Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| secondo | /seˈkon.do/ |
| in base a | /in ˈba.ze a/ (word by word) |
| ai sensi di |
In common speech, you can use secondo me or secondo te to express personal opinions. In academic writing, it is common to use secondo gli autori to present sources or theories or secondo la teoria to present sources or theories.
Which one should you use?
secondo is the most common and versatile way to say "according to" in everyday speech and writing. in base a is used when emphasizing the foundation or criteria upon which a decision or action is made. ai sensi di is a highly formal legalistic term used specifically when referring to laws, regulations or articles.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as a preposition meaning "according to", secondo is invariable and does not change based on the gender or number of the noun that follows.
How do you pronounce it?
The word secondo is pronounced /seˈkon.do/. It has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd of 3 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often try to say "according to me" by translating literally, but in Italian, you should use secondo me to mean "in my opinion."
Did you know?
- In Italian, secondo is a 'polysemous' word, meaning it can serve as a preposition, an adjective for the number two or even a noun for a second of time.
- The formal legal phrase ai sensi di literally translates to 'at the senses of', which sounds quite strange to an English speaker.
- In legal Italian, you cannot use secondo or in base a interchangeably with ai sensi di when citing a specific article of law.
Examples in context
- Secondo lui, lei è onesta.According to him, she is honest.This sentence shows how to use secondo to attribute a statement to someone.Tatoeba #5778030 by Guybrush88, translation #285240 by CK
- Secondo la sua opinione, sì.According to his opinion, yes.This sentence shows how to use secondo to attribute an opinion.Tatoeba #2080056 by Guybrush88, translation #453900 by saasmath
- Vive secondo le leggi di Dio.He lives according to God's laws.This sentence shows how to use secondo to indicate following a set of laws.Tatoeba #1666804 by Guybrush88, translation #1079557 by keira_n
- Secondo le ultime ricerche scientificheAccording to the latest scientific research
- Conformemente al decreto ministerialeAccording to the ministerial decree
- Secondo me, questo film è fantasticoAccording to me, this movie is fantastic
- A detta di alcuni, oggi pioveràAccording to some, it will rain today
- Stando alle ultime notizie, la partita è stata annullataAccording to the latest news, the match has been canceled
- secondo le leggi italianeAccording to Italian laws
- 77 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Francesco are discussing a news report.
- GiuliaSecondo il giornale, pioverà domani.According to the newspaper, it will rain tomorrow.
- FrancescoDavvero? Io spero di no.Really? I hope not.
- GiuliaSì, secondo l'articolo è quasi certo.Yes, according to the article it is almost certain.
- FrancescoAllora prendo l'ombrello.Then I'll take the umbrella.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “according to” translations and entries secondo, in base a, ai sensi di, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (in, base, a) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, ai sensi di, base, in, secondo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
