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How to Say ‘If I behave’ in Italian

Se faccio la brava

seh FAHT-choh lah BRAH-vah

[seh FAHT-choh lah BRAH-vah]

💬 Usage Tip: brava is feminine because a woman is speaking. A man would say se faccio il bravo.

Phrase Breakdown

Se faccio

seh FAHT-choh

If I do / If I behave

'Se' means 'if'. In 'faccio' the double 'cc' sounds like a strong 'ch'.

Example

Se faccio presto, arrivo in tempo.

If I'm quick, I'll arrive on time.

Words in this phrase

[seh]

A conjunction meaning 'if,' used to introduce a condition politely.

Example

Se vuoi, possiamo sentirci la prossima settimana.

If you want, we can talk next week.

faccio

[FAHT-choh]

I behave / I act

From 'fare'; 'fare la brava' means to behave well.

Example

Oggi faccio il bravo.

Today I'll behave.

la brava

lah BRAH-vah

the good girl

'Fare la brava' is an idiom meaning 'to be good / behave'. It is feminine here.

Example

Fai la brava con la nonna!

Be good with grandma!

Words in this phrase

[lah]

the

The feminine singular definite article, used before nouns like 'cultura.'

Example

"La" cultura di questa impresa mi interessa molto.

"The" culture of this company interests me a lot.

brava

[BRAH-vah]

good (girl)

Feminine of 'bravo'; in 'fare la brava', to be good.

Example

Sei stata brava!

You were good!

Guides for Italian learners

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