3. The emphatic reflexive form
The emphatic reflexive form also defined as “pleonastic” in which we have:
a). a transitive verb
b). mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si grammatically superfluous, but semantically appropriate to express a particular involvement in the action.
c). a direct complement different from the subject
- Mi sono fumato due pacchetti di sigarette = Ho fumato due pacchetti di sigarette.
- I smoked two packs of cigarettes.
- Ci siamo scolati due bottiglie di vino = Abbiamo scolato due bottiglie di vino.
- We drank two bottles of wine.
In short, the presence of the personal pronoun highlights the purpose of the action, that is, personal interest or pleasure, and denotes the pleasure or satisfaction in doing a certain thing.
- Ho mangiato un panino (espressione neutra).
- I ate a sandwich (neutral expression).
- Mi sono mangiato un (bel) panino (espressione marcata: l’ho mangiato con gusto e tutto per me).
- I ate a (nice) sandwich (marked expression: I ate it with enjoyment and all for myself).
- Ho letto quel libro (espressione neutra).
- I read that book (neutral expression).
- Mi sono letto quel libro in una nottata (l’ho letto tutto d’un fiato, con interesse tutto mio particolare).
- I read that book in one night (I read it all in one go, with my own particular interest).
This form is more frequent in spoken language than in written language and is very common in the informal register.
4. Reciprocal reflexive form
In which there is an action performed mutually by two or more subjects and the verb can be accompanied by adverbial expressions such as, (reciprocamente) reciprocally, (a vicenda) each other, etc. or pronominals such as, (l’un l’altro) each other, (gli uni con gli altri) with each other.
Reciprocal reflexive form has:
a). a transitive verb
b). si, ci, vi, si as a function of direct complement (each of the two subjects or more subjects have (l’altro) the other or (gli altri) the others as their object) or indirect complement (the object is different from the subject and the pronominal constitutes the term of the action).
- Le due donne si abbracciarono = abbracciarono l’una l’altra.
- The two women embraced = they embraced each other
- Luca e Giulia si amano = Luca ama Giulia e Giulia ama Marco.
- Luca and Giulia love each other = Luca loves Giulia and Giulia loves Marco.
- Paolo e Luisa si sono sposati nel 79 (cioè Paolo ha sposato Luisa e Luisa ha sposato Paolo).
- Paolo and Luisa married in 79 (i.e. Paolo married Luisa and Luisa married Paolo).
- Tonino e Carmine non si sono rivolti la parola (cioè Tonino non ha rivolto la parola a Carmine e Carmine non ha rivolto la parola a Tonino).
- Tonino and Carmine did not speak to each other (i.e. Tonino did not speak to Carmine and Carmine did not speak to Tonino).
- Perché non vi baciate!
- Why don’t you kiss!
- Tutti si picchiavano.
- Everyone was fighting.
5. Intransitive pronominal form
Intransitive pronominal form also defined as “intransitive reflexive, in which the verbs cannot be used without the pronominal particles, which are an integral part of them, they have no logical function, but without them the verb would acquire different nuances and meanings (annoiarsi and annoiare/ ricordarsi and ricordare, etc.) or it could not be used isolated (mi arrabbio not *arrabbio; si vergognano and not *vergognano).
Intransitive pronominal form has:
a). a transitive verb
b). mi, ti, si, ci, vi, are an integral part of the verb
The most frequent are: addormentarsi, annoiarsi, avvalersi, dolersi, lagnarsi, vergognarsi, divertirsi, ricordarsi, addentrarsi, assentarsi, barricarsi, imbattersi, lamentarsi, affacciarsi, infischiarsene, allontanarsi, adirarsi, arrabbiarsi, congratularsi, incamminarsi, ostinarsi, attardarsi, pentirsi, ecc.
- Mi annoio quando sono solo in casa.
- I get bored when I’m alone at home.
- Si è pentito di non essere venuto con noi.
- He regretted not coming with us.
- Si sono vergognati di quello che hanno fatto.
- They were ashamed of what they did.
Notice the different meaning (or the different shade of meaning) between a pronominal intransitive verb and its corresponding non-pronominal transitive or intransitive verb.
- Ti ricordo (cioè: ti ho presente nella mia mente, ti penso) con piacere.
- I remember you (that is: I have you present in my mind, I think of you) with pleasure.
- Mi sono ricordato di te (cioè: mi sei venuto in mente, oppure ho richiamato te alla mia mente).
- I remembered you (that is: you came to mind, or I recalled you to my mind).
- Dopo il lavoro mi sono riposato (cioè: ho fatto riposo, me ne sono stato tranquillo).
- After work I rested (that is: I rested, I was calm).
- Questa notte non ho riposato (cioè: non ho dormito) nemmeno un’ora.
- This night I didn’t rest (that is, I didn’t sleep) not even an hour.
- Ci siamo allontanati (cioè: ce ne siamo andati via) in fretta.
- Ci siamo allontanati (cioè: ce ne siamo andati via) in fretta.
- Ho allontanato (cioè: ho mandato via, ho cacciato) un falso amico da casa mia.
- I removed (that is: I sent away, I chased away) a false friend from my house.