Learn Italian

Are you an absolute beginner? Here is some important topics to navigate

Subject pronouns

Subject pronouns represent the person who speaks (first person), the one who is listening (second person), or the person, animal or thing you are speaking about (third person). Learn more

ItalianoEnglish
Pronomi soggettoSubject pronouns
1st p. s.ioI
2nd p. s.tuyou

The polite form

The second person singular pronoun ‘tu’ is used for informal treatment (friends, family, children, classmates).
The third person feminine singular pronoun ‘lei’ is used in the formal register, to refer to an older person or to people you don’t know and in any formal situation. Learn more

ItalianoEnglish
informaltuyou
formalleiyou

Introduce yourself

To introduce yourself or if someone introduce you to other people, in informal context you can simply say ‘ciao’ or your name, while shaking hands. Learn more


Object pronouns

Direct object pronouns receives the verb’s action directly. Indirect object pronouns receives the verb’s action indirectly.
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ItalianoEnglish
Pronomi oggetto direttoDirect object pronouns
stressedunstressed
1st p. s.memime
2nd p. s.tetiyou
Pronomi oggetto indirettoIndirect object pronouns
stressedunstressed
1st p. s.a memito me
2nd p. s.a tetito you

Nouns

Nouns refer to people, places, animals, objects and concepts.
In Italian, all nouns have a gender (masculine or feminine) and a number (singular or plural).
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ItalianoEnglish
Nomi di personaNouns referring to people
singolare maschilesingular masculine
amicofriend
plurale maschileplural masculine
amicifriends
singolare femminilesingular feminine
amicafriend
plurale femminileplural feminine
amichefriends

Definite articles

The definite article precedes a specific or previously mentioned noun, even when speaking in general or referring to general concepts.
In Italian the definite articles have more than one form, because they need to agree in number and gender with the nouns they are used with.
Moreover, they also change according to the first letter of the nouns.
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ItalianoEnglish
Articoli determinativiDefinite articles
ilthe
lo, l’
la, l’
i
gli
le

Conjugations

Conjugation means changing a verb to give some important information: who or what is performing the action (subject), when action is performed (tense) and how it is viewed or perceived by the speaker (mood). Learn more


Moods and Tenses

The mood of a verb tells us how the action is viewed or perceived by the speaker. It indicates whether something is a fact, wish, opinion, command, suggestion, request, hypothesis (imaginary situation), or uncertainty. The tense of a verb generally indicates when an action occurred. Learn more


Regular verbs

A regular verb is conjugated by removing the infinitive ending and adding the endings for the corresponding subject. Learn more

ItalianoEnglish
Indicativo presentePresent tense
Verbi regolariRegular verbs
ParlareTo speak
1st p. s.io parloI speak
2nd p. s.tu parliI speak

Irregular verbs

Irregular verbs do not follow a regular pattern of conjugation. Learn more

ItalianoEnglish
Indicativo presentePresent tense
Verbi irregolariIrregular verbs
EssereTo be
1st p. s.io sonoI’m
AvereTo have
1st p. s.io hoI have
FareTo do
1st p. s.io faccioI do

Modal verbs

Modal verbs are followed by the infinitive of another verb. They indicate a modality of that verb: obligation, desire, ability, capability, permission, possibility, probability. Learn more

ItalianoEnglish
Verbi modaliModal verbs
Volerewant
Doverehave to, must, should
Poterecan
Saperecan, be able to

Demonstratives

Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns refer to objects or people that are either near or far away.
In Italian, adjectives and pronouns agree in gender and number with the noun they modify or replace.
A demonstrative adjective also changes according to the first letter of the noun it precedes: quel ragazzo, quello zaino.

ItalianoEnglish
Aggettivi e pronomi dimostrativiDemonstrative adjectives and pronouns
QuestoThis
QuelloThat

Possessives

Possessive adjectives and pronouns show who has a particular relationship (of possession, kinship, friendship, etc.) with what is expressed by the noun they replace or modify.
In Italian possessive adjectives and pronouns are represented by the same word, are preceded by the article and agree in gender and number not with the owner but with the noun they modify or replace: il suo gatto, la sua gatta.

ItalianoEnglish
Aggettivi e pronomi possessiviPossessive adjectives and pronouns
1st p. s. MMioMy | Mine
1st p. s. FMiaMy | Mine

Question words

Question words can be used to ask open questions about identity, place, time, reason, choice, etc.
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ItalianoEnglish
InterrogativiQuestion words
chiwho
che cosawhat
dovewhere
quandowhen
perchéwhy
comehow
quantohow much
qualewhich

Degree of Adjectives

Adjectives can identify a noun (quella casa) or express a quality (una grande casa) or can be linked to some type of verbs (la casa è grande).
In Italian, most adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.
Adjectives of quality have three degrees that compare one thing to another.
The positive degree denotes the quality without comparisons.
The comparative degree makes a comparison between two persons, animals or things.
The superlative degree indicates that someone or something has the highest degree of a quality among a group or absolutely.

ItalianoEnglish
Grado dell’aggettivoDegree of adjectives
positivopositive
velocefast
comparativocomparative
più veloce difaster than
superlativosuperlative
il più veloce
molto veloce
velocissimo
the fastest
very fast

Prepositions

Prepositions are used before a noun, a pronoun or a verb to indicate various kind of relations (e.g. spatial and temporal).
In Italian, there are primary (e.g. a, di, da) and secondary (e.g. sopra, sotto, dentro) prepositions, prepositions combined with definite articles (e.g. al, del, dal) and prepositional phrases (e.g. prima di, davanti a). Preposition usage follows some rules but it is also dictated by fixed expressions. Learn more

ItalianoEnglish
PreposizioniPrepositions
ato, at
conwith
dafrom, since, to
diof, from
inin, on
perfor, by
suon, over, about
tra, frabetween, among

Conjunctions

Conjunctions are used to connect words and sentences.
Coordinating conjunctions connect two words or two sentences.
Subordinating conjunctions introduce a subordinate clause.

ItalianoEnglish
CongiunzioniConjunctions
eand
oor
mabut
perchéwhy, because
seif

Adverbs of place

Adverbs of place tell us where something happens. They answer the questions: where? from where?

ItalianoEnglish
Avverbi di luogoAdverbs of place
qui, quahere
lì, làthere
dentroin, inside
fuoriout, outside

Adverbs of time

Adverbs of time tell us when something happens. They answer the questions: when? how long?

ItalianoEnglish
Avverbi di tempoAdverbs of time
semprealways
mainever
primabefore
poiafter


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