Learn Italian: Voi siete occupati oggi?

Voi siete occupati oggi?

Are you busy today?

Breakdown of Voi siete occupati oggi?

Questions & Answers about Voi siete occupati oggi?

Why is the word voi included here when Italian often drops subject pronouns?

You can absolutely just say Siete occupati oggi? Since siete already means "you (plural) are", the voi isn't strictly necessary. It is usually included for emphasis or to be perfectly clear who you are talking to, similar to saying "Are you guys busy today?" in English.

Why does occupati end in -i?

Occupati is an adjective describing the plural "you" (voi). In Italian, adjectives must change their endings to match the gender and number of the people they describe. The -i ending makes it masculine plural.

What if I am asking a group of women if they are busy?

If you are speaking exclusively to a group of women, the adjective changes to the feminine plural, which ends in -e. You would ask, Voi siete occupate oggi? If the group has both men and women in it, you always use the masculine plural occupati.

Why isn't the word order flipped to make it a question, like "Are you" in English?

In Italian, you don't need to swap words around to ask a yes/no question! The statement Voi siete occupati (You are busy) becomes a question simply by raising the pitch of your voice at the end when speaking, or by adding a question mark in writing.