Restare vs Rimanere in Italian
The Italian verbs restare and rimanere can both translate to “to stay” or “to remain”. However, despite their apparent similarity, they are not always interchangeable, and their use depends on the context:
- Restare typically implies physically staying in a place or situation. It emphasizes a static presence. It comes from the Latin restare, composed of re- (back) and stare (to stand, to stay).
- Rimanere suggests staying in a condition, state, or result after something has occurred. It comes from the Latin remanere, composed of re- and manere (to remain), conveying a more abstract meaning.
A more grammatical distinction is that restare is a regular -are verb, while rimanere is an irregular -ere verb, meaning its verb conjugation does not follow standard conjugation patterns.
As I mentioned before, they can commonly be used in the same situation, although they do convey slight different meanings. A trick that I always give my students is the following:
if you can use restare, then you can also replace it with rimanere, but not vice versa. For instance, consider these circumstances:
- Staying in a Place
Resto in ufficio fino a tardi.
I’m staying late at the office.
Rimango in ufficio fino a tardi.
I’m remaining late at the office.
Both sentences are correct, but restare emphasizes the physical presence at the office, while rimanere suggests more of an outcome or decision to stay late.
- Remaining Numbers
Mi resta un’ora di lavoro.
I have one hour of work left.
Mi restano 10 euro.
I have 10 euros left.
Mi rimane un’ora di lavoro.
I have one hour of work left.
Mi rimangono 10 euro.
I have 10 euros left.
- Emotional Reactions
Sono rimasto deluso dal risultato.
I was disappointed by the result.
In this context, only rimanere is used because it refers to a state of being rather than a physical action.
Restare
“Restare” Conjugation
Since restare is a regular verb, its conjugation follows standard patterns for -are verbs. Here’s the present tense conjugation:
| Pronoun | Restare |
|---|---|
| io | resto |
| tu | resti |
| lui/lei | resta |
| noi | restiamo |
| voi | restate |
| loro | restano |
When to use “Restare”
As I mentioned before, restare is generally used to indicate staying physically in a place or situation, emphasizing a static presence. For example:
Resto a casa oggi.
I’m staying home today.
Restano solo cinque minuti.
There are only five minutes left.
Also, restare is way less commonly used in other verb tenses beside the present tense. Therefore, anytime you want to express remaining or staying somewhere in the past, go for rimanere.
Rimanere
“Rimanere” Conjugation
Rimanere is an irregular verb, so its conjugation is less predictable than restare. Here’s the present tense conjugation:
| Pronoun | Rimanere |
|---|---|
| io | rimango |
| tu | rimani |
| lui/lei | rimane |
| noi | rimaniamo |
| voi | rimanete |
| loro | rimangono |
When to use “Rimanere”
The best way to know if you can use one or the other is to be aware of the fact that rimanere can be used in more contexts, therefore when in doubt, use that.
It is used when talking about remaining in a condition, situation, or state, which makes its use more abstract. For example:
- Emotional or Unexpected Reactions
Sono rimasto sorpreso dalla notizia.
I was surprised by the news.
- Remaining in a Condition or Situation
Rimango in contatto con i miei ex colleghi.
I remain in contact with my former colleagues.
- Result of a Choice or Situation
Dopo il dibattito, sono rimasti in silenzio.
After the debate, they remained silent.
- Staying Behind After Others Leave
Alla fine della festa, sono rimasti solo due ospiti.
At the end of the party, only two guests remained.
Also, as I wrote before, restare is way less commonly used in other verb tenses beside the present tense. Therefore, anytime you want to express remaining or staying somewhere in the past, go for rimanere.
