How to say “you’d better”: Italian grammar lesson

In this grammar note, we’ll explore how to say you’d better in Italian with examples and usage tips.

And we’ll learn how to use fare meglio a, è meglio che, sarà meglio che, and conviene in addition to congujate them either with infinitive or subjunctive tenses.

Mastering these common phrases can help you sound more like a native speaker.

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Summary

"You'd better" is used to suggest desirable actions that should be taken in a particular situation, and it is typically used when negative consequences may occur if the action is not taken.

Four common expressions to convey this in Italian are "fare meglio a," "è meglio che," "sarà meglio che," and "conviene." Each of these expressions has a unique construction.

"Fare meglio a" uses the conjugated form of the verb "fare" followed by "meglio a" and a verb in the infinitive.

"È meglio che" and "sarà meglio che" both use the subjunctive form of a verb, but "è meglio che" is used to give advice while "sarà meglio che" is more of a warning.

"Conviene" is followed by an indirect object pronoun and a verb in the infinitive.

Examples are provided for each construction to help learners understand how to use them in context.

What does you’d better mean?

In today’s lesson, you’re going to learn different ways to say you’d better, as in: You’d better help your brother.

As you know, we use this construction in English to talk about actions we think people should do or which are desirable in a specific situation.

In other words, we say you’d better tell someone they should do something.

However, most of the time, we use it if we think there will be negative results if someone does not do what is desired or suggested, as in the example: She’d better get here soon or she’ll miss the opening ceremony.

How to say youd better in Italian

How to say you’d better in Italian?

There’re different ways to say this in Italian. Let’s have a look at them:

  • Fare meglio a
  • È meglio che
  • Sarà meglio che
  • Conviene

Here’s the same sentence with the four options:

Ora faresti meglio a tornare a casa.
È meglio che tu torni a casa.
Sarà meglio che tu torni a casa.
Ti conviene tornare a casa.

You’d better come back home.

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How to say youd better italian

How to use fare meglio a?

This one is pretty easy. The construction is: Conjugated form of the verb fare + meglio a + verb in the infinitive.

What you have to conjugate here is the verb fare. What the person better do goes in the infinitive (a verb ending in -are, -ere, -ire):

Faccio meglio ad andare a dormire.

I’d better go to sleep.

Fate meglio a rimanere qua.

You’d better stay here.

Facciamo meglio a studiare.

We’d better study.

Sara meglio che meaning Italian

How to use è o sarà meglio che?

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These are slightly more complicated. Let’s analyze them separately.

This one is softer than the one with sarà since it’s more like a piece of advice.

Let’s have a look at some examples:

È meglio che tu sparisca prima che arrivi.

You’d better get out of here before he gets here.

È meglio che impariate a nuotare.

You’d better learn to swim.

  • And this is the construction with sarà: sarà meglio che + verb in the present subjunctive.

This construction is stronger, almost like a warning:

Sarà  meglio che abbiate una risposta!

You’d better have an answer!

Sarà  meglio che tu mi dica la verità!

You’d better tell me the truth!

As you can see, in both cases, è and sarà stay the same because they’re not conjugated. What we have to conjugate is the verb after che in the present subjunctive.

Youd better in Italian

How to use conviene?

This construction is different from the ones we saw above: Indirect object pronoun + conviene + verb in the infinitive.

Let’s have a look at some examples:

Non conviene prendere la scorciatoia.

We’d better not take the shortcut.
Literally: Taking the shortcut isn’t at all convenient.

Ti conviene fare in fretta.

You’d better hurry up.
Literally: It’s convenient for you to hurry up.

Vi conviene fare attenzione.

You’d better be careful.
Literally: It’s convenient for you to be careful.

Ci conviene cominciare adesso.

We’d better start now.
Literally: It’s convenient for us to start now.

Fare meglio a meaning Italian

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FAQs on How to say “you’d better”: Italian grammar lesson

What does you'd better mean?

You'd better expresses actions we think people should do or which are desirable in a specific situation because there will be negative results if someone does not do what is desired or suggested.

How to use "fare meglio a"?

By using the conjugated form of the verb "fare" + "meglio a" + verb in the infinitive.

What means "è meglio che" and how to use it?

"È meglio che" is an Italian phrase that translates to "it's better that" in English. It's often used to express a preference or suggest a course of action. You should use "è meglio che" + verb in the present subjunctive. Its like a piece of advice.

What means "sarà megio che" and how to use it?

"Sarà meglio che" is an Italian phrase that translates to "It will be better that" or "It's better that" in English. It is often used to suggest a course of action that is deemed to be more appropriate or beneficial. By using "sarà meglio che" + verb in the present subjunctive. Its like a warning.

What means "conviene" in Italian and how to use it?

By using an indirect object pronoun + "conviene" + verb in the infinitive. "Conviene" in Italian means "it is convenient" or "it is advisable".

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