What is senza in Italian?
Senza comes from the Latin word absentia, which means absence. So, if you think about it, it makes sense since both senza and without mean in the absence of.
Senza can either be followed by a noun (for instance, a person or a thing) or by a verb in the infinitive.
If you look at the sentences below, you’ll see that in the first case, senza is followed by a noun and, in the second case, by a verb.
Mi piace il caffè senza zucchero.
I like coffee without sugar.
Esci senza fare rumore.
Get out without making any noise.
How to use senza + noun?
As we mentioned above, senza can be followed by a noun.
Let’s have a look at some more examples:
La vita è più semplice senza problemi.
Life is simpler without problems.
Siamo usciti senza i bambini.
We went out without the children.
La città è più tranquilla senza traffico.
The city is quieter without traffic.
How to use senza + verb?
Senza can also be followed by a verb. It’s similar in English when we use without + a verb ending in -ing.
Have a look at the sentences below:
Sei sparito senza dire niente.
You disappeared without saying anything.
Potete stare qui senza fare rumore.
You can stay here without making any noise.
Puoi vivere in Germania senza conoscere la lingua.
You can live in Germany without knowing the language.
How to use senza + di + pronoun?
When senza is followed by a personal pronoun (me, te, lui/lei, noi, voi, loro) we can say senza di.
You will notice that Italians, when speaking colloquially, usually say senza + personal pronoun and is not considered a mistake but is not encouraged in formal scenarios.
Have a look at the sentences below:
Non voglio andare a casa senza di lei.
I don’t want to go home without her.
Vado in vacanza senza di loro.
I’m going on holiday without them.
4 Responses
Some additional useful phrases using senza:
senza speranza adjective
hopeless
senza problemi adjective
without problems
senza limiti adjective
without limits, limitless
senza motivo adverb
for no reason, unjustifiable
senza fretta adverb
no hurry, leisurely
senza dubbio adverb
no doubt, certainly, doubtless, definitely, rather
senza fiato adjective
breathless
senza senso adjective
nonsense, meaningless, pointless
senza nome adjective
nameless
senza fine adjective
endless, unending
🙂
Hi Stefano, you mean that colloquially people say for instance senza me but the grammatically correct form to use is senza di me? Thanks!
Ciao Julia!
Yes. You will notice that Italians, when speaking colloquially, usually say senza + personal pronoun and is not considered a mistake but is not encouraged in formal scenarios.
Please let us know if you have any other questions or doubts about it.