Italian Phrase
Ne sono proprio preso.
Meaning
Literally ‘I am really taken by it’, the expression means that the speaker is strongly attracted, fascinated or absorbed by something that has just been mentioned. It conveys enthusiasm or a kind of pleasant obsession.
When to use
Use this phrase in informal conversation when you want to tell a friend that you’re really into a hobby, a book, a movie, a sport, or any activity that has captured your interest. It’s colloquial, so avoid it in formal writing or very polite contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Nesonopropriopreso
Ne (pronome partitivo)
‘Ne’ replaces a phrase introduced by ‘di’ and means ‘of it/of them’. It refers back to something previously mentioned.
sono (verbo essere)
First‑person singular present of ‘essere’, used here as an auxiliary for the past participle that functions as an adjective.
proprio (avverbio di intensità)
Means ‘really’, ‘truly’, or ‘exactly’, and strengthens the feeling expressed by the adjective that follows.
preso (participio passato di prendere)
In this idiomatic use it works like an adjective meaning ‘taken, caught, fascinated’. The construction ‘essere preso’ conveys a state of being captivated.
🗨In Conversation
Hai visto l’ultimo episodio di quella serie?
Did you watch the latest episode of that series?
Sì, ne sono proprio preso!
Yes, I’m really hooked on it!
✕Common Mistakes
Sono preso dalla nuova serie.
Without ‘ne’, ‘sono preso’ means ‘I am busy/occupied’, not ‘I’m fascinated’. The pronoun is essential for the idiomatic meaning.
Ne sono propria preso.
‘Propria’ is the feminine form; the adverb here must stay ‘proprio’. Using the adjective form changes the meaning.
Ne sono proprio preso di quella canzone.
Adding ‘di’ after ‘preso’ creates a different construction (‘preso di’ = ‘taken by’ in a literal sense) and sounds unnatural in this idiom.
↔Alternatives
Mi ha davvero colpito.
It really struck me.
Sono davvero appassionato.
I’m truly passionate.
Ne sono davvero affascinato.
I’m genuinely fascinated by it.
Mi ha preso.
It’s got me.
Cultural Tip
‘Ne sono proprio preso’ is typical of spoken Italian, especially among younger speakers. The pronoun ‘ne’ must refer to something already mentioned; otherwise the sentence sounds incomplete. In formal contexts you would replace it with a full noun phrase, e.g., ‘Questa canzone mi ha davvero colpito.’