Permission and possibility - Actions affecting ourselves and others - Functions - A Practical Guide - Modern Italian Grammar

Modern Italian Grammar: A Practical Guide, Third Edition (2013)

Part B. Functions

II. Actions affecting ourselves and others

22. Permission and possibility

In English, the verb ‘can’ may convey many different meanings, for example: possibility, permission, ability or opportunity. A similar function is expressed in Italian by the verb potere, seen below in the examples, but there are many other ways of expressing possibility, also illustrated below.

22.1 Asking or granting permission

22.1.1 Using potere

Posso andare in bagno?

Can I go to the bathroom?

Potete andare a giocare fuori, bambini.

You can go and play outside, kids.

Puoi lasciare qui la giacca, se vuoi.

You can leave your jacket here, if you want.

The examples illustrated above use the present indicative of potere ‘to be able to’ (see 2.2.3), but to formulate a request more politely, the present conditional (see 2.2.12) is often used:

Potrei andare in bagno?

Could I go to the bathroom?

Potrebbe accompagnarmi in ufficio, signora?

Could you please come with me to my office, signora?

22.1.2 Using è possibile

Potere can often be replaced by the impersonal expression è possibile followed immediately (without prepositions such as di or a) by a verb in the infinitive (see 32.4):

È possibile lasciare qui la giacca?

Is it possible to leave one's jacket here?

È possibile andare in bagno?

Is it possible to use the bathroom?

22.1.3 Using permettere

Another way of asking or granting (someone) permission (to do something) is to use the verb permettere a (qualcuno) di (fare qualcosa). The person being allowed to do something — or not — is the indirect object of the verb permettere while the second verb, always in the infinitive, expresses what the person is allowed to do (or not), and is linked to permettere by the preposition di.

La legge non ci permette di importare i prodotti direttamente dalla Cina.

The law does not allow us to import the products directly from China.

I genitori non permettono a Marina di andare in vacanza con le amiche.

Her parents won't let Marina go on holiday with her friends.

22.1.4 Granting permission, using pure

Pure, best translated by the English expression ‘by all means’, can be added to an imperative to imply not only permission but encouragement to do something:

Posso dire qualcosa?

Dica pure!

Can I say something?

Go ahead, (speak) by all means.

Faccia pure!

Go ahead, do it! (Be my guest.)

Prego! also invites someone to do just what they have requested:

Posso andare in bagno?

Prego, si accomodi.

May I use the bathroom?

Please, go ahead.

22.1.5 Asking permission not to do something

If you don't want to do something, use the verb dovere and the intensifier proprio:

Devo proprio andare a letto?

Do I really have to go to bed?

22.2 Denying permission

22.2.1 Using vietare or proibire

Denying someone permission to do something uses a similar grammatical construction to permettere (see 22.1.3): a verb such as vietare or proibire combined with a person (expressed by either noun or pronoun as indirect object) and followed by a verb in the infinitive, linked by di:

La polizia ha vietato ai non residenti di parcheggiare in questa strada.

The police have banned non-residents from parking in this street.

Gli ho proibito di firmare le lettere per conto mio.

I have forbidden him to sign letters on my behalf.

I bambini mi hanno proibito di mangiare il loro cioccolato.

The children have forbidden me to eat their chocolate.

22.3 Speaking about the ability or opportunity to do something

22.3.1 Using potere

Potere expresses the ability or the opportunity to do something:

Puoi arrivare per le sette?

Can you arrive by 7 pm?

Potete vedere ancora oggi la grotta dove viveva il santo.

You can still see the cave where the saint lived.

Sometimes the verb potere is omitted, when the English ‘can’ means ‘to be able to’, especially when used with verbs of ‘seeing, hearing, feeling’:

Senti la musica?

Can you hear the music?

Non sento niente.

I can't hear anything.

Ci vedi?

Can you see?

(Ci is often used with verbs such as sentire, vedere but has no specific meaning.)

22.3.2 Using è possibile

Potere can be replaced by the impersonal expression è possible (see 32.4):

È possibile prendere l'autobus per andare all'aeroporto?
Is it possible to get the bus to go to the airport?

A Malta, è possibile vedere le catacombe di San Paolo.

In Malta, it is possible to see the catacombs of Saint Paul.

22.3.3 Using sapere

The English ‘can, to be able to’ can very often be expressed in Italian by the verb sapere (see Appendix III), which does not express permission or possibility, but rather knowledge or ability to do something, referring to a learnt skill:

Sai nuotare?
Can you swim? (Do you know how to swim?)

Il direttore non sa parlare inglese, e quindi si deve rivolgere all'interprete.
The manager can't speak English, and so he has to rely on the interpreter.

The choice of sapere rather than potere changes the meaning of a phrase entirely:

Sai fare questo esercizio?
Do you know how to do this exercise? (i.e. do you have the correct skills to do it?)

Puoi fare questo esercizio?
Can you do this exercise? (i.e. do you have the time or energy to do it?)

22.3.4 Using essere in grado di

The expression essere in grado di has the meaning ‘to be up to’ or ‘to be fit to’:

Non è in grado di gestire l'ufficio da solo.
He's not up to managing the office on his own.

Non eravamo in grado di prendere una tale decisione.
We weren't able to take a decision of this kind.

22.4 Making a request

22.4.1 Using potere

Either the present indicative (see 2.2.3) or the present conditional (see 2.2.12) of potere can be used to make a request:

Può indicarmi la fermata del tram?
Can you show me the tram stop?

Potrebbe aiutarmi a portare giù i bagagli, per favore?
Could you help me to get the luggage down, please?

22.4.2 Using si può, è possibile

A more formal or general request, not necessarily referring to one specific person, is sometimes expressed using the impersonal form si può ‘one can’ / ‘can one?’ or again è possibile:

Si può prenotare?
Can one book?

Si può partire adesso?
Can one (we) go now?

È possibile prenotare?
Is it possible to book?

È possibile telefonare in Inghilterra?
Is it possible to phone England?

22.4.3 Using Le/ti/vi dispiace

A more formal or polite request can be expressed by the verb forms dispiace or dispiacerebbe followed either by se and a finite verb or by a verb infinitive (see 21.2.12). The person to whom you are making the request is indicated by the appropriate indirect pronoun: ti (informal ‘you’), Le (formal ‘you’) or vi (plural ‘you’).

Le dispiace se fumo?
Do you mind if I smoke?

Le dispiacerebbe aprire la finestra?
Would you mind opening the window?

Ti dispiace se vado via un po' prima?
Do you mind if I leave a little earlier?

Ti dispiace darmi una mano?
Would you mind giving me a hand?

Vi dispiace aspettare cinque minuti?
Would you mind waiting five minutes?