Buono means good and is used to give an opinion about the interior qualities of something or someone.
If a person is buona, we mean that this person has ethical qualities.
Marco è buono – he is good-hearted or a person with good moral qualities
If something is buono, we mean that this thing has a good quality.
Quella pasta è buona – That pasta is good
Questo prodotto è buonissimo – This product is very good
Questo legno è buono – This wood is good
Intensifiers of buono
molto buono, buonissimo – very good
strabuono (colloquiale) – super good
Popular Italian expressions using buono.
Che buono! – It’s delicious! (when referring to food or drinks)
Buono a sapersi – good to know
Learn Italian the smart way with Serena’s stories
Do you know that there is a German-speaking region in Italy? Do you know that when hiking in the Dolomites, you can refuel at a local “malga“? And do you know what typical food in the Dolomites is like? If you don’t, you can learn everything about it in simple Italian by listening to and reading my short story “Due Amiche.”
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The Italian Present Subjunctive: when and how to use it
When learning Italian, you’ll surely come across a few challenging topics. Among these, one of the most notorious is the Italian subjunctive mode. Rest assured. Although it might seem difficult to grasp, it’s easier than you think.
What is the subjunctive in Italian?
The subjunctive is an Italian verb form used to express opinions, feelings, uncertainty, possibility, wishes, or doubts.
When to use the subjunctive?
Most of the time, the subjunctive is used in a dependent clause and so after a main clause.
Main clauses vs. dependent clauses
If you’re not familiar with the idea of the main clause and dependent clause, let’s have a look at it together.
A main clause is a sentence like this:
Penso che… (I think that)
Voglio che… (I want that)
Spero che.. (I hope that)
Sono felice che…(I’m happy that)
In other words, we can say that a main clause is a sentence that introduces another sentence to which it’s related.
A dependent clause is what’s following the “che”
Let’s have a look at a couple of sentences where you can see a typical use of the subjunctive.
Penso che (main clause), l’Italia sia un Paese bellissimo (dependent clause with the subjunctive) – I think Italy is a beautiful country
Spero che (main clause), che domani non piova (dependent clause with the subjunctive), successo negli studi (dependent clause) – I hope tomorrow it will not rain
Why is it important to use the subjunctive in Italian?
Learning how to use the Italian subjunctive correctly means that you will be able to communicate your feelings, opinions, and wishes to the best of your ability.
When do you use the subjunctive in Italian?
It’s easier than you think: the rule of thumb is that the use of the Italian subjunctive is determined by what comes before.
Luckily, there’s a list of verbs and phrases that express opinions, wishes, doubts, feelings, and uncertainties that we can easily memorize.
Once you learn that a certain verb, like “credo” or “penso” or “spero,” defaults to using the subjunctive (or congiuntivo, in Italian), it’ll become easier and automatic to use the subjunctive in the right place.
In the following lists, you’ll see the most common verbs or phrases that are naturally followed by a subjunctive in Italian.
Verbs typically used to express opinion, uncertainty, possibility, or doubt.
Pensare che – to think that
Credere che – to believe that
Immaginare che – to imagine that
Avere l’impressione che – to have the impression that
Supporre che – to suppose that
Dubitare che – to doubt that
Non sapere che – to not know that
Non essere sicuro che – to not be sure that
Non essere certo che – to not be certain that
Verbs typically used to express feelings, such as happiness or fear
Essere felice che – to be happy that
Essere dispiaciuto/a che – to be sorry that
Avere paura che – to be afraid that
Temere che – to be afraid that
Verbs typically used to express wishes:
Volere che – to want that
Desiderare che – to wish that
Preferire che – to prefer that
Sperare che – to hope that
The subjunctive with impersonal verbs
The subjunctive is frequently used after impersonal verbs, like the ones that don’t have an explicit subject.
basta che… – it is enough (that) . . .
bisogna che… – it is necessary (that)
vale la pena che… – it is worth (that)
si dice che… – it’s said (that)
dicono che… – they say(that)
sembra che… – it seems (that)
Examples
Si dice l’Italia sia il più bel Paese al mondo – they say Italian is the most beautiful country in the world
The subjunctive with impersonal expressions
The subjunctive is frequently used after impersonal expressions. An impersonal expression is a phrase made of the verb “to be” and any adjective.
è bene che… it is good (that)
è difficile che…- it is hard (that)
è facile che…- it is easy (that)
è giusto che…- it is right (that)
è importante che…- it is important (that)
è male che…- it is bad (that)
è meglio che…- it is better(that)
è necessario che…- it is necessary (that)
è peccato che…- it is a pity (that)
è possibile che…- it is possible (that)
è raro che…- it is rare (that)
è urgente che…- it is urgent (that)
Examples
E’ raro che un bambino studi il cinese – it’s rare for a kid to study Chinese
E’ possibile che Anna sia in ritardo – it’s possible that Anna is late
When impersonal expressions point out certainty, the indicative is used instead of the subjunctive. The following expressions require the indicative, for example.
è certo che… – it is certain (that)
è evidente che… – it is evident (that)
è ovvio che che… – it is obvious (that)
Examples
è ovvio che mente– it’s obvious that he lies
When is the subjunctive not required in Italian?
All the above verbs and expressions require the subjunctive only when the subjects of the two phrases (main clause and dependent clause) are different, like in the following two phrases (where the subject of the main clause is “io” and the subject of the dependent clause is “lei”).
Penso che leisia molto intelligente – I think she’s very smart
Sono felice che lei abbia superato l’esame – I am happy she’s passed the exam
If the subject is the same in the main clause and in the dependent clause, we can’t use the subjunctive in the dependent clause. Instead, we would use an infinitive construction.
Lei pensa di essere molto intelligente – she thinks she’s very smart
Lei è felice diaver superato l’esame – she’s happy she has passed the exam
The Present Subjunctive (Regular verbs)
The regular conjugation of the subjunctive is very easy because the first three persons (io, tu, lei) are the same and the “noi” conjugation is identical to the one of the present tense indicative.
PARLARE (-ARE verbs)
RIDERE (-ERE verbs)
Domire (-IRE verbs)
che io parl-I
che io rid-A
che io dorm-A
che tu parl-I
che tu rid-A
che tu dorm-A
che lui/lei parl-I
che lui/lei rid-A
che lui/lei dorm-A
che noi parl-IAMO
che noi rid-IAMO
che noi dorm-IAMO
che voi parl-IATE
che voi rid-IATE
che voi dorm-IATE
che loro parl-INO
che loro rid-ANO
che loro dorm-ANO
The Subjunctive (Irregular verbs)
I have been asked often in my classes, what is that SIA there? Or, what is that ABBIA there? What about VADA or FACCIA?
They are the irregular subjunctive conjugations of essere, avere, andare, and fare, in that order.
It’s crucial to learn the irregular Italian subjunctives as they are very common in the spoken language. Remember also that the verbs that are irregular in the indicative are also irregular in the subjunctive.
This is a list of the most common irregular forms of the present subjunctive.
essere → sia
avere → abbia
andare → vada
fare → faccia
dire → dica
dare → dia
volere → voglia
dovere → debba
potere → possa
tenere → tenga
stare → stia
Of course, there are more than these. For a more thorough list, I suggest referring to your grammar books. If you don’t have it yet, I recommend using this excellent textbook: Italian verb tenses.
How many forms of the Italian subjunctive exist?
Is the present subjunctive the only subjunctive? No, but it’s the most common one.
The Italian subjunctive is a mode made of four tenses: the present subjunctive, the past subjunctive, the imperfect subjunctive, and the past-perfect subjunctive. Knowing all these tenses will help you master the Subjunctive Tense Consistency (or Consecutio Temporum), which I will tackle in a different article.
In conclusion,
Using the subjunctive is a sign of education. There are also native Italian speakers that misuse or don’t use the subjunctive correctly. You can tell they don’t have a high level of education.
Verbs that are irregular in the present indicative are also irregular in the present subjunctive.
The use of subject pronouns (io, tu, lui, noi, voi, loro) is often required, as the first three persons of the conjugation are the same (io vada, tu vada, lui vada).
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What is the difference between lì and là or qui or qua?
If you have ever felt confused about whether to use lì or là or qui or qua when speaking in Italian, this post is for you.
Let’s get straight to the point…
Your question may be whether there is really any significant difference between lìand là or qui and qua? The answer is “yes and no.” The truth is that difference is so negligible that, as a non-native speaker, you shouldn’t give it too much thought.
However, if you’re interested in delving deeper, let go ahead and do it!
What is the difference between lì and là?
Both lì and là mean there. They indicate something which is far from the person who is speaking. The only small difference is that “lì” is more accurate than “là“. In other words, là means there, just like lì does, but in a less accurate way.
Let’s look at some practical examples:
Lì c’era una fontana una volta – what I’m referring to here is that there was a fountain in specifically there, and I’m probably pointing it out with my finger.
Là non c’era niente 20 anni – the point I’m making is that there was nothing 20 years ago somewhere there” (but not very specifically).
Common Italian Expressions with “La”
mettilo là/lì – put it there
là dentro, là fuori, là sotto – in, out
là dentro, là fuori, là sopra – in, out, up
più in là – further on (space), later on (time)
essere di là – to be somewhere else
What is the difference between qui and qua?
Both qui and qua mean here (in this place) and follow the same rule that applies to lì and là.
Qui indicates something close to the person that is speaking and is more accurate and specific than qua.
Let’s look at some practical examples:
Qui si mangia bene – I am probably referring to my place, my house (a smaller or more specific place).
Qua si mangia bene – I am probably referring to my city or country (a wider or more general place).
Common Italian expressions with “qui” and “qua”
vieni qui/qua – come here
mettilo qui/qua – put it here
qua/qui dentro – in here
qua/qui sotto – under here
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Mentre is a conjugation that is always followed by a verb.
In English, the equivalent of mentre is “while.”
This word always requires the use of a verb conjugated in the present, past, or future.
Mentre and the past
A note goes to the use of the past with “mentre”.
As mentre implies the ongoing duration of action over a period of time, the right past tense to use is the “imperfect tense”. As a result, “mentre” can never be followed by a passato prossimo.
mentre mettevo in ordine la stanza, ascoltavo un Podcast – while tidying up the room, I was listening to a podcast.
mentre il professore spiegava, prendevo appunti – while the professor was explaining the lesson, I was taking notes
mentre cucinavo, ho ricevuto una telefonata – while I was cooking, I got a phone call
English vs. Italian
Unlike in English, “mentre” can’t ever be followed by a gerund form. If in English it’s OK to say “while doing something”, in Italian it’s not possible and you’ll need to conjugate the verb.
Using a gerund verb form after “mentre” is a typical mistake English speakers make when speaking Italian.
For example, the phrase “while taking a walk, I listen to a Podcast” is correctly translated into Italian with “mentre faccio una passeggiata, ascolto un Podcast” and not with “mentre facendo…”
DURANTE
Durante is a preposition and is the equivalent of during in English. It is always followed by a noun (and never by a verb).
Durante la cena, guardo la tv – during dinner, I watch TV
Mentre vs. durante
Let’s compare the use of mentre (+ verb) and durante (+noun) in the following sentences
Mentre passeggiavo, ho raccolto dei mirtilli buonissimi – While I was walking around, I picked some yummy blueberries
Durante la passeggiata, ho raccolto dei mirtilli buonissimi – During the walk, I picked some very good blueberries
Mentre cenavamo, abbiamo parlato di molte cose interessanti – While we were eating dinner, we talked about many interesting things
Durante la cena, abbiamo parlato di molte cose interessanti – During dinner, we talked about many interesting things
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When it comes to describing movement, the difference between prendere and portare is not obvious to native English speakers. In my private classes, students frequently default to prendere when they should be using portare.
Why is this the case?
Because both the Italian verbs prendere and portare are frequently rendered as “to take” in English. As a result, while it may appear natural to always translate “take” into prendere, this is incorrect. Many times, instead of using prendere, it’s necessary to use portare.
Portare
The verb portare means “to bring” in Italian. And it’s used to describe the action of taking something or someone somewhere.
For example,
Ti porto una birra? – Can I get you a beer?
Porto mia moglie alla stazione – I’m taking my wife to the station
Porto i miei figli a scuola in macchina – I take my kids to school by car
Ti porto a casa – I’ll take you home
Portare is also used when you take something or someone with you:
Portami un regalo da Roma! – bring me a gift from Rome!
Porta la macchina – bring the car
Porta i tuoi amici alla festa – bring your friends to the party
In all the foregoing phrases, we’re taking something or someone somewhere (or to bring) In all these phrases, I couldn’t use the verb prendere, because this would have had a whole different meaning.
Prendere
In fact, prendere describes the action of taking someone or something toward us. In other words, to pick someone up, to collect, or get something.
For example,
Ti prendo alle 8 – I’ll pick you up at 8
Vado a prendere Marco all’aeroporto – I’m going to pick up Marco at the airport
Prendo i bambini da scuola alle 9 – I pick up the kids from school at 9
Devo prendere la macchina dal meccanico – I have to get the car from the mechanic
What’s a good way to learn and internalize this subtle but important difference?
Memorize these two sample phrases and use them as a guide when you make your own sentences.
Porto i miei figli a scuola – I’m taking my my children to school
Prendo i miei figli da scuola – I’m taking my children from school
Other meanings of prendere
Remember that prendere can have a variety of meanings depending on the situation.
We use prendere to say that we are having food and drinks.
Prendo un cornetto e un caffè – I’ll have a croissant and an espresso
We use prendere with the meaning of buying or getting something.
Ho preso un nuovo paio di occhiali – I’ve got a new pair of shades
We use prendere with the meaning of to catch or to grab something, like
Prendi la palla – grab the ball
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You may have been faced with the situation that you need to write a letter or an email in Italian to your Italian professor, your tour guide in Italy or an Italian Language School, and you don’t know where to start. So you switch to English, the lingua franca.
You shouldn’t, because writing a letter in Italian is not so difficult. All you need to do is learn the standard and recurring greetings and introduction formulas, and there you have it.
Of course, the types of greetings and formulas, you are going to use, depend on who you are writing to. And so, a distinction has to be made between writing a formal letter and an informal one.
How to write a formal email or letter
How to start a formal email or letter in Italian
If the situation requires you to be formal, you can start your email like this…
Gentile Sig. Rossi – Dear Sir
Gentile Sig.a Rossi – Dear Madam
If the situation requires you to be super formal, you should opt for this greeting
Egregio Sig. Rossi Sir
Egregia Sig.ra Rossi Madam
In formal letters or emails the abbreviations Sig. stands for Sir, Sig.ra stands for Madam.
If the setting is not so formal or you don’t know, you could start your email with a Buongiorno or Buonasera.
THE TITLES
Italians love using their titles, so it is important to mention them even in a letter! If the addressee has a title, you can use the following abbreviations
Dott. – Dott.ssa (dottore – dottoressa = a doctor or anyone with a degree)
Avv. (avvocato – lawyer),
Ing. (ingegnere – engineer),
Arch. (architetto – architect),
Rag. (ragioniere – accountant)
The introduction…
Referring to something
Le scrivo, in riferimento al nostro incontro – I am writing with regard to our meeting
Le scrivo, in riferimento al colloquio telefonico – I am writing with regard to our phone call
Come anticipato nella mail precedente / telefonicamente – as stated in previous mail / call
In risposta alla Sua mail… – with answer to your email
The body
In the main body of the mail you should write the reasons for writing, such as…
Con la presente comunico… – I am writing with regard to
Con presente, scrivo per presentare la mia candidatura per il posto di (job position) presso (company) – I am writing to apply to the X job position
Le scrivo perché vorrei qualche informazione su… – I am writing because I would like to know…
The closings
The most common Italian letter closings are:
In attesa di riscontro, resto a disposizione per chiarimenti e porgo cordiali saluti.
In attesa di un Suo cortese riscontro
Ringraziando per l’attenzione
These letter endings stand for the English I am looking forward to hearing from you. Regardless, the meaning is slightly different, they serve the same purpose and are used in Italian in the same way.
Formal salutation
As for the final greetings, you should use the following Italian (formal) salutations or saluti formali, which stands for the English sincerely or warm/kind regards.
Distinti Saluti
Cordiali Saluti
Cordialmente
If you have an attachment, don’t forget to mention it
In allegato invio… – please find in attachment
Allego… – I am attaching
How to say “I am looking forward to hearing from you”?
To round out the list, a note goes to the standard way of concluding an email in English: “I look forward to hearing from you.” The better way to translate this sentence in Italian is by using the phrases
Aspetto Sue notizie (formal setting)
Aspetto tue notizie (informal meeting)
Examples of formal letters (or emails) in Italian
Gentile Sig.na Rossi,
Con la presente, invio la mia candidatura per il posto di lavoro come Responsabile di Amministrazione presso i Vostri uffici.
Allego il mio CV e lettera di motivazione.
In attesa di un riscontro, porgo cordiali saluti.
Serena
Gentle Sig. Rossi
Le scrivo in in riferimento al nostro colloquio telefonico di ieri, per comunicarle che abbiamo preso in considerazione la Sua proposta di progetto. La invitiamo a mandarci al più presto un report completo del progetto.
In attesa di un cordiale riscontro, le porgo i miei cordiali saluti.
Serena Rossi
How to write a informal email or letter in Italian
If you are writing your email or letter to an Italian friend or colleague, then the tone must be different, and you can switch to more informal greetings and ending salutations. Let’s see how
When it comes to starting a friendly email, you can opt for
Caro Marco
Cara Lucia
Caro stands for dear, but it is used just in informal and friendly settings. You can also open your letter by using ciao.
Concerning to ending a friendly letter or email, you should choose one of the following Italian salutations (Saluti informali)
Fammi sapere – let me know
Un abbraccio – hugs
Un caro saluto – cheers
A presto – until the next time
Example of a (short) friendly email in Italian
Ciao Marcello
Come stai? Scusami se ti rispondo con molto ritardo ma sono stato molto impegnato ultimamente. Come va la vita? Ci sono novità a lavoro? Per quanto riguarda quel progetto, ne ho parlato con il mio capo. In allegato ti mando mando i dettagli dell’incontro.
Fammi sapere cosa ne pensi
Un abbraccio
Marco
Learn Italian the smart way with Serena’s stories.
Do you know that there is a German-speaking region in Italy? Do you know that when hiking in the Dolomites, you can refuel at a local “malga“? And do you know what typical food in the Dolomites is like? If you don’t, you can learn everything about it in simple Italian by listening to and reading my short story “Due Amiche.”
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Ecco is an invariable Italian adverb that can be used in a variety of meanings. Let’s take a look at some of the most common ones in the form of sample sentences that you can easily insert into your flaschards sets.
Here is / Here are
Ecco is an invariable article describing something or somebody’s appearance, replacing the phrases “here is” or “here are” in English.
For example,
Ecco i nostri amici – here are my friends
Ecco il treno – here is the train
Ecco la mia casa – here is my house
Ecco is often used in conjunction with the pronouns mi, ti, lo, la, ci, vi, li, le, which are always attached at the back of the verb), with the following meanings.
Eccomi – here I am
Eccoti – here you are
Eccolo – here it is or here he is
Eccola – here she is
Eccoci – here we are
Eccovi – here you are
Eccoli – here they are (masc.)
Eccole – here they are (fem)
Well
Sometimes, ecco is used as a filler word at the beginning of a sentence when you are figuring out what to say, and it means something close to well in English.
Ecco…volevo dirti che non posso venire stasera – Well, I was going to tell you that I can’t come tonight
Expressions with ecco
ecco appears also used in a number of common Italian idioms too, for instance:
Ecco perché – that’s why
Ecco fatto – done
Ecco tutto – that’s all
Ecco cosa succede quando…- this is what happens when…
Ecco come – this is how…
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Ancora is one of those words used in a number of different ways in Italian—and it’s very common. As always, when learning something new, it’s paramount to consider the context and the sentence in which the word is used.
In the case of ancora, I recommend memorizing a few examples for every use and then trying to re-use them by replacing the vocabulary in the examples with the vocabulary you want.
Still
The most common meaning of ancora is “still“. It implies the idea that the action described by the verb has been carried out until now. Ancora is especially used for this meaning with the present progressive (the stare + gerund form).
Stai ancora dormendo? – Are you still sleeping?
Sto ancora aspettando l’auto – I’m still waiting for the bus
Sto ancora cucinando – I’m stillcooking
However, it’s common to use it with other tenses, like the present tense.
Sono ancora qui – I’m stillhere
Ancora dormi? – Are you still sleeping?
Again
Ancora is also used with the meaning of doing something again.
Fallo ancora – do it again
Prova ancora – try it again
Ripeti ancora – repeat again
In the foregoing sentences, ancora can be replaced by its synonym, di nuovo.
Fallo di nuovo – do it again
Prova di nuovo – try it again
Ripeti di nuovo – repeat again
Non…ancora = not…yet
When ancora appears with non, it means not…yet. This pattern is commonly used with the passato prossimo.
Non ho ancora mangiato oggi – I haven’t eaten yet today
Non sono ancora stato in Italia – I haven’t been to Italy yet
Non abbiamo ancora preparato la colazione – we haven’t yet made breakfast
The position of non..ancora is always fixed in these sentences.
More
When Italians mean to add a quantity of something to something else, (e.g. more coffee, more sugar, more salt, more days, more time, etc.), they use the adverb ancora (and not più).
Vuoi ancora zucchero? – Do you want more sugar?
Ancora is used with this meaning, especially in the following types of sentences:
ancora due giorni – two more days
ancora un minuto – one more minute
ancora una volta – one more time
Even
Lastly, Italians use ancora together with the adverbs più or meno when they want to say even more (or less).
For example,
even hotter – ancora più caldo
even chapter – ancora più economico
even less attractive – ancora meno attraente
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There is no equivalent in English, although searching, I came across a quote by Shakespeare that sums up the meaning of the Italian provarb above.
“The course of true love never runs smooth.”
When do Italians say “l’amore non è bello se non è litigarello?”
This Italian proverb pretends to ease the tension after a little quarrel by objecting that a relationship can’t always be “bella‘(or healthy) without a small fight from time to time. Of course, the hardest times make your relationship stronger. The adjective litigarello (originating from the verb litigare) is not used in any other expressions, but this one.
2. Chi s’assomiglia si piglia
Literally, those who are alike end up with each other.
The proverb originates from the Tuscany dialect and means that those who have similar features (both in their bodies and their characters) are attracted to each other.
3. Sfortunato al gioco fortunato in amore
Literally: unlucky at cards, lucky in love.
This Italian saying is often used to ease the pain of somebody who is losing while playing a game, usually playing cards.
4. Il primo amore non si scorda mai
English: You never forget your first love. The proverb explains itself.
5. Al cuore non si comanda
English: Love is blind, or you can’t rule the heart. A person who is in love might not see the faults in his/her partner the way others might see them. It sounds pretty malicious, but I have heard it a few times.
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15 Short Stories To Take Your Italian To The Next Level
But first, four smart tips to learn Italian better with the short story method.
Be proactive; don’t limit yourself to reading the stories. Use them with your Italian teacher or language exchange partner. Summing up each chapter in 6-8 sentences (better if in written form) or discussing it with your teacher is a brilliant way to cement the new vocabulary and fix the grammar patterns.
Don’t underestimate reading at any level. Why? When you read, you naturally absorb things like the correct order of the different parts of speech, the correct conjugations, or the use of prepositions.
Re-read your story, two or three times. When you are done with one of these short story books in Italian, don’t put them away for ever. Set them aside for a couple of months and go back to re-read them a second or third time; that’s how you will learn efficiently (retain) your vocabulary.
Finally, make sure you create a learning environment that makes it possible to internalize the information rather than just consume it.
This is an easy-to-read Italian short story ebook, with each unit taking no more than 10–20 minutes to complete.
This book course, designed for English-speaking students, is intended for both newcomers to Italian and intermediate students looking to brush up on their skills.
The story is set in one of Italy’s most beautiful regions, South Tyrol (or Alto Adige, in Italian), and revolves around the life of Costanza, who embarks on a summer adventure in the Dolomites with her friend Anna. The book is divided into 16 short units and is finished with useful vocabulary and explanations in English. This short story series is ideal for those who want to learn more than just the language, but also about the culture, food, and way of life in various Italian regions. The e-book is completed with an audio book narrated by the author.
Incontri is the second episode of my short story collection which help you understand Italian and Italy better through real-life dialogues. The protagonist is Fiona, the first in her Italian-American family to learn her ancestors’ language. At university in the US, she earned a scholarship and moved to Rome to improve her Italian for a semester. But there’s more to the story. To complete an Italian citizenship application, she must obtain a copy of her great-grandfather’s birth certificate. This brings her to Sicily. In Sicily, she has several encounters that will forever alter her future.This short story is appropriate for all Italian learners who have at least a pre-intermediate level of proficiency in the language (A2). This book might be useful for advanced beginners as well.
If you have learned Italian for a month or two, Amore and Cappuccino is the first short story you should read. This is an Italian short storybook for the A0-A1 level. If you are an advanced beginner, you will find this book way too easy, so scroll below for the other ones :). The language used is simple and tailored for a real beginner Italian learner. Each chapter consists of short dialogues between the two main characters: a German girl visiting Rome and her date, Claudio, a man who hides a few mysteries. The setting is the eternal city of Rome. The best thing about Amore and Cappuccino is that it takes place in Rome’s most iconic areas, and other than the language, it teaches you a few elements of Roman art and culture. This is an excellent introductory course to the eternal city if you are planning to visit Rome one day.
We are in Milan, Italy’s fashion and financial capital.
A blonde woman walks into detective Antonio Esposito’s office one October morning.
Margaret, her daughter, who is a model, is missing, and she’s on the lookout for her. This is a lovely mystery book for advanced beginners or intermediate students who want to improve their Italian language skills while expanding their vocabulary by reading a brilliant short story in Italian tailored to their level.
I love this short story because it takes you to one of my favorite areas in Northern Italy—the Dolomites!
This storybook is written in the present tense. It revolves around Emanuela, a young woman who lives in Dobbiaco (a picturesque mountain village immersed in the Dolomites) and is still not very happy with her life… until she finds a way to change it.
The story uses a great deal of useful Italian vocabulary for work, transport, and the mountains. At the end of the book, you will find a cultural section where you can read in simple Italian all about the culture, the language, and the food of Aldo Adige (Sudtirol), the region where the Dolomites belong.
The book’s level is for Italian learners who have learned the language for 3–4 months and are familiar with the basic Italian grammar and most recurring Italian everyday vocabulary.
Have you already laid the foundations for your basic Italian grammar and vocabulary? If you have learned the Italian present perfect (passato prossimo), the common irregular verbs, and the basic pronouns, this story is for you. The setting is the beautiful city of Como in Northern Italy. It’s a story about a young German woman learning Italian in Germany and an Italian young man learning German in Italy. They meet online for a language exchange; their friendship is based on a misunderstanding, though! This book is a fun story that won’t only reinforce your basic Italian grammar but also help you internalize a lot of relevant Italian vocabulary through the power of reading in context. And if you haven’t been to Como yet, you will learn a lot about the city too.
This is a great short storybook for those who explore the major Italian cities through their cliches. The book contains 12 chapters: each chapter focuses on a different town, from Palermo to Turin. Every chapter isn’t longer than two pages and follows the steps of a first-time visitor to the cities. At the end of the book, you will find some useful vocabulary, exercises, and cultural insights about each town. This resource helps advanced beginners, and it focuses more on vocabulary (lots of adjectives, vocabulary related to cities) than grammar.
Have you ever heard of Carnevale? Or Ferragosto? Or do you know how Italians love to spend their Saturday nights? This Italian short story book for advanced beginners is culture-based. Each chapter tells you a story related to a significant Italian holiday and the Italian habits that go with it. This is a brilliant book if you want to expand your Italian vocabulary and strengthen your beginner grammar. As usual for the Alma Italian Short Stories book, you will find grammar and vocabulary exercises and extra cultural insights.
This Italian short story book contains fourteen of Aesop’s fables translated and adapted for a beginner level: the first seven are in the present tense, the last seven in the past tense.Each chapter (fable) comes with a vocabulary list of the story’s essential words and some simple exercises. You will also have the option to listen to the audio tracks by downloading the audiobook for free by following the last page’s instructions. The fables are profound and straightforward, with a final moral to discover. This short story series in Italian is ideal for those learning Italian at A1 or A2 level.
What happens when we are in a foreign country and we don’t understand the language well? Many misunderstandings, of course. Like those that occur to Minni, an Asian girl, when arriving in Italy for the first time to meet her Italian friend Libero in Rome. A fun story that not only reinforces your beginner grammar but also teaches you frequent Italian popular expressions, especially those involving the verb fare.
This is a delightful Italian short storybook for beginners about nine great Italian historical and cultural personalities: Leonardo da Vinci and Federico Fellini, Michelangelo, and Gianni Versace. All the stories recount a real or imaginary episode in the protagonists’ lives, while also highlighting their world and their time. As icing on the cake, every chapter comes with vocabulary and grammar activities and short texts about cultural aspects. In a nutshell, one of the best short story books available on the market is not just about Italian, but about Italian history and Italian culture.
This is a short story aimed at intermediate students. The story takes place in Piedmont, a mountainous region of Italy bordering France and Switzerland. This ebook is available on Amazon and tells the story of a young Italian writer who relocates to a picturesque village in the heart of Piedmont for a change of scenery. There, she experiences a different pace of life, makes new friends, and learns about different cultures and traditions of the territory.
A short mystery novel that combines love and crime for lower-intermediate Italian students. An insight into the Italian mafia (written in simplified Italian) stands out, especially at the end of the book. This ebook, which includes audio, uses the present simple, imperfect, and past tense. This is a fantastic story for Italian students at the lower intermediate level.
In other words, this is an unusual book about the author’s fascination with the Italian language and the tenacity with which she pursued her goal for more than two decades, to the point where she wrote an Italian book about how and a little less about why she made this life choice. This version of the book is especially useful for English-native speakers because it includes a page-by-page English translation. The book is aimed at advanced or upper-intermediate Italian students.
This is a short story for intermediate Italian learners. The book is made up of nine different love stories. Each story is unique and contains new and exciting vocabulary. Several different verb tenses, pronouns, and prepositions are discussed in the book. It is necessary to have a solid grasp of intermediate grammar. The audiobook is included.
Before you start, check my guide on how to learn Italian effectively with short stories
If reading in Italian has become too much for you, you may not have been using the right content and should think about changing it.
There are countless ways to learn new vocabulary and grammar at an intermediate level of Italian, but the most important thing you need to keep in mind is this fundamental principle: reading the right content at the right level.
Don’t worry. You will not need to have an excellent command of the Italian language. You won’t have to sit and look up every second word in the dictionary. If you choose the right material, reading can be a fun way to learn Italian at any level.
Remember that the learning content you use doesn’t have to be authentic in order for you to make steady progress in your Italian studies. The appropriate level for you should be slightly higher than your current one, challenging but not excessively so. Overwhelming takes the fun out of things!
Why are short stories an effective learning tool?
I understand if you’ve tried and failed to learn new vocabulary using endless vocab lists or flashcards.It has happened to me as well.
We can’t learn words in isolation.
We must associate them with meaningful content, a memory, or a story. You’ll find words that fit with the context in a short story, and that’s how you’ll end up memorizing a ton of new vocabulary and naturally perfecting your grammar.
Learning words in isolation won’t get you very far if you don’t associate them with any memory.Immersing yourself in a short story will help you learn proper grammar, learn words and expressions in context, and come up with a good strategy for repeating words and phrases.
Because a short story rarely exceeds 20-30 pages, re-reading the content is a simple task. And the key to learning almost anything is repetition.
If you’re an intermediate Italian learner, you’ll find a collection of fantastic short stories in this post to help you improve your language skills in a fun way.
All of them have proven to be a quick and easy way for my students to improve their conversational skills in a short amount of time.
Incontri is the second episode of my short story collection which help you understand Italian and Italy better through real-life dialogues. The protagonist is Fiona, the first in her Italian-American family to learn her ancestors’ language. At university in the US, she earned a scholarship and moved to Rome to improve her Italian for a semester. But there’s more to the story. To complete an Italian citizenship application, she must obtain a copy of her great-grandfather’s birth certificate. This brings her to Sicily. In Sicily, she has several encounters that will forever alter her future.This short story is appropriate for all Italian learners who have at least a pre-intermediate level of proficiency in the language (A2). This book might be useful for advanced beginners as well.
This is an easy-to-read Italian short story ebook, with each unit taking no more than 10-20 minutes to complete. This book course, designed for English speakers, is intended for both false beginners as well as intermediate students looking to brush up on their skills. The story takes place in one of Italy’s most beautiful regions, South Tyrol (or Alto Adige), and revolves around Costanza, who goes on a summer adventure in the Dolomites with her friend Anna.
The book is divided into 16 short units, with useful vocabulary and explanations in English at the end. This short story series is ideal for those who want to learn about the culture, food, and way of life in various Italian regions as well as the language. This ebooks is completed with an audiobook narrated by the author. This ebook is completed with an audiobook read by the author.
This short storybook is an easy read for intermediate learners who want to also learn about the
beautiful regions of Northern Italy: Piedmont. The story revolves around a young writer who leaves the bustling city of Turin to find peace in the calm and of the Italian Alps, in a small village called Morinesio. There, she will learn to live at a slow pace and make new friends. The book comes with a CD audio version and plenty of excellent drills at the end of the book to help you memorize the new vocabulary and reinforce the main Italian grammar topics at an intermediate level.
This is an exquisite short storybook for those who want to learn about the most important Italian historical events/ages. Each chapter is a short story set in a specific historical time, like the Renaissance, the Fasciscim, or the Italian Unification. The book comes with an exercise section and supplementary information boxes to understand better the time discussed for the story. The vocabulary and grammar used to suit a good intermediate level.
A collection of fun short stories where the main topic is love! Each chapter corresponds to a different mini love story and consists of two to five pages. The vocabulary and grammar used are suitable for lower-intermediate and upper-intermediate Italian learners. This short story book has an audio version and comes with a dedicated exercises section at the end of the book.
This is an easy read for the lower-intermediate level. Veronica is a young woman living in Milan. Her life rotates around her career until she meets on a train a young artist that will turn her life upside down. The two fall in love, but Veronica has a well-kept secret that Massimo will try to uncover.
The book has an audio version. Each chapter ends with a worksheet with vocab and grammar exercises pertinent to the chapter.
This short storybook is the original version of Carlo Collodi’s masterpiece “Le avventure di Pinocchio,” written in Florence in 1881. This version has been re-written in a simplified version for intermediate Italian learners as a second language by Jacopo Gorini. The author made sure the text’s musicality and beauty remained the same, as did the totality of the chapters. You can also download the audio-book by following the instructions at the end of the book. A separate exercise workbook will help you to internalize the new vocabulary and grammar at an intermediate level. This book has a kindle version.
This short story book is slightly different from the other ones. It is a collection of comics. Each comic revolves around an aspect of modern Italian society. For example, the way Italians greet by kissing each other on the cheeks or their hatred towards the rain!
If you haven’t used comics to learn Italian so far, you should give it a try. This form of learning will take your Italian a long way as it will help you familiarize yourself with the language in the shape of dialogues. This book is for all levels, from beginners to upper-intermediate. Each chapter ends with a supplementary worksheet about the Italian culture, idioms, vocabulary, and grammar pertinent to the comic you have just read.
Smart tip
Passive learning: read it and listen to the content once.
Active learning:
Read it.
Listen to the content repeatedly.
Seek new words or sentences.
Create your flashcards.
Proactive learning: use or lose it! Make a written summary of each chapter, ensuring you are using the new set of words and sentences. Talk about it: bring it up in your conversions with your teachers or language partners.
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Meglio and migliore are two words that students frequently mix up.
The reason for this is that meglio means “better”, and migliore means both “best” and “better” and this causes a little confusion when translating from English.
In Italian we can’t draw a division between best and better, like English. Instead we have to consider the word’s function in the sentence, when deciding whether to use migliore or meglio.
How to use migliore
Migliore is an adjective, and as a result is used in conjunction with a noun. When migliore comes before a singular noun, the last-e is dropped (it’s just a phonetic adjustment).
il mio miglior amico vive a Londra – my best (adjective) friend lives in London
i miei migliori studenti viaggiano spesso in Italia – my best (adjective) students often travel to Italy
Quelle fragranze sono le migliori – those fragrances are the best (adjective)!
il riposo è la miglior medicina contro lo stress – resting is the best (adjective) medicine again the stress
It’s worth noting that because migliore is an adjective, it can be singular, plural, masculine, or feminine.
Miglioreis also used in comparative sentences, such as when comparing one thing to another in English Migliore means “better than” in this context.
Questo vino è migliore di quello – This wine is better than (adjective) the other
La lezione di oggi è migliore di quella ieri – Today’s lesson is better than (adjective) yesterday’s
Because it refers to a noun, migliore is also used as an adjective in these comparative sentences.
How to use meglio
Meglio is an adverb, and as the definition suggests, it follows verbs. Often meglio appears in comparative sentences too. In this case, it means better…than. Unlike migliore, meglio is invariable, so it never changes
Se non hai capito questo argomento, studiarlo meglio – If you didn’t understand this topic, study it better (adverb)
Martina sa cucinare meglio di Serena – Martina can cook better than (adverb) Serena
E’ meglio studiare un poco ogni giorno che studiare tanto una volta settimana – It is better (adverb) to study a little every day than to study a lot once a week
Conosco meglio Roma che Napoli – I know better (adverb) Rome than Naples
Peggiore and peggio
Peggiore and peggio are the antonyms of migliore and meglio. The same rules for migliore and meglio apply.
Questo è il peggior vino che abbia mai bevuto – this is the worst (adjective) wine I’ve ever drunk
Capisco peggio lo spagnolo che il francese – I understand Spanish worse (adverb) than French
Conclusion: Because both migliore and meglio mean better, this causes some confusion among my students who speak English as their first language. As a result, it’s critical to consider the word’s grammatical function in sentences rather than looking for a direct translation.
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What’s the difference between “sapere” and “conoscere”?
If you came across this page, it’s because you have been confused by using the Italian verbs sapere and conoscere. Fair enough!
English (and other languages) uses only one verb, the verb “to know,” to cover knowledge’s meaning in all possible forms.
Instead, Italian uses two different verbs: sapere and conoscere.
Sapere and conoscere are rarely interchangeable, and they express a different form of knowledge.
Let’s see now how to use the Italian verbs sapere and conoscere and what the difference between the two of them is.
Conoscere
Conoscere means to be acquainted with something or someone: a topic, a person, a place, or a subject.
Conoscere is used with people, places or things and means having good knowledge of something or someone because you have previously experienced it.
If you are still not sure whether to use sapere or conoscere, try this:
Conoscere is always followed by a noun.
You will never see conoscere used with another verb (which instead, is likely to happen with sapere).
Examples:
Conosco la geografia italiana molto bene – I know Italian geography (topic/subject) very well.
Conosci Luciana?– Do you know Luciana? (person)
Conosci un buon ristorante a Roma? – Do you know a good restaurant in Roma? (place)
Conosciamo molto bene la città di Lucca – We know Lucca very well (place)
Conosci un buon dentista in città? Do you know a good dentist (place) in town?
Lucia conosce la grammatica molto bene – Lucia knows grammar (topic) very well
Sapere
The counterpart of conoscere is sapere. Sapere means “to be aware of something.” In short, sapere means knowing a fact, an event, or a piece of information.
It’s usually used to ask for a piece of information or report it. That’s why sapere would often appear in conjunction with the chunks “che / a che ora / quando / come / dove”.
Ho saputo che Marco si è trasferito – I learned Marco moved away
Sai che Maria si è sposata? – Do you know that Maria got married?
Sai che Marco ha avuto un bambino? – Do you that Marco had a baby?
Sai che ore sono? – Do you know what time it is?
Sai quando parte il treno? –Do you know at what time the train is leaving?
Sapete dov’è Maria? – Do you (guys) know where Maria is?
Non so come cucinare questo piatto? – I don’t know how to cook this dish
Sapere as a modal verb
Sapere is also used as a modal verb when an infinitive verb accompanies it. In this case, it is used to say that you know how to do something, that you have an ability or a skill.
So parlare molto bene italiano, ma non so cucinare – I can speak Italian, but I can’t cook!
Sai suonare la chitarra? – Can you play the guitar?
Sainuotare? – Can you swim?
As you can see from the examples, English uses the verb “can” in these types of sentences, which often leads native English speakers to use the verb “potere” when they translate into Italian. This is wrong. Saying puoi parlare has a different meaning from sai parlare.
Let’s have a look at it
puoi parlare in Italiano? means that you’re asking someone to speak in Italian
sai parlare italiano? means that you’re asking someone if he speaks Italian
puoi nuotare?means that you’re asking someone to swim
sai nuotare?means that you’re asking someone if he can swim.
Other uses of sapere
Sapere also covers other meanings in Italian colloquial expressions.
You can use sapere to:
tell the taste of something with the expression “sapere di”
tell an opinion with the expression “mi sa che…”
sapere di…
Questo drink non sa di niente– this drink tastes like nothing
Questo dolce sa di cannella– this cake tastes like cinnamon
mi sa che..
Mi sa che rimango a casa stasera– I think I’ll stay home tonight
Mi sa che non cucino oggi, sono troppo stanca – I think I won’t cook today, I’m too tired.
“Mi sa” is an invariable chunk. In fact, we CAN’T use it with different pronouns.
You can practice the difference between conoscere and sapere and other difficult grammar topics with these excellent books
Are you an intermediate Italian learner and want to brush up on your Italian grammar but don’t know where to start? This course by the renowned language expert Olly Richards will help you stop translating in your head and internalize grammar through Controlled Immersion. You will find 15 engaging short stories in Italian that will teach you in small chunks (so that you don’t get bogged down by difficult words or long sentences) and in an easy-to-understand format with plenty of examples. Olly Richards’ courses take a similar approach to what I teach in my private classes: the learning materials you use must be understandable, without long, overbearing sentences, but just the right level of difficulty to push you forward.
Italian Grammar Hero is best suited for students at the B1 to B2 CEFR level, or intermediate to upper intermediate. This is a self-paced course designed for people who want to improve their Italian but can’t commit to regular lessons.
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Misusing or swapping the verbs smettere and fermare is one of the most frequent errors Italian learners make, and I understand why. The confusion is driven by the fact that both verbs, in English, have only one translation:to stop.
Instead, unlike English, Italian has two different verbs to indicate the action of stopping. One verb is “smettere,” and the other one is “fermare.”
What’s the difference between the two of them, then?
The difference lies in the way they’re used.
Let’s have a closer look…
Smettere: to stop doing something
Smettere means “to stop doing something”. So, you should use smettere just with verbs. In fact, smettere always triggers a second action.
smettere di bere – to stop drinking
smettere di correre – to stop running
smettere di fumare – to stop smoking
In short, smettere has the meaning of ceasing or quitting and is always followed by the preposition di and an infinitive verb.
Smettere can never be followed by a noun (ho smesso di lavoro)
Examples:
Vorrei smettere di fumare – I’d like to quit smoking
Ho smesso di lavorare per dedicarmi alla mia famiglia –I stopped working to spend more time with my family.
Attenzione! Smettere has an irregular past participle, which is “smesso.”
So the passato prossimo (the past tense) of smettere would be: “ho smesso, hai smesso, ha smesso, abbiamo smesso, avete smette, hanno smetto”.
ho smesso di fumare a 40 anni – I quit smoking at 40
Fermare: to stop from moving
Fermare describes a movement physically stopped by an intervention from outside.
Examples:
Ho fermato la macchina – I stopped the car
Il treno si è fermato – the train stopped
As you might have noticed, when the action described by the verb is transitive (meaning the verb is followed by an object like la macchina) the verb is non-reflexive. However, if the action is intransitive (meaning that the verb doesn’t have a direct object, and there’s no noun following the verb), the verb does take the reflexive form.
Examples:
L’autobus si è fermato – the bus stopped (intransitive verb)
Mi sono fermato al bar – I stopped by the bar (intransitive verb)
Hofermato la macchina – I stopped the car (transitive verb)
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