You All Are in Italian

To say “you all are” in Italian, use voi siete. Voi is the plural “you,” and siete is the second-person plural form of essere (“to be”). In ordinary conversation, Italian often leaves out voi because the verb ending already shows that you are speaking to a group: Siete pronti? means “Are you all ready?”

The Italian translation

Voi siete is the direct translation when “you” refers to two or more people. It combines the subject pronoun voi (“you all”) with siete (“are”). For example, Voi siete italiani means “You are Italian” when addressing a mixed group or a group of men, while Voi siete italiane addresses a group of women.

English uses “you” for both one person and several people, so the number is often understood from context. Italian makes the distinction clearer in the verb: tu sei is informal singular “you are,” and voi siete is plural “you are.” If you are greeting several people, you can ask Come state? (“How are you all?”), using stare rather than essere for this common expression.

How essere changes with the subject

Essere is irregular in the present tense. Learning its six core forms makes it easier to recognize who is being described:

• io sono — I am
• tu sei — you are (one person, informal)
• lui è / lei è — he is / she is
• noi siamo — we are
• voi siete — you are (more than one person)
• loro sono — they are

Notice that sono can mean either “I am” or “they are.” The subject or surrounding sentence identifies which meaning is intended. By contrast, siete specifically signals that the speaker is talking to a group, which is why the pronoun can often be omitted.

Pronunciation

Voi sounds roughly like “voy,” with one syllable. Siete is pronounced see-EH-teh, with the stress on the middle syllable: SIÈ-te. Together, voi siete sounds approximately like “voy see-EH-teh.” Keep the vowels clear and separate; Italian spelling is generally consistent, so reading the phrase aloud is a useful first practice step.

Try repeating the short forms siete qui (“you are here”) and voi siete pronti (“you are all ready”). In connected speech the words flow together, but each vowel remains audible. The audio buttons play the Italian phrase at a slower pace for practice.

Useful example sentences

• Voi siete molto gentili. — You are all very kind.
• Siete pronti per partire? — Are you all ready to leave?
• Voi siete i miei nuovi colleghi. — You are my new colleagues.
• Siete a casa oggi? — Are you all at home today?
• Voi siete di Roma? — Are you all from Rome?
• Siete già in fila? — Are you all already in line?
• Voi siete qui per la visita guidata? — Are you all here for the guided tour?

In most of these examples, the sentence remains grammatical without voi. For instance, Siete già in fila? naturally addresses a group because siete is the plural form. The pronoun is useful when you want to make the group itself more prominent.

Adjective agreement with a group

When an adjective describes a group, its ending usually agrees with the people being described. A mixed group or a group of men generally takes the masculine plural form, while a group of women takes the feminine plural form:

• Voi siete pronti. — You are ready (men or a mixed group).
• Voi siete pronte. — You are ready (a group of women).
• Siete stanchi? — Are you tired? (men or a mixed group).
• Siete stanche? — Are you tired? (a group of women).

The subject pronoun does not change this agreement; the adjective reflects the group being addressed. If you are not sure which form applies, listen to the speaker’s wording and use the form that matches the people in the conversation.

Plural and polite “you”

In contemporary Italian, voi is the ordinary plural “you,” whether you are talking to friends, family members, customers, or a group of strangers. The formal singular “you” is usually Lei and takes a third-person singular verb: Lei è pronto? (“Are you ready?” addressed politely to one man) or Lei è pronta? (addressed to one woman).

So the number of listeners matters: use Lei è to address one person politely, and voi siete to address several people. Older texts and some regional or ceremonial contexts may use other forms, but voi is the standard plural form learners will encounter in everyday modern Italian.

When to include voi

Italian is a “pro-drop” language: subject pronouns are frequently omitted because verb endings carry information about the subject. A simple question such as Siete turisti? (“Are you all tourists?”) sounds natural without voi. Include it when you want to stress “you,” distinguish one group from another, or create a contrast: Voi siete pronti, ma loro no (“You are ready, but they are not”).

Pronouns can also help beginners identify the intended subject while learning the conjugations. As your ear becomes familiar with the endings, try leaving the pronoun out in short everyday sentences. The best choice depends on emphasis and context, not on a rule that voi must always appear.

Summary

Use voi siete for “you all are” in Italian. Since siete already identifies a plural “you,” speakers often omit voi. Match descriptive adjectives to the group, and use singular polite Lei è when addressing one person formally.

🔊Play pronunciation