Italian Phrase
Le invidio il talento.
Meaning
This phrase is used to express envy or high admiration for a specific skill or natural ability possessed by a female person or someone addressed formally. The structure uses an indirect object pronoun 'le' to indicate the person being envied, while the talent itself is the direct object.
When to use
Use this phrase when discussing a colleague, friend, or artist whose skills you find impressive. It is appropriate for both casual and formal settings when you want to acknowledge someone's gifted nature.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Leinvidioiltalento
Le (Pronoun)
This is an indirect object pronoun meaning 'to her' or 'to you (formal)'. It indicates the person toward whom the feeling is directed.
Invidio (Verb)
The first-person singular present of 'invidiare'. In Italian, the person envied is the indirect object, and the quality is the direct object.
🗨In Conversation
Marta ha vinto di nuovo il primo premio di pittura.
Marta won the first prize in painting again.
Non mi sorprende affatto. Le invidio il talento.
It doesn't surprise me at all. I envy her talent.
✕Common Mistakes
Invidio lei il talento.
In this construction, the unstressed indirect pronoun 'le' must be used before the verb rather than the stressed pronoun 'lei'.
Le invidio di talento.
The verb 'invidiare' takes the thing being envied as a direct object, so no preposition is needed before 'talento'.
↔Alternatives
Invidio il suo talento.
I envy her talent (more direct possessive).
Ammiro molto il suo talento.
I really admire her talent.
Cultural Tip
In Italy, expressing envy for someone's talent is often a sincere form of flattery known as 'invidia sana' (healthy envy). It suggests that you recognize their hard work or natural gift as something truly special and worth having.