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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Fremdsprachen
- Sprache: Englisch
Learning Italian is easy with Dummies Italian Workbook For Dummies is for beginners who want to get started learning Italian. Packed with foundational grammar and integrated vocab, Italian Workbook For Dummies will set new language learners on their way to a wonderful experience learning this beautiful romance language. This book provides valuable practice lessons and exercises so that you can learn to write and communicate in Italian with confidence. Italian Workbook For Dummies is also an excellent supplement for any student looking to boost their classroom learning. With the tried-and-true expertise of Dummies, you'll move through the Italian basics with ease. * Get introduced to the Italian language, including basic grammar and pronunciation * Complete exercises to improve your ability to write and speak in Italian * Learn important phrases for travelling, doing business, and studying in Italy * Build your vocabulary, discover common slang, and learn authentic expressions This is the perfect Dummies guide for those who are brand new to the Italian language, regardless of age or background. Gain the confidence you need to interact in Italiano!
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Italian Workbook For Dummies®
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Italian Workbook For Dummies®
To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Italian Workbook For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Introduction
About This Book
Conventions Used in This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond this Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1: Getting Your Bearings with the Basics
Chapter 1: Greetings! Getting to Know You
Deciding between Formal and Informal
Working with Pronunciation
Stressing Words Properly
Using Gender in Italian
Answers to “Greetings! Getting to Know You” Practice Questions
Chapter 2: Embedded Gender and Number: Nouns and Articles
Distinguishing between Masculine and Feminine Nouns
Sorting out Definite and Indefinite Articles
Answers to “Embedded Gender and Number: Nouns and Articles” Practice Questions
Chapter 3: Putting Two and Two Together: Numbers, Dates, and Time
Counting Items with Cardinal Numbers
Putting Items in Order with Ordinal Numbers
Managing Your Calendar and Your Time
Answers to “Putting Two and Two Together: Numbers, Dates, and Times” Practice Questions
Part 2: Verbs as Building Blocks
Chapter 4: Noting to Be or to Have with Essere and Avere
Meeting the Subject Pronouns
Working with Essere and Avere
Answers to “Noting to Be or to Have with Essere and Avere” Practice Questions
Chapter 5: Forming the Present
The Reliable Guys: Regular Verbs
What’s Happening Right Now: The Present Progressive Tense
Answers to”Forming the Present” Practice Questions
Chapter 6: Going and Coming with Irregular Verbs
Irregular–are Verbs
Irregular –ere Verbs:
Irregular–ire Verbs
Stressed Pronouns
Answers to “Going and Coming with Irregular Verbs” Practice Questions
Part 3: Building Beautiful Sentences: Parts of Speech
Chapter 7: Enriching Adjectives and Adverbs
Making Adjectives Agree
Putting Adjectives in Their Place
Forming Adverbs the Italian Way
Finding a Place for Adverbs in a Sentence
Answers to “Enriching Adjectives and Adverbs” Practice Questions
Chapter 8: Comparisons and Superlatives
Making Comparisons with the Comparative
Designating the Best and the Worst: The Superlatives
Making Irregular Comparisons
Answers to “Comparisons and Superlatives” Practice Questions
Chapter 9: Prepositions, and Then Some
Getting Familiar with Simple Prepositions
Contracting Prepositions with Articles and Nouns
Finding the Exceptions to the Rule
Answers to “Prepositions, and Then Some” Practice Questions
Chapter 10: La Mia Famiglia: Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns
Possessing with Adjectives
Using Possessive Pronouns
Answers to “La Mia Famiglia: Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns” Practice Questions
Chapter 11: Asking with Interrogatives; Pointing Out with Demonstratives
Asking and Answering Questions
Pointing to Something with Questo and Quello
Answers to “Asking with Interrogatives; Pointing Out with Demonstratives” Practice Questions
Part 4: More Verb Tenses
Chapter 12: Glancing Back at the Past: The Passato Prossimo
Turning a Verb into a Past Participle
Figuring Out Which Auxiliary to Use
Answers to “Glancing Back at the Past: The Passato Prossimo” Practice Questions
Chapter 13: Once Upon a Time: The Imperfect
Knowing When to Use the Imperfect
Forming the Imperfect
Crafting the Imperfect Progressive
When the Going Gets Tricky: The Imperfect and Passato Prossimo
Conveying Two Past Actions in Sequence: The Past Perfect
Answers to “Once Upon a Time: The Imperfect” Practice Questions
Chapter 14: Looking Ahead: The Future Tense
Using the Two Future Forms
Common Expressions Denoting the Future
Using the Present to Talk about the Future
Forming the Simple Future Tense
Forming the Future Perfect Tense
Answers to “Looking Ahead: The Future Tense” Practice Questions
Chapter 15: Commanding and the Imperative
Choosing the Imperative
The Imperative Form of Regular Verbs
The Imperative Form of Irregular Verbs
Negative Commands
Adding Pronouns to Commands
Answers to “Commanding and the Imperative” Practice Questions
Chapter 16: Forming and Using Conditional Verbs
Shaping Verbs into the Present Conditional
Using the Conditional by Itself
It’s Over Now! Forming the Past Conditional
Answers to “Forming and Using Conditional Verbs” Practice Questions
Chapter 17: Everyday Communication with Reflexives
Directing an Action to a Subject
Engaging in Reciprocal Actions
Answers to “Everyday Communication with Reflexives” Practice Questions
Part 5: The Part of Tens
Chapter 18: Ten Practice Dialogues for When You’re Out and About in Italy
Al Ristorante (at the Restaurant)
Al Bar, Colazione e Aperitivo
Alla Salumeria (at the Deli)
Al Forno (to the Bakery)
Alla Spiaggia (at the Beach)
Al Negozio di Scarpe (at the Shoe Store)
Al Negozio di Abbigliamento (at the Clothing Store)
Dal Medico (at the Doctor’s)
Alla Farmacia (to the Pharmacy)
Alla Stazione dei Treni (at the Train Station)
Chapter 19: Ten Common Word Swaps to Avoid
Assumere versus Presumere
Batteria versus Batteria
Fare Domanda versus Essere Esigente
Dottore versus Medico
Educato versus Colto
Fabbrica versus Stoffa and Fattoria
Affettare versus Influenzare
Partita versus Festa
Incidente versus Accidenti!
Straniero versus Estraneo
Part 6: Appendixes
Appendix A: English-Italian Dictionary
Appendix B: Italian-English Dictionary
Index
About the Author
Advertisement Page
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
List of Tables
Chapter 1
Table 1-1 Formal Greetings and Salutations
Table 1-2 Informal Greetings and Salutations
Table 1-3 Being Polite
Table 1-4 Alfabeto (ahl-fah-beh-toh)
Chapter 2
Table 2-1: Regular Singular and Plural Noun Endings
Table 2-2 Masculine Definite Articles
Table 2-3 Feminine Definite Articles
Table 2-4 Masculine Indefinite Articles
Table 2-5 Feminine Indefinite Articles
Chapter 3
Table 3-1 Cardinal Numbers with Double and Triple Digits
Chapter 4
Table 4-1 Subject Pronouns
Table 4-2 Idiomatic Expressions That Use Avere
Chapter 5
Table 5-1 Present Tense Endings of –are Verbs
Table 5-2 Present Tense Endings of –ere Verbs
Table 5-3 Present Tense Endings of –ire and –ire/isc Verbs
Table 5-4 Creating Gerunds
Chapter 6
Table 6-1 Stressed Pronouns
Chapter 7
Table 7-1 Four-Ending Adjectives
Table 7-2 Two-Ending Adjectives
Table 7-3 Common Adjectives (Color and Origin)
Table 7-4 Adjectives with Opposites
Table 7-5 Variations of Irregular Adjective Endings
Chapter 8
Table 8-1 Comparatives and Superlatives of Adjectives with Special Forms
Table 8-2 Comparatives and Superlatives of Adverbs with Special Forms
Chapter 9
Table 9-1 Prepositions Combined with Articles
Chapter 10
Table 10-1 Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns
Table 10-2 Possessive Pronouns
Chapter 11
Table 11-1 Interrogative Adjectives and Pronouns
Table 11-2 Answering Questions
Chapter 12
Table 12-1 The Irregular Past Participle of Verbs Ending in –ere
Table 12-2 Irregular Verbs Ending in –ire
Table 12-3 Intransitive Verbs in the Passato Prossimo
Table 12-4 Piacere in the Present and the Passato Prossimo
Chapter 13
Table 13-1 Endings of the Imperfect
Table 13-2 Verbs with an Expanded Stem
Chapter 14
Table 14-1 Common Terms Denoting the Future
Table 14-2 Endings for Regular and Irregular Verbs in the Future Tense
Chapter 15
Table 15-1 Informal Imperatives of Regular Verbs
Table 15-2 Formal Imperatives of Regular Verbs
Table 15-3 Comparing Affirmative and Negative Commands
Table 15-4 Reflexive Imperatives
Chapter 16
Table 16-1 Endings for Regular Verbs in the Present Conditional
Chapter 17
Table 17-1 Reflexive Pronouns
Table 17-2 Common Reflexive Verbs
Table 17-3 Conjugation of Alzarsi (Get Up)
List of Illustrations
Chapter 18
FIGURE 18-1: A
cappuccino,
an Italian coffee made by using equal parts double e...
FIGURE 18-2: A table with drinks and snacks.
FIGURE 18-3: Conversing with a beach service can have you set up and enjoying t...
FIGURE 18-4: Look for this symbol when trying to find a pharmacy.
Guide
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Table of Contents
Begin Reading
Index
About the Author
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Introduction
Italian speaks the language of fantastic food, art, design, fashion, cinema, music, and of course, great literature. And it’s also the language of great scientists, entrepreneurs, political activists, explorers, and migrants. Italian is spoken by the 60 million inhabitants of Italy and by many people of Italian descent in other countries (about 18 million in the United States alone) around the world.
Derived from Latin, Italian was initially established as the language of literary culture in the 13th century, thanks to the works of many poets and storytellers (the most important one being Dante and his “Divine Comedy”) who began to shift from writing in Latin to writing in the vernacular. Since the period of Unification (the Risorgimento, 1848–1871), one shared language — Italian — has dominated culture.
Perhaps you want to speak to an Italian relative, or you plan to visit Italy and want to be able to converse with the locals while you’re there. Or maybe you’re taking an Italian class and want some extra help. Whatever has brought you to these pages, this book is here to be your guide through the beautiful Italian language.
About This Book
The language I present in Italian Workbook For Dummies is the language of everyday life in today’s Italy. You can find it used in newspapers, on TV, in modern novels, in instruction booklets, on the Internet, and so forth. At any given point in time, you can find good ways and bad ways to express yourself, so I give you the correct version of the language and usage. But don’t be surprised if you go to Italy and hear or read something different from what you find in this book. Over time, you’ll develop your own sensibility for expressions that are interesting variations on the language, rather than merely mistakes.
Italian Workbook For Dummies is a hands-on reference book for beginners of the language. As such, I start with the basic building blocks, and then build on those. Keep in mind that the book does proceed logically from simpler matters to more complex ones, so unless you have the essentials down first, I suggest progressing chronologically. At the same time, the more you expose yourself to authentic Italian during the process, the greater your results. When children are immersed in language and receive constant input, they pick it up naturally, holistically, and communicatively.
Establish your own communicative goals while you go through this book: The discrete points about the Italian language that I offer in this book can provide you with the tools and contexts to navigate a variety of situations, from basic introductions to seeking help at the pharmacy. Try starting with the ten practice dialogues in Chapter 18, and then back up to the very beginning, giving yourself a road map for arriving at the end.
But first, do a positioning exercise that I always ask my new students to do on the first day of class. Take pen and paper, and a timer (and cover the rest of this page). Set the timer for five minutes. Then, write down as many Italian words that you already know, and whose pronunciation you can already begin to sound out. (Think food! Think music!). Challenge your study buddy if you’re working through this book with someone else.
After your timer goes off, how did you do? What words do you know already? Bruschetta, spaghetti, biscotti, pizza — whatever you wrote down is a good start to putting words into conversations and building your proficiency.
The first part of the book is devoted to articles, nouns, and the concept of gender. In Part 1, I also introduce you immediately to numbers, dates and times, and interrogatives (or question words). I devote Part 2 to getting you started with Italian verbs. Part 3 adds onto these basics with adjectives and prepositions. Part 4 goes a bit more deeply into verbs, both to their conjugations and to the way you use them in context. The appendixes provide you with some quick-reference tools to check translations.
Because this is a book for beginners, I don’t talk about some tenses that are generally reserved for more intermediate and advanced study, such as the subjunctive mood, the passive voice, and the passato remoto (distant past) tense.
In each chapter, you have the opportunity to practice what you’ve just read. You may be asked to come up with one word, craft an entire sentence, or select the best word or phrase to complete a sentence. Test your skills so that you can find that information stored in your mind. The Answer Key at the end of each chapter allows you to check your progress.
Conventions Used in This Book
To make this book as easy to use as possible, I used certain conventions throughout:
I
bold
all the Italian words so that they stand out in the text; English translations are in
italics
.
When a practice exercise has more than one correct answer, I provide both the more and the less common answers.
I use some technical grammar terms, in context. Every subject matter has its jargon, and you can more easily learn by example than by engaging in wordy explanations. The more you actively engage and practice with the content, the more familiar it becomes — trust me.
Foolish Assumptions
I made the following assumptions about you (my reader) and your Italian when writing this book:
You’re a novice writer or speaker. You’re already aware that even the simplest sentence in Italian requires an understanding of gender and number options, and the ability to make endings agree.
You’re committed to learning Italian, and you know that it’s okay to make mistakes in order to progress. You also know that sometimes, you just have to commit the material to memory.
You understand basic concepts of English grammar. I define them, but I expect you to have encountered the terms before and be able to apply them to any language. From a grammatical point of view, Italian and English are often substantively different, but with a few exceptions, the grammarians who systematized the two languages used the same concepts: A verb is a verb in both languages, as is a pronoun, an adjective, and so on.
You want to become more precise when using verbs, pronouns, and other parts of speech. Sure, Italians can understand you if you say
volere caffè
(
to want coffee
) instead of
Vorrei un caffè
(
I’d like a coffee
), but the pleasure of speaking a foreign language comes with effective communication and proficiency in it.
You might be planning a trip to Italy.
You want to know everyday Italian, rather than the language of a special field, such as economics or medicine.
I do hope that you’re the reader I had in mind when I was writing this book. It should be challenging, but approachable and rewarding.
Icons Used in This Book
As in all For Dummies books, icons tag information that’s unique in some way. I used the following icons throughout this book (you can spot them in the left-hand margin):
This icon highlights advice that can help you use or remember the information at hand; it can also emphasize minor variations in the topic.
This icon alerts you to grammar rules, special cases, or points about meaning that you should pay particular attention to.
This icon highlights points where Italian and English differ in important ways.
You see this icon at the start of each practice exercise.
Beyond this Book
In addition to the abundance of information and guidance related to embracing Italian that I provide in this book, you can get access to even more help and information online at Dummies.com. Check out this book’s online Cheat Sheet by going to www.dummies.com and searching for Italian Workbook For Dummies Cheat Sheet.
Where to Go from Here
In Italian Workbook For Dummies, I think of my readers as highly motivated people who are self-starters and have the patience to work through training exercises as if they were at the gym. Learning a language isn’t easy, but you can make it more enjoyable by varying your approach. Because Italian is a living language, grow your listening and speaking proficiency during the process of working through this book. Expose yourself to as much authentic language as is possible, and practice speaking and listening whenever you can!
Work your way through the chapters and test yourself with the practices. Try to immerse yourself in the situations that the different tenses represent. Then, check out some Italian websites or listen to some Italian podcasts. Sing along to Italian songs and get Italian subtitles to your favorite programs to help increase your proficiency. And let this book be a guide that you can come back to whenever you have a question or forget a conjugation. Time to get started!
Buon lavoro! (Enjoy! Literally: Have a good experience with this work!)
Part 1
Getting Your Bearings with the Basics
IN THIS PART …
Get started with the basics of Italian. Learn greetings and salutations, plus pronunciation and more. It’s time to start communicating!
Find out about pronouns and articles. Figure out how to use gender in Italian, and when (and when not) to use definite and indefinite articles.
See how to use numbers in Italian, including cardinals, ordinals, dates, and times.
Chapter 1
Greetings! Getting to Know You
IN THIS CHAPTER
Speaking formally and informally
Pronouncing and stressing words
Working with gender
You’ve picked up this book because you’re interested in learning Italian — molto bene! (great!) Whatever your reasons — heritage, travel, work, food, Italophilia, love of languages — you’re in the right place: Benvenute/Benvenuti! (Welcome!)
What are some essential first steps in getting your feet wet in another language? Communication, making yourself understood, and understanding throughout a variety of social situations, as well as creating a solid foundation on which to build.
This chapter provides you with some Italian basics on using formal and informal conventions. I illustrate the formal and informal with communicative exercises that can help you confidently express — whether you’re speaking or writing in Italian — greetings and salutations, and forms of courtesy. This chapter also provides a preliminary consideration of pronunciation and gender, two elements you can’t do without.
Deciding between Formal and Informal
The Italian language clearly recognizes and requires two different conventions of address, formal and informal, depending on whom you’re addressing and also the situation. When you understand what convention to use, you’re better equipped to communicate meaningfully, to convey respect for the person, and to also show regard for cultural differences.
The informal is usually designated with the pronouns tu/voi (you) and the formal Lei (you): These pronouns connect concretely to verb forms (see Chapter 4) and possessive adjectives (see Chapter 10). In Italian, you generally use the formal address to write or speak to a stranger, teacher, business acquaintance, customer, waitstaff, salesperson, or boss. You usually use the informal address with family members, friends, people your same age or younger, or children.
Italian is a living language. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for you to practice saying and hearing Italian while you go through this book. Although you need to approach the language holistically and in context, you also need a grasp on the individual parts of the whole, which is where this book comes in.
When meeting someone for the first time, Italians customarily shake hands. When you see someone whom you haven’t seen in a while, or when you stop by your aunt’s house, Italians customarily kiss each other on both cheeks, first on one side, then the other.
To put formal and informal conventions to use, the following sections walk you through Italian greetings and phrases.
Formal greetings
Use the following formal phrases when you want to meet and greet a stranger, someone whom you don’t know very well, and/or someone to whom you should show respect. Use titles when you know what titles apply, such as Dottore/Dottoressa (Doctor), or either Signore (Mr.) or Signora (Mrs.).
Table 1-1 provides you with some terms generally associated with greetings and salutations. While you go through this table, make a mental note (or even underline and highlight) some of the differences and similarities between Table 1-1 and Table 1-2 (in the next section), which provides the informal phrases.
You use buona notte when you know it’s actually bedtime; consider it another way of saying, “Have a good sleep.” Start to use buona sera in the late afternoon until you go to bed. For example, say it’s 10 p.m. and you walk into your hotel. You first greet the concierge by saying, “Buona sera.” After you get your key and are on your way to your room, you can say, “Buona notte.”
Cut off the final e when using a last name with masculine titles:
Signore
becomes
Signor Tarroni
.
Dottore
becomes
Dottor Costa
.
Professore
becomes
Professor Gambi
.
The title Ms. doesn’t exist in Italian, so you use either Signora (Miss) or Signorina (Mrs./Ma’am).
For female professional titles of doctor and professor, you use Dottoressa and Professoressa.
Table 1-1 Formal Greetings and Salutations
English
Italian
Hello/Good morning
Buon giorno/Buongiorno
Hello
Salve
Good afternoon
Buon pomeriggio
Good evening
Buona sera/Buonasera
Good night
Buona notte/Buonanotte
Miss (young woman)
Signorina
Mrs./Ma’am (older married or unmarried woman)
Signora
Mr./Sir
Signore
My name is …
Mi chiamo …
What’s your name?
Come si chiama?
How are you?
Come sta?
Where are you from?
Di dov’è?
Sono di …
I’m from …
Well.
Bene.
Very well.
Molto bene.
So-so.
Così così.
Fair/pretty well.
Abbastanza bene.
(I’m) not well.
(Sto) male.
Not bad.
Non c’è male.
Thank you, and you?
Grazie, e lei?
Nice to meet you.
Piacere (di conoscerla).
It’s a pleasure.
È un piacere.
It’s a great pleasure.
Molto piacere.
The pleasure is mine.
Il piacere è mio.
Goodbye.
Arrivederci.
See you later.
A dopo.
See you soon.
A presto.
See you tomorrow.
A domani.
Have a good day.
Buona giornata.
Have a good evening.
Buona serata.
Here are a few more titles in both their masculine and feminine forms:
Avvocato
/
Avvocata
(
Attorney
)
Giudice
(
Judge
)
Sindaco
/
Sindaca
(
Mayor
)
The title Dottore/Dottoressa can have two meanings in Italian: You can use it for someone who has a university degree (meaning a B.A. or a B.S.), as well as for a medical doctor and a person who has a Ph.D. In the United States, the word doctor is reserved for medical doctors and people who have Ph.D.s.
Informal greetings
Use informal phrases when you want to meet and greet a friend, relative, child, people who are younger than you, and (of course) your beloved pet. Notice that you find some overlap between some of the terms in the formal list (see Table 1-1) and the informal list in Table 1-2.
A good rule of thumb is that you use the informal when on a first name basis with someone.
Table 1-2 Informal Greetings and Salutations
English
Italian
Hi.
Ciao.
My name is …
Mi chiamo …
I’m (meaning My name is …)
Sono…
What’s your name?
Come ti chiami?
How are you?
Come stai?
Thank you, and you?
Grazie, e tu?
Well.
Bene.
Very well.
Molto bene.
So-so.
Così così.
Fair./Pretty well.
Abbastanza bene.
Not well.
Male.
Not bad.
Non c’è male.
Where are you from?
Di dove sei?
I’m from …
Sono di …
It’s a pleasure (to meet you).
Piacere (di conoscerti).
How nice it is to see you.
Che piacere vederti.
How’s it going?
Come va?
What’s new?
Che c’è di nuovo?
What’s up?/What’s wrong?
Che c’è?
Nothing much.
Niente.
See you later.
Ci vediamo.
See you (very) soon.
A presto.
Until next time.
Alla prossima
See you tomorrow.
A domani.
Have a good day.
Buona giornata.
Have a good evening.
Buona serata.
Bye.
Ciao.
Prego not only means You’re welcome. It also means, Please, come this way; Please, by all means, you first; or Here you go!
You’re not always spontaneously introducing yourself to someone else. Sometimes, you’re introduced. Compare the informal and the formal introductions in the following examples.
Ti presento Camilla
(informal). (
This is Camilla.
/
Let me introduce you to Camilla.
)
Le presento mia madre, Mary
(formal). (
This is my mother, Mary.
/
Let me introduce you to my mother, Mary.
)
Formal and informal usage distinctions inform your use of everything from possessive adjectives to verbs in all tenses. You can’t get away from this convention — but of course, it’s okay to make mistakes! You just need to make yourself understood.
Translate the following.
Q.What’s new?
A.Che c’è di nuovo?
1 My name is…
2 Good morning!
3 Hi! (informal)
4 Where are you from? (informal)
5 Good evening, Mr. Marotti.
6 Nothing’s new.
7 Have a good day!
8 How are you? (formal)
9 How nice to see you! (informal)
10 See you soon!
11 Thank you… You’re welcome.
12 Pleasure to meet you.
Don’t panic if the distinctions and terms related to formal and informal address don’t seem so straightforward. You can gain a lot of practice by using formal and informal with all of the verb tenses covered in this book, as well as with possessive adjectives (Chapter 10).
Now fill in the missing term and practice the following mini-dialogue based on the cues provided. Practice reading them aloud.
Q. You see your neighbor, Mrs. Coia.
Buon ___________ (day), _________ (Mrs.) Coia
________(how) sta?
A.Buon giorno, signora Coia.
Come sta?
13 You see your friend Giorgio.
“(Hi)________ Giorgio! Come __________ (are you)?”
“Bene, ____________ (thanks), e ____________ (you)?”
“Non __________ (not bad).”
Forms of courtesy
It’s always good to know how to be courteous when communicating with others. Saying please and thank you in any language goes a long way. Table 1-3 lists common forms of courtesy.
Table 1-3 Being Polite
English
Italian
please
per favore
please
per piacere
please
per cortesia
Thank you.
Grazie.
Thanks so much.
Grazie mille.
Thank you very much.
Molte grazie.
Thank you, that’s very kind (of you).
Grazie, molto gentile.
You’re welcome.
Prego
Don’t mention it.
Non c’è di che.
It was nothing.
Niente
Excuse me.
(Mi) scusi. (formal)
Excuse me, I need some information, please.
Mi scusi, un’informazione, per favore.
Excuse me./I’m sorry.
Scusa/scusami (informal)
I’m sorry.
Mi dispiace.
Provide the most appropriate response to the following statements/situations by using the forms of courtesy in Table 1-3. (Check the answer key if in doubt!)
Q. You need to ask someone for information.
A.Mi scusi, un’informazione, per favore.
14 Someone gives up their seat for you on a crowded bus. Thank them profusely. __________
15 They tell you not to worry about their kind gesture. __________
16 You’re late for your aperitivo date with your friend. __________
17 You ask for a glass of water at the bar (caffè): Un bicchiere d’acqua, __________.
18 Your friend has just told you they just lost their job: __________
Working with Pronunciation
Italian provides many opportunities to have fun because the language offers you some new sounds. In this section, I give you some basic pronunciation hints that can help you both surf through this book and have good articulation when you speak Italian.
Next to the Italian words in this chapter, you can find the pronunciation in parentheses. Then I give you some helpful hints about how to read these pronunciations — that is, how to pronounce the Italian words. Follow the code that I give you outlining which letters refer to which sounds all through this book.
The best way to understand Italian pronunciation though, is to listen to it. I highly recommend finding some reliable sites on the Internet, from the alphabet to podcasts to cartoons to music, to help you get this pronunciation down. Listen, read, and repeat as much as you need to!
In the pronunciations, I separate the syllables with a hyphen, like this: casa (kah-sah) (house). Furthermore, I underline the stressed syllable, which means that you emphasize your tone on the underlined syllable. If you can figure out the correct pronunciation in this chapter, starting with the alphabet (see Table 1-4), you’ll read Italian like, well, a real Italian.
Table 1-4 Alfabeto (ahl-fah-beh-toh)
Letter
Pronunciation
Letter
Pronunciation
Letter
Pronunciation
a
ah
l
el-le
U
ooh
b
bee
m
em-me
V
vooh
c
chee
n
en-ne
Z
dzeh-tah
d
dee
o
oh
e
eh
p
pee
f
ef-fe
q
kooh
g
jee
r
ehr-reh
h
ahk-kah
s
ehs-she
i
ee
t
Tee
Stressing Words Properly
In Romance languages, accents can make a big difference. In Italian, you write the accent only on vowels.
Stress is the audible accent that you put on a syllable when you speak it. One syllable always gets more stress than all the others.
Some words give you a hint as to where to stress them: They have an accent — (`) or (´) — above one of their letters. The accent falls on the vowel at the end of the last syllable, as in città (city) and virtù (virtue). You should memorize the spelling of these common words with an accented final vowel.
Here are some examples:
caffè
(kahf-
feh
) (
coffee
)
città
(cheet-
tah
) (
city
)
lunedì
(loo-neh-
dee
) (
Monday
)
perché
(pehr-
keh
) (
why
)
però
(peh-
roh
) (
but
)
università
(ooh-nee-vehr-see-
tah
) (
university
)
virtù
(veer-
tooh
) (
virtue
)
If the word doesn’t have an accent, you’re unfortunately left on your own. Italian tends to have the stress on the penultimate (next-to-last) syllable. Although there are too many rules and exceptions to list them all here, keep the following points in mind:
The accent tells you where to stress the word.
The most important function of an accent is to change a word’s meaning.
Fortunately, only a few words have the same spelling and only an accent to distinguish them. But it can be a very important distinction, as in the following examples:
la
(
the
/
her
) and
là
(
there
)
da
(
from
/
by
) and
dà
(
she
/
he gives
)
e (eh) (and) and è (eh) (he/she/it is) are distinguished only by the accent on the vowel, which means is.
Using Gender in Italian
You can’t get around the use of gender in Italian. Nouns are either masculine or feminine: There’s no neutral. (Chapter 2 goes into detail about the gender and number of nouns and articles.) Most of the elements that make up a sentence — definite articles (the), indefinite articles (a/an), contracted prepositions, adjectives, personal pronouns, direct and indirect object pronouns, past participles — must reckon with gender and number, and follow some basic rules. Keep the following in mind:
Nouns and articles: As in
il gatto
(
the male cat
) or
la gatta
(
the female cat
).
Adjectives: As in
bello
,
bella
,
belli
,
belle
,
bei
,
bel
,
begli
, or
bell’
, which all mean
beautiful
, have to agree in gender and number with the noun.
Past participles: Used frequently in compound tenses, as in
andato
and
andati
(
went
/
gone
, referring to a singular and a plural masculine noun) or
andata
and
andate
(
went
/
gone
, referring to a singular feminine and plural noun).
Masculine singular: It is the default gender. In an Italian dictionary, adjectives and other qualifiers that can vary in gender and/or number are listed in the masculine singular (unless they exist only in the feminine, such as la spia [spy]).
For example, no one is listed under nessuno (nobody). Only the examples in the entry indicate (if you don’t know it already) that you can use nessuna (feminine singular). Similarly, the color red is an adjective listed as rosso (red), even though it can become rossa, rossi, and rosse, depending on the gender and number of the noun it’s modifying.
Even though Italian grammar dictates that the gender defaults to masculine, even when referring to a room that has, for example, 14 women and 2 men, things are changing slowly in Italy to become more inclusive.
In the spirit of inclusivity, many of my friends who are high school teachers and college professors use an asterisk (*) or a schwa (ə) when writing (and speaking) to groups of mixed gender, and also where some participants may identify as non-binary or whose gender isn’t known, so that they can avoid privileging one gender over the other. They might start an e-mail with, for example: Car* tutt* instead of Cari tutti (Dear All), which defaults to the masculine.
Other colleagues choose to make the feminine the default gender in the classroom, just to mix things up. Many maintain that women fought so hard and for so long to be recognized that they’re not quite willing to subsume themselves in an asterisk or schwa.
Still others refer to both genders: le mie studentesse e i miei studenti (my female students and my male students) instead of the conventional i miei studenti for my students (which is masculine by default).
In Italian, you only use loro/il-la-i-le loro(they/theirs) when you are referring to a plural subject. But what to do with pronouns in the inclusive classroom where they/theirs isn’t an option because of the very gendered nature of Italian? Some people ask non-binary students to choose which gender they want to use in the classroom, for the purpose of agreement, and with the understanding that they can always change it. Recent progressive initiatives in some Italian schools are also sensitive to naming, asking students and teachers to choose their preferred pronouns. In Italy, like in the United States, some are resistant to inclusive language, while others are actively adopting it.
Answers to “Greetings! Getting to Know You” Practice Questions
1Mi chiamo… (My name is…)
2Buon giorno!/Buongiorno! (Good morning!)
3Ciao! (Hi! informal)
4Di dove sei? (Where are you from? informal)
5Buona sera, signor Marotti. (Good evening, Mr. Marotti.)
6Niente di nuovo. (Nothing’s new.)
7Buona giornata! (Have a good day!)
8Come sta? (How are you? formal)
9Che piacere vederti! (How nice to see you! informal)
10A presto! (See you soon!)
11Grazie… Prego. (Thank you…You’re welcome.)
12Piacere! (Pleasure to meet you!)
13 “(Hi) Ciao Giorgio! Come stai (are you)?”
“Bene, grazie (thanks), e tu (you)?”
“Non non c’è male (not bad).”
14Grazie mille! (Thank you so much!)/Molto gentile! (That’s very kind!)
15Non c’è di che. (Don’t mention it.)/Niente. (It was nothing.)
16Scusami! (Excuse me!)
17per favore/per piacere/per cortesia (please)
18Mi dispiace! (I’m sorry!)
Chapter 2
Embedded Gender and Number: Nouns and Articles
IN THIS CHAPTER
Distinguishing between masculine and feminine nouns
Working with definite and indefinite articles
Nouns are those exciting and diverse basic building blocks that cover every topic under the sun. Nouns serve similar purposes in Italian and English, but there’s an important difference that you can’t get around. Italian nouns have a gender: They’re masculine or feminine (see Chapter 1 for a discussion on gender in the Italian language). When Italian nouns refer to certain things, their grammatical gender is merely a product of convention and usage: il sole (sun) and il giorno (day) are masculine, but la luna (moon) and la notte (night) are feminine.
Definite articles, which translate as the word the, frequently accompany nouns much more than in English usage, and agree with nouns in number and gender.
In this chapter, I show you how to distinguish between feminine and masculine nouns, how to form plural nouns, and which definite and indefinite articles to use.
Distinguishing between Masculine and Feminine Nouns
In most Indo-European languages (the family to which both Italian and English belong), nouns have a gender. In Italian, you deal with two genders: masculine and feminine. Other parts of speech — such as demonstrative pronouns, combined prepositions, articles and adjectives — reflect noun gender, as well, and these other parts of speech have to agree with the gender of the noun.
This section focuses on nouns, discussing what word endings tell you about gender and providing a map for transforming singular nouns into plural nouns.
Grammatically, the noun endings in the singular usually help you figure out to which gender they belong. Like always, you have to watch out for exceptions to the norm, but first things first: the regular guys.
Table 2-1 illustrates the noun endings for masculine and feminine singular and plural nouns. In general, nouns ending in -a are feminine and nouns ending in -o are masculine.
Table 2-1: Regular Singular and Plural Noun Endings
Gender
Singular
Plural
Masculine
o
i
Feminine
a
e
Masculine or Feminine
e
i
I give you some clues in the following sections about knowing the gender of nouns that end in –e in the singular and –i in the plural, but you generally need to determine their gender upon first encounter, and then just memorize that gender.
Some nouns end in –ore in the masculine and –ice in the feminine, such as the ones in this table.
Masculine
Feminine
attore (actor)
attrice (actress)
pittore (male painter)
pittrice (female painter)
You add an h to the plurals of nouns ending in –ca, –co, –go, and –ga, to keep the hard sound of k or g, such as with the word amica (female friend) to create amiche (female friends), barca (boat) to create barche (boats), and lago (lake) to create laghi (lakes). One word that doesn’t follow this spelling and pronunciation exception is the plural form of amico (male friend), which is amici (male friends). I have no clue why it does that!
Masculine nouns
Masculine nouns often end in –o in the singular and –i in the plural, like those in the following table.
Singular
Plural
biscotto (cookie)
biscotti (cookies)
libro (book)
libri (books)
amico (friend)
amici (friends)
giorno (day)
giorni (days)
ragazzo (boy)
ragazzi (boys)
Masculine nouns may also end in a consonant in the singular. These words are often borrowed from another language, and they’re invariable, which means they have the exact same form in the singular as they have in the plural. With these words, articles come in very handy, as I discuss in the section “Sorting out Definite and Indefinite Articles,” later in this chapter. In the following table, I illustrate these unchanging nouns that end in a consonant.
Singular
Plural
un autobus (a/one bus)
due autobus (two buses)
uno sport (a/one sport)
tre sport (three sports)
un bar (a/one bar/cafe)
quattro bar (four bars/cafes)
uno chef (a/one chef)
cinque chef (five chefs)
When you see the indefinite article uno (meaning a, an, or one) preceding a noun, how do you know whether it means one or a/an? Let context and common sense be your guide when in doubt. I explain how these articles work in the section “Keeping things general with indefinite articles,” later in this chapter. Any word in Italian that has an accented final vowel is invariable. Many feminine nouns follow this rule. But this table shows two important Italian masculine nouns that have an accented final vowel.
Singular
Plural
un caffè (a coffee)
otto caffè (eight coffees)
un lunedì (a Monday)
nove lunedì (nine Mondays)
Some masculine nouns end in –e in the singular and in –i in the plural, such as with the very common nouns in the following table.
Singular
Plural
ristorante (restaurant)
ristoranti (restaurants)
esame (exam)
esami (exams)
padre (father)
padri (fathers)
latte (milk)
bicchiere (glass, as in glass of water)
bicchieri (glasses)
studente (student)
studenti (students)
pesce (fish)
pesci (fishes)
mare (sea)
mari (seas)
Note the very common exceptions of masculine plural nouns in the following table.
Singular
Plural
un uomo (a/one man)
cinque uomini (five men)
un uovo (a/one egg)
sei uova (six eggs) (This noun goes from masculine to feminine.)
un cinema (a/one cinema)
due cinema (two cinemas) (This noun is invariable.)
un frigo(a/one fridge)
tre frigo (three fridges) (This noun is invariable.)
The nouns cinema (cinematografo) and frigo (frigorifero) are abbreviations and thus invariable.
Some nouns ending in –a are masculine because they derive from classical Greek: un problema (problem), un tema (theme), and un programma (program).
Feminine nouns
Feminine nouns often end in –a in the singular and –e in the plural. Note the examples in the following table.
Singular
Plural
ora (hour)
ore (hours)
pasta (pastry)
paste (pastries)
pizza (pizza)
pizze (pizzas)
ragazza (girl)
ragazze (girls)
birra (beer)
birre (beers)
macchina (car)
macchine (cars)
studentessa (female student)
studentesse (female students)
amica (female friend)
amiche (female friends)
donna (woman)
donne (women)
penna (pen)
penne (pens)
The noun pasta has different meanings depending on the context. It can mean pasta (such as a dish of spaghetti), as well as pastry (a baked good) and the dough you use to make the pastry. Don’t confuse the word pasta with pasto, which means meal.
Some feminine nouns, like masculine nouns, end in –e in the singular and in –i in the plural. Here’s a good hint for remembering that these words are feminine: They all end in –ione in the singular. Note the three examples in the following table.
Singular
Plural
una lezione (one lesson)
due lezioni (two lessons)
una regione (one region)
tre regioni (three regions)
una stazione (one station)
quattro stazioni (four stations)
