Italian Tutorial Basic Phrases, Vocabulary
and Grammar
Note: Before heading to the tutorial I would Strictly recommend to
download any online dictionary which could easily translate the difficult
Italian words provided below so that you can understand them easily and
learn quickly, if you have one so that’s good if not then I’ll personally prefer
BabelFish dictionary which is free so you don’t need to buy it. The
download link is provided below:
1. Basic Phrases / Frasi semplici
Buon giorno
bwon zhor-no
Hello / Good
morning/afternoon
Buona sera
bwoh-nah seh-rah
Good evening
Buona notte
bwoh-nah noht-teh
Good night
Ciao
chow
Hi / Hello / Bye (informal)
Arrivederci
ah-ree-vuh-dehr-chee
Goodbye
ArrivederLa
ah-ree-vuh-dehr-lah
Goodbye (formal)
A più tardi
ah pyoo tar-dee
See you later
A presto / A dopo
ah press-toh / ah dohpoh
See you soon
A domani
ah doh-mahn-ee
See you tomorrow
Per favore / Per piacere
pehr fah-voh-reh / pehr peeah-cheh-reh
Please
Grazie (mille)
graht-zee-eh (mee-leh)
Thank you (very much)
Prego
preh-goh
You're Welcome
Mi dispiace
mee dee-spyah-cheh
Sorry
Scusi / Scusa
skoo-zee / skoo-zah
Excuse me (formal /
informal)
Andiamo!
on-dee-ah-mo
Let's go!
Come sta? / Come stai?
koh-meh stah / koh-meh sty
How are you? (formal /
informal)
Sto bene.
stoh beh-neh
I am fine / well.
Non c'è male.
nohn cheh mah-leh
Not bad.
Abbastanza bene.
Così così.
Sì / No
ah-bah-stahn-tsah beh-neh
Pretty good.
koh-zee koh-zee
So so.
see / noh
Yes / No
Come si chiama?
koh-meh see kee-ah-mah
What's your name? (formal)
Come ti chiami?
koh-meh tee kee-ah-mee
What's your name?
(informal)
Mi chiamo...
mee kee-ah-mo
My name is...
Piacere / Molto lieto.
pee-ah-cheh-reh / mohl-toh
lee-eh-toh
Pleased / Nice to meet you.
Signore, Signora, Signorina
seen-yoh-reh, seen-yoh-rah, seen-yoh-reen-ah
Mister, Misses, Miss
Di dov'è?
dee doh-veh
Where are you from? (formal)
Di dove sei?
dee doh-veh seh-ee
Where are you from?
(informal)
Sono di...
soh-noh dee
I am from...
Quanti anni ha?
kwahn-tee ahn-nee ah
How old are you? (formal)
Quanti anni hai?
kwahn-tee ahn-nee ah-ee
How old are you?
(informal)
Ho venti anni.
oh vehn-tee ahnnee
I am 20 years old.
Parla italiano?
par-lah ee-tahl-ee-ah-no
Do you speak Italian?
(formal)
Parli inglese?
par-lee een-gleh-zeh
Do you speak English?
(informal)
Parlo italiano. /
Non parlo inglese.
par-lo ee-tahl-ee-ahno / non par-lo eengleh-zeh
I speak Italian. / I
don't speak English.
Capisce? / Capisci?
kah-pee-sheh / kah-pee-shee
Do you understand? (formal /
informal)
[Non] capisco.
[non] kah-pees-koh
I [don't] understand.
Non so. / Lo so.
non soh / low soh
I don't know. / I
know.
Può aiutarmi? / Puoi
aiutarmi?
pwoh ah-yoo-tar-mee / pwohee ah-yoo-tar-mee
Can you help me? (formal /
informal)
Certamente /
D'accordo.
cher-tah-mehn-teh / dahkohr-doh
Sure / OK.
Come?
koh-meh?
What? / Pardon
me?
Desidera? / Desideri?
deh-zee-deh-rah / deh-zeedeh-ree
Come si dice "house" in italiano?
koh-meh see dee-cheh "house" een ee-tah-leeah-noh
May I help you? (formal /
informal)
How do you say "house" in Italian?
Dov'è / Dove sono...?
doh-veh / doh-veh soh-noh
Where is / Where are... ?
Ecco / Eccoli...
eh-koh / eh-koh-lee
Here is / Here are...
C'è / Ci sono...
cheh / chee soh-noh
There is / There
are...
Cosa c'è?
koh-zah cheh
What's the matter? / What's
wrong?
Non importa. / Di
niente. / Di nulla.
nohn eem-por-tah / dee
nee-ehn-teh / dee noolah
It doesn't matter.
Non m'importa.
nohn meem-por-tah
I don't care.
Non ti preoccupare.
nohn tee preh-ohk-koo-pahreh
Don't worry. (informal)
Ho dimenticato.
oh dee-men-tee-kah-toh
I forgot.
Devo andare
adesso.
deh-voh ahn-dahreh ah-des-soh
I have to go now.
Ho fame. / Ho sete.
oh fah-meh / oh seh-teh
I'm hungry. / I'm thirsty.
Ho freddo. / Ho caldo.
oh freh-doh / oh kal-doh
I'm cold. / I'm hot.
Mi annoio.
mee ahn-noh-ee-oh
I'm bored.
Salute!
sah-loo-teh
Bless you!
Congratulazioni!
kohn-grah-tsoo-lah-tseeoh-nee
Congratulations!
Benvenuti!
behn-veh-noo-tee
Welcome!
Buona fortuna!
bwoh-nah for-too-nah
Good luck!
Tocca a me! / Tocca a
te!
tohk-kah ah meh / tohkkah ah teh
It's my turn! / It's your
turn! (informal)
Ti amo.
tee ah-moh
I love you. (informal)
È pazzo! / Sei pazzo!
eh pats-soh / seh-ee patssoh
You're crazy! (formal /
informal)
Sta zitto! / Stai zitto!
stah tseet-toh / sty tseettoh
Be quiet / Shut up!
(formal / informal)
Va bene!
vah beh-neh
OK!
Notice that Italian has informal and formal ways of saying things. This is because
there is more than one meaning to "you" in Italian (as well as in many other
languages.) The informal you is used when talking to close friends, relatives,
animals or children. The formal you is used when talking to someone you just
met, do not know well, or someone for whom you would like to show respect (a
professor, for example.) There is also a plural you, used when speaking to more
than one person.
Also, the words pazzo and zitto refer to men. If you are talking to a woman, use
pazza and zitta. If you are talking to more than one person (all men, or a group of
men and women), use pazzi and zitti. If you are talking to more than one person
(all women), use pazze and zitte.
2. Pronunciation / la pronuncia
Italian is a very phonetic language, so pronunciation should be easy. Most words
are pronounced exactly like they are spelled. There are only seven pure vowels,
but several diphthongs and triphthongs. The English samples given are not
pronounced exactly as in Italian because English vowels tend to be
diphthongized (there's an extra yuh or wuh after the actual vowel). Make sure to
only say the pure vowel and not the diphthong when pronouncing Italian.
Italian Vowels
English Pronunciation
[i]
vita
ee as in meet
[e]
vedi
ay as in bait
[ɛ]
era
eh as in bet
[a]
cane
ah as in father
[u]
uva
oo as in boot
[o]
sole
oh as in boat
[ɔ]
modo
aw as in law
Semi-Vowels
[w]
quando, uomo
wuh as in won
[j]
piano, ieri, piove
yuh as in yes
In spelling, the letter e is used to represent both [e] and [ ɛ]; while the letter o is
used to represent both [o] and [ɔ]. If the vowel is stressed, then the pronunciation
is always closed [e] and [o]. If the vowel is not stressed, it is always open [ɛ] and
[ɔ]. This can change according to regional dialects in Italy, of course, but this is
the standard rule. Italian semi-vowels are always written ua, ue, uo, ui for [w]
and ia, ie, io, iu for [j]. If another vowel precedes u or i, then it is a diphthong: ai,
ei, oi, au, eu. The combination iu + another vowel creates a triphthong.
Italian consonant + vowel combinations
c + a, o, u, he,
hi
amica, amico, amiche
k
ah-mee-kah, ah-mee-koh, ahmee-keh
c + ia, io, iu, e,
ch bacio, celebre, cinema
i
bah-cho, cheh-leh-breh, cheeneh-mah
g + a, o, u, he,
g
hi
gara, gusto, spaghetti
gah-rah, goo-stoh, spah-gehtee
g + ia, io, iu, e,
dj
i
Giotto, gelato, magico
djoh-toh, djeh-lah-toh, mahdjee-koh
sc + a, o, u, he,
sk scala, scuola, scheda
hi
skah-lah, skoo-oh-la, skeh-dah
sc + ia, io, iu,
e, i
shar-pah, shoo-pah-toh, shehmoh
sh
sciarpa, sciupato,
scemo
The consonant h is always silent. Double consonants must be pronounced
individually: il nonno (eel nohn-noh) is pronounced differently from il nono (eel
noh-noh).
Stress falls on the second-to-last syllable in Italian. If stress falls on the last
syllable, the vowel is written with an accent mark (la città). However, it is also
possible for the stress to fall on the third-to-last syllable (America, telefono) and
even the fourth-to-last syllable (telefonano) in third person plural verb
conjugations.
3. Alphabet / l'alfabeto
a ah
q koo
b bee
r ehr-reh
c chee
s ehs-seh
d dee
t
e eh
u oo
f
v voo
eff-eh
g zhee
teh
z dzeh-tah
h ahk-kah
i
ee
Foreign Letters
l
ehl-eh
j
ee loon-gah
m ehm-eh k kahp-pah
n ehn-eh
w dohp-pyah voo
o oh
x eeks
p pee
y ee greh-kah (or) eep-see-lohn
4. Articles & Demonstratives / Articoli e dimostrativi
All nouns in Italian have a gender (masculine or feminine) and the articles must
agree with the gender. Masculine words generally end in -o and feminine words
generally end in -a. Words that end in -e may be either, so you will just have to
memorize the gender. Keep in mind that articles are used before nouns or before
an adjective + a noun.
Definite Article - The
Masculine
il
eel
Feminine
sing., before consonants
lo low
sing., before z, gn, ps, or s +
cons.
la lah sing., before consonants
l' l
sing., before vowels
le leh
plural, before consonants
and vowels
l'
l
sing., before vowels
i
ee
plural, before consonants
plural, before vowels, z, gn, or
gli lyee
s + cons.
Indefinite Articles - A, an, some
Masculine
un
oon
before
consonant or vowel
una
oon- before
ah
consonants
uno
oonoh
before z, gn, ps, or s +
consonant
un'
oon
dei
day
before consonants
A, An
Some
Feminine
dehdegli
lyee
dellbefore vowels, z, gn, or delle eh
s + cons.
Demonstratives - This, that, these, and
before vowels
before vowels
and consonants
those
This and these
This
These
Masc. questo questi before a consonant
quest' questi before a vowel
Fem. questa queste before a consonant
quest' queste before a vowel
That and those
That
Masc. quel
quell'
Those
quei
before a consonant
quegli before a vowel
quello quegli
before z, gn, or s +
consonant
Fem. quella quelle before a consonant
quell'
quelle before a vowel
If you use that and those as a subject, use these four forms: quello for masculine
singular, quella for feminine singular, quelli for masculine plural, and quelle for
feminine plural.
5. Subject Pronouns / pronomi personali
io
ee-oh
I
noi
noy
we
tu
too
you (informal singular) voi
voy
you (informal plural)
lui, lei lwee/lay he, she
Lei
lay
you (formal singular)
loro loh-roh they
Loro loh-roh you (formal plural)
The Lei form is generally used for you (singular), instead of tu, unless you're
referring to kids or animals. Loro can also mean you, but only in very polite
situations. If you need to specify an inanimate object as "it" you can use esso
(masculine noun) and essa (feminine noun), but since subject pronouns are not
commonly used in Italian, these words are somewhat rare.
6. To Be & to Have / Essere & avere
Essere - to be
I am
sono soh-noh we are
you are
sei
he/she/it is è
siamo see-ah-moh
say
you are
eh
they are sono
siete
see-eh-teh
soh-noh
You do not have to use the subject pronouns as the different conjugations imply
the subject, but they are included in the recordings.
Past & Future of Essere
I was
ero we were
you were
eri you were eravate
he/she
was
era
they
were
sarò
we will
be
saremo
you will be
sarai
you will
be
sarete
he/she will
be
sarà
they will
be
saranno
eravamo I will be
erano
Avere - to have
I have
ho oh
you have
hai eye you have avete
he/she has ha ah
We have
abbiamo ahb-bee-ah-mo
ah-veh-teh
ahn-noh
they have hanno
Past & Future of Avere
we
had
avevamo I will have
you had avevi
you
had
avevate
you will
have
he/she
had
they
had
avevano
he/she will
they
avrà
have
will have
I had
avevo
aveva
avrò
we will
have
avremo
avrai
you will
have
avrete
avranno
Avere is used with many idioms and expressions that normally use the verb "to
be" in English:
avere fame - to be hungry
avere sete - to be thirsty
avere caldo - to be warm
avere freddo - to be cold
avere fretta - to be in a hurry
avere paura (di) - to be afraid (of)
avere ragione - to be right
avere torto - to be wrong
avere sonno - to be sleepy
avere bisogno di - to need
avere voglia di - to want, to feel like
avere 20 anni - to be 20 years old
7. Useful Words / parole utile
and
e
eh
always
sempre
sehm-preh
or
o
oh
often
spesso
speh-soh
but
ma
mah
sometimes qualche volta
kwal-keh
vohl-tah
not
non
nohn
usually
usualmente
oo-zoo-almehn-teh
while
mentre
mehn-treh
especially
specialmente
speh-chee-almehn-teh
if
se
seh
except
eccetto
eh-cheh-toh
because
perché
pehr-kay
book
il libro
lee-broh
very, a lot
molto
mohl-toh
pencil
la matita
mah-tee-tah
also, too
anche
ahn-keh
pen
la penna
pehn-nah
although
benché
behn-keh
paper
la carta
kar-tah
now
adesso,
ora
ah-deh-so,
dog
oh-rah
il cane
kah-neh
perhaps,
maybe
forse
for-seh
il gatto
gah-toh
then
allora, poi
ahl-loh-rah,
friend (fem) l'amica
poy
ah-mee-kah
there is
c'è
cheh
friend
(masc)
l'amico
ah-mee-koh
there are
ci sono
chee sohnoh
woman
la donna
dohn-nah
there was
c'era
che-rah
man
l'uomo
woh-moh
there were
c'erano
che-rah-no girl
la ragazza
rah-gat-sah
here is
ecco
ehk-koh
il ragazzo
rah-gat-soh
cat
boy
8. Question Words
Who
Chi
kee
Whose
Di chi
dee kee
What
Che cosa
keh koh-sah
Why
Perché
pehr-keh
When
Quando
kwahn-doh
Where
Dove
doh-veh
How
Come
koh-meh
How much
Quanto
kwahn-toh
Which
Quale
kwah-leh
When dove, come, and quale are followed by è (is), dove and come contract to
dov'è and com'è; and quale drops its e to become qual è.
9. cardinal & ordinal Numbers
0
zero
dzeh-roh
1
uno
oo-noh
2
due
doo-eh
3
tre
treh
4
quattro
kwaht-troh
5
cinque
cheen-kweh
6
sei
say
7
sette
seht-teh
8
otto
aw-toh
9
nove
naw-vay
10
dieci
dee-ay-chee
11
undici
oon-dee-chee
12
dodici
doh-dee-chee
13
tredici
treh-dee-chee
14
quattordici
kwaht-tohr-dee-chee
15
quindici
kween-dee-chee
16
sedici
seh-dee-chee
17
diciassette
dee-chahs-seht-teh
18
diciotto
dee-choht-toh
19
diciannove
dee-chahn-noh-veh
20
venti
vehn-tee
21
ventuno
vehn-too-noh
22
ventidue
vehn-tee-doo-eh
23
ventitrè
vehn-tee-treh
30
trenta
trehn-tah
40
quaranta
kwah-rahn-tah
50
cinquanta
cheen-kwahn-tah
60
sessanta
sehs-sahn-tah
70
settanta
seht-tahn-tah
80
ottanta
oh-tahn-tah
90
novanta
noh-vahn-tah
100
cento
chehn-toh
101
centouno
chehn-toh-oo-noh
110
centodieci
chehn-toh-dee-ay-chee
200
duecento
doo-eh-chehn-toh
1,000
mille
mee-leh
2,000
duemila
doo-eh-mee-lah
million un milione
mee-lee-oh-neh
billion
mee-lee-ar-doh
un miliardo
If a number ends in -tre, you need to add an accent: -trè. When you have a word
that ends in a vowel, like venti, and another word that begins with a vowel, like
uno; the first word loses its vowel when putting the two words together. Venti
(20) and uno (1) make ventuno (21). One exception is cento; it does not lose its
vowel. Cento (100) and uno (1) make centouno (101). Notice that cento does
not have a plural form, but mille does (mila). And be aware that Italian switches
the use of commas and decimals.
Ordinal Numbers
first
primo / prima
second
secondo / seconda
third
terzo / terza
fourth
quarto / quarta
fifth
quinto / quinta
sixth
sesto / sesta
seventh
settimo / settima
eighth
ottavo / ottava
ninth
nono / nona
tenth
decimo / decima
eleventh
undicesimo /
undicesima
twentieth
ventesimo / ventesima
hundredth
centesimo / centesima
From eleventh on, just drop the final vowel of the cardinal number and add esimo. For numbers like ventitrè, trentatrè, add -esimo but do not drop the final
e. Ordinal numbers are adjectives and must agree with the nouns they modify; o is the masculine ending, -a is the feminine ending.
10. Days of the Week / Giorni della settimana
Monday
lunedì
loo-neh-dee
Tuesday
martedì
mahr-teh-dee
Wednesday
mercoledì
mehr-koh-leh-dee
Thursday
giovedì
zhoh-veh-dee
Friday
venerdì
veh-nehr-dee
Saturday
sabato
sah-bah-toh
Sunday
domenica
doh-men-ee-kah
yesterday
ieri
yer-ee
day before yesterday
avantieri / l'altroieri (m)
ah-vahn-tyee-ree
last night
ieri sera
yer-ee seh-rah
today
oggi
ohd-jee
tomorrow
domani
doh-mahn-ee
day after tomorrow
dopodomani
doh-poh-doh-mahn-ee
day
il giorno
eel zhor-noh
To say on Mondays, on Tuesdays, etc., use il before lunedì through sabato, and
la before domenica.
11. Months of the Year / mesi dell'anno
January
gennaio
jehn-nah-yoh
February
febbraio
fehb-brah-yoh
March
marzo
mar-tsoh
April
aprile
ah-pree-leh
May
maggio
mahd-joh
June
giugno
joo-nyoh
July
luglio
loo-lyoh
August
agosto
ah-goh-stoh
September
settembre
seht-tehm-breh
October
ottobre
oht-toh-breh
November
novembre
noh-vehm-breh
December
dicembre
dee-chem-breh
week
la settimana
lah sett-ee-mah-nah
month
il mese
eel meh-zeh
year
l'anno
lahn-noh
Days and months are not capitalized. To express the date, use È il (number)
(month). May 5th would be È il 5 (or cinque) maggio. But for the first of the
month, use primo instead of 1 or uno. To express ago, as in two days ago, a
month ago, etc., just add fa afterwards. To express last, as in last Wednesday,
last week, etc., just add scorso (for masculine words) or scorsa (for feminine
words) afterwards.
una settimana fa - a week ago
la settimana scorsa - last week
un mese fa - a month ago
l'anno scorso - last year
12. Seasons / Stagioni
Summer l'estate
leh-stah-teh
Fall
l'autunno
low-toon-noh
Spring
la
primavera
lah pree-mahveh-rah
Winter
l'inverno
leen-vehr-noh
To say in the (season), just use in. In estate is in the summer, in primavera is
in spring. D'estate and d'inverno can also be used instead of in estate or in
inverno.
13. Directions / direzioni
right
destra
left
sinistra
straight
diritto
North
nord
nohrd
South
sud
sood
East
est
est
West
ovest
oh-vest
14. Colors & Shapes / Colori e forme
white
bianco/a
square
il quadrato
yellow
giallo/a
circle
il cerchio
orange
arancione triangle
pink
rosa
rectangle il rettangolo
red
rosso/a
oval
il triangolo
l'ovale
light blue azzurro/a cube
il cubo
dark
blue
blu
sphere
la sfera
green
verde
cylinder
il cilindro
brown
marrone
cone
il cono
grey
grigio/a
octagon l'ottagono
black
nero/a
box
la scatola
Colors are adjectives and must agree with the nouns they modify; -o is the
masculine ending, -a is the feminine ending. For example, rosso is masculine
and rossa is feminine. Color words always go after the noun they describe:
una casa gialla - a yellow house
il cubo rosso - the red cube
15. Time / Il Tempo
What time is
it?
Che ora è? / Che ore
sono?
keh oh-rah eh / keh o-reh sohnoh
At what time? A che ora?
ah keh oh-rah
It's 1:00
È l'una
eh loo-nah
at 1:00
all'una
ahl-loo-nah
(at) noon
(a) mezzogiorno
(ah) med-zoh-zhor-noh
(at) midnight
(a) mezzanotte
(ah) med-zah-noh-teh
2:00
Sono le due
soh-noh leh doo-eh
3:10
Sono le tre e dieci
soh-noh leh treh eh dee-aychee
4:50
Sono le cinque meno
dieci
soh-noh leh cheen-kwah mehnoh dee-ay-chee
8:15
Sono le otto e un quarto
soh-noh leh awt-toh eh oon
kwar-toh
7:45
Sono le otto meno un
quarto
soh-noh leh aw-toh meh-noh un
kwar-toh
1:30
È l'una e mezza
eh loo-nah eh med-zah
6:30
Sono le sei e mezzo
soh-noh leh say-ee eh med-zoh
sharp
in punto
een poon-toh
in the morning di mattina
dee maht-teen-ah
in the
afternoon
dee poh-mehr-ee-zhee-oh
di pomeriggio
in the evening di sera
dee seh-rah
at night
dee noht-teh
di notte
16. Weather / Il tempo atmosferico
What's the weather today? Che tempo fa oggi?
It's nice
Fa bel tempo / È bello
bad
Fa brutto tempo / È brutto
raining
Piove / Sta piovendo
thundering
Tuona
snowing
Nevica / Sta nevicando
hailing
Grandina / Sta grandinando
cold
Fa freddo
cool
Fa fresco
hot
Fa caldo
freezing
Fa un freddo gelido
foggy
C'è nebbia
sunny
C'è sole / È assolato
windy
C'è vento / È ventoso / Fa
vento
cloudy
È nuvoloso
humid
È umido
muggy
È afoso
stormy
È burrascoso
17. Family & Animals / Famiglia e Animali
family
la
famiglia
parents
i genitori father-in-law il suocero
mother
la madre
mother-inlaw
father
il padre
son-in-law
son
il figlio
daughter
la figlia
brother
relatives
i parenti
dog
il cane
cat
il gatto
la suocera
bird
l'uccello
il genero
mouse
il topo
daughter-inla nuora
law
rabbit
il
coniglio
brother-inlaw
horse
il cavallo
il fratello sister-in-law la cognata
cow
la mucca
sister
la sorella stepfather
il patrigno
donkey l'asino
grandfather
il nonno stepmother
la matrigna goat
la capra
grandmother
la nonna step/half
il
la pecora
il cognato
sheep
brother
fratellastro
step/half
sister
la
sorellastra
goose
l'oca
granddaughter/niece la nipote married
sposato
duck
l'anatra
uncle
lo zio
divorced
divorziato
pig
il maiale
aunt
la zia
separated
separato
hen
la gallina
cousin (m)
il cugino single (man) celibe
deer
il cervo
cousin (f)
la cugina
husband
il marito bachelor
lo scapolo
wife
la moglie widow
la vedova
man
l'uomo
il vedovo
woman
la donna godfather
il padrino
boy
il
ragazzo
godmother
la madrina
girl
la
ragazza
twins
i gemelli / le
gemelle
grandson/nephew
il nipote
single
(woman)
widower
nubile
18. To Know People & Facts
Conoscere-to know, be acquainted with
Sapere-to know (facts)
conosco
conosciamo
so
sappiamo
conosci
conoscete
sai
sapete
conosce
conoscono
sa
sanno
Conoscere is used when you know people and places. It is conjugated
regularly. Sapere is used when you know facts. Sapere followed by an infinitive
means to know how.
Io conosco Mario. I know Mario.
Voi conoscete la Francia. You know (have visited) France.
Tu sai nuotare. You know how to swim.
Loro sanno cantare. They know how to sing.
19. Formation of Plural Nouns
If a word is masculine singular, change the last letter to an i. If a word is
feminine singular, change the last letter to an e if it ends in a, or if it ends in e,
change it to an i.
Singular to Plural Nouns
Masculine
-o
-i
-a
-i
-e
-i
Feminine
-a
-e
-e
-i
Words ending in -io can either change the o to i, or just simply drop the o to form
the plural. When the -i of -io is stressed, the plural is -ii; however, most words
ending in -io do not stress the -i, and so their plurals are formed by dropping the
o. Compare: lo zio - gli zii and il figlio - i figli.
Some nouns ending in -co and -go may or may not insert an h before changing
the o to i. There is no general rule for it. All nouns ending in -ca and -ga insert
an h before changing the a to e. Nouns ending in an accented vowel do not
change for the plural. (la città (city) becomes le città) There are some
masculine nouns that end -a, and these nouns change the -a to -i in the plural: il
programma, il poeta, il pianete, il pilota, il poema, il sistema. The plural of
l'uomo (man) is gli uomini, while the plural of la mano (hand) is le mani.
20. Possessive Adjectives
Masc. Sing. Fem. Sing. Masc. Pl.
Fem. Pl.
my
il mio
la mia
i miei (myeh-ee) le mie
your
il tuo
la tua
i tuoi (twoh-ee)
his/her il suo
la sua
i suoi (swoh-ee) le sue
our
il nostro
la nostra
i nostri
le nostre
your
il vostro
la vostra
i vostri
le vostre
their
il loro
la loro
i loro
le loro
le tue
You may leave off the il and la before family relation words in the singular. All
other times, you must use them. Notice that loro does not change.
21. To Do or Make
Fare - to do / make
faccio
fah-cho
facciamo
fah-chah-moh
fai
fah-ee
fate
fah-teh
fa
fah
fanno
fahn-noh
Che cosa fa? What do you do (as a profession)?
Faccio il contabile. I'm an accountant.
Che facoltà fa? What's your major?
Faccio architettura. I'm studying/majoring in architecture.
Idomatic expressions used with fare:
fare una domanda - to ask a question
fare un viaggio - to take a trip
fare un bagno - to take a bath
fare una passeggiata - to take a walk
fare attenzione - to pay attention
fare un piacere - to do a favor
fare una conferenza - to give a lecture
fare il/la (profession) - to be a (profession)
fare (subject) - to study/major in (subject)
22. Work & School
architect
l'architetto
teacher (m)
il maestro
author
l'autore
teacher (f)
la maestra
banker
il banchiere
professor (m)
il professore
waiter
il cameriere
professor (f)
la professoressa
waitress
la cameriera
hair stylist (m)
il parrucchiere
saleswoman
la commessa
hair stylist (f)
la parrucchiera
salesman
il commesso
secretary (m)
il segretario
accountant
il contabile
secretary (f)
la segretaria
doctor (m)
il dottore
soldier
il soldato
doctor (f)
la dottoressa
journalist
il/la giornalista
musician
il/la musicista
office worker (m)
l'impiegato
barber
il barbiere
office worker (f)
l'impiegata
When stating your job or profession, use the verb fare + the definite article:
Faccio il professore. I'm a professor.
biology
la biologia
architecture
l'architettura
chemistry
la chimica
business
il commercio
economics
l'economia
law
la giurisprudenza
philosophy
la filosofia
engineering
l'ingegneria
physics
la fisica
literature
le lettere
geography
la geografia
political science le scienze politiche
foreign
languages
le lingue
straniere
sociology
la sociologia
mathematics
la matematica
astronomy
l'astronomia
medicine
la medicina
dramatic arts
l'arte drammatica
accounting
la ragioneria
computer
science
l'informatica
history
la storia
communication
la scienza della
comunicazioni
psychology
la psicologia
physical
education
l'educazione fisica
When talking about your major or specialization, use the verb fare without the
definite article: Faccio geografia. I study geography.
course, class
department
il corso
la facoltà
subject
la materia
Listen
Read
Repeat
Ascoltate
Leggete
Ripetete
Answer
Rispondete
Write
Scrivete
Open your
books
Aprite i libri.
oral exams
written exams
gli orali
gli scritti
il semestre /
semester / trimester
trimestre
Correct!
Giusto!
Wrong!
Sbagliato!
All together!
Tutti insieme!
Ancora una
One more time.
volta.
How do you
Come si
pronounce...?
pronuncia...?
Come si
How do you write...?
scrive...?
Close your
books
Do the
exercise
Chiudete i libri.
How do you say...?
Fate l'esercizio
What does ... mean?
Attention!
Attenzione!
Repeat, please.
Very good!
Molto bene /
Benissimo!
OK.
Come si dice...?
Cosa vuol
dire...?
Ripeta, per
favore.
Va bene.
23. Prepositions
at, to
a
over / above sopra
in
in
under /
below
sotto
on
su
inside
dentro
from, by
da
around
intorno a
of
di
between
tra
with
con
among
fra
without
senza
near
vicino a
for
per
far
lontano
da
next to
accanto a
before
prima
(di)
behind
dietro
after
dopo (di)
against
contro
in front of davanti a
across
attraverso toward
verso
24. Prepositional Contractions
il
lo
l'
la
i
gli
le
allo
all'
alla
ai
agli
alle
a
at, to al
da
from,
dal dallo dall' dalla dai dagli dalle
by
di
of
del dello dell' della dei degli delle
in
in
nel nello nell' nella nei negli nelle
su
on
con with
sul sullo sull' sulla sui sugli sulle
col collo coll' colla coi cogli colle
The only contractions for con that are still used nowadays are col and coi, but
even these contractions are optional.
→ Usually no article is used with in before words denoting rooms in a house or
buildings in a city.
→ Di is also used when showing possession. Italian does not have the -'s
construction that English uses, so you must say that whatever is possessed is of
the person.
Questo cane è di Marco. This dog is Marco's. / This is Marco's dog. (Literally:
This dog is of Marco.)
25. Countries & Nationalities
Africa
l'Africa
Indonesia
l'Indonesia
African
africano/a
Indonesian
indonesiano/a
Albania
l'Albania
Ireland
l'Irlanda
Albanian
albanese
Irish
irlandese
America
l'America
Israel
l'Israele
American
americano/a
Israeli
israeliano/a
Argentina
l'Argentina
Italy
l'Italia
Argentine
argentino/a
Italian
italiano/a
Asia
l'Asia
Japan
il Giappone
Asian
asiatico/a
Japanese
giapponese
Australia
l'Australia
Latvia
la Lettonia
Australian
australiano/a
Latvian
lettone
Austria
l'Austria
Lithuania
la Lituania
Austrian
austriaco/a
Lithuanian
lituano/a
Belgium
il Belgio
Luxembourg
il Lussemburgo
Belgian
belga
Luxembourger lussemburghese
Bosnia
la Bosnia
Malta
Malta (f)
Bosnian
bosniaco/a
Maltese
maltese
Brazil
il Brasile
Netherlands
i Paesi Bassi /
Olanda
Brazilian
brasiliano/a
Dutch
olandese
Bulgaria
la Bulgaria
New Zealand
la Nuova Zelanda
Bulgarian
bulgaro/a
New Zealander neozelandese
Canada
il Canada
Norway
la Norvegia
Canadian
canadese
Norwegian
norvegese
China
la Cina
Macedonia
la Macedonia
Chinese
cinese
Macedonian
macedone
Croatia
la Croazia
Poland
la Polonia
Croatian
croato/a
Polish
polacco/a
Czech
Republic
la Repubblica
Ceca
Portugal
il Portogallo
Czech
ceco/a
Portuguese
portoghese
Denmark
la Danimarca
Romania
la Romania
Danish
danese
Romanian
romeno/a
Egypt
l'Egitto
Russia
la Russia
Egyptian
egiziano/a
Russian
russo/a
England
l'Inghilterra
Scotland
la Scozia
English
inglese
Scottish
scozzese
Estonia
l'Estonia
Serbia
la Serbia
Estonian
estone
Serbian
serbo/a
Europe
l'Europa
Slovakia
la Slovacchia
European
europeo/a
Slovak
slovacco/a
Finland
la Finlandia
Slovenia
la Slovenia
Finnish
finlandese
Slovene
sloveno/a
France
la Francia
Spain
la Spagna
French
francese
Spanish
spagnolo/a
Germany
la Germania
Sweden
la Svezia
German
tedesco/a
Swedish
svedese
Great Britain
la Gran Bretagna
Switzerland
la Svizzera
British
britannico/a
Swiss
svizzero/a
Greece
la Grecia
Turkey
la Turchia
Greek
greco/a
Turk
turco/a
Hungary
l'Ungheria
Ukraine
l'Ucraina
Hungarian
ungherese
Ukrainian
ucraino/a
Iceland
l'Islanda
United
Kingdom
il Regno Unito
Icelandic
islandese
United States
gli Stati Uniti
India
l'India
Wales
Galles
Indian
indiano/a
Welsh
gallese
If the adjective is referring to a language, it will always be the masculine form. If
the adjective is referring to a woman instead of a man, then the adjectives ending
in -o change to end in -a. The adjectives ending in -e do not change for gender.
Also, the adjective americano usually refers to someone living anywhere in the
American continent, but many people do use it to mean a person from the United
States, instead of statunitense.
When talking about your country of origin, it is more common in Italian to use the
adjective of nationality. For example, instead of saying She is from Denmark, you
would say She is Danish.
26. To and From Places
To
Country (sing) in
From
da (+ contraction)
Country (plural) negli da (+ contraction)
City
a
da
27. To Come and to Go
Venire - to come
Andare - to go
vengo
vehn-goh
veniamo
ven-ee-ah-moh vado
vah-doh andiamo ahn-dee-ah-moh
vieni
vee-en-ee
venite
ven-ee-teh
vai
vah-ee
andate
ahn-dah-teh
viene
vee-en-eh
vengono
ven-goh-noh
va
vah
vanno
vahn-noh
→ To make a verb negative, add non before it: Non vengo a scuola in
macchina. I don't come to school by car.
→ If andare is followed by another infinitive, then a must be used before the
infinitive. Vado a mangiare adesso. I'm going to eat now.
Other verbs conjugated in the same pattern as venire are:
avvenire - to happen, to occur
convenire - to convene
divenire - to become
provenire - to come from, to proceed
sovvenire - to help
svenire - to faint
Tenere (to keep) verbs are conjugated very similarly to venire too, except the voi
form ends in -ete instead of -ite:
appartenere - to belong
contenere - to contain
intrattenere - to entertain
mantenere - to maintain
ottenere - to obtain
ritenere - to retain
sostenere - to sustain, to support
trattenere - to withhold, to detain
28. Conjugating Regular Verbs
To conjugate regular verbs, take off the last three letters (-are, -ere, or -ire) and
add these endings to the stem:
Regular Verb Endings
-are
-ere
1st -ire
2nd -ire
-o -iamo -o -iamo -o -iamo -isco -iamo
-i -ate
-i -ete
-i -ite
-isci
-ite
-a -ano
-e -ono
-e -ono
-isce -iscono
Regular Verbs
-are
1st -ire
parlare
to speak
dormire to sleep
cantare
to sing
partire
to leave
arrivare
to arrive
sentire
to hear
abitare
to live
aprire
to open
amare
to love
offrire
to offer
ascoltare
to listen (to)
servire
to serve
cominciare to begin
domandare to ask
giocare
to play (a game/sport)
guardare
to look (at)/watch
imparare
to learn
insegnare
to teach
lavorare
to work
mangiare
to eat
pensare
to think
studiare
to study
-ere
2nd -ire
scrivere
to write
finire
to finish
vedere
to see
capire
to
understand
credere
to believe
preferire to prefer
conoscere
to know/be
acquainted with
colpire
leggere
to read
costruire to build
mettere
to put
pulire
to clean
perdere
to lose
sparire
to disappear
prendere
to take
to hit
rispondere to answer
scendere
to go down/get off
vendere
to sell
vivere
to live
correre
to run
dipingere
to paint
ricevere
to receive
Sample Regular Verb
Parlare-to speak
parlo
parliamo
parli
parlate
parla
parlano
→ The present tense and the preposition da may be used to describe an action
which began in the past and is still continuing in the present. The present perfect
tense is used in English to convey this same concept.
Da quanto tempo Lei studia l'italiano? How long have you been studying
Italian?
Studio l'italiano da due anni. I've been studying Italian for two years.
→ Proprio can be used to emphasize something and it translates as really or
just.
Ho proprio sonno. I'm really sleepy.
Arrivo dalla banca proprio adesso. I just now got back from the bank.
29. Reflexive Verbs
Reflexive verbs express actions performed by the subject on the subject. These
verbs are conjugated like regular verbs, but a reflexive pronoun precedes the
verb form. This pronoun always agrees with the subject. In the infinitive form,
reflexive verbs have -si attached to them with the final e dropped. Lavare is to
wash, therefore lavarsi is to wash oneself. (Note that some verbs are reflexive
in Italian, but not in English.)
Reflexive Pronouns
mi
ci
ti
vi
si
si
Common reflexive verbs:
to be satisfied with
to fall asleep
to get up
to be bored
to get angry
to be called
to forget to
to graduate (from
college)
addormentarsi to wash up
alzarsi
to put on
annoiarsi
to get organized
to make a
arrabbiarsi
reservation
chiamarsi
to remember to
to make a
dimenticarsi di
mistake
accontentarsi di
to graduate (from
diplomarsi
high school)
to have a good time divertirsi
to shave (the face) farsi la barba /
to feel (well, bad)
to specialize
to get married
laurearsi
lavarsi
mettersi
organizzarsi
prenotarsi
ricordarsi di
sbagliarsi
sentirsi (bene,
male)
specializzarsi
sposarsi
to stop (oneself)
to complain about
radersi
fermarsi
lamentarsi di
to wake up
to get dressed
svegliarsi
vestirsi
Io mi lavo. I wash myself.
Noi ci alziamo presto. We get up early.
Si sveglia alle sette. She wakes up at seven.
The plural reflexive pronouns (ci, vi, si) can also be used with non-reflexive verbs
to indicate a reciprocal action. These verbs are called reciprocal verbs and are
expressed by the words each other in English.
to embrace
to help
to kiss
to understand
to meet
to exchange gifts
to look at
abbracciarsi
aiutarsi
baciarsi
capirsi
conoscersi
farsi regali
guardarsi
to run into
to fall in love with
to greet
to write to
to phone
to see
incontrarsi
innamorarsi
salutarsi
scriversi
telefonarsi
vedersi
Ci scriviamo ogni settimana. We write to each other every week.
Vi vedete spesso? Do you see each other often?
30. Irregularities in Regular Verbs
Verbs ending in -care and -gare add an h before the -i and -iamo endings to
keep the hard sound. Verbs ending in -ciare and -giare do not repeat the i in
front of the -i ending.
cercare - to look for
cominciare - to start
cerco
cerchiamo
comincio
cominciamo
cerchi
cercate
cominci
cominciate
cerca
cercano
comincia
cominciano
31. Present Perfect Tense (Passato Prossimo)
To form this compound tense (something happened, something has happened,
or something did happen), conjugate avere or sometimes essere and add the
past participle. To form the past participle, add these endings to the appropriate
stem of the infinitives:
-are
-ato
-ere
-uto
-ire
-ito
Verbs that can take a direct object are generally conjugated with avere. Verbs
that do not take a direct object (generally verbs of movement) are conjugated
with essere and their past participle must agree in gender and number with the
subject. Avere uses avere as its auxiliary verb, while essere uses essere as its
auxiliary verb. Negative sentences in the present perfect tense are formed by
placing non in front of the auxiliary verb. Common adverbs of time are placed
between avere/essere and the past participle.
Io ho visitato Roma. I visited Rome.
Tu non hai visitato gli Stati Uniti. You didn't visit the United States.
Abbiamo conosciuto due ragazze. We met two girls.
Maria è andata in Italia. Maria went to Italy. (Note the agreement of the past
participle with the subject.)
Ho sempre avuto paura dei cani. I've always been afraid of dogs.
In addition, some verbs take on a different meaning in the present perfect:
conoscere means to meet and sapere means to find out (or to hear).
32. Irregular Past Participles
to turn on
accendere acceso
to put
mettere
to admit
ammettere ammesso
to hide
nascondere nascosto
to hang (up) appendere appeso
to offend
offendere
offeso
to open
aprire
aperto
to offer
offrire
offerto
to drink
bere
bevuto
to lose
perdere
perso /
perduto
to ask
chiedere
chiesto
to permit
permettere permesso
to close
chiudere
chiuso
to cry
piangere
pianto
to grant,
award
concedere concesso
to take
prendere
preso
to conclude
concludere concluso
to promise
promettere promesso
to know
(people)
conoscere conosciuto to suggest
proporre
messo
proposto
to correct
correggere corretto
to laugh
ridere
riso
to decide
decidere
deciso
to solve,
resolve
risolvere
risolto
to disappoint deludere
deluso
to respond,
rispondere risposto
answer
to defend
difendere
difeso
to break
rompere
rotto
to say, tell
dire
detto
to choose
scegliere
scelto
to direct, run dirigere
diretto
to write
scrivere
scritto
to discuss
discutere
discusso
to suffer
soffrire
sofferto
to
distinguish
distinguere distinto
to turn off
spegnere
spento
to destroy
distruggere distrutto
to spend
spendere
speso
to divide
dividere
diviso
to push
spingere
spinto
to exclude
escludere
escluso
to translate tradurre
tradotto
to express
esprimere espresso
to draw,
pull
trarre
tratto
to do
fare
fatto
to kill
uccidere
ucciso
to insist
insistere
insistito
to see
vedere
visto /
veduto
to read
leggere
letto
to win
vincere
vinto
Sample Avere Verb
Avere-to have
ho avuto
abbiamo avuto
hai avuto
avete avuto
ha avuto
hanno avuto
Ho avuto means I have, I have had, or I did have.
33. Essere Verbs
to go
andare
andato
to arrive
arrivare
arrivato
to cost
costare
costato
to depend
dipendere
dipeso
to enter
entrare
entrato
to exist
esistere
esistito
to be
essere
stato
to arrive / to succeed
giungere
giunto
to die
morire
morto
to be born
nascere
nato
leave
partire
partito
to be pleasing [to like]
piacere
piaciuto
to remain, stay
rimanere
rimasto
to disappear
sparire
sparito
to stay, be
stare
stato
to happen
succedere
successo
to come back/return
tornare
tornato
to go out
uscire
uscito
to come
venire
venuto
These verbs that are conjugated with essere must agree with the subject.
Irregular past participles are in blue. There are also a few verbs with irregular
past participles that use essere as an auxiliary when they are intransitive (no
direct object), but avere when they are transitive (with a direct object):
to run
correre
corso
to grow, increase
crescere
cresciuto
to explode
esplodere
esploso
to move
muovere
mosso
to descend, go down
scendere
sceso
to live (be alive)
vivere
vissuto
Sample Essere Verb
Andare-to go
sono andato/a
siamo andati/e
sei andato/a
siete andati/e
è andato/a
sono andati/e
Sono andato can mean I went, I was going, or I did go. Remember that -o is
masculine and -a is feminine. The -i ending indicates all males or males and
females; whereas the -e ending indicates only females.
34. Food & Meals
breakfast la colazione
bread
il pane
lunch
il pranzo
butter
il burro
snack
la merenda
salt
il sale
dinner
la cena
pepper
il pepe
fork
la forchetta
lemon
il limone
spoon
il cucchiaio
honey
il miele
knife
il coltello
sugar
lo zucchero
plate
il piatto
jam
la marmellata
napkin
la salvietta / il tovagliolo yogurt
lo yogurt
cup
la tazza
cheese
il formaggio
glass
il bicchiere
soup
la minestra / la zuppa
bottle
la bottiglia
rice
il riso
ice
il ghiaccio
salad
l'insalata
dessert
il dolce
french fries
le patatine fritte
ice cream il gelato
peanuts
le noccioline
milk
il latte
olives
le olive
water
l'acqua (minerale)
potato chips
la patatine
soft drink la bibita
cocktail snacks i salatini
juice
sandwich
il tramezzino
chocolate la cioccolata
roll
il panino
wine
il vino
meat
la carne
cream
la panna
steak
la bistecca
pastries
le paste
chicken
il pollo
cake
la torta
fish
il pesce
coffee
il caffè
ham
il prosciutto
egg
l'uovo
il succo
(iced) tea il tè (freddo)
La merenda refers to the snack that children have around 10 or 11 AM while at
school, but it can also mean afternoon snack. You can also use uno spuntino to
refer to a snack in general.
35. Piacere & Servire
Piacere - to like and Servire - to need
piaccio
piacciamo
servo
serviamo
piaci
piacete
servi
servite
piace
piacciono
serve
servono
Piacere (a) literally means "to be pleasing," so to form a sentence you have to
invert the word order. You must also use the prepositional contractions with a.
Maria piace a Giovanni. John likes Mary. (Literally: Mary is pleasing to John)
Gli studenti piacciono ai professori. The teachers like the students. (Literally:
The students are pleasing to the teachers).
The most common forms are the third person singular and plural when used with
object pronouns. The object pronouns that are used with these two verbs are
somewhat similar to the reflexive pronouns:
mi
I (to me)
ci we (to us)
ti
you (to you)
vi you (to you)
gli /
le
he / she (to him /
they (to
gli
her)
them)
So to say I like something, use Mi piace if it is singular and Mi piacciono if it is
plural. Piaciuto is the past participle and it is used with essere. However, it
always agrees with the subject (what is liked) instead of the person.
Mi piace cucinare. I like to cook.
Mi piacciono i treni. I like trains.
Mi è piaciuta la bistecca. I liked the steak.
Non mi sono piaciuti gli spaghetti. I didn't like the spaghetti.
Servire has the same construction as piacere. It is also used primarily in the
third person singular and plural forms and takes an indirect object.
Ti servono della frutta? Do you need any fruit? (Literally: By you is needed
some fruit?)
Il pane serve a Marco. Marco needs the bread. (Literally: The bread is needed
by Marco.)
Mancare can be used in the same way as piacere and servire to mean to miss
or to lack. If used in the regular way, it means to be missing or absent.
Mi manchi. I miss you. (Literally: To me, you are missing.)
Chi manca? Who is missing?
36. Fruits, Vegetables & Meats
fruit
la frutta
cucumber
il cetriolo
apricot
l'albicocca
onion
la cipolla
pineapple
l'ananas
bean
il fagiolo
watermelon
l'anguria (il
cocomero)
mushroom
il fungo
orange
l'arancia
lettuce
la lattuga
banana
la banana
eggplant
la melanzana
cherry
la ciliegia
olive
l'oliva
strawberry
la fragola
potato
la patata
raspberry
il lampone
tomato
il pomodoro
lime
la limetta
celery
il sedano
lemon
il limone
spinach
gli spinaci
apple
la mela
zucchini
gli zucchini
pear
la pera
meat
la carne
peach
la pesca
lamb
l'agnello
plum
la prugna (la
susina)
goat
il capretto
grape
l'uva
rabbit
il coniglio
melon
il melone
liver
il fegato
vegetables
i legumi / le
verdure
pork
il maiale
broccoli
i broccoli
beef
il manzo
carrot
la carota
bacon
la pancetta
cauliflower
il cavolfiore
ham
il prosciutto
cabbage
il cavolo
veal
il vitello
37. To Take, Eat or Drink
Prendere - to take, eat or drink and Bere
- to drink
prendo
prendiamo
bevo
beviamo
prendi
prendete
bevi
bevete
prende
prendono
beve
bevono
Past participle:
bevuto
Past participle: preso
You must express some in Italian even though we leave it out in English. Use
the proper di contractions or you can use un po' di, which literally means a little
bit.
Bere is only used to mean to drink when it is used in the general sense, as is
mangiare - to eat.
38. Commands
-are
-ere
-ire
tu form (sing. fam.)
-a
-i
-i/-isci
Lei form (sing. pol.)
-i
-a
-a/-isca
voi form (pol. pl.)
-ate
-ete
-ite
noi form (Let's ...)
-iamo
-iamo
-iamo
To make a command negative, add non before the command, except for the
singular familiar commands, when you use non and the infinitive.
Irregular Commands
venire
fare
dare
dire
essere avere
stare
(to be,
stay)
sing.
va'
fam.
vieni
fa'
da'
di'
sii
abbi
sta'
sing.
vada
pol.
venga
faccia
dia
dica
sia
abbia
stia
plural andate
venite
fate
date
dite
siate
abbiate state
andare
Let's andiamo veniamo facciamo diamo diciamo siamo abbiamo stiamo
39. More Negatives
non...mai
never
non...più
no longer, no more
non...niente
nothing
non...nessuno
nobody
non...neanche
not even
non...nè...nè
neither...nor
The non goes before the verb and the second part goes after.
Non ho niente. I have nothing.
40. Holiday Phrases
Buon Anno!
Happy New Year!
Buona Pasqua!
Happy Easter!
Buon compleanno! Happy Birthday!
Buon Natale!
Merry Christmas!
Buone feste!
Happy Holidays!
Buona vacanza!
Have a good
vacation!
Buon divertimento!
Have a good
time!
Buon viaggio!
Have a good trip!
Tanti auguri!
Best wishes!
Babbo Natale is Santa Claus and il panettone or il pandoro are the traditional
cakes eaten at Christmas. For Easter, the traditional cake is called la colomba.
The Italian National Anthem: Inno di Mameli
by Goffredo Mameli
Fratelli d'Italia, l'Italia s'è desta,
Dell'elmo di Scipio s'è cinta la testa.
Dov'è la Vittoria? Le porga la chioma,
Ché schiava di Roma Iddio la creò.
Stringiamci a coorte, siam pronti alla morte,
siam pronti alla morte, l'Italia chiamò. Sì!
Italian brothers, Italy has arisen,
Has put on the helmet of Scipio,
Where is victory?
Created by God
The slave of Rome,
She crowns you with glory.
Let us unite,
We are ready to die,
Italy calls.
41. To Be/Stay and to Give
Stare - to be/stay
Dare - to give
sto
stiamo
do
diamo
stai
state
dai
date
sta
stanno
dà
danno
Past participle: stato
Past participle: dato
Stare means to be when used in progressive tense. If you use it with a present
participle, it translates to something is happening, not something happens as with
the present indicative. Stare is also used in many health expressions, such as
Come stai? How are you? Sto bene. I'm fine.
Stare per plus an infinitive means "to be about to" do something. Stavo per
uscire. I was about to go out. Stiamo per mangiare. We're about to eat.
And dare un esame means to take an exam rather than to give an exam.
42. Gerunds
Gerunds are formed by dropping the ending of the infinitive, and adding the
following endings to the stem:
Gerunds
-are -ando
-ere -endo
-ire -endo
To express a progressive or continuous action, conjugate stare and add the
gerund. Sto parlando italiano is I am speaking Italian. (As opposed to Parlo
italiano I speak Italian.) There are only a few irregular gerunds: fare-facendo
(doing), dare-dando (giving), dire-dicendo (say/telling), and bere-bevendo
(drinking).
Che cosa stai facendo? What are you doing?
Dove stanno andando? Where are they going?
43. Imperfect Tense
The imperfect tense is also called the past descriptive tense and corresponds to
was doing or used to do in English. The imperfect is used to describe a continued
or habitual action in the past, or to describe an action that was occurring in the
past, while something else happened. Time, age, weather conditions as well as
mental and physical conditions are all expressed in the imperfect rather than the
passato prossimo tense.
The imperfect in Italian has the same ending for all three verb groups. It is
formed by dropping the -re of the infinitive and adding the following endings:
-vo -vamo
-vi -vate
-va -vano
Avere is regular in the imperfect, but essere, bere, dire and fare are irregular.
The stem of essere becomes er- for io, tu, lui/lei and loro, and it does not take
the v, while the stem for noi and voi is era- and it does take the v. The stems for
bere, dire and fare are derived from the old Latin infinitives, and are beve-, dice-,
and face- and they take the regular endings of the imperfect.
essere
bere
dire
fare
ero eravamo bevevo bevevamo dicevo dicevamo facevo facevamo
eri eravate bevevi bevevate dicevi dicevate facevi facevate
era erano
beveva bevevano diceva dicevano faceva facevano
Avevo fame. I was hungry.
Era tardi. It was late.
Non diceva niente. He wasn't saying anything.
Aspettavamo in fila. We were waiting in line.
Prendevo sempre l'autobus. I always take the bus.
44. Places / Around Town
airport
l'aeroporto
lane (town)
il vicolo
bakery
la panetteria / il panificio library
la biblioteca
bank
la banca
market
il mercato
bar
il bar
ministry
il ministero
barn
il granaio
monument
il monumento
barracks
la caserma
museum
il museo
bench
la panchina
palace
il palazzo
bridge
il ponte
park
il parco
bookstore
la libreria
path
il sentiero
building
l'edificio
pavement
il marciapiede
butcher's
la macelleria
pharmacy
la farmacia
cafe
il caffé
pier
il molo
castle
il castello
police station
la questura
cathedral
il duomo
post office
l'ufficio postale
cemetery
il cimitero
port
il porto
church
la chiesa
prison
la prigione
cinema
il cinema
restaurant
il ristorante
consulate
il consolato
road (highway) il cammino / la via
corner
l'angolo
school
la scuola
courtyard
il cortile
sidewalk
il marciapiede
crosswalk
il passaggio pedonale
square
la piazza
dock
il bacino
stable
la stalla
dry cleaner's la tintoria
stadium
lo stadio
embassy
l'ambasciata
station
la stazione
factory
la fabbrica
store
il negozio
farm
la fattoria
street
la strada
fire hydrant
l'idrante
suburb
il sobborgo
fountain
la fontana
theater
il teatro
garage
il garage
tower
la torre
grocery store la drogheria
town / city
la città
hospital
l'ospedale (m)
town hall
il municipio
hotel
l'albergo (m)
traffic light
il semaforo
house
la casa
university
l'università (f)
hut
la capanna
village
il villaggio
inn
l'osteria
zoo
lo zoo
Although in is one of the prepositions that forms contractions with the following
articles, the article is not used with words denoting rooms in a house. Dormiamo
in camera e mangiamo in sala da pranzo. We sleep in the bedroom and we
eat in the dining room.
45. Transportation
bus
l'autobus
automobile l'automobile
car
la macchina
train
il treno
ship
la nave
airplane
l'aeroplano
boat
la barca
bicycle
la bicicletta
motorcycle la motocicletta
on foot
a piedi
Note: To say by bus, car, etc., use in and leave off the il, la, and l'.
46. To Want, to Be Able to, to Have to
volere-to want
potere-to be able to, can
dovere-to have to, must
voglio
vogliamo
posso
possiamo
devo (debbo)
dobbiamo
vuoi
volete
puoi
potete
devi
dovete
vuole
vogliono
può
possono
deve
devono (debbono)
Past participle: voluto
Past participle: potuto
Past participle: dovuto
47. Asking Questions
The easiest way to ask a question is to simply add a question mark to the end of
the statement.
You can also put the subject at the end of the sentence. Il ragazzo mangia la
pizza becomes Mangia la pizza, il ragazzo? Is the boy eating the pizza?
Or add non è vero to the end of the statement. This literally translates as "it is
not true", and can have several meanings in English, such as isn't it/he/she,
aren't you/they, doesn't it/he/she, don't you/they, etc. Sei una studentessa, non
è vero? You're a student, aren't you?
Or, if you're speaking to a Sardinian, you can put the verb at the end of the
sentence. Parla francese? can become Francese parla? Does he/she speak
French?
48. House & Furniture
alarm clock
la sveglia
hook
l'uncino
armchair
la poltrona
house
la casa
ashtray
il portacenere
iron (flat)
il ferro da stiro
attic
la soffitta
kerosene
il petrolio
balcony
il balcone
key
la chiave
basement
il sottosuolo
kitchen
la cucina
basket
la cesta
ladder
la scala
bathroom
il bagno
lamp
la lampada
bathtub
la vasca da bagno
lawn
il prato
batteries
le pile
light bulb
la lampadina
bed
il letto
living room
il soggiorno
bedroom
la camera
lock
la serratura
bell (door)
il campanello
mailbox
la cassetta postale
blanket
la coperta
matches
i fiammiferi
blinds
la persiana
mattress
il materasso
bookcase
la libreria
microwave oven il forno microonde
box
la scatola
mirror
lo specchio
broom
la scopa
oven
il fornello
bucket
il secchio
pantry
la dispensa
camcorder
la telecamera
picture
il quadro
camera
la macchina fotografica pillow
il cuscino
candle
la candela
pipe
la pipa
carpet
il tappeto
pipe (water)
il condotto
cassette
la cassetta
poker
l'attizzatoio
CD player
il lettore CD
radio
la radio
ceiling
il soffito
record
il disco
chair
la sedia
refrigerator
il frigorifero
chimney
il camino
roof
il tetto
cigar
il sigaro
room
la stanza
cigarette
la sigaretta
rug
il tappeto
clock
l'orologio
sheet
il lenzuolo
closet
l'armadio
shelf
lo scaffale
compact disc
il compact disc
shovel
la pala
computer
il computer
shower
la doccia
corner
l'angolo
sideboard
la credenza
cupboard
l'armadio
sink
l'acquaio
curtain
la cortina / tenda
sink (bathroom) il lavandino
cushion
il cuscino
sitting room
il salotto
desk
la scrivania
smoke
il fumo
dining room
la sala da pranzo
sofa
il sofà
door
la porta
stairs
la scala
drawer
il cassetto
steps
lo scalino
dresser
il comò / il cassettone
story
il piano
driveway
il viale d'accesso
stove
la stufa
DVD player
il lettore DVD
study
lo studio
fence
lo steccato
switch
l'interruttore
film
il rullino
table
la tavola
fire
il fuoco
tap (faucet)
il rubinetto
flame
la fiamma
telephone
il telefono
flashlight
la pila tascabile
television
il televisore
flat / apartment l'appartamento
toaster
il tostapane
floor
il pavimento
toilet (WC)
il gabinetto
floor (levels)
il piano
towel
la salvietta
flower
il fiore
vacuum cleaner l'aspiratore (m)
freezer
il congelatore
vase
il vaso
front walk
la passeggiata
VCR
il videoregistratore
furniture
i mobili
wall (house)
il muro
garage
il garage
wall (room)
la parete
garden
il giardino
wastebasket
il cestino
ground floor
il pianterreno
window
la finestra
hearth
il caminetto
yard
il giardino
Just like the rooms of a house, words denoting buildings in a city do not use the
article after in. Sono in ufficio, non in biblioteca. I'm in the office, not in the
library.
49. Comparative and Superlative
Comparisons are expressed as follows:
più... di / che
meno... di / che
così... come
tanto... quanto
more... than
less... than
as... as
as... as
Più and meno can be used with di or che. Di is used when comparing two
different things, while che is used when the comparison is between two qualities
of the same thing.
Le ciliege sono più buone delle fragole. Cherries are better than strawberries.
La mela è più verde che rossa. The apple is more green than red.
Franco è così alto come me. Frank is as tall as me.
The Relative Superlative compares two or more things and expresses the
greatest or the least degree. It is formed by placing the article before the
comparative form of the adjective, or in front of the noun. And instead of the
preposition in, di (and its contractions), is always used with the superlative.
Le mele sono la frutta meno costosa del mondo. Apples are the least
expensive fruit in the world.
L'oro è il più prezioso dei metalli. Gold is the most precious metal.
Questo è il palazzo più alto di Napoli. This is the tallest building in Naples.
The Absolute Superlative expresses an extreme degree or absolute state of
something without comparison. This can be expressed in several ways in Italian.
Drop the last vowel of the adjective and add -issimo, -issima, -issimi, or -issime.
Le fragole sono dolcissime. Strawberries are very sweet.
Place the words molto, troppo, or assai before the adjective.
Questa arancia è molto buona. This orange is very good.
Repeat the adjective or adverb.
Lei parla piano piano. She speaks very softly.
50. Irregular Forms
Some adverbs have irregular comparative, relative superlative, and absolute
superlative forms. The most common are:
Adverb
Comparative Relative Superlative Absolute Superlative
bene
male
molto
poco
well
badly
much
little
meglio
peggio
più
meno
better
worse
more
less
(il) meglio
(il) peggio
(il) più
(il) meno
(the) best
(the) worst
(the) most
(the) least
benissimo
pessimo
moltissimo
pochissimo
very well
very badly
very much
very little
51. Clothing & Toiletries
apron
il grembiale
silk
la seta
barrette
il fermaglio
skirt
la gonna
bathrobe
l'accappatoio
sleeve
la manica
belt
la cintura
slippers
la pantofola
blouse
la camicetta
soap
il sapone
boot
lo stivale
sock
il calzino
bra
il reggiseno
stocking
la calza
bracelet
il braccialetto
suit
l'abito / il vestito
brush
la spazzola per
capelli
sunglasses
gli occhiali da sole
buckle
la fibbia
suspenders
le bretelle
button
il bottone
sweater
il maglione
cap
il berretto
swimsuit
il costume da bagno
clothes
gli abiti
thread
il filo
coat
il cappotto
tie
la cravatta
collar
il colletto
T-shirt
la maglietta
comb
il pettine
umbrella
l'ombrello
contact lens le lenti a contatto
underwear
le mutandine
cotton
il cotone
waistcoat
il panciotto
dress
il vestito
watch
l'orologio
earmuffs
il paraorecchie
wool
la lana
earrings
l'orecchino
toothbrush
lo spazzolino
fashion
la moda
toothpaste
il dentifricio
glasses
gli occhiali
makeup
il trucco
glove
il guanto
lipstick
il rossetto
handbag
la borsa
nail polish
lo smalto per unghie
handkerchief il fazzoletto
nail polish
remover
l'acetone (m)
hat
mascara
il mascara
il cappello
jacket
la giacca
blush
il fard
jeans
jeans
eyeliner
lo spazzolino per
unghie
mittens
le manopole
eyeshadow
l'ombretto
necklace
la collana
foundation
il fondotinta
needle
l'ago
lotion
la lozione
nightgown
la camicia da notte
shampoo
lo sciampo
outfit
il corredo
conditioner
il balsamo
overcoat
il soprabito
shaving cream
la crema da barba
pajamas
il pigiama
razor
il rasoio
pants
i pantaloni
tweezers
le pinzette
pin
lo spillo
nail clippers
le forbicine
pocket
la tasca
nail file
la lima
purse
la borsetta
floss
il filo interdentale
raincoat
l'impermeable
curling iron
il ferro arricciacapelli
ribbon
il nastro
straightening iron la piastra stiracapelli
ring
l'anello
hairspray
la lacca
sandals
i sandali
hairdryer
l'asciugacapelli
scarf
la sciarpa
powder
la polvere
shirt
la maglia
perfume
il profumo
shoe
la scarpa
cologne
la colonia
shoelace
il laccio
suntan lotion
l'emulsione solare
shorts
i pantaloncini
sponge
la spugna
Note: Portare means to wear, but it also means to bring. So use mettersi for to
wear or put on clothing.
52. To Wear
Mettersi-to wear, put on
(clothing)
mi metto
ci mettiamo
ti metti
vi mettete
si mette
si mettono
Past participle: si è messo
Note: You don't use possessive pronouns when referring to parts of the body or
clothing, but you do use the definite article. Mi metto la maglia is I'm wearing
my sweater.
53. Future Tense
The future of regular verbs is formed by dropping the final -e of the infinitive and
adding the following endings. For -are verbs, the a is changed to an e.
-ò -emo
-ai -ete
-à -anno
Verbs ending in -care and -gare add an h after the c and g in the in order to
retain the hard sounds. Verbs ending in -ciare and -giare drop the i from their
stems in the future.
Many verbs use irregular stems in the future tense, but they still use the regular
endings from above:
to be
essere sar-
to remain, stay rimanere
to have
avere
avr-
to drink
to be, stay
stare
to give
rimarr-
bere
berr-
star- to put, place
porre
porr-
dare
dar-
to come
venire
verr-
to make
fare
far-
to translate
tradurre
tradurr-
to go
andare andr- to hold
tenere
terr-
to fall
cadere cadr- to draw, pull
trarre
trarr-
to have to, must dovere dovr- to explain
spiegare
spiegher-
to be able to, can potere potr- to pay
pagare
pagher-
to know (facts)
sapere sapr- to look for
cercare
cercher-
to see
vedere vedr- to forget
dimenticare dimenticher-
to live (be alive)
vivere vivr- to eat
mangiare
to want
volere vorr- to begin
cominciare comincer-
manger-
→ The future tense is commonly used after quando, appena, dopo che, and se
even though the present tense is often used in English. In addition to expressing
the future, this tense in Italian can also express probability; but in English, the
words probably, can or must are used.
Non vedo Maria da molto tempo. Dove sarà? I haven't seen Maria in a long
time. Where could she be?
Sarà ammalata o in vacanza. She must be sick or on vacation.
→ The future perfect is formed with the future of avere or essere plus a past
participle. The translation in English is will have + past participle.
Alle sei, avremo già mangiato. By six, we will have eaten already.
54. Preceding Adjectives
Only a few adjectives go before the noun, the rest are placed right after it. Bellobeautiful, buono-good, grande-large, and brutto-ugly are the most common
preceding adjectives, even though they don't have to go before the noun. Bello
and buono have alternate forms when they precede a noun.
Buono e Bello
Singular Plural Before a:
Masculine
buono
buon
buoni
z, s + consonant
vowel or consonant
Feminine
buona
buon'
buone
consonant
vowel
Masculine
bello
bell'
bel
begli
bei
z, s + consonant
vowel
consonant
Feminine
bella
bell'
belle
consonant
vowel
If they go after the noun, then they can be formed in the usual way. The above
forms are only for when they go before the noun. Be aware that grande can
have alternate forms before nouns too. Grande can become gran before
masculine or feminine nouns beginning with a consonant. Or it could contract to
grand' before masculine or feminine nouns beginning with a vowel. But you do
not have to use the alternate forms, whether or not you place the adjective before
or after the noun.
55. Adjectives: Feminine and Plural
Masculine to Feminine and Singular to Plural
Masc. Fem.
-o
-a
-e
-e
Sing. Plural
-o, -e -i
-a
-e
Some adjectives have two forms, others have four. Francese (french) has two:
francese and francesi. Nuovo (new) has four: nuovo, nuova, nuovi, and nuove.
56. More Adjectives
easy
facile
unpleasant antipatico
anxious
ansioso
difficult
difficile
good
buono
angry
arrabbiato
simple
semplice
bad
cattivo
stingy
avaro
complicated
complicato
big/large
grande
calm
calmo
interesting
interessante
small
piccolo
disappointed
deluso
boring
noioso
young
giovane
depressed
depresso
long
lungo
old
vecchio
entertaining
divertente
short
corto / basso intelligent
intelligente
excited
eccitato
correct
giusto
stupid
stupido
enthusiastic
entusiasta
mistaken/wrong
sbagliato
elegant
elegante
generous
generoso
expensive/dear
caro
inelegant
inelegante
kind
gentile
economical/cheap economico
rich
ricco
nervous
nervoso
modern
moderno
poor
povero
good, able
bravo
old/ancient
antico
skinny/thin
magro
worried
preoccupato
open
aperto
fat
grosso / grasso
(un)satisfied
(in)soddisfatto
closed
chiuso
sincere
sincero
alone, lonely
solo
tall
alto
shy
timido
tired
stanco
short
basso
strong
forte
stressed
stressato
(un)happy
(in)felice
gentle/kind gentile
(n)sensitive
(in)sensibile
sad
triste
generous
generoso
serious
serio
nice
simpatico
lazy
pigro
cheerful
allegro
blond
biondo
dark
scuro / bruno
ready, quick
pronto
Note: Pronto also means hello when answering the telephone.
57. Position of Sempre and Anche
The adverb sempre (always) usually follows the verb. Anche (also, too) always
precedes the noun, pronoun or infinitive to which it refers. When it precedes io, it
becomes anch'.
Noi studiamo sempre. We always study.
Vuole anche questo libro. He wants that book, too.
Anch'io devo studiare. I have to study too.
58. Sports
golf
il golf
soccer
il calcio / pallone
volleyball la pallavolo
football
il foot-ball americano
basketball la pallacanestro
baseball
il baseball
bowling
il bowling
swimming il nuoto
tennis
il tennis
bicycling
il ciclismo
boxing
il pugilato
skating
il pattinaggio
skiing
lo sci
car racing l'automobilismo
59. To Play
Giocare-to play
gioco joh-koh giochiamo joh-kee-ah-moh
giochi joh-kee giocate
joh-kah-teh
gioca joh-kah giocano
joh-kahn-oh
Past participle: giocato
Note: Most sports use giocare a (sport) to mean to play a sport. They play
basketball would be Giocano a pallacanestro.
60. Nature & Geography
air
l'aria (f)
rain
la pioggia
archipelago
l'arcipelago (m)
rainbow
l'arcobaleno (m)
bank
la riva
river
il fiume
bay
la baia
rock
lo scoglio
barn
la stalla
root
la radice
beach
la spiaggia
rose
la rosa
branch
il ramo
sand
la sabbia
bridge
il ponte
sea
il mare
bud
il bocciolo
shadow
l'ombra
bush
l'arbusto (m)
sky
il cielo
cape
il capo /
promontorio
snow
la neve
cave
la caverna
soil
il terreno
city
la città
south
il sud
climate
il clima
spring (water)
la sorgente
cloud
la nube / nuvola
star
la stella
coast
la costa
stem
il gambo
comet
la cometa
storm
il temporale
constellation
la costellazione
strait
lo stretto
country
il paese
stream
il ruscello
country(side)
la campagna
street
la strada
current
la corrente
sun
il sole
daffodil
il narciso
sunflower
il girasole
daisy
la margherita
thaw
il disgelo
darkness
l'oscurità (f)
thunder
il tuono
desert
il deserto
tornado
il turbine
dew
la rugiada
tree
l'albero
dust
la polvere
trunk
il tronco
earth
la terra
tulip
il tulipano
east
l'est (m)
valley
la valle
farm
la tenuta
view
la vista
field
il campo
water
l'acqua
flower
il fiore
fresh water
l'acqua dolce
foam
la schiuma
salt water
l'acqua salata
fog
la nebbia
watering can
l'annaffiatoio
foliage
il fogliame
waterfall
la cascata
forest
il bosco / la foresta wave
l'onda (f)
frost
il gelo
weather
il tempo
grass
l'erba (f)
west
l'ovest (m)
gulf
il golfo
wind
il vento
hail
la grandine
world
il mondo
hay
il fieno
high tide
l'alta marea
North Pole
il Polo Nord
hill
la collina
South Pole
il Polo Sud
ice
il ghiaccio
Northern
Hemisphere
l'emisfero
settentrionale
island
I'isola (f)
Soutern
Hemisphere
l'emisfero
meridionale
isthmus
l'istmo (m)
Arctic Circle
il circolo polare
artico
jungle
la giungla
equator
l'equatore (m)
lake
il lago
Arctic Ocean
l'Oceano Artico
leaf
la foglia
Atlantic Ocean
l'Oceano Atlantico
light
la luce
Pacific Ocean
l'Oceano Pacifico
lightning
il fulmine / lampo
Indian Ocean
l'Oceano Indiano
lily
il giglio
Caribbean Sea
il Mar dei Caraibi
low tide
la bassa marea
Mediterranean Sea il Mar Mediterraneo
meadow
il prato
North Sea
il Mare del Nord
moon
la luna
Red Sea
il Mar Rosso
mountain
la montagna
Black Sea
il Mar Nero
mountain
range
la catena
montuosa
mouth (river)
l'imboccatura
Mercury
Mercurio
mud
il fango
Venus
Venere
nature
la natura
Earth
Terra
north
il nord
Mars
Marte
peninsula
la penisola
Jupiter
Giove
plain
il piano / la pianura Saturn
Saturno
planet
il pianeta
Uranus
Uranio
plant
la pianta
Neptune
Nettuno
pond
lo stagno
Pluto
Plutone
pot (for plants) il vaso da fiori
61. Object Pronouns
Subject
Direct
Indirect
Object of Prepositions
io
I
mi me
mi
to me
me
me
tu
you (s.i.)
ti
you
ti
to you
te
you
lui
he/it
lo
him/it
gli
to him/it
lui
him/it
lei
she/it/you (s.p.) la
her/it/you le
to her/it/you lei
her/it/you
noi we
ci
us
ci
to us
noi
us
voi you (p.i.)
vi
you
vi
to you
voi
you
loro they/you (p.p.) li/le them/you loro to them/you loro
them/you
1. S.i. means singular informal, s.p. means singular polite, p.i. means plural
informal, and p.p. means plural polite. For you (s.p.) and you (p.p.) they
are capitalized to set them apart from the other meaning. (Lei instead of
lei and Loro instead of loro.)
2. Direct and Indirect pronouns go directly before the verb, except loro,
which always follows the verb.
3. With infinitives or participles, the pronoun (except loro) follows it and is
written as one word. This also is true of commands, except for Lei or
Loro.
4. When you have more than one pronoun, the indirect comes before the
direct.
5. The i of mi, ti, ci, and vi changes to an e before lo, la, li and le.
6. Gli and le become glie before lo, la, li, and le; and are written as one word
connected with the other pronoun (glielo, gliela, glieli, gliele).
If you use lo, la, li, le; the past participle must agree with them.
Hai mangiato il panino? Did you eat the bun?
Lo ho mangiato.
I ate it.
Hai mangiato la pasta? Did you eat the pastry?
La ho mangiata.
I ate it.
In negative sentences, pronouns go before the entire verb as well, but after the
non.
I haven't eaten it. Non lo ho mangiato.
The following verbs are always used with indirect pronouns or nouns:
to give dare
to
dire
say/tell
to bring
portare
to prepare
preparare
to give (as a
regalare
gift)
to return, give
to lend imprestare
rendere
back
to
insegnare to bring back riportare
teach
to
mandare to answer
rispondere
send
to
mostrare to write
scrivere
show
to
to
offrire
telefonare
offer
call/telephone
to ask domandare
62. Parts of the Body
ankle
la caviglia
mouth
la bocca
arm
il braccio
muscle
il muscolo
artery
l'arteria
nail
l'unghia
back
il dorso
neck
il collo
beard
la barba
nerve
il nervo
belly
il ventre
pain
il dolore
bladder
la vescica
nose
il naso
blood
il sangue
palm
la palma
body
il corpo
pulse
il polso
bone
l'osso
rib
la costola
brain
il cervello
shin / tibia la tibia
breast
il seno
shoulder
la spalla
breath
l'alito
skeleton
lo scheletro
calf
il polpaccio
skin
la pelle
cheek
la guancia
skull
il cranio
chest
il petto
sole
la pianta
chin
il mento
spine
la spina dorsale
coccyx
il coccige
stomach
lo stomaco
cold
il raffreddore
tear
la lacrima
complexion la carnagione
temple
la tempia
cough
la tosse
thigh
la coscia
disease
la malattia
throat
la gola
ear
l'orecchio
thumb
il pollice
elbow
il gomito
toe
il dito del piede
eye
l'occhio
tongue
la lingua
eyebrow
il sopracciglio
tooth
il dente
eyelid
la palpebra
vein
la vena
face
la faccia / il viso wound
la ferita
fever
la febbre
waist
la vita
finger
il dito
wrist
il polso
fist
il pugno
flesh
la carne
see
vedere
foot
il piede
hear
udire
forehead
la fronte
smell
annusare
gum
la gengiva
taste
assaggiare
hair
i capelli
touch
toccare
hand
la mano
head
la testa
enamel
lo smalto
headache
il mal di testa
filling
l'otturazione
health
la salute
crown
la corona
heart
il cuore
gum
la gengiva
heel
il tallone
bone
l'osso
hip
l'anca
root
la radice
intestine
il intestino
nerve
il nervo
jaw
la mascella
iris
l'iride
kidney
il rene
cornea
la cornea
knee
il ginocchio
pupil
la pupilla
leg
la gamba
retina
la retina
lip
il labbro
optic nerve il nervo ottico
liver
il fegato
lens
lung
il polmone
moustache i baffi
la lente
You can use the expressions Ho mal di + body part or Mi fa male + definite
article and the body part to say that something hurts. If the noun is plural, you
have to use mi fanno male instead of mi fa male.
Ho mal di testa. My head hurts. / I have a headache.
Mi fa male il dito. My finger hurts.
Mi fanno male gli occhi. My eyes hurt.
63. Interrogative Pronouns
Most of the question words are invariable (they don't have to agree with the
noun), but quale (which) and quanto (how much/many) must agree. Note that
these words do not require a noun to follow them.
Before singular nouns, quale is used, and before plural nouns, quali is used.
Quale camicetta compri? Which blouse are you buying?
Quali maglioni compri? Which pullovers are you buying?
Quali compri? Which ones are you buying?
Quanto has four forms that follow the regular adjective pattern. Quanto is
masculine singular, quanta is feminine singular, quanti is masculine plural and
quante is feminine plural.
Quanto denaro hai? How much money do you have?
Quante camicette compri? How many blouses are you buying?
Quanto costa? How much does it cost?
64. Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns connect a dependent clause and a main clause together in a
sentence. An antecedent is the noun or pronoun that the relative pronoun refers
back to. The relative pronouns in English are that, what, which, whom, and
whose. The relative pronouns in Italian are che, cui, il quale (and its forms), chi,
quello che, quel che, and ciò che.
When the antecedent is a definite person, animal or thing, che, cui or a form of il
quale is used. Che is invariable and never used with a preposition. Cui is also
invariable, but it is always used with a preposition. Il quale and its forms can be
used with articles or articles plus prepositions. It is mainly used in formal speech,
writing and for clarity, and rarely in casual conversation.
La ragazza che vedi è mia sorella. The girl whom you see is my sister.
Per le pillole di cui hai bisogno ci vuole la ricetta. The pills (of) which you
need require a prescription.
Lei è la sola persona nella quale (or in cui) io abbia fiducia. You are the only
person whom I trust.
È una medicina la quale (or che) non fa male allo stomaco. It's medicine that
doesn't upset your stomach.
When the antecedent is unknown or indefinite, chi is used when referring to
people. It is invariable and means "he/she who," "whoever," "the one who" and
takes a verb in the third person singular form. Quello che, quel che, and ciò che
are all invariable and interchangeable. They refer to things only and mean
"what" or "that which."
Chi sta bene non va dal dottore. He who feels well doesn't go to the doctor.
Chi trova un amico, trova un tesoro. One who finds a friend, finds a treasure.
Non capisco quello che dice. I don't understand what he's saying.
Ciò che scrivi è sbagliato. What you're writing is wrong.
65. To Read, to Say/Tell, to Go Out, to Laugh
leggere - to read
dire - to say/tell
uscire - to go out
ridere - to laugh
leggo
leggiamo dico
diciamo
esco
usciamo
rido ridiamo
leggi
leggete
dici
dite
esci
uscite
ridi ridete
legge
leggono
dice
dicono
esce
escono
ride ridono
Past participle: letto
Past participle: detto
Past participle: uscito
Past participle: riso
66. Disjunctive Pronouns
Disjunctive pronouns are used independently of the verb. They are the pronouns
which follow prepositions, or show emphasis. They can also be found in
exclamations.
me
noi
te
voi
lui / lei loro
Vengo con te. I'll come with you.
Amo te, non lui. I love you, not him.
Fortunati voi! Lucky you!
67. Ci and Ne
Ci (there, it, about it, of it) and ne (some, of them, of it) are both pronouns that go
before the verb and they replace prepositional phrases. Ci will replace phrases
that begin with in, on, to, at, under, etc. and ne will replace phrases that begin
with some or a number.
Example Sentences
I live in Paris.
Vivo a Parigi.
I live there.
Ci vivo.
I have some apples.
Ho delle mele.
I have some (of them). Ne ho.
I have five sisters.
Ho cinque sorelle.
I have five (of them).
Ne ho cinque.
Quante caramelle hai mangiato? How many candies did you eat?
Ne ho mangiate quattro. I ate four of them.
68. Animals
animal
l'animale (m)
lark
l'allodola
ant
la formica
lion
il leone
antelope
l'antilope (f)
lizard
la lucertola
antenna
l'antenna
lobster (spiny) l'aragosta
antler
le corna
louse
il pidocchio
badger
il tasso
mackerel
lo sgombro
bat
il pipistrello
mole
la talpa
beak
il becco
monkey
la scimmia
bear
l'orso
mosquito
la zanzara
bee
l'ape (f)
moth
la falena
beetle
lo scarabeo
mouse
il topo
bird
l'uccello
mule
il mulo
blackbird
il merlo
mussel
il pidocchio
bull
il toro
nest
il nido
butterfly
la farfalla
nightingale
l'usignolo
calf
il vitello
octopus
il polpo
carp
la carpa
ostrich
lo struzzo
cat
il gatto
owl
il gufo
caterpillar
il bruco
ox
il bue
cheetah
il ghepardo
oyster
l'ostrica
chicken
il pollo
parrot
il pappagallo
chimpanzee lo scimpanzé partridge
la pernice
claw
l'artiglio
la zampa
cockroach
lo scarafaggio penguin
il pinguino
cod
il merluzzo
pig
il porco
cocoon
il bozzolo
pigeon
il piccione
cow
la vacca
pike
il luccio
crab
il granchio
pony
il pony
crayfish
il gambero
rabbit
il coniglio
crocodile
il coccodrillo raccoon
il procione
crow
il corvo
rat
il ratto / il sorcio
deer
il cervo
rooster
il gallo
dog
il cane
salmon
il salmone
donkey
l'asino
scale
la squama
dragonfly
la libellula
scorpion
lo scorpione
duck
l'anitra
sea gull
il gabbiano
eagle
l'aquila
seahorse
il cavalluccio marino
eel
l'anguilla
seal
la foca
egg
l'uovo
shark
lo squalo
elephant
l'elefante (m)
sheep
la pecora
feather
la penna
shrimp
il gamberetto / il gambero
fin
la pinna
skin
la pelle
fish
il pesce
slug
la lumaca
flea
la pulce
snail
la chiocciola
fly
la mosca
snake
il serpente / la biscia
fox
la volpe
sole
la sogliola
frog
il ranocchio
sparrow
il passero
fur
la pelliccia
spider
il ragno
gill
la branchia
squid
il calamaro
giraffe
la giraffa
squirrel
la scoiattolo
goat
la capra
starfish
la stella di mare
paw
goose
l'oca
stork
la cicogna
gorilla
il gorilla
swallow
la rondine
grasshopper la cavalletta
swan
il cigno
hamster
il criceto
tadpole
il girino
hare
la lepre
tail
la coda
hedgehog
il riccio
tiger
la tigre
hen
la gallina
toad
il rospo
heron
l'airone (m)
trout
la trota
herring
l'aringa
tuna
il tonno
hoof
lo zoccolo
turkey
il tacchino
horn
il corno
turtle
la tartaruga
horse
il cavallo
wasp
la vespa
hummingbird il colibrì
weasel
la donnola
iguana
l'iguana
whale
la balena
insect
l'insetto
wing
l'ala
jellyfish
la medusa
wolf
il lupo
kitten
il gattino
worm
il verme
ladybug
la coccinella
zebra
la zebra
lamb
l'agnello
69. Pluperfect Tense
The pluperfect or past perfect tense corresponds to the English "had + past
participle." It indicates an event that happened prior to another event in the past.
It consists of the imperfect of avere or essere (whichever auxiliary verb the main
verb takes in the present perfect tense) and a past participle.
L'avevo già notato. I had already noticed it.
Ero andato ad un suo concerto. I had been to one of his concerts.
Non avevo avuto ancora occasione. I hadn't had the opportunity yet.
Erano già stati a San Remo. They had already been to San Remo.
70. Suffixes
Suffixes may be attached to nouns, adjectives or adverbs. The final vowel of the
word should be dropped before adding the suffixes. The endings -ino, -ina, -ello,
-ella, -etta, -etta, -uccio, and -uccia are diminutives that express smallness. The
endings -one and -ona are augmentatives and express largeness. The endings ino and -uccio also express endearment. The endings -aacio, -accia, -astro, astra, -azzo, and -azza imply ugliness or poor quality.
letter
lettera
small letter letterina
parcel pacco
large parcel paccone
boy
ragazzo bad boy
ragazzaccio
Tesorino mio! My sweetheart!
Amoruccio mio! My sweet love!
71. Adverbs
Most adverbs are formed by adding -mente to the feminine singular form of the
adjective. Adjectives ending in -le or -re drop the final -e before adding -mente, if
the l or r is preceded by a vowel.
Adjective (fem. form)
recente
comoda
finale
regolare
Adverb
recentemente
comodamente
finalmente
regolarmente
recently
comfortably
finally
regularly
Note that the adverbial form of buono (good) is bene, and cattivo (bad) is male.
72. Passive Voice
In passive sentences, the subject receives the action of the verb. In active
sentences, the subject does the action. However, the meaning of both
sentences is the same. The passive form is only possible with transitive verbs
and is much more common in English than in Italian. The passive form consists
of the verb essere plus the past participle of the main verb followed by da (by)
and its contractions. Essere should be in the same tense as the verb in its
corresponding active sentence. The past participle agrees in gender and number
with the subject.
Active
I miei genitori pagano l'affitto.
My parents pay the rent.
Passive L'affitto è pagato dai miei genitori.
The rent is paid by my parents.
I contratti sono firmati dalle ragazze. The contracts are signed by the girls.
La stanza è stata arredata da Carlo. The room was decorated by Carlo.
L'affitto sarà pagato dai miei genitori. The rent will be paid by my parents.
73. The Impersonal "Si"
Si can be used as a reflexive pronoun, but it can also be used as an impersonal
pronoun. It corresponds to "one, you, we, the people in general, or they" in
English and always use the third person form of the verb (either singular or plural
depending on the object).
Qui si vende carta da lettere. We sell writing paper here. / Writing paper is sold
here.
Si vendono anche matite? Do you also sell pencils?
Qui non si parla francese. We don't speak French here. / French is not spoken
here.
74. Post Office and Bank
post office
mailbox
mail carrier
mailbag
price
scale
package
stamp
letter
address
postal worker
newspaper
magazine
la posta
la cassetta delle lettere
il postino
il sacco della posta
il prezzo
la bilancia
il pacchetto
il francobollo
la lettera
l'indirizzo
l'impiegata postale
il giornale
la rivista
bank
file cabinet
guard
safe
safety deposit box
checkbook
credit card
bills
coins
deposit slip
pen
check
bank teller
la banca
lo schedario
il custode
la cassaforte
la cassetta di sicurezza
il libretto degli assegni
la carta di credito
le banconote
le monete
la distinta di versamento
la penna
l'assegno
il cassiere
75. Useful Expressions
Non ne posso più!
Lasciamo perdere!
I can't take it anymore!
Forget about it!
Che bello!
Per forza!
Non è così semplice!
Chissà?
Ti pelano!
Non vedo l'ora di...
Siamo messe male.
Che senso ha?
Magari!
Non ne voglio proprio
sapere!
Fai bene!
Non ce la faccio da
sola!
Meglio ancora!
How nice!
No wonder!
It's not that easy!
Who knows?
They make you pay too
much!
I can't wait to...
We are in bad shape. (not
physically)
What's the point?
I wish!
I really don't want to know
about it!
Good for you!
I can't do it by myself!
Even better!
76. Infinitives followed by Prepositions
The following verbs require a or di when followed by another infinitive, although
the preposition is not always translated into English.
Verb + a + another infinitive
abituarsi
aiutare
andare
cominciare
continuare
convincere
correre
imparare
insegnare
invitare
mandare
passare
pensare
preparare
provare
riuscire
servire
stare
to get used to
to help
to go
to begin
to continue
to convince
to run
to learn
to teach
to invite
to send
to stop by
to think of
to prepare
to try
to succeed
to be good for
to stay, stand
stare attento to be careful
tornare
to return
venire
to come
Verb + di + another infinitive
accettare
aspettare
avere bisogno
avere il piacere
avere intenzione
avere paura
avere voglia
cercare
cessare
chiedere
comandare
credere
decidere
dimenticare
dire
domandare
finire
offrire
pensare
permettere
promettere
ricordare
sapere
smettere
sognare
sperare
tentare
to accept
to wait for
to need
to have the pleasure
to intend
to be afraid
to feel like
to try
to cease
to ask
to command
to believe
to decide
to forget
to say, tell
to ask
to finish
to offer
to plan
to permit
to promise
to remember
to know
to stop, cease
to dream
to hope
to try, attempt
77. The Beach & Farm
beach
island
lighthouse
pier
lifeguard
coconut
seashore
surfboard
sand
lounge chair
la spiaggia
l'isola
il faro
il molo
il bagnino
la noce di cocco
il litorale
la tavoletta da surf
la sabbia
la sedia a sdraio
clam
sand castle
fins
goggles
palm tree
beach towel
oar
rowboat
sea gull
seal
l'ostrica
il castello di sabbia
le pinne
la maschera subacquea
la palma
l'asciugamano
il remo
la barca a remi
il gabbiano
la foca
beach umbrella
picnic
suntan lotion
beach ball
sea shell
seaweed
l'ombrellone
il picnic
la crema abbronzante
il pallone
la conchiglia
l'alga marina
farm
windmill
barn
cottage
hay
corral
stable
barrel
lasso
saddle
stool
hoe
rake
pitchfork
shovel
tractor
silo
loft
chicken coop
farmhouse
sea lion
wave
sailboat
waterskiing
ocean liner
hut
l'otaria
l'onda
la barca a vela
lo sci nautico
la nave
la capanna
la fattoria
il mulino a vento
il granaio
il villino
il fieno
il recinto
la stalla
il barile
il laccio
la sella
lo sgabello
la zappa
il rastrello
il forcone
la pala
il trattore
il silo
il fienile
il pollaio
la cascina
78. Problem Verbs
There are four verbs in Italian that correspond to the verb to leave in English.
Lasciare means to leave a person or thing behind. Partire means to leave, to
depart, to go away on a trip. Uscire means to go out (of a place) or to go out
socially. Andare via means to go away (opposite of to stay.)
There are three verbs that correspond to the verb to tell. Dire means to tell or
say, parlare means to speak or talk, and raccontare means to tell, in the sense
of narrating.
79. Fare Causative
The verb fare can be followed by an infinitive to express the idea of having
someone do something or having something done. If the object is a noun, it
follows the infinitive; but if the object is a pronoun, it precedes the verb fare.
(Unless the object pronoun is loro, then it always follows the infinitive.) Note that
farsi can also be used in a causative construction when one is having something
done to oneself.
Abbiamo fatto fare quella sedia. We had that chair made.
Faccio studiare i ragazzi. I make the boys study.
Li faccio studiare. I make them study.
Mi faccio tagliare i capelli. I'm having my hair cut.
When a causative sentence has two objects, the person being made to do
something becomes the indirect object. In Italian, the indirect object is
introduced by a.
Il maestro fa leggere lo studente. The teacher makes the student read.
Il maestro fa leggere la lettura allo studente. The teacher makes the student
read the passage.
To avoid ambiguity with the indirect object, the preposition da instead of a can be
used. The sentence Abbiamo fatto mandare il pacco a Maria can mean two
things: 1) We had Mary send the package or 2) We had the package sent to
Mary. If the first meaning is intended, then da can replace a.
80. Office & School Supplies
backpack /
bookbag
lo zaino
paper clip
la graffetta
binder / folder
la camicia
pen
la penna
blackboard
la lavagna
pencil
la matita
book
il libro
pencil case
l'astuccio per le
matite
bookcase
la libreria
pencil sharpener
il temperamatite
briefcase
la cartella
periodical
la rivista
cabinet
l'armadietto
ruler
la riga
calculator
la calcolatrice
scissors
i forbici
calendar
il calendario
sender
il mittente
chair
la sedia
sheet of paper
il foglio di carta
chalk
il gessetto
stapler
la spillatrice
crayon
il pastello
text book
il libro di testo
date
la data
typewriter
la macchina da
scrivere
desk
la scrivania
computer
il computer
dictionary
il dizionario
laptop
il portatile / laptop
drawer
il cassetto
monitor
il monitor
envelope
la busta
keyboard
la tastiera
eraser
la gomma
mouse
il mouse
exercise book
Il quaderno
printer
la stampante
globe
il
mappamondo
scanner
lo scanner
glue
la colla
cable
il cavo
ink
l'inchiostro
microphone
il microfono
lamp
la lampada
disk (floppy)
il dischetto
map
la carta
document
il documento
news
le notizie
fax machine
l'apparecchio
newspaper
il giornale
photocopier
la fotocopiatrice
notebook
il quaderno
software
il software
novel
il romanzo
file
il file / il dossier
page
la pagina
USB key /
flashdrive
il pendrive
paper
la carta
external hard drive il hard disk esterni
81. Conditional Tenses
The conditional tense expresses "would" and is used with requests and doubts.
It is also used in hypothetical situations with "if" clauses or with events or actions
that may occur in the future, but probably won't.
To form the present conditional, use the future stem and these endings for the
three types of verbs. (The verbs that have irregular future stems are also
irregular in the conditional tense.)
-ei
-emmo
-esti -este
-ebbe -ebbero
Gli parlerei, ma non è a casa. I would talk to him, but he's not at home.
Prendereste un caffè? Would you like some coffee?
Sarei più contenta. I would be happier.
As in the future tense, verbs ending in -care and -gare add an h after the c or g
for pronunciation. Verbs endings in -ciare and -giare drop the final i in all forms
of the present conditional.
Dovere, potere, and volere all have irregular forms in the present conditional:
dovere
potere
volere
dovrei
dovremmo potrei
potremmo vorrei
vorremmo
dovresti dovreste
potresti potreste
vorresti vorreste
dovrebbe dovrebbero potrebbe potrebbero vorrebbe vorrebbero
The past conditional expresses the same basic idea as the present conditional.
It is used to express unfulfilled requests, situations that did not occur, or events
which had the possibility to fulfill themselves, but didn't. It is formed by using the
present conditional of avere or essere and the past participle of the main verb.
One difference between English and Italian usage of the past conditional is that
when expressing a future action from the viewpoint of the past, Italian uses the
past conditional whereas English uses the present conditional.
Ha detto che sarebbe venuto. He said that he would come.
82. Parts of a Car / Gas Station
gas pump
la pompa di benzina
gas cap
gas can
trunk
roof
seat
door
tire
license plate
bumper
headlight
hood
windshield wiper
steering wheel
oil can
radiator
battery
jumper cables
screwdriver
hammer
wrench
nut
screw
wheel
tires
air pump
flat tire
il coperchio del serbatoio
il bidone per la benzina
il bagagliaio
il tetto
il sedile
lo sportello
la gomma
la targa
il paraurti
il fanale
il cofano
il tergicristallo
il volante
l'oliatore
il radiatore
la batteria
i cavi per l'avviamento
il cacciavite
il martello
la chiave inglese
il dado
la vite
la ruota
le gomme
la pompa pneumatica
la gomma a terra
83. To Drive & to Translate
condurre - to drive
tradurre - to translate
conduco conduciamo
conduci conducete
conduce conducono
traducco traduciamo
traduci traducete
traduce traducono
Past participle:
condotto
Past participle: tradotto
84. Travelling / Airport
Where is...
Dov'è...
doh-veh
the bank?
la banca?
lah bahn-kah
the bathroom?
la toilette?
lah twah-let-tah
an automatic cash
machine?
un bancomat?
oon bahn-koh-maht
the car rental?
l'autonoleggio?
low-toh-no-led-joh
the taxi stand?
il posteggio dei taxi? eel poh-stehd-joh day taks-see
the phone?
il telefono?
eel teh-leh-foh-noh
the ticket office?
la biglietteria?
lah bee-lyeht-teh-ree-ah
the train station?
la stazione?
lah stah-zee-oh-neh
the bus stop?
la fermata
dell'autobus?
la fair-mah-tah dell ow-tohboos
the subway?
la metropolitana?
lah meh-tro-poh-lee-tah-nah
the airport?
l'aeroporto?
lah-eh-roh-por-toh
the currency exchange? l'ufficio cambio?
loo-fee-choh kahm-byoh
the information booth?
l'ufficio informazioni?
loo-fee-choh een-for-mahtzee-ohn-ee
the lost baggage office?
l'ufficio oggetti
smarriti?
loo-fee-choh ohd-jeht-tee
smahr-ree-tee
the entrance?
l'entrata?
lehn-trah-tah
the exit?
l'uscita?
loo-shee-tah
ticket
il biglietto
flight
il volo
reservation
la prenotazione
round-trip ticket il biglietto di andata e ritorno
smoking
fumatori
non smoking
non fumatori
baggage
il bagaglio
suitcase
la valigia
passport
il passaporto
gate
l'uscita
boarding pass la carta d'imbarco
Euro
euro
Lira
lire
85. Location & Direction
above
sopra
here
qui / qua
abroad
all'estero
in
in
across from
di fronte a
in front of
davanti a
against
contro
in the middle of in mezzo a
along
lungo
inside
dentro
among
tra / fra
near
vicino a
anywhere /
wherever
dovunque
next to / beside accanto a
around
intorno a
nowhere
in nessun
at / to
a
of
di
at home
in casa
on
su
at the end of
in fondo a
on the left
a sinistra
at the top of
in cima a
on the right
a destra
backward
indietro
on top
sopra
behind
dietro
outside
fuori
below / downstairs
giù / abbasso
over
sopra
between
tra / fra
over there
collà, laggiù
beyond
oltre
since / for
da
by
per
somewhere
in qualche
luogo
down there
laggiù
straight
sempre diritto
downward
in giù
there
lì, là
elsewhere
altrove
through /
across
attraverso / per
everywhere
dappertutto /
dovunque
towards
verso
except
tranne
under
sotto
far (from)
lontano da
underneath
disotto
for
per
until
fino a
forward
avanti
up / upstairs
sopra
from
da
upward
insù
86. Use of the Infinitive
The infinitive can be used after certain prepositions, such as per, prima di and
senza; whereas in English, the gerund form is usually used.
Siamo pronti per uscire. We are ready to go out.
Prima di partire. Before leaving.
Senza dire niente. Without saying anything.
The past infinitive may be used after senza and dopo. It is formed with the
auxiliaries essere or avere and the past participle of the verb. The final -e of the
auxiliary verb is commonly dropped.
Sono venuti senza aver telefonato. They came without having telephoned.
È ritornata dopo aver comprato i biglietti. She returned after having bought
the tickets.
The infinitive may also function as a noun. In this case, the English translation is
also the gerund form.
Viaggiare stanca. Travelling is tiring.
Letting, seeing or hearing someone do something is expressed by the forms of
lasciare, vedere and sentire plus the infinitive.
Ho sentito cantare Teresa. I heard Teresa singing.
Ho veduto dormire i bambini. I saw the children sleeping.
87. Subjunctive Mood: Present & Present Perfect
The Subjunctive mood expresses doubt, uncertainty, hope, fear, possibility,
opinions, etc. and is used much more frequently in Italian. It is mainly used in
dependent clauses (sentences introduced by a conjunction that do not have a
complete meaning) that are introduced by che.
The present subjunctive of regular verbs is formed by dropping the normal
endings, and adding these new endings:
-are
-ere
1st -ire
2nd -ire
-i -iamo -a -iamo -a -iamo -isca -iamo
-i -iate -a -iate -a -iate -isca -iate
-i -ino -a -ano -a -ano -isca -iscano
Verbs ending in -care and -gare add an h before all endings of the present
subjunctive. Verbs ending in -ciare and -giare drop the i from their stems.
Many common verbs have irregular present subjunctive forms:
avere
essere
andare
bere
dare
dire
abbia abbiamo sia siamo vada andiamo beva beviamo dia diamo dica diciamo
abbia abbiate sia siate vada andiate beva beviate dia diate dica diciate
abbia abbiano sia siano vada vadano beva bevano dia diano dica dicano
dovere
fare
potere
sapere
debba dobbiamo faccia facciamo possa possiamo sappia sappiamo
debba dobbiate faccia facciate possa possiate sappia sappiate
debba debbano faccia facciano possa possano sappia sappiano
stare
stia
stia
stia
stiamo
stiate
stiano
uscire
venire
volere
esca usciamo
esca usciate
esca escano
venga veniamo
venga veniate
venga vengano
voglia vogliamo
voglia vogliate
voglia vogliano
Penso che lui abbia ragione. I think that he's right.
Voglio che tu prenda una decisione. I want you to make a decision.
→ The present perfect subjunctive is formed with the present subjunctive of
avere or essere and the past participle of the main verb.
Credo che abbiano fatto sciopero. I think they went on strike.
88. Uses of the Subjunctive Mood
The subjunctive is used after verbs expressing hope, wish, desire, command or
doubt such as sperare - to hope, desiderare - to desire, volere - to want, and
dubitare - to doubt. But verbs that express certainty or fact used in the
affirmative sense (and not negative) require the indicative, such as essere
sicuro - to be sure, essere certo - to be certain, and sapere - to know. And if
the subject of both verbs in the sentence is the same, use di with the infinitive
instead of the subjunctive.
Dubito che loro vengano. I doubt that they're coming.
Spero che lei vinca. I hope that she wins.
Non so se i musei siano aperti. I don't know if the museums are open.
So che i musei sono aperti. I know that the museums are open.
Non credo di averlo perso. I don't think that I lost it. (same subject)
→ The subjunctive is also used after impersonal expressions, usually essere and
an adjective or adverb, unless they state a fact. Some common expressions are
è necessario - it's necessary, è meglio - it's better, è possibile - it's possible,
and è probabile - it's probable. The indicative is used after these expressions of
certainty: è certo - it's certain, è sicuro - it's sure, and è vero - it's true.
→ Certain conjunctions require the subjunctive as well, such as a meno che...
non - unless, sebbene - even though, benché / per quanto - although, affinché
/ perché - so that, prima che - before, senza che - without, a condizione che /
purché - provided that, and nel caso che - in the event that. The subjunctive is
also used after il primo.. che, l'ultimo..che, and il solo...che as well as in
dependent clauses beginning with an indefinite: chiunque - whoever,
comunque - however, dovunque - wherever, qualunque - whatever.
89. Subjunctive Mood: Imperfect & Past Perfect
The imperfect subjunctive is formed by adding the same set of endings to all
infinitives, minus -re. The stem vowel of the infinitive must be kept (either a, e or
i).
all verbs
-ssi
-ssi
-sse
-ssimo
-ste
-ssero
Some common verbs have irregular imperfect subjunctive forms:
essere
fossi
fossi
fosse
fossimo
foste
fossero
fare
stare
stessi stessimo
stessi steste
stesse stessero
dire
dare
dessi
dessi
desse
dessimo
deste
dessero
bere
facessi facessimo dicessi dicessimo bevessi bevessimo
facessi faceste
dicessi diceste
bevessi beveste
facesse facessero dicesse dicessero bevesse bevessero
→ The imperfect subjunctive is often used after come se (as if).
Parla come se sapesse tutto. He talks as if he knows everything.
→ When the verb of the main clause is in a past tense or the conditional, then
the verb in the dependent clause will be in the imperfect subjunctive if that action
took place at the same time or later than the action in the independent clause.
Non c'era nessuno che mi capisse. There was no one who understood me.
→ The past perfect subjunctive is formed with the imperfect subjunctive of avere
or essere plus the past participle of the main verb.
Speravo che avessero capito. I was hoping that they had understood.
→ When the verb of the main clause is in a past tense or the conditional, then
the verb in the dependent clause will be in the past perfect subjunctive if that
action took place before the action in the independent clause.
Era il più bello film che io avessi mai visto. It was the most beautiful film I had
ever seen.
→ The imperfect subjunctive is used in hypothetical clauses beginning with se
(if), when the verb of the main clause is in the conditional tense. In English, the
simple past tense is used instead; however, in both languages either the se
clause or the main clause can begin the sentence.
Andrei al cinema se avessi tempo. I would go to the movies if I had money.
Se avessi tempo, andrei al cinema. If I had money, I would go to the movies.
90. More Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense
morire-to die
porre-to put, place
rimanere-to
remain
salire-to go up
muoio
moriamo
pongo
poniamo
rimango rimaniamo salgo saliamo
muori
morite
poni
ponete
rimani
rimanete
muore
muoiono
pone
pongono
rimane
rimangono sale
scegliere-to
choose
spegnere-to turn
off
sedere-to sit
sali
salite
salgono
trarre-to obtain
scelgo
scegliamo
spengo
spegniamo siedo
sediamo
traggo traiamo
scegli
scegliete
spegni
spegnete
sedete
trai
traete
siedono
trae
traggono
sceglie scelgono
siedi
spegnere spengono siede
91. Possessive Pronouns
The possessive pronouns replace a noun, and they have the same forms as the
possessive adjectives. They always require an article, unless the possessive
pronoun follows the verb essere, in which case it is omitted.
Non parlo a tua madre. Parlo alla mia. I'm not talking to your mother. I'm
talking to mine.
Questa macchina è mia. This car is mine.
92. Historical Past (Passato Remoto)
The historical past or past absolute is used to indicate a completed action, and is
used mainly in writing and rarely in speech (except in certain parts of Italy). It is
not a compound tense, and is formed by dropping the regular stems of the verbs
and adding these endings:
-are
-ere
-ire
-ai -ammo -ei -emmo -ii -immo
-asti -aste
-esti -este
-isti -iste
-ò -arono -è -erono -ì -irono
Avere and essere and many other verbs are irregular in the historical past:
avere
essere
fare
dire
ebbi avemmo fui fummo feci
facemmo dissi dicemmo
avesti aveste
fosti foste
facesti faceste
dicesti diceste
ebbe ebbero fu furono fece fecero
disse dissero
dare
bere
stare
diedi demmo bevvi bevemmo stetti stemmo
desti deste
bevesti beveste
stesti steste
diede diedero bevve bevvero
stette stettero
The following verbs are irregular only in the io, lui/lei and loro forms. The verbs
are all either -ere or -ire verbs, so use the irregular stem for these three forms
and add these endings: -i, -e, -ero. Use the regular stem and regular endings for
the other three forms.
infinitive irregular stem
chiedere
chiudere
conoscere
decidere
leggere
mettere
nascere
prendere
chieschiusconobbdecislessmisnacqupres-
infinitive irregular stem
rispondere
sapere
scegliere
scrivere
vedere
venire
vivere
volere
risposseppscelsscrissvidvennvissvoll-
The present perfect of the historical past is formed the same way as the present
perfect of the indicative. Just add the past participle to the historical past of
avere or essere.
93. Art & Literature
architect
l'architetto
extract
il brano
architecture
l'architettura
paper / report la relazione
art
l'arte
protagonist
il protagonista
artist
l'artista
quotation
la citazione
artwork
l'opera
research
la ricerca
exhibit
la mostra
subject / topic l'argomento
fresco
l'affresco
summary
il riassunto
landscape
il paesaggio
theme
il tema
literature
la letteratura
to admire
ammirare
masterpiece
il capolavoro
to appreciate
apprezzare
mosaic
il mosaico
to build
costruire
music
la musica
to do / execute eseguire
novel
il romanzo
to draw
disegnare
painter
il pittore / la pittrice
to illustrate
illustrare
painting
il quadro / il dipinto
to paint
dipingere
poem / poetry la poesia
to quote
citare
poet
il poeta / la poetessa
to sculpt
scolpire
portrait
il ritratto
to summarize riassumere
restoration
il restauro
to write
scrivere
sculptor
lo scultore / la scultrice Middle Ages
Il Medioevo
sculpture
la scultura
Renaissance
il Rinascimento
short story
la novella / il racconto
classical
classico
statue
la statua
modern period la modernità
writer
lo scrittore / la scrittrice postmodern
il postmoderno
94. Holidays
Halloween
Halloween
Christmas
Eve
la vigilia di Natale
bat
il pipistrello
Christmas
il Natale
candy
le caramelle
angel
l'angelo
cat
il gatto
bell
la campana / la
campanella
ghost
il fantasma
candle
la candela
skeleton
lo scheletro
card
il biglietto di auguri
skull
il cranio
carol
il canto
spider
il ragno
elf
l'elfo
web
la ragnatela
fireplace
il camino
witch
la strega
garland
la ghirlanda
Thanksgiving
Giorno del
Ringraziamento
holly
l'agrifoglio
apple
la mela
lights
i luci natalizie
corn
il granturco
log
il ceppo di Natale
cornucopia
il corno di abbondanza
mistletoe
il vischio
cranberry
l'ossicocco
nativity
la natività
crow
la cornacchia
North Pole
il Polo Nord
hat
il capello
present
il regalo
hay
il fieno
reindeer
la renna
leaf
la foglia
Santa Claus
Babbo Natale
pie
il pasticcio
sleigh
la slitta
pumpkin
la zucca
star
la stella
rake
il rastrello
stocking
la calza
roll
il filoncino
toy
il giocattolo
scarecrow
lo spaventapasseri
tree
l'albero di natale
turkey
il tacchino
New Year's
Eve
il San Silvestro
yam
l'igname
New Year's
Day
il Capodanno
95. Hobbies & Tools
tent
la tenda
rake
il rastrello
map
la mappa
faucet
il rubinetto
compass
la bussola
hose
la pompa
sleeping bag
il sacco a pelo
hoe
la zappa
hiking boots
le scarpe da
escursionismo
broom
la scopa
backpack
lo zaino
shovel
la vanga
water bottle
la borraccia
ladder
la scala
paddle
la pagaia
lawn mower la tagliaerba
canoe
la canoa
flashlight
la torcia
axe
l'ascia
campfire
il fuoco
board
la tavola
chisel
lo scalpello
sewing machine la macchina da cucire
clippers
le tanaglie
thimble
il ditale
cord
la corda
pin
lo spillo
file
la lima
pincushion
il puntaspilli
gun
il fucile
tape measure
il metro
hammer
il martello
needle
l'ago
hoe
la zappa
thread
il filo
hook
(fishing)
l'amo
scissors
le forbici
level
la livella
yarn
la lana
line (fishing) la lenza
knitting needle
il ferro da calza
nail
il chiodo
net
la rete
chess
scacchi
nut
la madrevite / il
dado
checkers
la dama
pliers
le pinzette
board game
i giochi da tavolo
plow
l'aratro
dartboard
il bersaglio
rod (fishing) la canna
darts
le freccette
saw
la sega
bullseye
il centro
scissors
le forbici
dice
i dadi
screw
la vite
deck of cards
il mazzo di carte
screwdriver
il cacciavite
dominoes
il domino
scythe
la falce
backgammon
il tric tac
spade
la pala
spring
la molla
adventure film
un film d'avvenura
string
la corda
cartoon
i cartoni animati
tape
measure
il metro
comedy
una commedia
tool
l'arnese (m)
detective film
un film poliziesco
tool box
la scatola degli
attrezzi
documentary
un documentario
washer
la rondella
historical film
un film storico
wire
il filo di ferro
horror film
un film dell'orrore
wrench
la chiave
political film
un film politico
romantic film
un film sentimentale
science-fiction
film
un film di fantascienza
spy film
un film di spionaggio
war film
un film di guerra
western
un film western
96. Adverbs of Time & Manner
after
dopo / in seguito
about
circa / verso
again
ancora / di nuovo
above all
sopratutto
ago
fa
actually
infatti
already
già
a little
un poco
always
sempre
almost
quasi
as soon as
possible
il più possibile
aloud
ad alta voce
at first
dapprima
also, too
anche
at last
finalmente / alla
fine
as (like)
come
at once
subito
as it were
per così dire
at present
adesso / ora
as much
tanto
at the latest
al più tardi
at least
almeno
at the same time allo stesso tempo
at most
tutt'al più
at times /
sometimes
qualche volta /
talvolta
badly
male
before
prima
besides /
moreover
inoltre
daily
ogni giorno
by all means
ad ogni modo
early
di buon'ora
by no means
in nessun modo
ever (at all
times)
sempre
by chance
a caso
ever (at any
time)
mai
by heart
a memoria
finally
finalmente
by the way
a volo / a proposito
formerly
altre volte
certainly
certamente
chiefly
principalmente
from that time on sin d'allore
from time to time
di quando in
quando
completely
completamente
from now on
d'ora innanzi
directly
direttamente
up to this time
finora
enough
assai
in the evening
di sera
even
perfino
in the future
per l'avvenire
evidently
evidentemente
in the morning
di mattina
exactly
giusto
in time
in tempo
extremely
estremamente
last night
ieri sera
first
prima / in primo luogo
last week
la settimana
for instance
per esempio
passata
late
tardi
fortunately
per fortuna
lately
recentemente
hardly
appena
meanwhile
frattanto
hastily
in fretta
monthly
al mese
indeed
davvero
never
mai
in general
generalmente
next week
la settimana
ventura
in vain
invano
no longer
non... più
less and less
de meno in meno
not yet
non ancora
little
poco
now
ora / adesso
little by little
poco a poco
now and then
di quando in
quando
more and more
di più in più
nowadays
oggigiorno
more or less
più o meno
often
spesso
mostly
per lo più
per day
al giorno
much
molto
previously
innanzi
namely / that is
to say
cioè
recently
recentemente
not
non
repeatedly
a più volte
not at all
niente affato
seldom / rarely
raramente
not even
neanche / neppure
since then
d'allora
of course
naturalmente / si
capisce
soon (shortly)
fra poco
only
soltanto / nonche
soon after
poco dopo
on purpose
apposta
still, yet
anche / tuttora
partly
in parte
the day after
tomorrow
posdomani
perhaps
forse
the day before
yesterday
avantieri
probably
probabilmente
the other day
l'altro giorno
quickly
presto
then (after that)
poi
rather
(preferably)
piuttosto
then (at that
time)
allora
slowly
lentamente / pian
piano
this evening
stasera
so (so much)
tanto
this morning
stamattina
so (thus)
così
three weeks ago tre settimana fa
somewhat
alquanto
today
oggi
suddenly
improvvisamente /
d'un tratto
tomorrow
domani
together
insieme
tomorrow
evening
domani sera
too, too much
troppo
tomorrow
morning
domattina
unfortunately
per sfortuna
tonight
stasera
very
molto
week from today oggi a otto
well
bene
weekly
settimanalmente
willingly
volentieri
yearly
annualmente
yesterday
ieri
97. Grammatical Terms
adjective
l'aggettivo
masculine
maschile
adverb
l'avverbio
feminine
femminile
noun
il nome
singular
singolare
pronoun
il pronomo
plural
plurale
conjunction
il congiunziono
formal
formale
preposition
il preposiziono
informal
informale
verb
il verbo
comparative
il comparativo
infinitive
infinito
superlative
il superlativo
present
presente
article
l'articolo
past
passato
definite
determinativo
future
futuro
indefinite
indeterminativo
present perfect
passato prossimo
possessive
possessivo
past perfect
trapassato prossimo demonstrative il dimostrativo
future perfect
futuro anteriore
subject
il soggetto
imperfect
imperfetto
object
l'oggetto
preterite
passato remoto
direct
diretto
subjunctive
congiuntivo
indirect
indiretto
conditional
condizionale
relative
relativo
present participle participio presente
affirmative
affermative
past participle
participio passato
negative
negativo
imperative
imperativo
interrogative
interrogativo
regular
regolare
sentence
la frase
irregular
irregolare
phrase
l'espressione
reflexive
riflessivo
word
la parola
reciprocal
reciproco
spelling
l'ortografia
passive
la forma passiva
punctuation
la punteggiatura
Regions of Italy
Italian Region
English Translation
Capital City
English
Translation
Abruzzo
Abruzzo
L'Aquila
L'Aquila
Valle d'Aosta
Aosta Valley
Aoste
Aosta
Puglia
Apulia
Bari
Bari
Basilicata
Basilicata
Potenza
Potenza
Calabria
Calabria
Catanzaro
Catanzaro
Campania
Campania
Napoli
Naples
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna
Bologna
Bologna
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Trieste
Trieste
Lazio
Lazio
Roma
Rome
Liguria
Liguria
Genova
Genoa
Lombardia
Lombardy
Milano
Milan
Marche
Marche
Ancona
Ancona
Molise
Molise
Campobasso Campobasso
Piemonte
Piedmont
Torino
Turin
Sardegna
Sardinia
Cagliari
Cagliari
Sicilia
Sicily
Palermo
Palermo
Trentino-Alto
Adige/Südtirol
Trentino-Alto
Adige/Südtirol
Trento
Trento
Toscana
Tuscany
Firenze
Florence
Umbria
Umbria
Perugia
Perugia
Veneto
Veneto
Venezia
Venice