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Passato Prossimo dei verbi regolari – Quiz

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Let’s practice the passato prossimo. Quick review and quiz

This is just a review, so I am assuming you are already familiar with the passato prossimo regolare.

The quiz at the bottom of this page is a basic review with some new vocabulary. Look up the words and verbs you don’t know.

In a nutshell, the Passato Prossimo:

  • Describes a complete action in the past.
  • The passato prossimo regolare is the combination of essere and avere + past participle (ato-uto-ito):
passato-prossimo-essere-avere1

Ieri  …

  • … sono andato a scuola. –> I went to school.
  • … ho mangiato il minestrone. –> I ate minestrone.

If you have doubts about essere or avere as auxiliary verbs, please practice with this exercise.

Don’t forget to check your score at the end of the quiz.

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Silvestro Lega “Ragazza di Crespina” XIX sec.

Imperfetto – essere e avere – I verbi regolari – Quiz & Audio

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imperfetto-regolare-essere-avere-1

Imperfetto means “imperfect”, not finished. It’s an Italian past tense. A complete guide, quiz and audio examples

Imperfetto “non perfetto”, is an important Italian past tense. It’s part of the indicativo mood, a group of tenses that describe real facts, objects, events.

The imperfetto describes a situation or a frequent action in the past. It always needs a context in order to make sense, as it is incomplete (imperfect!) by itself. For example, if you simply say to an Italian speaker …

  • Ero stanco.

… he or she will wait for you to put it in context, in the past, and ask “Quando”?

  • Ieri ero stanco.

It means that yesterday I was tired. It’s a situation in the past.

The imperfetto is often studied with the passato prossimo, a perfect past tense, which instead describes complete actions.

  •  Ieri ho lavorato.

Let’s see a complete overview of the imperfetto

to be, to have and regular verbs.

imperfetto-regolare-essere-avere-1
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Imperfetto – essere e avere – I verbi regolari

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Degrees of comparison in Italian – Quiz and Podcast

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Learn Italian comparatives and superlatives. Solve the quiz. Premium podcast for members.

Italian comparatives and superlatives modify the value of adverbs and adjectives. Today we talk about adjectives. Italian aggettivi can express the quality of a noun in three degrees (gradi).

Grado positivo. That’s the regular value of any adjective. Maria è alta. She’s tall, that’s all.

Grado comparativo. The quality of an aggettivo here is expressed in comparison with something else. A comparativo can be:

  • di maggioranza when expresses superiority, for example with …più…di/che… (more than)

Federico è più simpatico di Andrea.

  • di minoranza when expresses inferiority, for example with … meno …di/che… (less than)

Io sono meno ricco di mio fratello.

  • di uguaglianza when expresses equality, for example with come/quanto… (as)

 Mia sorella è alta come te.

 

Grado superlativo. The quality of an aggettivo is expressed in its greatest (or smallest) degree, in absolute or relative terms.

  • superlativo relativo inside a group of people or things. We usually have an article with the noun or adjective. So Federico is THE funniest in the family.

Federico è il più simpatico della famiglia.

  • superlativo assoluto in absolute terms, as a matter of fact at the highest degree, usually with -issimo or molto before the adjective

Mio fratello è ricchissimo / molto ricco.

 

 

“Più bello DI” or “Più bello CHE”?

 

This is a rather complicate topic, because the use of di and che in comparatives is not completely clear, not even with native speakers and in textbooks. We are going to see what the main rules are. If you follow them, you are going to be correct.

… with nouns and pronouns

  • Roma è più grande di Milano – (comparativo di maggioranza con nome)

  • Oggi è meno freddo di ieri – (comparativo di minoranza con nome)

  • Il mio giardino è grande quanto il tuo. (comparativo di uguaglianza con nome)

 

In this first case, with nouns,  Oggi è meno freddo che ieri is acceptable.

 

  • Mia sorella è più giovane di me. – (comparativo di maggioranza con pronome)

  • Noi siamo meno benestanti di voi. – (comparativo di minoranza con pronome)

  • Io sono alto come te. (comparativo di uguaglianza con pronome)

 

 

… with adjectives and verbs

  • Federico è più simpatico che intelligente – (comparativo di maggioranza con aggettivo)

  • Il tuo cane è meno furbo che simpatico – (comparativo di minoranza con aggettivo)

  • L’espresso è tanto amaro quanto dolce –  (comparativo di uguaglianza con aggettivo)

 

  • Cucinare è più divertente che mangiare – (comparativo di maggioranza con verbo)

  • Prendere il treno è meno stressante che guidare – (comparativo di minoranza con verbo)

  • Divertirsi è importante quanto studiare. (comparativo di uguaglianza con verbo)

 

 

 

Special superlatives and comparatives

Some adjectives have a special set of comparatives and superlatives along with the regular ones. So Buono can be più buono di…, il più buono and buonissimo but also migliore, il migliore, ottimo. The two sets have also different meanings. For example, if I say:

  • Davide è il più buono della classe.

  • Davide è il migliore della classe.

In the first sentence, I want to say that Davide has the best attitude among his classmates, in the second I say that he’s the best student.

comparativi e superlativi speciali

 

 

 

Thanks for reading. Please try the quiz and win an Italian Skype class. A presto!

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Italian tongue twisters: scioglilingua. PODCAST.

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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

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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

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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

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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

 

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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?

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La famiglia italiana – PODCAST

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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

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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.

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