lingua

10 sentences Italian children learn at the table

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italian-children

The dining table is the most important piece of furniture in Italian houses. Italian familial relationships are forged “a tavola” and children learn very soon how they should behave

1.) SI MANGIA TUTTI INSIEME – WE EAT ALL TOGETHER

Italian see their children as young adults. We eat all together, no discussions. Parents help their kids to eat only until they learn to hold a fork. Children learn very soon that “a tavola” is a very important call.

2.) MANGIAMO LE STESSE COSE – WE EAT THE SAME THINGS

As soon as children don’t need help with fork and knife, they eat exactly what adults have on the plate. In Italy children eat smaller portions, but the food is exactly the same. If you will go on holiday in Italy, you will notice that there’s no “children menu” in restaurants.

3.) È PRONTO! – IT’S READY

When mom or dad say “è pronto”, kids must join immediately the family at the table. If they don’t, parents or older brothers go and pick them up. No excuses.

4.) AIUTAMI A PREPARARE IL TAVOLO – HELP ME TO SET THE TABLE

It’s like a game. When mamma (nowadays also papà) asks for some help for setting the table, children put la tovaglia, the table cloth (there’s no Italian table without table cloth!) i tovaglioli (napkins), i piatti (plates) and le posate (fork and knife). When everything is set, kids are ready to sit down.

5.) USA FORCHETTA E COLTELLO – USE FORK AND KNIFE

It is amazing to see how Italian children learn to use fork and knife so early. A fork is as dangerous as a knife, so the soonest children learn to use knives properly, the better. When I was s child in elementary school, I clearly remember we used a safe knife, but definitely learn how to handle it.

6.) PER FAVORE, GRAZIE E PREGO – PLEASE, THANKS AND YOU ARE WELCOME

Please, thanks and you are welcome, per favore, grazie e prego are words Italian children learn at the table when they ask for more food or water. Mamma is ready with a smile or the magic question:”Come si dice?”. Si dice “per favore”.

7.) NIENTE COCA COLA – NO COKE, WE DRINK WATER

Soft drinks in Italy are not as common as they are in the US. Italians usually drink water. Coca Cola is allowed in pizzeria or in special occasions, like parties or meetings with other kids. Young Italian parents know how toxic that stuff is. Grandmas, be aware!

8.) FACCIAMO GLI GNOCCHI? – LET’S MAKE GNOCCHI TOGETHER

There are some positive habits coming from this long lasting economic crisis. America is doing good, by Italy is still in trouble with unemployment. Italian families are going back in time and make their own food with basic ingredients. Young parents ask grandma and grandpa how to prepare proper food. It’s cheaper and better. Children learn how to make bread, pizza, gnocchi and pasta with mom and dad.

9.) NON LO MANGI OGGI, LO MANGI DOMANI – YOU DON’T EAT IT TODAY, YOU EAT IT TOMORROW

Italian parents used to be quite strict with “bambini capricciosi”, naughty children. When children refused to eat, mamma would put the same thing on the plate the day after. Nowadays parents are softer, but this rule is quite common even these days.

10.) NON SI MANGIA FUORI DAI PASTI – DON’T EAT WHEN YOU ARE HUNGRY. RESPECT LUNCH AND SUPPER TIME

Merenda is the Italian word for the afternoon snack. Fruit, a small pizza (pizzetta), focaccia (soft bread with salt and olive oil) or a tasty panino with salame or prosciutto (Italian sandwich) are common. But the size is pretty small. No sauce. That’s the only food children are allowed to eat outside regular meals. Before lunch (pranzo) and after supper (cena) the fridge (frigorifero) is off limits.

What is your experience as an Italian chid, or as a tourist in Italy? Please add your comments.

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    I connettivi: Italian connectors. Guide and Quiz

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    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.

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    CONNETTIVI DI TEMPO

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    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

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    I verbi impersonali: guide & quiz

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    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!

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    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.

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    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!

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    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

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    Italian for travellers: Making friends. PODCAST

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    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!

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    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.

    Hollywood stars who speak awesome Italian – Video

    by
    actors-fluent-in-italian

    A list of Hollywood stars who speak awesome Italian or are such great actors that managed to speak it very well on stage.

    Some Hollywood actors speak (or spoke) Italian very well, others tried to speak a credible Italian but simply couldn’t. Some others, learned Italian only for acting properly, with astonishing results.

    Vincent Cassel

     

    We are sure that 14 years of marriage with actress Monica Bellucci helped Vincent Cassel with his Italian. He speaks quite flawlessly,  with a slight French accent, but he’s definitely very fluent. Being French is of course a great advantage for learning Italian or other Romance languages. Cassel loves Brazil and he’s also proficient in Portuguese.

    Christoph Waltz

     

    Unforgettable performance in Inglorious Basterds. An Austrian-born actor, Waltz is of course a native German speaker, and he’s fluent in English and French. Listening to this performance alone, it would be easy to assume he’s fluent in Italian too, but actually he admitted he’s not. He learned a few lines for the movie and that’s it. I’m sure though he would learn very quickly. Great accent, fluency and intonation, he fooled me.

     

    Colin Firth

     

    This versatile English actor, good on stage and on the big screen, married Livia Giuggioli in 1997 , an Italian producer and director. They live in London and Italy and have two sons with Italian names, Luca and Matteo. He started to learn Italian when he and Giuggioli began to date and he now is fluent. He has a house in Siena and spends as much time as he can in Italy. In this recent message, he shows advanced Italian skills mixed with a great British accent.

    Audrey Hepburn

     

    The tribute here is a must. Hepburn was a polyglot, fluent in Dutch, French, Spanish and Italian. in 1968 she married an Italian doctor, Andrea Dotti. The legendary Vacanze Romane, the unforgettable movie with Gregory Peck, made Italy even more famous and desirable than it was already, a romantic destination for millions people. In this interview, she displays a near-native knowledge of Italian an elegant syntax and a very good pronunciation. A real charm.

    Jodie Foster

    Jodie Foster is fluent in French, Spanish and Italian. In this quick interaction with an Italian journalist, Jodie speaks naturally and complains about her French accent, which is hardly noticeable. I wasn’t expecting that, it was a nice find. She speaks naturally. Beautiful smile…

    Viggo Mortensen

    It’s well known that Viggo Mortensen speaks 7 languages and Italian too. He uses sophisticated vocabulary and describes his beautiful movie Green Book with all the nuances of a native Italian speaker. Intelligent, charming, polyglot. One of my favourite actors. Bravo.

    Penelope Cruz

    Surprisingly, there are not many Spanish actors fluent in Italian, even though our Spaniard cousins speak a nearly identical language. Penelope Cruz is an exception. Her Spanish accent is beautiful and she tries to find appropriate words when she talks about her childhood. Brava e Bella.

    Robert De Niro

    When I heard Robert De Niro speaking fluent Sicilian as a young Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II, I was shocked. I am a native speaker and I found his Sicilian very convincing. Of course he has an American accent, but he was clearly understanding what he was saying, as opposed to Al Pacino in the same movie, who instead didn’t seem comfortable in speaking broken Italian. De Niro is a living legend in Italy, he’s not only considered a great actor, but also a great Italian. But is he really Italian? Well, he holds a double passport, but I wanted to know if he learned Sicilian at home as a kid. Then I learned that he’s of Irish and Italian origin and learned some Italian only as an adult. Amazing.

    Thanks for reading. Please comment and share.

    Alla prossima!

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