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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Fremdsprachen
- Sprache: Englisch
The Dummies language learning method makes it easy to speak Italiano
Italian For Dummies is your quick-start guide to the Italian language. It offers friendly and clear instruction on Italian grammar and pronunciation, and even some cultural background to spice things up. You'll also get ample practice opportunities, so you can quickly build your skill in conversational Italian. Traveling to an Italian-speaking country? This book has you covered, with useful travel phrases and a guide to the common words and expressions you're likely to hear. With a mini-dictionary and other helpful resources, Italian For Dummies will show you why Dummies language guides are popular with students and travelers alike.
- Learn the basics of Italian grammar and start speaking the language right away
- Prepare to travel to Italian-speaking countries for work, school, or pleasure
- Work through authentic conversations in Italian to learn how the language is really spoken, plus follow along with online audio
- Master Italian pronunciation so you can communicate effectively
For anyone wanting to grasp the basics of conversational Italian—even if you have no prior experience—Italian For Dummies will get you started with this beautiful language.
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Seitenzahl: 458
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025
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Italian For Dummies®
To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Italian For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.
Table of Contents
Cover
Table of Contents
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 Started with Italian
Chapter 1: Saying Italian Like It Is
You Already Know Some Italian!
Sounding Italian: The Essentials
Kickstarting your Italian with keywords
Stressing Words Properly
Chapter 2: Jumping Into the Basics of Italian
Setting Up Simple Sentences
Dealing with Gender and Number (Articles, Nouns, and Adjectives)
Talking about Pronouns
Exploring Verbs
Presenting the Simple Tenses: Past, Present, and Future
Chapter 3: Buongiorno Italia!
Looking at Common Greetings and Farewells
Making Introductions
Getting Acquainted
Chapter 4: Getting Your Numbers and Time Straight
Practicing Using Numbers
Identifying Times of Day and Days of the Week
Using the Calendar
Asking about and Giving Dates
Telling Time
Chatting about the Weather
Familiarizing Yourself with the Metric System
Part 2: Italian in Action
Chapter 5: Casa Dolce Casa (Home Sweet Home)
Practicing Ordinal Numbers
Living in Your Home
Housekeeping in Style
Cooking at Home
Doing Household Chores
Chapter 6: Where Is the Colosseum? Asking Directions
Finding Your Way: Asking for Specific Places
Knowing Where You Are and Following Directions
Getting a Move on It: Verbs You Can Use
When You Don’t Understand: What to Say
Looking For a Specific Location
Chapter 7: Food Glorious Food — and Don’t Forget the Drinks
Drinking Italian Style
Dining Out: The Beginning and the Ending
Having Breakfast
Eating Lunch
Enjoying Dinner
Shopping for Food
Chapter 8: Shopping Italian Style
Figuring Out What to Shop
Knowing What You’re Buying
Chapter 9: Having Fun Out on the Town
Diving Into the Culture
Chapter 10: From Ring to Ping: Phones, Texts, Emails, & More
Communicating Made Simple
Making Arrangements over the Phone
Handling Missed Calls and Messages
What Did You Do Last Weekend? — Talking about the Past
Discussing Your Job
Chapter 11: Recreation and the Outdoors
Enjoying the Great Outdoors
Speaking Reflexively
Playing Sports
Talking about Hobbies and Interests
Part 3: Italian on the Go
Chapter 12: Planning a Trip
Deciding When and Where to Go
Taking a Tour
Booking a Trip/Traveling to a Foreign Country
Arriving and Leaving: The Verbs “Arrivare” and “Partire”
Going to the Beach or to the Spa
Using the Simple Future Tense
Chapter 13: Money, Money, Money
Going to the Bank
Changing Money
Using Credit Cards
Looking at Various Currencies
Chapter 14: Getting Around: Planes, Trains, Taxis, & Buses
Getting through the Airport
Dealing With Lost Luggage
Renting a Car
Navigating Public Transportation
Leaving Early or Arriving Late
Chapter 15: Finding a Place to Stay
Choosing a Place to Stay
Reserving a Room
Checking In
Yours, Mine, and Ours: Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns
Speaking with Authority: The Imperative
Chapter 16: Handling Emergencies
Asking for Help: A Quick Overview
Talking to Doctors
Reporting an Accident to the Police
I’ve Been Robbed! Knowing What to Do and Say When the Police Arrive
Dealing with Car Trouble
When You Need a Lawyer: Protecting Your Rights
Reporting a Lost or Stolen Passport
Chapter 17: Making Small Talk
Discovering Interrogative Pronouns
Taking Care of Basic Needs
Talking about Yourself and Your Family — More about Possessives
Speaking Perfectly about the Past with the Imperfect
Talking Shop
Part 4: The Part of Tens
Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Pick Up Italian Quickly
Read Italian Food Labels
Ask for Food in Italian
Listen to Italian Music and Podcasts
Read Italian Publications
Watch Italian Movies and TV Programs with Italian Subtitles
Switch Your Apps and Phone to Italian
Follow Italian Social Media Accounts
Share Your Interest
Surf the Net
Cook like an Italian
Chapter 19: Ten Things to Know When Traveling to Italy
Ciao Isn’t for Everyone
Modesty Sometimes Matters …
Weigh Your Fruit and Vegetables While Wearing Gloves
Bag It Yourself … and Pay for the Bags
Free Water? Not Here!
Pepperoni, Cheese on Pasta, and Meatballs
Tables Are for Diners
The Cappuccino Conundrum …
Chapter 20: Ten Favorite Italian Expressions
Mamma mia!
Dai!
Uffa!
Che ne so!/Boh!
Magari!
Ti sta bene!
Non te la prendere!
Non vedo l’ora!
Non mi va!
Mi raccomando!
Part 5: Appendixes
Appendix A: Italian-EnglishMiniDictionary
Italian-English Mini Dictionary
English-Italian Mini Dictionary
Appendix B: Verb Tables
Italian Regular Verbs
Avere and Essere
Other Irregular Verbs
Common Irregular Past Participles
Appendix C: AnswerKeys
Index
About the Authors
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
List of Tables
Chapter 1
TABLE 1-1 The Italian Alphabet (ahl-fah-
beh
-toh)
Chapter 2
TABLE 2-1 Indefinite Articles
TABLE 2-2 Definite Articles (Articoli determinativi) (ahr-
tee
-koh-lee deh-tehr-m...
TABLE 2-3 Subject Pronouns
TABLE 2-4 Idiomatic Uses of Avere
TABLE 2-5 Idiomatic Uses of Fare
Chapter 3
TABLE 3-1 Using chiamarsi
TABLE 3-2 Some Nationalities and Countries I
TABLE 3-3 Some Nationalities and Countries II
Chapter 4
TABLE 4-1 Numbers
TABLE 4-2 Days of the Week
TABLE 4-3 Months
Chapter 5
TABLE 5-1 Ordinal Numbers
TABLE 5-2 Common House-Hunting Questions and Answers
TABLE 5-3 Room Furniture Translation
Chapter 7
TABLE 7-1 Fruits and Vegetables
Chapter 8
TABLE 8-1 Clothing Sizes
TABLE 8-2 Colors
TABLE 8-3 Shoe Sizes
Chapter 10
TABLE 10-1 Passato Prossimo with Avere
TABLE 10-2 Past Participles Using Avere
TABLE 10-3 Passato Prossimo with Essere
TABLE 10-4 Past Participles Using Essere
Chapter 11
TABLE 11-1 Reflexive Verbs
TABLE 11-2 Sports Verbs
Chapter 12
TABLE 12-1 Simple Future
Chapter 13
TABLE 13-1 Currencies
Chapter 15
TABLE 15-1 Making Plurals
TABLE 15-2 Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns
TABLE 15-3 Imperative Verb Endings
TABLE 15-4 Exceptional Imperatives
Chapter 16
TABLE 16-1 Basic Body Parts
TABLE 16-2 Body Parts Plurals
Chapter 17
TABLE 17-1 Relatives
TABLE 17-3 Professions/Jobs
List of Illustrations
Chapter 6
FIGURE 6-1: Map of the historic district of Florence, Italy.
Chapter 7
FIGURE 7-1: A typical Italian lunch menu, from antipasti to il dolce.
Chapter 9
FIGURE 9-1: A casual invitation, suitable for WhatsApp, email, or print.
FIGURE 9-2: The classic formal, engraved invitation.
Chapter 14
FIGURE 14-1: Typical Italian train schedule.
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Begin Reading
Index
About the Authors
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Italian For Dummies®, 3rd Edition
Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2026 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved, including rights for text and data mining and training of artificial technologies or similar technologies.
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Published simultaneously in Canada
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For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. For technical support, please visit https://hub.wiley.com/community/support/dummies.
Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2025945491
ISBN 978-1-394-32146-9 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-394-32148-3 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-394-32147-6 (ebk)
Introduction
The current era is fascinating, one that interconnects everyone with others all around the world. With globalization and technology as the driving forces, you find yourselves getting in closer and closer contact with more and more people. As a result, knowing how to say at least a few words in a language such as Italian is becoming an ever-more-vital tool.
Whatever your reason for wanting to learn some Italian, Italian For Dummies is a terrific choice because it gives you the skills you need for basic communication in Italian. We aren’t promising fluency here, but basic communicative competency that will allow you to be understood. If you need to greet someone, purchase a ticket, or order off a menu in Italian, you need look no further than this book.
About This Book
This isn’t a class that you have to drag yourself to twice a week for a specified period of time. You can use Italian For Dummies however you want to, whether your goal is to learn some words and phrases to help you get around when you visit Italy, or you just want to be able to say “Hello, how are you?” to your Italian-speaking neighbor. Go through this book at your own pace, reading as much or as little at a time as you like. You don’t have to follow the chapters in order, either; just read the sections that interest you.
Note: If you’ve never taken Italian before, you may want to read the chapters in Part 1 before you tackle the later chapters.
Conventions Used in This Book
To make this book easy for you to navigate, we’ve set up a few conventions:
Italian terms are set in
boldface
to make them stand out.
Pronunciation is set in parentheses following the Italian term and the stressed syllables are
italicized
.
English translations are also set in italics. You can find them set in parentheses following the pronunciation of Italian terms or sentences.
Verb conjugations (lists that show you the forms of a verb) are given in tables in this order of six persons: “I,” “you (singular, informal),” “he/she/it/you (singular, formal),” “we,” “you (plural/informal),” and “they/you (plural, formal)” form. Pronunciations follow in the second column. Following is an example using the verb
parlare
(pahr-
lah
-reh)
(to speak).
The translations in the third column have all three forms, but for the sake of space, I only give you the first:
Conjugation
Pronunciation
Translation
io parlo
ee-oh pahr-loh
I speak, I do speak, I am speaking
tu parli
tooh pahr-lee
you (informal) speak
lui/lei/Lei parla
looh-ee/ley/ley pahr-lah
he/she/you (formal) speak
noi parliamo
noi pahr-lyah-moh
we speak
voi parlate
voi par-lah-teh
you (plural informal) speak
loro parlano
loh-roh pahr-lah-noh
they/you (plural formal) speak
Language learning is a peculiar beast, so this book includes a few elements that other For Dummies books don’t. Following are the new elements you’ll find:
Talkin’ the Talk dialogues:
The best way to learn a language is to see and hear how it’s used in conversation, so we include dialogues throughout the book under the heading “Talkin’ the Talk.” Listen to and repeat these dialogues as often as you like. Both the online audio tracks and the text can help you approximate authentic pronunciation. You can find the online audio tracks at
www.dummies.com/go/italianfd3e
.
Words to Know blackboards:
Identifying key words and phrases is also important in language learning, so we group important words in a chapter on a chalkboard with the heading “Words to Know.”
Fun & Games activities:
You can use the Fun & Games activities at end of most chapters to reinforce some chapter concepts you’ve learned. These word games are fun ways to gauge your progress.
Also note that because each language has its own ways of expressing ideas, the English translations that we provide for the Italian terms may not always be literal. We want you to know the gist of what’s being said. For example, the phrase Mi dica (mee dee-kah) can be translated literally as the formal imperative Tell me, but the phrase is commonly used to mean (How) Can I help you?
Foolish Assumptions
To write this book, we make some assumptions about who you are and what you hope to gain from it:
You know little to no Italian — or if you took it in school, you don’t recall much.
You’re not looking for a book that will make you fluent in Italian; you just want to know some words, phrases, and sentence constructions so that you can communicate basic information in Italian.
You don’t want to have to memorize long lists of vocabulary words or a bunch of boring grammar rules.
If these statements apply to you, you’ve found the right book!
Icons Used in This Book
You may be looking for particular information while reading this book. To make certain types of information easier for you to find, we’ve placed the following icons in the left-hand margins throughout the book:
This icon highlights tips that can make learning Italian easier.
To ensure that you don’t forget important information, this icon serves as a reminder, like a string tied around your finger.
Languages are full of quirks that may trip you up if you’re not prepared for them. This icon points to discussions of these unusual grammar rules.
If you’re looking for information and advice about culture and travel, look for these icons.
The online audio tracks that accompany this book give you the opportunity to listen to real Italian speakers. This icon marks the Talkin’ the Talk dialogues that you can listen to online; just go to www.dummies.com/go/italianfd3e.
Beyond This Book
In addition to what you’re reading right now, this book comes with a free, access-anywhere Cheat Sheet containing phrases and tips for learning Italian faster. To get this Cheat Sheet, go to www.dummies.com and type “Italian For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the search box.
Where to Go from Here
Learning a language is all about jumping in and giving it a try (no matter how bad your pronunciation is at first). So take the leap! Start at the beginning, pick a chapter that interests you, or listen to a few dialogues online. Skip the parts that distract you and take you away from Italian (such as the pronunciation spellings and translations after you’ve been through them once): The more you think in Italian, the more natural it will come to you. Before long, you’ll be able to respond, “Sì!” when people ask, “Parla italiano?”
Part 1
Getting Started with Italian
IN THIS PART …
Discover the basics of the Italian language.
Focus on pronunciation to help you sound like a native.
Explore the world of basic Italian grammar so you can make sure your nouns and verbs agree and other important rules.
Know how to say “hello” and “goodbye” as well as how to introduce yourself and others.
Find out how to tell time, add dates to your calendar, and ask for phone numbers.
Chapter 2
Jumping Into the Basics of Italian
IN THIS CHAPTER
Introducing simple sentence construction
Dealing with gender and number
Discovering the use of pronouns
Using the right “you”
Exploring regular and irregular verbs
Uncovering the present tense
This chapter takes a look at some basic Italian grammar and leads you through the building blocks of sentences. Consider these blocks as challenging scaffolding that helps you to construct your sentences, piece by piece. In this chapter, we walk you through gender and number, as well as how to conjugate enough verbs to get you immediately on the road to communicating in Italian.
Setting Up Simple Sentences
Becoming a fluent speaker of a foreign language takes a lot of work. Simply communicating or making yourself understood in another language is much easier. Even if you only know a few words, you can usually communicate successfully in common situations such as at a restaurant or a hotel.
Forming simple sentences is, well, simple. The basic sentence structure of Italian is subject-verb-object — the same as in English. Nouns in Italian are gender specific. In the following examples, you can see how this structure works:
Carla parla inglese.
(
kahr
-lah
pahr
-lah een-
gleh
-zeh)
(Carla speaks English.)
Pietro ha una macchina.
(
pyeh
-troh ah
ooh
-nah
mahk
-kee-nah) (
Pietro has a car.)
L’Italia è un bel paese.
(lee-
tah-
lyah eh oohn behl pah-
eh
-zeh)
(Italy is a beautiful country.)
Dealing with Gender and Number (Articles, Nouns, and Adjectives)
Gender drives the construction of definite and indefinite articles, nouns, and adjectives. It is essential to learn the gender of nouns as soon as you encounter them, because that will determine what article and adjective you’re going to use with them — these are all interconnected. Luckily most of this grammar follows some very cool schemata that you can plug in anywhere once you have it down. The more you commit these to memory, the easier it will be to effectively create sentences.
Gender and number
All nouns have a specific gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). Understanding these characteristics is essential for constructing and interpreting sentences, ensuring proper verb agreement and correctly using articles and adjectives. The good news is that nouns follow a predictable pattern. The following shows you how to form the singular and plural of masculine and feminine nouns. See if you can infer the rules just by looking at this chart.
Masculine nouns singular
-o (oh)
un libro (oohn lee-broh) (a/one book)
Feminine nouns singular
-a (ah)
una casa (ooh-nah kah-zah) (a/one house)
Masculine nouns plural
-i (ee)
due libri (dooh-eh lee-bree) (two books)
Feminine nouns plural
-e (eh)
due case (dooh-eh kah-zeh) (two houses)
Masculine/feminine nouns singular
-e (eh)
un ristorante (m) (oohn reeh-stoh-rhan-teh) (a/one restaurant)
una stazione (f) (ooh-nah stah- tsyoh-neh) (a/one train station)
Masculine/feminine nouns plural
-i (ee)
due ristoranti (dooh-eh reeh-stoh- rhan-tee) (two restaurants)
due stazioni (dooh-eh stah-tsyoh-nee) (two train stations)
So, the rules are as follows:
Masculine nouns usually end in
-o
in the singular and
-i
in the plural.
Feminine nouns usually end in
-a
in the singular and
-e
in the plural.
Masculine and feminine nouns that end in -e in the singular, end in -i in the plural. It’s a good idea to memorize the gender of these nouns.
Any noun ending in –ione (like nazione [nah-tsyoh-neh]) is feminine.
That was pretty painless, wasn’t it? Are you ready for some exceptions in the way of invariable nouns? These nouns only have one form: That is, they are the same in both the singular and plural forms. See if you can guess the rules for these as you go through the following bullets.
un caffè (m) (oohn kahf-feh)
(one coffee)
due caffè (dooh-eh kahf-feh)
(two coffees)
un bar (m) (oohn bahr)
(one bar)
due bar (dooh-eh bahr)
(two bars)
una bici (f) (ooh-nah bee-chee)
(one bike)
due bici (dooh-eh bee-chee)
(two bikes)
The rules for the three main types of invariable nouns follow:
Nouns that end in an accented final vowel, such as
caffè
and
città
(cheet-
tah
) (
city
), are invariable.
Nouns that end in a consonant (these are rare and usually come from English), such as
bar
and
film
(feelm) (
film, movie
) are invariable.
Nouns that are abbreviations, such as
bici
(
bee
-chee),
foto
(
foh
-toh)
(photo)
, and
cinema
(
chee
-neh-mah)
(
movie theater
)
are invariable. The full words
(bicicletta, fotografia, cinematografo),
when used, follow the standard rules for forming the plural of regular nouns.
Indefinite articles
Did you notice that the articoli indeterminativi (lyee ahr-tee-koh-lee een-deh-tehr-meen-ah-tee-vee) for “one” or “a/an” precede all the previously mentioned nouns? They’re always singular. Also, Italian indefinite articles agree in gender. And the one you choose also has to consider the first letter of the noun that it precedes. Table 2-1 shows you the indefinite articles, along with examples that show how they combine with masculine and feminine nouns.
TABLE 2-1 Indefinite Articles
Maschili (mahs-kee-lee) (Masculine)
Femminili (fehm-meen-nee-lee) (Feminine)
un ragazzo (oohn rah-gahts-tsoh) (a boy)
una ragazza (ooh-nah rah-gahts-tsah) (a girl)
un amico (oohn ah-mee-koh) (a [boy]friend)
un’amica (oohn-ah-mee-kah) (a [girl]friend)
uno zio (ooh-noh dzee-oh) (an uncle)
una zia (ooh-nah dzee-ah) (an aunt)
uno studente (ooh-noh stooh-dehn-teh) (a [male] student)
una studentessa (ooh-nah stooh-dehn-tehs-sah) (a [female] student)
Did you make a special note of the letters that the nouns begin with? So, the rules for indefinite articles go like this:
un
before all masculine nouns beginning with vowels and consonants
uno
before all masculine nouns beginning with
s+ consonant
,
z
,
gn
,
ps: zio
(
dzee
-oh) (
uncle
);
gnomo
(
nyoh
-moh) (
gnome
);
psicologo
(psee-
koh
-loh-goh);
studente
(stooh-
dehn
-teh) (
student
)
una
before all feminine nouns beginning with a consonant
un’
before all feminine nouns beginning with a vowel
Definite articles
Of course, you don’t go around talking about singular things all the time. In English the definite article has only one form the. Italian is one of those languages that require a definite article before the noun in most cases and differs from English usage. For example, you need to use the definite article before the names of certain countries and geographical areas. If you want to say, “Sicily is interesting,” you need to precede Sicily with an article: “La Sicilia è interessante” (lah see-chee-lyah eh een-teh-rehs-sahn-teh). The same goes for nouns that refer to universal concepts or general categories: “Love is blind” (L’amore è cieco) (lah-moh-reh eh cheh-koh) or “Flowers are beautiful” (I fiori sono belli.) (ee fyoh-ree soh-noh behl-lee).
Table 2-2 shows the list of articles that you should try to commit to memory. As you can see, the Italian definite articles have different forms depending on the number and gender of the nouns they precede. Just like with the indefinite articles, the letter that starts the noun also determines what article to use.
TABLE 2-2 Definite Articles (Articoli determinativi) (ahr-tee-koh-lee deh-tehr-mee-nah-tee-vee)
Maschili (mahs-kee-lee) (Masculine)
Femminili (fehm-mee-nee-lee) (Feminine)
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
lo (loh)
gli (lyee)
l’ (l)
le (leh)
l’
la (lah)
il (eel)
i (ee)
Here are some examples of definite articles. Can you identify a pattern?
lo zio/gli zii
(loh
dzee
-oh, lyee
dzee
-ee)
(uncle, uncles)
lo studente, gli studenti
(loh stooh-
dehn-
teh, lyee stooh-
dehn
-tee)
(student, students)
l'amico/gli amici
(lah-
mee
-koh, lyee ah-
mee
-keh)
(male friend, friends)
il libro/i libri
(eel
lee
-broh, ee
lee
-bree)
(book, books)
l’amica/le amiche
(lah-
mee
-kah, leh ah-
mee
-keh)
(female friend, friends)
la casa/le case
(lah
kah
-zah/leh
kah
-zeh)
(house, houses)
Adjectives
The gender feature of nouns extends to other grammatical categories, including pronouns and adjectives. First, we look at the adjectives.
An adjective is a word that modifies a noun — whether a person, a thing, a place, or idea — giving the noun a specific quality or characteristic. (You can read more about adjectives in Chapters 3, 8, and 16.) There are two groups of adjectives in Italian:
The first group has four endings: masculine, singular
-o,
masculine plural
-i,
feminine singular
-a,
feminine plural
-e.
See how the adjective
italiano
(ee-tah-
lyah
-noh)
(Italian)
works in these four forms:
il ragazzo italiano
(eel rah-
gahts
-tsoh ee-tah-
lyah
-noh)
(the Italian boy)
i ragazzi italiani
(ee rah-
gahts
-tsee ee-tah
-lyah
-nee)
(the Italian boys)
la ragazza italiana
(lah rah-
gahts
-tsah ee-tah-
lyah
-nah)
(the Italian girl)
le ragazze italiane
(leh rah-
gahts
-tseh ee-tah-
lyah
-neh)
(the Italian girls)
The second group has two endings: the masculine and feminine singular form ends in
-e,
the masculine and feminine plural form ends in
-i
forms. See how the adjective
interessante
(een-teh-rehs-
sahn
-teh)
(interesting)
works:
il libro interessante
(eel
lee
-broh een-teh-rehs-
sahn
-teh)
(the interesting book)
i libri interessanti
(ee
lee
-bree een-teh-rehs-
sahn
-tee)
(the interesting books)
l’amica interessante
(lah-
mee
-kah een-teh-rehs-
sahn
-teh)
(the interesting friend)
le amiche interessanti
(leh ah-
mee
-keh een-teh-rehs-
sahn
-tee) (
the interesting friends
)
In Italian, the position of the adjective isn’t as rigid as it is in English. In most cases, the adjective follows the noun. Nevertheless, there are some adjectives which can precede the noun, such as bello (behl-loh) (beautiful), buono (bwoh-noh) (good), and cattivo (kaht-tee-voh) (bad).
WORDS TO KNOW
ristorante [m]
reeh-stoh-rahn-teh
restaurant
ragazzo/a [m/f]
rah-gaht-tsoh/tsah
boy/girl
studente [m]
stooh-dehn-teh
student (male)
studentessa [f]
stooh-dehn-tehs-sah
student (female)
zio/a [m/f]
dzee-oh/ah
uncle/aunt
casa [f]
kah-zah
house/home
libro [m]
lee-broh
book
amica [f/sing.]
ah-mee-kah
girlfriend
amiche [f/pl.]
ah-mee-keh
girlfriends
amico [m/sing.]
ah-mee-koh
friend (male)
amici [m/pl.]
ah-mee-chee
male friends or mixed gender friends
caffè (m)
kahf-feh
coffee
bici (f)
bee-chee
bike
Talking about Pronouns
A pronoun replaces, as the word itself says, a noun. When you talk about Jim, for example, you can replace his name with he. You often use pronouns to avoid repetition. Here we delve deeper into what you need to know about pronouns.
