Riccardo

Milanese, graduated in Italian literature a long time ago, I began teaching Italian online in Japan back in 2003. I usually spend winter in Tokyo and go back to Italy when the cherry blossoms shed their petals. I do not use social media.

I connettivi: Italian connectors. Guide and Quiz

by

The Italian “connettivi”, are conjunctions, adverbs, prepositions or common expressions used to connect elements inside of a sentence

Italian connettivi are very useful words. They will help you to structure your sentences logically. There are many connectors, so it is extremely important to explain what they are with real examples.

Depending on their function, we have:

Connettivi…

  • di tempo
  • di causa e conseguenza
  • di scopo e modo
  • di contrasto/concessione, condizione/dubbio
  • di inclusione / esclusione
  • di struttura

I am going to provide plenty of examples down below. I left the examples in Italian only. All the sentences are part of the Freemium blog, please log in or subscribe for free to read them and to access the freemium quiz.

🔌

CONNETTIVI DI TEMPO

…

protected content, please log in

…

English translations of these connettori are not always a perfect match. Experience will help you to use them naturally.

This is a “freemium” quiz. Log in or subscribe at no cost.

Get new free Italian language quizzes and your results in your inbox.

If you are on a mobile device, flip it horizontally.


QUIZ: I CONNETTIVI


Connettivi di tempo

⏱

Drag and drop the words listed below next to the correspondent sentence

mentre – entro – non appena  – prima –  dopo  – finché

This is a “freemium” Italian language blog and quiz

Please log in or subscribe for free.

Login

Subscribe

  • Access to our freemium content
  • Get new lessons in your inbox
  • Get quiz results and score by email
  • One free lesson on Skype or Zoom with a native teacher
Join for Free

I verbi impersonali: guide & quiz

by
verbi-impersonali

This is a very basic introduction to the Italian impersonal verbs, verbi impersonali

Italian impersonal verbs (verbi impersonali) are very common in the spoken and written language.

Solve the quiz at the bottom and win an italian Skype class.

LEVEL: B1

The verbi impersonali don’t have a specific subject. They are common across all tenses and moods and we conjugate them using the third singular person, or with simple indefinite moods (infinito, participio, gerundio).

Let’s see together some examples and review with the quiz.

Domani pioverà

This is a typical example of verbs without subject.

  • piovere: Oggi piove
  • nevicare: Domani nevicherà
  • grandinare: Ieri ha grandinato

I used the indicativo to keep it simple, but we could say

  • Penso che domani nevichi

and use, for example, a congiuntivo.

The passato prossimo, or any other compound tenses of verbi atmosferici, work with both essere or avere:

  • Ieri ha piovuto and Ieri è piovuto are equivalent.

Similar expressions with the verb FARE and an adjective or a noun, can act as impersonal verbs:

  • fa caldo, fa freddo, fa bello (fa bel tempo), fa brutto (tempo),

Bisogna andare!

There are some particular verbi impersonali introducing a so called “proposizione soggettiva”, a subjective clause: a sentence acting as a subject. If you are not a grammar freak, we can go through that quite easily. An example:

  • Bisogna che tu vada a casa. It is necessary that you go home.

(The fact that) you go home = …che tu vada a casa is the subject (proposizione soggettiva)
is necessary = bisogna  is an impersonal verb.

We can have a variety of solutions, depending on the verb, preposition, conjunction, different elements in the period. In this case we used a congiuntivo, in others we can use the infinito.

  • Bisogna essere onesti = it is necessary to be honest

Other verbs and examples. You will notice some synonyms. Try to understand and translate them.

  • accadere = to happen- Accade spesso di perdersi.
  • bisognare = to be necessary – Bisogna fare attenzione.
  • avvenire = to happen – Avviene raramente di vedere una Ferrari.
  • parere = to seem – Pare che Mario parli bene il tedesco.
  • convenire = to be convenient – Conviene andare in vacanza a settembre.
  • occorrere = to be necessary – Occorre che cambiamo macchina al più presto.
  • succedere = to happen – Non succede mai di vincere alla lotteria.
  • capitare = to happen (by chance) – Capita a tutti di fare errori.
  • importare = to matter – Non importa se hai sbagliato.
  • dispiacere = to feel sorry – Dispiace vedere tanti giovani senza lavoro.
  • bastare = to be enough – Basta mangiare poco per dimagrire.
  • servire = to be necessary – Serve studiare di più.

Ci si vede

There’s always some confusion when we see a single pronoun with different functions. It is the case of the “si impersonale” and “si riflessivo“. This is a rather complex topic, so the following is only a brief introduction.

Si impersonale

We can use the “si impersonale” with any verb, as long as we don’t mention any object.

  • In Italia si mangia bene.
  • Quest’anno non si va in vacanza.

It means that eating in Italy is always good. No subject. In this case the “si” is a handy impersonal pronoun.

Si riflessivo impersonale: CI SI…

Usually, this is the structure of a sentence with a regular “verbo riflessivo”.

  • Luigi si lava in bagno.

I have already mentioned that impersonal verbs need to be 3rd person singular

–>  si lava.

In order to make it impersonal we should add another “si” impersonale, which would sound horrible: “si si”. So, we say “CI SI”.

  • Ci si lava in bagno.

Meaning that (everyone / people / one) wash (oneself) in the bathroom.

I hope this post will help you to understand the Italian verbi impersonali. Enjoy the quiz!

LOADING QUIZ...


Italian tongue twisters: scioglilingua. PODCAST.

by
scioglilingua

Learn the most famous Italian “scioglilingua”, tongue twisters: challenge your fluency, pronunciation, speed and precision.

Translating these sentences is quite pointless, because they make little or no sense. You can however recognize some common  words. Thanks to our teacher Alessandra for recording these challenging sentences!

If you know more, please get in touch, comment and we’ll add your favourite Italian tongue twisters to this post. Get ready…

Try our quiz and learn more Italian with us!

This webcast is property of Dante Learning ©

Italian for travellers: Hotels. PODCAST

by
accommodation-in-italy

Learn to deal with your hotel reservation and services. Listen to the correct pronunciation

 

Today we’ll talk about your accommodation in Italia.

Italy is one of the most visited countries in the world. Despite that, outside the usual destinations of the “grand tour”, big cities like Roma, Firenze or Venezia, many people including hotel managers speak poor English. Some basic Italian will help you to fix some issues.

A place to stay – un posto dove stare

In Italian we can say Hotel (we don’t pronounce the H) but the actual word is Albergo.

A cheaper and common alternative is the Pensione, a family-run hotel. Sometimes the pensioni (plural) turn out to be excellent, especially if you travel in the countryside.

They are often attached to a Trattoria, a local restaurant, where you can have breakfast (colazione) or lunch (pranzo) at very convenient prices and taste authentic family food (cucina locale). Sometimes they are just average hotels but cheaper.

If you are looking for a bed and breakfast, you are all set because we use the English word. However, if you are visiting the beautiful Italian campagna (countryside) the best possible accommodation is an agriturismo, farm-hotel with home made products and food.

Some agriturismo are far better than city hotels because they are located in strategic places, historical buildings surrounded by with magnificent landscapes. It’s not unusual to book an agriturismo and find out it’s a reformed castle or an ancient building.

If you are a backpacker (carrying a zaino), you can sleep in a camping (campeggio) or youth hostel (ostello della gioventù).

If you plan to stay more than a couple of weeks in the same area, you can look for an apartment, un appartamento, where you can be free to do what you want and save some money.

 

 

  • hotel
  • albergo
  • pensione
  • trattoria
  • cucina locale
  • campagna
  • agriturismo
  • castello
  • zaino
  • campeggio
  • ostello
  • appartamento

Services – i servizi

Hotels in Italy have rooms (camere) with a private bathroom (il bagno), a bathtub (vasca da bagno) a shower (la doccia), a tv set (il televisore). International hotels are of high standards, in line with other western European countries and staff generally speak good English. However, the small albergo or pensione are the most common hotels.

“Check in”, “check out” and “reception” are now part the Italian vocabulary, so you will be fine. Ask to leave your luggage (i bagagli) at the reception if your room is not ready (la camera non è pronta).

If you stay in a small hotel (three stars and below, tre stelle, due stelle, una stella) it is recommended to check the rooms in advance. Rooms generally have air conditioning (l’aria condizionata), heater (termosifone), room service (servizio in camera), a small safe (cassaforte),

Rooms are single (camera singola), double (camera doppia, or martimoniale – “wedding room”), twin room (camera a due letti) with the possibility of adding a small bed (un lettino) for your child. You can book for one night (una notte), more nights (due, tre, quattro, cinque notti) and so on. Study the numbers in Italian with our podcast if you are not familiar with them.

Breakfast (la colazione) is usually included (compresa), very seldom it is not (a parte). Gli alberghi usually offer a continental breakfast (colazione continentale) which is the standard food you find anywhere in Europe.

Agriturismi can give you some real Italian homemade food, like cakes (torte), salame, prosciutto and formaggio (gli affettati), pane (bread ), succhi di frutta (juices) and all sorts of caffè. It’s quite common to find some agriturismo and campeggi with facilities for your pets (animali domestici).

 

  • camera, vasca da bagno, doccia, televisore
  • bagagli, una stella, due stelle, tre stelle
  • termosifone, aria condizionata, servizio in camera
  • camera singola, doppia, matrimoniale, un lettino
  • una notte, due notti, tre notti
  • colazione compresa, a parte, continentale
  • torte, affettati, pane, succhi di frutta, caffè
  • animali domestici

Upon arrival – Appena arrivi

Vorrei fare una prenotazione, means I’d like to make a reservation, and it’s highly recommended you make one for your camera. You should also consider the remarkable difference in prices between the high season (alta stagione) and low season (bassa stagione) when planning your trip. Ask the receptionist to take a look at your room before you check in (posso vedere la camera? – can i see the room?). If you don’t like your room you can say vorrei cambiare camera.

I’d like a different room.

Vorrei una camera… – più (more) /meno (less)  …

 

  • grande (big)
  • piccola (small)
  • cara (expensive)
  • economica (cheap)
  • calda (warm)
  • fresca (fresh)
  • pulita (clean)
  • vorrei fare una prenotazione

 

 

A place to stay

In albergo e all’ufficio del turismo

Normally, as soon as you get off the plane or train, at the airport or train station, you will see a public tourist office (ufficio del turismo). If you haven’t booked your hotel (you should have!) you can ask for some help and find what you are looking for. The staff at the office should be proficient in English but I heard funny stories from some students saying they had issues. In any case, proficient or not, it’s nice to challenge your Italian skills and ask what you want in Italian.

 

 

  • C’è un albergo a tre stelle nelle vicinanze?

Is there a three stars hotel in the neighborhood ?

  • Qual è il campeggio più attrezzato?

Which is the camping with the best facilities?

  • Dove posso affittare un appartamento?

Where can I rent an apartment?

  • C’è un ostello della gioventù?

Is there a youth hostel?

  • Posso avere una mappa della città?

Can I have a map of the city?

  • Ci sono dei mezzi pubblici?

Is there any public transportation ?

  • Può chiamare un taxi per favore?

Could you please call a cab?

Now, you hopefully got all the directions to get to your hotel, pensione, agriturismo, ostello della gioventù, campeggio etc. it’s time to get into details and make sure your room (la tua camera) is in line with your expectations.

 

 

  • Vorrei una camera singola / doppia / matrimoniale.

I would like a single / twin / double room

  • Potremmo avere un lettino per il bambino?

Could we have an extra bed for the child?

  • Vorrei una camera con il balcone.

I’d like a room with a balcony

  • C’è … la vasca da bagno / la cassaforte / la tivù via cavo / la connessione a internet?

Is there a … bathtub / safe / cable tv / internet connection?

  • La colazione è compresa nel prezzo?

Is breakfast included in the price.

  • A che ora è il check out?

What time is the checkout?

  • Fino a che ora servite la colazione?

Until what time do you serve breakfast?

  • Avete una navetta per la stazione / per l’aeroporto?

Do you have a shuttle service for the station / airport?

  • C’è un parcheggio riservato?

Is there a reserved parking lot?

  • C’è la piscina?

Is there a swimming pool?

Problem solving

Running out of towels…

So, you are tired after a long day, you had a nice dinner and the wine was good. Time to go to bed and find out that your room is not as good as you thought. It happens, and you should be ready to express complaints and grievances in Italian. Read and listen.

 

 

If you add … non funziona to an object, it means the object doesn’t work. For example:

  • La doccia non funziona. (shower)

Just add non funziona to the following for having it fixed

  • il condizionatore (air conditioner)
  • la doccia (shower)
  • la televisione (tv set)
  • la connessione internet (connection)
  • il bagno (toilet)
  • la chiave (key)
  • l’ascensore (lift)

vorrei… (I would like to…)

  • fare una prenotazione (make a reservation)
  • cancellare la prenotazione (cancel)
  • fare il check out
  • una camera più grande / più piccola (bigger/smaller)
  • un’altra camera (another room)
  • il servizio in camera (room service)
  • delle coperte (some blankets)

 

 

Non c’è … / Non ci sono … – There isn’t … / There aren’t …

You can use the objects we explained above to compose new sentenced. Below, some more hints:

  • Non c’è l’acqua calda (hot water)
  • Non ci sono cuscini (pillows)

So, proceeding with order, non c’è…

  • il sapone (soap)
  • la luce (light)
  • l’accappatoio (bathrobe)
  • la vasca da bagno (bathtub)
  • il bollitore (water boiler)
  • la linea del telefono (phone line)

non ci sono…

  • abbastanza cuscini (enough pillows)
  • abbastanza finestre (enough windows)
  • asciugamani (towels)
  • sedie (chairs)
  • bevande nel frigorifero (drinks in the fridge)

Thanks for reading. Please try a quiz and win an Italian Skype class.

PHOTO CREDITS

Italian definite articles: PODCAST

by
articoli-determinativi

Italiandefinitearticleschangeaccordingtothegender(masculine-feminine)andnumber(singular-plural)ofthenountheyintroduce.PODCAST.

Italiandefinitearticles,equivalenttotheEnglishTHE,changeaccordingtothegender,numberandtheinitialletterof thefollowingword.Let’sseeallofthem

 



Femininearticlesareusedbeforefemininenouns,la andl’ forsingularandle forplural.Indetail:

 

  • laisusedbeforenouns beginningwithaconsonant;
  • l’isusedbeforenouns beginningwithavowel(a,e,i,o,u);
  • leisusedasthepluralforbothlaandl’:
Feminine-

 



Therearedifferentmasculinedefinitearticles
threesingular:il,loandl’ ;twoplural:iandgli. Indetail:

  • l’ comesbeforemasculinewordsbeginningwithavowel;
  • lo comesbeforemasculinewordsstartingwithz,gn,ps,s+consonant;
  • ilisthemostcommon,usedinallothercases;
  • iisthepluralofil;
  • gliisthepluralof l’andlo;
Masculine-Maschile

 



It’sgoodtoknowexceptionsbutIsuggestyoutolearntherulesandpractice.Experiencewillhelpyoutouse therulesnaturallywhenyouspeak.

SelectthequizonthetopofthispageandwinanItalianSkypeclass!

PHOTOCREDITS

Italian for travellers: Buying clothes. PODCAST

by
buying-clothes

Learn some basic Italian vocabulary and verbs related to shopping and fashion. PODCAST.

Fashion is important business in Italia. Not just for money. We like to dress well in formal occasions, but also for a simple dinner out in centro (downtown). I’m sure you know some Italian fashion brands (Gucci, Prada, Armani, D&G etc), easily available in every important city.

We usually go shopping – fare spese – on saturdays, peeking at store windows – vetrine dei negozi – downtown – centro della città – and visit shopping malls – centro commerciale – now widely spread. I negozi, shops, are normally closed on Sundays  – domenica.

 

  • Fare spese
  • Negozi
  • Vetrine
  • Centro della città
  • Centro commerciale
  • Domenica

 

All negozi have the equivalent reparto (department) in a shopping mall. So, un negozio di abbigliamento (clothes) becomes reparto abbigliamento (without the preposition “di”) in a mall.

We can buy vestiti da uomo (men’s clothing), vestiti da donna (women’s clothing), vestiti da bambino (children’s clothing), pelletteria (leather goods), scarpe (shoes), accessori (accessories).

You can also find biancheria intima (lingerie), profumi (perfumes), articoli da regalo (gifts), and articoli per la casa (home accessories).

Clothes

  • vestito da donna (dress)
  • abito da uomo (suit),
  • gonna (skirt)
  • pantaloni (trousers)
  • giacca (jacket)
  • camicia (shirt)
  • maglietta (T-shirts)
  • cappotto (coat)
  • sciarpa (scarf)
  • cappello (hat)
  • guanti (gloves)
  • cravatta (tie)

 

Accessories

If you are interested in jewelry,  you want to look for a gioielleria (jewelry store).

  • anello (ring)
  • bracciale (bracelet)
  • collana (necklaces)
  • orecchini (earrings)
  • orologio (watch)
  • oro (gold)
  • argento (silver)
  • platino (platinum)
  • diamante (diamond)
  • smeraldo (emerald)
  • rubino (rubies)
  • perle (pearls)

 

Pelletteria – Leather goods

  • borsa (bag)
  • borsetta (purse)
  • scarpe (shoes)
  • cintura (belt)
  • portafoglio (wallet)
  • valigia (suitcase)
  • borsellino (change purse)
  • stivali (boots)
  • sandali (sandals)

 

Intimo – Lingerie

  • calze (socks)
  • calzini (short socks)
  • canottiera (tank shirt)
  • reggiseno (bra)
  • pigiama
  • accappatoio (bathrobe)
  • collant (stockings)

 

Tessuti e materiali

  • lana (wool)
  • cotone (cotton)
  • seta (silk)
  • pelle (leather)
  • sintetico (acrylic)
  • velluto (velvet)
  • lino (linen)

 

Useful phrases

Learn how to try, buy, pay, change your new clothes.

Key verbs

Vorrei comprare una maglietta rossa  – I’d like to buy a red t-shirt

  • Vorrei…(I’d like to)
  • provare (try)
  • comprare (buy)
  • pagare (pay)
  • cambiare (change)

+ the name of the clothes

 

Colors and sizes

Vorrei comprare una maglietta rossa  grande – I’d like to buy a large red t-shirt

Asking American sizes, XS to XXL, is normal although Italian sizes are different. In the example below, I used a Tshirt, so all the colors and adjectives are feminine, according to the feminine noun maglietta.

  • Porto la taglia L (I have a L size)
  • Vorrei una maglietta…
  • rossa (red)
  • verde (green)
  • gialla (yellow)
  • blu
  • arancione (orange)
  • bianca (white)
  • nera (black)
  • chiara (light)
  • scura (dark)
  • a righe (stripes)
  • a quadri (checked)
  • a pallini (dots)

 

  • La maglietta è troppo… The tshirt is too…
  • grande (big)
  • piccola (small)
  • stretta (tight)
  • larga (large)
  • leggera (light – weight)
  • pesante (heavy)
  • cara (expensive)
  • economica (cheap)
  • Posso cambiare? Can I change?

 

Thanks for reading. Try the quiz and check your language skills!

photo credits

Italian for travellers: Eating out – PODCAST

by
eating-out

LearnthecorrectvocabularyandsentencesfororderingfoodinItaly. PODCAST.

Therearesomecommonpractices,setphrasesandwordsyoucanuseanywhere inItaly fororderingfoodandmakeyourselfunderstood. Wearegoingtoseethemtogether.
Lacolazione-Breakfast

Italianbreakfastisverysimple.Peopleeatthecolazioneat homeoratcafeterias(inItalywesimplycallita”bar”).Weusuallyhaveacaffelatte,(coffeeandmilk),cappuccino,orevenasimplecaffèandasweetpastry,abriocheorcornetto(croissant).

InaB&B,a socalledagriturismo, youcaneattastylocalfoodlikesalameandprosciutto,formaggio(cheese)pane(bread)anddolcifattiincasa (homemadecakes)forbreakfast.

Ilpranzo-Lunch

Ilpranzoisusuallylighterthanlacena (supper).Onholiday however,proportionsandportionsarenotundercontrol.Ifyouwantalightmeal,youcaneata paninoconaffettati(delimeatlikeprosciuttoetc) porchetta (spit-roastedpork)formaggio.Youcanaskasalumiere (grocer)toprepareitforyouandfillitthewayyoulikeit.

Anothergoodandcheapoptionisamenùa10euro,ormenùturisticoalunchsetwhichincludesaprimopiatto (pastaorrisotto),secondopiatto-carneopesce (meatorfish), contornodiverdura (patate,pomodori,insalataverde – sidedish,usuallypotatoes,tomatoesorgreensalad),pane(bread)acqua(water)andsometimesevenavinodellacasa,1/4 literof  housewine.Uncaffèespressoisalwayspartofit.

Ifyourbudgetallowsafulllunchinatrattoriaorristorante,ofcourseyoucaneatanddrinkasmuchasyouwant.ThecoursesofanItalianmealare:antipasto(appetizer),primo(firstdish),secondo(maindish),contorno(sidedish),formaggio(cheese),dolce(dessert),caffèandifyouarereadytotakeanap,anamaro(typicalItaliantonicliquor).Readytopaythebill?Askthewaiter,Ilcontoperfavore.



Lacena-Supper

Lacenacanberather cheapatapizzeria orexpensiveinanelegantristorante.

 
Antipasto – Starter

Italiansusually startadinner withsomeappetizers.Weusuallyeataffettati, cheese,andthefamousgrilledvegetablesmarinatedinoliveoil,thesocalledsottolio.

Ifyoupreferfish,especiallyifyouarevisitingaplaceonthecoast,youcanorderanantipastodimare, aselectionofcoldseafoodandfish,pickled in oliveoilandlemon,ormoresophisticatedcoldentries.

Ifyoutrustyourwaiter,andseethatotherpeoplearehavinganiceantipasto,youcanaskfortheantipastodellacasa,aselectionofpopularappetizers.
Primipiatti

ForgetabouttheItaliandishesyoucanfindathome. YouwillneverfindAmerican fettuccineAlfredo ormacaroniandcheese.Italiansdon’tevenknowwhattheyare.

Pastaisking,from theextremenorthtoSicily.Thevarietyofshapes,fillings,saucesandcondimentsishuge.

Risottoisprettycommoneverywherebutitismorepopularin thenorthernpartofthecountry.Pastaisusuallyservedaldente.Ifit’sovercooked wesayitisscotta. Youcanunderstandiftherestaurantisdecentif theyserveyourpastawithaformaggiera, acheesebowl,withgratedparmigianoorpecorino. Askforitifthewaiter forgets.

Nowadaysrestaurantsservinggluten-freepastaareeasytofindinbigcities.

Maybeyou’renotinthemoodforeatingmuchoryouhadaquitecaloriclunch,soyoucanaskthewaiterforasmall portion,ortoshareyourprimopiatto.

Let’srecapwithapodcast:

  • Vorrei degliaffettati-I’dlikeamixofdelimeat
  • Vorrei unantipastodimare-I’dlikeaseafoodappetizer
  • Vorrei unantipastodellacasa-I’dlikesome houseappetizers
  • Vorrei unapastaalragù/alpesto
  • Chetipodipastamiconsiglia?Whatkindofpastado yousuggest?
  • Possoaveredelformaggiograttugiato?CanIhavesomegratedcheese?
  • Qualeprimodellacasamiconsiglia?
  • Vorrei unapastaaldente
  • Avetedellapastasenzaglutine?Doyouhaveglutenfreepasta?
  • Possiamoavereunaporzioneindue?Canweshareoneportionintwo?
  • Possoavereunaporzioneabbondante?CanIhavealargeportion?
Ilsecondo-Main course

“Primo”and”secondo”canbeequallyconsideredmaincourses,butthesecondoisfarmorediverse.Meatandfish arethemainingredientsofasecondo.

Ifyouorderasteak,thefamousbisteccafiorentina,grilled t-bonesteak, itoften comesalsangue(literally”bloody”rare),butyoucanhaveitcottaapuntino(medium)orbencotta(welldone).

TheItaliancoastlineisverylong,andsoisthemenuofpesce -fishandfruttidimare -seafood.

Bothmeatandfisharecookedindifferentfashions:bollito-boiled,grigliato-grilled,fritto-fried,inumido-stewed,alvapore-steamed,alforno-intheoven,inpadella-panfried.

Dependingonthemaincourseyoucanaskamatchingcontorno,sidedish.Freshandgreenvegetables(verdura)areas commonas theubiquitouspotatoes.

  • Qualesecondodicarne/dipescemiconsiglia?
  • Ilpesceèfrescoosurgelato?(freshorfrozen)
  • Vorreiunabistecca…
  • …alsangue,…cottaapuntino,…bencotta
  • Vorreidelpesce…
  • …alvapore,…grigliato…inumido,
  • …bollito,…fritto,…alforno,…inpadella
  • Percontornovorrei…
  • …dellepatatealforno/bollite/fritte
  • …un’insalataverde/mista
  • …dellaverdurabollita
Bevande-Drinks

Italyisoneofthelargestproducersofwineintheworld.Andmineralwater.Thelatteriseasytoorder.Youcanhaveyouracqua naturale(still)orfrizzante(fizzy).

Youcanorderunacaraffa (apitcher)ofvinodellacasa(housewine)unbicchiere(aglass)orunabottiglia(abottle). Sometimesalocal vinodellacasaischeaperandbetterthanbottledwine.

  • Vorreiunabottigliadiacqua…
  • …naturale
  • …frizzante
  • Vorreiunabottiglia/caraffa/bicchiere
  • divino…
  • …dellacasa
  • …rosso-red
  • …bianco-white
  • …rosato-rosè
  • …fermo-still
  • …frizzante-sparkling
  • …secco-dry
  • …dolce-sweet

 
Dolce,caffè -Dessert,coffee

  • Vorrei lalistadeidolci
  • Vorreiuncaffè
  • …uncappuccino
  • …unamaro
  • ilcontoperfavore

 

Thanksforreading.Trythequizonthispageandwin afreeItalianSkype classwithanativeteacher

photocredit

Italian for travellers: Making friends. PODCAST

by

Addressingpeopleformallyandinformally,greetingsandintroductions.Listentothepodcast.

ThePodcastisaboutmakingfriendsandstartingaconversation.
“LEI”AND”TU”

InItalian,wehavetwodifferentlevels ofcommunication:formalandinformal.Whenwewantto addresssomeoneinformally,weusethepronounTU(you).OntheotherhandtheformalpronounisLEI(she)usedforbothmenandwomen.ThefirstoneisequivalenttotheEnglishYOU,sothere’snoproblemhere.TheLEI isaformofrespectthat createsdistancebetweenspeakers.Forexample:

  • Cometichiami(tu)?
  • Comesichiama(lei)?

Theybothmeanwhat’syourname,butthelatterismoreappropriateifyouspeaktoanadultyoudon’tknow,orneedtopayrespecttosomeone. Forexample,IknowmanypeopleusingtheLeiwiththeirparentsinlaw,theirbossesandcolleaguesatwork,theircustomers.Itdependsonthesituation.

SometimestheLeiis notnecessarybecause thenature oftherelationshipisinformal.Italiansarefriendly,somostprobablytheLeiwillbe necessaryonlywhenyouintroduceyourself.YouwillsoonusetheinformalTu.

Sinceyouareaforeigner,people willunderstandit’sdifficultforyoutousetheLei.Inanycase,it’srecommendedtoshowsomepolitenessandlearngreetingsandintroductionsusing Lei.Then,youcanasktoswitchtotheinformalTusaying:

  • Diamocideltu.
  • Possiamodarcideltu?

Let’sproceedwithorder:
TITLES

ItaliansusetitlesmorethanEnglishspeakers.Thefollowingisthebasics:

  • Signore-Sir
  • Signora-Ma’am
  • Signorina-Miss
  • SignorRossi-Mr.Rossi
  • SignoraBianchi-Mrs.Bianchi
  • SignorinaFerrari-MissFerrari

Ontopofit,people tendtogivealotofimportancetograduatedprofessionals.EveryItalianholdingauniversitydegreeisadottore ifmaleordottoressa if femaleandthetitleis usedinsteadofsignororsignorabeforethelastname,evenoutsidetheworkingenvironment.Themostcommonare:

  • DottorRossi
  • DottoressaBianchi
  • AvvocatoMartini
  • ProfessorArmani
  • ProfessoressaLamborghini
  • IngegnerCampari

Youcanseethattitlesformalesendingin”e”,dropthe”e”beforethelastname.SignorebecomesSignorRossi,DottorebecomesDottorRossiandsoon.
GREETINGS

GreetingsinItalianfollowthesamesimplerulesyouhaveinEnglish.Theycanbeformal,informal,commonorlesscommondependingonthesituation.Downbelowthemostcommon.

  • Buongiorno-Goodmorning,butalsogoodafternoonuntildusk
  • Buonpomeriggio-Goodafternoon,notascommonasBuongiorno
  • Buonasera-Goodevening
  • Buonanotte-Goodnight
  • Buonagiornata-Haveagoodday
  • Buonaserata-Haveagoodevening

These canbeusedinformalandinformalsituationsand areallratherpolite.I’drarely saybuonasera toaclosefriend.

  • Ciao-Hi
  • Salve-Hello

Ciao iswhatIwouldsaytoafriendorarelative.It’dbevery rudetosayciaotoapersonwho deservestheformalLei.

Salve istheformal versionofciao. Useitwhennecessary.

  • Arrivederci-Seeyou.
  • Civediamo-Seeyou.
  • Cisivede-We’llseeeachother.
  • Cisentiamo-Speaktoyousoon.
  • Apresto-Seeyousoon.
  • Adomani-Seeyoutomorrow.
  • Allaprossima-Seeyounexttime.
  • Adopo-Seeyoulater.
  • Benvenuto/Benvenuta/Benvenuti-Welcome.

Arrivederciisquiteformal.It’soktouseitwiththeLeiform.SamewithApresto.Alltheothersareratherconversationalandinformal.Cisentiamo ismorelike”we’llhearfromeachother”.
INTRODUCTIONS

Youprobablylearnedthat”Michiamo…”means”Mynameis…”.Right,buttheliteraltranslationis “Icallmyself…”.Chiamarsiisaverboriflessivo,areflexiveverb.Visitthelinkedpageifyouwanttolearnmore.So,what’syournameis”Cometichiami?-Howdoyoucallyourself?”.Thecompleteconjugationoftheverbchiamarsiisthefollowing:

  • Iomichiamo-
  • Tutichiami-
  • Lui/Leisichiama-
  • Noicichiamiamo-
  • Voivichiamate-
  • Lorosichiamano-

Ifyouwanttoask”what’syourname”youhavetwooptions

  • Cometichiami(tu)?Informal
  • Comesichiama(lei)?Formal

Rememberthatwecanomitthesubject,soit’snotnecessarytosayTuorLeilikeinEnglish.Thepersonwouldanswer”Michiamo…”orsimplysayhisorhername.

Wecansay”nicetomeetyou”indifferentways:

  • Piacerediconoscerla-“Pleasure toknowyou”-Lei,formal
  • Ciao,piacere-Hi,pleasure-Tu,informal
  • Moltopiacere-Muchpleasure-Verypolite,impersonal

Ifyouintroducesomeoneelsetosomepeople,therearetheusualtwooptions:

  • LepresentoilDottorBianchi-Iintroducetoyou(Lei)Dr.Bianchi
  • TipresentolamiaamicaLucia-Iintroducetoyou(Tu)myfriendLucia
  • VipresentoIlsignorMartini-IintroducetoyouMr.Martini(voi,youplural)

Thepodcastandexamplesabovearebasic.Itwouldbeenoughtogetyoustarted.Downbelow,moreexamples.

LEI&TU

  • Buongiornodottore,comesta?
  • Miscusi, sacheoresono?
  • Doveabita?
  • Dov’èilsuoalbergo?
  • Chelavorofa?
  • Laringrazio.
  • Leihafigli?
  • Possoaiutarla?

  • Buongiorno Marco,comestai?
  • Scusami, saicheoresono?
  • Doveabiti?
  • Dov’èiltuoalbergo?
  • Chelavorofai?
  • Ti ringrazio.
  • Tu haifigli?
  • Possoaiutarti?
ENGLISH
  • Goodmorning,howareyou?
  • Excuseme,whattimeisit?
  • Wheredoyoulive?
  • Whereisyourhotel?
  • What’syourjob?
  • Thankyou.
  • Doyouhavechildren?
  • CanIhelpyou?

Inred,theLEIversion,inbluetheTUversion.ThesearejustafewexamplesandshowhowafewwordsinItaliancanchangethetoneandthelevelofrespect in aconversation.Thesesentencesmaybeuseful asice-breakersforstartingaconversation.

TITLES

Allthefollowingexamplesarewiththecourtesyform”Lei”.

  • BuonNataleSignorRossi.
  • AvvocatoBerlusconi,acheoraciincontriamo?
  • Chiedoscusasignorina,habisognodiaiuto?
  • SignoraMartini,sacheoresono?
  • Ingegnere,hacompletato quelprogetto?
  • Miscusisignore,hapersolechiavi.
  • VorreiparlareconilprofessorCampari. Èdisponibile?
  • DottoressaBianchi,ammiromoltoilsuolavoro.
  • LepresentoilsignorBonaventura.
ENGLISH
  • MerryChristmas,Mr.Rossi.
  • AvvocatoBerlusconi,whattimeshallwemeet?
  • IbegyourpardonMiss,doyouneedanyhelp?
  • MrsMartini,doyouknowwhattimeisit?
  • Ingegnere,haveyoufinishedthatproject?
  • ExcusemeSir,youhavelostyourkeys.
  • IwouldliketotalktoProfessorCampari,isheavailable?
  • DottoressaBianchi,Iadmireverymuchyourwork.
  • LetmeintroduceMr.Bonaventura.
GREETINGS

  • Buongiornoatutti!
  • Buonpomeriggiosignora,possoaiutarla?
  • Buonasera Franco,comeva?
  • Buonanotteesognid’oro.
  • Buonagiornata ebuonlavoro.
  • Buonaserataebuondivertimento.
  • CiaoLuca,daquantotempo!
  • SalvesignoraRossi,imieisalutiasuomarito.
  • Arrivederci eapresto.
  • Civediamolasettimanaprossima.
  • GraziemilleMichela,cisivede.
  • CiaoGiulia,apresto.
  • Graziemilleperlabellaserata.Cisivede.
  • BenvenutiinItalia!
ENGLISH
  • Goodmorningeveryone.
  • GoodafternoonMa’am,canIhelpyou?
  • GoodeveningFranco,howisitgoing?
  • Goodnightandsweetdreams
  • Haveagooddayandagoodtimeatwork.
  • Goodeveningandhavefun.
  • CiaoLuca, longtimenosee!
  • SalvesignoraRossi,myregardstoyourhusband.
  • Seeyousoon.
  • Seeyounextweek.
  • ThanksalotMichela,I’llseeyou.
  • Bye Giulia,seeyousoon.
  • Thanksalotforthelovelyevening.We’llseeagain.
  • WelcometoItaly!

Theseareformalandinformalgreetingsandfarewells.Theexpression”buonlavoro”doesn’treallyhaveanequivalent inEnglish.It’safarewell,inthiscaseitdoesn’tmean”goodjob!”.

INTRODUCTIONS

  • MichiamoLuca,piacere.
  • TichiamiFabio,vero?
  • LuisichiamaStefano,èunmioamico
  • Comesichiama latuaamica?
  • Piacerediconoscerla dottoressaFerrari.
  • Piacerediconoscerti,michiamoDario.
  • Piaceremio.
  • PossopresentarleilprofessorBianchi?
  • PossopresentartiLaura,lamiaragazza?
  • Viconoscetegià?
ENGLISH
  • MynameisLuca,nicetomeetyou.
  • YournameisFabio,right?
  • He’sStefano,afriendofmine.
  • What’sthenameofyourgirlfriend?
  • PleasedtomeetyoudoctorFerrari(woman)
  • Nicetomeetyou,mynameisDario
  • Mypleasure.
  • MayIintroduceprofessorBianchi?
  • CanIintroduce Gianni,myboyfriend?
  • Doyoualreadyknoweachother?

Thanksforreading!

photocredit

La famiglia italiana – PODCAST

by
Learnthevocabularyrelatedtothe”famiglia”.Listentothepodcast. WhenIwasachild(unbambino)myfamily,(lamiafamiglia)usuallymetinspecialoccasions,mainlyreligiousevents,likeweddings(matrimoni),communions(comunioni),baptisms(battesimi)andsoon.Wecouldn’tmeetatsomebody’shouse,weweretoomany(eravamotroppi).So,weusedtogoatbigrestaurantsinthecountryside(incampagna)andcelebratetogether.Mygrandpa(miononno),theheadofthefamily,usedtositcapotavola,guestofhonor.

Listenadrepeataftertheaudiofiles-hitthespacebartopausethetrack

 

  • ilpadre=father
  • lamadre=mother
  • ilpapà=dad
  • lamamma=mom
  • ilnonno=grandpa
  • lanonna=grandma
  • lozio=uncle
  • lazia=aunt
  • ilfiglio=son
  • lafiglia=daughter
  • ilfratello=brother
  • lasorella=sister
  • ilnipote=nephew
  • lanipote=niece
  • inonni=grandparents

  • igenitori=parents
  • iparenti=relatives
  • glizii=uncles
  • ifigli=offspring
  • ifratelli=brothers
  • lesorelle=sisters
  • ilmarito=husband
  • lamoglie=wife
  • ilsuocero=f.inlaw
  • lasuocera=m.inlaw
  • ilcognato=b.inlaw
  • lacognata=s.inlaw
  • ilcugino=cousin(m)
  • lacugina=cousin(f)
  • icugini=cousins

 

  • ilgenero=soninlaw
  • lanuora=daughterinlaw
  • ilbisnonno=great-grandfather
  • ilbisnonna=great-grandmother
  • ilpronipote=grandnephew
  • lapronipote=grandniece
  • ilpatrigno=stepfather
  • lamatrigna=stepmother
  • ilfidanzato=fiancé
  • lafidanzata=fiancé

Onelastnoteregardingrelativesandlanguage.WhenweusepossessivesinItalian,wegenerallyaddthearticolodeterminativo.Inotherwords:

  • IlmioamicoLuigièsimpatico
  • Lamiacasaègrande
  • IlmiocanesichiamaFido
  • Lemieamichesonosposate

Andnot- Mia macchinaèunaAlfaRomeo. 

Whenwetalkaboutsinglularfamilymembers,thearticleisomitted.Sowesay:

  • Miofratelloèalto
  • Miasorellaèsimpatica
  • MiocuginosichiamaDavide
  • Miamadreèbionda

Andnot-IlmiopadresichiamaLuigi

Whenwetalkaboutfamilymembers,pluralnouns, thereisthearticle.Sowesay:

  • Imieigenitorisonogiovani
  • LemiecugineabitanoaMilano
  • Imieinonnisonoanziani
  • Lamia famigliaènumerosa

Andnot-Mieifratelligiocanoacalcio Thanksforreading,graziemilleeapresto.

Italian for beginners: “C’è” – “Ci sono”- PODCAST

by
c'è-ci-sono

Theverbessereisusedintheexpressionsc’èandcisono(thereis-thereare) followedbya singularorpluralnoun.Podcast.

C’èandcisono correspondtotheEnglishthereisandthereare. Asimplepostforbeginners

 

 

There’snoperfectmatchbetweenEnglishandItalian.Sometimesessereandesserci(tobeandtobethere)areinterchangeable.

Thenegativeformsare nonc’èand noncisono.


Afewnotes.Money(soldi)initalianisplural,people(gente)inItalianissingular,so”thereis”and”thereare”areobviouslyinverted.Theorderofthewordsinthesentencedoesn’tchangeinquestions.InItalian,whenyoudon’tneedinterrogativeadverbs(come,dove,quando,perchéetc…)we justaddaquestionmark.Soicanask:

  • Mariononc’è?
  • Nonc’ètempo?
Finally, fromalogicalpointofview,therearesomeverycommonItaliansentences(doublenegatives)thatinEnglishdon’tmakesense,butarecorrectinItalian.Forexample:

  • Nonc’ènessuno -lit.Thereisn’tnobody
  • Nonc’èniente-lit.Thereisn’tnothing
ThereareplentyoforedoublenegativesinItalian(withmai,nessuno,niente).Learn themastheyare.

Thanksforreading.VisitourhomepageandwinanItalianSkypeclasswithanativeteacher.

photocredit

Don`t copy text!