rendersi

Rendersi is an Italian pronominal verb that commonly means to render oneself into a state or role, or, more often, to realize or become aware of something. The expression rendersi conto di qualcosa is its most frequent use, meaning to realize or notice something. In addition to realizing, rendersi can be used with nouns and adjectives to indicate adopting a certain stance or condition, as in rendersi utile (“to make oneself useful”).

Conjugation and forms: Rendersi is built from rendere plus the reflexive pronoun si and conjugates like other -ere verbs with reflexive pronouns. In the present tense: io mi rendo, tu ti rendi, lui/lei si rende, noi ci rendiamo, voi vi rendete, loro si rendono. In compound tenses it uses essere, with the past participle reso: for example, mi sono reso conto (masculine), mi sono resa conto (feminine). Plural forms follow gender: ci siamo resi conto (masculine), ci siamo rese conto (feminine).

Usage notes: The idiomatic rendersi conto di + contenuto or di una situazione is a standard way to say “to realize.” The phrase can be used with che-clause as in si è reso conto che aveva sbagliato. The non-reflexive counterpart rendere is transitive and not interchangeable with rendersi in these contexts. Common collocations include rendersi utile, rendersi invisibile or, more rarely, to take on a role or status.

Etymology: The verb derives from rendere (to render, to make) with a reflexive suffix si, and ultimately traces back to Latin reddere (to give back, to return). Rendersi in its idiomatic sense of becoming aware reflects a figurative broadening of render into a state of mind or condition.