Deal with is a very useful phrase. It means to handle something or someone. You use it to talk about your job responsibilities — the things and people you work with every day.

In Italian, you can translate it as: *mi occupo di*, *tratto X nel mio lavoro*, or *ho a che fare con X nel mio lavoro*. The meaning depends on the context, but the English phrase stays the same.

Look at these patterns:
→ I deal with + THING (e.g. problems, emails, orders)
→ I deal with + PERSON (e.g. clients, suppliers, the team)

Now read this short conversation. Two colleagues talk about what they do at work.

—
Giulia: So, what do you do exactly?
Marco: I work in customer service. I deal with complaints and questions from clients every day. It’s busy!
Giulia: I understand. I deal with suppliers. I contact them, check orders, and solve problems when something goes wrong.
Marco: Do you ever deal with difficult people?
Giulia: Yes, sometimes. But I also deal with a lot of paperwork. That’s the part I don’t enjoy!
—

Notice: we say *I deal with complaints*, not *I deal complaints*. The word with is always there.

Spend time means to use your time doing something or being somewhere. In Italian, the main translation is *trascorrere* — but sometimes *passare* or *dedicarsi a* also work, depending on the meaning.

Here are the main patterns. Look carefully at the small words:

→ Spend time ON + noun = the task you give time to
*I spend a lot of time on emails.*

→ Spend time + ING = the activity you do
*I spend time writing reports.*

→ Spend time IN + place/situation = a location or context (often a room or meeting)
*I spend time in meetings.*
*I spend an hour in the car every morning.*

→ Spend time AT + place = a specific location
*I spend most of my day at my desk.*
*I spend time at home after work.*

A small note for Italian speakers: in Italian you might say *passo del tempo a fare qualcosa*. In English, we use spend time + ING — not *spend time to do*. So: *I spend time writing*, not ~~*I spend time to write*~~.

Now read this conversation. Two people talk about their work day.

—
Luca: How do you get to work, Chiara?
Chiara: I drive. I spend about 40 minutes in the car every morning. It’s quite long.
Luca: I take the train. I spend time reading on the way. It’s actually nice.
Chiara: Lucky you! And what about your day? How do you spend your time at work?
Luca: I spend a lot of time on reports. And I spend at least two hours in meetings.
Chiara: Me too. I spend most of my day at my desk, but I also visit clients sometimes.
Luca: And after work?
Chiara: I spend the evening at home with my family. I try not to work!
—

Now look at an important difference. Both sentences below talk about time — but they say something different.

→ *I spent 30 minutes writing the report.*
This means: I chose to give 30 minutes to this task.

→ *The report took 30 minutes to write.*
This means: the action required 30 minutes. It’s about the task, not me.

In English, we very often use the impersonal form: it takes + time + to + verb.
*It takes 30 minutes to write the report.*
*It takes a long time to learn a language.*

We do NOT usually say *I take 30 minutes to do something*. The natural personal form is:
It takes me + time + to + verb
*It takes me 30 minutes to write the report.*
*It takes me an hour to get to work.*

The question form is also very common:
→ How long does it take to + verb? (general)
→ How long does it take you to + verb? (personal)

Now read this conversation.

—
Sofia: How long does it take to get to your office from here?
Davide: By car, it takes about 20 minutes. But it takes me 35 minutes because I stop to buy coffee!
Sofia: Ha! And what about your work? How long does it take you to answer all your emails in the morning?
Davide: Honestly, it takes me at least an hour. There are so many.
Sofia: It takes a long time to build good communication habits, I think.
Davide: True. How long does it take you to prepare for a meeting?
Sofia: It depends. A small meeting? Maybe 15 minutes. A big presentation? It takes me two or three hours.
—

Notice the pattern: *It takes* + [me/you/him] + *time* + *to* + verb. This is very natural in English. Use it!

Well done! You have now seen three important English phrases. Here is a quick summary.

Deal with = handle something or someone (your responsibilities at work).
*I deal with clients and complaints.*

Spend time = use your time on tasks or in places.
*I spend time on reports. I spend time in meetings. I spend time at my desk. I spend time writing emails.*

It takes time to = say how long an action requires.
*It takes 20 minutes to get to work. It takes me an hour to prepare a presentation.*

These three phrases are very common in English. They help you talk about your job, your day, and your routines in a natural way. The more you use them, the more natural they will feel!