesso is an adverb of frequency (it modifies a verb) that can be translated into English as “often” or “frequently”.

Examples

Spesso rimango fuori casa nel fine settimana.
I often go away from home on weekends.

Mio papà va spesso all’estero per lavoro.
My dad often goes abroad on business.

Mio figlio inventa spesso delle storie.
My son often makes up stories.

Marta suona spesso il piano.
Marta often plays the piano.

Using spesso in Italian

We’ve said that spesso in Italian is an adverb of frequency, equivalent to the English adverbs “often” or “frequently”.

There’s not much difference from these English adverbs, but you have to remember that spesso in Italian is never placed right after the subject, but either before or after the verb it modifies.

Vedi spesso i tuoi vicini di casa?
Do you often see your neighbors?

Giulia dice spesso bugie.
Giulia often tells lies.

Spesso non faccio colazione.
I often don’t eat breakfast.

It’s also worth noting that spesso in Italian can also be the first element in a sentence when the subject is implied. For example…

Spesso mi alzo prima delle 7.
I often get up before 7 o’clock.

Mi alzo spesso prima delle 7.
I often get up before 7 o’clock.

If there’s a proper noun in the sentence, spesso is usually put after the verb.

Giulia si alza spesso prima delle 7.
Giulia often gets up before 7 o’clock.

Spesso as an adjective

Note that spesso in Italian can also be an adjective. As an adjective, it translates as the English word “thick”.

Like all other adjectives in Italian, spesso must match the noun in both gender and number.

	Singular	Plural
Masculine	Spesso	Spessi
Feminine	Spessa	Spesse

For example, you can say…

Quanto può essere spesso un doppio vetro?
How thick can double glazing be?

Queste calze sono molto spesse. Tengono caldo?
These socks are very thick. Do they keep you warm?

Expressions

There are a number of common idiomatic expressions featuring spesso in Italian. These are…

• spesso e volentieri (very often, literally “often and willingly”)
• avere spesso la luna di traverso (to be often in a bad mood)
• non troppo spesso (not very often)

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