The Basics of Italian Sentence Structure and Word Order The Italian sentence structure is similar to English, but with a few key differences. The good news isItalian follows the same sentence order as in English, which is: SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT . We call this pattern SVO, for simplicity. The subject stands for who’s doing […]
The Italian Language Tests for Citizenship Are you unsure whether you’re ready to take the B1 Citizenship Exam? Take my B1 Citizenship Test and find out! B1 CITIZENSHIP TEST Due to the amendments to the Italian law in December 2018, it is now compulsory to obtain an Italian B1 language certification for all applicants for […]
The Italian Imperfect Tense First things first.. What’s The Imperfect Tense? The imperfect (or imperfetto, in Italian) is a past tense. We mainly use the imperfect tense to talk about past actions that happened as a habit, to describe the context of past actions or events, and in a few other cases. Smart tip As the name […]
What Are Possessive Adjectives in Italian? The possessive adjectives are those words that translate from the English: “my, your, her, his, our, their”. They denote ownership between two objects. For example, La mia cassa → my house Il suo cane → his dog Il nostro lavoro → our job In Italian, a possessive adjective in […]
The Apostrophe in Italian: When To Use It The apostrophe is a unique feature of the Italian language. When used properly, it will help you write Italian like a native. This comprehensive guide explains when to use the Italian apostrophe (l’apostrofo) and when not to. Definite articles (gli articoli determinativi) We use the apostrophe in […]
Conoscere and Sapere: The Difference Explained 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. […]
7 Reasons Why Moving to Sicily Is A Brilliant Idea (2023 updated) There are several benefits to living in Sicily, whether you are a digital nomad, a remote worker, or looking for a place with a beautiful climate all year to spend your best retirement years. I am a Sicilian native, born and raised on […]
How to Use the Definite Articles in Italian (articoli determinativi) Building solid foundations is key in every foreign language you learn. Mastering the nitty-gritty of the basics will be your pathway to fluency, I promise. That’s why today we’ll cover the Italian definite articles (gli articoli determinativi) and especially when to use them and when not, […]
How to say in Italian: “How long have you been doing something?” To ask how long someone has been doing something, Italian uses the present tense (and not the present perfect, like in English). These types of questions are introduced by “da quando” or “da quanto tempo”, meaning how long + the presente indicativo. For example, Da […]
How to Say the Time in Italian First, the word “time” has two primary translations in Italian: tempo and ora. Tempo denotes the abstract idea of time (Il tempo vola = time flies) Ora is instead the the, by the clock (che ore sono? = what times is it?) How to Say “What Time Is It?” When you want […]
13 Most Irregular Common Italian Verbs What’s an irregular verb? One of the most common difficulties for learners is learning and remembering irregular Italian verbs. The irregular verbs are those that do not follow the standard conjugation rules, such as the verbs ending in -are, -ere, or -ire (see my blog post here). There are […]
The Cils A2 Exam: A Comprehensive Guide to Help You Succeed Are you unsure whether you’re ready to take the A2 Italian Language Certification? Take my A2 Test and find out! A2 LANGUAGE TEST There are different levels of language certifications for Italian speakers. One can choose between an beginner (A1), advanced beginner/elementary (A2), lower-intermediate […]
The Cils A1 Exam: A Comprehensive Guide to Help You Succeed Are you unsure whether you’re ready to take the A1 Italian Language Certification? Take my A1 Test and find out! A1 LANGUAGE TEST There are different levels of language certifications for Italian speakers. One can choose between an beginner (A1), advanced beginner (A2), lower-intermediate […]