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lesson 1
Vocabulary
il ponte
the bridge
la torre
the tower
il Colosseo
the Colosseum
il centro storico
la piazza
the square
la fontana
the fountain
Here's a tip
Did you know that Italy has 55 UNESCO World Heritage Sites? That's more
than any other nation in the world with the exception of China. ⛲ ⛪
In this lesson, we'll learn a few words to talk about some of these world-famous
Italian landmarks.
a specific monument.
According to legend, if you toss one coin into the Trevi Fountain you'll return
to Rome, if you toss two you'll return and fall in love, and if you toss three
Pisa e Venezia.
Venice.
Claudia: Sì, ma a Pisa siamo stati solo un giorno per vedere la Torre, poi
Claudia: Yes, but we only stayed in Pisa one day to see the Tower, then we
went to Venice.
Claudia: Yes, the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark's Square are very beautiful.
Andrew : Italy is a country full of culture and history. Did you know that
Lesson 2
Vocabulary
simpatico/simpatica
nice
aperto/aperta
open-minded
Michele è una persona molto aperta, gli piace parlare con tutti.
generoso/generosa
generous
serio/seria
serious
gentile
kind
egoista
selfish
intelligente
clever
timido/timida
shy
Different personalities - Comparatives
Vocabulary
Here's a tip
describe people and their personalities. Now we are going to learn how to make
When we want to say that something is "more ... than something else", we use
Spanish.)
When we want to say that something is "less ... than something else" we use
person/object
Arabic.)
else, we can choose between two structures. Have a look at the sentences below,
they both mean "She's as intelligent as Marco.", but the first one is more
Sometimes, when we are making comparisons, instead of "di" we use "che". Have
lesson 3
Vocabulary
Chiamare
To call
Chiamami al cellulare.
Call my mobile.
Rispondere
To answer
To send
Mandami un messaggio.
Send me a text.
Trasferire
To transfer
lasciare
to leave
Sbagliare numero
la batteria
the battery
il segnale
the signal
Davide: Sì, pronto?
Davide: Yes, hello?
Elena: Sono Elena.
Elena: It's Elena.
Davide: I will transfer the call to him. Just a moment please... Elena?
Alessandro is busy right now, would you like to leave him a message?
Arrivederci!
Elena: No, don't worry I will call his mobile later. See you later!
Vocabulary
sembrare
to seem
Questo libro mi sembra bello.
interessare
Ti interessa la cucina?
Come vi sembra?
Here's a tip
In this unit we will look at "indirect object pronouns". We use them to answer
the question "A chi?" (To whom?) and always put them before the verb. Here
are two examples with the regular verb "sembrare" (to seem).
Below, the singular indirect object pronouns are in bold. Remember, in a formal
context we address people with "lei", so the formal indirect object pronoun will
be "le".
Of course, to answer the question "A chi?" we can also use a me, a te, a lui / lei,
etc. These are usually placed at the beginning of the sentence, and they are used
to emphasise.
"A me interessa..." OR "Mi interessa..."
"A te sembra..." OR "Ti sembra..."
Indirect object pronouns go before the verb. However, these pronouns are not
the subject: the verb agrees with what seems or what we're interested in. "Ci
Dialogue
la fotografia però!
Luciano: No, we aren't, but ask Luca and Giada, maybe they are.
Tu gli piaci.
Vi piacciamo?
Here's a tip
We've just learned two verbs that go with indirect object pronouns (mi, ti, gli /
le, ci, vi, gli) or with indirect objects (i.e.: "al mio amico", "a Giulia", etc.):
"interessare" and "sembrare". In this unit we'll learn an irregular verb that has a
similar structure: the verb "piacere" (lit. to be pleasing). Have a look at the
sentences below:
modern art.)
Now let's have a look at the different forms of the verb "piacere". The literal
For example, "io piaccio alla tua amica", which means "your friend likes me",
io piaccio
tu piaci
lui/lei piace
noi piacciamo
voi piacete
loro piacciono
The subject of the sentence is what or who is liked. As you can see below, the
subject ("io") is the person who is liked. So, the verb "piacere" needs to agree
"Piace" and "piacciono" are the most frequently used forms of "piacere", given
that we usually like one thing / person or many things / people. Have a look at
these examples:
The verb "dispiacere" follows the same structure of "piacere". It literally means
"to be unpleasing (to someone)" but we use it to say we're sorry and we mainly
Dialogue
casa mia.
my house.
perché è a Roma.
Giulia: She's very interested in art in general but unfortunately she won't
Giulia: I can't make it tomorrow morning, I'm sorry. But I can after 2
p.m.
LESSON 4
Vocabulary
la taglia
the size
Ho una taglia M.
My size is medium.
i pantaloni
the trousers
la maglietta
the t-shirt
la gonna
the skirt
il vestito
the dress
il maglione
the jumper
la camicia
the shirt
La camicia è stretta.
l'abito
the suit
la giacca
the jacket
le scarpe
the shoes
Vocabulary
bene
well
male
badly
We cook badly.
lentamente
slowly
velocemente
quickly
kindly
He told me kindly.
Here's a tip
in bold below:
understand.)
In some cases, to form an adverb we take the adjective, remove the last letter,
Luigi: Did you try on this t-shirt? Lucia: Yes, I tried it.
Luigi: Did you buy those dresses? Lucia: No, I didn't buy them.
Here's a tip
the "passato prossimo" (the past tense). We use a direct object pronoun to
avoid repeating what we just said. Let's have a look at the sentences below:
Remember: "lo" and "la" become "l'" before a word that starts with a vowel or an
"h".
ti (you)
lo (him; it - masculine)
la (her; it - feminine)
ci (us)
vi (you)
le (them - feminine)
The direct object pronoun goes just before the two words that form the
sentences.
and gender with the thing / person the direct object pronoun replaces.
With "mi", "ti", "ci" and "vi", this is optional. When it doesn’t agree, it remains in
the masculine singular. If it agrees, it gives you a clue on whether the person
called you.)
LESSON 5
Vocabulary
la testa
the head
Mi fa male la testa.
I have a headache.
il braccio
arm
la mano
hand
Ho le mani fredde.
la gamba
the leg
Ho le gambe pesanti / stanche.
il piede
the foot
Ho i piedi stanchi.
il naso
the nose
Mi prude il naso.
My nose is itchy.
la spalla
the shoulder
Ho le spalle tese.
la schiena
the back
la gola
the throat
Ho mal di gola.
lo stomaco
the stomach
Mi fa male lo stomaco.
My stomach hurts.
Vocabulary
il braccio - le braccia
il dito - le dita
l'osso - le ossa
il dottore - la dottoressa
the doctor
il professore - la professoressa
the professor
il cantante - la cantante
the singer
il boa - la boa
il capitale - la capitale
the capital (sum of money) - the capital (city)
Here's a tip
programma) are usually masculine. If the noun refers to a person, it does not
change in the feminine (il turista - la turista). In the plural, these nouns are
Some feminine nouns, which usually have Greek origins, can end with -i or -si.
Yes! You've seen and heard well. Some parts of the body have a very irregular
examples below. It doesn't only happen with parts of the body, but with other
nouns too!
il ginocchio - le ginocchia (the knee - the knees)
In some cases, the masculine and feminine of nouns can also be irregular.
Usually, we form the feminine of these nouns by removing the last letter and
adding -essa:
As you already know, some nouns can stay exactly the same when they refer to
a woman or a man.
LESSON 6
il compagno / la compagna
the partner
il ragazzo / la ragazza
l'ex-ragazzo / la ex-ragazza
il fidanzato / la fidanzata
l'amico/l'amica
the friend
Lo scorso fine settimana c'era una festa a casa del mio amico.
il collega / la collega
the colleague
Il mio collega è venuto alla mia festa di compleanno.
il coinquilino/la coinquilina
the flatmate
the classmate
il dipendente/la dipendente
the employee
il capo
the boss
Vocabulary
per
for / to
tra / fra
in / between
con
with
senza
without
su
about / on / above
Here's a tip
In this unit we'll look at prepositions, those short words that usually go before
a noun and express a relation to another word. Let's have a look at some
examples:
Stasera esco con una mia amica. (Tonight I'm going out with a friend.)
three weeks.)
stronger.)
You may also know the preposition "tra / fra". Again, their translations may
minutes?)
Venice.)
big friendship.)
The preposition "su" (about / on / above) is the only one among the ones we're
su + la: sulla
su + il: sul
su + l': sull'
su + lo: sullo
su + le: sulle
su + i: sui
su + gli: sugli
LESSON 7
Vocabulary
nevicare
to snow
piovere
to rain
fare freddo
to be cold
Fa ancora freddo?
Is it still cold?
fare caldo
to be hot
c'è il sole
to be sunny
c'è vento
to be windy
essere nuvoloso
to be cloudy
la nebbia
the fog
il temporale
the storm
Here's a tip
Did you know? The word "tempo" has various meanings in Italian: it can refer
Did you know that in Italian the verbs that describe the weather are impersonal?
This means they don't have a subject and are only used in the 3rd person
You can also say "sta piovendo" and "sta nevicando" to specify that this is a
LESSON 8
Vocabulary
il nome
the name
il cognome
the surname
My surname is Paletti.
l'età
the age
l'indirizzo
the address
the postcode
il passaporto
the passport
l'indirizzo email
il numero di telefono
la data di nascita
Vocabulary
sembrare
to seem
interessare
Ti interessa la cucina?
Come vi sembra?
Here's a tip
In this unit we will look at "indirect object pronouns". We use them to answer
the question "A chi?" (To whom?) and always put them before the verb. Here
are two examples with the regular verb "sembrare" (to seem).
Below, the singular indirect object pronouns are in bold. Remember, in a formal
context we address people with "lei", so the formal indirect object pronoun will
be "le".
Of course, to answer the question "A chi?" we can also use a me, a te, a lui / lei,
etc. These are usually placed at the beginning of the sentence, and they are used
to emphasise.
We NEVER use both the indirect object pronouns and "a me", "a te", "a lui / lei",
"A me interessa..." OR "Mi interessa..."
"A te sembra..." OR "Ti sembra..."
Indirect object pronouns go before the verb. However, these pronouns are not
the subject: the verb agrees with what seems or what we're interested in. "Ci
la fotografia però!
Luciano: No, we aren't, but ask Luca and Giada, maybe they are.
Lesson 8
Vocabulary
Here's a tip
In Italian, we use the present simple to talk about present actions in general. lf
we want to be more specific and talk about what we're doing right now, we can
use a different verb structure. Let's have a look at the sentences below:
We simply use the verb "stare" + the gerund. To form the gerund we remove
the endings "-are", "-ere" or "-ire" from the infinitive verbs and we add "-ando"
infinitive
example
Gerund
mangiare
mangiando
leggere
leggendo
pulire
pulendo
Let's quickly review the two new structures so that you don't get confused:
- happening right now: stare + gerund: "Sto uscendo." (I'm going out.)
- happening very shortly: stare + per + infinitive: "Sto per uscire." (I'm
about to go out.)
Vocabulary
nevicare
to snow
piovere
to rain
fare freddo
to be cold
Fa ancora freddo?
Is it still cold?
fare caldo
to be hot
c'è il sole
to be sunny
c'è vento
to be windy
essere nuvoloso
to be cloudy
la nebbia
the fog
il temporale
the storm
Here's a tip
Did you know? The word "tempo" has various meanings in Italian: it can refer
Did you know that in Italian the verbs that describe the weather are impersonal?
This means they don't have a subject and are only used in the 3rd person
You can also say "sta piovendo" and "sta nevicando" to specify that this is a
Lesson 9
Vocabulary
il nome
the name
il cognome
the surname
My surname is Paletti.
l'età
the age
l'indirizzo
the address
the postcode
il passaporto
the passport
l'indirizzo email
il numero di telefono
the telephone number
il luogo di nascita
la data di nascita
Vocabulary
Ti dispiace... ?
Do you mind… ?
Posso... ?
Can I… ?
puoi…
You can…
Puoi sederti qui, se vuoi.
Non puoi…
You can't…
Puoi darmi... ?
Puoi lasciarmi... ?
certo
sure
Okay
OK
Devi...
Bisogna...
Here's a tip
In this unit, we will show you how to ask and give permission in Italian and we
will give you a couple of tips to ask for permission in formal contexts. You'll
not possible when it comes to expressions. So, for each expression we have
given you the nearest equivalent in your language. Let's get started!
We have learned that we use the verb "potere" (can / to be able to) to speak
about the things we are able to do. But, did you know that we also use it to ask
"Puoi darmi...?" and "Puoi lasciarmi...?" are phrases that we use to ask for
someone we don't know well, we use the "lei" form, that is, the third person
Colloquial
Formal
Now we will teach you two ways of giving permission: "certo" and "okay". We
use these two words not only to give permission but also to confirm or agree
with something.
To express obligation, we use "Devi..." and "Bisogna...". For now, let's just look at
how to use these expressions in context and we'll tell you more about these in
Vocabulary
Cosa si fa stasera?
Here's a tip
August.)
(we);
masculine form.
work.)
Dialogue
Mario: You're right, I'm going to look for a pizzeria! And what are we
Lesson 10
At school - Education
Vocabulary
la scuola
the school
la scuola superiore
The high school was near the house where I used to live.
l'università
the university
la materia
the subject
l'esame
the exam
i risultati
the results
l'orario
the timetable
la classe / la lezione
the class
La lezione piaceva a molti. C'erano sempre molte persone.
The class was very popular. There were always lots of people.
il corso
the course
The Spanish course was full and there were no more spaces.
la biblioteca
the library
Vocabulary
Here's a tip
For the first time in this course, you are about to listen to a dialogue without
the transcription, in which two friends talk about their holidays as children.
We want to help you improve your listening skills! So listen carefully, replay it
In the dialogue, Marta and Luca talked about what they used to do on holiday
as children. When talking about habits that we used to do in the past, we use
the "imperfetto" (in bold below). Look at the examples from the dialogue:
with my family to the seaside in the south, in Apulia. What about you?)
Before we talk about the uses of the 'imperfetto', let's look at how the verb
is regularly formed in this tense. Let's start with verbs ending in '-are', such
Subject
andare
io
andavo
tu
and-avi
lui/lei
and-ava
noi
and-avamo
voi
and-avate
loro
and-avano
Now let's look at the verbs ending in '-ere', such as 'vivere' (to live). Notice
how they differ by just one letter (underlined below) from those ending in '-
Subject
vivere
io
viv-evo
tu
viv-evi
lui/lei
viv-eva
noi
viv-evamo
voi
viv-evate
loro
viv-evano
Finally, here are the 'imperfetto' forms of verbs ending in '-ire', such
Subject
preferire
io
prefer-ivo
tu
prefer-ivi
lui/lei
prefer-iva
noi
prefer-ivamo
voi
prefer-ivate
loro
prefer-ivano
To sum up: for regular verbs, the 'imperfetto' endings of the three conjugations
differ by just one letter. This is 'a' for verbs ending in '-are', 'e' for verbs ending
vivere
preferire
and-avo
viv-evo
prefer-ivo
and-avi
viv-evi
prefer-ivi
and-ava
viv-eva
prefer-iva
and-avamo
viv-evamo
prefer-ivamo
and-avate
viv-evate
prefer-ivate
and-avano
viv-evano
prefer-ivano
Let's take one final look at the dialogue that we heard at the beginning of the
unit:
Luca: Marta, dove andavi in vacanza da bambina? (Luca: Marta, where did
beautiful, but as a child I used to prefer going to the sea. My siblings and I
Did you notice? We use the 'imperfetto' to talk about recurrent actions as well
At school - In class
Vocabulary
spiegare
to explain
ascoltare
to listen
ripassare
to revise
passare
to pass
capire
to understand
imparare
to learn
essere bocciato
to fail
Non sono mai stato bocciato quando andavo alla scuola superiore.
fare un errore
to make a mistake
dare un esame
to take an exam
ripetere
to retake
Adriano was a terrible student. He always had to repeat the school year.
Here's a tip
We're going to show you two very useful sentences that we use in an
educational context.
Vocabulary
Here's a tip
Let's now take a look at the 'imperfetto' form of the most common irregular
verbs. Let's start with 'fare' (to do). This becomes 'fac'- + the endings of the
verbs in -ere:
Subject
fare
io
fac-evo
tu
fac-evi
lui/lei
fac-eva
noi
fac-evamo
voi
fac-evate
loro
fac-evano
Can you remember how we talk about our jobs? We can use the
nurse.)
Facevo il cameriere nel fine settimana. (I used to work as a waiter on the
weekends.)
Subject
essere
esserci
io
ero
c'ero
tu
eri
c'eri
lui/lei
era
c'era
noi
eravamo
c'eravamo
voi
eravate
c'eravate
loro
erano
c'erano
Subjec
fare
t
io fac-evo
tu fac-evi
lui/lei fac-eva
fac-
noi
evamo
voi fac-evate
fac-
loro
evano
lesson 11
ravelling - Planning a trip
Vocabulary
il viaggio
the trip
Buon viaggio!
Have a good trip!
viaggiare in aereo
travelling by plane
viaggiare in treno
travelling by train
andare in montagna
andare in campagna
andare in spiaggia
to go to the beach
Dialogue
Elena: Non ne posso più del lavoro. Vorrei proprio partire per un viaggio.
Elena: I'm fed up with work. I really want to go on a trip.
Elena: I don't mind... But I don't want to travel by plane, I hate flying.
Travelling - Beach holidays
Vocabulary
la spiaggia
beach
Goditi la spiaggia.
il mare
sea
the wave
fare il bagno
swim
il costume da bagno
swimming costume
occhialetti
goggles
la sabbia
sand
prendere il sole
sunbathe
snorkel
l'ombrellone
parasol
Dialogue
prendere il sole.
Maria: I don't want to swim. I'd rather just play games on the sand.
Here's a tip
Have you ever heard about a small Italian region called "le Marche"? You're
about to read an article about it and learn how to talk about the future. But
before you start, make sure you understand the meaning of these words:
secondo: according to
meta: destination
grotta: cave
gustare: to savour
spendere: to spend
ottimo: great
scoprire: to discover
conveniente: affordable
In the article, we saw some new verbs. These are in the "futuro semplice", a
tense that we use to talk about the future. Let's look at how we can use it in
context (don't worry, we will learn the forms later on). Here are some examples
regional cuisine.)
We use the "futuro semplice" to make statements and predictions about the
Paese. (The region will soon become one of the favourite holiday destinations
attractions.)
Let's now take a look at regular verbs in the "futuro semplice". Good news -
both verbs ending in “are” and “ere“, such as “visitare” (to visit) and
“prendere” (to take), form in the same way. Let's start with the singular
subject
visitare
prendere
io
visit-erò
prend-erò
tu
visit-erai
prend-erai
lui/lei
visit-erà
prend-erà
subject
visitare
prendere
noi
visit-eremo
prend-eremo
voi
visit-erete
prend-erete
loro
visit-eranno
prend-eranno
Regular verbs ending in "ire", such as "investire" (to invest), differ by just one
letter (underlined below) from verbs ending in "are" and "ere" that we saw
earlier.
subject
investire
io
invest-irò
tu
invest-irai
lui/lei
invest-irà
noi
invest-iremo
voi
invest-irete
loro
invest-iranno
Vocabulary
We're going to learn four common irregular verbs in the "futuro semplice":
"essere" (to be), "avere" (to have), "fare" (to do) and "andare" (to go). Let's
Let's start with the singular forms of the verb "essere" (to be), whose root is
"sar-":
subject
"essere"
io
sar-ò
tu
sar-ai
lui/lei
sar-à
subject
"essere"
noi
sar-emo
voi
sar-ete
loro
sar-anno
Let's move on to the irregular verb "avere" (to have), whose root is "avr-".
subject
"avere"
io
avr-ò
tu
avr-ai
lui/lei
avr-à
subject
"avere"
noi
avr-emo
voi
avr-ete
loro
avr-anno
Let's move on to the irregular verbs "fare" (to do) and "andare" (to go), whose
subject
"fare"
"andare"
io
far-ò
andr-ò
tu
far-ai
andr-ai
lui/lei
far-à
andr-à
subject
"fare"
"andare"
noi
far-emo
andr-emo
voi
far-ete
andr-ete
loro
far-anno
andr-anno
lesson 12
My life - Biographies
Vocabulary
nascere
to be born
andare a scuola
to go to school
When I was a child I used to go to the school that was near my house.
iniziare l'università
to start university
laurearsi
conoscere
to meet
iniziare a lavorare
to start working
sposarsi
to get married
divorziare
to get divorced
andare in pensione
to retire
morire
to die
Nostro nonno è morto l'anno scorso.
Vocabulary
Here's a tip
So far we have seen two past tenses: the "imperfetto" and the "passato
piano.)
cinema.)
action or event.
Dialogue
Alberto: Ciao Linda!
Alberto: Hello Linda!
Linda: Hey Alberto. What a surprise! What are you doing here in the city
centre?
tu?
Alberto: I got a job as an accountant. The office is just around the corner.
in una banca.
Alberto: Yes, Valeria and I got married two years ago and our daughter
was born in December. What about you and Paolo? All good?
Linda: No, unfortunately not. Paolo and I were too different and often
fought with each other. We got divorced a few years ago but now we are
good friends.
Here's a tip
Now let's learn more about how to use these two past tenses - the "imperfetto"
and the "passato prossimo" - both independently and in conjunction with one
another.
We can use both tenses in the same sentence. We use the "imperfetto"
objects and places, the weather). Meanwhile, we use the "passato prossimo" to
occurred.
music.)
working as a consultant.)
lesson 13
Interests - Adventure sports
Vocabulary
fare surf
surfing
l'escursionismo
hiking
l'arrampicata
climbing
il kayak
kayaking
Vi piace il kayak.
il rafting
rafting
il torrentismo
canyoning
emozionante
thrilling
mountain-bike
mountain bike
fare immersioni
scuba diving
il bungee-jumping
bungee-jumping
Tu adori il bungee-jumping.
Dialogue
Maria: How was your trip John? Did you have a good time?
John: It was amazing. One week wasn't long enough! We went climbing
and did some amazing hiking. But two weeks would have been better.
Maria: Che bello. Peccato che tuo fratello non sia potuto venire con te, si
John: Yes, it's a real shame. Hopefully he'll recover soon though. Maybe he
Maria: Ma cosa si è fatto? Non conosco tutta la storia. È caduto dalla sua
mountain bike?
Maria: What did he actually do? I don't know the full story. Did he fall off
John: No. È andato a fare surf il mese scorso e un'onda l'ha spinto addosso
John: No. He went surfing last month and a wave pushed him into some
John: Sì, siamo stati molto prudenti durante questo viaggio. Ma credo che
John: Yes, we were very careful this trip. But I guess that's the risk you
Interests - Fashion
Vocabulary
passerella
catwalk
stilista
fashion designer
sfilata di moda
fashion show
la modella
model
a quadri
check
collezione
collection
La collezione primavera-estate è molto fine.
la stagione
season
tinta unita
plain
stampato / stampata
printed
di moda
fashionable
Dialogue
Paul: Ieri sera alla sfilata di moda lo standard era molto alto. È stato
Paul: The standard was incredibly high at last night's fashion show. It was
particolarmente impressionante.
impressive.
Paul: Devo dire che penso che il lavoro di Maria Corona per questa
Paul: I have to say, I thought Maria Corona's effort this season left a lot to
Julia: A dire il vero non sono d'accordo. Direi che la sua scelta di modelli
was a refreshing change. And some of the collection had some real style.
Paul: È stato bello vedere modelli un po' diversi, questo è vero. Ma credo
Paul: It was nice to see some different types of model, that's true. But I
Julia: Wow, that's very strong criticism. Which pieces are you talking
about?
Paul: Like that purple and blue striped dress at the end of the show!
Here's a tip
Sometimes a cake isn't just good, it's really good! We are now going to learn the
really ugly.)
letter and add the endings issimo, issima, issimi, issime. Let's take a look at
very beautiful.)
very beautiful.)
Let's now look at the plural endings for adjectives in the "superlativo relativo"
form:
really beautiful!)
"ottimo".
reviews.)
lesson 14
Here's a tip
reasons: it's easy to make, filling, and delicious. Do you want to make it like
Italian grandmas do? We are about to read an authentic recipe and learn how
to give instructions.
il fornello: hob
la pentola: pot
scaldare: to heat up
aggiungere: to add
scolare: to drain
examples below.
We are now going to learn the "imperativo" forms for "tu" (you, singular,
informal) and "voi" (you, plural, formal and informal) of regular verbs. Let's
Mescola le uova, il pepe nero ed il pecorino. (Mix the eggs, black pepper and
pecorino.)
(to heat up), we drop "are" and add the letter "a".
Mescolare: Mescola lo zucchero con le uova. (Mix the sugar with the eggs.)
The "imperativo" forms for "tu" of verbs ending in "ere" and "ire", such as
"friggere" (to fry) and "servire" (to serve), are easier to remember. They
We have learned that some verbs in "ire", such as "pulire" (to clean) and "finire"
(to finish), contain the letters "isc" in some of their present forms (e.g. "io
pulisco" = I clean). Their "imperativo" form for "tu" ends with "isci".
the present tense:
minutes.)
Italians are very particular about their food and follow a set of unwritten rules,
some of which might seem a bit bizarre. We are going to find out what not to
do in Italy when it comes to food and learn more about the “imperativo”.
"non" followed by the verb in the "infinito" form. This is called "imperativo
For two or more people, we use "non" followed by the forms for "voi" in
the present tense:
Chiedere: Non chiedete un caffè da portar via. (Do not ask for a take away
coffee.)
Pulire: Non pulite la moka con il detersivo per piatti.(Do not clean the
Dialogue
scoperto che gli italiani hanno regole molto severe sul cibo.
Chris: Great. We had really good food but we also found out that Italians
mai il pollo sulla pasta o sulla pizza e non usare la cipolla e l'aglio nello
stesso piatto!"
Mariam: Ah, right! An Italian friend once told me: "Do not ever put
chicken on pasta or pizza and do not use onion and garlic in the same
dish!"
Chris: Giusto. Ma ci sono molte altre regole che non avevo mai sentito
Chris: Correct. But there are many more rules I have never heard of
Chris: E non ordinare gli "spaghetti alla bolognese". Non esistono in Italia!
ragù".
you fancy some long pasta with a meat sauce, ask for "tagliatelle al ragù".
Mariam: Qualche altro consiglio? Io e mio marito vogliamo andarci l'anno
prossimo.
costosa.
Lesson 15
Here's a tip
friends in the dialogue used a tense called "condizionale presente" (in bold
million euros?)
ending in "are" and "ere", such as "aiutare" (to help) and "smettere" (to stop, to
soggetto
aiutare
smettere
io
aiut-erei
smett-erei
tu
aiut-eresti
smett-eresti
lui / lei
aiut-erebbe
smett-erebbe
soggetto
aiutare
smettere
noi
aiut-eremmo
smett-eremmo
voi
aiut-ereste
smett-ereste
loro
aiut-erebbero
smett-erebbero
(to open), differ by just one letter (underlined below) from those in "are" and
soggetto
"aprire"
io
apr-irei
tu
apr-iresti
lui / lei
apr-irebbe
noi
apr-iremmo
voi
apr-ireste
loro
apr-irebbero
Dialogue
della lotteria?
Federica: I can't believe it! Did you really spend 50 euros on lottery
tickets?
Claudio: Lo so, di solito non mi interessano queste cose. Ma quest'anno il
Claudio: I know, I'm not usually interested in such things. But this year
Federica: 100 milioni? E dimmi... Che cosa faresti con tutti quei soldi?
Federica: 100 million? And tell me... What would you do with all that
money?
Claudio: Beh, prima di tutto comprerei una bella villa con piscina. Poi
pool. Then I would quit my job and I'd go on a trip around the world!
Federica: E non penseresti anche agli altri? Per esempio alla tua carissima
amica Federica?
Federica: And wouldn't you also think about other people? For instance
famiglia. E tu?
Federica: I would definitely put a lot of money aside for my future. And
then I would finally open my own fashion boutique in the city centre.
lesson 16
Here's a tip
in English?)
Let's start with the "condizionale presente" of "potere" (can, to be able to). To
the window?)
both informal and formal situations.
vegetables.)
soggetto
"dovere"
io
dovrei
tu
dovresti
dovrebbe
soggetto
"dovere"
noi
dovremmo
voi
dovreste
loro
dovrebbero