raccomandano

Raccomandano is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Italian verb raccomandare. The core meaning is to recommend or to entrust someone with a task or a recommendation. It can also convey urging or advising someone to take a specific course of action. In everyday use, raccomandare can take a direct object and a recipient, as in raccomandare qualcosa a qualcuno (they recommend something to someone) or raccomandare qualcuno a qualcuno (they commend someone to someone’s care or protection). It can also be followed by di + infinitive to express urging or advising to do something, for example, I medici raccomandano di bere molta acqua.

Etymology and grammar: raccomandare comes from Latin recomandare, formed with the prefix re- plus commendare (to entrust or commend). In Italian, raccomandare is a regular -are verb, so its present tense forms follow the standard pattern: io raccomando, tu raccomandi, egli/ella raccomanda, noi raccomandiamo, voi raccomandate, loro raccomandano.

Usage notes: in addition to the plain sense of recommending, raccomandare can imply entrusting someone to a person or institution, as in someone being “raccomandato” to a director or a patron. The term can carry a negative connotation when connected to informal influence or nepotism, where a “raccomandazione” implies leveraging personal connections to obtain favorable treatment. The noun raccomandazione, meaning a recommendation or a persuasive urging, is closely related and frequently used in formal and informal contexts.

See also: raccomandazione, raccomandare, recommendations in contemporary Italian usage.