ho
In Italian, "I have" is said as ho.
The phrase is used to indicate that the speaker possesses something.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word ho is the first person singular form of the verb avere. In Italian, the subject pronoun io (I) is usually omitted because the form ho is unique to the first-person singular, making the subject clear without it.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly pronounce the 'h' in ho as an aspirated sound, but it should be pronounced like the vowel 'o'.
Did you know?
- In Italian, you use ho to express physical sensations like hunger, thirst and cold. Instead of saying 'I am hungry', you say ho fame, which literally means 'I have hunger'.
- The verb avere is used to express age, so instead of saying 'I am 20 years old', an Italian says ho 20 anni, or 'I have 20 years'.
- The phrase ho capito means 'I understand'. While it translates to 'I have understood', it is used in the present moment to signal comprehension.
Examples in context
- Io ne ho uno.I have one.This sentence is useful for showing how to use ho when referring to a quantity.Tatoeba #2433237 by Guybrush88, translation #2245891 by CK
- Io ho una TV.I have a TV.This sentence is useful for showing how to use ho to state possession of an object.Tatoeba #13790476 by Guybrush88, translation #8820198 by CK
- Ho fede in te.I have faith in you.This sentence is useful for showing how to use ho in an abstract sense regarding faith.Tatoeba #1345047 by Guybrush88, translation #1345046 by CM
- Ho una macchina nuova.I have a new car.
- Ho un appuntamento domani.I have an appointment tomorrow.
- Ho fame.I'm hungry.
- Ho una festa stasera.I have a party tonight.
- Ho da studiare per l'esame.I have to study for the exam.
- Ho da fare una telefonata importante.I have to make an important phone call.
- Mi tocca pulire la casa oggi.I have to clean the house today.
- Mi tocca portare il cane a fare una passeggiata.I have to walk the dog.
- Ho vent'anni.I am twenty years old.
- 4946 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Martina are in a kitchen looking for a snack.
- MartinaMatteo, hai fame?Matteo, are you hungry?
- MatteoSì, ho molta fame.Yes, I am very hungry.
- MartinaHo un pacchetto di biscotti.I have a pack of cookies.
- MatteoOttimo, grazie Martina!Great, thanks Martina!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
