How to Sound More Natural in Italian: 5 Simple Structures I Teach My Students

One of the first questions my students ask me is:“How can I sound more natural when I speak Italian?”

They often imagine the answer involves advanced grammar or complicated vocabulary. But the truth is much simpler.What usually makes Italian sound natural is not what you say, but how you structure your sentences.

In my lessons, I focus a lot on small, everyday structures that Italians use constantly. They’re simple, practical, and incredibly effective. Once students start using them, their Italian immediately feels more fluid and confident.

One structure I introduce very early is “mi piace + infinitive”. Many students stop at mi piace l’italiano, which is correct, but limited. When they learn to say mi piace parlare italiano or mi piace studiare la sera, they suddenly gain freedom. They can express preferences more naturally, the way Italians do in real life.

Another structure that changes everything is “di solito”. When students learn Italian, they often speak only in the present moment. But Italian conversation is full of habits and routines. Saying di solito studio la sera or di solito bevo caffè al mattino immediately makes speech sound more realistic and lived-in.

As confidence grows, I start encouraging students to express opinions gently, without sounding too strong or unnatural. This is where “secondo me” becomes incredibly useful. Secondo me è importante praticare sounds thoughtful and natural, and it allows students to participate in conversations without pressure. It’s a structure Italians use all the time, especially when sharing ideas politely.

Closely connected to this is “penso che”. This is often the first step into more complex sentences, and students are always surprised by how much it opens up their Italian. Penso che sia difficile or penso che sia una buona idea allow them to express thoughts, doubts, and reflections—essential elements of real communication.

Finally, there’s a structure I love teaching because it immediately makes students sound more fluent: “alla fine”. Italians use it constantly to conclude stories, explain outcomes, or reflect on decisions. Alla fine ho deciso di studiare italiano feels natural and complete, like the end of a real-life thought, not a textbook sentence.

When students start combining these structures—preferences, habits, opinions, reflections—their Italian stops sounding like isolated sentences and starts sounding like conversation.

If you like to see things clearly summarized, here’s a simple reference chart with the structures we’ve just talked about.

Natural Italian Structures at a Glance

Structure	When to use it	Example
mi piace + infinitive	To talk about preferences	Mi piace parlare italiano.
di solito	To express habits	Di solito studio la sera.
secondo me	To share opinions	Secondo me è utile.
penso che	To express thoughts	Penso che sia importante.
alla fine	To conclude or reflect	Alla fine ho capito.

I always tell my students this: you don’t need to sound perfect to sound natural. You need the right structures, used calmly and consistently. Even with simple vocabulary, these expressions can transform the way you speak.

And if you’d like to practice them in real conversation—step by step, with corrections and encouragement—that’s exactly what we do in my Italian lessons.We focus on speaking naturally, without stress, and building confidence from the very beginning.

👉 Book your Italian lesson and start sounding more natural in Italian.