rifornirsi

Rifornirsi is a reflexive Italian verb meaning to replenish one's supplies or to refuel oneself, depending on the context. It is commonly used to indicate that someone is obtaining resources for personal use, such as fuel, food, or other necessities, as well as to describe a vehicle, a household, or an organization stockpiling items. Typical constructions include rifornirsi di followed by the item, for example di carburante (fuel) or di viveri (food).

Etymology and usage notes: rifornirsi derives from rifornire (to supply, to provision) with the reflexive pronoun -si, signaling that the action is done for the subject. Conjugation follows the pattern of reflexive verbs: mi rifornisco, ti rifornisci, si rifornisce, ci riforniamo, vi rifornite, si riforniscono. In compound tenses it commonly takes the auxiliary essere (mi sono rifornito/a, ci siamo riforniti/e). The phrase can describe personal provisioning (Mi sono rifornito di carburante) or organizational provisioning (La azienda si rifornisce di materie prime).

Usage examples: Before a long trip, I refueled. We replenished our stock of water and food. The army unit rifornisce-se di viveri regularly to maintain supplies. The verb is versatile across domains, from everyday errands to logistical planning and emergency preparedness.

Related terms: rifornimento (the act or result of replenishing), approvvigionamento (procurement or supply), scorta (stock, reserve). Rifornirsi tends to emphasize the act of obtaining for oneself or one’s immediate needs, while rifornire (without the reflexive) focuses more on supplying others or a system.