Essere VS stare: Two Verbs That Confuse a Lot of Learners

In Italian, there are two verbs that mean “to be”: essere and stare. When should you use each one? Find out in this simple guide!

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Today's Italian words:
Sono felice = I'm happy
Sono italiano = I'm Italian (m)
Sono alto = I'm tall (m)
Sono qui = I'm here
Sto bene = I’m well
Sto male = I’m not well, literally “I’m bad”
Sto meglio = I’m better
Stare con le persone = to spend time with people, literally “to stay with people”
Stare con la famiglia = to spend time with the family, literally “to stay with the family”
Stare zitto = to be quiet, to shut up
Stare fermo = to stay still
Stare attento = to pay attention, literally “to stay attentive”
Stare calmo = to stay calm