Italian · Everyday Verbs

"to stay" in Italian: restare

restare

Say it: reh-STAH-rehverb/resˈta.re/

Note: also: rimanere

To stay in Italian is restare. Present: resto, resti, resta. Resto qui means I'm staying here. Rimanere is a note synonym, not the headword.

Rain delay

Resto al bar finché smette.
I'm staying at the bar until it stops.
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How to pronounce restare

Say it

reh-STAH-reh

/resˈta.re/

Restare: reh-STAH-reh. Resto: RES-toh. Stress STAH / RES.

"to stay" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
restareto stay / remain

Infinitive.

resto / resti / restaI/you/he-she stay(s)

Present.

resto quiI'm staying here

Location.

sono restato / restataI stayed

Past participle with essere.

How to use restare in real life

  1. 1Rain delay

    Resto al bar finché smette.

    I'm staying at the bar until it stops.

    Io resto.

  2. 2Party invite

    Resti a cena con noi?

    Are you staying for dinner with us?

    Tu resti.

  3. 3Hotel night

    Stanotte resto in albergo.

    Tonight I'm staying at the hotel.

    Overnight.

Mistakes English speakers make with restare

Incorrect: Io restare qui.

Correct: Resto qui.

Conjugate: io resto.

Incorrect: Il resto è buono. (meaning stay)

Correct: Resto qui.

Il resto is the noun change; for the verb say io resto.

Good to know

Restare covers staying put: resto a casa, resta tranquillo. Rimanere overlaps in meaning but this page trains restare forms. In speech, resto qui is clear and short.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Deciding whether to leave a café

  1. ChatPal

    Andiamo o resti ancora un po'?

    Shall we go or are you staying a bit?

  2. You

    Resto—devo finire questa mail.

    I'm staying—I need to finish this email.

  3. ChatPal

    Ok, allora resto anch'io cinque minuti.

    Ok, then I'll stay five minutes too.

  4. You

    Grazie, dopo usciamo insieme.

    Thanks, afterward we'll leave together.

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"to stay" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "to stay" in Italian

Infinitive?

Restare.

I stay?

Resto.

Stay here?

Resto qui.

Rimanere ok?

Related synonym; this headword is restare.

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