Stare per + infinito: l'imminenza · Andare/venire + gerundio: il progressivo evolutivo · Finire per/col: l'esito non pianificato · Andare/venire + participio passato
CEFR Level C2C2 · Lesson 2 of 8By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
Stare per + infinitive marks an action as about to happen — imminent, not yet underway.
Sto per uscire. (I'm about to leave.) Il treno stava per partire quando siamo arrivati. (The train was about to leave when we arrived.) The action hasn't started; it's on the verge of starting.
For a more formal or literary register, essere sul punto di + infinitive replaces stare per: Era sul punto di confessare tutto, quando squillò il telefono. (He was on the verge of confessing everything, when the phone rang.)
| Pattern | Example | Nuance |
|---|---|---|
| stare per + inf. | Sta per piovere. | neutral register, very common |
| essere sul punto di + inf. | È sul punto di cedere. | more formal/literary |
| essere in procinto di + inf. | È in procinto di partire. | formal, slightly bureaucratic |
Unlike stare + gerundio (a simple snapshot of an action in progress), andare + gerundio frames the action as gradually developing or accumulating over time.
La situazione va migliorando. (The situation is gradually improving.) versus the flatter La situazione sta migliorando. (The situation is improving [right now].) Andare + gerundio implies a trend building over time, not just a present-moment state.
Venire + gerundio is a more formal alternative, often used to refer back to something already being discussed: Come venivo dicendo prima dell'interruzione... (As I was saying before the interruption...) This is distinctly more formal than come stavo dicendo.
| Periphrasis | Example | English sense |
|---|---|---|
| andare + gerundio | Il problema va peggiorando. | the problem is gradually getting worse |
| andare + gerundio | Le vendite vanno calando. | sales are gradually declining |
| venire + gerundio | Come venivo dicendo... | as I was saying (formal) |
Finire per (or the more colloquial finire col) + infinitive marks an outcome that wasn't originally planned or intended — something you ended up doing.
Ha finito per accettare l'offerta, anche se all'inizio era contrario. (He ended up accepting the offer, even though he was against it at first.) Abbiamo finito col restare fino a mezzanotte. (We ended up staying until midnight.) Both versions carry the same sense of an eventual, somewhat unplanned result.
| Register | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| neutral/written | finire per + inf. | Finì per confessare. |
| spoken/colloquial | finire col + inf. | Ha finito col confessare. |
Andare + past participle expresses necessity or obligation — a more elegant, formal alternative to dovere essere + participle.
Il documento va firmato entro venerdì. (The document must be signed by Friday.) — functionally equivalent to deve essere firmato, but more compact and more typical of formal written registers, especially instructions and official notices.
Va detto che, va ricordato che, va sottolineato che (it must be said/remembered/emphasized that) are extremely common formulaic openers in opinion writing and argumentative essays — a direct, elegant way to flag an important point: Va detto che la questione è più complessa di quanto sembri.
| Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| andare + p.p. | Il modulo va compilato in stampatello. | the form must be filled in block letters |
| andare + p.p. | Va perso il senso originale. | the original meaning gets/is lost |
| formula fissa | Va detto che... | it must be said that... |
In formal and literary writing, venire can replace essere as the passive auxiliary — a stylistic choice, not a meaning change.
La legge fu approvata nel 1948. (essere, neutral) vs. La legge venne approvata nel 1948. (venire, slightly more formal/literary, and typically restricted to simple, punctual tenses — passato remoto or futuro — never with compound tenses).
Open any Italian opinion column or television commentary and you'll quickly spot the andare + participio formulas — va detto, va ricordato, va sottolineato — used constantly to flag a key point without sounding overly personal or informal. It's a house style as recognizable as "it is worth noting" is in English editorial writing.
Andare and venire + gerundio periphrases show up just as often in economic reporting — lo spread va riducendo, i consumi vanno calando — precisely because they frame a trend as gradual and ongoing rather than as a single completed fact, which is often exactly the nuance financial journalism needs.
1. sta per 2. va
1. Hanno finito per accettare la proposta, anche se erano scettici.
1. Il modulo va compilato in stampatello.
2. False — venire only works with simple tenses (venne approvata), not compound ones.
Write a short paragraph (70–100 words) about a project or personal goal, using at least: one stare per, one andare + gerundio, and one finire per/col.
Tap to reveal: