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Learn Italian at your own speed with tons of hands-on practice
In the newly revised third edition of Italian: A Self-Teaching Guide, professor and language educator Dr. Ilaria Serra walks you through how to learn Italian the quick and easy way. This book is ideal for anyone looking to master Italian at their own pace, whether you're approaching the language for the first time or just brushing up on the basics.
Italian: A Self-Teaching Guide contains fifteen simple lessons that show you how to engage in everyday conversations, from ordering food at a restaurant to making travel arrangements with a hotel concierge or an Airbnb host. The author helps you develop the skills you need to have actual Italian conversations with actual people in the real world.
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- Extensive vocabulary and culture notes, along with a fun assortment of exercises, self-tests, and practice activities
- Easy and complete grammar explanations
- Self-check solutions
An exciting and essential resource for everyone who wants to tackle Italian at their own speed, Italian: A Self-Teaching Guide remains the gold standard in books that teach you how to speak, read, write, and understand the language. It's perfect for students, jobseekers, world travelers, and the simply curious everywhere.
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Table of Contents
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Preface
Pronunciation Guide
Accents and Stress
Vowels
Consonants
Combined Consonants
The Italian Alphabet
PRONUNCIATION EXERCISE
Acknowledgments
1 Basic Expressions
EXERCISE
PAROLE DA RICORDARE (Words to Remember)
GRAMMAR I Gender and Number of Italian Nouns
GRAMMAR II The Indefinite Article
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR III The Definite Article
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR IV Subject Pronouns
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR V Present Indicative of ẹssere and avere
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR VI Numbers from 0 to 1,000
EXERCISES
2 In un ristorante del centro(In a Downtown Restaurant)
PAROLE DA RICORDARE (Words to Remember)
DIẠLOGO Sergio e Maria mạngiano in un ristorante del centro
DIALOGUE Sergio and Maria Are Eating in a Downtown Restaurant
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR I Present Indicative of ‐are, ‐ere, and ‐ire Verbs
VERBI DA RICORDARE (Verbs to Remember)
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR II Present Indicative of ‐iare, ‐care, and ‐gare Verbs
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR III The Adjective—Gender and Number
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR IV Interrogative Sentences
GRAMMAR V Negative Constructions
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR VI The Days of the Week
EXERCISE
3 Alla stazione ferroviaria(At the Railway Station)
PAROLE DA RICORDARE (Words to Remember)
DIẠLOGO Alla stazione ferroviaria
DIALOGUE At the Railway Station
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR I Position of the Adjective
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR II Present Indicative of capire, finire, and preferire
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR III The Verbs sapere and conọscere
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR IV Meaning of c'è and ci sono
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR V How to Tell Time in Italian
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR VI Numbers from 1,001 to 1 Billion
EXERCISE
4 Compleanno in famiglia(A Family Birthday)
PAROLE DA RICORDARE (Words to Remember)
DIẠLOGO Compleanno in famiglia
DIALOGUE A Family Birthday
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR I Plural of Certain Nouns and Adjectives
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR II Possessive Adjectives and Possessive Pronouns
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR III Present Indicative of the Stem‐Changing Verbs dare, andare, fare, stare, uscire, and venire
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR IV The Adjective tutto, a
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR V A Person's Age
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR VI Seasons and Months of the Year
EXERCISE
5 In un albergo di Milano(In a Hotel in Milan)
PAROLE DA RICORDARE (Words to Remember)
DIẠLOGO In un albergo di Milano
DIALOGUE In a Hotel in Milan
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR I Prepositions Not Combined with the Definite Article
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR II Prepositions Combined with the Definite Article
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR III The Partitive
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR IV Present Indicative of the Stem‐Changing Verbs dovere, potere, and volere
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR V The Interrogative Pronoun chi and the Adjectives che, quale, and quanto
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR VI Future Indicative of avere and essere and of ‐are, ‐ere, and ‐ire Verbs
EXERCISES
Review A (Lessons 1–5)
6 Fare la spesa(Grocery Shopping)
PAROLE DA RICORDARE (Words to Remember)
DIALOGO A fare la spesa
DIALOGUE Grocery Shopping
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR I Plural of Some Nouns
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR II Personal Pronouns After a Preposition or a Verb
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR III Direct Object Pronouns
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR IV Position of the Direct Object Pronoun in a Sentence
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR V Future Indicative of Verbs Ending in ‐care, ‐gare, ‐ciare, and ‐giare
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR VI Niente, nulla, nessuno, and Other Negative Expressions
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR VII Future Indicative of the Stem‐Changing Verbs dare, andare, fare, stare, and dovere, potere, volere
EXERCISE
7 In una banca di Firenze(In a Bank in Florence)
PAROLE DA RICORDARE (Words to Remember)
DIẠLOGO In una banca di Firenze
DIALOGUE In a Bank in Florence
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR I Nouns Ending in ‐ista
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR II Present Indicative of the Stem‐Changing Verbs bere, dire, rimanere, and tenere; Future Indicative of sapere, vedere, and venire
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR III The Past Participle
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR IV Passato Prossimo of Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR V Agreement of the Past Particle with Direct Object Pronouns
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR VI Idiomatic Use of the Present Indicative with the Preposition da
EXERCISE
8 Una visita medica(A Medical Examination)
PAROLE DA RICORDARE (Words to Remember)
DIẠLOGO Una visita medica
DIALOGUE A Medical Examination
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR I Future Indicative of the Stem‐Changing Verbs bere, dire, rimanere, and tenere
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR II The Relative Pronouns che, cui, il quale, and la quale
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR III Reflexive Verbs and Reflexive Pronouns
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR IV The Direct Object Pronoun ne
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR V The Adjective ogni
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR VI Idiomatic Expressions with fare
EXERCISE
9 In un negozio di abbigliamento(In a Clothing Store)
PAROLE DA RICORDARE (Words to Remember)
DIẠLOGO In un negozio di abbigliamento
DIALOGUE In a Clothing Store
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR I The Relative Pronoun cui and the Possessive Interrogative di chi
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR II Reciprocal Constructions
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR III Indirect Object Pronouns
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR IV The Verb piacere
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR V Imperative of First‐, Second‐, and Third‐Conjugation Verbs
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR VI Imperative of avere and ẹssere and of the Stem‐Changing Verbs dare, dire, fare, stare
EXERCISE
10 Una telefonata(A Telephone Call)
PAROLE DA RICORDARE (Words to Remember)
DIẠLOGO Una telefonata
DIALOGUE A Telephone Call
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR I The Adverbial Pronoun ci
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR II Position of Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns with the Imperative
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR III Imperative of Reflexive Verbs
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR IV Imperative of the Stem‐Changing Verbs andare, bere, rimanere, tenere, uscire, and venire
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR V Double Object Pronouns
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR VI The Imperfetto
EXERCISES
Review B (Lessons 6–10)
11 Una gita domenicale(A Sunday Outing)
PAROLE DA RICORDARE
DIẠLOGO Una gita domenicale
DIALOGUE A Sunday Outing
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR I The Impersonal Construction
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR II The Comparative
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR III The Superlative
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR IV Verbs Used in the Third‐Person Singular
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR V Idiomatic Use of the Imperfetto with the Preposition da
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR VI Present Conditional of ‐are, ‐ere, and ‐ire Verbs; Present Conditional of avere and ẹssere
EXERCISES
12 Sul sito di viaggi online(On the Online Travel Website)
PAROLE DA RICORDARE (Words to Remember)
DIẠLOGO Sul sito di viaggi online
DIALOGUE On the Online Travel Website
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR I Present Conditional of Stem‐Changing Verbs
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR II Future Perfect and Perfect Conditional
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR III The Trapassato Prọssimo
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR IV The Gerundio
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR V Special Construction of stare with the Gerundio
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR VI The Infinitive
EXERCISES
13 All'ufficio postale(At the Post Office)
PAROLE DA RICORDARE
DIẠLOGO All'ufficio postale
DIALOGUE At the Post Office
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR I Adverbs
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR II The Comparative and Superlative of Adverbs
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR III Present Subjunctive
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR IV Perfect Subjunctive
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR V The Subjunctive: Use (Part I)
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR VI Tense Sequence: Indicative/Subjunctive (Part I)
EXERCISES
14 Dal meccanico(At the Mechanic's)
PAROLE DA RICORDARE
DIẠLOGO Dal meccanico
DIALOGUE At the Mechanic's
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR I The Passato Remoto
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR II The Passato Remoto of Stem‐Changing Verbs
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR III The Trapassato Remoto
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR IV Imperfect Subjunctive
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR V Pluperfect Subjunctive
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR VI Tense Sequence: Indicative/Subjunctive (Part II)
EXERCISES
15 In cerca di lavoro(Looking for a Job)
PAROLE DA RICORDARE
NARRATIVA In cerca di lavoro
NARRATIVE Looking for a Job
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR I The Subjunctive: Use (Part II)
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR II If Clauses with the Subjunctive
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR III Additional Uses of the Subjunctive
EXERCISE
GRAMMAR IV The Passive Construction
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR V Nouns and Adjectives Combined with a Suffix
EXERCISES
GRAMMAR VI Special Constructions with fare, lasciare, mẹtterci, and volerci
EXERCISES
Review C (Lessons 11–15)
APPENDIX A: Answers for Exercises and Reviews
LESSON 1
LESSON 2
LESSON 3
LESSON 4
LESSON 5
REVIEW LESSON 1
LESSON 6
LESSON 7
LESSON 8
LESSON 9
LESSON 10
REVIEW LESSON 2
LESSON 11
LESSON 12
LESSON 13
LESSON 14
LESSON 15
REVIEW LESSON 3
APPENDIX B: Regular Verbs
Conjugation of ‐are, ‐ere, and ‐ire Verbs
APPENDIX C: Irregular Verbs
avere (to have)
ẹssere (to be)
Verbs with Irregular Passato Remoto and Past Participle
Italian–English Vocabulary
End User License Agreement
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Preface
Pronunciation Guide
Acknowledgments
Begin Reading
Appendix A: Answers for Exercises and Reviews
Appendix B: Regular Verbs
Appendix C: Irregular Verbs
Italian–English Vocabulary
End User License Agreement
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Italian
A Self‐Teaching Guide
Third Edition
Ilaria Serraand Edoardo A. Lèbano
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ISBN: 9781394280742 (Paperback)ISBN: 9781394280759 (ePub)ISBN: 9781394280766 (ePDF)
Cover Design: Paul McCarthy
To Emanuele
Preface
Italian: A Self‐Teaching Guide is a simplified and practical beginner's course for anyone who wishes to learn Italian. The program is designed to provide self‐learners, students in adult education courses, and students in beginning language courses with a general knowledge of the Italian language as it is spoken and written today.
In presenting almost all major grammatical structures of the Italian language, the book follows an essentially practical and linguistic approach, gradually building up a vocabulary of well over eleven hundred of the most commonly used Italian words. All explanations of grammatical points stress the basic and the indispensable and, are, as much as possible, concise, simple, and to the point.
The text consists of (1) fifteen regular lessons; (2) three review lessons, immediately following lessons 5, 10, and 15; (3) an appendix with the answers to the exercises, including those in the review lessons; (4) an appendix with the conjugations of regular verbs, and one with the conjugations of avere and essere and irregular forms of the stem‐changing verbs encountered in the text; and (5) an Italian‐English vocabulary, listing words presented in the fifteen lessons.
Each of the lessons begins with a list of useful words (Parole da Ricordare, Words to Remember), most of them related to the topic of the Dialogo that follows, portraying events, situations, or problems in everyday life. Following the English translation of the dialogue, several points of grammar are introduced in a step‐by‐step procedure. The exercises, rather than being grouped together at the end of the lesson, come immediately after the explanation of relevant grammatical points, thus giving students a sense of building effectively block by block. By checking the results of this immediate practice with the answers provided at the end of the book, students can clearly assess the progress they are making.
To make the best use of this text, carefully read the Pronunciation Guide, then proceed as follows:
Always read and repeat aloud each of the words listed in the Words to Remember. Practice writing them, and keep in mind their meaning in English.
Read the entire Dialogo and repeat each sentence several times until you think you know it quite well. Then check the English translation of the Dialogo to see how much of it you were able to understand by yourself.
Take your time in learning the content of the various grammatical points. When you have completed the first section, do the exercise(s) before going on to the next section. Check the answers in the back of the book to see how well you did.
Analyze your mistakes, and if necessary, reread the grammar explanation. If your mistakes concern vocabulary items, review Words to Remember before continuing with the lesson.
Italian: A Self‐Teaching Guide will not turn you into a polished speaker of Italian overnight. It will not enable you to deal immediately with every Italian text. But it will give you the basic tools to understand, speak, read, and write simple Italian. It opens the gate to a very gratifying experience: understanding and appreciating the language and the culture of Italy and its people. Buon lavoro—enjoy your work!
—E.A.L.
The third edition of this book has been thoughtfully updated to reflect the evolving times, yet Professor Edoardo Lebano’s work remains unparalleled. I am deeply honored to be entrusted with preserving the legacy of this beloved teacher.
—I.S.
Pronunciation Guide
Italian is a highly musical, flowing language. All vowels, diphthongs, and double consonants must be articulated as clearly as possible but should not be uttered by themselves. Related groups of words and phrases are to be pronounced as if they were linked together.
Although Italian and English have similar sounds, some English sounds do not exist in Italian (which, for example, has no aspirated sounds). At the same time, several combinations of vowels and consonants in Italian sound quite different from the sound that the same combinations of vowels and consonants produce in English.
Remember that guttural and nasal sounds are never very strong in Italian. With the exception of words of foreign origin (such as bar, film, autobus), Italian words end with a vowel. Most words are formed in the forward section of the mouth, and the voice normally drops at the end of a sentence, except when posing a question, in which case it usually rises.
Accents and Stress
Most Italian words are stressed on the next‐to‐last syllable (giorno, signorina, arrivederci). A number of words, including several monosyllabic words, end with a stressed vowel, which requires a written accent (città, perché, sì, è, caffè). Many words are stressed on the third‐to‐last syllable automobile, numero, dialogo), and some (for the most part verb forms) are stressed on the fourth‐to‐last syllable (abitano, desiderano). In this text, a dot below vowels in words that are stressed on the third‐ or fourth‐to‐last syllable (and sometimes the next‐to‐last) indicates the correct pronunciation.
Vowels
The Italian vowels are a, e, i, o, u. While a, i, and u are pronounced in the same way throughout Italy, the pronunciation of e and o in stressed position varies from one region of the Italian peninsula to another.
a has a sound more or less like that of a in the English word father (casa, matita).
e sometimes has the sound of e in the English word they, but without the glide (sera, sete); or it may resemble the sound of e in the words set and get (bene, sette).
i has a sound like that of i in the English word machine or that of ee in see, but without the glide (libri, via).
o has a sound similar to that of o in the English word cold, but without the glide (conto, pronto); or it may sound like the a in salt or the ou in bought (oggi, coma).
u has a sound similar to that of u in rude, oo in choose, or o in do, but without the glide (studente, università, virtù).
Consonants
c has the sound of ch in chapel and church before the vowel e or i (ciao, centro, cappuccino). In all other cases, it has the hard c sound of the English words car and classroom (amica, ecco, classe).
g, when followed by e or i, has the same soft sound of g in general and giant (giorno, oggi, generale). In all other cases, it has the hard g sound of the English words gas and goat (leggo, gas, guasto).
h is always silent, whether at the beginning or end of a word or between vowels (hanno, hotel).
r is trilled; it must be pronounced with the tip of the tongue against the front teeth (professore, treno); when double, the trill is longer (arrivederci, burro).
s has the sound of s in the English word rose when it is between two vowels or when it precedes the consonants b, d, g, l, m, n, r, and v (sbagliare, Rosa, così). In all other cases, it is pronounced like s in the word sea (signore, subito, sera).
z in the initial position sounds like ds in fads (zucchero, zero). In any other position, when followed by ia, ie, or io, it is pronounced like ts in the English words cats and pets (negozio, pazienza). When the noninitial z is not followed by ia, ie, or io, it is pronounced in some words like ts (abbastanza, vacanza), in others like ds (manzo, romanzo).
zz is generally pronounced like ts (indirizzo, piazza, ragazzo); in some words, however, it is pronounced like ds (azzurro, mezzogiorno).
Combined Consonants
ch + e or i is pronounced like k in kept and kiss (perché, macchina, benché, chiave).
gh + e or i has the same sound as g in get and girl (larghe, parafanghi).
gli has a sound similar to that of lli in million (figlia, biglietto, moglie).
gn has a sound similar to that of ni in onion (bagno, signore, cognome).
sc + e or i has more or less the same sound as sh in shelter and shield (pesce, scientifico).
sch + e or i has the same sound of sk in skeptic and skin (scherzo, pittoreschi).
The Italian Alphabet
The Italian alphabet consists of twenty‐one letters (the Italian name appears in parentheses):
a (a), b (bi), c (ci), d (di), e (e), f (effe), g (gi), h (acca), i (i), l (elle), m (emme), n (enne), o (o), p (pi), q (cu), r (erre), s (esse), t (ti), u (u), v (vi), z (zeta)
Italian also uses five letters borrowed from other languages: j (i lunga), k (cappa), w (doppia vu), x (ics), y (ipsilon).
PRONUNCIATION EXERCISE
tassì—vaglia—esercizio—domenica—primo—chiesa—stadio—professoressa—piacere—nazionale—guadagnare—chilọmetro—cliente—montagna—milione—zio—sabato—stazione—ombrello—dolce—spaghetti—cameriere—leggero—città—centro—alberghi—pubblico—amiche—tabaccaio—eccellente—mio—aglio—spẹndere—zucchini—olio—tagliatelle—prezzẹmolo—arancia—passeggiata
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Florida Atlantic University graduate students, Manuela Filomena, Alessio Giovene, Arianna Salomon, and Orianna Soublette, for their precious help in updating the content.
2In un ristorante del centro(In a Downtown Restaurant)
PAROLE DA RICORDARE (Words to Remember)
acqua
water
antipasto
appetizer
aperitivo
aperitif
apericẹna
rich aperitif, almost dinner
appetịto
appetite
arrosto
roast
bicchiere
(m.)
glass
bottiglia
bottle
cameriere
(m.)
waiter
cappuccino
cappuccino coffee
centro
center, downtown
conto
check, account
contorno
side dish
dolce
(m.)
dessert, sweet
espresso
espresso coffee
fame
(f.)
hunger
formaggio
cheese
frutta
fruit
gelato
ice cream
insalata
salad, lettuce
litro
liter
minestra
soup
parola
word
pasta
(single) pastry; pasta
patata
potato
piacere
(m.)
pleasure
piatto
plate, dish of food
pomodoro
tomato
sete
(f.)
thirst
spaghetti
(pl.)
type of pasta
spritz
Venetian cocktail
spumante
(m.)
sparkling wine
verbo
verb
verdura
vegetables
vino
wine
vitello
veal
DIẠLOGO Sergio e Maria mạngiano in un ristorante del centro
CAMERIERE
Buona sera, signori. Cosa prendete?
SERGIO
Io comincio con uno spritz. Maria, prendi un aperitivo?
MARIA
No, grazie. Prendo un antipasto.
CAMERIERE
Benissimo. Gradite un primo piatto?
SERGIO
Per primo piatto, io prendo spaghetti al pomodoro. Poi, un arrosto di vitello.
CAMERIERE
E per contorno, patate fritte?
SERGIO
No, un'insalata verde, per piacere. Tu, Maria, cosa prendi?
MARIA
Io non mangio pasta stasera. Non ho molta fame.
CAMERIERE
Desịdera una minestra allora?
MARIA
Sì, una minestra di verdura.
CAMERIERE
Certo, signora. E per secondo piatto, cosa prende?
MARIA
Del formaggio e della frutta.
CAMERIERE
Che desiderate bere, vino bianco o rosso?
SERGIO
Mezzo litro di vino bianco, freddo.
MARIA
E anche una bottiglia di acqua minerale. Ho sete.
CAMERIERE
Benissimo. E dopo, dolce e caffè?
SERGIO
Sì, due gelati. Poi un espresso per me … no, un cappuccino … e una crema caffè per lei.
CAMERIERE
Grazie, signori … e buon appetito!
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
CAMERIERE
Ecco il conto … e un bicchiere di spumante. Offre la casa!
SERGIO
Che simpatico questo cameriere!
DIALOGUE Sergio and Maria Are Eating in a Downtown Restaurant
WAITER
Good evening, sir and ma'am. What are you having?
SERGIO
I'll start with a spritz. Maria, are you having an aperitif?
MARIA
No, thank you. I'll have an appetizer.
WAITER
Very good. Would you like a first course?
SERGIO
For the first course, I'm having spaghetti with tomato sauce. Then roast veal.
WAITER
And as a side dish, fries?
SERGIO
No, a green salad, please. And you, Maria, what are you having?
MARIA
I'm not eating pasta tonight. I'm not very hungry.
WAITER
Do you want a soup, then?
MARIA
Yes, vegetable soup.
WAITER
Certainly, ma'am. And as a second course, what are you having?
MARIA
Some cheese and some fruit.
WAITER
What do you wish to drink, white or red wine?
SERGIO
Half a liter of white wine, cold.
MARIA
And also a bottle of mineral water. I'm thirsty.
WAITER
Very well. And later on, dessert and coffee?
SERGIO
Yes, two ice creams. Then an
espresso
for me … no, a
cappuccino
… and a
coffee cream
for her.
WAITER
Thank you, sir and ma'am … and enjoy your meal!
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
WAITER
Here is the check … and a glass of
spumante
. It's on the house!
SERGIO
What a nice waiter!
Espresso is a strong, black coffee that is prepared only upon customer request. Cappuccino, Italy's most popular beverage, is a mixture of hot black coffee and steamed milk. It is so called because its dark‐brown color recalls the habit of Franciscan friars, known as Cappuccini. Crema caffè is a whipped specialty coffee. Italy has many types of coffee: caffè macchiatocaldo or freddo (with a drop of steamed or cold milk), caffè corretto (with a drop of grappa or liquor), caffè lungo or americano (with more water). Common alternatives to coffee are il ginseng and il caffè d'orzo (barley).
EXERCISES
ANSWERS p. 229
Complete the sentences based on the dialogue, choosing the correct answers from those given in parentheses.
1. (spaghetti al pomodoro—una minestra—un espresso) Al ristorante, per primo piatto Sergio prende ___________________.
2. (un arrosto di vitello—del formaggio—una minestra di verdura) Maria per primo piatto desịdera___________________.
3. (patate fritte—del formaggio—un'insalata verde) Per contorno Sergio prende___________________.
4. (una bottiglia di vino rosso—mezzo litro di vino bianco—mezzo litro di acqua minerale) Sergio e Maria desịderano bere___________________.
5. (due gelati—due espressi—due cappuccini) Dopo, Sergio e Maria ọrdinano___________________.
Place the appropriate definite and indefinite articles before the following nouns.
ANSWERS p. 229
Example:la / una via
1. ___________________ ___________________ antipasto
2. ___________________ ___________________ fame
3. ___________________ ___________________ pomodoro
4. ___________________ ___________________ vitello
5. ___________________ ___________________ centro
6. ___________________ ___________________ formaggio
7. ___________________ ___________________ frutta
8. ___________________ ___________________ pasta
9. ___________________ ___________________ spritz
10. ___________________ ___________________ dolce
C.
Give the plural form of the following nouns, placing the appropriate definite article before each.
ANSWERS p. 230
Example:signore i signori
1. bottiglia _______________________
2. cameriere ______ _______________
3. gelato ______ __________________
4. verdura ______ _________________
5. espresso ______ ________________
6. contorno ______ ________________
7. verbo ______ ___________________
8. vino ______ ____________________
9. cappuccino ______ ______________
10. acqua ______ ___________________
11. bicchiere ______ ________________
12. arrosto ______ __________________
13. parola ______ ___________________
14. ginseng ______ ________________
GRAMMAR I Present Indicative of ‐are, ‐ere, and ‐ire Verbs
With few exceptions, the infinitive form of Italian verbs ends in ‐are, ‐ere, or ‐ire. The infinitive is the form listed in dictionaries. It is equivalent to the to form of English verbs— to be, to run.
Verbs ending in ‐are belong to the first conjugation, those ending in ‐ere to the second, and those in ‐ire to the third.
Verbs, like nouns, consist of two parts: the stem and the ending. When a verb is conjugated, the infinitive ending is replaced by other endings that indicate not only the person and the number of the subject, but also the tense (time of the action).
The present indicative of first‐, second‐, and third‐conjugation verbs is formed by dropping the infinitive endings and adding in their place the endings listed below:
ordin are
to order
io
ọrdin
o
I order, I'm ordering, I do order, etc.
tu
ọrdin
i
lui, lei, Lei
ọrdin
a
noi
ordin
iamo
voi
ordin
ate
loro
ọrdin
ano
prẹnd ere
to take
io
prend
o
I take, I'm taking, I do take, etc.
tu
prend
i
lui, lei, Lei
prend
e
noi
prend
iamo
voi
prend
ete
loro
prẹnd
ono
offr ire
to offer
io
offr
o
I offer, I'm offering, I do offer, etc.
tu
offr
i
lui, lei, Lei
offr
e
noi
offr
iamo
voi
offr
ite
loro
ọffr
ono
Note that the third‐person plural of most verbs is stressed on the second‐to‐last syllable (prẹndono, ọffrono, etc.). When the present indicative of several verbs (such as abitare, desiderare, ordinare) is conjugated, the stress falls on the second‐to‐last syllable of the first‐, second‐, and third‐person singular, and on the third‐to‐last syllable of the third‐person plural (as in ọrdino, ọrdini, ọrdina, and ọrdinano).
VERBI DA RICORDARE (Verbs to Remember)
arrivare
to arrive
chiamare
to call
comprare
to buy
desiderare
to wish, want
domandare
to ask (in order to know)
dormire
to sleep
guardare
to watch, to look (at)
incontrare
to meet, encounter
lẹggere
to read
parlare
to speak, talk
partire
to leave
ricẹvere
to receive
ricordare
to remember
salutare
to greet, say goodbye
scrịvere
to write
vedere
to see
EXERCISE
ANSWERS p. 230
Complete the sentences, conjugating the verbs in parentheses.
1. (
call
) Voi ___________________ Sergio e Maria.
2. (
incontrare
) Io ___________________ la signora Betti in centro.
3. (
domandare
) Luigi ___________________ il nome del ristorante.
4. (
offrire
) Il cameriere ___________________ un bicchiere di spumante.
5. (
partire
) Rosa e Aldo ___________________ stasera.
6. (
desiderare
) Che cosa ___________________ loro?
7. (
ordinare
) Noi ___________________ un cappuccino.
8. (
ricẹvere
) Tu ___________________ una telefonata.
9. (
abitare
) Dove ___________________ Lei, signora?
10. (
vedere
) Domani noi ___________________ un film.
11. (
lẹggere
) Marta, che cosa ___________________ tu?
12. (
salutare
) I ragazzi ___________________ il professore.
13. (
dormire
) Loro ___________________ benissimo.
14. (
guardare
) Mario e Antonio ___________________ Teresa.
15. (
scrịvere
) Io e lui ___________________ la lezione.
16. (
ẹssere
) Dottore, Lei ___________________ di Torino?
17. (
ricordare
) Lei ___________________ dov'è l'hotel Belvedere?
18. (
avere
) Stasera io ___________________ molta fame e molta sete.
19. (
comprare
) Voi ___________________ un'automọbile.
20. (
arrivare
) L'ạutobus ___________________ in piazza San Pietro.
GRAMMAR II Present Indicative of ‐iare, ‐care, and ‐gare Verbs
A. In verbs whose infinitive ends in
‐iare,
the present indicative is formed by dropping the
i
of the stem before the endings
i
and
iamo.
mangi are
io
mangi o
(I eat)
tu
mang i
lui, lei, Lei
mangi a
noi
mang iamo
voi
mangi ate
loro
mạngi ano
B. In verbs whose infinitive ends in
‐care
and
‐gare,
the present indicative is formed by adding an
h
before the endings
i
and
iamo.
dimentic are
pag are
io
dimentic o
(I forget)
pag o
(I pay)
tu
dimentic hi
pag hi
lui, lei, Lei
dimentic a
pag a
noi
dimentic hiamo
pag hiamo
voi
dimentic ate
pag ate
loro
dimẹntic ano
pạg ano
For proper stress in conjugating dimenticare, see abitare, desiderare, and ordinare. Some other commonly used verbs ending in ‐iare, ‐care, and ‐gare are studiare (to study), cominciare (to begin, start), cercare (to look for), and spiegare (to explain.)
EXERCISE
ANSWERS p. 230
Complete the sentences with the present indicative of the verbs in parentheses.
1. (
dimenticare
) Il cameriere ___________________ il vino.
2. (
studiare
) Gli studenti ___________________ la lezione.
3. (
mangiare
) Noi ___________________ della frutta.
4. (
spiegare
) Il professore ___________________ due lezioni.
5. (
cercare
) Tu e io ___________________ un bar.
6. (
cominciare
) Voi ___________________ l'università.
7. (
dimenticare
) Tu e lui ___________________ il libro a casa.
8. (
pagare
) Il signor Allori ___________________ il caffè a Giovanni e a Rosa.
9. (
mangiare
) Voi, ragazzi, dove ___________________ gli spaghetti al pomodoro?
10. (
cercare
) Marianna ___________________ un ạutobus per arrivare in centro.
GRAMMAR III The Adjective—Gender and Number
Italian adjectives end with
o, a,
or
e
in the singular. The
o
or
e
ending is the form that appears in dictionaries.
alto
tall
americano
American
basso
short
biondo
blond
bruno
dark‐haired
caldo
hot, warm
canadese
Canadian
costoso
expensive
diffịcile
difficult
divertente
amusing
fạcile
easy
forte
strong; loud
giallo
yellow
giapponese
Japanese
grande
big
grasso
fat
giovane
young
francese
French
fritto
fried
inglese
English
interessante
interesting
intelligente
intelligent
italiano
Italian
magro
thin, slender
minerale
mineral
nero
black
piccolo
small
povero
poor
ricco
rich
rosso
red
simpatico
nice, friendly
spagnolo
Spanish
B. Gender and Number of Adjectives
Adjectives ending in
o
are masculine. To make them agree with a feminine noun, change the
o
to
a.
alt
o
—alt
a
american
o
—american
a
The plural of these adjectives is obtained by changing the o to i and the a to e.
alt
o
—alt
i
american
o
—american
i
alt
a
—alt
e
american
a
—american
e
2. Adjectives ending in
e
are either masculine or feminine. Their plural is obtained by changing the
e
to
i.
diffịcil
e
—diffịcil
i
mineral
e
—mineral
i
C. Agreement
1. Adjectives must show the same gender and number of the nouns they modify.
il
ragazz
o
italian
o
la
ragazz
a
italian
a
i
ragazz
i
italian
i
le
ragazz
e
italian
e
lo
student
e
canades
e
la
studentess
a
canades
e
gli
student
i
canades
i
le
studentess
e
canades
i
2. When an adjective modifies both a masculine and a feminine noun, it takes the masculine plural form.
Sergio e Maria sono
italiani
.
La minestra e il vino sono
freddi
.
Il signore e la signora Smith sono
americani
.
EXERCISES
ANSWERS p. 230
A.
Give the plural forms of the following.
1. La lezione diffịcile ___________________
2. Il ragazzo magro ___________________
3. L'ạutobus giallo ___________________
4. La signorina francese ___________________
5. Il film divertente ___________________
6. La ragazza intelligente ___________________
7. Il piatto caldo ___________________
8. Il ristorante italiano ___________________
9. La patata fritta ___________________
10. La città grande __________________
11. Il ragazzo ricco __________________
12. La signora giovane __________________
B.
Translate these sentences.
ANSWERS pp. 211–212
The father and the mother are short.
Mario and Antonio are friendly.
