A1Unit 01

Ciao & Greetings

Open any door in Italy — one warm word, one knowing nod.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

Italian greetings are warmer and more physical than English. Two cheek-kisses (a baci) are standard between friends, a firm handshake is the default with strangers, and a ciao can mean either hello or goodbye depending on tone. In this unit you'll learn the four situations every greeting slots into — casual vs. formal and arrival vs. time-of-day — plus the verb that powers every identity statement in Italian: essere (to be).

The situation

Setting. A bar (what Italians call a café) on a weekday morning in Bologna.

What is happening. You walk in, catch the barista's eye, and need to greet the whole room without stopping for small talk — Italian coffee culture runs fast.

Why. Italians expect a greeting the moment you cross a threshold. Skipping it reads as cold or even rude — not shy. A bare hi won't cut it; you need the whole two-second ritual.

Dialogue — Buongiorno al bar

Setting: A busy bar in Bologna on a weekday morning. Giulia, a regular, walks in and greets the barista and a neighbour before ordering.

~90 seconds

A (warm, familiar)Buongiorno, Marco! Come stai?

B (cheerful, fast)Buongiorno, Giulia! Bene, bene. Il solito?

A (smiling)Sì, grazie. Ah, buongiorno, signora Conti!

C (formal, polite)Buongiorno, Giulia. Come sta?

A (warm, respectful)Sto bene, grazie. E Lei?

C (relaxed)Benissimo, grazie. Che bella mattinata!

B (quick, professional)Ecco il tuo caffè, Giulia.

A (grateful)Perfetto. Grazie mille, Marco.

A (bright, departing)Arrivederci, signora Conti. A presto!

C (warm)Arrivederci. Buona giornata!

Marco uses 'tu' with Giulia (friends/regular) but Giulia uses 'Lei' with Signora Conti (formal, elder).
Buongiorno is spoken as one smooth word: bwon-JOR-no. Avoid a pause between the two parts.
A presto and Arrivederci often overlap naturally — both speakers may say them almost simultaneously.

Listening

What does Marco ask Giulia immediately after greeting her?
Show answers
He asks if she wants 'the usual' (il solito).
Which greeting form does Giulia use with Signora Conti, and why is it different from the one Marco uses with Giulia?
Show answers
Giulia uses the formal 'Lei' form with Signora Conti (an older, less familiar person), while Marco uses the informal 'tu' with Giulia.
How does Signora Conti say goodbye?
Show answers
She says 'Arrivederci. Buona giornata!' (Goodbye. Have a good day!).

Pronunciation

Italian c before i/e = English ch: ciao = "CHA-oh".
Double consonants matter: sete (thirst) vs. sette (seven). Hold for a beat.
Gl before i = English lli in million: figlio = "FEE-lyoh".
Stress on the second-to-last syllable: CIA-o, buon-GIOR-no.

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
Ciao	Hi / Bye	CHA-oh	Informal, arrival or departure.
Buongiorno	Good morning / day	bwon-JOR-no	Until ~3 PM. Also formal "hello".
Buonasera	Good evening	bwo-na-SEH-ra	From ~3 PM onward.
Buonanotte	Good night	bwo-na-NOT-te	Only when parting for bed.
Salve	Hello (neutral)	SAL-veh	Polite without being stiff.
Come stai?	How are you? (inf.)	KOH-meh STAI	Friends, peers, kids.
Come sta?	How are you? (form.)	KOH-meh STA	Strangers, elders, clients.
Piacere	Nice to meet you	pya-CHEH-reh	Short for piacere di conoscerti.
Arrivederci	Goodbye	ah-ree-veh-DEHR-chee	Formal goodbye.
A presto	See you soon	a PRES-to	Warm casual sign-off.

You have already seen this

('La Dolce Vita — Fellini', 'The film is a tutorial in Italian greeting registers: kisses, handshakes, ciao bello.')
('Call Me By Your Name', 'Elio greets everyone with a warm buongiorno — northern-Italian formal-casual.')
('Italian coffee bar orders', 'Every transaction opens with buongiorno and closes with grazie, arrivederci.')

Phrases

Ciao, buongiorno! Come va?

CHA-oh bwon-JOR-no. KOH-meh VA

Hi, good morning! How's it going?

When to use. Walking into a bar, shop, or lift before 3 PM.

Why it works. Come va? is lower-stakes than Come stai? — Italians use it to be warm without actually starting a conversation.

Buongiorno, tutto bene? — slightly more formal.
Ehi, ciao! Come butta? — very casual, young adults.

(You walk into the pasticceria.) — Ciao, buongiorno! Come va? — Barista: Tutto bene, grazie!

Piacere, sono Marco.

pya-CHEH-reh, SOH-no MAR-ko

Nice to meet you, I'm Marco.

When to use. First-meet handshake, casual or business.

Why it works. Pairing the pleasantry with your name eliminates the awkward pause. Sono (from essere) anchors identity.

Piacere di conoscerti — warmer, informal.
Molto lieto / lieta — very formal, male / female speaker.

— Ti presento mia amica Anna. — Piacere, sono Marco!

Arrivederci, a presto!

ah-ree-veh-DEHR-chee, a PRES-to

Goodbye, see you soon!

When to use. Leaving a shop, taxi, or any transactional interaction.

Why it works. English bye is transactional. A presto leaves the other person feeling seen.

Ci vediamo! — 'we'll see each other', casual default.
Alla prossima! — 'until next time'.

(Leaving the pharmacy.) — Grazie mille, arrivederci! — Altrettanto, buona giornata!

Watch out for

('Buonanotte (at 6 PM)', 'Buonasera', 'Buonanotte is strictly for bedtime goodbyes.')
('Ciao (to your boss on day one)', 'Buongiorno / Salve', 'Ciao is informal in both directions.')
('Il mio nome è…', 'Sono / Mi chiamo…', 'Technically works but sono Marco sounds twice as natural.')
('Come stai? (to a stranger in a formal setting)', 'Come sta?', 'Dropping into tu with a stranger can read as disrespectful.')

Grammar

Title. Essere (to be) — the identity verb

Explanation. Essere is the most important verb in Italian — you'll use it in every introduction, every description, every mood-statement. It's irregular, so you memorise all six forms now. Italian routinely drops the subject pronoun: sono Marco, not io sono Marco.

Formula. io SONO • tu SEI • lui/lei È • noi SIAMO • voi SIETE • loro SONO

Examples. [('Sono italiano.', 'I am Italian.'), ('Tu sei simpatico.', 'You are nice.'), ('Anna è di Milano.', 'Anna is from Milan.'), ('Siamo amici.', 'We are friends.'), ('Siete stanchi?', 'Are you (pl.) tired?'), ('Sono di Roma.', 'They are from Rome.')]

Culture

Title. The two-kiss rule is real — and regional.

Body. In most of Italy, greeting someone new means a light air-kiss on each cheek — right first, then left. In Milan and the industrial north, a handshake is safer with strangers; south of Rome, the kisses come out faster. Reading the room beats memorising a rule: wait half a beat for the other person to start the motion, then mirror.

Takeaway. When in doubt, a firm handshake + warm eye contact + your name is never wrong, anywhere on the peninsula.

Takeaways

Greetings change by time of day AND formality.
Always pair piacere with your name on first meet.
Essere is verb #1: memorise all six forms today.
Double consonants change meaning. Hold them.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Choose the right greeting

Which greeting fits each situation? A (Ciao), B (Buongiorno), C (Buonasera), D (Buonanotte).

8 AM, entering a bakery: ____
Meet your new boss at 3 PM: ____
Say goodnight to your host at 11 PM: ____
Bump into a friend on the street: ____
Walk into a restaurant at 8 PM: ____

Exercise 2 — Conjugate essere

Fill in the correct form of essere.

Io ____ di Napoli.
Tu ____ simpatico.
Maria ____ italiana.
Noi ____ amici.
Voi ____ stanchi?
Loro ____ di Firenze.

Quick check

Which phrase at 9 PM?
- Buongiorno
- Buonasera
- Buonanotte
- Ciao sera
Answer
b) Buonasera
Friend asks Come stai? — safest reply?
- Bene, e tu?
- Bene, e Lei?
- Bene, grazie
- Sto qui
Answer
a) Bene, e tu?
Two cheek-kisses are normal between colleagues at a first meeting.
Answer
True in most regions; handshake safer in Milan.
Which is the formal "you are"?
- tu sei
- Lei è
- voi siete
- loro sono
Answer
b) Lei è
Introduce yourself formally to someone older than you.
Answer
Model: Buongiorno, piacere. Mi chiamo [name]. E Lei, come si chiama?

Flashcards

Buongiornobwon-JOR-nophr

Good morning / Good day. Used as a formal hello until roughly 3 PM.

Buongiorno, signora! Come sta?

CiaoCHA-ohphr

Hi / Bye. Informal greeting used on arrival and departure with friends and peers.

Ciao, Luca! Come stai?

Come stai?KOH-meh STAIphr

How are you? (informal). Use with friends, children, and people you address as tu.

— Ciao! Come stai? — Bene, grazie!

SalveSAL-vehphr

Hello (neutral). Polite without being stiff — works when unsure of register.

Salve, sono qui per la prenotazione.

Piacerepya-CHEH-rehphr

Nice to meet you. Short for piacere di conoscerti/La. Said when introduced to someone new.

Mi chiamo Elena. Piacere!

Arrivederciah-ree-veh-DEHR-cheephr

Goodbye (formal). The standard farewell with strangers, shopkeepers, or elders.

Grazie per tutto. Arrivederci!

A prestoa PRES-tohphr

See you soon. A warm, casual sign-off implying you expect to meet again soon.

Ciao, Marco! A presto!

Up next

Number. 2

Title. Presentarsi

Teaser. You can say ciao — now tell them who you are, where you're from, and what you do.

A1Unit 02

Presentarsi

Introduce yourself like a human, not a passport.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

Italians give exactly two or three pieces of information and bounce a question back. This unit teaches you the rhythm of a real introduction plus the second-most-important verb in Italian, avere (to have), which handles age, hunger, and half your daily life.

The situation

Setting. A rooftop aperitivo in Milan on a Thursday evening.

What is happening. The host just introduced you to her cousin. You have ~20 seconds before the music swallows the conversation.

Why. A short, rhythmic intro + one question back gets you past the name-check and into real conversation.

Dialogue — Piacere di conoscerti

Setting: A rooftop aperitivo in Milan on a Thursday evening. Sofia, the host, introduces her English-speaking friend James to her cousin Alessandro.

~90 seconds

A (enthusiastic, social)Alessandro, ti presento James. È il mio amico inglese!

B (warm, curious)Piacere, James. Mi chiamo Alessandro. Di dove sei?

C (friendly, slightly careful)Piacere! Sono di Londra. Abito qui a Milano da tre mesi.

B (impressed)Ah, bello! E cosa fai qui? Lavori o studi?

C (confident)Lavoro come designer in un'azienda in centro. E tu?

B (relaxed)Anch'io lavoro in centro — sono architetto. Quanti anni hai?

C (laughing lightly)Ho ventotto anni. E tu?

B (casual)Trenta. Quasi vecchio! Benvenuto a Milano, James.

C (grateful)Grazie mille. È una città bellissima.

A (cheerful, cutting in)Bene! Allora, cin cin a tutti e due!

'Mi chiamo' literally means 'I call myself' — do not translate word-for-word; it simply means 'my name is'.
Alessandro's question 'Quanti anni hai?' (How old are you?) uses avere (to have), not essere (to be) — a key Italian difference from English.
Anch'io (me too / I also) is a very common linking word — note the elision: anch' before io.

Listening

How long has James been living in Milan?
Show answers
Three months (tre mesi).
What is Alessandro's profession?
Show answers
He is an architect (architetto).
What does Sofia say at the end, and what is she doing?
Show answers
She says 'Cin cin a tutti e due!' (Cheers to both of you!) and proposes a toast.

Pronunciation

The apostrophe in trent'anni shows elision — pronounce as one word.
Gn = English ny: signore = "see-NYOH-reh".
Italian h is always silent: ho = "oh", hai = "ai".
Sc before i/e = English sh: scena = "SHEH-na".

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
Mi chiamo	I'm called / my name is	mee KYA-mo	Literal: "I call myself".
Sono	I am	SO-no	Permanent traits.
Ho … anni	I am … years old	oh ... AHN-nee	Italian uses avere for age.
Abito a	I live in	AH-bee-toh a	Cities use a; countries use in.
Lavoro come	I work as	la-VOH-ro KOH-meh	Your role/title.
Studio	I study	STOO-dyoh	University/subject.
Vengo da	I'm from	VEN-go da	Alternative to sono di.
E tu?	And you?	eh too	The bounce-back question.
Un piacere	A pleasure	oon pya-CHEH-reh
Altrettanto	Likewise	al-tret-TAN-toh	Reply to piacere.

You have already seen this

('Elena Ferrante — My Brilliant Friend', 'Lila and Elena introduce themselves with sono la figlia di…')
('Call My Agent: Italia', 'Every new character does a three-beat intro: name + job + city.')
('Italian dating apps', 'Bios: Ho 28 anni, lavoro a Roma, vengo da Palermo.')

Phrases

Ciao, sono Anna. Lavoro come designer e abito a Milano.

CHA-oh, SO-no AHN-na. la-VOH-ro KOH-meh dee-ZAI-ner eh AH-bee-toh a mee-LAH-no

Hi, I'm Anna. I work as a designer and I live in Milan.

When to use. Any first-meet where you have 15–20 seconds. Three facts max.

Why it works. Italians anchor intros on occupation + location because that's what lets the listener hook onto a follow-up.

Ciao, mi chiamo Anna, sono designer.
Ciao, Anna, piacere.

(Aperitivo rooftop.) — Ciao, sono Anna. Lavoro come designer e abito a Milano. E tu?

Vengo da Londra ma ora abito qui.

VEN-go da LON-dra ma OH-ra AH-bee-toh kwee

I'm from London but I live here now.

When to use. Joining origin and current location with ma ora — how locals do it.

Why it works. ma ora explains your accent and signals you have a story. Invites a follow-up.

Sono di Londra ma vivo a Roma da due anni.
Originariamente di Londra.

— Da dove vieni? — Vengo da Londra ma ora abito qui.

Ho trent'anni e lavoro nel marketing.

oh trent-AHN-nee eh la-VOH-ro nel MAR-ke-ting

I'm thirty and I work in marketing.

When to use. When the conversation moves to work or life stage.

Why it works. Italian uses avere for age. Nel marketing fuses in + il.

Ho trent'anni.
Lavoro nel marketing da cinque anni.

— Quanti anni hai? — Ho trent'anni e lavoro nel marketing.

Watch out for

("Sono trent'anni", "Ho trent'anni", 'Age uses avere, not essere.')
('Abito in Milano', 'Abito a Milano', 'Cities take a, countries take in.')
('Io sono Anna, io lavoro...', 'Sono Anna, lavoro...', 'Italian drops subject pronouns.')
('Lavoro come un ingegnere', 'Lavoro come ingegnere', 'With come + profession, drop the article.')

Grammar

Title. Avere (to have) — and why age is a possession

Explanation. Avere is Italian's second most important verb. It handles possession, age (I have 30 years — not I am 30), hunger (ho fame), and half a dozen other idioms.

Formula. io HO • tu HAI • lui/lei HA • noi ABBIAMO • voi AVETE • loro HANNO

Examples. [('Ho due fratelli.', 'I have two brothers.'), ('Tu hai fame?', 'Are you hungry? (lit. do you have hunger)'), ('Marco ha venticinque anni.', 'Marco is 25.'), ('Abbiamo una macchina.', 'We have a car.'), ('Avete tempo?', 'Do you (pl.) have time?'), ('Hanno sonno.', "They're sleepy.")]

Culture

Title. Italians volunteer age, marital status, and job within the first minute.

Body. In English-speaking countries, asking someone's age early is intrusive. In Italy, it's warmth. Answer directly and bounce the question back.

Takeaway. Don't dodge age/status questions — answer warmly and reciprocate.

Takeaways

Avere handles age, hunger, sleepiness — idioms English does with to be.
Cities use a, countries use in.
Drop subject pronouns unless you're contrasting.
With come + profession, drop the article.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Build your introduction

Write three sentences about yourself.

Ciao, sono ________.
Lavoro come ________.
Abito a ________.
Ho ________ anni.
Vengo da ________.

Exercise 2 — Avere vs. essere

Choose the correct verb.

(Io) ____ trent'anni. [ho / sono]
Maria ____ italiana. [ha / è]
(Noi) ____ fame. [abbiamo / siamo]
(Voi) ____ stanchi? [avete / siete]
Loro ____ due figli. [hanno / sono]

Quick check

How do you say "I'm 25 years old"?
- Sono venticinque anni
- Ho venticinque anni
- Ho venticinque
- Sono venticinque
Answer
b) Ho venticinque anni
Preposition for cities?
- in Roma
- a Roma
- di Roma
- su Roma
Answer
b) a Roma
Italian usually drops subject pronouns in casual speech.
Answer
True.
Choose the correct sentence.
- Lavoro come un ingegnere.
- Lavoro come ingegnere.
- Lavoro un ingegnere.
- Sono lavoro ingegnere.
Answer
b) Lavoro come ingegnere.
Introduce yourself in three sentences.
Answer
Model: Ciao, mi chiamo Anna. Vengo da Londra ma abito a Milano. Lavoro come designer. E tu?

Flashcards

Mi chiamomee KYA-mophr

My name is (literally: I call myself). The standard way to introduce your name in Italian.

Mi chiamo Giulia. E tu?

Vengo daVEN-go daphr

I'm from (a place). Alternative to 'sono di'. Used before city or country names.

Vengo da Londra, ma abito a Milano.

Abito aAH-bee-toh aphr

I live in. Use 'a' before city names, 'in' before country names.

Abito a Roma da due anni.

Lavoro comela-VOH-ro KOH-mehphr

I work as. Followed by job title without an article.

Lavoro come insegnante in una scuola privata.

Ho … annioh ... AHN-neephr

I am … years old. Italian uses avere (to have) for age, not essere (to be).

Ho ventisei anni.

E tu?eh TOOphr

And you? (informal). The essential bounce-back question that keeps conversation flowing.

Mi chiamo Marco. E tu?

Altrettantoal-tret-TAN-tohadv

Likewise / Same to you. The polite reply when someone says piacere or offers a good wish.

— Piacere! — Altrettanto!

Up next

Number. 3

Title. Numeri, Ora e Date

Teaser. Numbers, time, and dates — tools you'll use every hour in Italy.

A1Unit 03

Numeri, Ora e Date

The clock, the calendar, the price tag.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

Italian numbers are among the most logical in Europe: no backwards constructions like German, no silent endings like French. You'll count 0–100, tell time, and handle dates in day-month order by the end of this unit.

The situation

Setting. A Frecciarossa ticket counter at Roma Termini, Tuesday 9:47 AM.

What is happening. You need one ticket to Florence on the 11:15 train, platform 8, arriving before 12:45. The clerk rattles off the price: cinquantaquattro e cinquanta.

Why. Italian transit, shopping, and social plans all run on fast-spoken numbers.

Dialogue — Biglietti per Firenze

Setting: The Frecciarossa ticket counter at Roma Termini on a Tuesday morning. Chiara needs one ticket to Florence on the 11:15 train. The clerk speaks quickly.

~90 seconds

A (professional, efficient)Buongiorno. Prego?

B (clear, polite)Buongiorno. Un biglietto per Firenze, per favore. Il treno delle undici e quindici.

A (matter-of-fact)Solo andata o andata e ritorno?

B (decided)Solo andata, grazie. Qual è il binario?

A (quick, informative)Binario otto. Il treno arriva a Firenze alle dodici e quaranta.

B (confirming)Perfetto. E quanto costa?

A (neutral)Cinquantaquattro euro e cinquanta centesimi.

B (slight pause, processing)Cinquantaquattro e cinquanta. Va bene. Pago con carta.

A (efficient)Prego. Ecco il suo biglietto. Buon viaggio!

B (relieved, warm)Grazie mille. Arrivederci!

Italian uses the 24-hour clock in formal/transport contexts: 'undici e quindici' = 11:15, 'dodici e quaranta' = 12:40.
'Cinquantaquattro e cinquanta' — the 'e' here means 'and' (euros and cents). Listen for the double-t in 'cinquanta'.
'Prego' has two meanings here: as a greeting it means 'How can I help?'; in the clerk's last line it means 'You're welcome / Here you go'.

Listening

What platform does the train to Florence leave from?
Show answers
Platform 8 (binario otto).
What time does the train arrive in Florence?
Show answers
At 12:40 (dodici e quaranta).
How much does the ticket cost?
Show answers
Fifty-four euros and fifty cents (cinquantaquattro e cinquanta).

Pronunciation

Double-Z in mezzogiorno, piazza is a sharp "ts": "med-DZO".
Ci/ce = "chee/cheh"; chi/che = "kee/keh".
Numbers 1–10 are clipped — practice at train-announcement speed.
Stress on numbers usually falls on the penultimate syllable.

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
zero	0	DZEH-ro	Double-Z = soft "dz".
uno / una	1	OO-no / OO-na	Gender-matches the following noun.
dieci	10	DYEH-chee
venti	20	VEN-tee
ventuno	21	ven-TOO-no	Drop -i of venti before vowel.
cento	100	CHEN-to
mille	1000	MEEL-leh	Double-L held.
l'ora	the hour	LOH-ra	Masculine plural: le ore.
mezzogiorno	noon	med-dzo-JOR-no	Literally "mid-day".
mezzanotte	midnight	med-dza-NOT-teh	Literally "mid-night".
il giorno	the day	eel JOR-no
la settimana	the week	la set-tee-MAH-na
il mese	the month	eel MEH-zeh
l'anno	the year	LAHN-no	Double-N.

You have already seen this

('Italian train announcements', 'Il treno per Firenze delle quattordici e trenta...')
('Roman bar prices', 'A caffè is almost always un euro e dieci or un euro e venti.')
('Italian birthday songs', 'Tanti auguri a te ends with the age sung out.')

Phrases

Sono le nove e quarantacinque.

SO-no leh NOH-veh eh kwa-ran-ta-CHEEN-kweh

It's 9:45.

When to use. Stating the exact time.

Why it works. Italians use sono le for every hour except one o'clock (è l'una), noon, and midnight.

Sono le dieci meno un quarto.
Sono le nove e tre quarti.

— Che ore sono? — Sono le nove e quarantacinque.

Il mio compleanno è il quindici marzo.

eel MEE-oh kom-pleh-AHN-no eh eel KWEEN-dee-chee MAR-tso

My birthday is March 15th.

When to use. Sharing your birthday.

Why it works. Italian uses il [number] [month]. No ordinal except for the 1st (il primo).

Sono nato il quindici marzo.
Il primo maggio

— Quando è il tuo compleanno? — Il mio compleanno è il quindici marzo.

Quanto costa? Trentadue e cinquanta.

KWAN-toh KOH-sta. tren-ta-DOO-eh eh cheen-KWAN-ta

How much is it? 32.50.

When to use. At any till or market.

Why it works. Italian uses comma for decimals, period for thousands — opposite of English.

Fa trentadue e cinquanta.
Sono trentadue euro e cinquanta.

— Quanto costa il caffè? — Un euro e dieci, grazie.

Watch out for

("Ho un'anno", 'Ho un anno', 'Before masculine vowel-starting nouns, uno shortens to un without apostrophe.')
('Sono le uno', "È l'una", "One o'clock is singular: è l'una.")
('Il 15/3', 'Il 15 marzo', 'In speech, always say the month name in full.')
('Costa 1,5 euro', 'Costa un euro e cinquanta / un euro e mezzo', "Italians don't speak decimals with 'virgola' in casual price-talk.")

Grammar

Title. Numbers: straightforward, with one gender trap

Explanation. Italian numbers are almost completely regular. The only gender-sensitive number is uno / una. Numbers drop their final vowel before uno and otto: ventiuno → ventuno.

Formula. 20+1 = ventuno • 30+2 = trentadue • 40+3 = quarantatré

Examples. [('Ho un fratello.', 'I have one brother. (m.)'), ('Ho una sorella.', 'I have one sister. (f.)'), ('Sono le ventuno.', "It's 9 PM."), ('Costa centoventi euro.', 'It costs 120 euros.'), ('Ho letto trentatré libri.', 'I read 33 books.')]

Culture

Title. 24-hour clock for transit, 12-hour for everyday.

Body. Written Italian uses the 24-hour clock. In speech, Italians drop to 12-hour + di mattina / del pomeriggio / di sera. Italian business hours include a long pausa pranzo (1–3 PM).

Takeaway. Expect 24-hour time on any ticket, menu, or signage.

Takeaways

Italian numbers are regular; only uno / una agrees with gender.
Time: sono le for 2 onwards; è l'una / è mezzogiorno / è mezzanotte for the three singulars.
Dates are day-month; only the 1st takes the ordinal il primo.
Comma = decimal, period = thousands. Opposite of English.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Count out loud

Write the Italian word for each number.

7 = ________
15 = ________
21 = ________
38 = ________
72 = ________
100 = ________

Exercise 2 — Tell the time

Write out each time in Italian.

3:00 PM = ________
12:00 (noon) = ________
1:15 = ________
8:45 = ________
Midnight = ________

Quick check

How do you say "It's 1 PM"?
- Sono le una
- È l'una del pomeriggio
- Sono l'una
- È la una
Answer
b) È l'una del pomeriggio
In Italian, 21 is:
- ventiuno
- ventuno
- venti e uno
- vent'uno
Answer
b) ventuno
1,50 in Italian means 1.5.
Answer
True — comma is the decimal. But 1.500 means 1500.
How do you say March 15th?
- il 15mo marzo
- il quindicesimo marzo
- il quindici marzo
- il 15 di marzo
Answer
c) il quindici marzo
How do you say "It's 7:30 PM and the train costs 42.50 euros"?
Answer
Model: Sono le diciannove e trenta, e il treno costa quarantadue euro e cinquanta.

Flashcards

undici e quindiciOON-dee-chee eh KWEEN-dee-cheephr

11:15. Italian time uses 'e' (and) for minutes past the hour. For transport, the 24-hour clock is standard.

Il treno parte alle undici e quindici.

mezzogiornomed-dzo-JOR-nonm

Noon / midday. Literally 'mid-day'. Used in everyday speech instead of 'le dodici'.

Ci vediamo a mezzogiorno in piazza.

mezzanottemed-dza-NOT-tehnf

Midnight. Literally 'mid-night'. Used instead of 'le ventiquattro' in conversation.

Il treno arriva a mezzanotte.

la settimanala set-tee-MAH-nanf

The week. Days of the week (i giorni della settimana) do not take a capital letter in Italian.

La settimana prossima ho un esame.

ventunoven-TOO-nophr

21. When venti (20) is followed by a vowel (uno, otto), drop the final -i: ventuno, ventotto.

Ho ventuno anni.

centoCHEN-tophr

100. Unlike English, Italian does not use 'un' before cento: cento, not un cento.

Costa cento euro.

l'annoLAHN-nonm

The year. Masculine noun. Note the double-n: l'anno, gli anni.

Quest'anno vado in Italia.

Up next

Number. 4

Title. Al Bar

Teaser. Order coffee like a Roman — including the cappuccino curfew.

A1Unit 04

Al Bar

Order coffee like a Roman — including the cappuccino curfew.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

An Italian bar isn't a pub — it's the daytime café that runs the country. You stand at the counter, say what you want, and leave in 90 seconds. This unit gives you the standard bar orders, the unspoken rules (no cappuccino after 11 AM unless you're openly foreign), and the Italian convention of tipping in coins.

The situation

Setting. A bar on Via del Corso, Rome, at 8:30 AM.

What is happening. You elbow in, catch the barista's eye, and need to order coffee + a cornetto before the morning rush swallows you.

Why. Italians queue by assertiveness, not by line. Hesitate and the guy behind you orders first. Knowing your phrase cold gets you served.

Dialogue — Il caffè delle otto

Setting: A busy bar on Via del Corso in Rome, 8:30 AM. Elena joins the morning rush, orders at the counter, and navigates the scontrino system.

~90 seconds

A (quick, assertive)Un caffè e un cornetto, per favore!

B (fast, professional)Al banco?

A (confirming)Sì, al banco. Quanto viene?

B (efficient)Un euro e venti. Paghi alla cassa prima.

A (nodding, moving away)Certo, grazie.

C (cheerful cashier)Prego! Un euro e venti.

A (handing over cash)Ecco a Lei. Tieni pure il resto.

C (warm)Grazie! Ecco lo scontrino.

A (returning to counter, presenting receipt)Scusi! Ho pagato. Un caffè e un cornetto.

B (quick, welcoming)Subito! Vuole il cornetto alla crema o vuoto?

A (smiling)Alla crema, per favore. Grazie mille!

In most Roman bars, you pay the cashier (la cassa) first, then present your receipt (scontrino) at the counter. Do not skip this step.
'Al banco' means standing at the counter — this is cheaper than sitting at a table (al tavolo).
'Quanto viene?' is a natural way to ask the price at the counter. 'Quanto costa?' also works.

Listening

What two items does Elena order?
Show answers
A coffee (un caffè) and a croissant (un cornetto).
Why does the barista tell her to go to the cashier first?
Show answers
In many Italian bars you must pay at the cash desk (la cassa) before ordering at the counter.
What does the barista ask about the cornetto?
Show answers
He asks whether she wants it filled with cream (alla crema) or plain/empty (vuoto).

Pronunciation

The Italian cc before i/e is a doubled ch sound: cappuccino = "kap-poo-CHEE-no", held an extra beat.
The gh in ghiaccio is a hard g: "GYAT-choh". The h keeps the g from going soft.
Stress is predictable: second-to-last syllable unless marked with an accent. caf-FEH has the accent on the final è, so stress that syllable.
Macchiato = "mak-KYA-toh". The cc+hi combination keeps the hard k sound.

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
un caffè	an espresso	oon kaf-FEH	Default: small, strong, no milk.
un cappuccino	a cappuccino	oon kap-poo-CHEE-no	Milk foam. Breakfast only.
un caffè macchiato	espresso with milk dash	mak-KYA-toh	Literally "stained" coffee.
un cornetto	a croissant	kor-NET-toh	Italian: sweeter, softer than French.
la brioche	a sweet pastry	bree-OHSH	Umbrella term in the north.
una spremuta	a fresh juice	spreh-MOO-tah	Always fresh-squeezed.
un tramezzino	a triangle sandwich	tra-med-DZEE-no	Bar classic, crustless.
scontrino	the receipt	skon-TREE-no	Pay cashier FIRST, then order with receipt.
al banco	at the counter	al BAN-koh	Cheaper than sitting at a table.
da portare via	to take away	da por-TAH-reh VEE-ah	Less common — Italians drink in.

You have already seen this

('Italian aperitivo reels', 'Every Rome/Milan aperitivo video opens at a bar counter. Watch how fast orders fly: un Aperol spritz, done.')
('La Grande Bellezza (Sorrentino)', 'Jep Gambardella takes his caffè al banco every morning. The ritual is shot like a sacred rite.')
('Italian grandmothers on TikTok', "Search #nonna + cappuccino and you'll find thirty videos explaining why cappuccino after lunch is a sin.")

Phrases

Un caffè e un cornetto, per favore.

oon kaf-FEH eh oon kor-NET-toh, per fa-VOH-reh

An espresso and a croissant, please.

When to use. The standard Italian breakfast order. One phrase, one beat, done.

Why it works. Italians compress breakfast into two words: caffè (meaning espresso by default) + cornetto. Adding per favore stays polite without dragging the line.

Un cappuccino e un cornetto. (heavier breakfast, before 11).
Solo un caffè. (just espresso — if you're in a real rush).

(Bar in Rome, 8:30 AM.) — Un caffè e un cornetto, per favore. — Due euro e venti.

Quanto fa?

KWAN-toh FA

How much is it?

When to use. Asking for the total at the counter. Shorter and more native than quanto costa? in transactional settings.

Why it works. Fa (from fare, to make) is the verb Italians use for totals: literally 'how much does it make?' Parallel to English 'that comes to...'.

Quant'è? (even shorter, very Roman).
Quanto le devo? (how much do I owe you? — more formal).

— Quanto fa? — Due e venti. — Ecco tre euro.

Al banco, per favore.

al BAN-koh, per fa-VOH-reh

At the counter, please.

When to use. When the barista asks if you'll sit or stand. Standing is 30-50% cheaper in most bars.

Why it works. Table service in Italian bars triggers a coperto (cover charge) and higher per-item prices. Standing at the banco is the local default.

Al tavolo (at the table — if you want to sit).
Lo prendo al banco (I'll have it at the counter).

— Al banco o al tavolo? — Al banco, per favore.

Watch out for

('Un latte', 'Un caffellatte / un latte macchiato', "Un latte in Italian means a glass of milk. You'll get a warm glass of milk, not a coffee drink.")
('Espresso', 'Un caffè', 'Italians just say un caffè. Using the word espresso immediately tags you as a tourist.')
('Posso avere...', 'Vorrei... / Un caffè, per favore', "'Can I have...' is grammatically fine but sounds hesitant. Italians just name the drink: un caffè.")
('Con ghiaccio (for espresso)', 'Caffè shakerato / caffè freddo', "Ice in espresso doesn't exist. If you want it cold, order caffè shakerato (iced and shaken) or caffè freddo.")

Grammar

Title. Indefinite articles: un / una / uno / un'

Explanation. Italian has four forms of 'a/an'. Un before masculine consonants and vowels (un caffè, un amico). Uno before masculine words starting with z, s+consonant, or ps (uno zucchero, uno sbaglio). Una before feminine consonants (una brioche). Un' (with apostrophe) before feminine vowels (un'amica). You'll nail this by ear after a week — it mirrors the sound you want to avoid stumbling over.

Formula. un + masc. consonant/vowel • uno + masc. z/s+cons/ps • una + fem. consonant • un' + fem. vowel

Examples. [('un caffè', 'a coffee (m.)'), ('uno scontrino', 'a receipt (m., s+cons)'), ('una brioche', 'a pastry (f.)'), ("un'amica", 'a female friend (f., vowel)')]

Culture

Title. The cappuccino curfew is real.

Body. Ordering a cappuccino after 11 AM marks you instantly as a foreigner. Italian digestion lore says milk after a meal is heavy on the stomach, so cappuccino is strictly morning. After lunch, Italians order un caffè. Barista won't refuse you, but they will glance. If you want milky coffee after noon, ask for un macchiato — the small amount of milk doesn't break the rule.

Takeaway. Cappuccino 6-11 AM. After that: caffè, or at most macchiato. Your stomach is allowed, but Italian eyebrows aren't.

Takeaways

Italian bars run on speed: stand, order, pay, leave.
Cappuccino before 11 AM, caffè any time, macchiato as a compromise.
Standing (al banco) is cheaper than sitting (al tavolo).
Use un / una / uno / un' by ear, not by rule — the form that sounds right usually is.

Exercises

At the Italian bar — fill in the article or word

Complete each sentence with the correct indefinite article (un / una / un') or the missing bar word. Choose from the box or use context clues.

Vorrei _____ caffè, per favore. (one espresso)
Prendo _____ cappuccino e _____ cornetto. (a cappuccino and a croissant)
Mi dà _____ acqua naturale? (a still water)
Hai _____ brioche? (a brioche / sweet roll)
Prendo _____ spremuta d'arancia. (a freshly squeezed orange juice)
Cameriere, _____ conto, per favore! (the bill)
Al bar italiano si beve il caffè _____ bancone. (at the counter)
Vuole _____ zucchero nel caffè? (some sugar — use "dello")

Ordering in different registers

Rewrite each order using the more polite form shown in brackets. Pay attention to verb mood (indicative → conditional).

Voglio un caffè. → [conditional: Vorrei…]
Dammi un bicchiere d'acqua. → [polite imperative: Mi dà…?]
Voglio un cornetto alla crema. → [conditional]
Voglio pagare adesso. → [conditional: Vorrei…]
Hai uno scontrino? → [Lei form: Ha uno scontrino?]

Spot the article mistake

Each sentence contains one error with the indefinite or partitive article. Underline the error and write the corrected sentence. Remember: Italian does not use "un" before feminine nouns starting with a vowel.

Prendo un aranciata e un caffè. (Hint: aranciata is feminine)
Vorrei uno cappuccino, per favore.
Mi dà del acqua minerale? (Hint: acqua is feminine — which partitive?)
Ho preso un cornetto e una caffè.
Vuole del zucchero? (Hint: zucchero is masculine — check the partitive)

Role-play at the bar

Use each prompt to write or speak a short exchange (2–4 turns) between a customer and a barista. Include a greeting, the order, and a polite close.

Show answers

Quick check

Which article correctly completes: "Vorrei _____ acqua frizzante"?
- a) un'
- b) una
- c) un
- d) dello
Answer
a) un' — acqua is feminine and starts with a vowel, so the indefinite article elides to un'. "Una" is used before consonants; "un" is masculine; "dello" is a partitive, not an indefinite article.
In Italy, ordering a "cappuccino" after midday is considered unusual. Which alternative would an Italian typically choose in the afternoon?
- a) Un caffè macchiato o un espresso
- b) Un cappuccino grande
- c) Un tè freddo
- d) Un latte macchiato caldo
Answer
a) Un caffè macchiato o un espresso — Italians generally drink milky coffees only in the morning. In the afternoon, a short espresso or caffè macchiato (espresso with a dash of milk) is the norm.
What does "fare colazione al bar" mean?
- a) To have breakfast at the bar / café
- b) To go drinking at a bar in the evening
- c) To work as a barista
- d) To cook breakfast at home
Answer
a) To have breakfast at the bar / café — "Colazione" means breakfast in Italian. Many Italians have a quick standing breakfast at the bar: an espresso and a cornetto.
Which sentence uses the partitive article correctly?
- a) Prendo del caffè e della acqua.
- b) Prendo del caffè e dell'acqua.
- c) Prendo di caffè e di acqua.
- d) Prendo un caffè e dell'acqua.
Answer
d) Prendo un caffè e dell'acqua — when ordering a single espresso you use the indefinite article "un"; for uncountable water you use the partitive "dell'" (dell' before a vowel). Option b) has the correct partitive for acqua but uses "del" before caffè, which is actually also acceptable, so strictly d) is the most natural order. Option c) is never correct in Italian.
"Lo scontrino" at an Italian bar refers to:
- a) The receipt / till slip
- b) The menu
- c) The tip
- d) The coffee machine
Answer
a) The receipt / till slip — In Italian bars you often pay at the cashier first, receive the scontrino, then hand it to the barista. Knowing this word is essential for navigating bar culture correctly.

Flashcards

un caffèoon kaf-FEHnm

An espresso. In Italy 'caffè' by default means a small, strong espresso — not a large filtered coffee.

Un caffè, per favore — al banco.

un cornettooon kor-NET-tohnm

An Italian croissant. Sweeter and softer than a French croissant. Can be plain (vuoto), with jam (alla marmellata), or cream (alla crema).

Un cornetto alla crema, per favore.

lo scontrinoskon-TREE-nonm

The receipt. In many Italian bars you must pay at the cash desk and show your scontrino at the counter before being served.

Ecco lo scontrino — un caffè e un cornetto.

al bancoal BAN-kohphr

At the counter. Standing at the bar counter is cheaper than sitting at a table (al tavolo).

Prendo il caffè al banco — è più veloce.

un cappuccinooon kap-poo-CHEE-nonm

A cappuccino. Espresso with steamed milk foam. In Italian culture, ordering a cappuccino after 11 AM raises eyebrows.

Un cappuccino e un cornetto, grazie.

una spremutaspreh-MOO-tahnf

A freshly squeezed juice. Always freshly made in Italian bars — usually orange (arancia) or grapefruit (pompelmo).

Una spremuta d'arancia, per favore.

da portare viada por-TAH-reh VEE-ahphr

To take away / to go. Less common in Italy — most Italians drink their coffee standing at the bar.

Un caffè da portare via, per favore.

Up next

Number. 5

Title. Famiglia e Amici

Teaser. Parents, siblings, nonni, cugini — Italian family vocab plus possessives that match gender and number.

A1Unit 05

Famiglia e Amici

Parents, siblings, cousins — Italian family is tight and noisy.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

Italian family vocabulary distinguishes by gender (il nonno/la nonna, il cugino/la cugina) and by closeness in ways English doesn't. This unit covers the core family tree, the possessives that agree with gender and number, and the cultural frame: Italians talk about family within the first five minutes of any real conversation, and staying close to family well into adulthood is normal, not immature.

The situation

Setting. Sunday lunch at your host family's apartment in Palermo.

What is happening. The nonna just asked how many siblings you have. You explain: one brother, two sisters, and your parents live in England.

Why. Family questions are Italian warmth, not intrusion. Answer naturally and bounce the question back.

Dialogue — Il pranzo della domenica

Setting: Sunday lunch at a host family's apartment in Palermo. The grandmother (Nonna Rosa) is curious about the English guest's family back home.

~90 seconds

A (warm, inquisitive)Allora, quanti fratelli hai?

B (friendly, clear)Ho un fratello e due sorelle. E i miei genitori abitano in Inghilterra.

A (nodding, engaged)Ah, e i tuoi nonni? Sono ancora vivi?

B (warm)Sì! Mio nonno ha ottantadue anni e mia nonna ha settantotto.

A (delighted)Che bello! E sei figlio unico no — hai detto fratello e sorelle.

B (laughing)No, no — siamo in quattro! Una famiglia grande, come voi!

A (proud, laughing)Noi siamo in dieci a tavola! Hai zii e zie in Inghilterra?

B (thinking)Sì, ho uno zio a Manchester e due cugine a Londra.

A (satisfied, hospitable)Perfetto. Mangia, mangia — sei della famiglia ora!

'I miei genitori' = my parents. Note: 'i parenti' means relatives (not parents) — a classic false friend for English speakers.
Nonna Rosa uses 'tu' throughout — the informal form is standard within family settings and when speaking to a young guest.
'Siamo in quattro' = there are four of us. Italian uses 'essere in + number' to express group size.

Listening

How many siblings does the guest have?
Show answers
One brother and two sisters (un fratello e due sorelle).
How old are the guest's grandparents?
Show answers
The grandfather is 82 and the grandmother is 78.
How many people are at the table for Sunday lunch?
Show answers
Ten people (dieci a tavola).

Pronunciation

Gl before i sounds like English lli in "million": figlio = "FEEL-yoh", moglie = "MOL-yeh".
Zi often sounds like "tsee": zio = "TSEE-oh". Use lo, not il, before it.
Double N in nonno / nonna is held: "NON-no" (long N), not "no-no".
Stressed è (with accent) signals an open e sound, as in caffè. Unstressed vowels stay clear.

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
il padre / la madre	father / mother	eel PAH-dreh / la MAH-dreh	Also: papà / mamma (casual).
il figlio / la figlia	son / daughter	eel FEEL-yoh / la FEEL-ya
il fratello / la sorella	brother / sister	eel fra-TEL-loh / la so-REL-la
il nonno / la nonna	grandfather / grandmother	eel NON-no / la NON-na	Key figures in Italian family life.
lo zio / la zia	uncle / aunt	lo TSEE-oh / la TSEE-ah	Note lo before z.
il cugino / la cugina	male/female cousin	eel koo-JEE-no / la koo-JEE-na
il marito / la moglie	husband / wife	eel ma-REE-toh / la MOL-yeh
il figlio unico	only child	FEEL-yoh OO-nee-koh	Feminine: la figlia unica.
i genitori	parents (plural)	ee jeh-nee-TOH-ree	Masculine plural — default.
i parenti	relatives	ee pa-REN-tee	False friend: NOT parents.

You have already seen this

("Elena Ferrante — L'amica geniale", 'The Neapolitan Novels are a masterclass in Italian family hierarchy. Every introduction goes mia madre, mia sorella, mio padre.')
('Big Italian weddings on Instagram', 'Watch any — nonna in the front row, cousins giving speeches, a toast that mentions la famiglia twelve times.')
('Italian grandmother food videos', 'Nonna channels like Pasta Grannies stitch together family vocab + recipes. Hear mio figlio, mia nipote on repeat.')

Phrases

Ho un fratello e due sorelle.

oh oon fra-TEL-loh eh DOO-eh so-REL-leh

I have one brother and two sisters.

When to use. Opening line of any family conversation. Simple, factual, invites follow-up.

Why it works. Avere handles possession, including siblings. Italian counts family members like inventory — one of each, please.

Siamo in cinque. (there are five of us — whole-family framing).
Sono figlia unica. (I'm an only child, feminine speaker).

— Hai fratelli? — Ho un fratello e due sorelle.

I miei genitori vivono in Inghilterra.

ee MYAY jeh-nee-TOH-ree VEE-vo-no een een-geel-TER-ra

My parents live in England.

When to use. Explaining where your family is when you live somewhere else — a very common Italian question.

Why it works. I miei (my, masc. plural) + genitori. Italian possessives take the article: i + miei. Learners routinely forget the article and sound childish.

I miei sono inglesi. (shortcut: 'my folks are English').
Mia madre vive qui, mio padre in Inghilterra. (splitting the parents).

— E la tua famiglia? — I miei genitori vivono in Inghilterra.

Mia sorella è più giovane di me.

MEE-ah so-REL-la EH pyoo JOH-va-neh dee meh

My sister is younger than me.

When to use. Comparing ages in a family — comes up constantly in Italian small talk.

Why it works. Più [adjective] di [person] is the comparative formula. Note: singular family members drop the article (mia sorella, not la mia sorella), but only in the singular.

Mio fratello è maggiore. (my older brother — absolute, not compared).
Sono la più grande. (I'm the oldest — feminine speaker).

— Chi è più grande, tu o tua sorella? — Mia sorella è più giovane di me.

Watch out for

('I miei parenti sono...', 'I miei genitori sono...', 'Parenti means RELATIVES, not parents. Classic false-friend trap. Parents = genitori.')
('La mia madre', 'Mia madre', 'Singular close-family drops the article. Mia madre, not la mia madre.')
('Miei genitori sono in UK', 'I miei genitori sono in UK', 'Plural family takes the article. I miei genitori, not bare miei genitori.')
('Mia papà', 'Il mio papà / mio padre', 'Papà is informal and takes the article like a regular noun; padre is the singular close-family form that drops it.')

Grammar

Title. Possessives + family: the singular drops the article

Explanation. Italian possessives agree with the thing possessed, not the possessor. Mio (masc. sing.), mia (fem. sing.), miei (masc. plural), mie (fem. plural). Tricky rule: for singular close-family members (madre, padre, fratello, sorella, figlio, figlia, marito, moglie, nonno, nonna, zio, zia, cugino, cugina), drop the article. Mia madre, not la mia madre. BUT: plural uses the article, and so does mamma/papà (informal). Le mie sorelle, la mia mamma. Learners often find this weird; Italians consider it obvious.

Formula. Singular family (mother/brother/etc.): mio/mia + noun | Plural OR mamma/papà: il mio / la mia / i miei / le mie + noun

Examples. [('Mio fratello è a Milano.', 'My brother is in Milan.'), ('Mia madre è dottoressa.', 'My mother is a doctor.'), ('I miei genitori vivono in UK.', 'My parents live in the UK.'), ('Le mie sorelle studiano.', 'My sisters are studying.'), ('La mia mamma cucina bene.', 'My mum cooks well. (informal keeps article)')]

Culture

Title. Sunday lunch is sacred. Nonna runs it.

Body. Italian Sunday lunch (il pranzo della domenica) is the structural pillar of family life. Three to four courses, two to three hours, nonna's kitchen or the oldest aunt's dining room. Missing it without a real excuse is read as cold. In many southern Italian families, adult children continue to visit every Sunday well into their 40s — not because they're stuck, but because that's the design.

Takeaway. If an Italian family invites you to Sunday lunch, clear your whole afternoon. And come hungry.

Takeaways

Singular close-family drops the article: mia madre, mio padre.
Parenti = relatives. Genitori = parents. Don't confuse them.
Italian possessives agree with the thing possessed, not with the speaker's gender.
Family is small-talk fuel, not a private topic. Share openly and ask back.

Exercises

My family — fill in the possessive adjective

Complete each sentence with the correct possessive adjective (mio / mia / miei / mie). Remember: with singular, unmodified family nouns the article is usually dropped.

_____ madre si chiama Lucia. (my — feminine singular)
_____ padre lavora a Milano. (my — masculine singular)
I _____ fratelli si chiamano Marco e Luca. (my — masculine plural)
Le _____ sorelle abitano a Roma. (my — feminine plural)
_____ nonno ha settantadue anni. (my — masculine singular, no article)
La _____ amica si chiama Sophie. (my — feminine singular, article kept — why?)
Ho due _____ cugini in Australia. (my — masculine plural)
_____ zia porta sempre i regali. (my — feminine singular)

From "my" to "his/her" — possessives in context

Rewrite each sentence replacing mio/mia/miei/mie with the correct form of suo/sua/suoi/sue (his/her). Keep the rest of the sentence the same.

Mio fratello abita a Napoli.
La mia sorella ha vent'anni.
I miei genitori sono molto simpatici.
Le mie sorelle lavorano in centro.
Mia nonna abita con noi.

Possessive pitfalls — find the English-speaker mistake

Each sentence has one error that English speakers often make with possessive adjectives and family nouns. Identify and correct it.

La mio madre è molto gentile. (article-adjective agreement)
Il mio fratello si chiama Antonio. (article rule for unmodified singular family nouns)
I mia cugini abitano a Firenze. (number agreement)
Suo fratello ha tre anni mio. (word order)
Le miei amiche sono simpatiche. (article-adjective agreement)

Talking about your family

Use each prompt to write or say 2–4 sentences in Italian. Use possessive adjectives and family vocabulary from this unit.

Show answers

Quick check

Which sentence is grammatically correct in Italian?
- a) Il mio fratello si chiama Paolo.
- b) Mio fratello si chiama Paolo.
- c) Mio il fratello si chiama Paolo.
- d) La mio fratello si chiama Paolo.
Answer
b) Mio fratello si chiama Paolo — with singular, unmodified family nouns the definite article is dropped. "Il mio fratello" is only correct when an adjective is added (e.g. "il mio fratello maggiore").
How do you say "her sisters" in Italian?
- a) Le sua sorelle
- b) I suoi sorelle
- c) Le sue sorelle
- d) Le suo sorelle
Answer
c) Le sue sorelle — "sorelle" is feminine plural, so the possessive is "sue" and the article is "le". "Sua" is feminine singular; "suoi" is masculine plural.
Why is it "la mia amica" and NOT "mia amica"?
- a) Because "amica" ends in -a, the article is always kept
- b) Because the no-article rule applies only to blood relatives, not friends
- c) Because "amica" is an irregular noun
- d) Because possessives before vowels always keep the article
Answer
b) Because the no-article rule applies only to blood relatives, not friends — "Amica" means friend, not a family member, so the normal article + possessive structure applies: la mia amica, il mio amico.
Choose the correct translation of "my grandparents":
- a) I miei nonni
- b) Le mie nonni
- c) I mio nonni
- d) Miei nonni
Answer
a) I miei nonni — "nonni" is masculine plural (mixed or all-male group), so the article is "i" and the possessive is "miei". "Le mie" is feminine plural; "mio" is singular; the article is kept for plural family nouns.
"Mio cugino" means "my cousin". Which form is used for a female cousin?
- a) Mia cugina
- b) Mio cugina
- c) La mia cugino
- d) Mia cugino
Answer
a) Mia cugina — "cugina" is the feminine form; the possessive changes to "mia" to match. The article is dropped for singular, unmodified family members.

Flashcards

il fratello / la sorellaeel fra-TEL-loh / la so-REL-lanm/nf

Brother / sister. Plural: i fratelli (brothers or siblings), le sorelle (sisters).

Ho un fratello e una sorella.

i genitoriee jeh-nee-TOH-reenm

Parents (plural). Warning: 'i parenti' means relatives — NOT parents. Classic false friend.

I miei genitori abitano a Londra.

il nonno / la nonnaeel NON-no / la NON-nanm/nf

Grandfather / grandmother. Key figures in Italian family life — often live close by or with the family.

Mia nonna cucina la pasta ogni domenica.

lo zio / la zialo TSEE-oh / la TSEE-ahnm/nf

Uncle / aunt. Note the article 'lo' (not 'il') before zio — required before z and s+consonant.

Mio zio abita a Napoli.

i parentiee pa-REN-teenm

Relatives (NOT parents). False friend for English speakers. Parents = i genitori.

Ho molti parenti in Sicilia.

il figlio unicoFEEL-yoh OO-nee-kohphr

Only child (male). Feminine: la figlia unica. Widely understood cultural concept in Italy.

Non sono figlio unico — ho due fratelli.

il marito / la moglieeel ma-REE-toh / la MOL-yehnm/nf

Husband / wife. Note the irregular feminine: moglie (not *moglia).

Mio marito lavora a Milano.

Up next

Number. 6

Title. A Casa

Teaser. House, rooms, daily routine — plus the regular -are verbs that drive most of A1 Italian speech.

A1Unit 06

A Casa

Your apartment, your day, your verb conjugations.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

This unit builds your daily-routine toolkit: house vocabulary (kitchen, bathroom, bedroom), the key verbs for what you do each day (svegliarsi, lavarsi, fare colazione, andare), and your first full regular-verb conjugation pattern — the -are family, which covers roughly 60% of Italian verbs.

The situation

Setting. Your shared apartment in Florence on a Tuesday morning at 7:15.

What is happening. Your flatmate asks what time you wake up. You explain your morning: wake up at 7, shower, breakfast, leave by 8:15.

Why. Describing routines is how Italians map each other. The verbs here appear in every casual conversation about life.

Dialogue — La mattina di Luca

Setting: A shared apartment in Florence on a Tuesday morning at 7:15. Luca's flatmate Sofia asks about his routine before they both head out.

~90 seconds

A (sleepy, curious)Luca, a che ora ti svegli di solito?

B (matter-of-fact)Mi sveglio alle sette. Poi faccio la doccia e faccio colazione.

A (surprised)Sempre alle sette? Io mi sveglio alle sei e mezza!

B (amused)Sei e mezza? Sei pazza! A che ora esci di casa?

A (matter-of-fact)Esco alle sette e un quarto. La mia fermata è lontana.

B (nodding)Io esco alle otto e un quarto. La cucina è libera fino ad allora.

A (relieved)Perfetto. E la finestra del bagno — puoi aprirla? C'è vapore ovunque.

B (laughing)Sì, sì — scusa. Il bagno è tutto tuo adesso.

A (warm)Grazie! Ci vediamo stasera, allora.

B (casual)A stasera. Buona giornata!

Reflexive verbs like svegliarsi (to wake up) and lavarsi (to wash) require a reflexive pronoun: mi sveglio, ti svegli, si sveglia.
'Faccio la doccia' = I shower (literally: I do the shower). Italian uses fare (to do/make) for many daily activities.
'Sei pazza!' = You're crazy! (said to a female). A friendly exclamation — not genuinely rude between flatmates.

Listening

What time does Luca wake up and what does he do first?
Show answers
He wakes up at 7 AM, then showers and has breakfast.
What time does Sofia leave the house, and why so early?
Show answers
She leaves at 7:15 because her bus stop is far away.
What does Sofia ask Luca to do in the bathroom?
Show answers
She asks him to open the window because there is steam everywhere.

Pronunciation

Double gl in famiglia, figlio: the ll sound as in English "million".
Reflexive pronouns are always unstressed: say mi sveglio as one breath, stress on SVEL-yoh.
Stress in third-person plural -are verbs is irregular: PARlano, MANgiano — stress on the first syllable.
Sc before i/e sounds like English sh: uscire = "oo-SHEE-reh".

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
la casa	the house	la KAH-zah	Generic: can mean house or home.
la cucina	the kitchen	la koo-CHEE-nah
la camera da letto	the bedroom	la KAH-meh-rah da LET-toh
il bagno	the bathroom	eel BAN-yoh
il soggiorno	the living room	eel sog-JOR-no
la porta	the door	la POR-tah
la finestra	the window	la fee-NES-trah
il tavolo	the table	eel TAH-vo-loh
svegliarsi	to wake up	zvehl-YAR-see	Reflexive: -arsi ending.
lavarsi	to wash oneself	la-VAR-see	Reflexive.
fare colazione	to have breakfast	FAH-reh kol-a-TSYOH-neh	Uses fare, not avere.
uscire di casa	to leave the house	oo-SHEE-reh dee KAH-zah

You have already seen this

('Italian cooking shows', 'Gennaro, Giada, Massimo all use -are verbs constantly: parliamo di pasta, mangiamo insieme, cuciniamo con amore.')
('Call My Agent: Italia', 'Characters narrate routines: Mi sveglio alle sei, vado in agenzia, torno a casa a mezzanotte. All -are + regular verbs.')
('Casa tour videos from Italy', "Every YouTube Italian apartment tour walks you through: questa è la cucina, questo è il soggiorno, qua c'è il bagno.")

Phrases

Mi sveglio alle sette.

mee ZVEL-yoh AL-leh SET-teh

I wake up at seven.

When to use. Stating your wake-up time — the opening line of any routine-description.

Why it works. Svegliarsi is reflexive — literally 'to wake oneself'. Mi is the reflexive pronoun, goes BEFORE the conjugated verb.

Mi sveglio alle sette e mezza. (at 7:30).
Mi alzo alle sette. (I get up at 7 — alzarsi = to get up).

— A che ora ti svegli? — Mi sveglio alle sette.

Faccio colazione in cucina.

FAT-choh kol-a-TSYOH-neh een koo-CHEE-nah

I have breakfast in the kitchen.

When to use. Describing breakfast routine — Italian uses fare (to do/make), not avere (to have) for meals.

Why it works. Fare colazione (to do breakfast), fare pranzo (to do lunch), fare cena (to do dinner). English 'have' doesn't map. Use fare.

Prendo solo un caffè. (I just have a coffee).
Salto la colazione. (I skip breakfast).

— Cosa fai la mattina? — Mi sveglio, faccio colazione in cucina, poi esco di casa.

Abito in un appartamento piccolo.

AH-bee-toh een oon ap-par-tah-MEN-toh PEEK-ko-loh

I live in a small apartment.

When to use. Describing your living situation. Common early-conversation topic in Italy.

Why it works. Abitare (to live/reside) is a regular -are verb. In + article fuses: in un (in an) stays separate, but in + il becomes nel.

Vivo da solo/a. (I live alone).
Condivido l'appartamento con due amici. (I share the flat with two friends).

— Dove abiti? — Abito in un appartamento piccolo in centro.

Watch out for

('Ho colazione.', 'Faccio colazione.', "Italian meals use fare, not avere. 'To breakfast' = fare colazione.")
('Io sveglio alle sette.', 'Mi sveglio alle sette.', "Svegliarsi is reflexive. Drop the mi and you're saying 'I wake [someone] up at seven'.")
('Abito a Italia.', 'Abito in Italia.', 'Countries take in. Only cities take a. A Roma, in Italia.')
('Loro parlano (stressed on -ano)', 'Loro PARlano (stressed on PAR-)', 'Third-person plural of -are verbs has unexpected stress: it moves to the third-from-last syllable. PARlano, MANgiano, LAvorano.')

Grammar

Title. Regular -are verbs: the biggest family

Explanation. About 60% of Italian verbs end in -are (parlare, abitare, lavorare, studiare, mangiare). They all conjugate the same way in the present tense: drop the -are, add -o, -i, -a, -iamo, -ate, -ano. Once you know this, you can conjugate thousands of verbs. Reflexive verbs (-arsi) add a pronoun (mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si) BEFORE the conjugated form.

Formula. parlare → io parlo, tu parli, lui/lei parla, noi parliamo, voi parlate, loro parlano

Examples. [('Io parl-o italiano.', 'I speak Italian.'), ('Tu abit-i a Roma.', 'You live in Rome.'), ('Lei lavor-a a Milano.', 'She works in Milan.'), ('Noi mangi-amo insieme.', 'We eat together.'), ('Voi studi-ate molto.', 'You (pl.) study a lot.'), ('Loro parl-ano veloce.', 'They speak fast. (stress on PAR-lano)')]

Culture

Title. Italian apartments are small and everyone knows it.

Body. Italian housing is denser than American or British housing. A city apartment is typically 50–80 m², and families of four in 70 m² is standard. The living room doubles as dining room; kids share rooms until teens. Nobody apologises for it — it's the design, and the piazza plus the neighbourhood bar absorb the overflow. The idea that a house must have three bathrooms and a yard is an American import, not an Italian default.

Takeaway. Italian living space works because life spills outward — to the bar, the piazza, the nonna's kitchen. Small doesn't mean cramped.

Takeaways

-are verbs are Italian's biggest regular family: master the six endings and you unlock thousands.
Meals use fare, not avere: fare colazione, fare pranzo, fare cena.
Reflexive verbs (svegliarsi, lavarsi, alzarsi) need mi/ti/si BEFORE the verb.
Third-person plural -are verbs take irregular stress: PARlano, not parLAno.

Exercises

Daily routine — fill in the reflexive verb form

Complete each sentence with the correct present-tense form of the reflexive verb in brackets. Remember to place the reflexive pronoun correctly.

Di solito _____ alle sette. [alzarsi — io] (I usually get up)
Dopo la doccia, _____ i capelli. [asciugarsi — io] (I dry my hair)
Marco _____ sempre prima di uscire. [vestirsi] (Marco always gets dressed)
I bambini _____ i denti la mattina. [lavarsi] (The children brush their teeth)
A che ora _____ voi la sera? [addormentarsi] (What time do you all fall asleep?)
Mia sorella _____ molto lentamente. [truccarsi] (My sister puts on make-up)
Noi _____ alle undici di sera. [coricarsi] (We go to bed)
_____ tu sempre sotto la doccia? [farsi la doccia — informal question] (Do you always shower?)

Non-reflexive to reflexive and back

For each pair, rewrite sentence (a) using the reflexive verb, or sentence (b) making it non-reflexive (with a direct object). The instruction in brackets tells you which direction.

(a) Lavo il cane. → [make reflexive: who washes themselves?]
(b) Si veste alle otto. → [non-reflexive: he/she dresses someone else — add "il bambino"]
(a) Sveglio mio fratello. → [make reflexive]
(b) Si pettina ogni mattina. → [non-reflexive: she combs… add "la figlia"]
(a) Chiamo Marco. → [make reflexive — hint: chiamarsi = to be called]

Fix the reflexive verb errors

Each sentence contains one error typical of English speakers learning Italian reflexive verbs. Find and correct it.

Si alzo alle sette ogni mattina. (wrong pronoun for the subject "io")
Marco si veste lui stesso ogni mattina. (redundant — "lui stesso" is not used this way)
Noi ci alzamo presto. (verb conjugation error — -are verb)
Loro si svegliano alle sei, e poi lavano. (reflexive pronoun missing in second clause)
A che ora si alzate? (pronoun-subject mismatch)

Describe your home and daily routine

Use each prompt to write or say 3–5 sentences in Italian. Include reflexive verbs and home vocabulary from this unit.

Show answers

Quick check

Which sentence correctly uses the reflexive verb "svegliarsi"?
- a) Io sveglio alle sette.
- b) Io mi sveglio alle sette.
- c) Io sveglio me alle sette.
- d) Mi io sveglio alle sette.
Answer
b) Io mi sveglio alle sette — reflexive verbs require the reflexive pronoun (mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si) placed directly before the conjugated verb. The pronoun cannot be inserted between subject and verb (option d), and "me" is a stressed pronoun used in different constructions.
What is the correct "noi" form of "alzarsi"?
- a) Noi si alzamo
- b) Noi ci alziamo
- c) Noi ci alzamo
- d) Noi vi alziamo
Answer
b) Noi ci alziamo — "alzarsi" is a regular -are reflexive verb. The "noi" conjugation of "alzare" is "alziamo", and the reflexive pronoun for "noi" is "ci". "Si" is for third-person singular/plural or impersonal; "vi" is for "voi".
What does "il bagno" refer to in a house?
- a) The bedroom
- b) The kitchen
- c) The bathroom
- d) The living room
Answer
c) The bathroom — "il bagno" literally means "the bath/bathroom". bedroom = la camera da letto; kitchen = la cucina; living room = il salotto / il soggiorno.
Which sequence correctly orders a typical Italian morning routine?
- a) Lavarsi → alzarsi → vestirsi → fare colazione
- b) Alzarsi → lavarsi → vestirsi → fare colazione
- c) Vestirsi → alzarsi → lavarsi → fare colazione
- d) Fare colazione → alzarsi → lavarsi → vestirsi
Answer
b) Alzarsi → lavarsi → vestirsi → fare colazione — you get up first (alzarsi), then wash (lavarsi), get dressed (vestirsi), and finally have breakfast (fare colazione). This is also the most natural Italian daily sequence culturally.
In the sentence "Giulia si lava i capelli", what does "si" indicate?
- a) Giulia is washing someone else's hair
- b) The action is reflexive — Giulia washes her own hair
- c) "Si" is an impersonal construction meaning "one washes hair"
- d) Giulia and another person wash hair together
Answer
b) The action is reflexive — Giulia washes her own hair — "Si" here is the third-person reflexive pronoun. The verb "lavarsi" + body part is a very common Italian pattern meaning to wash one's own [body part]. Context (a named subject) rules out the impersonal reading (option c).

Flashcards

svegliarsizvehl-YAR-seev

To wake up. Reflexive verb: mi sveglio, ti svegli, si sveglia, ci svegliamo, vi svegliate, si svegliano.

Mi sveglio alle sette ogni mattina.

fare colazioneFAH-reh kol-a-TSYOH-nehphr

To have breakfast. Italian uses fare (to do/make), not avere (to have) for meals.

Faccio sempre colazione prima di uscire.

uscire di casaoo-SHEE-reh dee KAH-zahphr

To leave the house. Uscire is irregular: esco, esci, esce, usciamo, uscite, escono.

Esco di casa alle otto e un quarto.

la cucinala koo-CHEE-nahnf

The kitchen. Also means 'cuisine' or 'cooking style' (la cucina italiana).

La cucina è piccola ma funzionale.

il bagnoeel BAN-yohnm

The bathroom. Also means 'bath' or 'swim' (fare un bagno = to take a bath / go for a swim).

Il bagno è in fondo al corridoio.

la finestrala fee-NES-trahnf

The window. Opening windows (aprire la finestra) is a daily Italian ritual for ventilation.

Puoi aprire la finestra? C'è troppo caldo.

lavarsila-VAR-seev

To wash oneself. Reflexive: mi lavo, ti lavi, si lava. Often specified: lavarsi i denti (brush teeth), lavarsi i capelli (wash hair).

Mi lavo i denti dopo colazione.

Up next

Number. 7

Title. Il Cibo

Teaser. Food — the Italian obsession. Pasta, pizza, regional classics, and the grammar of partitives (some, a bit of).

A1Unit 07

Il Cibo

Italians take food personally. Learn to ask, name, and praise it.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

This unit builds your food vocabulary across the standard Italian meal map: pasta, pizza, antipasto, secondo, and the ten foundational ingredients you'll meet on every menu. You'll also learn the partitive article (del / della / dei / delle) — the 'some' that English drops but Italian insists on.

The situation

Setting. A trattoria in Trastevere, Rome, on a Friday night.

What is happening. The waiter recites the specials. You need to ask what's in the carbonara, order an antipasto and a primo, and check what's in season.

Why. Italians read your menu confidence as cultural respect. Hesitation gets you the tourist menu.

Dialogue — Cosa c'è nella carbonara?

Setting: A trattoria in Trastevere, Rome, on a Friday night. Marco asks the waiter about the menu before ordering.

~90 seconds

A (attentive, professional)Buonasera! Il piatto del giorno è la coda alla vaccinara. Consigliatissima.

B (curious, polite)Grazie. Cosa c'è nella carbonara?

A (knowledgeable)Guanciale, uova, pecorino e pepe nero. Niente panna — quella è la vera ricetta romana.

B (nodding)Perfetto. Prendo un antipasto e poi la carbonara come primo.

A (helpful)Per l'antipasto: oggi abbiamo bruschette al pomodoro e supplì.

B (decided)Le bruschette, grazie. E per bere — una bottiglia d'acqua naturale e mezzo litro di vino rosso.

A (writing order)Naturale, rosso, bruschette, carbonara. Perfetto. Subito!

B (relaxed)Grazie. Ah — c'è un dolce della casa?

A (pleased)Certo! Il tiramisù è fatto in casa. Lo consiglio vivamente.

B (smiling)Ottimo. Lo prendo dopo. Grazie mille.

'Cosa c'è nella...?' (What is in the...?) is the most natural way to ask about ingredients. Memorise this phrase.
The waiter emphasises 'Niente panna' (no cream) — a point of Roman culinary pride. Authentic carbonara has no cream.
'Lo consiglio vivamente' = I highly recommend it. 'Lo' here refers to the tiramisù (direct object pronoun).

Listening

What are the four ingredients the waiter lists for carbonara?
Show answers
Guanciale (cured pork cheek), eggs (uova), pecorino cheese, and black pepper (pepe nero).
What two antipasti does the waiter offer today?
Show answers
Bruschette al pomodoro and supplì.
What dessert does the restaurant make in-house?
Show answers
Tiramisù (fatto in casa — homemade).

Pronunciation

Gh stays hard before i/e: spaghetti = "spah-GET-tee".
Z can be sharp "ts" or soft "dz": pizza = "PEET-tsa", zucchero = "TSOOK-keh-ro".
Double consonants in food words are common: cappuccino, spaghetti, mozzarella — hold them.
Final e is always pronounced: panini singular is panino = "pa-NEE-no".

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
la pasta	pasta	la PA-stah	Generic. The shape matters.
la pizza	pizza	la PEET-tsah	Plural: le pizze.
l'antipasto	starter	lan-tee-PA-stoh	Before the meal.
il primo	first course	eel PREE-mo	Pasta or risotto.
il secondo	main course	eel se-KON-do	Meat or fish.
il contorno	side dish	eel kon-TOR-no	Vegetables, salad.
il dolce	dessert	eel DOL-cheh	Literally "sweet".
il vino rosso	red wine	eel VEE-no ROS-so
il vino bianco	white wine	eel VEE-no BYAN-ko
l'acqua naturale	still water	LAK-kwa na-too-RA-leh	Frizzante = sparkling.

You have already seen this

('Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy', 'Every episode walks through a regional menu in proper sequence.')
('Italian cooking on YouTube', 'Massimo Bottura, Lidia Bastianich — both narrate dishes with full course names.')
('Eat Pray Love (Rome chapters)', 'Liz Gilbert orders an antipasto, a primo, a secondo and dessert — the complete pranzo.')

Phrases

Vorrei un primo e un secondo, per favore.

vor-RAY oon PREE-mo eh oon se-KON-do, per fa-VOH-reh

I'd like a first and a second course, please.

When to use. Standard ordering at any trattoria.

Why it works. Vorrei (I would like) is the conditional of volere — softer than voglio (I want).

Solo un primo, grazie.
Prendo l'antipasto e basta.

— Cosa prende? — Vorrei un primo e un secondo, per favore.

Cosa c'è nella carbonara?

KO-sa cheh NEL-la kar-bo-NA-ra

What's in the carbonara?

When to use. Asking about ingredients — a classic Italian conversation starter.

Why it works. C'è = there is. Nella fuses in + la. Perfect for asking about any dish.

Cosa c'è dentro? (what's inside)
Quali sono gli ingredienti?

— Cosa c'è nella carbonara? — Guanciale, uova, pecorino, pepe.

Vorrei dell'acqua, per favore.

vor-RAY del-LAK-kwa, per fa-VOH-reh

I'd like some water, please.

When to use. Asking for any quantity of liquid or food.

Why it works. Dell' = di + l' — the partitive article. English drops 'some'; Italian keeps it.

Vorrei del vino rosso.
Vorrei delle olive.

— Da bere? — Vorrei dell'acqua naturale.

Watch out for

('Voglio una pasta', 'Vorrei la pasta', 'Voglio sounds demanding; use vorrei.')
('Pasta con pollo', 'Pasta and then pollo', 'Pasta + meat together is a tourist combo.')
("L'acqua, please", "Dell'acqua, per favore", "Italian uses the partitive — English drops 'some'.")
('Posso avere il menu?', 'Il menu, per favore', "Just name what you want; the verbose 'can I have' is unnecessary.")

Grammar

Title. The partitive: del / della / dei / delle (some)

Explanation. Italian uses di + article to mean 'some' or 'any'. Forms: del (m. sing.), della (f. sing.), dell' (before vowels), dei (m. pl.), degli (m. pl. before vowel/z/s+cons), delle (f. pl.). English routinely drops 'some'; Italian keeps it.

Formula. del + masc. cons. • dello + masc. z/s+cons • della + fem. cons. • dell' + vowel • dei/degli/delle + plural

Examples. [('del pane', 'some bread'), ('della pasta', 'some pasta'), ("dell'acqua", 'some water'), ('dei pomodori', 'some tomatoes'), ('delle olive', 'some olives')]

Culture

Title. Pasta is a primo, not a side.

Body. In Italy, pasta is its own course — never served alongside meat. The standard meal flow is antipasto → primo (pasta/risotto) → secondo (meat/fish) + contorno (veg) → dolce → caffè. Asking for spaghetti with your steak is a tourist tell.

Takeaway. Order pasta first, meat after. Don't mix them on one plate.

Takeaways

Italian meals follow a fixed sequence: antipasto → primo → secondo + contorno → dolce.
Pasta is a course, not a side. Don't combine with meat on one plate.
The partitive (del/della/dei/delle) means 'some' — Italian doesn't drop it.
Vorrei is softer than voglio when ordering.

Exercises

What's on the table? — fill in the partitive

Complete each sentence with the correct partitive article: del / dello / della / dell' / dei / degli / delle. Think about gender, number, and the first letter of the noun.

A colazione mangio _____ pane e _____ burro. (some bread and some butter)
Nel piatto c'è _____ pasta al pomodoro. (some tomato pasta — feminine noun)
Metto _____ olio d'oliva sull'insalata. (some olive oil — starts with vowel)
Mangiamo _____ piselli e _____ spinaci. (some peas and some spinach — both plural)
Vuoi _____ formaggio sul risotto? (some cheese — masculine singular)
C'è _____ zucchine nel frigo. (some courgettes — feminine plural)
Ho comprato _____ prosciutto e _____ mozzarella. (some ham and some mozzarella)
Bevo _____ acqua e _____ succo di frutta. (some water and some fruit juice)

From indefinite to partitive — expressing quantities

Rewrite each sentence replacing the indefinite article + noun with the partitive article to express an unspecified quantity. Make any necessary changes.

Compro una pizza margherita. → [partitive: some pizza]
Mangiano un'insalata verde. → [partitive: some salad]
Bevo un caffè ogni mattina. → [partitive: some coffee — habitual]
Vuoi un gelato? → [partitive: some ice cream?]
Ho mangiato un risotto ai funghi. → [partitive: some mushroom risotto]

Partitive article errors — correct the sentence

Each sentence contains one error that English speakers commonly make when using partitive articles in Italian. Find and correct it.

Mangio di pasta ogni sera. (wrong partitive — "di" alone is never the partitive)
Vuoi dell' formaggio? (unnecessary apostrophe — formaggio starts with a consonant)
Ho comprato dei olive al mercato. (gender error — olive is feminine plural)
Bevo dello acqua ogni giorno. (wrong form — acqua is feminine and starts with a vowel)
Non mangio della carne. (partitive in negative sentences — should be dropped)

Talk about food and eating habits

Use each prompt to write or say 3–5 sentences in Italian. Use partitive articles and food vocabulary from this unit.

Show answers

Quick check

Which partitive article correctly completes: "Mangio _____ spinaci"?
- a) del
- b) degli
- c) delle
- d) dello
Answer
b) degli — "spinaci" is masculine plural and starts with a consonant cluster (sp-), which in Italian is treated like an impure consonant cluster requiring "degli" (the same environment that uses "gli" as the definite article). "Del" is masculine singular; "delle" is feminine plural; "dello" is masculine singular before impure consonants or z.
How do you say "some mozzarella" in Italian?
- a) Della mozzarella
- b) Del mozzarella
- c) Di mozzarella
- d) Un mozzarella
Answer
a) Della mozzarella — "mozzarella" is feminine singular, so the correct partitive is "della". "Del" is masculine; "di" alone is never used as a partitive; "un" is the indefinite article (a single portion), not "some".
In Italian, which sentence correctly expresses "I don't eat any meat"?
- a) Non mangio della carne.
- b) Non mangio carne.
- c) Non mangio di carne.
- d) Non mangio alcune carne.
Answer
b) Non mangio carne — in negative sentences, Italian drops the partitive article entirely. You do NOT say "non mangio della carne" (a very common English-speaker error). The noun stands alone after the negated verb.
What is "il primo piatto" in a traditional Italian meal?
- a) The appetiser
- b) The first course — typically pasta, risotto, or soup
- c) The dessert
- d) The side dish
Answer
b) The first course — typically pasta, risotto, or soup — A traditional Italian meal follows: antipasto → primo (pasta/risotto/soup) → secondo (meat/fish) → contorno (side) → dolce (dessert). The appetiser is "l'antipasto".
Which of these is the correct partitive for "some olive oil" (olio d'oliva)?
- a) Dello olio d'oliva
- b) Dell' olio d'oliva
- c) Della olio d'oliva
- d) Del olio d'oliva
Answer
b) Dell' olio d'oliva — "olio" is masculine singular and starts with a vowel. Before a masculine singular noun beginning with a vowel, the partitive elides to "dell'". "Dello" is used before consonant clusters (s+consonant, z, ps, gn); "del" is used before regular consonants; "della" is feminine.

Flashcards

l'antipastolan-tee-PA-stohnm

Starter / appetiser. Served before the primo (first course). Often shared at the table.

Per l'antipasto prendo le bruschette.

il primoeel PREE-monm

First course. Usually pasta or risotto. Ordering only a primo is perfectly acceptable at lunch.

Come primo prendo la carbonara.

il secondoeel se-KON-donm

Second / main course. Meat or fish, served after the primo. Side dishes (contorni) ordered separately.

Per il secondo vorrei il branzino al forno.

il dolceeel DOL-chehnm

Dessert. Literally 'the sweet'. Common choices: tiramisù, panna cotta, cannolo.

Il tiramisù è il dolce della casa.

l'acqua naturaleLAK-kwa na-too-RA-lehnf

Still water. Always specify: naturale (still) or frizzante (sparkling). Tap water (acqua del rubinetto) is less common to request.

Una bottiglia d'acqua naturale, per favore.

il vino rossoeel VEE-no ROS-sonm

Red wine. The house red (vino della casa) is a reliable, affordable option in trattorias.

Mezzo litro di vino rosso, grazie.

la pastala PA-stahnf

Pasta. Generic term — the shape matters (rigatoni, spaghetti, penne). Always ask what pasta a dish uses.

Che tipo di pasta c'è nell'amatriciana?

Up next

Number. 8

Title. Fare la Spesa

Teaser. Grocery shopping — markets, supermarkets, weights and measures.

A1Unit 08

Fare la Spesa

Market stalls, supermarkets, and the language of weight.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

Grocery shopping in Italy splits into two registers: the supermarket (supermercato), where you self-serve, and the market or specialty shop (panetteria, macelleria, fruttivendolo), where you ask the shopkeeper directly. This unit covers the verbs volere (to want), prendere (to take), and the kilo/etto measure system.

The situation

Setting. A neighbourhood market in Florence on a Saturday morning.

What is happening. You need 200 grams of prosciutto, two kilos of tomatoes, and a litre of olive oil — and you have to ask in Italian, by weight.

Why. Markets reward quick, precise orders. Italians don't browse out loud — they ask, taste, decide.

Dialogue — Al mercato del sabato

Setting: A neighbourhood market in Florence on a Saturday morning. Elena shops for the week, bargaining and asking for specific weights.

~90 seconds

A (friendly, market-stall energy)Buongiorno, signora! Cosa le do oggi?

B (confident, precise)Buongiorno. Due etti di prosciutto crudo, tagliato fino.

A (slicing, conversational)Così va bene?

B (checking)Sì, perfetto. E un pezzo di parmigiano — circa duecento grammi.

A (weighing)Ecco — duecentodieci grammi. Va bene lo stesso?

B (agreeable)Sì, va bene. Quanto viene in tutto?

A (calculating)Il prosciutto quattro e ottanta, il parmigiano sei e venti — totale undici euro.

B (satisfied)Perfetto. Poi vado di là per i pomodori e l'olio.

A (warm, send-off)Buona spesa, signora! A sabato prossimo!

B (departing cheerfully)Grazie! A presto!

'Due etti' = 200 grams. Un etto = 100 g — the standard unit for cheese and charcuterie at Italian markets.
'Tagliato fino' = sliced thin. You can also say 'tagliato spesso' (thick). Specifying this is normal and expected.
'Va bene lo stesso?' = Is it OK anyway? (when the weight is slightly over). The polite response is 'sì, va bene'.

Listening

How much prosciutto does Elena buy, and how does she want it sliced?
Show answers
Two etti (200 g), sliced thin (tagliato fino).
How much does the parmesan actually weigh, and how much over is it?
Show answers
210 grams — 10 grams over the requested 200 g.
What is the total price for both items?
Show answers
Eleven euros (undici euro): 4.80 for the prosciutto and 6.20 for the parmesan.

Pronunciation

Etto has a held double T: "ET-toh".
Gli sounds like English lli: aglio (garlic) = "AH-lyoh".
Sci/sce = English sh: prosciutto = "proh-SHOOT-toh".
Stress in vogliono is on the first syllable: "VO-lyo-no".

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
un chilo	a kilo	oon KEE-loh	1 kg.
mezzo chilo	half a kilo	MED-dzo KEE-loh	500 g.
un etto	100 grams	oon ET-toh	Standard for cheese, ham.
un litro	a litre	oon LEE-troh
un pezzo	a piece	oon PET-tso	For cheese, meat.
una fetta	a slice	OO-na FET-ta	For ham, salami.
il pomodoro	tomato	eel po-mo-DOH-ro
il pane	bread	eel PA-neh
l'olio	oil	LOL-yoh	L'olio d'oliva = olive oil.
il formaggio	cheese	eel for-MAJ-joh

You have already seen this

('Italian market vlogs on YouTube', 'Watch any Bologna or Palermo market video — the rapid back-and-forth is the rhythm to mimic.')
('Master of None Season 2 (Modena)', "Dev's market scenes feature exactly this kind of weight-based ordering.")
('Italian cooking shows', 'Antonio Carluccio used to walk markets and ask for due etti of every ingredient.')

Phrases

Vorrei due etti di prosciutto crudo.

vor-RAY DOO-eh ET-tee dee proh-SHOOT-toh KROO-do

I'd like 200 grams of prosciutto.

When to use. At any deli counter.

Why it works. Etti is the standard cured-meat / cheese measure. Crudo = raw (cured); cotto = cooked.

Mezzo chilo, per favore.
Un etto e mezzo.

— Cosa le do? — Vorrei due etti di prosciutto crudo.

Quanto costa al chilo?

KWAN-toh KO-sta al KEE-loh

How much per kilo?

When to use. At fruit stalls and butchers.

Why it works. Al chilo = per kilo. Always check before ordering — prices vary.

Quanto vengono?
A quanto sono?

— Quanto costa al chilo? — Sei euro al chilo.

Prendo questi pomodori.

PREN-do KWES-tee po-mo-DOH-ree

I'll take these tomatoes.

When to use. Pointing and confirming a choice.

Why it works. Prendo (from prendere, to take) is shorthand for 'I'll have'. Questi agrees with masc. plural.

Mi dia un chilo di questi.
Questi qui, grazie.

(Pointing.) — Prendo questi pomodori, mezzo chilo.

Watch out for

('Voglio cinque pomodori', 'Vorrei mezzo chilo di pomodori', 'Italians order produce by weight, not count.')
('Quanto è?', 'Quanto costa? / Quanto fa?', 'Quanto è sounds incomplete; use quanto costa or quanto fa.')
('Una pezza di formaggio', 'Un pezzo di formaggio', 'Pezzo (m.) is correct; pezza means rag/cloth.')
('Posso prendere...', 'Prendo... / Vorrei...', "Italian doesn't ask permission to buy what's for sale.")

Grammar

Title. Volere and prendere — wanting and taking

Explanation. Volere (to want) is irregular: voglio, vuoi, vuole, vogliamo, volete, vogliono. Prendere (to take) is a regular -ere verb: prendo, prendi, prende, prendiamo, prendete, prendono. The conditional vorrei (I would like) softens any request.

Formula. volere: voglio • vuoi • vuole • vogliamo • volete • vogliono | prendere: prendo • prendi • prende • prendiamo • prendete • prendono

Examples. [('Io voglio il caffè.', 'I want coffee.'), ('Tu vuoi qualcosa?', 'Do you want something?'), ('Prendo questo.', "I'll take this."), ('Lei prende il treno.', 'She takes the train.'), ('Vorrei un caffè.', "I'd like a coffee. (polite)")]

Culture

Title. Etti and chili — Italians measure by weight, not count.

Body. Italian shoppers ask for due etti di formaggio, not 'two pieces'. Markets, butchers, and delis all measure by weight. Knowing the measure system means you stop pointing and start ordering.

Takeaway. Practise etto (100g), mezzo chilo (500g), un chilo (1kg). Most cheese/ham orders fit between half-an-etto and three etti.

Takeaways

Italian shopping uses weight: etto, mezzo chilo, chilo.
Vorrei for politeness; prendo for confirming a choice.
Don't ask permission — just name what you want.
Volere is irregular; prendere is a regular -ere model verb.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Gap-fill: shopping vocabulary and quantity expressions

Fill each blank with one word or short phrase from this unit's vocabulary. The English gloss is your clue. Check the answer key.

Vorrei ____ di pane, per favore — quello fresco. (half a kilo)
Quante mele? — Un ____ di mele rosse, grazie. (kilo)
Compro il latte al ____. È più comodo del mercato. (supermarket)
Al mercato, ogni venditore sta dietro al suo ____. (stall / stand)
Vorrei ____ di latte intero, per favore. (half a litre)
Quanto ____? — Tre euro e cinquanta al chilo. (does it cost?)
Non ho spiccioli — posso pagare con la ____? (card / credit card)
Prendo anche due etti di prosciutto. Lo vuole ____ o a fette? (whole)

Exercise 2 — Transformation drill: quantity expressions with di

Rewrite each phrase using the correct quantity expression from this unit. The cue in brackets tells you what quantity to use. Remember: quantity + di + noun (no article after di).

Voglio del latte. [mezzo litro] → Voglio ____ latte.
Compro delle mele. [un chilo] → Compro ____ mele.
Prendo del prosciutto. [due etti] → Prendo ____ prosciutto.
Vorrei del pane. [mezzo chilo] → Vorrei ____ pane.
Ho bisogno di pomodori. [un chilo e mezzo] → Ho bisogno di ____ pomodori.

Exercise 3 — Error correction: classic English-speaker mistakes at the market

Each sentence has one mistake. Find it and write the corrected version.

Vorrei un chilo delle mele, per favore. (after a quantity + di, drop the article)
Quanto costa i pomodori? (verb-subject agreement — i pomodori is plural)
Compro ogni giorno al mercato io. (word order — subject pronoun in Italian usually comes after the verb or is dropped)
Ho mezzo litro di il latte. (di + il contracts to del — or drop article after quantity)
Vorrei due etti di prosciutto crudi. (adjective agrees with noun gender: prosciutto is masculine)

Exercise 4 — Production task: at the market stall

You are at a market stall in Bologna. The vendor (venditore) greets you. Write a 5–6 line exchange: ask for at least two items with specific quantities, ask the price of one item, and pay. Use vorrei, un chilo di, mezzo litro di, and quanto costa / costano.

Show answers

Quick check

Which sentence correctly asks for half a kilo of tomatoes?
- a) Vorrei mezzo chilo dei pomodori.
- b) Vorrei mezzo chilo di pomodori.
- c) Vorrei mezzo chilo pomodori.
- d) Vorrei dei mezzo chilo pomodori.
Answer
b) Vorrei mezzo chilo di pomodori. — After a quantity expression, Italian uses di + bare noun (no article). 'Mezzo chilo dei pomodori' is a very common English-speaker error.
You want to buy 200 grams of ham. What do you say?
- a) Vorrei due chili di prosciutto.
- b) Vorrei due etti di prosciutto.
- c) Vorrei mezzo litro di prosciutto.
- d) Vorrei due grammi di prosciutto.
Answer
b) Vorrei due etti di prosciutto. — An etto (100 g) is the standard Italian deli unit. Two etti = 200 g. You'll hear 'etti' constantly at salumerie and market stalls.
The vendor says 'Fanno tre euro e cinquanta.' What does fanno mean here?
- a) They make (as in, they produce).
- b) They cost / that comes to (total price).
- c) They are (description of the items).
- d) They want (the vendor wants money).
Answer
b) They cost / that comes to — Fare is used impersonally for totals at the till: 'Quanto fa?' (How much is it?) / 'Fanno cinque euro' (That's five euros). It's different from costare, which quotes the unit price.
Which is the correct question to ask the price of a single item (e.g. a loaf of bread)?
- a) Quanto costano il pane?
- b) Quanto costa il pane?
- c) Quanto fa i pane?
- d) Quanti costano il pane?
Answer
b) Quanto costa il pane? — Costa (3rd person singular) agrees with the singular il pane. Costano is plural (e.g. 'quanto costano le mele?'). Quanto is invariable — never quanti for price.
At an Italian market, vorrei is the polite way to ask for something. What tense/mood is it?
- a) Present tense of volere.
- b) Imperfect tense of volere.
- c) Conditional of volere (I would like).
- d) Subjunctive of volere.
Answer
c) Conditional of volere (I would like). — Vorrei is the conditional 1st-person singular of volere. Like 'I would like' in English, it is softer and more polite than voglio (I want). Use vorrei in all shop/restaurant situations.

Flashcards

un ettooon ET-tohnm

100 grams. The standard market unit for cheese, ham, and salami. Due etti = 200 g.

Due etti di prosciutto, per favore.

un chilooon KEE-lohnm

One kilogram (1,000 g). Un chilo e mezzo = 1.5 kg. Used for fruit, vegetables, and bulk goods.

Un chilo di pomodori, grazie.

una fettaOO-na FET-tanf

A slice. Used for ham, salami, bread, cake. Plural: fette. Una fetta di pane = a slice of bread.

Una fetta di prosciutto cotto, per favore.

il formaggioeel for-MAJ-johnm

Cheese (generic). Specific types: parmigiano, pecorino, mozzarella. 'Un pezzo di formaggio' = a chunk of cheese.

Vorrei un pezzo di formaggio stagionato.

l'olioLOL-yohnm

Oil. L'olio d'oliva = olive oil. Always specify the type — olio di semi (seed oil) is also common.

Un litro d'olio d'oliva extravergine.

il pomodoroeel po-mo-DOH-ronm

Tomato. Plural: i pomodori. A staple of Italian cooking — buy them at the market for the best flavour.

Due chili di pomodori maturi, grazie.

Quanto viene in tutto?KWAN-toh VYEH-neh een TOOT-tohphr

How much is it in total? The natural phrase at a market stall or deli counter.

Ho preso tre cose — quanto viene in tutto?

Up next

Number. 9

Title. In Città

Teaser. Getting around — directions, public transport, asking the way.

A1Unit 09

In Città

Asking the way without ending up in the wrong piazza.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

This unit covers city navigation: directions (left/right/straight), the verb andare (to go), and the preposition contractions that fuse Italian's most common phrases (al, allo, alla, dell', nel, sul). You'll be able to ask a stranger for directions and follow the answer.

The situation

Setting. A street corner in Naples, looking for the harbour.

What is happening. You stop a passer-by: 'Scusi, dov'è il porto?' She gestures and rapid-fires three turns. You need to follow.

Why. Italian street directions are gestured AND verbal. You need both to navigate.

Dialogue — Scusi, dov'è il porto?

Setting: A street corner in Naples. Chiara stops a local woman to ask directions to the harbour. The woman gestures and speaks quickly.

~90 seconds

A (polite, slightly lost)Scusi, signora — dov'è il porto?

B (helpful, fast Neapolitan pace)Il porto? Allora — vai sempre dritto per due isolati.

A (listening carefully)Sempre dritto, sì...

B (gesturing)Poi giri a sinistra alla piazza grande — quella con la fontana.

A (confirming)A sinistra alla piazza con la fontana.

B (continuing)Esatto! Poi ancora dritto, attraversa la strada e giri a destra.

A (slightly unsure)A destra dopo la piazza... e poi?

B (reassuring)E il porto è lì — lo vedi subito. Ci vogliono dieci minuti a piedi.

A (grateful)Grazie mille! È molto gentile.

B (warm, dismissive wave)Figurati! Buona passeggiata!

'Sempre dritto' = keep going straight. 'Sempre' here means 'keep' or 'continuously' — not 'always'.
Italian directions use the imperative: 'vai' (go), 'giri' (turn), 'attraversa' (cross). These are the tu imperative forms.
'Figurati!' = Don't mention it! / No problem! A very common, warm response to being thanked.

Listening

What landmark should Chiara look for when turning left?
Show answers
The large square with a fountain (la piazza grande con la fontana).
After the square, which direction does she turn?
Show answers
She turns right (a destra).
How long does the local say it takes on foot?
Show answers
About ten minutes (dieci minuti a piedi).

Pronunciation

Sc before i/e = English sh: scusi = "SKOO-zee". Wait — note: sc + u stays "sk".
Final -i in scusi is short and clear: "SKOO-zee", not drawn out.
Gli in biglietto (ticket): "beel-YET-toh".
Vado, vai, va have a clean v sound — Italians don't soften it.

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
a destra	on the right	a DES-tra
a sinistra	on the left	a see-NEES-tra
dritto / sempre dritto	straight ahead	DREET-toh	Sempre = always (used here as "keep going").
la piazza	the square	la PYAT-tsa
la strada / la via	the street	STRA-da / VEE-ah	Via goes before the street name.
la stazione	the station	la sta-TSYO-neh
la fermata	the stop	la fer-MA-ta	Bus or tram stop.
l'autobus	the bus	LOW-toh-boos	Plural: gli autobus.
il treno	the train	eel TREH-no
la metro	the underground	la MEH-tro	Short for metropolitana.

You have already seen this

('Italian GPS apps', 'Voice instructions: Tra 200 metri, gira a destra. Pure direction grammar.')
('Roman Holiday', "Audrey Hepburn's iconic scooter scene is one extended directions tutorial.")
('Italian commute vlogs', 'Daily vlogs of Milan commuters: Vado al lavoro in metro, scendo a Centrale.')

Phrases

Scusi, dov'è la stazione?

SKOO-zee, do-VEH la sta-TSYO-neh

Excuse me, where is the station?

When to use. Stopping a stranger to ask directions.

Why it works. Scusi is formal (Lei); use scusa with people your age. Dov'è = dove + è (where is).

Scusi, mi sa dire dov'è...? (more formal)
Scusa, sai dove sta...? (informal)

— Scusi, dov'è la stazione? — Sempre dritto, poi la prima a destra.

Vado al lavoro in metro.

VA-do al la-VOH-ro een MEH-tro

I go to work by metro.

When to use. Describing how you get somewhere.

Why it works. Andare + a / al / in for direction. In + transport = by transport (in metro, in autobus, in macchina, in treno).

Vado a piedi. (on foot)
Prendo l'autobus.

— Come vai al lavoro? — Vado al lavoro in metro.

Devo prendere il treno alle nove.

DEH-vo PREN-deh-reh eel TREH-no AL-leh NOH-veh

I have to catch the train at nine.

When to use. Stating a transit obligation.

Why it works. Devo (I have to, from dovere) + infinitive. Prendere il treno = to take the train (idiomatic).

Devo correre, il treno parte alle nove.
Ho il treno alle nove.

— Vieni con noi? — No, devo prendere il treno alle nove.

Watch out for

('Vado a il bar', 'Vado al bar', 'A + il always fuses to al. Never write them apart.')
('Prendo bus', "Prendo l'autobus", "Italian keeps the article: l'autobus, il treno, la metro.")
('Where station?', "Dov'è la stazione?", "Italian needs a verb: dov'è = where is.")
('Vado in piedi', 'Vado a piedi', 'On foot uses a piedi, not in.')

Grammar

Title. Andare + preposition contractions

Explanation. Andare (to go) is irregular: vado, vai, va, andiamo, andate, vanno. Its preposition pairs with the article: a + il = al, a + la = alla, a + lo = allo, a + l' = all', in + il = nel, in + la = nella. Italian fuses these — never write them apart.

Formula. andare: vado • vai • va • andiamo • andate • vanno | contractions: al/allo/alla/all' (a+article) • nel/nello/nella/nell' (in+article)

Examples. [('Vado al bar.', 'I go to the bar.'), ('Vai allo stadio?', 'Are you going to the stadium?'), ('Andiamo alla stazione.', 'We go to the station.'), ('La chiave è nel cassetto.', 'The key is in the drawer.'), ("Il libro è sull'tavolo.", 'The book is on the table.')]

Culture

Title. Italians gesture more than they speak — directions especially.

Body. Asking directions in Italy means watching the hands as much as listening. Sempre dritto (straight ahead) is often delivered with a stiff palm pushed forward; la prima a destra with a snap of the wrist. The verbal part may be condensed because gesture carries half the meaning.

Takeaway. Don't just listen — watch. The hands show you the route.

Takeaways

Andare is irregular: vado, vai, va, andiamo, andate, vanno.
Preposition contractions are mandatory: al, allo, alla, dell', nel, sul.
Scusi formal, scusa informal — for stopping strangers.
Watch the gesture as much as the words.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Gap-fill: city landmarks and location vocabulary

Fill each blank with one word or short phrase from this unit's vocabulary. The English gloss is your clue.

____ una farmacia vicino alla piazza? Sì, è proprio qui a destra. (Is there...)
La stazione è ____ alla fine di questa strada. (at the end of — use 'in fondo a')
Il museo ____ di fronte alla chiesa. Non puoi sbagliare. (is — 3rd person singular)
Per andare in centro, ____ sempre dritto fino al semaforo. (go — informal imperative)
La banca è ____ all'angolo, vicino al bar. (right there)
____ molti ristoranti in questa via — almeno dieci. (There are...)
Gira a ____ al primo incrocio, poi la trovi subito. (left)
L'ufficio postale è ____ al supermercato. (next to / near)

Exercise 2 — Transformation drill: c'è → ci sono and back

Rewrite each sentence, changing singular to plural or plural to singular as indicated. Adjust c'è / ci sono and the noun accordingly.

C'è un bar vicino alla stazione. [make plural] → ____ (bars)
Ci sono due farmacie in questa piazza. [make singular] → ____ (one pharmacy)
C'è un museo bellissimo in centro. [make plural] → ____ (two museums)
Ci sono molti negozi in via Roma. [make singular] → ____ (one shop)
C'è una banca all'angolo. [make plural] → ____ (three banks)

Exercise 3 — Error correction: prepositions and direction phrases

Each sentence has one mistake typical of English speakers. Find it and write the corrected version.

La chiesa è in fronte al museo. (preposition: the correct phrase uses 'di fronte a')
Vai sempre recto fino al semaforo. (Italian for 'straight on' is 'dritto', not a Latin/French form)
Ci sono un bel parco vicino alla scuola. (c'è vs ci sono — check singular/plural)
La stazione è al fine di via Garibaldi. ('at the end of' is 'in fondo a', not 'al fine di')
Per favore, dove è la fermata dell'autobus? (dove + essere: the contracted question form is 'dov'è')

Exercise 4 — Production task: giving directions in town

A tourist stops you on the street in Florence and asks how to get to the station (la stazione). Write a 5–6 line exchange. Include at least two prepositions of place (vicino a, di fronte a, in fondo a), one use of c'è or ci sono, and clear direction instructions (vai dritto, gira a destra/sinistra).

Show answers

Quick check

Which sentence correctly says 'There is a pharmacy near the square'?
- a) Ci sono una farmacia vicino alla piazza.
- b) C'è una farmacia vicino alla piazza.
- c) C'è una farmacia vicino a la piazza.
- d) È una farmacia vicino alla piazza.
Answer
b) C'è una farmacia vicino alla piazza. — C'è (there is) is used with a singular noun. Vicino a + la contracts to vicino alla. Option a uses ci sono (plural) with a singular noun, which is wrong.
How do you say 'The museum is opposite the church' in Italian?
- a) Il museo è in fronte alla chiesa.
- b) Il museo è contro la chiesa.
- c) Il museo è di fronte alla chiesa.
- d) Il museo è davanti di la chiesa.
Answer
c) Il museo è di fronte alla chiesa. — The fixed phrase is di fronte a (with the di). 'In fronte a' does not exist in standard Italian. Davanti a also works but means 'in front of' rather than 'opposite'.
A local tells you: 'Vai dritto, poi gira a sinistra al semaforo.' What should you do?
- a) Turn right at the traffic lights.
- b) Go straight, then turn left at the traffic lights.
- c) Turn left, then go straight to the traffic lights.
- d) Go straight past the traffic lights and then turn.
Answer
b) Go straight, then turn left at the traffic lights. — Vai dritto = go straight; gira a sinistra = turn left; al semaforo = at the traffic lights. The order of the instructions matches the order of the actions.
Which question form is correct Italian for 'Where is the post office?'
- a) Dove è l'ufficio postale?
- b) Dov'è l'ufficio postale?
- c) Dove l'ufficio postale è?
- d) Dov'è il ufficio postale?
Answer
b) Dov'è l'ufficio postale? — Dove + è always contracts to dov'è (elision). The article ufficio takes l' because it starts with a vowel. Word order is dov'è + noun, not noun + è.
You ask for the train station and someone says 'È in fondo a via Roma.' What does this mean?
- a) It is at the beginning of via Roma.
- b) It is in the middle of via Roma.
- c) It is at the far end of via Roma.
- d) It is off via Roma, to the left.
Answer
c) It is at the far end of via Roma. — In fondo a means 'at the bottom/end of'. You'll also hear it about queues (in fondo alla coda = at the back of the queue) and stairs (in fondo alle scale = at the bottom of the stairs).

Flashcards

sempre drittoSEM-preh DREET-tohphr

Straight ahead / keep going straight. 'Sempre' in directions means 'continue' rather than 'always'.

Va sempre dritto fino al semaforo.

a sinistra / a destraa see-NEES-tra / a DES-traphr

On the left / on the right. Essential direction pair. Remember: sinistra has an 'i' like 'it's the other one'.

Giri a sinistra alla piazza, poi a destra.

la piazzala PYAT-tsanf

The square. Every Italian town has one — the social and navigational centre of Italian street life.

Ci troviamo in piazza alle sei.

la stazionela sta-TSYO-nehnf

The (train/bus) station. La stazione ferroviaria = train station. La stazione degli autobus = bus station.

La stazione è a cinque minuti a piedi.

la fermatala fer-MA-tanf

The (bus/tram/metro) stop. La fermata dell'autobus = bus stop. La fermata della metro = metro stop.

La fermata del tram è qui vicino.

ScusiSKOO-zeephr

Excuse me (formal). Used to stop a stranger for directions or in any public context. Informal: Scusa.

Scusi, dov'è la stazione più vicina?

a piedia PYEH-deephr

On foot / walking. 'Cinque minuti a piedi' = five minutes' walk. Very useful when asking about distances.

Il mercato è a dieci minuti a piedi.

Up next

Number. 10

Title. Meteo e Stagioni

Teaser. Weather, seasons, and Italian small talk that goes deeper than 'nice day'.

A1Unit 10

Meteo e Stagioni

Italian small talk runs on weather. Yours should too.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

Italians don't just say 'it's hot' — they say fa caldo (it makes hot). The verb fare (to do/make) powers most weather expressions, and the seasons each carry cultural shorthand. By the end of this unit, you can describe today's weather, ask a forecast, and complain about August like a local.

The situation

Setting. A train conversation between Bologna and Florence in mid-July.

What is happening. An older woman across from you opens with che caldo, eh? — and expects a real answer.

Why. Italian weather small talk demands engagement, not platitudes. 'Yes' isn't enough; you need a follow-up.

Dialogue — Che caldo, eh?

Setting: A Frecciarossa train between Bologna and Florence in mid-July. An elderly woman (Signora Ferretti) opens a conversation with the passenger beside her.

~90 seconds

A (conversational, warm)Che caldo oggi, eh? Non si respira!

B (engaged, agreeing)Sì, davvero! A Bologna stamattina c'erano trentotto gradi.

A (animated)Terribile! E l'estate scorsa era ancora peggio. Ricorda?

B (nodding)Sì — quaranta gradi per due settimane. Preferisco l'autunno, sinceramente.

A (surprised, curious)L'autunno? Ma è così grigio! Io adoro il sole.

B (explaining)Sì, ma in autunno c'è un po' di fresco, niente vento forte, e i colori sono bellissimi.

A (conceding, amused)Beh, ha ragione sui colori. Ma preferisco la primavera io — né troppo caldo né troppo freddo.

B (laughing)Anche la primavera è bella! Ma qui in Toscana piove sempre ad aprile.

A (resigned)È vero. Guarda fuori — si vede già Firenze. Che bella vista anche con questo caldo!

'Che caldo!' = How hot it is! Italian uses 'che + noun/adj' for exclamations. 'Che bello!' (How lovely!), 'Che freddo!' (So cold!).
Weather uses impersonal constructions: 'c'erano 38 gradi' (it was 38 degrees), not 'era 38 gradi'.
Signora Ferretti uses 'Lei' (the formal you) with the passenger: 'ha ragione' = you are right (formal).

Listening

What was the temperature in Bologna that morning?
Show answers
38 degrees (trentotto gradi).
Which season does the passenger prefer, and why?
Show answers
Autumn (l'autunno) — because it is cool, not too windy, and the colours are beautiful.
What does Signora Ferretti say about spring in Tuscany?
Show answers
She says it always rains in April (piove sempre ad aprile).

Pronunciation

Gg in oggi (today), pioggia (rain) is held: "OJ-jee", "PYOJ-jah".
Gn in ognuno, signora = English ny.
Stress in nevica is on the first syllable: "NEH-vee-kah".
Que / qui = "kweh / kwee": quattro, questo.

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
il sole	the sun	eel SO-leh
la pioggia	the rain	la PYOJ-jah
la neve	the snow	la NEH-veh
il vento	the wind	eel VEN-toh
caldo / freddo	hot / cold	KAL-do / FRED-do
l'estate	summer	leh-STA-teh	Feminine.
l'autunno	autumn	low-TOON-no	Masculine.
l'inverno	winter	leen-VER-no
la primavera	spring	la pree-ma-VEH-ra
il tempo	the weather / time	eel TEM-po	Same word for both.

You have already seen this

('Italian weather forecasts', 'Domani avremo sole sulle regioni del nord, pioggia al sud.')
('Eat Pray Love (Rome scenes)', 'Liz comments on the heat constantly: fa così caldo.')
('Italian summer reels', 'TikTokers film the August empty cities and overlay chiuso per ferie signs.')

Phrases

Che tempo fa oggi?

keh TEM-po FA OJ-jee

What's the weather like today?

When to use. Opening any weather conversation.

Why it works. Italian doesn't say 'how is the weather'. It says 'what weather is it doing?' — verb fare.

Com'è il tempo?
Com'è la giornata?

— Che tempo fa oggi? — Fa caldo, c'è il sole.

Fa molto caldo, vero?

FA MOL-toh KAL-do, VEH-ro

It's really hot, isn't it?

When to use. Inviting agreement on weather small talk.

Why it works. Vero? at the end is the all-purpose question tag — like English 'isn't it?' or 'right?'.

Che caldo, eh?
Si muore di caldo. (One is dying of heat — Italian dramatic register.)

— Fa molto caldo, vero? — Sì, oggi 38 gradi.

Domani piove?

do-MA-nee PYO-veh

Will it rain tomorrow?

When to use. Checking a forecast informally.

Why it works. Piove (it rains) — present tense doubles for near-future in casual speech. Italian doesn't always need domani in a separate future tense.

Pioverà domani? (true future tense)
Che tempo farà? (what weather will it do?)

— Domani piove? — Sembra di sì, prendi l'ombrello.

Watch out for

('È caldo', 'Fa caldo', 'Weather uses fare, not essere. È caldo means a thing or person is hot.')
('Piovere oggi', 'Oggi piove', 'Italian conjugates: piove (it rains), not the bare infinitive.')
('In la mattina', 'Di mattina / la mattina', 'Time-of-day uses di or bare definite article: di mattina, di sera, la sera.')
('È freddo fuori', 'Fa freddo fuori', 'Same trap: weather verb is fare.')

Grammar

Title. Fare + weather: 'making' the weather, not 'being' it

Explanation. Italian uses fare (to do/make) for most weather: fa caldo, fa freddo, fa bel tempo, fa brutto tempo. For specific phenomena (sun, wind, fog), use c'è (there is): c'è il sole, c'è vento, c'è nebbia. Verbs of falling weather (rain, snow) work on their own: piove, nevica.

Formula. fare + weather: fa caldo / freddo / bel tempo / brutto | c'è + noun: c'è il sole / il vento / la nebbia | solo verbo: piove / nevica

Examples. [('Fa caldo.', "It's hot."), ('Fa freddo.', "It's cold."), ("C'è il sole.", "It's sunny. (lit. there is the sun)"), ('Piove.', "It's raining."), ('Nevica.', "It's snowing.")]

Culture

Title. August empties Italian cities. Don't fight it.

Body. Italy shuts down in August. Beach towns explode; cities empty; many shops close for two to four weeks. Ferragosto (August 15) is the peak. Restaurants and small businesses post chiuso per ferie (closed for holidays) signs. Trying to do business in mid-August is a losing battle.

Takeaway. Plan around August. Italians do, and so should you.

Takeaways

Weather uses fare, not essere: fa caldo, fa freddo.
Sun, wind, fog use c'è: c'è il sole, c'è nebbia.
Rain, snow conjugate alone: piove, nevica.
Italy's August shutdown is real. Plan accordingly.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Gap-fill: weather expressions and seasons

Fill each blank with one word or short phrase from this unit's vocabulary. The English gloss is your clue.

In estate ____ molto caldo in Sicilia — anche 40 gradi! (it is / makes — weather expression)
Guarda fuori! ____! Prendi l'ombrello. (It's raining!)
In inverno ____ spesso in montagna. Adoro sciare. (it snows)
Che bel tempo! ____ il sole e il cielo è azzurro. (There is — with il sole)
In primavera ____ spesso, ma poi torna il sole. (it's windy / there is wind — c'è...)
Non mi piace l'____: fa freddo e le giornate sono corte. (autumn)
Che tempo ____? — Guarda fuori — è nuvoloso. (is it? — common question)
D'____ vado sempre al mare con la mia famiglia. (in summer — use 'd'estate')

Exercise 2 — Transformation drill: fa / c'è / piove / nevica

Rewrite each sentence using the correct Italian weather expression for the English cue in brackets. Pay attention to which construction to use: fa + adjective, c'è + noun, or an impersonal verb.

Oggi [it is cold]. → ____
Ieri [it was sunny]. → ____ (imperfect: c'era...)
In inverno [it snows a lot here]. → ____
Domani [there will be wind]. → ____ (future: ci sarà...)
D'estate [it is very hot in Rome]. → ____

Exercise 3 — Error correction: weather expression mistakes

Each sentence has one mistake. Find it and write the corrected version.

Oggi è molto caldo — trenta gradi! (weather 'it is hot' uses fa, not è)
C'è piove fuori. Non usciamo. (piove is an impersonal verb — it does not combine with c'è)
In il inverno fa sempre freddo qui. (seasons: Italian uses 'in inverno' without article)
Che tempo è oggi? — Fa nuvoloso. (nuvoloso uses 'è' not 'fa' — è nuvoloso)
Mi piaccio la primavera perché è fresca. (piacere: 'I like spring' = mi piace la primavera)

Exercise 4 — Production task: talking about the weather and your favourite season

Your Italian pen pal Giulia asks about the weather where you live and your favourite season. Write a 5–6 line exchange. Use at least two different weather constructions (fa caldo/freddo, c'è il sole/vento, piove, nevica), mention two seasons, and say why you prefer one over the other.

Show answers

Quick check

Which sentence correctly says 'It is hot today'?
- a) È caldo oggi.
- b) Fa caldo oggi.
- c) C'è caldo oggi.
- d) Ha caldo oggi.
Answer
b) Fa caldo oggi. — Italian uses fare (fa) for temperature-based weather: fa caldo, fa freddo, fa fresco. 'È caldo' can describe an object being hot (il caffè è caldo), but for ambient temperature you need fa caldo.
How do you say 'It's windy' in Italian?
- a) Fa vento.
- b) C'è vento.
- c) Venta.
- d) Both a) and b) are correct.
Answer
d) Both a) and b) are correct. — Both fa vento and c'è vento are widely used and both are correct. C'è also works for sun (c'è il sole), fog (c'è la nebbia), and cloud (c'è le nuvole).
You hear a weather forecast: 'Domani pioverà.' What does this mean?
- a) It rained yesterday.
- b) It is raining now.
- c) It will rain tomorrow.
- d) It might rain later.
Answer
c) It will rain tomorrow. — Pioverà is the future tense of piovere (to rain). Piove = it's raining (present); pioveva = it was raining (imperfect); pioverà = it will rain (future).
Which is the correct Italian for 'I like spring because it is not too cold'?
- a) Mi piaccio la primavera perché non fa troppo freddo.
- b) Mi piace la primavera perché non fa troppo freddo.
- c) Mi piace primavera perché non è troppo freddo.
- d) Mi piace la primavera perché non è troppo fa freddo.
Answer
b) Mi piace la primavera perché non fa troppo freddo. — Mi piace (not piaccio) is used with a singular noun. La primavera needs the article. Fa freddo is the correct weather construction.
In Italy, which season is referred to as l'autunno?
- a) Spring
- b) Summer
- c) Autumn / Fall
- d) Winter
Answer
c) Autumn / Fall. — The four seasons: la primavera (spring), l'estate (summer, feminine), l'autunno (autumn, masculine), l'inverno (winter, masculine). Estate and autunno both take the elided article l'.

Flashcards

Che caldo!keh KAL-dohphr

How hot it is! Italian weather exclamations use 'che + noun': Che freddo! (So cold!), Che vento! (So windy!).

Che caldo oggi! Ho bisogno di un gelato.

l'estateleh-STA-tehnf

Summer (feminine). In estate = in summer. L'estate scorsa = last summer.

In estate fa molto caldo in Sicilia.

l'autunnolow-TOON-nonm

Autumn (masculine). In autunno = in autumn. Italian seasons do not take a capital letter.

In autunno i boschi sono bellissimi.

la primaverala pree-ma-VEH-ranf

Spring (feminine). In primavera = in spring. Associated with flowers and mild weather.

In primavera fa bello ma piove spesso.

l'invernoleen-VER-nonm

Winter (masculine). In inverno = in winter. D'inverno can also be used informally.

In inverno nevica spesso sulle Alpi.

il ventoeel VEN-tohnm

The wind. C'è vento = it's windy. Tira vento is also common. Vento forte = strong wind.

Oggi c'è molto vento — porta una giacca.

il tempoeel TEM-ponm

The weather / the time. Context determines meaning. 'Che tempo fa?' = What's the weather like?

Che tempo fa oggi a Milano?

Up next

Number. 11

Title. I Vestiti

Teaser. Clothes — colours, sizes, the fashion vocabulary that Italians take seriously.

A1Unit 11

I Vestiti

Italians dress carefully. So should your vocabulary.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

Italian fashion vocabulary covers garments (camicia, pantaloni, vestito), colours (rosso, blu, verde), and sizes (piccolo, medio, grande). This unit also introduces the verb portare (to wear) and the demonstratives questo / quello for shopping situations.

The situation

Setting. A clothing boutique in Florence on a Saturday afternoon.

What is happening. You're trying on a jacket. The shop assistant asks if you want to see other colours.

Why. Italian shops engage you. You won't get left alone to browse — you'll need to converse.

Dialogue — La giacca blu

Setting: A clothing boutique in Florence on a Saturday afternoon. Alessandro is trying on a jacket and the shop assistant Chiara engages him.

~90 seconds

A (welcoming, professional)Buongiorno! Posso aiutarla?

B (browsing, slightly uncertain)Sì, grazie. Sto cercando una giacca — qualcosa di elegante ma non troppo formale.

A (helpful, showing options)Questa giacca blu è perfetta — linea classica ma moderna. Che taglia porta?

B (checking label)Di solito la quarantadue. Posso provarla?

A (guiding to fitting room)Certo! Il camerino è in fondo a destra.

B (returning from fitting room)Hmm — è un po' stretta sulle spalle. Avete la quarantaquattro?

A (checking stock)Sì, ce l'abbiamo. E la abbiamo anche in nero e in verde.

B (considering)Il nero mi piace di più. Posso provare quello?

A (fetching it)Ecco la quarantaquattro nera. La vestibilità è identica.

B (pleased, decided)Perfetta! La prendo. Quanto costa?

A (smiling)Centoventi euro. Paga in contanti o con carta?

'Che taglia porta?' = What size do you take? Taglia is for clothing; misura is used for shoes.
The fitting room is 'il camerino' (not 'il bagno'). Asking 'Posso provarla?' (Can I try it on?) is standard.
'Mi piace di più' = I like it more / I prefer it. Mi piace (I like it) is a key verb — it literally means 'it pleases me'.

Listening

What is Alessandro looking for, and what does he say about the style?
Show answers
He wants a jacket — elegant but not too formal (elegante ma non troppo formale).
What is wrong with the first jacket he tries on?
Show answers
It is a bit tight across the shoulders (stretta sulle spalle).
Which colour does he end up choosing?
Show answers
Black (nero) — he says he likes it more (mi piace di più).

Pronunciation

Gli in maglietta, taglia: held l-y sound.
Cc in giacca: hard double k: "JAK-ka".
Sc + i/e = sh: scarpe wait — sc + a stays "sk". Scarpe = "SKAR-peh". Sciarpa (scarf) = "SHAR-pah".
Italian r is rolled — practice with provare, portare.

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
la camicia	the shirt	la ka-MEE-cha	Plural: le camicie.
la maglietta	the t-shirt	la mal-YET-ta
i pantaloni	the trousers	ee pan-ta-LO-nee	Always plural in Italian.
la giacca	the jacket	la JAK-ka
le scarpe	shoes	leh SKAR-peh	Always plural.
rosso / nero	red / black	ROS-so / NEH-ro
blu / verde	blue / green	BLOO / VER-deh	Blu is invariable.
bianco / giallo	white / yellow	BYAN-ko / JAL-lo
la taglia	the size	la TAL-yah	Note: misura for shoes only.
portare	to wear / to carry	por-TA-reh	Same verb for both meanings.

You have already seen this

('Italian fashion week reels', "Milan Fashion Week posts: la sfilata, il modello, l'abito.")
('Roman Holiday shopping scene', 'Audrey shops on Via Condotti — period-perfect Italian shopping interaction.')
("Italian grandmothers' tailoring videos", "Questa giacca è bellissima, ma ti sta un po' lunga.")

Phrases

Che taglia porta?

keh TAL-yah POR-ta

What size do you wear?

When to use. Asked by shop assistants.

Why it works. Portare covers both 'wear' and 'carry'. Taglia is for clothes; misura for shoes.

Che misura ha? (for shoes)
Quale taglia indossa? (more formal)

— Che taglia porta? — La 42, grazie.

Posso provarlo?

POS-so pro-VAR-lo

Can I try it on?

When to use. Pointing at a garment to try.

Why it works. Lo is the masculine direct-object pronoun attached to the infinitive. For feminine items: posso provarla?

Posso provarli? (masc. pl.)
Lo posso provare? (pronoun before verb — also correct)

— Posso provarlo? — Certo, il camerino è là.

Lo prendo, grazie.

lo PREN-do, GRA-tsyeh

I'll take it, thanks.

When to use. Confirming a purchase.

Why it works. Lo = it (masc. sing. direct object). La prendo for fem. items, li prendo for masc. pl., le prendo for fem. pl.

Lo compro. (I'll buy it.)
Mi piace, lo prendo.

— Allora? — Lo prendo, grazie.

Watch out for

('Voglio camicia', 'Vorrei una camicia', 'Drop the article and you sound like a phrasebook robot.')
('Sono un large', 'Porto una taglia 44 / sono una M', 'Italians use numerical sizes (40, 42, 44...) more than S/M/L.')
('Pantalone (singular)', 'Pantaloni (plural)', "Trousers are plural in Italian, like English 'pants'.")
('Misura blu', 'Taglia 42', 'Misura is for shoes; taglia for clothes.')

Grammar

Title. Direct-object pronouns: lo / la / li / le

Explanation. Italian replaces things with pronouns that match gender and number. Lo (m. sing.), la (f. sing.), li (m. pl.), le (f. pl.). Place them BEFORE the conjugated verb (lo prendo) or attached to the infinitive (posso provarlo). Learners default to repeating the noun; Italians replace it.

Formula. masc. sing. = lo • fem. sing. = la • masc. pl. = li • fem. pl. = le | prima del verbo: lo prendo • dopo l'infinitivo: provarlo

Examples. [('Lo compro.', 'I buy it. (m.)'), ('La vedo.', 'I see her/it. (f.)'), ('Li prendo.', 'I take them. (m.)'), ('Le conosco.', 'I know them. (f.)'), ('Posso prenderlo?', 'May I take it?')]

Culture

Title. Italians never wear flip-flops to dinner. Or shorts to church.

Body. Italian dress codes are stricter than they look. Restaurants outside seaside towns expect you in long trousers; flip-flops are beachwear only. Churches refuse entry without covered shoulders and knees. Bella figura (cutting a fine figure) is real social currency — Italians notice what you wear and adjust accordingly.

Takeaway. When in doubt, dress one notch up. Long trousers, closed shoes, no athletic gear at dinner.

Takeaways

Direct-object pronouns (lo, la, li, le) replace things — use them.
Taglia for clothes; misura for shoes.
Pantaloni is plural in Italian.
Italians notice what you wear. Bella figura is real.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Gap-fill: clothing vocabulary and colours

Fill each blank with one word or short phrase from this unit's vocabulary. The English gloss is your clue.

Porto una camicia ____ e dei pantaloni neri al lavoro. (white — agrees with 'camicia', feminine)
____ scarpe sono bellissime! Dove le hai comprate? (These — feminine plural)
Ho bisogno di un nuovo ____. Fa molto freddo fuori. (coat)
Mi piace questa gonna, ma non ho la taglia ____. Ce l'avete più grande? (right / correct)
Quella giacca ____ costa troppo. Ne cerco una più economica. (green — agrees with 'giacca', feminine)
____ stivali sono in saldo — meno trenta per cento. (These — masculine plural)
Mi serve una cintura ____. Avete qualcosa in cuoio? (brown — agrees with 'cintura', feminine)
Che taglia porta? — Porto la ____ media. (size — the noun)

Exercise 2 — Transformation drill: colour adjective agreement

Rewrite each phrase making the colour adjective agree with the noun in gender and number. The base colour is given in brackets. Remember: some colours are invariable (e.g. blu, rosa, beige).

La gonna [rosso] → La gonna ____ (feminine singular)
I pantaloni [nero] → I pantaloni ____ (masculine plural)
Le scarpe [bianco] → Le scarpe ____ (feminine plural)
Il cappotto [verde] → Il cappotto ____ (masculine singular — verde is invariable by gender)
Le borse [blu] → Le borse ____ (feminine plural — blu is invariable)

Exercise 3 — Error correction: adjective agreement with clothes

Each sentence has one mistake. Find it and write the corrected version.

Questi scarpe sono troppo strette. (scarpe is feminine plural — check the demonstrative)
Ho una gonna verde e una camicia rosso. (camicia is feminine — colour must agree)
Questo cappotto è bellissimo. Lo prendo. (this is correct — the real error is in: 'Questi cappotti sono bellissimi. Le prendo.' — cappotti is masculine plural so 'le' is wrong)
Quella stivali costano troppo per me. (stivali is masculine plural — use the correct demonstrative)
Porto un vestito rossa al matrimonio. (vestito is masculine — colour must agree: rosso)

Exercise 4 — Production task: shopping for clothes

You are in a clothing shop in Milan. The shop assistant (commessa) greets you. Write a 5–6 line exchange: ask about a specific item, say what colour and size you want, try it on, and decide whether to buy it. Use questo/questa/questi/queste at least once and a colour adjective that agrees with its noun.

Show answers

Quick check

Which sentence correctly says 'These shoes are beautiful'?
- a) Questo scarpe sono bellissime.
- b) Questi scarpe sono bellissime.
- c) Queste scarpe sono bellissime.
- d) Questa scarpe sono bellissime.
Answer
c) Queste scarpe sono bellissime. — Scarpe is feminine plural, so the demonstrative must also be feminine plural: queste. Questo (masc. sg.), questa (fem. sg.), questi (masc. pl.), queste (fem. pl.).
How do you say 'a red dress' in Italian? (vestito = dress, masculine)
- a) Un vestito rossa.
- b) Un vestito rosso.
- c) Una vestito rosso.
- d) Un vestiti rosso.
Answer
b) Un vestito rosso. — Vestito is masculine singular, so the article is un and the adjective is rosso (masculine singular). Rossa would be used with a feminine noun (e.g. una gonna rossa).
Which colour is invariable in Italian — meaning it never changes its ending for gender or number?
- a) rosso
- b) bianco
- c) blu
- d) verde
Answer
c) blu — Blu never changes: una borsa blu, dei pantaloni blu. Other invariable colours include rosa and beige. Rosso, bianco change fully (rosso/rossa/rossi/rosse). Verde changes only for number (verde/verdi), not gender.
In an Italian shop, a commessa asks 'Che taglia porta?' What is she asking?
- a) What colour do you prefer?
- b) What size do you take?
- c) How much do you want to spend?
- d) How tall are you?
Answer
b) What size do you take? — Taglia means clothing size. Italian clothing sizes follow the European system (38, 40, 42…). Portare here means 'to wear/take' a size, not 'to carry'.
You want to say 'I'll take this jacket.' Which sentence is correct?
- a) Prendo questa giacca.
- b) Prendo questo giacca.
- c) Prendo questi giacca.
- d) Prendo queste giacca.
Answer
a) Prendo questa giacca. — Giacca is feminine singular, so the demonstrative is questa. Prendo (I take/I'll take) is the natural way to say you're buying something in an Italian shop.

Flashcards

la giaccala JAK-kanf

Jacket / blazer. La giacca di pelle = leather jacket. La giacca elegante = smart jacket.

Questa giacca nera è molto elegante.

la tagliala TAL-yahnf

Clothing size. 'Che taglia porta?' = What size do you take? For shoes, use misura instead.

Porto la taglia quarantadue.

i pantaloniee pan-ta-LO-neenm

Trousers. Always plural in Italian — you cannot say 'un pantalone'. Un paio di pantaloni = a pair of trousers.

Questi pantaloni sono troppo lunghi.

le scarpeleh SKAR-pehnf

Shoes. Always plural. Un paio di scarpe = a pair of shoes. La misura = shoe size.

Che misura porta per le scarpe?

portarepor-TA-rehv

To wear / to carry. Same verb for both meanings — context clarifies. 'Cosa porti oggi?' = What are you wearing today?

Porto sempre una giacca in ufficio.

blu / verdeBLOO / VER-dehadj

Blue / green. Blu is invariable (never changes form). Verde changes for plural: verdi.

Ho una camicia blu e una verde.

Posso provarla?POS-so pro-VAR-laphr

Can I try it on? Essential shopping phrase. 'La' refers to a feminine item (la giacca); use 'lo' for masculine.

Questa camicia mi piace. Posso provarla?

Up next

Number. 12

Title. Il Corpo e Stare Bene

Teaser. Body parts, feeling well, expressing how you feel — plus the verb stare and its idioms.

A1Unit 12

Il Corpo e Stare Bene

How are you, really? Italian goes beyond bene.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

This unit covers body parts (testa, mano, gamba), the verb stare (to be / feel), and the idioms for not-feeling-great (sto male, ho mal di testa, mi fa male). It rounds out A1 by giving you the vocabulary to actually answer come stai? with detail.

The situation

Setting. A pharmacy in Rome on a Monday morning.

What is happening. You have a headache after a flight. You explain to the pharmacist what hurts and ask for something for it.

Why. Italian pharmacies double as walk-in clinics. Knowing the body words and pain idioms unlocks them.

Dialogue — Mal di testa in farmacia

Setting: A pharmacy in Rome on a Monday morning. Sofia has a headache after a long flight and explains her symptoms to the pharmacist.

~90 seconds

A (professional, attentive)Buongiorno. Come posso aiutarla?

B (tired, slightly uncomfortable)Buongiorno. Ho un forte mal di testa — da stamattina.

A (probing gently)Ha anche la febbre o solo il mal di testa?

B (considering)Solo il mal di testa. E un po' di dolore agli occhi.

A (nodding, diagnosing)Forse è stanchezza o disidratazione. Quanta acqua ha bevuto oggi?

B (admitting)Pochissima. Sono arrivata stamattina con un volo notturno.

A (advising)Capisco. Le do un analgesico — e beva molta acqua. Riposi oggi se può.

B (asking)Serve la ricetta?

A (reassuring)No, no — è senza ricetta. Ecco — due compresse ogni otto ore.

B (relieved, grateful)Grazie mille. Quanto costano?

A (warm)Cinque e novanta. Si rimetta presto!

'Ho mal di testa' = I have a headache. Use this pattern: mal di + body part. Mal di stomaco (stomach ache), mal di gola (sore throat).
Italian pharmacists (farmacisti) are qualified to advise on minor ailments and dispense many medications without a prescription.
'Si rimetta presto!' = Get well soon! (formal). To a friend: 'Rimettiti presto!'

Listening

Besides the headache, what other symptom does Sofia mention?
Show answers
Pain in her eyes (un po' di dolore agli occhi).
What does the pharmacist suggest is the likely cause?
Show answers
Tiredness or dehydration (stanchezza o disidratazione) — she arrived on a night flight.
What are the instructions for taking the medication?
Show answers
Two tablets every eight hours (due compresse ogni otto ore).

Pronunciation

Cc + i/e = soft ch: occhio = "OK-kyo". Wait — cch stays hard: "OK-kyo".
Double consonants in stomaco, braccio, occhio — hold the doubled letter.
Z in grazie: "GRA-tsyeh".
Stress in STOmaco is on the first syllable, irregular for a 3-syllable word.

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
la testa	the head	la TES-tah
la mano	the hand	la MA-no	Plural: le mani (irreg.).
il braccio	the arm	eel BRAT-cho	Plural: le braccia (irreg.).
la gamba	the leg	la GAM-ba
il piede	the foot	eel PYEH-deh
lo stomaco	the stomach	lo STO-ma-ko
il dente	the tooth	eel DEN-teh
l'occhio	the eye	LOK-kyo	Plural: gli occhi.
stare bene / male	to feel good / bad	STA-reh BEH-neh / MA-leh	Stare = to be in a state.
mal di testa	headache	mal dee TES-tah	Mal di stomaco, mal di gola.

You have already seen this

('Italian pharmacy reels', 'Tutorials of Italian pharmacy interactions: Mi fa male qui, ho mal di gola, ho la febbre.')
('Italian medical drama (DOC — Nelle tue mani)', 'Patients describe symptoms in textbook A1 grammar: mi fa male, sto male.')
('La Vita è Bella', "Roberto Benigni's character uses sto bene repeatedly to reassure his son.")

Phrases

Sto bene, grazie. E tu?

sto BEH-neh, GRA-tsyeh. eh TOO

I'm well, thanks. And you?

When to use. Standard answer to come stai?

Why it works. Italian uses stare for state of being (feeling, health, mood); essere for identity. Don't confuse them.

Tutto bene, grazie.
Non c'è male. (not bad — modest answer)

— Come stai? — Sto bene, grazie. E tu?

Ho mal di testa.

oh mal dee TES-tah

I have a headache.

When to use. Reporting any pain or ailment.

Why it works. Avere + mal di + body part is the formula. Mal di stomaco, mal di gola, mal di denti.

Mi fa male la testa. (my head hurts me — same meaning)
Ho un brutto mal di testa.

— Ho mal di testa. — Hai preso qualcosa? — No, ho l'aspirina a casa.

Mi fa male lo stomaco.

mee fa MA-leh lo STO-ma-ko

My stomach hurts.

When to use. When something specific hurts.

Why it works. Mi fa male + body part. The verb agrees with the body part: mi fanno male le gambe (plural).

Mi fanno male le gambe.
Mi fa male qui. (pointing — also fine)

— Mi fa male lo stomaco. — Hai mangiato troppo?

Watch out for

('Sono bene', 'Sto bene', 'Feeling uses stare, not essere.')
('Ho una mal di testa', 'Ho mal di testa', "Mal di X doesn't take an article.")
('Le mie gambe fanno male', 'Mi fanno male le gambe', 'Italian flips the construction: object pronoun + verb + subject.')
('Ho mal mio stomaco', 'Mi fa male lo stomaco / Ho mal di stomaco', 'Two valid forms; mixing them creates nonsense.')

Grammar

Title. Stare vs. essere — and the 'mi fa male' idiom

Explanation. Stare handles temporary states: location (sto a Roma), feeling (sto bene), continuous actions (sto leggendo). Essere handles identity. The verb fare male (to hurt) is impersonal: mi fa male X = X hurts me. The pronoun (mi/ti/gli/le/ci/vi) shows whose hurt it is.

Formula. stare: sto • stai • sta • stiamo • state • stanno | mi fa male + sing. body part • mi fanno male + plural body parts

Examples. [('Sto bene.', 'I feel well.'), ('Sto a Roma.', "I'm in Rome."), ('Stiamo qui.', 'We are here.'), ('Mi fa male la testa.', 'My head hurts.'), ('Mi fanno male le gambe.', 'My legs hurt.')]

Culture

Title. In Italy, the pharmacist is a doctor first.

Body. Italian pharmacies (la farmacia) handle far more than English-speaking countries' equivalents. Pharmacists diagnose minor issues, recommend prescription-strength medication for things that would need a doctor in the US, and are everyone's first stop for cuts, headaches, and stomach trouble. The green cross sign means competence, not just retail.

Takeaway. When something hurts, walk into a farmacia. They'll handle it before sending you elsewhere.

Takeaways

Stare = state/feeling; essere = identity. Don't confuse them.
Pain idioms: ho mal di + body part OR mi fa male + body part.
Verb agrees with body part: fa male (singular) vs. fanno male (plural).
Italian pharmacies are first-line care, not just retail.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Gap-fill: body parts and feeling unwell

Fill each blank with one word or short phrase from this unit's vocabulary. The English gloss is your clue.

Non mi sento bene — ____ la testa da stamattina. (my head hurts — use 'mi fa male')
Ho la ____ chiusa. Penso di avere il raffreddore. (nose)
Il dottore ha detto: 'Apra la ____.' Vuole vedere la gola. (mouth)
Ho un forte ____ alla schiena. Forse ho dormito male. (pain / ache — the noun)
Mi fanno ____ i piedi dopo una lunga camminata. (hurt — use 'mi fanno male')
In farmacia ho comprato delle ____ per il mal di testa. (tablets / pills)
Ha la ____? — Sì, trentotto e mezzo. (temperature / fever)
Il medico mi ha prescritto uno ____. Devo andare in farmacia. (prescription)

Exercise 2 — Transformation drill: mi fa male → mi fanno male

Rewrite each sentence changing the body part from singular to plural (or plural to singular) and adjusting fa / fanno accordingly. The target form is given in brackets.

Mi fa male la schiena. [le spalle → plural] → ____ (shoulders)
Mi fanno male i piedi. [il piede → singular] → ____ (foot)
Mi fa male il ginocchio. [le ginocchia → plural] → ____ (knees)
Mi fanno male gli occhi. [l'occhio → singular] → ____ (eye)
Mi fa male la mano. [le mani → plural] → ____ (hands)

Exercise 3 — Error correction: describing symptoms in Italian

Each sentence has one mistake. Find it and write the corrected version.

Mi fa male i denti. Non posso mangiare. (denti is plural — check verb agreement)
Ho mal a la testa da ieri sera. ('headache' in Italian uses 'mal di testa', not 'mal a la')
Non me sento bene oggi. Resto a casa. (reflexive pronoun: 'I feel' = mi sento, not me sento)
Il medico ha detto che devo prendere le medicine due volta al giorno. (volta → volte — pluralise the noun)
Fa male mia testa stamattina. ('my head hurts' uses the indirect pronoun: mi fa male la testa)

Exercise 4 — Production task: at the pharmacy

You are at an Italian farmacia. You have a headache, a sore throat, and a slight temperature. Write a 5–6 line exchange with the pharmacist (farmacista). Use mi fa male or mi fanno male at least once, describe two symptoms, and ask for something to help.

Show answers

Quick check

Which sentence correctly says 'My feet hurt'?
- a) Mi fa male i piedi.
- b) Mi fanno male i piedi.
- c) Ho male i piedi.
- d) I piedi mi fa male.
Answer
b) Mi fanno male i piedi. — Fare male agrees with the body part that hurts. I piedi is plural (masculine), so fanno (plural) is required. Mi fa male works only with a singular part: mi fa male il piede.
How do you say 'I have a headache' in Italian?
- a) Ho mal di testa.
- b) Ho un mal di testa.
- c) Both a) and b) are used.
- d) Mi fa male mal di testa.
Answer
c) Both a) and b) are used. — 'Ho mal di testa' (without article) is the most common fixed expression. 'Ho un mal di testa' (with article) is also correct and used when you want to emphasise severity: 'Ho un mal di testa terribile!' Both are natural Italian.
The doctor says 'Prenda queste pasticche due volte al giorno.' What does this mean?
- a) Take these tablets twice a day.
- b) Take these tablets two at a time.
- c) Buy these tablets at the pharmacy.
- d) These tablets cost twenty euros a day.
Answer
a) Take these tablets twice a day. — Prenda is the formal imperative of prendere (used by doctors to patients). Pasticche = tablets/pills. Due volte al giorno = twice a day (literally 'two times per day').
At an Italian pharmacy, which phrase would you use to say 'I don't feel well'?
- a) Non sono bene.
- b) Non mi sento bene.
- c) Non fa bene a me.
- d) Non ho bene.
Answer
b) Non mi sento bene. — Sentirsi (to feel) is a reflexive verb: mi sento, ti senti, si sente. 'Non sono bene' is not standard Italian for feeling ill. 'Sto male' is another common alternative — sto is from stare, also used for health states.
Which body part is la gola?
- a) The stomach
- b) The knee
- c) The throat
- d) The shoulder
Answer
c) The throat. — La gola is throat. Other key body parts: lo stomaco (stomach), il ginocchio (knee), la spalla (shoulder), la schiena (back), il polso (wrist). 'Ho mal di gola' (I have a sore throat) is one of the most common pharmacy sentences.

Flashcards

mal di testamal dee TES-tahphr

Headache. Pattern: mal di + body part. Mal di stomaco = stomach ache, mal di gola = sore throat.

Ho mal di testa — posso avere un analgesico?

la febbrela FEB-brehnf

Fever / temperature. 'Ho la febbre' = I have a fever. In Italian you 'have' a fever, not 'run' one.

Ho trentotto di febbre — devo stare a letto.

stare bene / maleSTA-reh BEH-neh / MA-lehphr

To feel well / badly. Stare is used for states of health. 'Come stai?' literally asks how you are faring.

Oggi non sto bene — ho mal di gola.

la testala TES-tahnf

The head. Also used figuratively: 'Hai la testa tra le nuvole' = You have your head in the clouds.

Mi fa male la testa.

lo stomacolo STO-ma-konm

The stomach. 'Ho mal di stomaco' = I have a stomach ache. Note: lo (not il) before s+consonant.

Ho mangiato troppo — mi fa male lo stomaco.

la ricettala ree-CHET-tahnf

Prescription (medical). Also: recipe (cooking). Context clarifies. 'Senza ricetta' = over the counter.

Questo farmaco è senza ricetta.

riposareree-po-ZAH-rehv

To rest. 'Riposi oggi' (formal) / 'Riposati' (informal) = rest today. Riposarsi = to rest oneself (reflexive).

Devi riposare — stai male.

Up next

Number. 13

Title. Fare Piani

Teaser. Making plans — A2 territory. The future tense, weekend plans, scheduling.

A2Unit 13

Fare Piani

Suggesting, agreeing, declining — without the awkward "no thanks".

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

A2 opens with the social glue of friendship: making plans. Italians use the present tense for near-future plans (domani vado al cinema) and reserve the proper future for things further out. This unit gives you the phrases to suggest, accept, and decline gracefully — the last one is genuinely a skill in Italian culture, where a hard 'no' can sting.

The situation

Setting. A WhatsApp chat with Italian friends on a Wednesday evening.

What is happening. They suggest dinner Friday, drinks Saturday, beach Sunday. You can do dinner and beach, not drinks. You explain.

Why. Italian friendship runs on coordinated plans. Knowing how to suggest, propose alternatives, and decline gracefully keeps the calendar full.

Dialogue — Venerdì sera, sì o no?

Setting: A WhatsApp-style voice conversation between Luca, Sofia, and Marco on a Wednesday evening — planning the weekend.

~2 minutes

A (casual, proposing)Allora ragazzi — venerdì sera a cena da Nino? Sono libero dalle otto.

B (willing but hesitant)Venerdì per me va bene. Sabato invece sono occupata — ho un appuntamento.

C (apologetic)Purtroppo venerdì non posso. Ho una riunione che finisce tardi.

A (problem-solving)E sabato sera? Sei libero dopo la riunione, no Marco?

C (checking mentally)Sabato... sì, sabato sono libero. Propongo le nove e mezza.

B (apologetic)Purtroppo sabato non posso — ve l'ho detto. Ma domenica sono libera!

A (amused, slightly exasperated)Domenica? Ma c'è la partita! Volentieri però — dopo la partita?

B (laughing)D'accordo — domenica sera dopo la partita. Alle nove?

C (relieved)D'accordo. Domenica alle nove da Nino. Finalmente!

A (cheerful)Perfetto. Vi mando il link della prenotazione. A domenica!

'Sono libero/libera' = I'm free/available. The adjective agrees with the speaker's gender.
'Purtroppo' = unfortunately. A very useful word for politely declining — it softens the refusal.
'Volentieri' = gladly / with pleasure. The standard Italian way to say 'yes please' to an invitation.

Listening

Why can't Marco come on Friday?
Show answers
He has a meeting that finishes late (una riunione che finisce tardi).
Why can't Sofia come on Saturday?
Show answers
She has an appointment (un appuntamento).
What day and time do they finally agree on?
Show answers
Sunday evening (domenica sera) at 9 PM, after the football match.

Pronunciation

Stress shifts in conjugated forms: vediamo = "veh-DYAH-mo", vedremo = "veh-DREH-mo".
Gn in impegno: "eem-PEN-yoh".
Days of the week stress the second-to-last syllable: lu-ne-DI, mar-te-DI, etc. — Friday is ven-er-DI (final stress).
Volentieri: five syllables, stress on TYEH: "vo-len-TYEH-ree".

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
l'appuntamento	appointment / date	lap-poon-tah-MEN-toh
l'invito	invitation	leen-VEE-toh
libero / libera	free (available)	LEE-beh-roh	Agrees with subject.
occupato	busy	ok-koo-PAH-toh
d'accordo	agreed / OK	dak-KOR-doh
volentieri	gladly	vo-len-TYEH-ree	Standard "yes please".
forse	maybe	FOR-seh
purtroppo	unfortunately	poor-TROP-po	Standard apology opener.
un altro giorno	another day	oon AL-troh JOR-no	Soft decline.
proporre	to propose / suggest	pro-POR-reh

You have already seen this

('Italian WhatsApp group chats', 'Domani sera siete liberi? + emoji is the universal Italian plan-making opener.')
('Italian sitcoms', 'Watch how characters propose, counter-propose, and decline — the rhythm is the lesson.')
('Italian wedding planning videos', 'Sentiamoci la prossima settimana appears every other sentence.')

Phrases

Sei libero venerdì sera?

say LEE-beh-roh ven-er-DEE SEH-rah

Are you free Friday evening?

When to use. Standard plan-making opener.

Why it works. Libero agrees with the listener's gender. Days of the week don't take an article in this construction.

Cosa fai venerdì? (What are you doing Friday?)
Hai impegni venerdì? (Do you have commitments Friday?)

— Sei libero venerdì sera? — Sì, perché?

Volentieri! A che ora?

vo-len-TYEH-ree. a keh OH-rah

Gladly! What time?

When to use. Accepting any invitation warmly.

Why it works. Volentieri is the Italian standard for enthusiastic acceptance — warmer than just 'sì'.

Sì, certo!
Perfetto, dove ci vediamo?

— Vieni a cena domani? — Volentieri! A che ora?

Purtroppo non posso, ho già un impegno.

poor-TROP-po non POS-so, oh ja oon eem-PEN-yoh

Unfortunately I can't, I already have a commitment.

When to use. Declining without offending.

Why it works. Purtroppo + reason = the Italian formula for soft decline. Always give a reason; bare 'no' is rude.

Mi dispiace, non posso.
Magari un'altra volta? (Maybe another time?)

— Vieni con noi al cinema? — Purtroppo non posso, ho già un impegno.

Watch out for

('No, grazie.', 'Purtroppo non posso, ho un impegno.', "Bare 'no thanks' to a friend's invitation is curt. Always soften with purtroppo + reason.")
('Voglio andare al cinema.', 'Andiamo al cinema?', "Suggesting an activity uses the noi form: andiamo (let's go).")
('Sono libero il venerdì.', 'Sono libero venerdì.', 'Specific upcoming day = no article. Il venerdì = every Friday (habitual).')
('Voglio invitarti.', 'Ti invito a cena.', 'Volere + invitation sounds heavy. Just say ti invito directly.')

Grammar

Title. Present tense for near-future plans

Explanation. Italian frequently uses the present tense to talk about near-future plans, especially when a time word makes the future clear. Domani vado al cinema (tomorrow I go to the cinema) is more natural than the proper future andrò al cinema. Reserve the proper future for plans further out, predictions, or formal contexts.

Formula. [time word: domani / venerdì / la prossima settimana] + present tense verb

Examples. [('Domani lavoro.', "Tomorrow I'm working."), ('Venerdì andiamo al ristorante.', "Friday we're going to the restaurant."), ('Sabato vediamo il film.', "Saturday we're seeing the film."), ("L'anno prossimo cambio lavoro.", "Next year I'm changing jobs.")]

Culture

Title. Plans in Italy are flexible until they aren't.

Body. Italian friendship plans get loosely sketched and then concretised closer to the date. Sentiamoci venerdì (let's check in Friday) is more common than locking in a specific time three days out. Don't be surprised if a Saturday dinner gets confirmed at 6 PM Saturday. Italians read this flexibility as warmth; over-scheduling is read as cold.

Takeaway. Soft-confirm plans, follow up the same day, and don't take last-minute changes personally.

Takeaways

Use the present tense for near-future plans with a time word.
Decline with purtroppo + reason, never bare 'no'.
Volentieri is the warm yes; volentierissimo is enthusiastic.
Italian plans flex; soft-confirm and follow up the same day.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Making plans gap-fill

Fill each blank with the correct form of stare + gerundio or andare a + infinito as cued. The English gloss is in italics.

Marco, perché non rispondi? — ____ (I am eating) — richiamo dopo!
Sabato sera noi ____ (we are going to watch) un film al cinema, vuoi venire?
Silenzio! Il professore ____ (is explaining) la grammatica.
Domani mattina io ____ (am going to visit) la mostra al Museo Egizio.
— Ti va di uscire stasera? — Mi dispiace, non posso: ____ (I am going to study) per l'esame.
Loro ____ (are going to travel) in Sicilia questo fine settimana.
— Cosa fate voi adesso? — ____ (We are preparing) la cena per gli ospiti.
Giovedì prossimo io e Giulia ____ (are going to meet) al bar verso le sei.

Exercise 2 — Andare a + infinito transformation drill

Rewrite each sentence by replacing the underlined present-tense verb with andare a + infinito to express a future plan. Keep the subject and time expression.

Mangio la pizza stasera. → andare a + infinito (future plan): ____
Loro partono per Roma venerdì. → andare a + infinito: ____
Tu compri i biglietti del treno domani. → andare a + infinito: ____
Noi prenotiamo l'hotel per il weekend. → andare a + infinito: ____
Chiara chiama il dentista lunedì mattina. → andare a + infinito: ____

Exercise 3 — Spot and fix the error

Each sentence contains exactly one mistake — a wrong gerundio form, a missing a in andare a + inf, a misused invitation phrase, or a wrong day/time expression. Identify it and rewrite correctly.

Sto mangiando adesso — richiamo dopo. (stare is already the right verb but check gerundio spelling) → Nope — actually: Stai a mangiare adesso. (wrong auxiliary construction — stare not stai a)
Vado studiare tutta la sera. (missing preposition)
Ti va venire a teatro sabato? (missing di in the invitation)
Loro stanno a parlare con il direttore. (Italian stare + gerundio never inserts a)
Sì, volentieri! Mi dispiace, non posso. (contradiction — pick only one response)

Exercise 4 — Production task: exchange invitations

Your Italian friend sends you a WhatsApp. Write a 5–6 line exchange: they invite you to do something this weekend using Ti va di…?; you decline with a reason using stare + gerundio or andare a + inf, then suggest an alternative day and activity.

Show answers

Quick check

Which sentence correctly uses stare + gerundio?
- a) Sto a mangiare la pasta.
- b) Sto mangiando la pasta.
- c) Vado mangiando la pasta.
- d) Sono mangiando la pasta.
Answer
b) Sto mangiando la pasta. — Italian uses stare + gerundio directly with no preposition; option a) adds an incorrect a.
How do you say 'We are going to visit Rome next week' using andare a + inf?
- a) Andiamo visitare Roma la prossima settimana.
- b) Stiamo a visitare Roma la prossima settimana.
- c) Andiamo a visitare Roma la prossima settimana.
- d) Andremo visitare Roma la prossima settimana.
Answer
c) Andiamo a visitare Roma la prossima settimana. — andare a + infinito requires the preposition a before the infinitive.
A friend texts: Ti va di venire a cena venerdì? Which is the most natural acceptance?
- a) Sì, devo.
- b) Sì, volentieri! A che ora?
- c) Va bene, prego.
- d) Sì, mi dispiace.
Answer
b) Sì, volentieri! A che ora? — Volentieri is the standard warm acceptance; following with a practical question is natural.
What is the gerundio of partire?
- a) partendo
- b) partiendo
- c) partindo
- d) partente
Answer
a) partendo — -ire verbs drop -ire and add -endo to form the gerundio.
Which time expression means 'around eight o'clock'?
- a) alle otto in punto
- b) verso le otto
- c) per le otto
- d) circa otto
Answer
b) verso le otto — verso + time signals approximation; alle otto in punto means exactly 8:00.

Flashcards

libero / liberaLEE-beh-roh / LEE-beh-rahadj

Free / available. Agrees with the speaker's gender. 'Sei libero stasera?' = Are you free tonight?

Sono libera venerdì sera — usciamo?

purtroppopoor-TROP-poadv

Unfortunately. The standard opener for a polite refusal in Italian. Always sounds sincere.

Purtroppo non posso venire — sono occupata.

d'accordodak-KOR-dohphr

Agreed / OK / deal. Used to confirm plans, accept suggestions, or signal agreement.

— Ci vediamo alle otto? — D'accordo!

volentierivo-len-TYEH-reeadv

Gladly / with pleasure. The warm Italian way to say yes to an invitation — more enthusiastic than just 'sì'.

— Vieni a cena da noi? — Volentieri!

occupato / occupataok-koo-PAH-tohadj

Busy (person). Also: occupied / taken (seat, room). Agrees with gender.

Sono occupato tutto il giorno — ci sentiamo domani.

l'appuntamentolap-poon-tah-MEN-tohnm

Appointment / date. Used for both professional appointments and romantic dates. Ho un appuntamento = I have a meeting/date.

Ho un appuntamento dal dentista alle tre.

proporrepro-POR-rehv

To propose / suggest. Irregular: propongo, proponi, propone. Used when offering a time, place, or idea.

Propongo di incontrarci alle nove.

Up next

Number. 14

Title. Al Ristorante

Teaser. Restaurant orders, courses (antipasto, primo, secondo, dolce), and the etiquette of paying — alla romana means split evenly.

A2Unit 14

Al Ristorante

Courses, conversation, and how to pay without awkwardness.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

Italian restaurants follow a strict course order: antipasto, primo, secondo + contorno, dolce, caffè. You don't have to take all five, but the order matters. This unit covers ordering, special requests, paying, and the cultural rules — like asking for the bill (it never comes automatically) and the lack of tipping culture.

The situation

Setting. A trattoria in Bologna for Saturday dinner with friends.

What is happening. You order water + wine + an antipasto to share, then a primo each, then sort out the bill.

Why. Italian dining is choreography. Knowing the moves prevents the 'why won't they bring my bill?' frustration.

Dialogue — Cena a Bologna

Setting: A trattoria in Bologna on a Saturday evening. Elena and Luca dine out, navigate the full Italian meal structure, and sort out the bill at the end.

~2 minutes

A (welcoming, attentive)Buonasera! Ecco il menù. Prendete anche l'antipasto?

B (consulting partner)Sì — prendiamo un antipasto misto da condividere. E poi un primo ciascuno.

C (deciding)Io prendo le tagliatelle al ragù. E per l'acqua — naturale, per favore.

B (ordering)Per me i tortellini in brodo. E una mezza bottiglia di Sangiovese.

A (confirming order)Antipasto misto, tagliatelle, tortellini in brodo, Sangiovese e naturale. Perfetto.

C (mid-meal, pleased)Luca, queste tagliatelle sono incredibili. Il ragù è cotto per ore.

B (enthusiastic)Anche i tortellini — buonissimi. Prendiamo il dolce?

C (tempted but hesitant)Forse solo un caffè. Scusi! Il conto, per favore.

A (bringing bill)Ecco il conto. Cinquantadue euro in tutto — incluso il coperto.

B (practical)Facciamo alla romana — ventisei ciascuno?

C (agreeing)D'accordo. Paghiamo con carta.

'Facciamo alla romana' = let's split it evenly. This is the standard way friends divide a restaurant bill in Italy.
The cover charge (il coperto) is a per-person fee common in Italian restaurants — it covers bread and table service.
You must ask for the bill: 'Il conto, per favore.' It will not arrive automatically — that would be considered rude by the waiter.

Listening

What starter do Elena and Luca order, and how do they plan to eat it?
Show answers
An antipasto misto — to share (da condividere).
What does Luca order as a first course, and what wine do they choose?
Show answers
Tortellini in brodo, and half a bottle of Sangiovese.
How do they decide to pay, and what does that mean?
Show answers
Alla romana — splitting the bill evenly, 26 euros each.

Pronunciation

Coperto: stress on PER. "ko-PER-toh".
Vorrei: "vor-RAY". The double R is held briefly.
Mancia: "MAN-cha" — the C softens before i.
Romana: stress on MA: "roh-MAH-nah".

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
l'antipasto	starter	lan-tee-PAS-toh	Often shared.
il primo	first course	eel PREE-mo	Pasta or risotto.
il secondo	second course	eel seh-KON-doh	Meat or fish.
il contorno	side dish	eel kon-TOR-no	Ordered separately.
il dolce	dessert	eel DOL-cheh
il conto	the bill	eel KON-toh	Ask for it; never comes automatically.
il coperto	cover charge	eel ko-PER-toh	Common in Italy, on the bill.
la mancia	tip	la MAN-chah	Optional; small if any.
alla romana	split evenly	AL-la roh-MAH-nah	Standard friend split.
senza	without	SEN-tsah	For dietary requests.

You have already seen this

('Italian food shows', 'Master Chef Italia drills restaurant vocab on every plate.')
('Italian wedding dinners on Instagram', 'Watch the courses unfold: antipasto, primo, secondo, dolce.')
('Trattoria reviews on TripAdvisor.it', 'Every review mentions il coperto, il servizio, il conto.')

Phrases

Possiamo ordinare?

pos-SYAH-mo or-dee-NAH-reh

Can we order?

When to use. Flagging the waiter when ready.

Why it works. Possiamo + infinitive = 'can we'. Polite plural form.

Vorremmo ordinare.
Siamo pronti.

(Waving the waiter over.) — Possiamo ordinare?

Il conto, per favore.

eel KON-toh, per fa-VOH-reh

The bill, please.

When to use. End of meal — bills don't come automatically in Italy.

Why it works. Italians treat the bill as a request, not a default. You ask when you're ready to leave.

Possiamo avere il conto?
Mi porta il conto?

(Done eating.) — Il conto, per favore.

Paghiamo alla romana?

pa-GYAH-mo AL-la roh-MAH-nah

Shall we split evenly?

When to use. Suggesting an even split among friends.

Why it works. Alla romana = the Roman way = split equally regardless of who ate what. Italian default for friend dinners.

Dividiamo il conto?
Offro io. (I'll pay)

— Paghiamo alla romana? — Sì, fa cinquanta a testa.

Watch out for

('Posso avere il conto?', 'Il conto, per favore. / Possiamo avere il conto?', 'Both work, but il conto, per favore is the most common.')
('Voglio la pasta.', 'Vorrei la pasta. / Prendo la pasta.', 'Use vorrei or prendo; voglio is too blunt for restaurants.')
('Cappuccino dopo cena', 'Caffè dopo cena', "Cappuccino is breakfast. After dinner, it's caffè (espresso).")
('Posso avere il ketchup?', 'Possibilmente, ma...', "Asking for ketchup with pasta will be silently judged. Stick to what's on the table.")

Grammar

Title. Polite forms: vorrei, potrei, mi porterebbe?

Explanation. The conditional softens requests in restaurants and shops. Vorrei (I would like, from volere), potrei (could I, from potere), mi porterebbe? (would you bring me, from portare). These are the polite defaults; using the bare present (voglio, posso) sounds blunt.

Formula. vorrei + noun/infinitive • potrei + infinitive • mi porterebbe + noun?

Examples. [('Vorrei un caffè.', "I'd like a coffee."), ('Potrei avere il menù?', 'Could I have the menu?'), ("Mi porterebbe dell'acqua?", 'Would you bring me some water?'), ('Vorremmo ordinare.', "We'd like to order.")]

Culture

Title. Tipping is optional, small, and rounded up.

Body. Italian wait staff are paid living wages, so tipping isn't built into the economy. The bill includes a coperto (cover charge, €1–4 per person) and sometimes servizio (service, 10–15%). If service isn't included and you had a great meal, leaving a couple of euros or rounding up is appreciated — but never expected. American-style 18–20% tips read as confused, not generous.

Takeaway. Look for coperto and servizio on the bill. If service is included, you're done.

Takeaways

Italian restaurants follow a course order: antipasto → primo → secondo → contorno → dolce.
Bills don't come automatically; ask il conto, per favore.
Use the conditional (vorrei, potrei) for polite restaurant requests.
Alla romana means split evenly — the friend default.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Restaurant vocabulary gap-fill

Fill each blank with the correct partitive article or restaurant phrase. The English gloss is in italics.

Cameriere, ____ acqua naturale, per favore. (some — feminine singular)
Prendo ____ spaghetti al pomodoro come primo. (some — masculine plural)
Vorrei ____ pane e ____ olio, grazie. (some — masc. sg.; some — masc. sg. vowel start)
Per dolce, ____ tiramisù e un caffè, per favore. (I would like)
Ci porta ____ conto quando ha un momento? (the — use the definite article here)
Il menu del giorno prevede un ____ e un secondo con ____. (first course; side dish — a contorno)
Scusi, potremmo avere un ____ separato? (bill — the noun)
Come ____, prendo il carpaccio di manzo. (as a starter)

Exercise 2 — Partitive article transformation drill

Replace each underlined prompt with the correct partitive article (del / della / dell' / dei / degli / delle) and rewrite the sentence.

Vorrei [some — acqua frizzante] per favore. → ____
Prendo [some — gnocchi al pesto] come primo. → ____
Ci porta [some — olive] come antipasto? → ____
Ha [some — vino della casa] al bicchiere? → ____
Vorrei [some — spinaci] come contorno. → ____

Exercise 3 — Spot and fix the error

Each sentence contains exactly one mistake — a wrong partitive, an inappropriate register choice (voglio instead of vorrei), or a misused restaurant phrase. Identify it and rewrite correctly.

Voglio un tavolo per due, per favore. (register in a restaurant — use the conditional)
Prendo della spaghetti al pomodoro. (spaghetti is masculine plural)
Ci porta il conto, per favore? — Certo, vuole pagare separatamente? (now check: wrong word for 'separately' — separately = separatamente, but check the verb: vuole should be volete if addressing the table)
Per antipasto prendo degli bruschetta. (bruschetta is feminine — check the partitive)
Vorrei del acqua, grazie. (acqua starts with a vowel)

Exercise 4 — Production task: order a full meal

You are in a Roman trattoria with a friend. Write a short exchange (5–6 lines) between you and the waiter: greet, order a full meal for yourself (antipasto, primo, secondo, something to drink) using vorrei and at least two partitive articles, then ask for the bill politely.

Show answers

Quick check

Which partitive is correct? 'I'd like some sparkling water.' → Vorrei ___ acqua frizzante.
- a) del
- b) della
- c) dell'
- d) dei
Answer
c) dell' — acqua is feminine singular and begins with a vowel, so di + la → dell'.
Why is Voglio il conto considered impolite in a restaurant?
- a) Voglio is only used for objects, not services.
- b) Voglio is the blunt present tense; vorrei (conditional) is the expected polite form.
- c) Voglio cannot be followed by a definite article.
- d) Italians never ask for the bill — the waiter brings it automatically.
Answer
b) Voglio is the blunt present tense; vorrei (conditional) is the expected polite form. Using the conditional softens the request.
In a classic Italian meal order, which course comes after the primo?
- a) antipasto
- b) dolce
- c) secondo
- d) contorno
Answer
c) secondo — the sequence is antipasto → primo → secondo (+contorno) → dolce.
Which partitive is correct for a masculine plural noun? 'I'll have some gnocchi.'
- a) della gnocchi
- b) degli gnocchi
- c) dei gnocchi
- d) dell' gnocchi
Answer
b) degli gnocchi — gnocchi is masculine plural and starts with gn- (a consonant cluster treated like a vowel-start), so di + gli → degli.
How do you politely ask the waiter to bring the bill?
- a) Voglio pagare adesso!
- b) Porta il conto.
- c) Ci porta il conto quando ha un momento?
- d) Il conto, subito.
Answer
c) Ci porta il conto quando ha un momento? — This uses the polite third-person (Lei form implied) and softens the request with 'when you have a moment'.

Flashcards

il contoeel KON-tohnm

The bill (restaurant). You must ask for it — 'Il conto, per favore.' It never arrives automatically in Italy.

Scusi, possiamo avere il conto?

il copertoeel ko-PER-tohnm

Cover charge. A per-person fee appearing on the bill in many Italian restaurants — covers bread and table setting.

Il coperto è due euro a persona.

alla romanaAL-la roh-MAH-nahphr

Splitting the bill evenly between all diners. The standard approach among friends in Italy.

Facciamo alla romana — quindici euro ciascuno.

la manciala MAN-chahnf

Tip (gratuity). Optional in Italy and typically small — rounding up or leaving a few coins is common.

Ho lasciato due euro di mancia — il servizio era ottimo.

senzaSEN-tsahprep

Without. Used for dietary requests: senza glutine (gluten-free), senza lattosio (lactose-free).

Un piatto senza carne, per favore.

il contornoeel kon-TOR-nonm

Side dish. Ordered separately in Italy — not automatically included with the main course.

Come contorno prendo le verdure grigliate.

da condividereda kon-dee-VEE-deh-rehphr

To share. A natural phrase when ordering a starter or pizza for the table.

Prendiamo un antipasto misto da condividere.

Up next

Number. 15

Title. Viaggiare

Teaser. Travel — booking trains, hotels, asking for help when plans go sideways. Plus the verb piacere (to like), which works backwards.

A2Unit 15

Viaggiare

Trains, hotels, and the verb that works backwards.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

Italian travel vocabulary plus the verb piacere (to like) — which works backwards: 'pasta is pleasing TO me' instead of 'I like pasta'. This unit also covers booking accommodation, navigating Italian trains, and what to do when something goes wrong.

The situation

Setting. Buying a train ticket and confirming a hotel reservation in Naples.

What is happening. You confirm two nights, ask about breakfast, and explain you'll arrive late.

Why. Italian travel runs on Trenitalia, Booking, and a lot of polite verbal confirmations. This unit tools you up.

Dialogue — Due notti a Napoli

Setting: A hotel reception desk in Naples. Marco is confirming his reservation and explaining he will arrive late that evening.

~2 minutes

A (professional, welcoming)Buonasera! Benvenuto. Ha una prenotazione?

B (slightly tired from travel)Sì, ho prenotato online. Il nome è Bianchi — Marco Bianchi.

A (checking system)Bianchi... eccola. Camera doppia per due notti, con colazione inclusa.

B (confirming)Esatto. A che ora è la colazione?

A (informative)Dalle sette alle dieci, al piano terra. Arriva tardi stasera?

B (explaining)Sì — il mio treno arriva alle undici e mezza. È un problema?

A (reassuring)No, no — la reception è aperta tutta la notte. Le lascio la chiave adesso.

B (relieved)Perfetto. E il binario per la stazione centrale — è vicino?

A (helpful)La stazione Centrale è a dieci minuti a piedi. O può prendere un taxi.

B (nodding)Capisco. Grazie mille — il viaggio era lungo.

A (warm)Si accomodi, signor Bianchi. Buona permanenza a Napoli!

'Ho prenotato' = I (have) booked. This is the passato prossimo — the main past tense you need for recounting recent events.
'Si accomodi' = Please, make yourself at home / please come through. A formal, welcoming imperative.
'Buona permanenza' = Enjoy your stay. More specific than 'buona serata' — used by hotel staff.

Listening

What type of room has Marco booked and for how many nights?
Show answers
A double room (camera doppia) for two nights, with breakfast included.
What time does breakfast run, and where?
Show answers
From 7 to 10 AM, on the ground floor (al piano terra).
Why is it not a problem that Marco arrives late?
Show answers
The reception is open all night (la reception è aperta tutta la notte).

Pronunciation

Biglietto: "beel-YET-toh". The gl is the lli sound, double T held.
Piacere: "pya-CHEH-reh". The ce is soft "cheh".
Frecciarossa: stress on RO: "frech-cha-ROS-sah". Roll the R lightly.
Binario: stress on NA: "bee-NAH-ryo".

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
il viaggio	trip / journey	eel VYAJ-jo
la prenotazione	reservation	la preh-no-tah-TSYO-neh
l'albergo	hotel	lal-BER-goh	Also: hotel as loan word.
la camera	room	la KAH-meh-rah	Also: bedroom.
singola / doppia	single / double	SEEN-go-lah / DOP-pyah
la chiave	key	la KYAH-veh
l'andata	outbound trip	lan-DAH-tah	One-way ticket: solo andata.
il ritorno	return	eel ree-TOR-no	Round trip: andata e ritorno.
il binario	platform	eel bee-NAH-ryo
piacere (verb)	to please	pya-CHEH-reh	Works backwards from English "to like".

You have already seen this

('Italian Trenitalia ads', 'Frecciarossa, Frecciabianca, Frecciargento — the high-speed trinity drilled on TV.')
('Italian travel vlogs', 'Hotel check-ins all use the same script: vorrei prenotare, una camera doppia.')
('Italian cooking-travel hybrids', 'Stanley Tucci, Searching for Italy: every episode opens with a train arrival.')

Phrases

Mi piace l'Italia.

mee PYA-cheh lee-TAH-lyah

I like Italy.

When to use. Stating any preference.

Why it works. Piacere agrees with what's being liked. Singular subject (l'Italia) → piace. Plural (gli italiani) → piacciono.

Mi piacciono i romanzi italiani.
Ti piace il caffè?

— Cosa pensi di Roma? — Mi piace l'Italia, ma Roma è speciale.

Vorrei prenotare una camera doppia per due notti.

vor-RAY preh-no-TAH-reh OO-nah KAH-meh-rah DOP-pyah per DOO-eh NOT-tee

I'd like to book a double room for two nights.

When to use. Standard hotel booking phrase.

Why it works. Vorrei prenotare + room type + duration. The structure works for any reservation.

Avete camere disponibili?
Quanto costa la camera?

— Vorrei prenotare una camera doppia per due notti. — Per quale data?

Un biglietto per Napoli, andata e ritorno.

oon beel-YET-toh per NAH-po-lee, an-DAH-tah eh ree-TOR-no

A ticket to Naples, return.

When to use. At the train ticket counter.

Why it works. Andata e ritorno = round trip. Solo andata = one-way.

Solo andata, per favore.
Da quale binario parte?

— Un biglietto per Napoli, andata e ritorno. — Cinquantadue euro.

Watch out for

('Io piaccio la pizza.', 'Mi piace la pizza.', "Io piaccio means 'I am pleasing' — wrong direction.")
('Mi piace i libri.', 'Mi piacciono i libri.', 'Plural subject (libri) needs plural verb (piacciono).')
('Una camera per uno.', 'Una camera singola.', 'Specific vocabulary: singola, doppia, matrimoniale.')
('Solo andata di ritorno.', 'Andata e ritorno.', "Fixed phrase. Don't mix it.")

Grammar

Title. Piacere — the backwards verb

Explanation. Piacere doesn't translate as 'to like' — it translates as 'to be pleasing'. So the thing you like is the SUBJECT, and you're the indirect object. Mi piace la pizza = 'pizza is pleasing to me'. Plural likes use piacciono: mi piacciono i libri. The pronoun before is the audience: mi, ti, gli/le, ci, vi, gli.

Formula. mi/ti/gli-le/ci/vi/gli + piace (singular thing) / piacciono (plural things)

Examples. [('Mi piace il vino.', 'I like wine.'), ('Ti piacciono i cani?', 'Do you like dogs?'), ('A Marco piace Roma.', 'Marco likes Rome.'), ('Le piacciono i libri.', 'She likes books.')]

Culture

Title. Italian trains run on Trenitalia + Italo. Validate before boarding.

Body. Italian rail is excellent and fast. Two main operators: Trenitalia (state-run, all routes) and Italo (private, high-speed only). Tickets bought at the station for regional trains must be validated in the green machines before boarding — failure means a fine. Tickets bought online or for high-speed trains (Frecciarossa, Italobianco) are pre-validated; just board.

Takeaway. Online + high-speed = no validation. Counter + regional = validate at the green machine.

Takeaways

Piacere works backwards: the thing you like is the subject.
Plural subjects → piacciono. Singular → piace.
Hotel booking template: vorrei prenotare una camera [type] per [duration].
Validate regional Trenitalia tickets in the green machines before boarding.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Travel vocabulary gap-fill

Fill each blank with the correct preposition of transport or travel phrase. The English gloss is in italics.

Preferisco viaggiare ____ treno perché posso vedere il paesaggio. (by train)
Da Milano a Londra si va ____ aereo in meno di due ore. (by plane)
Il centro storico è piccolo — andiamo ____. (on foot)
Scusi, il treno per Venezia parte dal ____ numero cinque? (platform)
Il volo ha un ____ di quaranta minuti — partiamo in ritardo. (delay)
Vorrei prenotare una camera ____ per due notti, con colazione ____. (double; included)
Devo fare il ____ almeno un'ora prima dell'imbarco. (check-in)
Ho perso la ____: devo prendere un altro treno per arrivare a Roma. (connection)

Exercise 2 — Transport preposition transformation drill

Rewrite each sentence, replacing the underlined transport cue with the correct Italian preposition + transport noun. Use in / a / con il as appropriate.

Mi sposto [by car] ogni giorno per andare al lavoro. → ____
Da Napoli a Capri si va [by ferry]. → ____
I bambini vanno a scuola [on foot] ogni mattina. → ____
Abbiamo visitato tutta la Toscana [by bicycle]. → ____
Il presidente è arrivato [by helicopter] all'aeroporto. → ____

Exercise 3 — Spot and fix the error

Each sentence has exactly one mistake — a wrong transport preposition, an informal phrase in a formal booking context, or incorrect travel vocabulary. Identify it and rewrite correctly.

Sono arrivato a Roma con aereo stamattina. (transport preposition rule)
Voglio prenotare una camera singola per venerdì. (register: this is a formal hotel call)
Il treno parte al binario sette tra dieci minuti. (preposition before binario)
Andiamo al centro a macchina — è vicino. (transport preposition for car)
Ho fatto il check-in all'aeroporto ed è andato al gate venti. (subject pronoun agreement: io … sono andato/a)

Exercise 4 — Production task: book a hotel room by phone

You are calling a hotel in Florence to make a reservation. Write a 5–6 line formal phone exchange: introduce your request with vorrei prenotare, specify room type and dates, ask about breakfast and WiFi, and confirm the booking. Use at least one transport preposition to explain how you are arriving.

Show answers

Quick check

Which preposition is correct? 'We traveled by train from Rome to Florence.'
- a) Abbiamo viaggiato con treno da Roma a Firenze.
- b) Abbiamo viaggiato a treno da Roma a Firenze.
- c) Abbiamo viaggiato in treno da Roma a Firenze.
- d) Abbiamo viaggiato per treno da Roma a Firenze.
Answer
c) Abbiamo viaggiato in treno da Roma a Firenze. — Enclosed vehicles (treno, aereo, macchina, autobus) take in.
How do you say 'on foot' in Italian?
- a) in piede
- b) con i piedi
- c) a piedi
- d) per piedi
Answer
c) a piedi — This is a fixed expression; a piedi uses the preposition a, not in.
At the train station, an announcement says: Il treno Frecciarossa 9627 è in ritardo di venti minuti. What does this mean?
- a) The train has been cancelled.
- b) The train is 20 minutes early.
- c) The train is 20 minutes late.
- d) The train leaves from platform 20.
Answer
c) The train is 20 minutes late. — in ritardo di = late by (a duration).
You are calling a hotel. Which is the correct formal opening?
- a) Voglio una camera doppia per sabato.
- b) Vorrei prenotare una camera doppia per sabato sera.
- c) Ho bisogno di camera doppia sabato.
- d) Dammi una camera per sabato.
Answer
b) Vorrei prenotare una camera doppia per sabato sera. — Vorrei (conditional) is the expected polite form; the others are too abrupt for a hotel call.
Which word means 'connecting flight/train'?
- a) il ritardo
- b) il binario
- c) la coincidenza
- d) il gate
Answer
c) la coincidenza — In Italian travel context, coincidenza means a connection (transfer). Note: it does NOT mean 'coincidence' in this context.

Flashcards

la prenotazionela preh-no-tah-TSYO-nehnf

Reservation / booking. Fare una prenotazione = to make a reservation. Ho una prenotazione = I have a booking.

Ho una prenotazione per due notti.

la camerala KAH-meh-rahnf

Hotel room. Camera singola = single, camera doppia = double, camera matrimoniale = double bed room.

Vorrei una camera doppia con bagno.

la chiavela KYAH-vehnf

Key (room key / house key). La chiave della camera = room key. La chiave di casa = house key.

Posso avere la chiave della camera, per favore?

il binarioeel bee-NAH-ryonm

Platform (train station). 'Binario 8' = Platform 8. Check the binario on the departure board — it changes.

Il treno per Roma parte dal binario tre.

andata e ritornoan-DAH-tah eh ree-TOR-nophr

Return ticket (round trip). Solo andata = one-way. These are the phrases to use at the ticket desk.

Un biglietto andata e ritorno per Venezia.

il viaggioeel VYAJ-jonm

Trip / journey. Buon viaggio! = Have a good trip! Fare un viaggio = to take a trip.

Il viaggio in treno dura due ore.

piacere (verbo)pya-CHEH-rehv

To please / to like. Works backwards from English: 'Mi piace Napoli' = Naples pleases me = I like Naples.

Mi piace molto questa città.

Up next

Number. 16

Title. Il Lavoro

Teaser. Work — describing your job, talking about colleagues, and the Italian convention of starting with what you DO before what you ARE.

A2Unit 16

Il Lavoro

What you do, where you work, and why Italians ask both within 60 seconds.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

Italian work culture mixes personal warmth with formal hierarchy. You'll learn to describe your job, name common professions, talk about colleagues, and handle the Italian polite register at work — including the use of Lei with bosses and the polite imperative.

The situation

Setting. Lunch with colleagues at a Milan coworking space.

What is happening. Someone asks what you do; you explain your role, who you work with, and what you find difficult.

Why. Italian work conversations cover both technical role and personal dynamics. Knowing the vocab keeps you in the loop.

Dialogue — Cosa fai esattamente?

Setting: A coworking space in Milan, lunchtime. Giulia and her new colleague Alessandro are getting to know each other over sandwiches.

~2 minutes

A (curious, friendly)Allora Alessandro — sei qui da quanto? Non ti ho mai visto prima.

B (relaxed)Da tre settimane. Lavoro per un'azienda tedesca — ufficio di Milano.

A (interested)Che fai esattamente?

B (explaining)Sono project manager. Coordino il team qui con quello di Berlino. Tante riunioni.

A (sympathetic, laughing)Ah, le riunioni. Capisco! Io invece lavoro da casa tre giorni a settimana.

B (envious)Beata te! Il mio capo vuole tutti in ufficio ogni giorno.

A (curious)E lo stipendio è buono — almeno?

B (diplomatic)Non mi lamento. Ma le ferie sono solo due settimane. In Italia se ne hanno di più, no?

A (nodding)Sì — il mio contratto prevede quattro settimane di ferie. È la norma qui.

B (impressed)Quattro settimane! Devo rinegoziare il mio contratto.

'Beata te!' = Lucky you! (said to a female). To a male: 'Beato te!' A very natural Italian exclamation.
'Non mi lamento' = I'm not complaining. A diplomatic, underplayed answer to a question about salary.
'Lavorare da casa' = working from home. A widely used phrase since 2020; also called 'smart working' in Italian office slang.

Listening

How long has Alessandro been at this coworking space?
Show answers
Three weeks (tre settimane).
How many days a week does Giulia work from home?
Show answers
Three days a week (tre giorni a settimana).
How much paid holiday does Giulia's contract include?
Show answers
Four weeks of holiday (quattro settimane di ferie).

Pronunciation

Posso: double S held — "POS-so".
Vogliono: stress shifts — "VOL-yo-no".
Riunione: four syllables — "ryoo-NYO-neh".
Stipendio: stress on PEN — "stee-PEN-dyo".

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
il lavoro	work / job	eel la-VOH-roh
il/la collega	colleague	eel/la kol-LEH-gah	Same form for both genders.
il capo	boss	eel KAH-poh	Also: la capa (informal feminine).
l'azienda	company	lat-TSYEN-dah
l'ufficio	office	loof-FEE-cho
la riunione	meeting	la ryoo-NYO-neh
lo stipendio	salary	lo stee-PEN-dyo
le ferie	vacation	leh FEH-ryeh	Always plural.
il contratto	contract	eel kon-TRAT-toh
lavorare da casa	work from home	la-vo-RAH-reh da KAH-zah

You have already seen this

('Italian LinkedIn posts', 'Lavoro come [role] in [company] is the universal opener.')
('Italian office sitcoms (Boris)', 'Watch how characters switch from Lei to tu over time.')
('Italian work emails', 'Buongiorno, sono in ferie fino al X. Per urgenze contattare Y.')

Phrases

Lavoro come ingegnere in un'azienda di software.

la-VOH-ro KOH-meh een-jen-YEH-reh een oo-na-TSYEN-dah dee SOFT-ware

I work as an engineer at a software company.

When to use. Standard work introduction.

Why it works. Come + role (no article), then in + company. Two-clause structure.

Faccio l'avvocato. (article + role with fare)
Sono insegnante. (essere + role)

— Cosa fai? — Lavoro come ingegnere in un'azienda di software.

Quando puoi parlare?

KWAN-doh PWOI par-LAH-reh

When can you talk?

When to use. Asking a colleague for a quick chat.

Why it works. Potere conjugates irregularly. Puoi (you informal), può (he/she/formal you).

Quando può parlare? (formal)
Hai cinque minuti?

— Ho una domanda. Quando puoi parlare? — Tra dieci minuti.

Sono in ferie la prossima settimana.

SO-no een FEH-ryeh la PROS-see-mah set-tee-MAH-nah

I'm on vacation next week.

When to use. Setting expectations for absence.

Why it works. In ferie is a fixed phrase. Ferie is always plural.

Sarò in ferie da lunedì.
Vado in ferie ad agosto.

(Email signoff.) — Sono in ferie la prossima settimana. Ci sentiamo dopo!

Watch out for

('Lavoro per Microsoft.', 'Lavoro in / da Microsoft.', 'Italian uses in or da for the company, not per.')
('Voglio una vacanza.', 'Vorrei prendere le ferie.', 'Voglio at work sounds blunt. Use the conditional + the right vocab.')
('Sono in vacanza la prossima settimana.', 'Sono in ferie la prossima settimana.', 'Vacanza is a holiday/trip; ferie is paid time off from work.')
('Mio capo è...', 'Il mio capo è...', 'Capo is not in the close-family list — keep the article.')

Grammar

Title. Modal verbs: potere, dovere, volere

Explanation. Three irregular modals carry most A2 work talk. Potere (can/may), dovere (must/have to), volere (want). All three take an infinitive: posso parlare, devo lavorare, voglio capire. Memorise the six forms of each.

Formula. potere: posso, puoi, può, possiamo, potete, possono • dovere: devo, devi, deve, dobbiamo, dovete, devono • volere: voglio, vuoi, vuole, vogliamo, volete, vogliono

Examples. [('Posso uscire?', 'Can I go out?'), ('Devi finire entro venerdì.', 'You have to finish by Friday.'), ('Vogliamo una riunione.', 'We want a meeting.'), ('Possono aspettare?', 'Can they wait?')]

Culture

Title. Italian work formality flips between Lei and tu fast.

Body. On day one with new colleagues, default to Lei until invited to switch. The invitation is usually explicit: Diamoci del tu (let's use tu). Bosses are addressed by title (dottore, ingegnere) + surname in formal contexts. Younger startups skip this entirely; old-school firms hold it strictly. Read the room.

Takeaway. Default to Lei on day one. Wait for the invitation to switch to tu.

Takeaways

Modals (potere/dovere/volere) + infinitive carry most A2 work talk.
Lavorare in / da [company], not per.
Default to Lei with new colleagues; wait for the switch invitation.
Ferie = paid time off; vacanza = a trip or holiday.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Work vocabulary gap-fill

Fill each blank with the correct profession phrase, work verb, or salary expression. The English gloss is in italics.

Mio fratello ____ l'ingegnere in una grande azienda a Milano. (does/works as)
Lavoro ____ — vado in ufficio solo due giorni a settimana. (working from home)
Dopo vent'anni in quella ditta, si è finalmente ____. (retired)
Guadagno circa duemila euro ____ — non è molto, ma mi piace il lavoro. (per month)
L'azienda ha ____ dieci nuovi dipendenti per il progetto estivo. (hired)
Faccio ____ tre sere a settimana — arrivo a casa tardi. (overtime)
Mia sorella fa ____ avvocata in uno studio legale del centro. (insert correct article)
Il contratto è a ____ — lavoro solo il mattino dal lunedì al venerdì. (part-time)

Exercise 2 — Fare + profession transformation drill

Rewrite each sentence using fare + definite article + profession to describe what the person does. Choose the correct article form.

Sono medico. → fare + l'article + profession: ____ (medico is masculine)
Lei è architetta. → fare + l'article + profession: ____
Loro sono insegnanti. → fare + l'article + profession (plural): ____
Tu sei programmatore. → fare + l'article + profession: ____
Voi siete infermieri. → fare + l'article + profession (plural): ____

Exercise 3 — Spot and fix the error

Each sentence contains exactly one mistake — a wrong article with a profession, a misused work verb, or an incorrect salary/hours expression. Identify and correct it.

Faccio medico in un ospedale pubblico. (fare + profession needs the article)
Mi sono licenziato dal mio capo dopo il litigio. (wrong preposition — licenziarsi da + datore di lavoro / ditta)
Guadagno due mila euro ogni mese. (number spelling: duemila is one word)
Lavoro a pieno tempo dalle nove alle sei. (Italian expression for full-time)
L'azienda ha assunto di tre nuove programmatori. (superfluous preposition)

Exercise 4 — Production task: describe your job

Write a short paragraph (5–6 sentences) describing a real or imaginary job. Include: what you do (fare + profession), where you work, how many days/hours (a tempo pieno/part-time, in ufficio/smart working), your approximate salary, and one thing you like or dislike about the job.

Show answers

Quick check

Which sentence correctly uses fare + profession?
- a) Faccio medico.
- b) Faccio il medico.
- c) Faccio un medico.
- d) Faccio di medico.
Answer
b) Faccio il medico. — fare + profession always takes the definite article: il/la/l'/i/le.
How do you say 'I earn 1,800 euros a month' in Italian?
- a) Guadagno 1800 euro ogni mese.
- b) Guadagno 1800 euro al mese.
- c) Guadagno 1800 euro per mese.
- d) Guadagno 1800 euro in mese.
Answer
b) Guadagno 1800 euro al mese. — al mese (= a + il mese) is the standard Italian expression for 'per month'.
Which verb means 'to resign / quit a job'?
- a) licenziare
- b) andare in pensione
- c) licenziarsi
- d) assumere
Answer
c) licenziarsi — The reflexive form means to resign yourself; licenziare (non-reflexive) means to fire someone else.
What does fare gli straordinari mean?
- a) to do extraordinary things
- b) to work overtime
- c) to get a promotion
- d) to work shifts
Answer
b) to work overtime — straordinari (plural noun) in a work context always refers to overtime hours.
Which expression means working from home in Italian?
- a) a domicilio
- b) in smart working
- c) lavoro remoto
- d) fuori ufficio
Answer
b) in smart working — This anglicism is now standard in Italian workplace vocabulary; a domicilio refers to delivery/home services.

Flashcards

il lavoroeel la-VOH-rohnm

Work / job. Il lavoro = the job. Lavorare = to work. Un lavoro = a job. Che lavoro fai? = What do you do?

Che lavoro fa tuo fratello?

la riunionela ryoo-NYO-nehnf

Meeting. Ho una riunione = I have a meeting. Riunione di lavoro = work meeting. Very common word in Italian offices.

Ho tre riunioni oggi — sono stanchissima.

il capoeel KAH-pohnm

Boss / manager. Il mio capo = my boss. La capa (informal feminine). Also: capo = head (body part).

Il mio capo vuole il rapporto entro venerdì.

le ferieleh FEH-ryehnf

Holiday / vacation (from work). Always plural. 'Quante ferie hai?' = How much holiday do you get?

Ho due settimane di ferie ad agosto.

lavorare da casala-vo-RAH-reh da KAH-zahphr

To work from home. Also called 'smart working' in Italian office slang (English loan word widely used).

Lavoro da casa il lunedì e il venerdì.

l'aziendalat-TSYEN-dahnf

Company / firm. Un'azienda grande = a large company. Lavorare per un'azienda = to work for a company.

Lavoro per un'azienda farmaceutica.

il contrattoeel kon-TRAT-tohnm

Contract (work). Firmare un contratto = to sign a contract. Contratto a tempo indeterminato = permanent contract.

Ho firmato il contratto la settimana scorsa.

Up next

Number. 17

Title. Hobbies e Tempo Libero

Teaser. Hobbies and free time — sports, music, films, books — plus the verb piacere extended to actions (mi piace cucinare).

A2Unit 17

Hobbies e Tempo Libero

What you love, what you do for fun, what fills your weekend.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

Italian hobby talk extends the piacere grammar from things to actions: mi piace cucinare (I like to cook). This unit covers sports, music, books, films, and outdoor activities — plus the verbs that go with them (giocare a, suonare, fare).

The situation

Setting. A first date at a wine bar in Florence.

What is happening. You're swapping hobbies and weekend habits, looking for shared interests.

Why. Italian small talk skips the weather and goes straight to passions. Knowing your hobby vocab is the difference between awkward and warm.

Dialogue — Cosa fai nel tempo libero?

Setting: A first date at a wine bar in Florence. Chiara and Marco swap hobbies and weekend routines over a glass of Chianti.

~2 minutes

A (warm, curious)Allora, Marco — cosa fai nel tempo libero? Oltre al lavoro.

B (enthusiastic)Mi piace tantissimo la musica. Suono la chitarra da dieci anni.

A (impressed)Che bello! In un gruppo?

B (modest)No, solo a casa — per rilassarmi. E tu? Hai qualche hobby?

A (animated)Leggo molto — soprattutto romanzi. E mi piace camminare in montagna il weekend.

B (connecting)Anch'io amo camminare! L'estate scorsa sono andato sulle Dolomiti.

A (excited)Magnifico! Io invece preferisco il Chianti — boschi, colline, vino...

B (laughing)Ottima combinazione. E il cinema? Ti piacciono i film?

A (nodding)Sì — soprattutto i documentari. E tu?

B (revealing)Più che altro cucino. Cucino ogni domenica — è la mia meditazione.

A (delighted)Davvero?! Allora devi cucinarmi qualcosa presto!

'Suono la chitarra' = I play the guitar. Use suonare for instruments, giocare a for sports and games.
'Mi piace' = I like it (singular). 'Mi piacciono' = I like them (plural). The verb agrees with the thing liked, not the person.
'Anch'io amo' = I also love. Amare (to love) is stronger than piacere and used for deep passions.

Listening

How long has Marco been playing guitar?
Show answers
Ten years (da dieci anni).
What does Chiara like to do at weekends?
Show answers
She likes to read (especially novels) and go hiking in the mountains.
What does Marco describe as his 'meditation'?
Show answers
Cooking every Sunday (cucino ogni domenica).

Pronunciation

Calcio: "KAL-cho". The ci is soft.
Suonare: "swoh-NAH-reh". The uo diphthong stays clean.
Pianoforte: stress on FOR — "pyah-no-FOR-teh".
Cucinare: stress on NA — "koo-chee-NAH-reh".

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
lo sport	sport	lo SPORT
la musica	music	la MOO-zee-kah
il libro	book	eel LEE-broh
il film	film	eel FEELM
giocare a	to play (game)	jo-KAH-reh a	Used with sports / games.
suonare	to play (instr.)	swoh-NAH-reh	Used with instruments.
cucinare	to cook	koo-chee-NAH-reh
leggere	to read	LEJ-jeh-reh
viaggiare	to travel	vyaj-JAH-reh
camminare	to walk	kam-mee-NAH-reh

You have already seen this

('Italian Saturday-night TV', 'Quelli che il calcio uses sport vocab on every episode.')
('Italian podcast intros', 'Mi piace leggere, viaggiare, cucinare — the trinity of bios.')
('Italian Tinder profiles', 'Hobby lists drill the present + da + duration construction.')

Phrases

Mi piace molto cucinare.

mee PYA-cheh MOL-toh koo-chee-NAH-reh

I really like cooking.

When to use. Stating a hobby preference.

Why it works. Piacere + infinitive = liking an action. Always singular piace with verbs (you like the activity, not multiple things).

Mi piace leggere romanzi.
Mi piace tantissimo viaggiare.

— Cosa fai nel weekend? — Mi piace molto cucinare.

Suono il pianoforte da quando avevo otto anni.

SWO-no eel pyah-no-FOR-teh da KWAN-doh ah-VEH-vo OT-toh AHN-nee

I've played piano since I was eight.

When to use. Sharing how long you've done something.

Why it works. Da + time = 'for/since' + duration. Italian uses present tense for ongoing duration.

Studio italiano da sei mesi.
Vivo qui da due anni.

— Sai suonare? — Suono il pianoforte da quando avevo otto anni.

Gioco a calcio ogni domenica.

JOH-ko a KAL-cho OHN-yee doh-MEH-nee-kah

I play football every Sunday.

When to use. Stating a regular hobby.

Why it works. Giocare a + sport. Ogni + singular noun = every.

Vado in palestra tre volte a settimana.
Faccio yoga la mattina.

— Cosa fai la domenica? — Gioco a calcio ogni domenica.

Watch out for

('Suono il calcio.', 'Gioco a calcio.', 'Sports use giocare a; instruments use suonare.')
('Mi piacciono cucinare.', 'Mi piace cucinare.', 'Verb after piacere stays singular: mi piace.')
('Studio italiano per sei mesi.', 'Studio italiano da sei mesi.', "Use da for duration that's ongoing.")
('Faccio sport.', 'Faccio sport / pratico uno sport.', "Generic 'I do sport' is fine; for a specific sport say gioco a / faccio.")

Grammar

Title. Da + duration: present tense for ongoing situations

Explanation. Italian uses the present tense (not the past) for situations that started in the past and continue now. Vivo qui da tre anni = 'I have been living here for three years' (literally: 'I live here from three years'). English uses the present perfect; Italian uses the present + da + duration.

Formula. present tense + da + duration → ongoing situation that started X ago

Examples. [('Studio italiano da sei mesi.', "I've been studying Italian for six months."), ('Vive a Roma da 2010.', "He's been living in Rome since 2010."), ('Suono la chitarra da dieci anni.', "I've been playing guitar for ten years."), ('Lavora qui da poco.', "She's been working here for a short time.")]

Culture

Title. Calcio is the religion. So is the discussion of calcio.

Body. Italian football (il calcio) is a parallel-track conversational topic — Italians can debate Serie A for hours, across generations and political lines. Even non-fans know who's leading the league. If you want shortcut credibility, learn your conversation partner's club: Sei juventino? Romanista? Milanista? The right answer wins instant warmth; the wrong one starts a debate.

Takeaway. Pick a Serie A team to support, even casually — it gives you a backstop in any conversation.

Takeaways

Mi piace + infinitive = liking an action. Always singular.
Giocare a + sport; suonare + instrument.
Use the present + da + duration for ongoing situations.
Calcio is conversational currency — pick a team.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Hobbies vocabulary gap-fill

Fill each blank with giocare a, suonare (+ the correct article if needed), a frequency adverb, or a leisure expression. The English gloss is in italics.

Il sabato mattina vado in palestra ____ — è la mia routine. (always)
Mio fratello ____ chitarra da quando aveva dieci anni. (plays — instrument)
In estate ____ tennis con gli amici al parco. (we play — sport)
Non vado mai al cinema in settimana — solo ____ il weekend. (sometimes)
La domenica mi piace ____ sul divano e guardare le serie. (to relax)
Da piccola ____ pianoforte, ma adesso non ho più tempo. (I used to play — instrument)
Non ho ____ visitato un museo in questa città — dovrei! (never)
Adoro ____ una passeggiata la domenica mattina. (to take)

Exercise 2 — Giocare a vs. suonare transformation drill

Each English prompt is given in brackets. Write the full Italian sentence using either giocare a (sports/games) or suonare (instruments). Add the correct article where required.

[She plays the violin every evening.] → suonare: ____
[They play football on Sundays.] → giocare a: ____
[I play the drums in a band.] → suonare: ____
[Do you play chess?] → giocare a (informal tu): ____
[We play basketball at the sports centre.] → giocare a: ____

Exercise 3 — Spot and fix the error

Each sentence has exactly one mistake — a wrong verb (giocare/suonare), a misplaced or incorrect frequency adverb, or a wrong article with an instrument. Identify it and rewrite correctly.

Suono a calcio ogni domenica con i miei amici. (sport vs. instrument verb rule)
Gioco il pianoforte da cinque anni — è il mio hobby preferito. (instrument verb rule)
Non vado mai sempre in palestra — dipende dalla settimana. (contradictory frequency adverbs)
Suono la chitarra — non ho uno strumento. (logical contradiction — but also: article with suonare)
Nel tempo libero mi piace fare molto spesso passeggiate raramente. (redundant conflicting adverbs)

Exercise 4 — Production task: describe your weekend routine

A new Italian friend asks: Cosa fai di solito nel weekend? Write 5–6 sentences describing your typical Saturday and Sunday. Include at least one use of giocare a or suonare, two different frequency adverbs, and one activity you never do on weekends.

Show answers

Quick check

Which sentence is correct?
- a) Gioco il violino ogni sera.
- b) Suono al calcio ogni domenica.
- c) Gioco a calcio ogni domenica.
- d) Suono calcio ogni domenica.
Answer
c) Gioco a calcio ogni domenica. — Sports/games use giocare a; instruments use suonare (no a, no article before the instrument).
Which frequency expression means 'sometimes'?
- a) spesso
- b) sempre
- c) qualche volta
- d) raramente
Answer
c) qualche volta — spesso = often; sempre = always; raramente = rarely.
Where does the adverb spesso typically sit in an Italian sentence?
- a) Always at the beginning: Spesso vado in palestra.
- b) After the conjugated verb: Vado spesso in palestra.
- c) At the end only: Vado in palestra spesso.
- d) Both a) and b) are natural; c) is also acceptable.
Answer
d) Both a) and b) are natural; c) is also acceptable. — Italian frequency adverbs are relatively flexible; after the verb is most neutral, sentence-initial adds emphasis.
How do you say 'I never go to the cinema during the week'?
- a) Vado mai al cinema in settimana.
- b) Non vado mai al cinema in settimana.
- c) Non vado sempre al cinema in settimana.
- d) Mai vado al cinema in settimana.
Answer
b) Non vado mai al cinema in settimana. — Italian double negation is required: non + verb + mai. Mai alone (option d) is archaic/poetic.
Which phrase means 'to take a walk'?
- a) fare una gita
- b) fare una passeggiata
- c) andare a camminare
- d) fare un giro a piedi
Answer
b) fare una passeggiata — This is the standard phrase. fare una gita = to go on a day trip; fare un giro (a piedi) is informal but acceptable.

Flashcards

suonareswoh-NAH-rehv

To play (a musical instrument). Always use suonare for instruments. Never use giocare for instruments.

Suono il pianoforte da cinque anni.

giocare ajo-KAH-reh av

To play (a sport or game). Giocare a calcio = to play football. Giocare a carte = to play cards.

Gioco a tennis ogni sabato mattina.

leggereLEJ-jeh-rehv

To read. Irregular past participle: letto. Ho letto = I (have) read. Mi piace leggere = I like reading.

Leggo almeno un libro al mese.

viaggiarevyaj-JAH-rehv

To travel. Mi piace viaggiare = I like travelling. Amo viaggiare = I love travelling.

Voglio viaggiare in Giappone il prossimo anno.

cucinarekoo-chee-NAH-rehv

To cook. Mi piace cucinare = I like cooking. Cucinare bene = to cook well.

Cucino la pasta ogni domenica per la famiglia.

camminarekam-mee-NAH-rehv

To walk. Camminare in montagna = hiking. More active than 'passeggiare' (to stroll).

Mi piace camminare in montagna d'estate.

il libroeel LEE-brohnm

Book. Leggere un libro = to read a book. Un romanzo = a novel. Un saggio = an essay/non-fiction.

Stai leggendo un libro interessante?

Up next

Number. 18

Title. La Salute

Teaser. Health beyond the basics — describing symptoms in detail, the doctor's visit, and the verbs that handle daily wellbeing.

A2Unit 18

La Salute

Doctor visits, prescriptions, and feeling like yourself again.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

Building on Unit 12's basics, this unit covers a full doctor visit: describing symptoms in detail, understanding the doctor's questions, and getting a prescription (la ricetta). You'll also learn the imperative — both polite (prenda) and informal (prendi) — which the doctor will use on you.

The situation

Setting. An appointment with the medico di base in Bologna for persistent stomach pain.

What is happening. The doctor asks since when, where exactly, what makes it worse, and prescribes medication.

Why. Italian doctor visits are conversational. Knowing how to describe symptoms precisely speeds diagnosis and treatment.

Dialogue — Dal medico

Setting: A visit to the medico di base (family doctor) in Bologna. Sofia has had stomach pain for four days. The doctor examines and prescribes.

~2 minutes

A (calm, professional)Buongiorno. Si accomodi. Allora — cosa le succede?

B (slightly worried)Ho un dolore allo stomaco da quattro giorni. È abbastanza forte.

A (probing)Dove esattamente? Qui in alto o più in basso?

B (indicating)Qui — nella parte centrale. Peggiora dopo i pasti.

A (noting)Capisco. Ha altri sintomi? Nausea, febbre?

B (thinking)Un po' di nausea la mattina. Ma la febbre no.

A (examining, professional)La esamino un momento. Respiri profondamente... bene. Non sembra grave.

B (relieved but curious)Cos'è, secondo lei?

A (explaining)Probabilmente gastrite. Le scrivo una ricetta — un antiacido, due volte al giorno.

B (asking)Per quanto tempo?

A (advising)Per una settimana. E mangi leggero — niente fritti, niente alcol. Se non migliora, torni.

The doctor uses 'Lei' (formal) throughout: 'Le scrivo' = I'll write you (formal), 'torni' = come back (formal imperative).
'Peggiora dopo i pasti' = it gets worse after meals. Peggiorare (to worsen) and migliorare (to improve) are key medical verbs.
'Mangi leggero' = eat light/plain food. Another formal imperative. Italian doctors give dietary advice routinely.

Listening

How long has Sofia had the stomach pain, and when does it get worse?
Show answers
Four days (quattro giorni) — it gets worse after meals (dopo i pasti).
What does the doctor think the diagnosis is?
Show answers
Gastritis (gastrite).
What are the doctor's two pieces of dietary advice?
Show answers
No fried food (niente fritti) and no alcohol (niente alcol).

Pronunciation

Ricetta: "ree-CHET-tah". Soft ce, double T held.
Sintomo: stress on SEEN — "SEEN-toh-mo".
Migliorare: "meel-yo-RAH-reh". The gli is the lli sound.
Pronto soccorso: "PRON-toh sok-KOR-soh".

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
il medico	doctor	eel MEH-dee-ko	Also: il dottore.
la ricetta	prescription	la ree-CHET-tah	Also: recipe (context).
il sintomo	symptom	eel SEEN-toh-mo
il dolore	pain	eel doh-LOH-reh
la cura	treatment	la KOO-rah
grave / lieve	serious / mild	GRAH-veh / LYEH-veh
peggiorare	to worsen	pej-jo-RAH-reh
migliorare	to improve	meel-yo-RAH-reh
riposare	to rest	ree-po-ZAH-reh
controllare	to check	kon-trol-LAH-reh

You have already seen this

('Italian medical dramas', 'Doc — Nelle Tue Mani drills medical vocabulary every episode.')
('Italian pharmacy ads', 'Prenda due compresse al giorno — formal imperative on every TV ad.')
('Italian doctor podcasts', 'Health vocabulary across countless youth-aimed shows.')

Phrases

Da quanto tempo sente il dolore?

da KWAN-toh TEM-poh SEN-teh eel doh-LOH-reh

How long have you had the pain?

When to use. What the doctor will ask you. Standard formal version.

Why it works. Da quanto tempo + present tense = 'for how long have you been...' (using Lei: sente).

Da quando ha questo dolore?
Quando è cominciato?

— Da quanto tempo sente il dolore? — Da tre giorni.

Mi fa male qui da una settimana.

mee fa MAH-leh kwee da OO-nah set-tee-MAH-nah

It's been hurting here for a week.

When to use. Answering the doctor's 'how long' question.

Why it works. Combines fare male (Unit 12) with da + duration (Unit 17).

Da ieri.
Da diversi giorni.

— Da quanto tempo? — Mi fa male qui da una settimana.

Prenda questa medicina due volte al giorno.

PREN-dah KWES-tah meh-dee-CHEE-nah DOO-eh VOL-teh al JOR-no

Take this medicine twice a day.

When to use. What the doctor or pharmacist will tell you.

Why it works. Prenda is the formal imperative of prendere. Polite commands use the third-person singular form.

Beva molta acqua.
Riposi per qualche giorno.

— Cosa devo fare? — Prenda questa medicina due volte al giorno e riposi.

Watch out for

('Voglio la medicina.', 'Mi può prescrivere qualcosa?', "Don't demand medication; ask what the doctor recommends.")
('Mi fa male da molto tempo.', 'Mi fa male da [specific duration].', 'Doctors need precise durations. Avoid vague answers.')
('Sono malato di stomaco.', 'Mi fa male lo stomaco. / Ho mal di stomaco.', 'Malato implies chronic illness; for acute pain, use fa male.')
('Prendere la medicina.', 'Prenda la medicina. / Prendi la medicina.', 'Imperative needs the right register — Lei or tu.')

Grammar

Title. Imperatives: telling and asking people to do things

Explanation. Italian has two imperative registers. Tu (informal): parla, prendi, dormi (drop the final -re of -ire verbs). Lei (formal): use the third-person singular subjunctive — parli, prenda, dorma. The doctor will use Lei with you; you use tu with kids and close friends. Negative tu drops to infinitive: non parlare!

Formula. tu (informal): parla / prendi / dormi • Lei (formal): parli / prenda / dorma • negative tu: non + infinitive

Examples. [('Bevi più acqua! (tu)', 'Drink more water!'), ('Prenda la medicina. (Lei)', 'Take the medicine.'), ('Non fumare! (negative tu)', "Don't smoke!"), ('Riposi a casa. (Lei)', 'Rest at home.')]

Culture

Title. Italy has universal healthcare. The medico di base is your gateway.

Body. Italian residents register with a medico di base (general practitioner) who handles everything from basic prescriptions to specialist referrals. Visits are free at the point of service; medications often have a small co-pay (il ticket). For emergencies, the public ER (il pronto soccorso) is free regardless of residency status.

Takeaway. Italian healthcare is universal and accessible. The medico di base is the entry point.

Takeaways

Imperative has formal (Lei) and informal (tu) registers — doctors use Lei.
Da + duration + present tense = 'for [time]'.
Italian healthcare is universal; the medico di base is your entry point.
Pharmacist handles minor stuff; doctor handles diagnoses; ER for emergencies.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Health vocabulary gap-fill

Fill each blank with the correct health word, da + duration, or body-part expression. The English gloss is in italics.

Ho ____ da tre giorni — ho anche i brividi la sera. (a fever)
Mi fa male la ____ da stamattina — forse è il caldo. (head)
Devo andare ____ medico — mi fa male la schiena da una settimana. (to the — masc. singular contraction)
Ho la ____ e starnutisco continuamente — sarà il raffreddore. (runny nose / cold)
Non dormo bene ____ due settimane — sono esausto. (for / since — duration)
Ho una ____ alla caviglia dopo la partita di ieri. (sprain / injury)
Vai in ____ e compra uno sciroppo per la tosse. (pharmacy)
Ho la ____ — devo mangiare qualcosa di leggero. (nausea)

Exercise 2 — Da + present tense duration drill

Rewrite each sentence to express how long the symptom has been going on, using da + present tense (Italian present, not perfect). The duration cue is given in brackets.

Ho mal di testa. [since this morning] → da + present tense: ____
Ho la febbre. [for three days] → da + present tense: ____
Non dormo bene. [for two weeks] → da + present tense: ____
Ho la tosse. [since Monday] → da + present tense: ____
Mi fa male la schiena. [for a month] → da + present tense: ____

Exercise 3 — Spot and fix the error

Each sentence has exactly one mistake — a wrong tense with da, a wrong contraction in andare dal/dalla, or an incorrect health expression. Identify it and rewrite correctly.

Ho avuto la febbre da tre giorni. (da requires present tense, not passato prossimo)
Devo andare dalla medico domani mattina. (medico is masculine — check contraction)
Mi fa male le ginocchia da ieri sera — devo fermarmi. (subject-verb agreement)
Ho la tosse da molto tempo fa. (da + duration phrase, not fa)
Bevi molti acqua e riposa — è il miglior rimedio. (partitive/article with acqua)

Exercise 4 — Production task: describe symptoms to a doctor

You are at the doctor's office in Italy. Write a 5–6 line exchange: describe your main symptoms using da + present tense for at least two of them, answer the doctor's follow-up questions, and receive advice with at least two imperative forms (Prenda!, Beva!, Si riposi! — formal Lei imperatives).

Show answers

Quick check

Which sentence correctly uses da to express duration of illness?
- a) Ho avuto la febbre da tre giorni.
- b) Avevo la febbre per tre giorni.
- c) Ho la febbre da tre giorni.
- d) Sono tre giorni che ho avuto la febbre.
Answer
c) Ho la febbre da tre giorni. — da + present tense expresses an ongoing state that started in the past; passato prossimo (a) implies it's over.
How do you say 'I need to go to the doctor' in Italian?
- a) Devo andare al medico.
- b) Devo andare dal medico.
- c) Devo andare a medico.
- d) Devo andare da medico.
Answer
b) Devo andare dal medico. — andare da + person uses dal (di + il); it parallels going to someone's place or practice.
What does Mi fa male la gola mean?
- a) My stomach hurts.
- b) My leg hurts.
- c) My throat hurts.
- d) My ear hurts.
Answer
c) My throat hurts. — la gola = the throat; fare male a = to hurt (lit. 'the throat makes itself hurt to me').
A doctor says: Si riposi a casa per qualche giorno. What is this grammatically?
- a) An informal tu imperative.
- b) A formal Lei imperative (reflexive verb).
- c) A conditional recommendation.
- d) A present tense description.
Answer
b) A formal Lei imperative (reflexive verb). — Si riposi uses the Lei (formal) imperative of riposarsi; the tu imperative would be riposati.
You have had a cough since last Thursday. How do you say this in Italian?
- a) Ho avuto la tosse da giovedì scorso.
- b) Ho la tosse da giovedì scorso.
- c) Ho la tosse per giovedì scorso.
- d) Ho la tosse da giovedì passato fa.
Answer
b) Ho la tosse da giovedì scorso. — da + a point in time (giovedì scorso) + present tense = ongoing from that point until now.

Flashcards

il doloreeel doh-LOH-rehnm

Pain. Ho un dolore a... = I have a pain in... Dolore acuto = sharp pain. Dolore sordo = dull ache.

Ho un forte dolore alla schiena.

il sintomoeel SEEN-toh-monm

Symptom. Plural: i sintomi. 'Quali sono i suoi sintomi?' = What are your symptoms?

Ha altri sintomi oltre al dolore?

peggiorare / migliorarepej-jo-RAH-reh / meel-yo-RAH-rehv

To worsen / to improve. Key verbs for describing illness. 'Il dolore peggiora la sera' = the pain gets worse in the evening.

Se non migliora domani, vai dal medico.

grave / lieveGRAH-veh / LYEH-vehadj

Serious / mild (medical). 'Non sembra grave' = it doesn't seem serious. 'Un sintomo lieve' = a mild symptom.

Il dottore ha detto che non è grave.

il medicoeel MEH-dee-konm

Doctor. Il medico di base = GP / family doctor. Il dottore/la dottoressa = more formal title.

Devo andare dal medico — sto male da tre giorni.

la curala KOO-rahnf

Treatment / cure. La cura = the treatment (course of medication or therapy). Fare una cura = to undergo treatment.

Il medico mi ha prescritto una cura di dieci giorni.

controllarekon-trol-LAH-rehv

To check / monitor. 'Torni tra una settimana per controllare' = come back in a week for a check-up.

Devo controllare la pressione ogni mattina.

Up next

Number. 19

Title. Telefono e Internet

Teaser. Phone and online — calling, texting, navigating Italian apps and the polite phone-opening (pronto?).

A2Unit 19

Il Telefono

Pronto? Italian phone manners are a small ritual.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

Italian phone calls open with pronto — literally 'ready'. The call has its own rhythm: identify yourself, say who you're looking for, leave a message. This unit covers phone vocabulary, the polite forms used over the phone, and the verb chiamare (to call) plus its reflexive form chiamarsi (to be called/named).

The situation

Setting. You need to call your Italian doctor's office to confirm an appointment.

What is happening. The receptionist answers pronto. You give your name and explain why you're calling.

Why. Italian phone manners are formulaic. Get the opening right and the rest flows.

Dialogue — Pronto? Studio medico Rossi.

Setting: A phone call to the doctor's surgery in the morning. Elena calls to confirm her appointment and is put through to the receptionist.

~2 minutes

A (professional, clipped)Studio medico Rossi, buongiorno.

B (polite, clear)Buongiorno. Mi chiamo Elena Conti. Volevo confermare un appuntamento.

A (checking diary)Conti... per quando è l'appuntamento?

B (informing)Per giovedì alle tre e mezza. Con il dottor Rossi.

A (confirming)Sì, ce l'abbiamo. Confermiamo per giovedì quindici alle quindici e trenta.

B (asking)Perfetto. Devo portare qualcosa? La tessera sanitaria?

A (advising)Sì — la tessera sanitaria e un documento d'identità. E arrivi qualche minuto prima, per favore.

B (noted)Certo. E se dovessi disdire — come faccio?

A (instructing)Chiami questo numero entro le dodici del giorno prima. Altrimenti non possiamo liberare lo slot.

B (understanding)Capito. Grazie mille. Arrivederci.

A (courteous sign-off)Prego. Arrivederci e buona giornata.

Italian phone calls begin with 'Pronto' (from the receiving end) or a business name + 'buongiorno'. Never just 'ciao' in a formal call.
'Volevo' = I wanted to (imperfect tense used to soften a request — more polite than 'voglio').
'Se dovessi disdire' = if I needed to cancel. This is the subjunctive — note the form for future possibility.

Listening

When is Elena's appointment, and with whom?
Show answers
Thursday the 15th at 3:30 PM (quindici e trenta) with Dr Rossi.
What two documents must Elena bring?
Show answers
Her health card (tessera sanitaria) and an ID document (documento d'identità).
What is the deadline for cancelling the appointment?
Show answers
By midday (le dodici) on the day before.

Pronunciation

Gli in squillare if you say it: "skweel-LA-reh".
Pr at the start of pronto is rolled R + clean P.
Stress on POSso, PUOI, POSsono (irregular: stress on first syllable in 3rd plural).
Ch = hard "k": chiamare = "kya-MA-reh".

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
pronto	hello? (on phone)	PRON-to	Literally "ready".
il telefono	the phone	eel teh-LEH-fo-no
il cellulare	the mobile phone	eel chel-loo-LA-reh	Often shortened to cell.
chiamare	to call	kya-MA-reh
rispondere	to answer	ree-SPON-deh-reh
lasciare un messaggio	to leave a message	la-SHA-reh oon mes-SAJ-jo
il numero	the number	eel NOO-meh-ro
l'appuntamento	the appointment	lap-poon-ta-MEN-to
squillare	to ring	skweel-LA-reh
attaccare	to hang up	at-tak-KA-reh	Also: chiudere la chiamata.

You have already seen this

('Italian sitcoms', 'Pronto? + dramatic pause is the universal Italian sitcom phone-call opener.')
('My Brilliant Friend (TV)', 'Lila and Lenù call each other constantly. Every call opens identically: Pronto, sono io.')
('Italian voicemail messages', 'Lasciate un messaggio dopo il segnale. — practise listening to this on any Italian voicemail.')

Phrases

Pronto, sono Marco. C'è Anna?

PRON-to, SO-no MAR-ko. cheh AHN-na

Hello, this is Marco. Is Anna there?

When to use. Standard phone opening when you call someone's home or shared line.

Why it works. Pronto + sono [name] + question. Italian opens phone calls with name first, ask second.

Buongiorno, sono Marco. Posso parlare con Anna?
Salve, sono Marco.

— Pronto? — Pronto, sono Marco. C'è Anna? — Sì, te la passo.

Vorrei lasciare un messaggio.

vor-RAY la-SHA-reh oon mes-SAJ-jo

I'd like to leave a message.

When to use. When the person you wanted isn't available.

Why it works. Vorrei (conditional) softens the request. Standard polite phrase across registers.

Posso lasciare un messaggio?
Le posso dire una cosa?

— Anna non c'è. — Vorrei lasciare un messaggio, per favore.

Mi può richiamare?

mee PWO ree-kya-MA-reh

Can you call me back?

When to use. Asking for a callback.

Why it works. Richiamare = ri- (re-) + chiamare (call) = call back. Mi può = formal 'can you'.

Mi puoi richiamare? (informal)
Quando può richiamarmi?

— Anna non c'è. — Mi può richiamare quando torna?

Watch out for

('Hello? (on the phone)', 'Pronto?', 'Italian phone opening is pronto — never ciao or hello.')
('Mi puoi telefonare?', 'Mi puoi chiamare?', 'Telefonare works but chiamare is far more natural.')
('Sono Marco al telefono', 'Pronto, sono Marco', "The phrase 'on the phone' is implicit — don't add it.")
('Lascia un messaggio', 'Vorrei lasciare un messaggio', 'Imperative is rude here; use vorrei.')

Grammar

Title. Modal verbs: potere, dovere, volere

Explanation. Italian's three modal verbs are all irregular and all take an infinitive. Potere (can/may), dovere (must/have to), volere (want). Conjugate the modal, leave the second verb in the infinitive: devo andare (I have to go), posso parlare (I can speak), voglio mangiare (I want to eat).

Formula. potere: posso • puoi • può • possiamo • potete • possono | dovere: devo • devi • deve • dobbiamo • dovete • devono | volere: voglio • vuoi • vuole • vogliamo • volete • vogliono

Examples. [('Posso chiamarti?', 'Can I call you?'), ('Devo andare.', 'I have to go.'), ('Voglio dormire.', 'I want to sleep.'), ('Puoi aiutarmi?', 'Can you help me?'), ('Dobbiamo partire.', 'We have to leave.')]

Culture

Title. Italians actually pick up the phone.

Body. Phone calls in Italy aren't dying out the way they are in English-speaking cultures. Italians pick up. They call to confirm appointments, to chat, to ask a quick question. Voice messages on WhatsApp are also a national obsession — sometimes minutes long, sometimes just ciao.

Takeaway. If you're in Italy and need an answer fast, call. Don't text and wait.

Takeaways

Italian phone calls open with pronto, never ciao.
Modal verbs (posso, devo, voglio) take an infinitive: posso parlare.
Identify yourself first: sono [name].
Italians actually answer their phones — call before you text.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Gap-fill: phone-call vocabulary and formulas

Fill each blank with the correct Italian word or phrase. The English gloss is your clue. Focus on set phone-call formulas — many are fixed expressions that must be memorised exactly.

____ ! Sono Marco — posso parlare con la signora Ferri ? (hello / answering the phone)
— ____ ? — Sono Giulia, la collega di Paolo. (who's speaking? — formal question)
Mi dispiace, la dottoressa non è disponibile. Può ____ più tardi ? (call back)
Vuole ____ un messaggio ? (leave a message)
Attenda un momento, La ____ subito. (I'll put you through — formal)
La linea è ____. Provi a richiamare tra qualche minuto. (busy / engaged)
Ho perso il segnale — ero in zona ____. (no coverage / dead zone)
Puoi parlare più ____? Non ti sento bene. (slowly / clearly)

Exercise 2 — Transformation: formal ↔ informal register on the phone

Rewrite each sentence, switching between formal (Lei) and informal (tu) register as directed. Phone calls in Italy are very register-sensitive: formal with offices and strangers, informal with friends and family.

Informal: 'Puoi richiamarmi stasera?' → formal (Lei): ____
Formal: 'Vuole lasciare un messaggio?' → informal (tu): ____
Informal: 'Ti passo Martina.' → formal (Lei): ____
Formal: 'Attenda in linea, per favore.' → informal (tu): ____
Informal: 'Hai sbagliato numero.' → formal (Lei): ____

Exercise 3 — Error correction: phone-call mistakes

Each sentence contains one error typical of English speakers using Italian on the phone. Find the mistake and write the corrected sentence.

— Hello ! — Son Paolo. (answering the phone in Italian)
Posso parlare con dottor Rossi ? (title + surname without article)
Vuole lasciare il messaggio ? (idiomatic article use with un messaggio)
La mia linea è molto noise oggi. (wrong word — use Italian)
Può chiamare me di nuovo ? (pronoun placement with potere + infinitive)

Exercise 4 — Production task: making a formal phone call to a doctor's office

You call the studio medico of Dr. Bianchi to book an appointment. The receptionist answers. Complete the exchange using formal Lei register throughout. Use at least one phone formula (Pronto, Può richiamare, Lascio un messaggio, etc.).

Show answers

Quick check

You answer the phone in Italian. Which is the standard first word to say?
- a) Ciao !
- b) Pronto !
- c) Sì !
- d) Buongiorno !
Answer
b) Pronto ! — This is the universal Italian phone greeting, used regardless of time of day or whether the call is formal or informal. It literally means 'ready' and signals you are on the line. Buongiorno may follow in a formal context, but Pronto always comes first.
The receptionist asks Chi parla? What does she want to know?
- a) Where you are calling from.
- b) Who you want to speak to.
- c) Who you are — your name.
- d) Whether you speak Italian.
Answer
c) Who you are — your name. — Chi parla? means 'Who is speaking?' The correct reply is Sono [name]. Never say 'Io sono' — in Italian, io is routinely dropped because the verb ending already shows the subject.
You want to say 'Can I leave a message?' Which is correct?
- a) Posso lasciare il messaggio ?
- b) Posso lasciare un messaggio ?
- c) Posso fare un messaggio ?
- d) Posso dire un messaggio ?
Answer
b) Posso lasciare un messaggio ? — The verb is lasciare (to leave), not fare or dire. The article is un (indefinite) — you're leaving a message, not the specific message. 'Lasciare il messaggio' sounds as if a specific message was already agreed upon.
A colleague says La linea è occupata. What does this mean?
- a) The line is bad / crackling.
- b) The line is busy / engaged.
- c) The office is closed.
- d) The number has changed.
Answer
b) The line is busy / engaged. — Occupata (from occupato, occupied/busy) is the Italian equivalent of the English 'engaged tone'. La linea è occupata = the line is busy, try again later.
You are speaking formally on the phone. Which sentence correctly asks the caller to hold?
- a) Aspetta un momento.
- b) Attendi un momento.
- c) Attenda un momento, per favore.
- d) Aspetti un momento, per piacere.
Answer
c) Attenda un momento, per favore. — In formal Lei register, the imperative of aspettare is aspetti and of attendere is attenda. Both are correct; attenda is slightly more formal and common in professional contexts. Aspetta and attendi are the informal tu imperatives — incorrect for formal phone calls.

Flashcards

ProntoPRON-tophr

Hello? (on the phone — answering). Literally 'ready'. Only used when answering a call, never when making one.

Pronto? Chi parla?

chiamarekya-MA-rehv

To call (phone). Ho chiamato = I called. Mi può chiamare? = Can you call me?

Ti chiamo domani mattina.

lasciare un messaggiola-SHA-reh oon mes-SAJ-jophr

To leave a message. 'Posso lasciare un messaggio?' = Can I leave a message?

Il dottore non c'è — vuole lasciare un messaggio?

l'appuntamentolap-poon-ta-MEN-tonm

Appointment. Prendere un appuntamento = to make an appointment. Disdire un appuntamento = to cancel one.

Ho un appuntamento dal dentista venerdì.

squillareskweel-LA-rehv

To ring (phone). Il telefono squilla = the phone is ringing. A vivid, specific verb for phone rings.

Il cellulare squilla ma non risponde nessuno.

rispondereree-SPON-deh-rehv

To answer (phone or question). Rispondo al telefono = I answer the phone. Non risponde = no answer.

Ho chiamato tre volte ma non risponde.

il cellulareeel chel-loo-LA-rehnm

Mobile phone. Often shortened to 'cell' in conversation. Il numero di cellulare = mobile number.

Hai il mio numero di cellulare?

Up next

Number. 20

Title. Raccontare il Passato

Teaser. Past tense — the passato prossimo and how to tell what happened yesterday.

A2Unit 20

Raccontare il Passato

Yesterday, last week, the time I went to Rome.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

The passato prossimo is Italian's go-to past tense. It uses an auxiliary (essere or avere) plus the past participle. Most verbs take avere; movement and reflexive verbs take essere (and the participle then agrees in gender and number).

The situation

Setting. Coffee with an Italian friend on Monday morning.

What is happening. She asks how your weekend was. You need to recap: went to a beach, ate too much pasta, met someone interesting.

Why. Recapping the weekend is the Monday-morning Italian ritual. You need the past tense to participate.

Dialogue — Com'è andato il weekend?

Setting: Monday morning coffee with an Italian friend. Marco tells Chiara about his weekend — beach, pasta, and a chance encounter.

~2 minutes

A (curious, Monday-morning energy)Allora Marco — com'è andato il weekend?

B (animated, recounting)Benissimo! Sono andato al mare con Luca e Sofia.

A (interested)Bello! Avete mangiato bene?

B (enthusiastic)Ho mangiato troppa pasta — tre piatti sabato sera. Non mi sono fermato.

A (laughing)Tre piatti! E domenica?

B (conspiratorial, pleased)Domenica ho incontrato una persona interessante. Abbiamo parlato per ore.

A (intrigued)Davvero?! Chi era?

B (smiling)Si chiama Elena. È architetta. Abbiamo preso un caffè e poi siamo andati in spiaggia.

A (teasing)E le hai dato il tuo numero?

B (grinning)Certo! Mi ha già scritto — abbiamo un appuntamento venerdì.

A (delighted)Benissimo! L'estate porta sempre qualcosa di bello.

The passato prossimo (sono andato, ho mangiato, ho incontrato) is the main past tense for recounting weekend events.
Verbs of movement use 'essere': sono andato, siamo andati. Transitive verbs use 'avere': ho mangiato, ho incontrato.
'Non mi sono fermato' = I didn't stop (myself). Reflexive verb in passato prossimo — uses essere as auxiliary.

Listening

Where did Marco go at the weekend and with whom?
Show answers
To the seaside (al mare) with Luca and Sofia.
What does Marco reveal happened on Sunday?
Show answers
He met an interesting person called Elena, an architect. They talked for hours and went to the beach.
When is their next meeting?
Show answers
They have a date on Friday (un appuntamento venerdì).

Pronunciation

Past participles ending in -ato/-ito/-uto: stress on the second-to-last syllable: man-JAH-to, par-TEE-to.
Irregular participles often have double consonants: fatto, detto, letto, preso.
Stato (been) and stato (state) are spelled the same; context distinguishes.
Andato with auxiliary sono: "SO-no an-DA-to" — one breath.

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
ieri	yesterday	YEH-ree
la settimana scorsa	last week	la set-tee-MA-na SKOR-sa
l'anno scorso	last year	LAHN-no SKOR-so
mangiato	eaten (past part.)	man-JAH-toh	From mangiare.
andato / andata	gone (past part.)	an-DA-toh / -ta	Agrees with subject when used with essere.
visto	seen (irreg.)	VEES-toh	From vedere.
fatto	done (irreg.)	FAT-toh	From fare.
detto	said (irreg.)	DET-toh	From dire.
letto	read (irreg.)	LET-toh	From leggere.
preso	taken (irreg.)	PREH-zo	From prendere.

You have already seen this

('Italian podcasts', 'Listen to The Italian Coach or News in Slow Italian — every story uses passato prossimo.')
('La Vita è Bella', 'Guido narrates his past constantly: Ti ho conosciuta, ti ho amata, abbiamo avuto un figlio.')
('Italian dinner-party stories', 'Every Italian dinner has at least one una volta sono andato a... story. Listen for the auxiliary.')

Phrases

Ieri ho mangiato la pizza.

YEH-ree oh man-JAH-toh la PEET-tsa

I ate pizza yesterday.

When to use. Telling someone what you did.

Why it works. Avere + past participle is the standard pattern for transitive verbs (verbs with an object).

Ho mangiato la pizza ieri sera.
Abbiamo mangiato fuori.

— Cosa hai fatto ieri? — Ieri ho mangiato la pizza.

Sono andata al mare.

SO-no an-DA-ta al MA-reh

I went to the beach. (female speaker)

When to use. Talking about movement in the past.

Why it works. Movement verbs (andare, venire, partire, arrivare) take essere, and the participle agrees: andata for women, andato for men.

Siamo andati a Roma. (we went, masc. pl.)
È andata bene. (it went well)

— Cosa hai fatto nel weekend? — Sono andata al mare con Anna.

Mi sono divertito molto.

mee SO-no dee-ver-TEE-toh MOL-toh

I had a great time. (male speaker)

When to use. Reporting that you enjoyed yourself.

Why it works. Reflexive verbs always take essere, and participle agrees with subject: divertito (m.) / divertita (f.).

Ci siamo divertiti molto. (we had fun)
Mi sono divertita. (f.)

— Com'è andata la festa? — Mi sono divertito molto.

Watch out for

('Ho andato', 'Sono andato/a', 'Andare takes essere, not avere. Common beginner trap.')
('Sono mangiato', 'Ho mangiato', 'Most verbs take avere, not essere.')
('Ho stato a Roma', 'Sono stato/a a Roma', 'Stare takes essere in passato prossimo.')
('Sono andato (female speaker)', 'Sono andata', 'Participle agrees with subject when auxiliary is essere.')

Grammar

Title. Passato prossimo: avere or essere + past participle

Explanation. Italian's main past tense uses two ingredients: an auxiliary (avere for most verbs, essere for movement and reflexive verbs) plus the past participle. Regular -are verbs end participle in -ato; -ere verbs in -uto; -ire verbs in -ito. Many common verbs are irregular (visto, fatto, detto, letto, preso). When the auxiliary is essere, the participle agrees with the subject in gender and number.

Formula. avere + participle (most verbs): ho mangiato, hai bevuto, ha dormito | essere + participle (movement/reflexive): sono andato/a, sei venuto/a, è partito/a

Examples. [('Ho mangiato la pasta.', 'I ate pasta.'), ('Sei andata a Roma.', 'You (f.) went to Rome.'), ('Abbiamo visto il film.', 'We saw the film.'), ('Sono partiti stamattina.', 'They left this morning.'), ('Mi sono alzato alle sette.', 'I got up at seven. (m.)')]

Culture

Title. Italians live in the present, but they tell stories in the past.

Body. Italians are champion storytellers, and the passato prossimo is their workhorse. A Monday morning at any bar features overlapping past-tense recaps: sono stata da mia madre, ho cucinato, ho dormito. Listen for the rhythm — the auxiliary is barely stressed; the participle carries the weight.

Takeaway. Recapping your weekend in past tense is the price of entry to Italian small talk.

Takeaways

Most verbs take avere; movement and reflexives take essere.
When auxiliary = essere, participle agrees with subject (gender + number).
Common irregulars: visto, fatto, detto, letto, preso, messo.
Time markers (ieri, la settimana scorsa) anchor the story in time.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Gap-fill: passato prossimo with avere and essere

Fill each blank with the correct passato prossimo form of the verb in brackets. Remember: transitive verbs use avere; verbs of motion, change of state, and reflexive verbs use essere (and the past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number).

Ieri sera Marco ____ (mangiare) una pizza con gli amici. (avere verb)
La settimana scorsa noi ____ (andare) al mare. (essere verb — noi)
Giulia e Francesca ____ (arrivare) in ritardo alla riunione. (essere — 2 women)
Due anni fa mio padre ____ (comprare) questa macchina. (avere verb)
Stamattina io (f.) ____ (svegliarsi) tardi. (reflexive — essere + agreement)
Dove ____ (tu / essere) ieri pomeriggio ? Non ti ho trovato. (essere itself — passato prossimo)
I bambini ____ (uscire) dopo pranzo. (essere — masculine plural)
Avete ____ (vedere) il film di cui ti ho parlato ? (avere verb — participio passato irregolare)

Exercise 2 — Transformation: present tense → passato prossimo with time expressions

Rewrite each sentence in the passato prossimo. The time expression is given in brackets — add it to your new sentence. For essere verbs, make the participle agree with the subject.

Mangio la pizza. (ieri sera) → passato prossimo: ____
Lei parte per Roma. (la settimana scorsa) → passato prossimo: ____
Ci alziamo presto. (stamattina) → passato prossimo: ____
I ragazzi tornano a casa tardi. (due giorni fa) → passato prossimo: ____
Leggo un romanzo bellissimo. (l'estate scorsa) → passato prossimo: ____

Exercise 3 — Error correction: passato prossimo mistakes

Each sentence contains one error typical of English speakers learning the passato prossimo. Find the mistake and write the corrected sentence.

Ieri Maria ha andata al supermercato. (auxiliary choice)
Due anni fa noi abbiamo venuto in Italia. (auxiliary for venire)
La settimana scorsa ho visto un bel film — mi è piaciuto molto. (no error — explain why piacere uses essere)
I miei genitori si hanno alzati alle sei. (reflexive auxiliary + agreement)
Hai mai stato a Napoli ? (auxiliary for essere itself)

Exercise 4 — Production task: telling a friend about your weekend

Your Italian friend Luca asks what you did last weekend. Write a 5–6 line exchange narrating at least four past events. Use at least two essere verbs (with correct agreement) and two avere verbs. Include at least two time expressions: ieri, sabato scorso, la settimana scorsa, due giorni fa, ecc.

Show answers

Quick check

Which sentence is correct?
- a) Ieri Maria ha andata al cinema.
- b) Ieri Maria è andata al cinema.
- c) Ieri Maria è andato al cinema.
- d) Ieri Maria ha andato al cinema.
Answer
b) Ieri Maria è andata al cinema. — Andare uses essere as its auxiliary. Because Maria is feminine singular, the past participle andato must agree: andato → andata. Options (a) and (d) wrongly use avere; option (c) uses the masculine form with a feminine subject.
Complete the sentence: 'I ragazzi ____ (uscire) dopo cena.'
- a) hanno uscito
- b) sono usciti
- c) sono uscito
- d) hanno usciti
Answer
b) sono usciti. — Uscire (to go out) is an intransitive verb of motion: it takes essere. The subject i ragazzi is masculine plural, so the participle agrees: uscito → usciti. 'Hanno uscito' is wrong (wrong auxiliary); 'sono uscito' is wrong (singular masculine form).
Which time expression means 'two weeks ago'?
- a) tra due settimane
- b) la settimana scorsa
- c) due settimane fa
- d) l'altra settimana
Answer
c) due settimane fa. — Fa placed after a time period means 'ago': un'ora fa (an hour ago), tre giorni fa (three days ago). Tra due settimane means 'in two weeks' (future). La settimana scorsa means 'last week' (one week ago, not two).
Mi sono alzat__ presto stamattina. What ending completes the participle for a female speaker?
- a) -o
- b) -a
- c) -i
- d) no ending needed
Answer
b) -a. — Mi sono alzata. Reflexive verbs always take essere, and the past participle agrees with the subject. A female speaker: alzata. Male: alzato, mixed/male group: alzati, all-female group: alzate.
Which Italian time expression is the equivalent of 'the day before yesterday'?
- a) ieri sera
- b) l'altro ieri
- c) due giorni fa
- d) ieri mattina
Answer
b) l'altro ieri. — L'altro ieri is the set expression for 'the day before yesterday'. Due giorni fa also works and is more explicit, but l'altro ieri is the most natural colloquial form. Ieri sera is 'yesterday evening'; ieri mattina is 'yesterday morning'.

Flashcards

ieriYEH-reeadv

Yesterday. Ieri mattina = yesterday morning. Ieri sera = yesterday evening.

Ieri sono andato al mare.

la settimana scorsala set-tee-MA-na SKOR-saphr

Last week. Scorso/a = last (past). L'anno scorso = last year. Il mese scorso = last month.

La settimana scorsa ho lavorato troppo.

sono andato / andataSO-no an-DA-toh / an-DA-tahphr

I went. Andare uses essere in the passato prossimo — the past participle agrees with the subject's gender.

Sono andato a Roma il fine settimana scorso.

ho mangiatooh man-JAH-tohphr

I ate / I have eaten. Mangiare uses avere in the passato prossimo. The past participle does not change.

Ho mangiato troppo ieri sera.

vistoVEES-tohphr

Seen (past participle of vedere). Ho visto = I saw / I have seen. Irregular form — must be memorised.

Ho visto un film bellissimo ieri sera.

fattoFAT-tohphr

Done / made (past participle of fare). Ho fatto = I did / I have done. Irregular — one of the most common past participles.

Cosa hai fatto il weekend?

presoPREH-zophr

Taken / had (past participle of prendere). Ho preso un caffè = I had a coffee. Ho preso il treno = I took the train.

Ho preso un taxi perché pioveva.

Up next

Number. 21

Title. Parlare del Futuro

Teaser. Future plans — Italian's two ways of expressing what's coming.

A2Unit 21

Parlare del Futuro

Tomorrow, next year, eventually.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

Italian has two future tenses: the simple future (parlerò, mangeremo) for plans and predictions, and the present tense used as future for near-term things. This unit teaches both and the time markers that locate plans in the future.

The situation

Setting. Planning a Sicilian holiday with two friends.

What is happening. You're choosing dates, deciding cities, making bookings. Everyone needs to know what they'll do, where, and when.

Why. Italian planning conversations require fluent future tense — and Italians plan a lot.

Dialogue — Vacanze in Sicilia

Setting: Three friends — Sofia, Luca, and Elena — plan a Sicilian summer holiday over a video call on a Sunday afternoon.

~2 minutes

A (excited, proposing)Allora — quest'estate andiamo in Sicilia, vero? Ho già guardato i voli.

B (enthusiastic)Sì! Io sarò libero dalla fine di luglio. E voi?

C (checking mentally)Anch'io. La prima settimana di agosto va bene per me.

A (planning)Perfetto. Andremo a Palermo i primi giorni — poi Taormina, poi Agrigento.

B (curious)Quanto tempo staremo in ogni città?

A (laying it out)Due giorni a Palermo, due a Taormina, uno ad Agrigento. Cinque giorni in tutto.

C (practical)Chi prenota l'albergo? Faremo un Airbnb o un hotel?

B (suggesting)Secondo me un B&B è meglio — meno caro e più autentico. Cosa ne pensate?

A (agreeing)D'accordo. Io prenoto se mi mandate le date esatte.

C (finalising)Dal primo all'otto agosto. Sarà un'estate indimenticabile!

Future tense forms: andremo (we will go), sarò (I will be), staremo (we will stay), faremo (we will do). All very common in planning conversations.
'Ci sarà' = there will be. 'Sarà' (from essere) is one of the most useful future forms — used constantly for predictions and plans.
'Cosa ne pensate?' = What do you think (about it)? The 'ne' refers back to what was just proposed.

Listening

When do all three friends agree to go to Sicily?
Show answers
The first week of August (la prima settimana di agosto).
What is the planned itinerary across the three cities?
Show answers
Two days in Palermo, two in Taormina, one in Agrigento — five days total.
What type of accommodation does Luca suggest, and why?
Show answers
A B&B — cheaper and more authentic (meno caro e più autentico).

Pronunciation

Future endings carry the stress: par-leh-RO, par-leh-RAI, par-leh-REH-mo.
Double R in parlerò is rolled — the future tense distinguishes itself by sound.
Irregular futures have one R: sarò, avrò, farò, andrò.
Stress on par-leh-RAN-no (3rd plural) lands on the antepenultimate syllable.

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
domani	tomorrow	do-MA-nee
dopodomani	the day after tomorrow	DOH-po-do-MA-nee
la settimana prossima	next week	la set-tee-MA-na PROS-see-ma
il mese prossimo	next month	eel MEH-zeh PROS-see-mo
l'anno prossimo	next year	LAHN-no PROS-see-mo
andremo	we will go	an-DREH-mo	From andare.
vedremo	we will see	veh-DREH-mo	From vedere.
faremo	we will do	fa-REH-mo	From fare (irregular).
sarà	it will be	sa-RA	From essere.
ci sarà	there will be	chee sa-RA

You have already seen this

('Italian travel YouTube', "Quest'estate andremo in Puglia — every Italian travel vlog opens with future plans.")
('Italian songs about love', 'Ti aspetterò (I will wait for you) is a song-lyric staple of every era.')
('Italian weather forecasts', 'Domani avremo sole, dopodomani arriverà la pioggia.')

Phrases

Domani vado a Napoli.

do-MA-nee VA-do a NA-po-lee

Tomorrow I'm going to Naples.

When to use. Near-future plans — Italians use the present tense.

Why it works. When the future is close (tomorrow, next week) and certain, Italian uses the present. The time marker (domani) carries the future meaning.

Vado a Napoli domani.
Domani parto per Napoli.

— Cosa fai domani? — Domani vado a Napoli.

L'anno prossimo andremo in Sicilia.

LAHN-no PROS-see-mo an-DREH-mo een see-CHEE-lyah

Next year we'll go to Sicily.

When to use. Plans further out, or predictions.

Why it works. Andremo = we will go. The full future tense is preferred for distant plans, hypotheticals, or formal speech.

Andremo in Sicilia l'anno prossimo.
Pensiamo di andare in Sicilia.

— Avete fatto piani? — L'anno prossimo andremo in Sicilia.

Cosa farai stasera?

KO-sa fa-RAI sta-SEH-ra

What are you doing tonight?

When to use. Asking about same-day plans.

Why it works. Farai = future of fare. Italian's cosa (what) opens information questions.

Cosa fai stasera? (present tense, also fine)
Hai piani per stasera?

— Cosa farai stasera? — Niente di speciale, forse al cinema.

Watch out for

('Domani io andrò', 'Domani vado', 'Near-future plans use the present tense; full future is overkill.')
('Sarò andato', 'Andrò', 'Sarò andato is the future perfect — too complex for simple plans.')
('Vado domani in cinema', 'Vado al cinema domani', 'In + il = al; never write them apart.')
('Faremo le ferie ieri', 'Faremo le ferie ad agosto', 'Ieri means yesterday — wrong tense marker.')

Grammar

Title. Future tense: -erò, -erai, -erà... endings

Explanation. Italian forms the future by replacing the infinitive ending and adding endings: -ò, -ai, -à, -emo, -ete, -anno. Regular -are and -ere verbs use the stem + e + endings (parlerò, vedrò); -ire verbs use stem + i + endings (finirò). Irregulars are common: essere → sarò, avere → avrò, fare → farò, andare → andrò, vedere → vedrò.

Formula. parlare: parlerò • parlerai • parlerà • parleremo • parlerete • parleranno | irregular: essere (sarò), avere (avrò), fare (farò), andare (andrò)

Examples. [('Domani parlerò con lui.', 'Tomorrow I will speak with him.'), ('Vedremo il film stasera.', 'We will see the film tonight.'), ('Sarà bello.', 'It will be nice.'), ('Avrai tempo?', 'Will you have time?'), ('Andranno in vacanza.', 'They will go on holiday.')]

Culture

Title. Italians plan summer in February.

Body. Le ferie (the summer holiday) is sacred. Italians book in winter, talk about it constantly in spring, take it religiously in August. The future tense gets a workout from January onwards: quest'estate andremo a...

Takeaway. If you're working with Italian colleagues, expect summer plans to be locked in by April.

Takeaways

Near-future plans use the present tense (domani vado); distant or formal plans use the future tense (andremo).
Future endings: -ò, -ai, -à, -emo, -ete, -anno.
Common irregulars: sarò, avrò, farò, andrò, vedrò.
Italian summer planning starts in February.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Gap-fill: futuro semplice forms (regular and irregular)

Fill each blank with the correct futuro semplice form of the verb in brackets. Watch for irregular stems: essere → sar-, avere → avr-, fare → far-, andare → andr-, venire → verr-, potere → potr-.

L'anno prossimo io ____ (andare) a studiare a Bologna. (irregular stem)
Fra una settimana loro ____ (essere) già a Roma. (irregular stem)
Domani mattina tu ____ (avere) un colloquio importante — in bocca al lupo ! (irregular stem)
Se farà bel tempo, noi ____ (fare) una gita al lago. (irregular stem)
Pensate che Marina ____ (venire) alla festa sabato ? (irregular stem)
Quando ____ (finire) l'esame, andiamo a festeggiare ! (regular -ire verb)
I miei genitori ____ (comprare) un appartamento l'anno prossimo. (regular -are verb)
Non so se ____ (potere) venire — dipende dal lavoro. (irregular stem)

Exercise 2 — Transformation: choose futuro semplice or andare a + infinito

Each prompt tells you the context. Rewrite the sentence using the form specified. Futuro semplice = distant plans, predictions, uncertainty. Andare a + infinito = imminent intentions (like English 'going to'). The cue after → tells you which form to use.

Ho già prenotato il volo. (partire per New York il mese prossimo) → andare a + infinito: ____
Chissà come sarà il mondo tra vent'anni. (i robot / fare / molti lavori) → futuro semplice: ____
Hai fame ? Guarda il frigo. (preparare qualcosa adesso) → andare a + infinito: ____
La conferenza è tra sei mesi. (il professore / tenere / un discorso) → futuro semplice: ____
Non so ancora. (forse / io / prendere / treno o aereo) → futuro semplice + forse: ____

Exercise 3 — Error correction: futuro semplice mistakes

Each sentence contains one error. Find it and write the corrected version.

L'anno prossimo io sarò andare in Giappone. (mixing future with another form)
Fra due giorni noi anderemo a Venezia. (irregular future stem of andare)
Forse vienirà anche Sara alla festa. (irregular stem of venire)
Domani loro avranno molto lavoro — dobbiamo aiutarli. (is this actually an error? check and explain)
Quando avrò tempo, ti chiamerò. — (correct? explain why the future is used in the 'quando' clause)

Exercise 4 — Production task: talking about future plans with a friend

Your Italian friend Elena asks about your plans for the coming months. Write a 5–6 line exchange. Use at least two futuro semplice forms (including one irregular stem), one andare a + infinito for an imminent plan, and at least two future time expressions (domani, fra una settimana, il mese prossimo, ecc.).

Show answers

Quick check

What is the correct futuro semplice form of essere for 'noi'?
- a) noi siamo
- b) noi esseremo
- c) noi saremo
- d) noi averemo
Answer
c) noi saremo. — Essere has an irregular future stem: sar-. Add the standard future endings: sarò, sarai, sarà, saremo, sarete, saranno. 'Esseremo' does not exist; siamo is the present tense; averemo uses the wrong stem entirely.
Which sentence best expresses an imminent, already-decided plan?
- a) Forse partirò domani.
- b) Parto domani — ho già il biglietto.
- c) Partirò sicuramente domani.
- d) Andrò a partire domani.
Answer
b) Parto domani — ho già il biglietto. — In Italian, a firmly decided near-future event is most naturally expressed with the present tense. Andare a + infinito (vado a partire) also works for intentions. The futuro semplice (partirò) is used for more distant, uncertain, or formal contexts. 'Ho già il biglietto' confirms it is a done deal.
Complete: 'Fra una settimana Maria ____ (venire) a trovarci.'
- a) verrà
- b) venirà
- c) vienirà
- d) venitirà
Answer
a) verrà. — Venire has an irregular future stem: verr-. The third person singular ending -à gives verrà. All other options invent non-existent stems. Key irregular futures to memorise: venire → verrò, essere → sarò, avere → avrò, fare → farò, andare → andrò, potere → potrò.
In Italian, which time expression means 'in a week' (from now)?
- a) tra una settimana
- b) una settimana fa
- c) la settimana scorsa
- d) di settimana in settimana
Answer
a) tra una settimana. — Tra (or fra — both are correct) + time period = 'in [time]' (future). Una settimana fa = a week ago (past). La settimana scorsa = last week. Di settimana in settimana = week by week (idiomatic, different meaning).
Why is the futuro semplice used in: Quando avrò tempo, ti chiamerò?
- a) It is wrong — the present tense should be used in the 'quando' clause.
- b) Italian uses the future in 'quando' clauses referring to future time, unlike English.
- c) Avrò is actually the conditional, not the future.
- d) Only the main clause uses the future; quando clauses always use the present.
Answer
b) Italian uses the future in 'quando' clauses referring to future time, unlike English. In English we say 'When I have time' (present tense in the when-clause). In Italian, if the event is in the future, both clauses take the future: Quando avrò tempo (when I will have time), ti chiamerò (I will call you). Using the present in the quando clause shifts the meaning to a general habit.

Flashcards

domanido-MA-neeadv

Tomorrow. Domani mattina = tomorrow morning. Domani sera = tomorrow evening.

Domani partirò per Milano.

la settimana prossimala set-tee-MA-na PROS-see-maphr

Next week. Prossimo/a = next (upcoming). Il mese prossimo = next month. L'anno prossimo = next year.

La settimana prossima ho un esame importante.

andremoan-DREH-mophr

We will go (future of andare). Andare future: andrò, andrai, andrà, andremo, andrete, andranno.

Quest'estate andremo in Sicilia.

saràsa-RAphr

It will be (future of essere). Essere future: sarò, sarai, sarà, saremo, sarete, saranno.

Sarà una vacanza meravigliosa!

faremofa-REH-mophr

We will do / make (future of fare). Fare future: farò, farai, farà, faremo, farete, faranno.

Cosa faremo il primo giorno a Palermo?

ci saràchee sa-RAphr

There will be. Used for predictions and plans: 'Ci sarà una festa' = There will be a party.

Ci sarà bel tempo tutta la settimana.

dopodomaniDOH-po-do-MA-neeadv

The day after tomorrow. A specific and useful word — Italian has a single word for this.

Non domani, dopodomani — giovedì.

Up next

Number. 22

Title. Opinioni

Teaser. Expressing opinions — A2 territory. Penso che, secondo me, mi sembra che.

A2Unit 22

Opinioni

Italians have opinions on everything. Learn to share yours.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

This unit covers the language of opinion-sharing in Italian: secondo me, penso che, mi sembra, and the basic conjunctions (perché, quindi, però, anche se) that link your opinion to a reason. It also introduces the subjunctive's first appearance after penso che — a topic you'll deepen in B1.

The situation

Setting. An aperitivo discussion about Italian football, Roma vs. Lazio.

What is happening. Your friend declares Roma the better team. You disagree and need to explain why.

Why. Italian conversations turn into opinions fast. Knowing the formulas keeps you in the game.

Dialogue — Roma o Lazio?

Setting: An aperitivo in Rome. Alessandro declares Roma the superior football team. His friend Marco disagrees — and the debate begins.

~2 minutes

A (confident, opinionated)Secondo me la Roma è nettamente migliore del Lazio. Non c'è discussione.

B (amused, ready to debate)Non sono assolutamente d'accordo. Il Lazio ha giocato meglio quest'anno.

A (dismissive)Ma dai! La Roma ha una storia più gloriosa. Pensa alla squadra degli anni ottanta!

B (conceding a point)Sì, forse in passato. Ma adesso — mi sembra che il Lazio abbia più talento.

A (pressing his case)Però la Roma vende sempre i suoi campioni migliori. È un problema strutturale.

B (seizing the point)Esatto! Quindi hai ammesso che c'è un problema. Come puoi dire che sono migliori?

A (laughing, backtracking)Ho detto un problema gestionale — non tecnico! Perché stai ridendo?

B (grinning)Perché stai perdendo la discussione e lo sai. Però sei simpatico, va bene.

A (shrugging, jovial)Forse hai ragione sul Lazio. Ma sempre e comunque — forza Roma!

'Secondo me' = in my opinion. One of the most useful opinion phrases. 'Secondo te' = in your opinion.
'Non sono d'accordo' = I don't agree. Stronger than 'forse no' — used openly in Italian debates without seeming rude.
'Ma dai!' = Come on! / No way! A very common Italian exclamation of disbelief or mild protest.

Listening

What argument does Alessandro make for Roma's superiority?
Show answers
He says Roma has a more glorious history, citing the team of the 1980s.
What structural problem does Alessandro accidentally admit about Roma?
Show answers
That Roma always sells its best players (vende i suoi campioni migliori).
How does Marco end the argument?
Show answers
He points out that Alessandro has admitted there is a problem — and says he is losing the debate but is likeable anyway.

Pronunciation

Sia = "SEE-ah" — two clean syllables.
Però stress on the final ò (with accent).
D'accordo = "dak-KOR-do" — the apostrophe shows elision but pronounce as one word.
Quindi = "KWEEN-dee" — qu = "kw".

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
secondo me	in my opinion	se-KON-do meh
penso che	I think that	PEN-so keh	Triggers subjunctive.
mi sembra	it seems to me	mee SEM-bra
d'accordo	agreed	dak-KOR-do
non sono d'accordo	I don't agree	non SO-no dak-KOR-do
perché	because / why	per-KEH
quindi	so / therefore	KWEEN-dee
però / ma	but / however	peh-RO / ma	Però is more emphatic.
anche se	even if / although	AN-keh seh
forse	maybe	FOR-seh

You have already seen this

('Italian football debates', 'Sky Sport Italia panels are pure A2 opinion grammar at high speed.')
('Italian political talk shows', 'Penso che il governo abbia sbagliato — recurring opening line.')
('Italian comments on YouTube', 'Search any Italian video — top comments often start secondo me.')

Phrases

Secondo me, è una buona idea.

se-KON-do meh, eh OO-na BWO-na ee-DEH-ah

In my opinion, it's a good idea.

When to use. Stating any opinion politely.

Why it works. Secondo me is the safe, neutral opener. Doesn't trigger subjunctive (so easier than penso che).

Per me, è una buona idea.
A mio avviso, è una buona idea. (formal)

— Cosa ne pensi? — Secondo me, è una buona idea.

Penso che sia troppo caro.

PEN-so keh SEE-ah TROP-po KA-ro

I think it's too expensive.

When to use. Stating an opinion with the verb 'think'.

Why it works. Penso che + subjunctive. Here sia is the present subjunctive of essere. The subjunctive lives anywhere subjective opinion enters.

Credo che sia troppo caro.
Mi pare che sia troppo caro.

— Cinquanta euro? — Penso che sia troppo caro.

Sono d'accordo, però con una eccezione.

SO-no dak-KOR-do, peh-RO kon OO-na et-cheh-TSYO-neh

I agree, but with one exception.

When to use. Partial agreement with a caveat.

Why it works. Però hits harder than ma. Use it when you want the contrast to register.

D'accordo, ma...
Sì, però...

— Roma è la città più bella d'Italia. — Sono d'accordo, però Firenze è meglio.

Watch out for

('Per mio opinione', 'Secondo me / a mio avviso', "Secondo me is the natural Italian; the literal translation isn't.")
('Penso che è...', 'Penso che sia...', 'Penso che + subjunctive (sia), not indicative (è).')
("Anche se sono d'accordo", "Sono d'accordo, però...", "Anche se means 'even if', not 'although' — different concession.")
('Forse sì, forse no', 'Forse / Può darsi', "Forse sì, forse no sounds like a children's game; use forse alone or può darsi.")

Grammar

Title. Opinion verbs and the subjunctive

Explanation. Italian distinguishes between certain opinions (so che, è chiaro che) and uncertain opinions (penso che, credo che, mi sembra che). The first group takes the indicative; the second takes the subjunctive — Italian's mood for subjectivity. At A2 you only need to recognize the basic forms: sia (is/be), abbia (has/have), vada (goes/go), faccia (does/do).

Formula. penso che / credo che / mi sembra che + SUBJUNCTIVE | so che / è chiaro che + INDICATIVE | subjunctive forms: sia, abbia, vada, faccia

Examples. [('Penso che sia bello.', 'I think it is beautiful.'), ('Credo che abbia ragione.', "I think she's right."), ('Mi sembra che vada bene.', 'It seems to me it goes well.'), ('So che è vero.', "I know it's true. (indicative)"), ('È chiaro che parla italiano.', "It's clear she speaks Italian.")]

Culture

Title. Italians enjoy disagreement — it's not personal.

Body. An Italian dinner table will gladly run two hours of disagreement on football, food, politics, or whose grandmother makes the best ragù. The argument is the entertainment, not the symptom of conflict. Voices rise; gestures multiply; nobody's actually angry. Stay in it; bring opinions; reciprocate.

Takeaway. If an Italian disagrees with you forcefully, they're engaged, not offended. Push back.

Takeaways

Secondo me is the safe opinion opener — no subjunctive needed.
Penso che / credo che + subjunctive (sia, abbia, vada).
Però is stronger than ma; use it when you want emphasis.
Italian disagreement is engagement, not aggression.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Gap-fill: opinion expressions in context

Fill each blank with the correct opinion phrase or discourse marker. Choose from: secondo me, penso che, mi sembra, ho l'impressione che, sono d'accordo, non sono d'accordo, hai ragione, non è vero che, però, anzi.

____ questo ristorante sia troppo caro per quello che offre. (in my opinion — formal register)
____ la soluzione migliore è parlarsi direttamente. (I think that — everyday opinion)
____ con te — è davvero una bella idea ! (I agree)
— Questo film è noioso. — ____ ! A me è piaciuto moltissimo. (I disagree politely)
____ un po' strana questa situazione, no ? (it seems to me)
Hai ragione sul clima, ____ penso che ci voglia più tempo per cambiare. (but / however)
Non solo non è migliorato, ____ è peggiorato. (on the contrary / in fact even more so)
____ non capisce abbastanza la situazione. (I have the impression that)

Exercise 2 — Transformation: restate opinions using different expressions

Rewrite each statement using the opinion formula given in brackets. Keep the same meaning. Note: after penso che and mi sembra che, Italians often use the indicative in everyday speech at A2 — you may use either indicative or a simplified form.

'È troppo tardi per cambiare.' → restate using secondo me: ____
'Questo problema non è facile da risolvere.' → restate using penso che: ____
'La risposta è sbagliata.' → restate using mi sembra che: ____
'Non capisco perché abbiano fatto così.' → restate using ho l'impressione che: ____
'È una bella idea, ma è rischiosa.' → restate, adding però to contrast: ____

Exercise 3 — Error correction: opinion and agreement mistakes

Each sentence has one error typical of English speakers expressing opinions in Italian. Find the mistake and write the corrected sentence.

Secondo a me, il film era bellissimo. (preposition after secondo)
Penso che lui ha ragione su questo punto. (penso che + verb form — check register)
Io non sono d'accordo con lui — lui ha torto. (register — tono troppo diretto per una discussione amichevole)
Mi piace la tua opinione. (idiomatic expression for agreeing with someone's view)
Ha ragione, però, lui. (word order with però as a mid-sentence softener)

Exercise 4 — Production task: a friendly discussion about a film

You and your Italian friend Lorenzo just watched a film together. You liked it; he did not. Write a 5–6 line exchange: give your opinion, disagree politely when Lorenzo criticises it, concede one point, then agree to disagree. Use at least three opinion expressions (secondo me, penso che, mi sembra) and at least one agreement/disagreement formula.

Show answers

Quick check

Which sentence correctly introduces a personal opinion in Italian?
- a) Secondo a me, il prezzo è alto.
- b) Secondo me, il prezzo è alto.
- c) Per me penso che il prezzo sia alto.
- d) Io penso secondo me che il prezzo è alto.
Answer
b) Secondo me, il prezzo è alto. — Secondo me (literally 'according to me') takes no preposition — never secondo a me. Options (c) and (d) redundantly stack opinion markers, which sounds unnatural. Use one marker at a time.
Lorenzo says something you strongly agree with. Which reply is most natural?
- a) Sì, giusto.
- b) Hai ragione.
- c) Sono totalmente d'accordo con te.
- d) All of the above are natural.
Answer
d) All of the above are natural. — Italian offers several ways to agree: Hai ragione (you're right), Sono d'accordo (I agree), Giusto / Esatto (exactly right). They differ slightly in tone: hai ragione acknowledges the other person was correct, sono d'accordo shares a view, giusto/esatto confirms a fact.
You want to soften a disagreement. Which opener is most polite?
- a) Assolutamente no.
- b) Non è vero.
- c) Capisco il tuo punto di vista, però secondo me…
- d) Sbagli.
Answer
c) Capisco il tuo punto di vista, però secondo me… — Acknowledging the other person's view (capisco…) before disagreeing is the standard polite strategy in Italian discourse. Assolutamente no, Non è vero, and Sbagli are blunt and risk sounding rude without additional softeners.
What does the discourse marker anzi signal?
- a) A mild concession: 'although / even so'.
- b) A correction or strengthening: 'on the contrary / in fact even more so'.
- c) A change of topic: 'by the way'.
- d) Agreement: 'exactly'.
Answer
b) A correction or strengthening: 'on the contrary / in fact even more so'. — Anzi either corrects what was just said ('Non è bello — anzi, è bruttissimo' = it's not nice, it's actually ugly) or intensifies in the same direction ('È bravo — anzi, è bravissimo' = he's good — actually he's excellent). It always signals the speaker is revising or amplifying.
Which sentence correctly uses mi sembra?
- a) Mi sembra che lui è stanco.
- b) Mi sembra lui sia stanco.
- c) Mi sembra che lui sia stanco.
- d) Both (a) and (c) are acceptable in everyday Italian.
Answer
d) Both (a) and (c) are acceptable in everyday Italian. — Formally, mi sembra che triggers the subjunctive: mi sembra che lui sia stanco. However, in spoken everyday Italian at A2-B1 level, the indicative (mi sembra che è) is very commonly heard and understood. For this course, learn the subjunctive form but do not panic if you use the indicative in speech.

Flashcards

secondo mese-KON-do mehphr

In my opinion. Secondo te = in your opinion. Secondo lui/lei = in his/her opinion.

Secondo me questo film è noioso.

penso chePEN-so kehphr

I think that. Grammatically triggers the subjunctive in formal writing. In speech, often followed by indicative.

Penso che abbia ragione.

non sono d'accordonon SO-no dak-KOR-dophr

I don't agree. Direct but not aggressive — Italians use it openly in debate. Sono d'accordo = I agree.

Non sono d'accordo — il film era ottimo.

però / mapeh-RO / maconj

But / however. Però is more emphatic and often starts a new thought. Ma is lighter and more conversational.

Mi piace Roma, però preferisco Firenze.

perchéper-KEHconj

Because / why. Same word for both meanings — context clarifies. Perché? = Why? Perché... = Because...

Perché non vieni? — Perché sono stanca.

mi sembramee SEM-braphr

It seems to me / I think. A softer way to express an opinion. Mi sembra che = it seems to me that.

Mi sembra che tu abbia ragione.

anche seAN-keh sehconj

Even if / although. Used to concede a point while holding your position.

Anche se ha ragione, non lo ammetto.

Up next

Number. 23

Title. Scuola e Studio

Teaser. School, university, study habits — academic Italian and the gerund (sto studiando).

A2Unit 23

Scuola e Studio

From elementary school to la laurea.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

Italian education vocabulary covers scuola elementare through università, plus the verbs of studying and the present-progressive (sto studiando) for actions in progress. Italians take education seriously and ask about it routinely.

The situation

Setting. A study café near La Sapienza University in Rome.

What is happening. Another student asks what you're studying. You explain your major and how the semester is going.

Why. Italian small talk routinely asks about school/work — knowing the academic vocabulary unlocks the conversation.

Dialogue — Cosa studi?

Setting: A study café near La Sapienza University in Rome. Elena strikes up a conversation with another student at the next table.

~2 minutes

A (friendly, noticing books)Scusa — stai studiando per un esame?

B (slightly stressed but open)Sì — ho un esame di diritto internazionale tra tre giorni. Tu?

A (relaxed)Io studio scienze politiche. Terzo anno. Come mai diritto?

B (explaining)Sto facendo giurisprudenza — voglio diventare avvocata. E il corso è difficilissimo.

A (sympathetic)Capisco. Quanti esami hai questo semestre?

B (slightly overwhelmed)Quattro. Ho già passato due — mi mancano ancora diritto e storia del diritto.

A (encouraging)Quasi finita! E dopo la laurea — hai già un'idea di dove vuoi lavorare?

B (thoughtful)Sì — voglio fare un dottorato e poi insegnare all'università. Ho già parlato con il mio professore.

A (impressed)Che ambizione! Io invece ancora non so. Forse in un'organizzazione internazionale.

B (warm, connecting)Bello! Allora potremmo collaborare un giorno — legge e politica vanno insieme.

'Ho già passato' = I have already passed. The word 'già' (already) sits between the auxiliary and past participle.
'Mi mancano' = I still need / I'm missing. Mancare works like piacere — 'mi mancano due esami' = two exams are missing from me.
'Quasi finita' = almost done. 'Quasi' = almost/nearly — extremely useful in conversational Italian.

Listening

What subject is the second student (Elena) studying, and what does she want to become?
Show answers
Law (giurisprudenza) — she wants to become a lawyer (avvocata).
How many exams has she already passed this semester, and how many remain?
Show answers
She has passed two and has two left: international law and legal history.
What are her plans after graduating?
Show answers
She wants to do a PhD (dottorato) and then teach at university.

Pronunciation

Studio = "STOO-dyoh" — single D, soft.
Gerund -ando: man-JAN-do, par-LAN-do — clean nasal.
Università stress on the final à: "oo-nee-ver-see-TA".
Laurearsi: "lah-oo-reh-AR-see" — five syllables.

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
la scuola	the school	la SKWO-lah
l'università	the university	loo-nee-ver-see-TA
il liceo	the high school	eel lee-CHEH-o	Specifically academic high school.
la classe	the class / classroom	la KLAS-seh
il corso	the course	eel KOR-so
l'esame	the exam	leh-ZA-meh	Masculine.
studiare	to study	stoo-DYAH-reh	Regular -are.
imparare	to learn	eem-pa-RA-reh
insegnare	to teach	een-sen-YA-reh
la laurea	university degree	la LAH-oo-reh-ah	Laurearsi = to graduate.

You have already seen this

('Italian university YouTube', 'Channels like Tabelle di vita document matricole (freshmen) life — pure A2-level academic Italian.')
('My Brilliant Friend (TV)', 'Lila and Lenù navigate the Italian school system across decades — every level is named.')
('Italian graduation reels', 'Mi sono laureato! Adesso una pizza! — universal Italian graduation post.')

Phrases

Studio medicina all'università di Bologna.

STOO-dyo meh-dee-CHEE-na al-loo-nee-ver-see-TA dee bo-LON-yah

I study medicine at the University of Bologna.

When to use. Standard Italian student introduction.

Why it works. All'università di [city] is the standard Italian phrasing. Studiare + subject without article: studio medicina, not la medicina.

Faccio medicina. (more casual)
Sono al terzo anno di medicina.

— Cosa studi? — Studio medicina all'università di Bologna.

Sto studiando per l'esame.

sto stoo-DYAN-do per leh-ZA-meh

I'm studying for the exam.

When to use. Action in progress right now.

Why it works. Italian's present progressive: stare + gerund (-ando for -are verbs, -endo for -ere/-ire). Use only for what's happening AT THIS MOMENT.

Sto leggendo un libro.
Sto facendo i compiti.

— Cosa fai? — Sto studiando per l'esame di domani.

Mi sono laureato l'anno scorso.

mee SO-no lah-oo-reh-AH-toh LAHN-no SKOR-so

I graduated last year. (m.)

When to use. Reporting your graduation in passato prossimo.

Why it works. Laurearsi is reflexive (literally 'to graduate oneself'), so it takes essere. Participle agrees: laureato (m.) / laureata (f.).

Mi sono laureata in legge.
Ho preso la laurea l'anno scorso.

— Quando ti sei laureato? — Mi sono laureato l'anno scorso.

Watch out for

('Sono studiando', 'Sto studiando', 'Progressive uses stare, not essere.')
('Studio la medicina', 'Studio medicina', "Subjects in 'studiare' don't take an article.")
("L'università di la Bologna", "L'università di Bologna", "City names don't take an article.")
('Mi sono laureato medicina', 'Mi sono laureato in medicina', 'Laurearsi in + subject.')

Grammar

Title. Stare + gerund: actions in progress

Explanation. Italian's present progressive uses stare + gerund. The gerund is formed: -are verbs → -ando, -ere/-ire verbs → -endo. Sto studiando = I am studying (right now). Italians use this LESS than learners expect — they prefer simple present (studio) for habitual actions and use stare + gerund only for what's literally happening at this moment.

Formula. stare + gerund | -are: -ando (mangiando, parlando) | -ere/-ire: -endo (leggendo, dormendo)

Examples. [('Sto studiando ora.', 'I am studying now.'), ('Stiamo mangiando.', 'We are eating.'), ('Lui sta dormendo.', 'He is sleeping.'), ('Voi state leggendo?', 'Are you reading?'), ('Studio medicina.', 'I study medicine. (habitual — NOT progressive)')]

Culture

Title. Italian university takes longer than you think.

Body. La laurea triennale (3-year degree) is the basic university qualification, followed by la laurea magistrale (2-year master's). Italians often spend 5-8 years in total, retake exams freely, and graduate with a tesi (thesis) plus a public defense ceremony. The degree announcement is a family event — flowers, prosecco, the famous laurel crown.

Takeaway. If an Italian friend graduates, attend the ceremony. It's the equivalent of a wedding.

Takeaways

Stare + gerund for actions in progress; simple present for habits.
Subjects drop the article: studio medicina, not la medicina.
Laurearsi is reflexive, takes essere, agrees with subject.
Italian university takes longer and matters more than the English-speaking equivalent.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Gap-fill: education vocabulary and the Italian school system

Fill each blank with the correct Italian word or phrase. The English gloss is your clue.

Ho finito il ____ l'anno scorso e adesso sono all'università. (secondary school — general term)
La professoressa ____ matematica al liceo scientifico da quindici anni. (teaches)
Ho preso un bel ____ all'esame di storia — un 28 su 30 ! (grade / mark)
Devo ____ per l'interrogazione di domani — ho ancora tanto da ripassare. (study)
Non ho capito la spiegazione — ho difficoltà a ____ la grammatica italiana. (learn / grasp)
Faccio il ____ ogni sera — di solito ci vogliono due ore. (homework — singular collective noun)
L'esame di ____ è l'esame finale che si dà alla fine del liceo, a 19 anni. (maturity / state leaving exam)
In Italia la scuola ____ inizia a sei anni. (primary / elementary school)

Exercise 2 — Transformation: studiare vs imparare vs insegnare

Replace the underlined verb with the most appropriate verb from the set studiare, imparare, or insegnare. Note the difference: studiare = to study (process), imparare = to learn / acquire (result), insegnare = to teach. Rewrite the full sentence with the correct form.

Ho imparato tutta la notte per l'esame di domani. → more appropriate verb: ____
Dopo anni di pratica ho finalmente studiato a suonare la chitarra. → more appropriate verb: ____
La professoressa Russo impara letteratura italiana al liceo. → more appropriate verb: ____
Da piccola insegnavo il francese ascoltando canzoni. → more appropriate verb: ____
Quante ore al giorno impari per l'università ? → more appropriate verb: ____

Exercise 3 — Error correction: school vocabulary mistakes

Each sentence has one error. Find it and write the corrected version.

Ho fatto un esame universitario ieri e ho preso un bel voto — un 7 su 10. (university grading scale)
Faccio i miei compiti a casa ogni giorno — mi prendono circa due ore. (natural article use with compiti)
La scuola superiore in Italia dura quattro anni. (duration of liceo)
Ho imparato molto durante questa lezione — il professore ha spiegato benissimo. (is this wrong? check verb choice)
Devo studiare il mio italiano prima della lezione. (article use with language names after studiare)

Exercise 4 — Production task: talking about your study experience

An Italian exchange student, Sofia, asks you about how you study Italian. Write a 5–6 line exchange: describe your study routine, mention what you find easy and difficult, ask Sofia about the Italian school system. Use studiare, imparare, and at least one school-system term.

Show answers

Quick check

What does the Italian esame di maturità represent?
- a) An entrance exam to get into secondary school.
- b) The final state exam taken at the end of liceo, at around age 19.
- c) A university mid-term exam.
- d) A certificate awarded after completing primary school.
Answer
b) The final state exam taken at the end of liceo, at around age 19. — The esame di maturità (or esame di stato) concludes five years of liceo. It includes written papers and an oral exam. Passing it (voto da 60 a 100/100) is required to enter university.
Italian university grades use a scale of 18 to 30. Which is the minimum passing grade?
- a) 10
- b) 18
- c) 24
- d) 27
Answer
b) 18. — Italian university exams are marked out of 30. The minimum passing grade is 18/30. A 30 is the highest; 30 e lode (30 with distinction) is awarded for exceptional performance. Secondary school uses a scale of 0–10, with 6/10 as the minimum pass.
Which sentence uses imparare correctly?
- a) Imparo tutta la notte per l'esame domani.
- b) Ho imparato a nuotare quando avevo cinque anni.
- c) La professoressa impara storia al liceo.
- d) Imparate i vostri libri di testo adesso.
Answer
b) Ho imparato a nuotare quando avevo cinque anni. — Imparare expresses the acquisition of a skill or knowledge (the result of learning). Option (a) should use studiare (studying all night is a process). Option (c) should use insegnare (the teacher teaches). Option (d) should use studiate (study your textbooks = ongoing process).
How long does the liceo (upper secondary school) last in Italy?
- a) Three years
- b) Four years
- c) Five years
- d) Six years
Answer
c) Five years. — Italian upper secondary school runs for five years, from age 14 to 19. It follows five years of scuola elementare (ages 6–11) and three years of scuola media (ages 11–14). Total compulsory schooling: 13 years.
Which is the natural Italian way to say 'I do my homework'?
- a) Faccio i miei compiti.
- b) Faccio i compiti.
- c) Faccio il compito a casa.
- d) Studio i miei compiti.
Answer
b) Faccio i compiti. — The standard expression is fare i compiti (do homework). The possessive (i miei compiti) is not wrong but sounds slightly unnatural; the definite article alone is the norm. 'Il compito a casa' works for a specific assignment ('faccio il compito di matematica'), but for general homework the plural is standard.

Flashcards

l'universitàloo-nee-ver-see-TAnf

University. All'università = at university. Andare all'università = to go to university.

Studio all'università di Roma.

l'esameleh-ZA-mehnm

Exam (masculine). Dare un esame = to sit an exam. Passare un esame = to pass. Bocciare = to fail.

Domani ho un esame di matematica.

studiarestoo-DYAH-rehv

To study. Studio = I study. Sto studiando = I am studying (present continuous).

Studio medicina alla Sapienza.

imparareeem-pa-RA-rehv

To learn. Imparare a + infinitive = to learn to do something. Ho imparato = I (have) learned.

Sto imparando l'italiano da sei mesi.

la laureala LAH-oo-reh-ahnf

University degree. Laurearsi = to graduate. Mi sono laureato/a = I graduated. La cerimonia della laurea = graduation ceremony.

Ho preso la laurea in economia tre anni fa.

il corsoeel KOR-sonm

Course (university or evening class). Il corso di laurea = degree course. Fare un corso = to take a course.

Faccio un corso di italiano il martedì sera.

insegnareeen-sen-YA-rehv

To teach. Il/la insegnante = teacher. Insegnare a = to teach someone to do something.

Voglio insegnare italiano agli stranieri.

Up next

Number. 24

Title. Feste e Tradizioni

Teaser. Italian holidays — and the cultural signposts you need to navigate the calendar year.

A2Unit 24

Feste e Tradizioni

From Capodanno to Ferragosto, year-round.

📚 Vocabulary

💬 Phrases

❔ Quick check

🧠 Takeaways

The final unit walks through the Italian calendar: the major holidays, the food associated with each, and the regional saints' days that close shops without warning. By the end you'll know which days off to expect, which phrases to use, and which traditions are non-negotiable family time.

The situation

Setting. Christmas Eve dinner at your host family's house in Naples.

What is happening. The whole family is around the table for the seven-fish vigil dinner. You need to wish them all happy holidays and toast properly.

Why. Italian holidays are family-coded, ritual-coded, and food-coded. Mishandle the toast and you've underperformed.

Dialogue — La vigilia di Natale

Setting: Christmas Eve dinner at a host family's apartment in Naples. The whole family gathers for the traditional seven-fish supper. The English guest is included in the toast.

~2 minutes

A (warm, hosting)Benvenuti tutti! Stasera siamo in dodici — quasi un record per noi!

B (festive, raising glass)Che bella tavola! E che profumo! Buon Natale a tutti!

C (family elder, ceremonial)Prima del cin cin — due parole. Siamo qui insieme, in salute, con un ospite speciale dall'Inghilterra.

D (moved, guest)Grazie — siete troppo gentili. Buone feste a tutta la famiglia!

A (leading the toast)Allora — tutti pronti? Cin cin!

ALL (joyful chorus)Cin cin! Buon Natale!

B (curious, to guest)Come si festeggia il Natale in Inghilterra? È diverso?

D (thoughtful, comparing)Sì — da noi si mangia il tacchino il venticinque. Non sette piatti di pesce la vigilia!

C (laughing, proud)Sette piatti di pesce è la vera tradizione napoletana. Non si cambia!

A (affectionate)E la Pasqua, Ferragosto, Capodanno — ogni festa ha le sue regole. Benvenuto in Italia!

D (joyful, belonging)Felice di essere qui. Buone feste a tutti — e grazie per avermi incluso.

'Cin cin!' is the Italian toast equivalent of 'Cheers!'. Maintain eye contact when clinking glasses — avoiding eye contact is considered bad luck in Italy.
The Vigilia (Christmas Eve) is often more important than Christmas Day in Southern Italy — the seven-fish dinner (Festa dei sette pesci) is a Naples tradition.
'Non si cambia!' = It doesn't change / We don't change it! An impersonal construction using 'si' — very common in Italian.

Listening

How many people are at the Christmas Eve dinner?
Show answers
Twelve (siamo in dodici).
What does the English guest say they eat for Christmas in England?
Show answers
Turkey on the 25th (il tacchino il venticinque) — not seven courses of fish.
What does the family elder (Nonno) say before the toast?
Show answers
He notes they are all together, in good health, with a special guest from England.

Pronunciation

Gn in compagno, signore: held ny.
Cin cin uses soft c + i: "cheen cheen".
Ferragosto stress on the third syllable: "fer-ra-GOS-to".
Pasqua = "PAS-kwa" — qu = "kw".

Vocabulary

Target	Pronunciation	Translation	Note
il Natale	Christmas	eel na-TA-leh	Dec 25.
Capodanno	New Year	ka-po-DAN-no	Jan 1.
la Pasqua	Easter	la PAS-kwa	Movable.
Pasquetta	Easter Monday	pas-KWET-tah	Picnic day.
Ferragosto	Aug 15 holiday	fer-ra-GO-sto	National peak holiday.
il santo patrono	patron saint	eel SAN-to pa-TRO-no	Each town has one.
la festa	the holiday / party	la FES-ta	Same word for both.
Buon Natale!	Merry Christmas!	bwon na-TA-leh
Buone feste!	Happy holidays!	BWO-neh FES-teh
Cin cin!	Cheers!	cheen cheen	For toasts.

You have already seen this

('Italian Christmas films (Vacanze di Natale)', 'The whole genre is built on Christmas-Italian-family chaos.')
('Italian wedding videos', 'Toasts are mini-rituals: every guest gets a turn for cin cin.')
('Italian patron saint processions', 'Dozens on YouTube — search processione San Gennaro for the standard.')

Phrases

Buon Natale a tutta la famiglia!

bwon na-TA-leh a TOOT-tah la fa-MEEL-yah

Merry Christmas to the whole family!

When to use. Christmas Eve or Christmas Day greeting.

Why it works. Buon Natale is the formula. Adding a tutta la famiglia shows you understand Italian family-centred holidays.

Buon Natale e felice anno nuovo!
Auguri di Buon Natale!

(Christmas Eve, arriving at dinner.) — Buon Natale a tutta la famiglia!

Cin cin, a noi! Salute!

cheen cheen, a NOY. sa-LOO-teh

Cheers, to us! Health!

When to use. Toasting at any meal or celebration.

Why it works. Cin cin is the universal Italian toast (mimicking the sound of glasses clinking). Always make eye contact when clinking — looking away brings bad luck.

Salute!
Alla nostra! (to us!)
Auguri!

(Raising glass.) — Cin cin, a noi! Salute!

Cosa fate per Pasqua?

KO-sa FA-teh per PAS-kwa

What are you doing for Easter?

When to use. Pre-holiday small talk — Italians love this question.

Why it works. Cosa fate = what are you (pl.) doing. Per + holiday is the standard preposition for plans around an occasion.

Avete piani per Pasqua?
Dove passate il Natale?

— Cosa fate per Pasqua? — Andiamo dai miei genitori in campagna.

Watch out for

('Felice Natale', 'Buon Natale', 'Italian Christmas is buon, not felice. Use felice for birthdays.')
('Cheers (in English)', 'Cin cin / Salute', 'Use the Italian forms — cheers sounds like ordering at a bar.')
('Happy Easter (looking away)', 'Buona Pasqua! (eye contact!)', 'Eye contact while toasting is mandatory.')
('Lavoro il 15 agosto', 'Sono in ferie il 15 agosto', "If you tell an Italian you're working on Ferragosto, expect concern.")

Grammar

Title. Wrap-up: the building blocks reviewed

Explanation. Across A1-A2 you've covered: essere + avere as identity/possession verbs; regular -are/-ere/-ire conjugations; reflexives; passato prossimo with two auxiliaries; future tense (simple and present-as-future); modal verbs (potere, dovere, volere); direct-object pronouns (lo, la, li, le); preposition contractions (al, della, nel); the partitive (some); first contact with the subjunctive (penso che sia). This is the toolkit for B1, where stories get longer and the subjunctive comes into focus.

Formula. Identity: essere + adj/noun | Possession + idioms: avere | Past: passato prossimo (avere/essere + participle) | Future: -ò endings or present + time marker | Pronouns: lo/la/li/le before verb

Examples. [('Sono italiano.', 'I am Italian.'), ("Ho trent'anni.", 'I am 30.'), ('Ho mangiato la pasta.', 'I ate the pasta.'), ('Domani parto per Milano.', 'Tomorrow I leave for Milan.'), ('Penso che sia bello.', 'I think it is beautiful.')]

Culture

Title. Italian holidays are extraordinarily local.

Body. Beyond the national holidays, every Italian town celebrates its santo patrono (patron saint). Naples has San Gennaro (Sept 19); Milan has Sant'Ambrogio (Dec 7); Venice has San Marco (Apr 25). Shops close, processions happen, and the day belongs to the town. Knowing the local saint signals you're not just a tourist.

Takeaway. When in doubt, ask: Quando è il santo patrono qui? Locals will love the question.

Takeaways

Buon Natale, Buona Pasqua, Buon anno; Felice only for birthdays.
Toasts: cin cin, eye contact mandatory.
Italian holidays are family-coded, food-coded, and local-saint-coded.
August belongs to le ferie. Plan accordingly.

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Gap-fill: Italian festivals and tradition vocabulary

Fill each blank with the correct Italian word or phrase. The English gloss is your clue.

A Capodanno si dice ____ a tutti per augurare un buon anno. (good wishes / Happy New Year)
Il ____ di Natale è la sera del 24 dicembre — si cena in famiglia. (Christmas Eve)
I bambini aspettano la ____ il 6 gennaio — porta dolci ai bambini buoni. (Befana)
A ____ si indossano costumi e maschere — a Venezia è famoso in tutto il mondo. (Carnival)
La ____ è una processione religiosa che attraversa le strade del paese. (procession)
____ ! — diciamo quando qualcuno starnutisce. (Bless you! — after a sneeze)
Per Pasqua è tradizione mangiare la ____, un dolce a forma di colomba. (Easter dove cake)
Il ____ del paese è una festa locale in onore del santo patrono. (local festival / patron saint celebration)

Exercise 2 — Transformation: use the correct auguri expression for each occasion

The auguri expression given is used on the wrong occasion. Replace it with the correct expression for the occasion shown in brackets. Some occasions require a specific fixed formula; others accept Auguri! or Buon/Buona + occasion.

'Buon Natale !' said to someone on their birthday. → correct expression for a birthday: ____
'Felice anno nuovo !' said on someone's graduation day. → correct expression for a graduation: ____
'Auguri !' said to a bride and groom at the altar. → more specific expression for a wedding: ____
'Buona Pasqua !' said when someone is about to start an exam. → correct expression before an exam: ____
'In bocca al lupo !' said on Christmas Day. → correct expression for Christmas: ____

Exercise 3 — Error correction: festival and tradition mistakes

Each sentence has one error. Find it and write the corrected version.

Alla mia amica ho augurato buon compleanno e lei ha risposto 'Grazie !' (word order with augurare + indirect object)
Il Ferragosto si celebra il 16 agosto in tutta Italia. (date)
A Carnevale si portano le maschere. (more natural verb for wearing costumes/masks)
In bocca al lupo ! — Grazie ! (correct response to this expression)
Per Natale è tradizione mangiare il panettone — è un dolce tipico estivo. (seasonal context)

Exercise 4 — Production task: describing the Befana to a friend

Your English friend Alex has never heard of the Befana. Write a 5–6 line exchange explaining what it is, when it happens, what people do, and how you feel about this tradition. Use at least two tradition/festival vocabulary words and one auguri expression.

Show answers

Quick check

Someone says In bocca al lupo ! to you before an exam. What is the correct reply?
- a) Grazie !
- b) Anche a te !
- c) Crepi !
- d) Prego !
Answer
c) Crepi ! — This is the fixed ritual reply to In bocca al lupo (literally 'into the wolf's mouth', meaning 'good luck'). Crepi means '[may the wolf] drop dead'. Replying with 'Grazie' is a common English-speaker mistake and breaks the cultural exchange. Some Italians also accept 'Evviva il lupo!' but Crepi is the standard.
What is the Befana and when does she arrive?
- a) A witch-like figure who brings gifts and sweets to children on the night of 5–6 January.
- b) The Italian name for Father Christmas, who arrives on Christmas Eve.
- c) A carnival character who distributes costumes at the start of Carnevale.
- d) A traditional Easter figure who hides chocolate eggs on Easter Sunday.
Answer
a) A witch-like figure who brings gifts and sweets to children on the night of 5–6 January. — The Befana fills children's stockings with sweets (for the good) or coal (for the naughty). She flies on a broomstick and represents the end of the Christmas season. 6 January is the Epiphany (Epifania), a public holiday in Italy.
Which date is Ferragosto celebrated in Italy?
- a) 1 August
- b) 10 August
- c) 15 August
- d) 20 August
Answer
c) 15 August. — Ferragosto falls on 15 August and is one of Italy's most important summer holidays. It originated as a Roman festival (Feriae Augusti). Today it marks the peak of the summer break — cities empty out as Italians head to the sea or mountains.
You want to wish someone a happy birthday in Italian. Which expression do you use?
- a) Buon compleanno !
- b) Felice compleanno !
- c) Buona festa !
- d) Tanti auguri a te !
Answer
d) Tanti auguri a te ! — Both Buon compleanno and Tanti auguri are standard and equally common. Tanti auguri a te is the first line of the Italian birthday song (equivalent to 'Happy Birthday to you'). Felice compleanno is a literal translation from English and sounds unnatural to native speakers. Buona festa means 'happy holiday/feast day', not birthday.
The traditional Italian Easter cake is called la colomba. Why that name?
- a) It is round like a coin (colombo means coin in archaic Italian).
- b) It is shaped like a dove (colomba = dove), a symbol of peace and resurrection.
- c) It was first baked in the city of Colombo.
- d) It is white like a cloud (from the Latin columba, meaning cloud).
Answer
b) It is shaped like a dove (colomba = dove), a symbol of peace and resurrection. — La colomba pasquale is an iconic Italian Easter sweet bread, similar in texture to panettone, baked in a dove-shaped mould and topped with almond glaze and sugar pearls. The dove is a Christian symbol of the Holy Spirit and Easter resurrection.

Flashcards

Buon Natale!bwon na-TA-lehphr

Merry Christmas! Said from around December 23rd. Buone feste! = Happy holidays! (more inclusive).

Buon Natale a te e alla tua famiglia!

Cin cin!cheen cheenphr

Cheers! (toast). Always maintain eye contact when clinking glasses in Italy — avoiding it is considered bad luck.

— Cin cin! — Salute!

la festala FES-tanf

Holiday / celebration / party. Same word for both. Buone feste = happy holidays. La festa di compleanno = birthday party.

La Pasqua è la festa più importante per molti italiani.

il Nataleeel na-TA-lehnm

Christmas. A Natale = at Christmas. Il giorno di Natale = Christmas Day (December 25th).

A Natale tutta la famiglia si riunisce.

Capodannoka-po-DAN-nonm

New Year (January 1st). Buon anno! = Happy New Year! Capodanno is also a big party occasion in Italy.

Per Capodanno andiamo a Napoli.

Ferragostofer-ra-GO-stonm

August 15th national holiday. Italy effectively shuts down for weeks around Ferragosto — the peak summer holiday.

Ad agosto molti negozi chiudono per Ferragosto.

la Pasquala PAS-kwanf

Easter. Pasquetta (Easter Monday) is a public holiday and traditional picnic day across Italy.

A Pasqua si mangia la colomba e le uova di cioccolato.

Up next

Title. B1 — coming soon

Teaser. B1 is where Italian becomes yours: subjunctive, conditionals, idioms, and the regional shadings that no textbook teaches.

Italian A1–A2

All units complete

The situation

Dialogue — Buongiorno al bar

Listening

Pronunciation

Vocabulary

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Phrases

Watch out for

Grammar

Culture

Takeaways

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Choose the right greeting

Exercise 2 — Conjugate essere

Quick check

Flashcards

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The situation

Dialogue — Piacere di conoscerti

Listening

Pronunciation

Vocabulary

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Phrases

Watch out for

Grammar

Culture

Takeaways

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Build your introduction

Exercise 2 — Avere vs. essere

Quick check

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The situation

Dialogue — Biglietti per Firenze

Listening

Pronunciation

Vocabulary

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Phrases

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Grammar

Culture

Takeaways

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Count out loud

Exercise 2 — Tell the time

Quick check

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The situation

Dialogue — Il caffè delle otto

Listening

Pronunciation

Vocabulary

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Phrases

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Grammar

Culture

Takeaways

Exercises

At the Italian bar — fill in the article or word

Ordering in different registers

Spot the article mistake

Role-play at the bar

Quick check

Flashcards

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The situation

Dialogue — Il pranzo della domenica

Listening

Pronunciation

Vocabulary

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Phrases

Watch out for