When is it appropriate to move "sono" and other verbs to the end?

Question

I've noticed in some Italian TV shows that, especially when the characters announce themselves, they don't say:

io sono [Title] [Name]

but rather

[Title] [Name] sono

I've seen this kind of reversal in other languages, too, but it has very limited contexts, in which it can be said, and is usually meant for emphasis. Is this the case for Italian and is this kind of reversal widely used (for essere and other verbs)?

As per the posted answers the former form is correct, but you should add 'il' (or 'la') -- e.g., 'io sono *il* [Title] [Name]' --, though. — Kyriakos Kyritsis, Nov 07 '13 at 15:54

Agos · Accepted Answer · 2013-11-07T11:01:30.670

10

When talking about “Italian TV shows”, are you perchance referring to Commissario Montalbano?
This kind of reversal is very common in the sicilian dialect (and possibly others), but otherwise considered incorrect.

edited Nov 07 '13 at 11:01

answered Nov 07 '13 at 10:52

Agos

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That's indeed the only show using this reversal, I think. – martina.physics Nov 07 '13 at 10:55

score 8 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 07 '13 at 13:58

8

It is correct to say

Io sono [Title] [Name]

or

Sono [Title] [Name]

The other form is a Sicilian dialect expression.

answered Nov 07 '13 at 13:58

Marco

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When is it appropriate to move "sono" and other verbs to the end?

2 Answers2