Cosa impareremo oggi
👆🏻 Link to paragraphs
- Lesson Objectives
- Basic Introduction Questions
- Present Tense Conjugation of Regular Verbs
- Common Regular Verbs at A0 Level
- Dialogue Exercise
- Role-play Exercise
Lesson Objectives
In this lesson, you will learn:
- Grammar Objectives:
Review the present tense conjugation of regular -are, -ere, -ire verbs and practice forming basic sentence structures. You will also practice common phrases used in everyday conversations.
- Vocabulary Objectives:
Learn and practice key vocabulary related to greetings, common verbs, and personal interactions. You will use phrases like ciao, buongiorno, buonasera, mi chiamo to introduce yourself and interact in basic conversations.
- Cultural Objectives:
Review how to engage in everyday conversations in Italian, such as introducing yourself, asking about someone’s background, and discussing common topics like where you live or what you do. You will practice using simple phrases to build confidence in casual, day-to-day interactions.
Basic Introduction Questions
In this lesson, we will review how to ask and answer basic questions when introducing ourselves. At the A1 level, it’s important to reinforce the structure of common questions and answers. In Italian, questions usually follow the structure: Question Word + Verb + Subject?. Some useful question words include:
- Come (How)?
- Che cosa (What)?
- Quando (When)?
- Dove (Where)?
- Chi (Who)?
- Perché (Why)?
Let’s review some examples of questions and answers for introducing yourself:
- Come ti chiami? – Mi chiamo Marco. (What’s your name? – My name is Marco.)
- Come stai? – Sto bene, grazie. (How are you? – I’m well, thank you.)
- Di dove sei? – Sono di Londra. (Where are you from? – I’m from London.)
- Quanti anni hai? – Ho 45 anni. (How old are you? – I’m 45 years old.)
- Che lavoro fai? – Faccio il medico. (What do you do? – I’m a doctor.)
- Dove abiti? – Abito a Milano. (Where do you live? – I live in Milan.)
- Che cosa fai oggi? – Oggi lavoro e vado a fare la spesa. (What are you doing today? – Today I’m working and going grocery shopping.)
These questions and answers form the foundation of basic conversations in Italian and are essential for everyday interactions.
Present Tense Conjugation of Regular Verbs
In this section, we will review how to conjugate regular verbs ending in -are, -ere, and -ire in the present tense. These verbs follow consistent patterns based on the subject of the sentence. Below is a table showing how to conjugate a regular verb from each group.
| Subject | -are (parlare) | -ere (leggere) | -ire (dormire) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Io (I) | parlo | leggo | dormo |
| Tu (You) | parli | leggi | dormi |
| Lui/Lei (He/She) | parla | legge | dorme |
| Noi (We) | parliamo | leggiamo | dormiamo |
| Voi (You all) | parlate | leggete | dormite |
| Loro (They) | parlano | leggono | dormono |
Common Regular Verbs at A0 Level
Below are 20 common regular verbs at the A0 level. Each verb is conjugated in the present tense with an example sentence that includes a subject, verb, and two or three complements.
Listen carefully to each sentence and take your time to get used to the sounds of Italian. Pay attention to the pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation. Even if you don’t understand every word, focus on how the language flows naturally.
| Verb | Translation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| -ARE | ||
| parlare | to speak | Io parlo con gli amici al bar. (I speak with friends at the bar.) |
| mangiare | to eat | Tu mangi la pasta a pranzo. (You eat pasta for lunch.) |
| studiare | to study | Lui studia l’italiano ogni sera. (He studies Italian every evening.) |
| giocare | to play | Noi giochiamo a calcio al parco. (We play soccer at the park.) |
| guardare | to watch | Voi guardate la TV dopo cena. (You all watch TV after dinner.) |
| visitare | to visit | Loro visitano il museo la domenica. (They visit the museum on Sundays.) |
| lavorare | to work | Io lavoro in ufficio ogni giorno. (I work in the office every day.) |
| comprare | to buy | Tu compri i vestiti al mercato. (You buy clothes at the market.) |
| camminare | to walk | Lei cammina con il cane la mattina. (She walks with the dog in the morning.) |
| cucinare | to cook | Noi cuciniamo la cena insieme. (We cook dinner together.) |
| -ERE | ||
| leggere | to read | Io leggo un libro interessante. (I read an interesting book.) |
| scrivere | to write | Tu scrivi una lettera al tuo amico. (You write a letter to your friend.) |
| prendere | to take | Lui prende l’autobus ogni mattina. (He takes the bus every morning.) |
| vivere | to live | Noi viviamo in una grande città. (We live in a big city.) |
| mettere | to put | Voi mettete i libri sul tavolo. (You all put the books on the table.) |
| vendere | to sell | Loro vendono frutta al mercato. (They sell fruit at the market.) |
| -IRE | ||
| dormire | to sleep | Io dormo otto ore ogni notte. (I sleep eight hours every night.) |
| partire | to depart | Tu parti per Roma domani. (You leave for Rome tomorrow.) |
| aprire | to open | Lui apre la porta della stanza. (He opens the room’s door.) |
| sentire | to hear | Noi sentiamo la musica dal piano di sopra. (We hear the music from upstairs.) |
As you progress to the A1 level, it will be important to pay attention to the details in your sentences, such as articles and prepositions.
For example, in Italian, the article la is used for feminine singular nouns like la casa, while il is used for masculine singular nouns like il libro. Similarly, prepositions must be carefully chosen. For instance, we say vado a scuola (I go to school) but vado in Italia (I go to Italy). Remembering these small but crucial details will help you as you move into more advanced sentence structures at the A1 level.
At the A0 level, it’s essential to know that some common irregular verbs exist, as they are frequently used in everyday conversations. We will learn how to use them at a basic level, but with A1, we will study them in more detail, focusing on their conjugations and usage. Here are seven key irregular verbs to be familiar with, each presented with a subject, verb, and two or three complements:
| Verb | Io (I) | Tu (You) | Lui/Lei (He/She) | Noi (We) | Voi (You all) | Loro (They) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essere (to be) | sono | sei | è | siamo | siete | sono |
| Avere (to have) | ho | hai | ha | abbiamo | avete | hanno |
| Fare (to do/make) | faccio | fai | fa | facciamo | fate | fanno |
| Andare (to go) | vado | vai | va | andiamo | andate | vanno |
| Venire (to come) | vengo | vieni | viene | veniamo | venite | vengono |
| Volere (to want) | voglio | vuoi | vuole | vogliamo | volete | vogliono |
| Potere (to be able to/can) | posso | puoi | può | possiamo | potete | possono |
- Essere (to be): Io sono un insegnante in una scuola (I am a teacher in a school).
- Avere (to have): Tu hai un libro e una penna (You have a book and a pen).
- Fare (to do/make): Lui fa colazione al bar ogni mattina (He has breakfast at the café every morning).
- Andare (to go): Noi andiamo al parco con i nostri amici (We go to the park with our friends).
- Venire (to come): Loro vengono alla festa con i regali (They come to the party with gifts).
- Volere (to want): Io voglio un caffè e una brioche (I want a coffee and a brioche).
- Potere (to be able to/can): Lei può parlare italiano molto bene (She can speak Italian very well).
Knowing these verbs is important for basic communication, and you’ll see them used often. Pay close attention to their irregular conjugations and how articles and prepositions work with them. For example, we say vado al lavoro (I go to work) but vengo da casa (I come from home). With A1, we will dive deeper into these details.
Listening Task: Giulia e David alla festa
Let’s practice with a conversation between two people meeting for the first time at a party. Listen carefully and focus on the greetings and introductions we’ve covered. Don’t worry about understanding every single word—just pay attention to the key phrases. The pace is natural, so take your time!
- 👩🏻 – Giulia: Ciao! Mi chiamo Giulia. Ti piace questa festa?
Hi! My name is Giulia. Do you like this party? - 👨🏻🦰 – David: Ciao, Giulia! Piacere di conoscerti. Sono David, sono canadese, ma abito a Milano. E tu?
Hi, Giulia! Nice to meet you. I’m David, I’m Canadian, but I live in Milan. And you? - 👩🏻 – Giulia: Anche io abito a Milano. Sono italiana, ma mi piace conoscere persone da tutto il mondo.
I also live in Milan. I’m Italian, but I love meeting people from all over the world. - 👨🏻🦰 – David: Milano è fantastica, vero? Lavoro qui come architetto. E tu? Che lavoro fai?
Milan is amazing, right? I work here as an architect. And you? What do you do? - 👩🏻 – Giulia: Faccio la farmacista. Allora ti piace l’Italia?
I work as a pharmacist. So, do you like Italy? - 👨🏻🦰 – David: Sì, mi piace molto! Amo il tuo Paese.
Yes, I like it a lot! I love your country. - 👩🏻 – Giulia: Hai voglia di prendere qualcosa da bere?
Would you like to get something to drink? - 👨🏻🦰 – David: Sì, con piacere! Andiamo.
Yes, with pleasure! Let’s go.
Role-play Exercise
A: Ciao! Mi chiamo [Your Name]. E tu, come ti chiami?
B: Ciao! Piacere di conoscerti. Mi chiamo [Partner’s Name]. Di dove sei?
A: Sono di [Your City/Country]. E tu?
B: Io sono di [Partner’s City/Country]. Abiti qui?
A: Sì / No, abito a [Current City]. E tu?
B: Sì / No, abito a [Current City].
Esercizio
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After the Zoom Class
Here is your assignment. After the lesson, answer the questions. Your teacher will correct what you write. You will receive a confirmation by email.