Avercela is a common Italian pronominal verb. Pronominal verbs are considered to be a difficult topic for people who learn Italian. The reason is that in addition to acquire a particular meaning, these verbs are formed with one or more pronominal particles that have always to be used with the verb. To add another difficulty, some of these verbs are used in many tenses, some other just in a few.
An interesting verb in Italian is avere. It’s interesting because it can be used with several pronominal particles such as si, ci, and la and forms the following pronominal verbs: averla; aversela and avercela.
So, let’s see how to use averla, aversela and avercela first and then let’s learn how to conjugate them.
Averla
The Italian verb averla is especially used in the expression averla vinta. Averla vinta means to win, to get what you wanted after you fought for it. It’s especially used after arguments or discussion to say that despite they argued/discussed a lot, it was s/he who won in the end.
Examples:
I suoi genitori non volevano comprarle una macchina ma alla fine l’ha avuta vinta lei.
Her parents didn’t want to buy her a car but in the end she won (she got what she wanted).
La pioggia non l’ha avuta vinta, la festa si è fatta comunque.
The rain didn’t win, the party went on anyway.
Coniugazione
| Io | l’ | ho avuta vinta |
| Tu | l’ | hai avuta vinta |
| Lui/lei | l’ | ha avuta vinta |
| Noi | l’ | abbiamo avuta vinta |
| Voi | l’ | avete avuta vinta |
| Loro | l’ | hanno avuta vinta |
Of course the tense of the auxiliary can also be imperfect, future, conditional and subjunctive – l’avevo avuta vinta; l’avrò avuta vinta; l’avrei avuta vinta; l’abbia avuta vinta; l’avessi avuta vinta.
Aversela
Aversela is mainly used in the expression aversela a male. Aversela a male means to feel offended.
Examples:
Non avertela a male se non ti ha invitato, non ha invitato nemmeno suo fratello!
Don’t be offended if he didn’t invite you, he didn’t even invite his brother!
Se l’è avuta a male quando le ho detto che non l’avrei sposata.
She was offended when I told her I wasn’t going to marry her.
Coniugazione
| Io | me la | sono avuta a male |
| Tu | te la | sei avuta a male |
| Lui/lei | se l’ | è avuta a male |
| Noi | ce la | siamo avuta a male |
| Voi | ve la | siete avuta a male |
| Loro | se la | sono avuta a male |
The tense of the auxiliary can also be imperfect, future, conditional and subjunctive – io me l’ero avuta a male; io me la sarò avuta a male; io me la sarei avuta a male; io me la sia avuta a male; io me la fossi avuta a male.
Avercela
Avercela is used in the expression avercela con qualcuno and means to be angry with someone.
Examples:
Perché stai urlando? Con chi ce l’hai?
Why are you screaming? Who are you angry with?
Non ce l’ho con lui, è solo che sono stressata.
I’m not angry with him, it’s just that I’m stressed out.
Coniugazione
| Io | ce l’ | ho con |
| Tu | ce l’ | hai con |
| Lui/lei | ce l’ | ha con |
| Noi | ce l’ | abbiamo con |
| Voi | ce l’ | avete con |
| Loro | ce l’ | hanno con |
We can change the tense of the verb avercela easily and use a passato prossimo, an imperfect, a pluperfect, a future, a conditional, a subjunctive, etc – Io ce l’ho avuta con…; Io ce l’avevo con…; io ce l’avevo avuta con…; io ce l’avrò con…; io ce l’avrò avuta con…; io ce l’avrei con…; io ce l’avrei avuta con…; io ce l’abbia con…; io ce l’abbia avuta con…; io ce l’avessi con…; io ce l’avessi avuta con…
I hope I’ve helped you understand how to use averla, aversela and avercela. If you’ve found this article useful, don’t forget to share it!
Credits
Original image by Skitterphoto
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