a mio parere / secondo me

Expressing Opinion (A Mio Parere, Secondo Me)

Level 4

Italian uses secondo me (informal/neutral) and a mio parere/avviso (formal) to express opinions. Unlike verbs like pensare, these phrases do NOT require the subjunctive mood.

How It Works

When you want to share an opinion in Italian, you have two main paths: using a verb of opinion or using a parenthetical expression. These expressions are highly popular because they allow you to use the indicative mood, avoiding the complexity of the subjunctive.

1. Secondo + Tonic Pronoun/Noun
This is the most common way to say 'in my opinion'. It is used in everyday conversation. Note that you must use tonic pronouns (me, te, lui, lei, noi, voi, loro) rather than subject pronouns.

Secondo me... (In my opinion)
Secondo Marco... (According to Marco)

2. A mio parere / A mio avviso
These are more formal and sophisticated. A mio parere is common in professional settings, while a mio avviso is even more elevated, often found in legal or academic writing. These are fixed phrases: Preposition 'a' + Possessive + Noun. The possessive changes based on whose opinion it is (a tuo parere, a suo avviso).

3. Per me
This is the most informal version, often used to express personal taste or how something affects you personally (e.g., 'For me, this is too salty').

Examples (5)

Secondo me, questo ristorante è il migliore della città.
In my opinion, this restaurant is the best in the city.
Word by Word: According to me, this restaurant is the best of the city.
A standard, neutral way to express an opinion using the indicative 'è'.
A mio parere, la strategia aziendale deve cambiare.
In my view, the company strategy must change.
Word by Word: To my opinion, the strategy corporate must change.
A more formal expression suitable for a workplace or professional context.
A mio avviso, non ci sono prove sufficienti.
In my opinion, there is not sufficient evidence.
Word by Word: To my notice, not there are proofs sufficient.
A highly formal expression, often used in legal or very serious contexts.
Secondo te, che cosa dovremmo fare?
In your opinion, what should we do?
Word by Word: According to you, what thing should we do?
Using 'secondo' with the tonic pronoun 'te' to ask for someone else's opinion.
Per me, il film è stato un po' noioso.
For me, the movie was a bit boring.
Word by Word: For me, the movie is been a bit boring.
'Per me' is very informal and focuses on the speaker's personal subjective experience.

Common Mistakes

Using the subjunctive mood after these expressions.
Secondo me lui sia stanco.
Secondo me lui è stanco.
Unlike 'Penso che', expressions like 'secondo me' are followed by the indicative mood.
Using a subject pronoun after 'secondo'.
Secondo io, fa freddo.
Secondo me, fa freddo.
You must use the tonic pronoun 'me' instead of the subject pronoun 'io'.
Adding a definite article to 'a mio parere'.
Al mio parere è giusto.
A mio parere è giusto.
The phrase is a fixed expression and does not take the definite article 'il'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

a mio parere / secondo meLevel 4Expressing Opinion (A Mio Parere, Secondo Me)

Learn This First

To express an opinion using these constructions, a learner needs to understand how to use basic prepositions ('a', 'secondo') and how to refer to themselves using possessive adjectives ('mio') or personal pronouns ('me').

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

a dire il vero / a onor del veroDiscourse Markers of Concession (A Dire Il Vero)Level 5

Words in This Pattern

secondo meparere

Sources

Practice a mio parere / secondo me in Bubblegum

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