Gerunds in 4.6, The Weather

My understanding is that gerunds use the verb, stare.  However, this lesson included the following phrase and translation:

Fa freddo ma non nevica.

(It) is cold but (it) isn't snowing.

Why doesn't the phrase read, “…ma non sta nevicando.”  Is this an inconsistency in Italian grammar or in the English translation or in my understanding?

Hi Robert,

In Italian, the verb "fare" (to do/make) is commonly used in weather expressions. So, "Fa freddo" directly translates to "It makes cold," which is idiomatically understood as "It is cold."

Regarding your question on the use of gerunds:

• - Stare + gerund is used to form the continuous aspect in Italian, similar to the English present continuous (e.g., "sto mangiando" for "I am eating").
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• However, for weather conditions, Italian often uses simple present tense verbs instead of continuous forms. "Nevica" means "it snows" or "it is snowing." The continuous form "sta nevicando" is correct but less commonly used because weather expressions typically describe a state or condition rather than an ongoing action, which is emphasized by the continuous aspect.
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Thus, "Fa freddo ma non nevica" is perfectly grammatical in Italian. It communicates that it is cold but it isn't snowing at the moment, using simple present tense which is typical for weather-related statements.

So, this isn’t an inconsistency in grammar but rather a characteristic of how Italian handles weather expressions differently from some action verbs. It's a great observation on your part and points to the nuanced ways different languages handle verb aspects!

Best regards,

Enxhi

Thanks for the explanation.  I'm now on module 4.7 and am running into more questions with stare, this time regarding when to use it versus essere.  Here are two phrases from the module:

Questa macchini e la mia. (sorry, my English keyboard won't let me accent the e!)

Questi occhiali sono i miei.

Why essere in the first phrase and stare in the second? 

Similarly, there is no consistent selection of stare vs essere when describing someone as stanco vs malato.  Aren't both of these conditions temporary and therefore “stare” should be used?  

Hi Robert,

Great follow-up questions! Let’s break it down:

1. Essere vs. Stare in Ownership Phrases

• Questa macchina è la mia. → Uses essere because it expresses identity/possession (the car is mine).

• Questi occhiali sono i miei. → Same reasoning: essere is used for ownership and descriptions of what something is.

Stare wouldn’t be used here because it implies a temporary state, whereas ownership is considered a fact rather than a changing condition.

2. Stare vs. Essere with Physical/Health Conditions

• Sono malato (I am sick) vs. Sto male (I feel unwell)

• Sono stanco (I am tired) vs. Sto stanco ❌ (incorrect)

Essere is used for conditions that describe a state of being (malato, stanco, felice), while stare is often used to describe how one feels or their well-being (sto bene, sto male).

The distinction is subtle, but a general rule of thumb:

• Use essere for adjectives that describe a characteristic (sono malato, sono stanco).

• Use stare when talking about how someone is feeling in the moment (sto bene, sto male).

Let me know if you’d like more examples!

Best,

Enxhi