The Focus of This Lesson Is the Presente Progressivo ("Progressive Present") and Passato Progressivo ("Progressive Past").
Ti andrebbe di venire al cinema con me?
"Would you fancy going to the cinema with me?"

We shall first consider the functioning of the two progressive present and past tenses, in Italian respectively the presente progressivo and the passato progressivo.

To convey these two tenses in Italian, we use the verb stare to translate the English "to be" plus the gerundio ("gerund") of the main verb that never changes its ending. For the presente progressivo tense, we simply use the present of the verb stare.

For Example:

1. Sto andando a pranzo.
   "I'm going for lunch."

For the passato progressivo tense, we use the imperfetto tense of the verb stare.

For Example:

1. Stavo uscendo quando mi hai telefonato.
   "I was going out when you called me."

We note that the gerundio of the main verb never changes its ending. The information regarding the person and the number is provided by the conjugation of the auxiliary verb stare: io stavo; tu stavi; lui stava, etc. + pensando ("I was," "you were," "he was," etc. + "thinking").

Whereas we can use the presente progressivo tense only to talk about ongoing actions that are taking place at the present moment, we can also use the passato progressivo in its extended employment to refer both to ongoing actions that took place in the past as well as to present ongoing actions. In the first case, we use the passato progressivo in its proper form, while in the latter we use it metaphorically. When Giulia says Stavo pensando al... ("I was thinking of..."), she actually means Sto pensando al ("I am thinking of...").

In Italian, we often use the expression ti andrebbe di + infinitive form to invite a friend out or to ask him or her to do something together with us. This expression is made up of the pronominal particle ti that means a te ("to you") and andrebbe, which is the condizionale presente of the verb andare ("to go"). We normally translate this in English as "do you fancy/like" + -ing form.

For Example:

1. Ti andrebbe di andare a Rimini per il fine settimana?
   "Do you fancy going to Rimini this weekend?"

Then we have another similar expression: cosa ne dici di + infinitive form. They can be interchangeable because they have the same meaning, so if we use this expression for the sentence we have just seen, it would become Cosa ne dici di andare a Rimini per il fine settimana? ("What about going to Rimini this weekend?") Be careful because as you can see, in the dialogue the English translation is conveyed with "what about" + noun

Are You Being Fresh or Just Straightforward?

When talking about dating a person in Italy, we first have to consider the traditions and customs of the area we live in. In average-size cities, people have a more open-minded approach to life, and this general attitude also reflects their dating habits. In particular, new generation girls tend to be more aggressive, and it does sometimes happen that ladies make the first move. They obviously first need a certain degree of acquaintance with the person.

Whether or not it is the male who makes the proposal, girls expect males to respect certain unwritten rules. Males usually pick them up at their homes and then take them to a nice, upscale place. Although this might sound old-fashioned or even chauvinistic, it is customary for men to open the car's door for them. However, this should not lead us to believe that Italian girls are generally shy or timid. They like to be courted with respect but also with passion. They talk about their lives and intimate desires sometimes even on the first date, and they expect their partner to show their true selves with the same self-confidence. Bringing flowers or gifts on the first date is not common.

On the other hand, foreign girls occasionally become puzzled by the straightforwardness of Italian males, taking offense when they give unwanted and uncalled-for compliments. So long as those compliments do not cross the respect line, we should keep in mind that in Italian cultures people relate differently, look (even stare) at each other when walking in public streets, and have a "theatrical" way of performing their everyday actions. This is a sort of game in which everyone plays their own part, and it's just another aspect of the passionate Italian way of life. If we are to delve into this culture, we have to learn how to tell rude observations from sincere, honest compliments.