Metterci is an Italian verb that non-native speakers may find difficult to understand. However, it is frequently used in everyday Italian, and then you might want to learn how to use it.
Metterci is a pronominal verb in Italian that is used to indicate the amount of time or effort needed to perform a particular action. It is a versatile verb that can be used in a variety of contexts, from casual conversations to formal writing. In this post, we will discuss how to use the Italian pronominal verb “metterci” and provide some examples.
Per preparare il tiramisù ci metto mezz’ora.
What does it means ci metti/ci metto?
METTERCI – to take (a period of time)
Example:
per preparare il tiramisù ci metto mezz’ora (to prepare tiramisu, it takes me half an hour)
METTERCI → verbo mettere + ci
indicates a duration of time – describes how long it takes for a person to do an action. For this reason, “metterci” must be conjugated with the person.
The particle “CI” doesn’t mean anything. It only gives the verb an idiomatic meaning.
How To Use Italian pronominal verb “METTERCI”
METTERCI is conjugated with every person
Io ci metto
Tu ci metti
Lui, lei, Lei ci mette
Noi ci mettiamo
Voi ci mettete
Loro ci mettono
Remember to put the CI between the subject pronoun (io/tu/lui …) and the conjugated verb.
Do you want to use METTERCI in the past?
To form the Passato Prossimo you need the auxiliary AVERE
Io ci ho messo
Tu ci hai messo
Lui, lei, Lei ci ha messo
Noi ci abbiamo messo
Voi ci avete messo
Loro ci hanno messo
Remember to put the CI between the subject pronoun (io/tu/lui …) and the auxiliary of the verb.
More Examples with the verb Metterci
Some examples of how to use metterci in different contexts:
- Ci hai messo una vita! = It took you ages! (lit “a lifetime”)
- Quanto ci metti per finire questo lavoro? Ci metto tre ore (How long does it take you to finish this job? It takes me three hours)
- Perché ci hai messo tanto tempo ad arrivare? Ci ho messo tanto perché c’era traffico. (Why did it take you so long to arrive? It took me a long time because there was traffic.)
- Ci metto una settimana per finire questo libro. (It takes me a week to finish this book.)
- Quanto tempo ci hai messo per imparare l’italiano? (How long did it take you to learn Italian?)
- Ci metto molto tempo per preparare una buona cena. (It takes a long time to prepare a good dinner.)
- Ci metti troppo impegno nel tuo lavoro. (You put too much effort into your work.)
- Non ci metterò molto a finire questo progetto. (It won’t take me long to finish this project.)
Expressions with METTERCI
- metterci la faccia
- metterci una pietra sopra
- metterci una pezza
- metterci d’accordo
- metterci una buona parola
- metterci la mano sul fuoco
Metterci is a versatile and useful verb in Italian that is used to indicate the amount of time or effort required to perform a certain action.
By using metterci correctly, you can communicate more effectively in both casual and formal settings.
Remember to always use the reflexive pronoun “ci” with metterci and to conjugate the verb according to the tense and subject pronoun.
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