Italian All-in-One For Dummies E-Book

Antonietta Di Pietro

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fremdsprachen
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 765

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

Learn to speak Italian like a native? Easy. Italian All-in-One For Dummies appeals to those readers looking for a comprehensive, all-encompassing guide to mastering the Italian language. It contains content from all For Dummies Italian language instruction titles, including Italian For Dummies, Intermediate Italian For Dummies, Italian Verbs For Dummies, Italian Phrases For Dummies, Italian Grammar For Dummies, and Italian For Dummies Audio Set. * Offers readers interested in learning Italian a valuable reference to all aspects of this popular language * The content appeals to students, travelers, and businesspeople who visit Italian-speaking countries * An online companion site allows you to download audio tracks allows for more practice opportunities, as well as additional content empowering you to speak Italian like a native Whether you're a pure beginner or have some familiarity with the language, Italian All-in-One For Dummies, with downloadable audio practice online, is your ticket to speaking, and writing, Italian.

Leseprobe

Italian All-in-One For Dummies®

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Copyright © 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2013942766

ISBN 978-1-118-51060-5 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-51057-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-51062-9 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-51053-7 (ebk)

Manufactured in the United States of America

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Italian All-in-One For Dummies®

Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/italianaio to view this book's cheat sheet.

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

Icons Used in This Book

Beyond the Book

Where to Go from Here

Book I: Speaking Italian in Everyday Settings

Chapter 1: Exploring Pronunciations and Italian You May Already Know

You Already Know Some Italian!

Getting to the root of cognates

Picking up popular expressions

Mouthing Off: Basic Pronunciation

Starting with the alphabet

Vowels

Consonants

Stressing Syllables Properly

Chapter 2: Dealing with Numbers, Dates, and Time

Counting from Zero to a Billion: Cardinal Numbers

Building numbers in Italian

Speaking numbers like a native

Making sense of addresses

Putting Things in Order: Ordinal Numbers

Looking at the Calendar: Days, Months, and Seasons

Days of the week

Months and seasons of the year

Specific dates

Telling Time

Familiarizing Yourself with the Metric System

Converting the temperature to/from Celsius

Measuring in metric units

Chapter 3: Buongiorno! Salutations!

Looking at Common Greetings and Goodbyes

Issuing a greeting

Deciding between formal and friendly

Replying to a greeting

Specifying your reunion

Making Introductions

Introducing yourself

Introducing other people

Talking about Language, Countries, and Nationalities

Finding out whether someone speaks Italian

Talking about where you come from

Extending and Responding to Invitations

Chapter 4: Making Small Talk

Discovering Interrogative Pronouns

Asking simple questions

Taking care of basic needs

Talking About Your Family

Discussing What You Do

Talking shop

Discussing your job

Chatting about the Weather

Chapter 5: Casa Dolce Casa: Home Sweet Home

Describing Where You Live

Stating your country and hometown

Noting the type of home you have

Taking a Tour of Your Home

Il soggiorno: The living room

La cucina: The kitchen

La sala da pranzo: The dining room

La camera da letto: The bedroom

Il bagno: The bathroom

Other areas around the house

Chapter 6: Using the Phone and Talking Business

Phoning Made Simple

Connecting via cellphones, texts, and video

Calling for business or pleasure

Making Arrangements over the Phone

Asking for People and Getting the Message

Discussing Your Job

Referring to coworkers

Interviewing

Covering compensation and breaks

Describing things around the office

Chapter 7: Food, Glorious Food, and Drink

Eating, Italian-Style

Having breakfast

Eating lunch

Enjoying dinner

Drinking, Italian-Style

Expressing your love for espresso

Beverages with even more of a kick

Dining Out, from Start to Finish

Making reservations

Paying for your meal

Shopping for Food

Dal macellaio (butcher shop)

Pesce (fish)

At the panetteria (bread shop)

Chapter 8: Shopping, Italian-Style

Checking Out Stores

Deciding between department stores and boutiques

Navigating the store

Admiring shop displays

Clothing Yourself

Checking out various items

Sizing up Italian sizes

Talking definitely and indefinitely

Coloring your words

Choosing the right fabric

Accessorizing

Narrowing Your Options

Comparing items, more or less

Considering price

Book II: Exploring and Wandering About

Chapter 1: Where Is the Colosseum? Asking Directions

Finding Your Way: Asking for Specific Places

Mapping the quarters and following directions

Expressing verbs on the move

Exploring Italian Cities and Towns

La piazza: The heart of the Italian city

Viewing famous sites and architectural styles

Finding the places you’re looking for

Chapter 2: Having Fun Out on the Town

Experiencing Italian Culture

Taking in a movie

Going to the theater

Exploring a museum

Experiencing a local festival

Taking in the Italian Music Scene

Catching a concert

Exploring the world of Italian opera

Popular Italian music

Inviting Fun

Chapter 3: Exploring the Outdoors, Sports, and Hobbies

Getting Close to Nature

Playing and Watching Sports

Using the right names and verbs for sports talk

Watching sports

Talking about Hobbies and Interests

Speaking Reflexively

Chapter 4: Planning a Trip

Deciding When and Where to Go

Going to agriturismo

Going to the beach and spa

Visiting castles, palaces, and estates

Taking a Tour

Booking a Trip outside of Italy

Arriving and Leaving with Arrivare and Partire

Using the Simple Future Tense

Chapter 5: Money, Money, Money

Going to the Bank

Changing Money

Using Credit Cards

Looking at Various Currencies

Chapter 6: Getting Around: Planes, Trains, Taxis, and Buses

Getting through the Airport

Checking in

Dealing with excess baggage

Waiting to board the plane

Coping after landing

Dealing with lost luggage

Going through Customs

Renting a Car

Navigating Public Transportation

Calling a taxitaxi

Moving by train

Going by bus or tram

Reading maps and schedules

Being Early or Late

Chapter 7: Finding a Place to Stay

Choosing a Place to Stay

Reserving a Room

Checking In

Chapter 8: Handling Emergencies

Getting Help Fast

Receiving Medical Attention

Describing what ails you

Understanding professional medical vocabulary

Getting what you need at the pharmacy

Braving the dentist

Handling Legal Matters

Reporting an accident

Reporting a robbery

Reporting a lost or stolen passport

Getting legal help

Dealing with Car Trouble

Book III: Grasping Basic Grammar Essentials for Communication

Chapter 1: What Do You Know? Parts of Speech

Recognizing the Parts of Speech

Nouns

Pronouns

Articles

Verbs

Adjectives

Adverbs

Prepositions

Conjunctions

Interjections

Conjugating Verbs in the Present Tense

Identifying infinitives

Establishing subject-verb agreement

Moving on to Other Verb Tenses

Composing a Simple Sentence

Chapter 2: Noun and Article Basics: Gender and Number

A Primer on Articles

Definite articles: Dealing with “the”

Indefinite articles: Saying “a” or “an”

Distinguishing between Masculine and Feminine Nouns

Recognizing common noun endings

Sorting nouns into classes

Moving from Singular to Plural: Basic Rules

Making Exceptions to the Basic Rules on Number

Changing more than just the ending

Changing only the article

Using nouns only in the singular or the plural

Deciding When to Include an Article

When (and when not) to use a definite article

When (and when not) to use an indefinite article

Chapter 3: All about Pronouns

Meeting the Subject Pronouns

Knowing when to use subject pronouns

Adapting subject pronouns for informal and formal usage

Emphasizing Stressed Pronouns

Digging into Direct Object Pronouns

What direct object pronouns are and what they do

Where to place direct object pronouns

Investigating Indirect Object Pronouns

Forming Double Pronouns

Figuring out how to replace direct and indirect object pronouns

Checking out common double pronouns

But Wait, There’s More! Special Italian Pronouns

The adverbial pronoun ci

The pronoun ne

When the Subject Is Also the Object: Reflexive Pronouns

Chapter 4: Adjectives, Adverbs, and Comparisons

Matching Adjectives to Nouns in Gender and Number

Regular adjectives

Irregular adjectives

Invariable adjectives

Associating One Adjective with More Than One Noun

Putting Adjectives in Their Place

Recognizing the adjectives that come before nouns

Using placement to change an adjective’s meaning

Forming Adverbs the Italian Way

Original adverbs

Derived adverbs

Finding a Place for Adverbs

Making Comparisons

Comparisons of equality

Comparisons of inequality

The best and the worst: Superlatives

Special comparatives and superlatives

Chapter 5: Meeting the Challenge of Prepositions

Combining Basic Prepositions with Articles

Forming Complements (Preposition + Noun, Name, or Pronoun)

Possession and specification

Qualities and functions

Place

Place and function

Time

Purpose and agent of action

Tools, reasons, and causes

Chapter 6: Demonstrative, Indefinite, and Possessive Qualifiers

Pointing to Something with Questo and Quello

Conveying Something Indefinite

Indefinite words used as adjectives or pronouns

Indefinite words used solely as pronouns

Indefinite words that express a part of a set

Assigning Ownership with Possessive Qualifiers

Chapter 7: Making Connections with Conjunctions and Relative Pronouns

Linking Words and Clauses with Conjunctions and Prepositions

Connecting words or sentences with coordinating conjunctions

Joining a dependent clause with an independent one

Joining Clauses That Belong Together

Dealing with your average relative pronouns

Economy of speech: Combined pronouns

Chapter 8: Asking and Answering Questions

Looking at Ways of Asking Questions in Italian

Adjusting your intonation

Inverting the word order

Asking some common questions

Digging Deeper: Asking More Complex Questions

Employing interrogative adjectives

Requesting the location and time: Interrogative adverbs

Inquiring about who, what, which one, and how many: Interrogative pronouns

Providing Detailed Answers to Questions

Answering Questions Negatively

Book IV: Mastering Italian Verbs and Tenses

Chapter 1: Jumping into Action with Italian Regular Verbs

Conjugating Regular Verbs in Italian

Conjugating -are verbs

Conjugating -ere verbs

Conjugating -ire verbs

Moving Past the Present Tense

Communicating Quickly with Verbs

Looking More Closely at Personal Subject Pronouns

Chapter 2: Talking in the Present Tense with Irregular Verbs

To Be or Not to Be: Conjugating Essere

To Have and to Hold: Conjugating Avere

To Make or to Do: Conjugating Fare

To Give: Dare

To Ask How Others Are: Stare

To Come and to Go: Venire and Andare

Declaring Needs, Wants, and Abilities: Dovere, Volere, and Potere

Do Tell: Dire

Stepping Out: Uscire

Bottom’s Up: Bere

The -orre, -urre, and -arre Verbs

Using Irregular Verbs in Idiomatic Expressions

Idiomatic expressions with essere

Idiomatic expressions with fare

Idiomatic expressions with dare and stare

Chapter 3: Using Reflexive Forms and the Imperative Mood

Reflecting on Reflexive Verbs

Pairing reflexive pronouns with reflexive verbs

Using reflexive verbs throughout the day

Altering the position of reflexive pronouns

Giving and taking with the reciprocal form

Using the impersonal si

Giving a Commanding Performance with the Imperative

Constructing commands (of the tu, noi, and voi variety)

Dealing with irregular imperatives for tu, noi, and voi

Commanding politely: Forming the Lei and Loro forms of the imperative

Adding pronouns to imperatives

Checking out commonly used commands

Chapter 4: Declaring Your Likes (And Dislikes) with Piacere

Understanding How to Use Piacere

Working with indirect object pronouns

Conjugating piacere in the present tense

Combining piacere with indirect object pronouns

Using piacere as a noun

Expressing Likes (And Dislikes) in Any Tense

Conjugating piacere and dispiacere in the subjunctive and past absolute

Checking out more conjugations for piacere and dispiacere

Looking at Other Verbs that Work Backward

Verbs that carry the indirect object in their constructions

The verb mancare

Chapter 5: The Future Tense and the Conditional Mood

Focusing on the Future

Forming the regular future tense

Spelling out -are exceptions in the future tense

Working with irregular roots

Talking about the future with some handy expressions

Could-ing and Would-ing: The Conditional Mood

Covering the uses of the conditional

Forming the regular conditional

Creating the irregular conditional

Using dovere, potere, and volere in the conditional

Chapter 6: Getting into the Subjunctive Mood

Forming the Present Subjunctive Mood

Mastering the Present Subjunctive

Spelling exceptions

Irregular forms

Making the Present Subjunctive a Valuable Tool

Expressing desires, wishes, commands, emotions, doubts, and beliefs

Working with impersonal expressions

Handling conjunctions and words that end in -unque

Checking out a few other uses of the present subjunctive

Understanding the Imperfect Subjunctive

Conjugating the imperfect subjunctive

Forming the imperfect subjunctive to express doubts, desires, and wants

Getting a grip on irregular imperfect subjunctives

Book V: Building Compound Tenses

Chapter 1: Been There, Done That: Talking in the Past Tense

Forming the Present Perfect Tense

Past participles

Auxiliary verbs: Avere and essere

Over and Done with: The Past Absolute

Once Upon a Time: The Imperfect Tense

Forming the imperfect

Perfecting the use of the imperfect

Adding Nuance to Meaning with Verb Tense

Chapter 2: Reflexive Verbs in the Past

Forming the Present Perfect of Reflexive Verbs

Using Reciprocal Verbs in the Present Perfect

Forming the Imperfect of Reflexive Verbs

Checking Out Reciprocal Verbs in the Imperfect

Picking the Present Perfect or the Imperfect for Reflexive Verbs

Recognizing Reciprocal Verbs in the Past Absolute

Chapter 3: Second-Guessing Actions with the Past Conditional and Past Perfect

Forming the Past Conditional

Using the Past Conditional to Play “Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda”

Expressing Responsibilities, Desires, and Abilities in the Past Conditional

Forming and Implementing the Past Perfect Tense

Chapter 4: I Hope That You’ve Had Fun! The Subjunctive Mood in the Past

Forming the Past Subjunctive

Composing the Past Perfect Subjunctive

Sequencing Your Tenses in the Subjunctive

Chapter 5: “If” Clauses, the Impersonal, and the Passive

Hypothetically Speaking: “If” Clauses throughout the Tenses

Expressing conditions within the realm of reality

Examining hypothetical constructions of probability and possibility

What-iffing the impossible

Come se: In a category of its own

Putting a Personal Touch on the Impersonal and the Passive

Forming the impersonal in the present

Applying the impersonal in other tenses

Getting proactive about the passive voice

Chapter 6: Progressing through Gerunds in Italian

Forming Gerunds in the Present Tense

Working with Irregular Gerund Forms

Creating Gerunds in the Past Tense

Putting Gerunds in the Present Progressive

What Were You Thinking? The Imperfect Progressive

Book VI: Appendixes

Appendix A: Verb Tables

Appendix B: Italian-English Mini-Dictionary

Appendix C: English-Italian Mini-Dictionary

Appendix D: Fun & Games

Book I, Chapter 1: Exploring Pronunciations and Italian You May Already Know

Book I, Chapter 2: Dealing with Numbers, Dates, and Time

Book I, Chapter 3: Buongiorno! Salutations!

Book I, Chapter 4: Making Small Talk

Book I, Chapter 5: Casa Dolce Casa: Home Sweet Home

Book I, Chapter 6: Using the Phone and Talking Business

Book I, Chapter 7: Food, Glorious Food, and Drink

Book I, Chapter 8: Shopping, Italian-Style

Book II, Chapter 1: Where Is the Colosseum? Asking Directions

Book II, Chapter 2: Having Fun Out on the Town

Book II, Chapter 3: Exploring the Outdoors, Sports, and Hobbies

Book II, Chapter 4: Planning a Trip

Book II, Chapter 5: Money, Money, Money

Book II, Chapter 6: Getting Around: Planes, Trains, Taxis, and Buses

Book II, Chapter 7: Finding a Place to Stay

Book II, Chapter 8: Handling Emergencies

Book III, Chapter 1: What Do You Know? Parts of Speech

Book III, Chapter 2: Noun and Article Basics: Gender and Number

Book III, Chapter 3: All about Pronouns

Book III, Chapter 4: Adjectives, Adverbs, and Comparisons

Book III, Chapter 5: Meeting the Challenge of Prepositions

Book III, Chapter 6: Demonstrative, Indefinite, and Possessive Qualifiers

Book III, Chapter 7: Making Connections with Conjunctions and Relative Pronouns

Book III, Chapter 8: Asking and Answering Questions

Book IV, Chapter 1: Jumping into Action with Italian Regular Verbs

Book IV, Chapter 2: Talking in the Present Tense with Irregular Verbs

Book IV, Chapter 3: Using Reflexive Forms and the Imperative Mood

Book IV, Chapter 4: Declaring Your Likes (And Dislikes) with Piacere

Book IV, Chapter 5: The Future Tense and the Conditional Mood

Book IV, Chapter 6: Getting into the Subjunctive Mood

Book V, Chapter 1: Been There, Done That: Talking in the Past Tense

Book V, Chapter 2: Reflexive Verbs in the Past

Book V, Chapter 3: Second-Guessing Actions with the Past Conditional and Past Perfect

Book V, Chapter 4: I Hope That You’ve Had Fun! The Subjunctive Mood in the Past

Book V, Chapter 5: “If” Clauses, the Impersonal, and the Passive

Book V, Chapter 6: Progressing through Gerunds in Italian

Appendix E: Audio Tracks

About the Authors

Cheat Sheet

Connect with Dummies

Introduction

If you’re reading this introduction, you’re likely interested in learning a foreign language. You’re surely aware of the importance of knowing how to communicate in every circumstance and situation because world views, ideas, and people travel and meet in a borderless space. Why you’re choosing Italian is a question with many possible answers. You may want to refresh your memory of the Italian you learned in school, or perhaps you’re preparing for a full immersion into the arts, fashion, and design. Maybe you’re studying Italian so you can surprise an Italian friend or to get ready for a business trip to Italy. Or you may simply want to know the “language that sings.” Whatever the reason, this book will help you do it.

Italian All-in-One For Dummies isn’t a language course. This book deconstructs the Italian language and culture in chapters that complement each other but that you can read in the order you prefer and at your own pace. Rather than a vertical scaffolding of cultural topics, vocabulary, and grammar, Italian All-in-One For Dummies is a collection of what you need to successfully communicate in Italian. The accompanying audio tracks will help improve your pronunciation and intonation, and the online resources provide additional references.

About This Book

Italian All-in-One For Dummies presents aspects of the Italian culture and daily life as well as the grammatical framework of the language as it’s spoken today. Each section in the book has a theme. You can choose where you want to begin and how you want to proceed. You can skip the sidebars (shaded text boxes) without remorse, or simply leave them for another time. Italian All-in-One For Dummies lets you read at the pace and in the order you prefer.

English translations are italicized when they accompany Italian words and sentences. The phrases and idiomatic expressions in Books I and II come with pronunciation guidelines. Within the Italian pronunciations, you see italic on the stressed syllables in words with two or more syllables. In addition, dialogues built around specific topics and real-life situations will enrich your vocabulary and your speech. Those who can’t speak a language unless they comprehend its syntax and grammar will be satisfied by the thorough clarifications presented in Italian All-in-One For Dummies. The appendixes provide quick references to specific grammar points (such as verbs) and translations of important words that appear throughout the book. The audio tracks help you practice your spoken Italian whenever and wherever you like! And because Italian is the “language that sings,” all you have to do is repeat after the audio track and join the chorus!

Within this book, you may note that some web addresses break across two lines of text. If you’re reading this book in print and want to visit one of these web pages, simply key in the web address exactly as it’s noted in the text, pretending as though the line break doesn’t exist. If you’re reading this as an e-book, you’ve got it easy — just click the web address to be taken directly to the web page.

Foolish Assumptions

Italian All-in-One For Dummies makes the following assumptions about you, dear reader:

You’re an Italian student looking for an in-depth, easy-to-use reference.

You know very little or no Italian — or if you took Italian back in school, you remember very little of it.

Your goal is to expand your knowledge of Italian. You don’t want to be burdened by long-winded explanations of unnecessary grammatical terms, nor do you care to hold a scholarly discussion in Italian about Dante’s Inferno. You just want to express yourself in clear and reasonably accurate Italian.

You’re enthusiastic about having fun while honing your Italian skills.

If any or all of these statements describe you, then you’re ready to start using this book.

Icons Used in This Book

You may be looking for particular information while reading this book. To make certain types of information easier to find, the following icons appear in the left-hand margins throughout the book.

This icon highlights tips that can make learning Italian — and using it correctly — easier.

This icon points out interesting information that you shouldn’t forget.

This icon highlights potential linguistic, grammatical, and cultural errors to avoid.

Languages are full of quirks that may trip you up if you’re not prepared for them. This icon points to discussions of these peculiar grammar rules. Because Books III, IV, and V are nearly all grammar, you see this icon only in Books I and II.

If you’re looking for information and advice about Italian culture and travel, look for this icon.

This icon marks the Talkin’ the Talk dialogues in Books I and II that you can listen to in order to get a better understanding of what Italian sounds like.

Beyond the Book

In addition to the plethora of Italian language information you find in the print book or e-book you're reading right now, this product also comes with some access-anywhere goodies on the web. Check out the eCheat Sheet at www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/italianaio for common idiomatic expressions that use the verbs fare (to do; to make), avere (to have), essere (to be), and andare (to go); the scoop on using capital letters properly in Italian; and more.

This book comes with 29 audio tracks that allow you to hear many of the Talkin' the Talk dialogues spoken by Italian speakers. If you've purchased the paper or e-book version of Italian All-in-One For Dummies, just go to www.dummies.com/go/italianaio to access and download these tracks. (If you don't have Internet access, call 877-762-2974 within the U.S. or 317-572-3993 outside the U.S.)

Where to Go from Here

Before you start reading Italian All-in-One For Dummies, answer the question “how much Italian do I know?” If your answer is “not much,” “nothing,” or “just a little,” start with Book I. If you have a foundation of Italian but find that grammar always trips you up, you may want to jump to Book III. To test your understanding of tenses and how to use them properly, Book V is the place for you. You decide your priorities, so go ahead and make your choice — there’s plenty to browse and to select. Buon divertimento! (bwohn dee-vehr-tee-mehn-toh!) (Have fun!)

Book I

Speaking Italian in Everyday Settings

Visit www.dummies.com for free access to great Dummies content online.

Contents at a Glance

Chapter 1: Exploring Pronunciations and Italian You May Already Know

Chapter 2: Dealing with Numbers, Dates, and Time

Chapter 3: Buongiorno! Salutations!

Chapter 4: Making Small Talk

Chapter 5: Casa Dolce Casa: Home Sweet Home

Chapter 6: Using the Phone and Talking Business

Chapter 7: Food, Glorious Food, and Drink

Chapter 8: Shopping, Italian-Style

Chapter 1

Exploring Pronunciations and Italian You May Already Know

In This Chapter

Taking note of the little Italian you know

Becoming familiar with basic Italian pronunciation

Putting the emphasis on the right syllable

You probably know that Italian is a Romance language, which means that Italian, just like Spanish, French, Portuguese, and some other languages, is a “child” of Latin. There was a time when Latin was the official language in a large part of Europe because the Romans ruled so much of the area. Before the Romans came, people spoke their own languages, and the mixture of these original tongues with Latin produced many of the languages and dialects still in use today.

If you know one of these Romance languages, you can often understand bits of another one of them. But just as members of the same family can look very similar but have totally different personalities, so it is with these languages. People in different areas speak in very different ways due to historical or social reasons, and even though Italian is the official language, Italy has a rich variety of dialects. Some dialects are so far from Italian that people from different regions can’t understand each other.

Despite the number of different accents and dialects, you’ll be happy to discover that everybody understands the Italian you speak and you understand theirs. (Italians don’t usually speak in their dialect with people outside their region.)

You Already Know Some Italian!

Although Italians are very proud of their language, they have allowed some English words to enter it. They talk, for example, about gadgets, jogging, feeling, and shock; they often use the word okay; and since computers have entered their lives, they say cliccare sul mouse (kleek-kah-reh soohl mouse) (to click the mouse). Finally, there’s lozapping (loh zap-ping), which means switching TV channels with the remote. These are only a few of the flood of English words that have entered the Italian language.