Usare il verbo essere nelle situazioni quotidiane

What is the difference between “sei” and “è” in Italian?

Italian has two ways to say “you are,” and which one you pick shows how you’re treating the person. To a friend or someone your age, you say sei: “Sei italiano?” (Are you Italian?). To a stranger, an elder, or anyone you want to be polite with, you switch to è — the very same word used for “he is” and “she is.” So Italian shows respect by talking to you in the third person.

The polite form leans on Lei, a courteous “you” that takes the same verb as “he/she.” That’s why è does double duty: “È italiana, è bionda” (she is Italian, she is blonde) and also “È di Milano?” asked respectfully to a stranger. Friendly: “Sei pronto?” (Are you ready?). Polite: “È molto gentile” (You’re very kind). Both come from Latin esse “to be” — è descends from est. The video spells out the rule directly: “Quando usiamo l’informale sei e quando usiamo il formale è” (When do we use the informal sei and when the formal è). It then shows it live: young people on the street get “Sei italiano?”, while an older woman from Genoa is addressed with the courteous “È di Milano?”