The Plural Object Trap

By Sigrid Lee

In our previous lesson, we tackled a unique Italian grammar collision: using a reflexive verb inside an impersonal statement. This happens when two conditions meet:

1) We use a reflexive verb like vestirsi (to dress oneself), where si is part of the verb.

2) We want to speak impersonally ("people in general"), which also requires the subject si.

When these two si particles collide, the first one changes to ci:

si + si veste → ci si veste

Other Ways to Say the Same Thing:

To see, close up, how this structure compares to other common subject pronouns and nouns, let's look at these alternative options:

Uno si veste a cipolla per fare trekking. (using the singular pronoun uno (someone): "One dresses in layers...")

Una persona che va a fare trekking si veste a cipolla. (using a singular noun una persona: (a person dresses...)

La gente, quando fa trekking, si veste a cipolla. (using the collective singular noun la gente: "People dress...")

Le persone che fanno trekking si vestono a cipolla. (using the plural noun le persone, which forces the verb into the plural si vestono).

Ci vestiamo a cipolla quando facciamo trekking. (using the "we" form: "We dress ourselves in layers when we hike." Here, ci actually does mean "us"!).

Ci si veste a cipolla quando si fa trekking. (impersonal + reflexive combo: "People dress in layers when people/they go hiking.")

The New Twist

We closed the previous lesson with this example:

E come tanti altri italiani, il ventiquattro sera, verso le sette, ci si mette a cena, e si mangiano pietanze a base di pesce.

And like many other Italians, the evening of the twenty-fourth, around seven, one sits down to dinner, and one eats dishes with fish as their basis.

And like many other Italians, the evening of the twenty-fourth, around seven, people sit down to dinner, and dishes with fish as their basis are eaten.

Captions 5-8, Marika spiega La Vigilia di Natale

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Notice the second highlighted phrase:

si mangiano pietanze

Unlike ci si mette, this is not a reflexive construction. However, it is still impersonal because nobody specific is mentioned as the "actor."

❗️The important thing to notice is that the direct object (pietanze) is plural.

This creates what we might call the Plural Object Trap.

The Rule

When the direct object is singular, the verb remains singular:

Si mangia la pizza in pizzeria o a casa.

One can eat pizza in a pizzeria or at home.

Pizza can be eaten in a pizzeria or at home.

But when the direct object is plural, the verb flips to the plural:

Si mangiano tanti tipi di pizza in quella pizzeria.

One can eat many types of pizza in that pizzeria.

Many types of pizza can be eaten in that pizzeria.

➡️ A note about si passivante

If you've studied Italian grammar before, you may have come across the term si passivante.

In practice, however, you don't need to worry too much about the label. The important thing to notice is that when a plural direct object appears in relation to si, the verb agrees with it:

Si mangia la pizza.

Si mangiano molti tipi di pizza.

You can think of it this way: the focus shifts from the people doing the action to the thing being acted upon (the pizza, types of pizza). For learners (and non-grammar nerds), recognizing this plural agreement is much more useful than memorizing grammatical terminology.

And here is a great example from a Yabla video that, in one single sentence, features 3 different ways we use the impersonal reflexive. We looked at the first 2 ways in the previous lesson, so pay close attention to the 3rd way.

ci si rilassa → reflexive verb rilassarsi (to relax) in the impersonal third person.

si legge → standard verb in the impersonal (third person singular) form.

si fanno tante attività. → the object (attività) is plural, so the verb agrees with it and becomes plural: fanno.

Questa è la stanza in cui ci si rilassa, si legge, si fanno tante attività.

This is the room in which one relaxes, one reads, one does many things.

Captions 2-3, Marika spiega Il salone
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Here are two examples using the verb vedere (to see).

Singular object:

Si vede tutta la città?

Can one see the whole city?

Can the whole city be seen?

Caption 2, La compagnia del cigno S2 EP 2 - Part 13
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Plural object:

E si vedono ancora degli affreschi di allora.

And one still sees frescoes from that time.

Frescoes from that time are still seen.

Caption 14, Meraviglie EP. 1 - Part 14
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Below is an example with the verb vendere (to sell).

Singular object:

Ma l'appartamento si vende, Le interessa?

But the apartment is for sale. Are you interested?

Caption 65, Imma Tataranni Sostituto procuratore S1 EP5 Rione Serra Venerdì - Part 11

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Plural object:

I dischi non si vendono più.

CDs are no longer selling.

Caption 51, Chi m'ha visto film - Part 2
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One verb you'll encounter all the time in this construction is parlare. Walk through a city like Rome or Florence and you may see signs that say:

Qui si parla inglese.

English is spoken here.

They speak English here.

The object (inglese) is singular, so the verb remains in the singular.

In these examples, Marika is playing the teacher, and Anna, the student.

Singular object:

Che dialetto si parla a Milano?

What dialect do they speak in Milan?

What dialect is spoken in Milan?

Caption 37, L'Italia a tavola Interrogazione sulla Lombardia
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Plural object:

In Puglia si parlano tanti dialetti.

In Puglia, many dialects are spoken.

In Puglia, they speak many dialects.

Caption 32, L'Italia a tavola Interrogazione sulla Puglia

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What Should You Listen For?

When you hear an impersonal construction with si, your first instinct may be to expect a singular verb:

Si mangia.

Si parla.

Si vede.

And most of the time, you will be right.

But now you know the trap.

If a plural direct object enters the sentence, the verb often switches to the plural:

Si mangiano pietanze.

Si vedono affreschi.

Si parlano dialetti.

Si fanno attività.

The good news is that you don't have to stop and analyze whether you're dealing with a si impersonale or a si passivante. Instead, try training your ear to notice a simpler pattern:

Singular object → singular verb

Si parla inglese.

Si vende l'appartamento.

Si vede la città.

Plural object → plural verb

Si parlano molti dialetti.

Si vendono i dischi.

Si vedono gli affreschi.

As you watch Italian videos and listen to native speakers, keep an ear out for these forms. The more examples you hear, the more natural they will begin to sound. Before long, you'll stop thinking of them as grammar rules and start recognizing them as just another way Italians talk.

Alla prossima!

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