Professional Documents
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Counting in Italian
Cardinal Numbers: 1 - 100
The numbers venti, trenta, and so on drop the final vowel before adding -uno or otto:
ventuno, ventotto.
The function of periods and commas is reversed from that in English. Therefore, the
number 1.000 = one thousand (or mille in Italian) and 1,5 = one point five or one and
five tenths or, in Italian, uno virgola cinque.
The indefinite article is not used with cento (hundred) and mille (thousand), but it is
used with milione (million).
Cento has no plural form. Mille has the plural form mila.
L. is the abbreviation for lira/lire. Milione (plural milioni) and miliardo (plural
miliardi) require di when they occur directly before a noun.
In Italia ci sono 57 milioni di abitanti. (In Italy there are 57 million inhabitants.)
Il governo ha speso molti miliardi di dollari. (The government has spent many billions of
dollars.
But:
Tre milioni cinquecentomila (3.500.000) lire (3.5 million lire)
Ordinal Numbers
The Italian ordinal numbers correspond to English first, second, third, fourth, and so on.
Each of the first ten ordinal numbers has a distinct form. After decimo, they are formed
by dropping the final vowel of the cardinal number and adding -esimo. Numbers ending
in -trè and -sei retain the final vowel.
undici—undicesimo
ventitrè—ventitreesimo
trentasei—trentaseiesimo
Unlike cardinal numbers, ordinal numbers agree in gender and number with the nouns
they modify.
As in English, ordinal numbers normally precede the noun. Abbreviations are written with
a small ° (masculine) or ª (feminine).
Roman numerals are frequently used, especially when referring to royalty, popes, and
centuries. In such cases they usually follow the noun.
Luigi XV (Quindicesimo)—Louis XV
Papa Giovanni Paolo II (Secondo)—Pope John Paul II
il secolo XIX (diciannovesimo)—the nineteenth century
Generally, especially in connection with literature, art, and history, Italian uses the
following forms to refer to centuries from the thirteenth on:
Days of the month are expressed with ordinal numbers (November first, November
second). In Italian, only the first day of the month is indicated by the ordinal number,
preceded by the definite article: il primo. All other dates are expressed by cardinal
numbers, preceded by the definite article.
Workbook Exercises
Cardinal Numbers: 1 – 100
A. Quanti studenti? Write out the numbers given in bold.
1. 62 studenti __________________
2. 23 studenti __________________
3. 58 studenti __________________
4. 45 studenti __________________
5. 81 studenti __________________
6. 19 studenti __________________
7. 76 studenti __________________
8. 100 studenti __________________
9. 57 studenti __________________
10. 94 studenti __________________
Questions
Cardinal Numbers: 1 – 100
B. Facciamo un po' di aritmetica Complete these math problems. Write out all numbers.
1. 4° __________________
2. 6° __________________
3. 1° __________________
4. 35° __________________
5. 9° __________________
6. 278° __________________
7. 43° __________________
8. 89° __________________
9. 100° __________________
10. 1.000° __________________
Questions
Ordinal Numbers
B. Complete the following sentences by filling in the blank with the appropriate ordinal
number.
Italian uses present tense + da + time expressions to indicate an action that began in
the past and is still going on in the present. English, by contrast, uses the present perfect
tense (I have spoken, I have been working) + for + time expressions.
To ask how long something has been going on, use da quanto tempo + verb in the
present.
Da quanto tempo leggi questa rivista? —Leggo questa rivista da molto tempo.
(How long have you been reading this magazine? —I've been reading this magazine for a
long time.)
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Present tense + da + time expressions
A. Answer the following questions using the cues provided.
EXAMPLE: Da quanto tempo mangi pasta? (tre anni)—Mangio pasta da tre anni.
Questions
B. Ask questions that start with da quanto tempo, then answer them according to the
information given.
EXAMPLE: Maria/essere in Italia/due mesi—Da quanto tempo è in Italia Maria? Da due
mesi.
3. Telling Time
What time is it? is expressed in Italian by Che ora è? or Che ore sono? The answer is È
+ mezzogiorno (noon), mezzanotte (midnight), l'una (one o'clock), or Sono le +
number of the hour for all other times.
Fractions of an hour are expressed by e + minutes elapsed. From the half hour to the
next hour, time can also be expressed by giving the next hour meno (minus) the number
of minutes before the coming hour. Un quarto (A quarter) and mezzo a half often
replace quindici and trenta. Un quarto d'ora and mezz'ora mean a quarter of an hour
and half an hour.
To indicate A.M., add di mattina to the hour; to indicate P.M., add del pomeriggio (12
P.M. to 5 P.M.), di sera (5 P.M. to midnight), or di notte (midnight to early morning) to
the hour.
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Telling Time
A. Express the following times in Italian.
Questions
B. Convert the following times into numerical values.
Questions
C. Rewrite these sentences, using an alternate time expression.
EXAMPLE: Sono le quattro e cinquanta.—Sono le cinque meno dieci.
Most Italian nouns (i nome) end in a vowel. Nouns that end in a consonant are of foreign
origin. All nouns in Italian have a gender (il genere); that is, they are either masculine
or feminine, even those referring not to people but to things, qualities, or ideas.
Nouns ending in -e may be masculine or feminine. The gender of these nouns must be
memorized.
MASCULINE: studente, ristorante, caffè
FEMININE: automobile, notte, arte
Nouns ending -ione are generally feminine, while nouns ending in -ore are almost
always masculine.
Abbreviated nouns retain the gender of the words from which they are derived.
foto f. (from fotografia)
cinema m. (from cinematografo)
moto f. (from motocicletta)
auto f. (from automobile)
bici f. (from bicicletta)
Number
SINGOLARE PLURALE
Nouns ending in: -o change to: -i
-a -e
-ca -che
-e -i
caffè—due caffè
film—due film
foto—due foto
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Gender
A. Indicate the gender of the following nouns with M (masculine) or F (feminine).
1. equità _______________________
2. lampo _______________________
3. cane _______________________
4. fragola _______________________
5. lunedì _______________________
6. correzione _______________________
7. sci _______________________
8. papà _______________________
9. caffelatte _______________________
10. fava _______________________
Questions
Number
B. Make the following singular nouns plural.
1. la lira _______________________
2. la stazione _______________________
3. il dollaro _______________________
4. il caffè _______________________
5. il panino _______________________
6. la birra _______________________
7. il parente _______________________
8. la signorina _______________________
9. la banana _______________________
10. il film _______________________
Questions
Number
C. Make the following plural nouns singular.
1. le signore _______________________
2. i professori _______________________
3. i vini _______________________
4. le aranciate _______________________
5. i ragazzi _______________________
6. le ragazze _______________________
7. le università _______________________
8. le lezioni _______________________
9. gli zii _______________________
10. le uova _______________________
5. Italian Indirect Object Pronouns
Direct object nouns and pronouns answer the question what? or whom? Indirect object
nouns and pronouns answer the question to whom? or for whom? In English the word to
is often omitted: We gave a cookbook to Uncle John.—We gave Uncle John a cookbook.
In Italian, the preposition a is always used before an indirect object noun.
Abbiamo regalato un libro di cucina allo zio Giovanni. (We gave a cookbook to Uncle
John.)
Perché non regali un profumo alla mamma? (Why don’t you give Mother some perfume?)
Puoi spiegare questa ricetta a Paolo? (Can you explain this recipe to Paul?)
Indirect object pronouns (i pronomi indiretti) replace indirect object nouns. They are
identical in form to direct object pronouns, except for the third person forms gli, le, and
loro.
SINGULAR PLURAL
mi (to/for) me ci (to/for) us
ti (to/for) you vi (to/for) you
Le (to/for) you (formal m. and f.) Loro (to/for) you (form., m. and f.)
gli (to/for) him loro (to/for) them
le (to/for) her
Indirect object pronouns, like direct object pronouns, precede a conjugated verb, except
for loro and Loro, which follow the verb.
Indirect object pronouns are attached to an infinitive, and the –e of the infinitive is
dropped.
If the infinitive is preceded by a form of dovere, potere, or volere, the indirect object
pronoun is either attached to the infinitive (after the –e is dropped or placed before the
conjugated verb).
The following common Italian verbs are used with indirect object nouns or pronouns.
dare to give
dire to say
domandare to ask
(im)prestare to lend
insegnare to teach
mandare to send
mostrare to show
offrire to offer
portare to bring
preparare to prepare
regalare to give (as a gift)
rendere to return, give back
riportare to bring back
scrivere to write
telefonare to telephone
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Indirect Object Pronouns
A. Guido considers himself very original. Everything he does is different from what other
people do. Complete the following statements with the appropriate pronomi indiretti in
the blanks.
The nouns boys and books are direct objects. They answer the question what? or whom?
Verbs that take a direct object are called transitive verbs. Verbs that do not take a direct
object (she walks, I sleep) are intransitive.
In Italian the forms of the direct object pronouns (i pronomi diretti) are as follows:
SINGULAR PLURAL
mi me ci us
ti you (informal) vi you (informal)
La you (formal m. and f.) Li you (form., m.)
Se vedo i ragazzi, li invito. (If I see the boys, I’ll invite them.)
Compra la frutta e la mangia. (He buys the fruit and eats it.)
In a negative sentence, the word non must come before the object pronoun.
The object pronoun is attached to the end of an infinitive. Note that the final –e of the
infinitive is dropped.
It is possible, but not necessary, to elide singular direct object pronouns in front of verbs
that begin with a vowel or forms of avere that begin with an h. However, the plural
forms li and le are never elided.
M’ama, non m’ama. (Mi ama, non mi ama.). (He loves me, he loves me not.)
Il passaporto? Loro non l’hanno (lo hanno). (The passport? They don’t have it.)
A few Italian verbs that take a direct object, such as ascoltare, aspettare, cercare,
and guardare, correspond to English verbs that are used with prepositions (to listen to
to wait for, to look for, to look at).
Object pronouns are attached to ecco to express here I am, here you are, here he is,
and so on.
Dov’è la signorina? – Eccola! (Where is the young woman? – Here she is!)
Hai trovato le chiavi? – Sì, eccole! (Have you found the keys? – Yes, here they are!)
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Direct Object Pronouns
A. You and Gabriele are totally different. Complete the following statements about you
and him with the appropriate pronomi diretti in the blanks.
Questions
C. Fill in each blank with the correct form of the direct object pronoun.
7. Bello e Quello
The adjectives bello (beautiful, handsome, nice, fine) and quello (that) have shortened
forms when they precede the nouns they modify. Note that the shortened forms are
similar to those of the definite article.
MASCHILE
Singolare Plurale
bello/quello begli/quegli (before s + consonant or z)
bel/quel bei/quei (before other consonants)
bell’/quell’ begli/quegli (before vowels)
FEMMINILE
Singolare Plurale
bella/quella belle/quelle (before all consonants)
bell’/quell’ belle/quelle (before vowels)
Un ragazzo bello non è sempre simpatico. (A handsome boy is not always a likable boy.)
Quel ragazzo è bello. (That boy is handsome.)
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Bello e Quello
A. Piero is showing you around his hometown, and you are quite impressed with all you
see. Give the appropriate exclamations, using the correct form of bello.
EXAMPLE: casa — Che bella casa!
1. negozi __________________________
2. piazza __________________________
3. stadi __________________________
4. università __________________________
5. chiese __________________________
6. zoo __________________________
7. albergo __________________________
8. stazione __________________________
Questions
B. Add the appropriate form of bello to expand on the following exclamations.
EXAMPLE: Che macchina! — Che bella macchina!
Questions
C. Laura is confused today. Tell her which people or things your were talking about—not
these, but those.
EXAMPLE: Questi bar? — No, quei bar.
C’è (from ci è) and ci sono correspond to the English there is and there are. They state
the existence or presence of something or someone.
C’è and ci sono should not be confused with ecco (here is, here are; there is, there
are), which is used when you point at or draw attention to something or someone
(singular or plural).
C’è una parola difficile in questa frase. (There's a difficult word in this sentence.)
C’è and ci sono also express the idea of being in or being here/there.
Scusi, c’è Maria?— No, non c’è. (Excuse me, is Maria in?— No, she isn’t.)
Come is used with all persons of essere in questions to find out what people or things
are like.
Exclamations of this kind are used much more frequently in Italian than in English.
Com’è bella questa casa! (This is really a nice house! My, what a lovely house!)
Workbook Exercises
Questions
C’è and Com’è
A. Correct the following statements, replying that there are two, not just one, of the
items.
EXAMPLE: C’è una stazione. — No, ci sono due stazioni!
Questions
B. Everything you're served today tastes good. Give appropriate exclamations.
EXAMPLE: questo caffè — Com’è buono questo caffè!
Questions
C. Repeat each of the statements as an exclamation.
EXAMPLE: casa (piccolo)
—Questa casa è piccola.
—Sì, com’è piccola questa casa!
The article agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies and is repeated before
each noun.
The first letter of the word immediately following the article determines the article’s form.
Compare the following:
In Italian, the definite article must always be used before the name of a language, except
when the verbs parlare (to speak) or studiare (to study) directly precede the name of
the language; in those cases, the use of the article is optional.
The definite article is used before the days of the week to indicate a repeated, habitual
activity.
Questions
Definite Articles
A. Rewrite the following sentences, changing indefinite articles to definite articles.
EXAMPLE: Ecco un disco! — Ecco il disco!
Questions
B. Complete the exercises, filling in the blanks with the correct form of the definite
article.
1. Ecco _____ famiglia di Piero. _____ uomini sono tutti alti e bruni, ma _____
donne sono bionde e piuttosto basse! Buffo, no? _____ zii e _____ zie di Piero
sono molti e anche _____ cugini. _____ bambini di Piero hanno sette e nove anni,
ma _____ bambina è ancora molto piccola. _____ parenti di Piero sono tutti
simpatici. (E anche _____ cane Fido!)
2. _____ italiano è _____ lingua preferita in questa classe! Ma ci sono altre belle
lingue: _____ spagnolo, _____ francese, _____ inglese, _____ giapponese e
molte altre. Anche se _____ grammatica italiana non è difficile, _____ nuovi
studenti hanno molto da imparare: _____ verbi, _____ aggettivi, _____ articolo
determinativo. Siamo fortunati, però: _____ studenti di questa classe sono bravi
e studiosi, vero?
INDEFINITE ARTICLES
MASCHILE FEMMINILE
uno zio (uncle) una zia (aunt)
un cugino (cousin, m.) una cugina (cousin, f.)
un amico (friend, m.) un’amica (friend, f.)
Uno is used for masculine words beginning with z or s + consonant; un is used for all
other masculine words. Una is used for feminine words beginning with a consonant; un’
is used for feminine words beginning with a vowel.
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Indefinite Articles
A. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the indefinite article.
Questions
B. Make the following phrases singular.
EXAMPLE: due stazioni — una stazione
Questions
C. Repeat the pattern in the example with each of the following nouns.
EXAMPLE: carciofo — un carciofo, due carciofi
1. pompelmo _________________
2. carota _________________
3. pesca _________________
4. arancia _________________
5. mela _________________
6. limone _________________
7. patata _________________
8. pomodoro _________________
9.
11. Italian Verb Essere: Present Tense
Essere: 1 to be: La bambina è piccola The child is small; Chi è? - Sono io Who is it? - It's
me; Siamo noi it's us 2 to be: Che ore sono? - Sono le quattro What time is it? It is four
o'clock;
And on and on, for more than a page, in the Harper Collins Sansoni Italian Dictionary. As
in English, essere is used in myriad grammatical and linguistic situations. Learning the
many conjugations and uses of the verb is crucial to the study of the Italian language.
Essere is an irregular verb (un verbo irregolare); it does not follow a predictable
pattern of conjugation. Note that the form sono is used with both io and loro. The
present tense (il presente) of essere is as follows:
SINGOLARE PLURALE
(io) sono I am (noi) siamo we are
(tu) sei you are (fam.) (voi) siete you are (fam.)
(Lei) è you are (form.) (Loro) sono you are (form.)
(lui) è he is (loro) sono they are (form.)
I Tempi Composti
The compound tenses are verb tenses, such as the passato prossimo, that consist of two
words. The appropriate tense of avere or essere (called the auxiliary or helping verbs)
and the past participle of the target verb forms the verb phrase.
When using essere, the past participle always agrees in gender and number with the
subject of the verb. It can therefore have four endings: -o, -a, -i, -e. In many cases
intransitive verbs (those that cannot take a direct object), especially those expressing
motion, are conjugated with the auxiliary verb essere. The verb essere is also conjugated
with itself as the auxiliary verb.
Some of the most common verbs that form compound tenses with essere include:
ITALIAN ENGLISH
andare to go
arrivare to arrive
entrare to enter
partire to depart
restare to stay, to remain
(ri)tornare to return
uscire to go out
venire to come
Essere is used with di + name of a city to indicate city of origin (the city someone is
from). To indicate country of origin, an adjective of nationality is generally used: He is
from France + He is French = È francese.
Io sono di Chicago: tu di dove sei? (I'm from Chicago; where are you from?)
Questa chitarra è di Beppino; non è di Vittoria. This guitar is Beppino's; it's not
Vittoria's.)
To find out who the owner of something is, ask Di chi è + singular or Di chi sono +
plural.
Di chi è questo cane? Di chi sono questi cani? (Whose dog is this? Whose dogs are
these?)
—Reflexive verbs: those verbs whose action reverts to the subject, as in the following
examples: I wash myself. They enjoy themselves.
—Impersonal form: as in the English equivalents one, you, we, they, or people + verb. Si
mangia bene in Italia - People (They) eat well in Italy.
—Passive voice: in a passive construction the subject of the verb receives the action
instead of doing it, as in the sentence: Caesar was killed by Brutus.
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Essere: Present Tense
A. Complete the following statements with the appropriate form of essere in the blanks.
1. Marcella è di Firenze. Io non _____ di Firenze. Loro due _____ di Roma. Anche
noi _____ di Roma. Paolo _____ di Napoli. E tu, di dove _____? Voi _____ di
Bologna.
2. Tu sei americana. E Paolo, anche lui _____ americano? Noi due _____ americani,
ma Luisa non _____ americana: _____ canadese. Anche Marianne e Philip _____
canadesi.
Questions
B. Complete each sentence with the appropriate form of essere + adjective.
EXAMPLE: Tu sei piccolo; anche lei è piccola.
Questions
C. Reply to each of the following questions in the negative.
EXAMPLE: Sei biondo? — No, non sono biondo.
Part 1: Look It Up
Avere: 1 to have (got): Ho molti amici. I have many friends; 2 to have, to own: Ha una
villa in campagna. He has a house in the country; 3 to have on, to wear: Maria ha un
vestito nuovo. Maria has on a new dress.
Like the verb essere (to be), avere is used in myriad grammatical and linguistic
situations. Learning the many conjugations and uses of the verb is crucial to the study of
the Italian language.
Avere is an irregular verb (un verbo irregolare); it does not follow a predictable
pattern of conjugation. The present tense (il presente) of avere is as follows:
Singolare Plurale
(io) ho I have (noi) abbiamo we have
(tu) hai you have (fam.) (voi) avete you have (fam.)
(lui) ha you have (loro) hanno they have
Interrogative Verbs
• To make a verb interrogative (I have —do I have?), add a question mark to the end of
the sentence in writing. In speaking, the pitch of the voice rises at the end of the
sentence.
• The compound tenses are verb tenses, such as the passato prossimo, that consist of
two words. The appropriate tense of avere or essere (called the auxiliary or helping
verbs) and the past participle of the target verb forms the verb phrase.
• In general, transitive verbs are conjugated with avere. Transitive verbs express an
action that carries over from the subject to the direct object: The teacher explains the
lesson.
• The past participle is invariable when the passato prossimo is constructed with
avere.
• When the past participle of a verb conjugated with avere is preceded by the third
person direct object pronouns lo, la, le, or li, the past participle agrees with the
preceding direct object pronoun in gender and number. The past participle may agree
with the direct object pronouns mi, ti, ci, and vi when these precede the verb, but the
agreement is not mandatory.
Ho mangiato la frittata.
I have eaten the omelette.
L’ho mangiata.
I have eaten it.
Li ho comprati.
I bought them.
to deal with
avere a che fare con
È inutile che io le parli: vuole avere a che fare solo con te.
It’s no use my talking to her; she only wants to deal with you.
Non avertela a male se non ti invito a quella cena. Ho già troppi invitati.
Don’t feel bad if I don’t invite you to that dinner. I have too many guest already.
Ho diciotto anni.
I'm eighteen.
Questions
Avere: Present Tense
A. Complete each sentence with the correct form of the verb avere.
Questions
B. Change the verbs from the singular to the plural or from the plural to the singular.
EXAMPLE: Hai un bicchiere.—Avete un bicchiere.
1. Ho un gatto. _______________________
2. Non hanno amici in Italia. _______________________
3. Hai due panini. _______________________
4. Abbiamo un hobby. _______________________
5. Avete un cane? _______________________
6. Non ha uno zio a Milano. _______________________
7. Hanno un buono stipendio. _______________________
8. Ho due case. _______________________
The infinitives of all regular verbs in Italian end in –are, –ere, or –ire and are referred
to as first, second, or third conjugation verbs, respectively. In English the infinitive
(l'infinito) consists of to + verb.
Verbs with infinitives ending in –are are called first conjugation, or –are, verbs. The
present tense of a regular –are verb is formed by dropping the infinitive ending –are
and adding the appropriate endings to the resulting stem. There is a different ending for
each person.
• Verbs ending in –care (cercare, caricare) and –gare (litigare, legare): add an h
immediately after the root when declinations start with e or i to maintain the hard c or
hard g sound.
cercare legare
tu cerchi tu leghi
noi cerchiamo noi leghiamo
io cercherò io legherò
• Verbs ending in –ciare (baciare), –giare (mangiare), and –sciare (lasciare): drop the
i of the root when declinations start with e or i.
espiare studiare
io espio io studio
che tu taglii che tu studii
noi espiamo noi studiamo
voi espiate voi studiate
• Verbs ending in –gliare (tagliare, pigliare): drop the i of the root only before the
vowel i.
tagliare pigliare
io taglio io piglio
tu tagli tu pigli
noi tagliamo noi pigliamo
voi tagliate voi pigliate
• Verbs ending in –gnare are regular, therefore the i of the endings –iamo (indicative
and present conjunctive) and –iate (present conjunctive) is maintained.
regnare sognare
noi regniamo noi sogniamo
che noi regniamo che noi sogniamo
che voi regniate che voi sogniate
Note! The second person plural of the present indicative is formed regularly.
Questions
Present Tense of –Are Verbs
A. Complete these sentences, using the correct form of the verbs in italics.
1. Luigi parlare ________ inglese. E Luisa, anche lei parlare ________ inglese? Voi
due parlare ________ italiano. Anche loro parlare ________ italiano. Tu non
parlare _________italiano, ma io parlare _________ italiano e inglese.
2. Io non suonare _________ il piano. Luigino suonare _________ il piano e loro
suonare _________ la chitarra. Voi suonare _________ il trombone e noi suonare
_________ il violino.
3. Loro mangiare_________ molta pasta? No, ma lei mangiare _________ molta
pasta. Pierino mangiare _________ molta carne e tu mangiare_________ molta
verdura. Io non mangiare_________ mai carne e voi non mangiare _________
mai verdura.
Questions
B. Complete these sentences, using the correct form of the verbs in italics.
The infinitives of all regular verbs in Italian end in –are, –ere, or –ire and are referred
to as first, second, or third conjugation verbs, respectively. In English the infinitive
(l'infinito) consists of to + verb.
Verbs with infinitives ending in –ere are called second conjugation, or –ere, verbs. The
present tense of a regular –ere verb is formed by dropping the infinitive ending –ere
and adding the appropriate endings to the resulting stem. There is a different ending for
each person.
• The «passato remoto» (historical past) of the second conjugation verbs has two
diverse forms of the first and third person singular and third person plural:
io temetti/temei io vendetti/vendei
egli temette/temé egli vendette/vendé
essi temettero/temerono essi vendettero/venderono
Note! In standard usage the forms –etti, –ette, and –ettero are preferred. The majority
of verbs whose root ends in t though, such as battere, potere, and riflettere, take the
endings –ei, –é and –erono.
• The verbs fare and dire are considered second conjugation verbs (because they are
derived from two third conjugation Latin verbs—facere and dicere) as well as all verbs
ending in –arre (trarre), –orre (porre), and –urre (tradurre).
• Verbs ending in –cere (vincere), –gere (scorgere), or –scere (conoscere) have a
particular phonetic rule. C, g, and sc of the root maintains the soft sound of the infinitive
before the declinations that start with e or i. They take the hard sound before the
declinations that begin with a or o:
vincere spargere
tu vinci tu spargi
che egli vinca che egli sparga
conoscere crescere
tu conosci tu cresci
che egli conosca che egli cresca
conosciuto cresciuto
• Many irregular verbs ending in –cere (piacere, dispiace, giacere, nuocere, tacere)
maintain the soft sound by inserting an i before declinations that begin with a or o; if the
verb has a regular past participle ending in –uto, an i is also added:
spegnere
noi spegniamo
che voi spegniate
• Verbs ending in –iere drop the i of the root before declinations that start with i:
compiere
tu compi
noi compiamo
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Present Tense of –Ere Verbs
A. Replace the subject with each subject in parentheses, and change the verb form
accordingly.
Questions
B. Make the following subjects and verbs plural.
EXAMPLE: Io bevo un caffé. — Noi beviamo un caffé.
The infinitives of all regular verbs in Italian end in –are, –ere, or –ire and are referred
to as first, second, or third conjugation verbs, respectively. In English the infinitive
(l'infinito) consists of to + verb.
amare to love temere to fear sentire to hear
Verbs with infinitives ending in –ire are called third conjugation, or –ire, verbs. The
present tense of a regular –ire verb is formed by dropping the infinitive ending –ire and
adding the appropriate endings to the resulting stem. There is a different ending for each
person.
• Many –ire verbs add, between the root and declination, the suffix isc to the first,
second, and third person singular and third person plural of the indicative and
subjunctive present tense, and to the second and third person singular and third person
plural of the present infinitive tense:
finire
io finisco che io finisca
tu finisci che tu finisca
egli finisce che egli finisca
che essi
essi finiscono
finiscano
finisci finisca finiscono
• some verbs have both forms, similar to the model of sentire and finire:
• other verbs also have both forms but take on diverse significance:
ripartire
io riparto (to leave again)
io ripartisco (to divide)
• Generally the present participle (il participio presente) of third conjugation verbs
end in ente, several have the form iente, and a few can have both endings:
morire morente
esordire esordiente
dormire dormente/dormiente
• Some participles change the letter t that precedes the declination of the participle
iente to the letter z:
sentire senziente
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Present Tense of –Ire Verbs
A. Replace the subject with each subject in parentheses, and change the verb form
accordingly.
Questions
B. Make the following subjects and verbs plural.
EXAMPLE: Quando tu parti? — Quando voi partite?
Many important Italian verbs are irregular: they do not follow the regular pattern of
conjugation (infinitive stem + endings). They may have a different stem or different
endings. There are only three irregular first conjugation verbs (verbs ending in –are):
andare to go
dare to give
stare to stay
Note! (Fare, since it is derived from facere, a Latin verb of the second conjugation, is
considered an irregular second conjugation verb.)
Part 2: Andare
If the verb andare is followed by another verb (to go dancing, to go eat), the sequence
andare + a + infinitive is used. Andare is conjugated, but the second verb is used in
the infinitive. Note that it is necessary to use a even if the infinitive is separated from the
form of andare.
As a general rule, when andare is followed by the name of a country, the preposition in
is used; when it is followed by the name of a city, a is used.
Workbook Exercises
Questions | Answers
Irregular First Conjugation Verbs
A. Complete the following statements with the appropriate form of andare in the blanks.
Questions | Answers
B. Complete these sentences, using the correct form of the verbs in italics.
1. Maria dà lezioni d'inglese. Anche loro ________ lezioni di lingua? No, ma noi due
________ lezioni d'italiano. Io ________ lezioni di musica e tu ________ lezioni
di ballo.
2. Tu stai sempre zitto. Lui ________ sempre attento. Anche loro ________ sempre
attenti, ma noi due non ________ mai attenti. Lei non ________ mai zitta.
3. Io non vado mai in aeroplano. Pietro e Beppino ________ sempre in treno. Noi
due ________ in automobile e Silvia ________ in bicicletta. Anche tu ________
in bicicletta?
Irregular verbs are those that do not follow the typical conjugation patterns of their
respective types (infinitive stem + endings). There are three distinct irregularities:
verbs in –ére, (cadere, dovere, valere). The majority of irregular changes occur in the
root, generally in the present indicative and subjunctive (valg–o, valg–a).
verbs in –’ere (accendere, accludere) in which the accent falls on the stem. Usually these
irregular verbs have changes in the past remote and the past participle (acce–si, acce–
so).
Consult the list of principal irregular second and third conjugation verbs for reference.
Note! Several irregular verbs of the second conjugation double the final consonant of the
stem to form the I and III person singular and III person plural of the remote past.
Other irregular –ere verbs double the final consonant of the irregular stem.
Verbs ending in –arre (trarre), –orre (porre), and –urre (tradurre), like fare and dire,
are considered second conjugation verbs since they derive from contractions of Latin
verbs of the second conjugation (trahere, ponere, traducere, facere, dicere).
There are relatively few third conjugation verbs (verbs ending in –ire) that are irregular.
In general, irregular third conjugation verbs have alterations to their roots in the present
indicative and in the subjunctive (ven–ire, veng–o, veng–a). Consult the list of principal
irregular second and third conjugation verbs for reference.
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Irregular Second and Third Conjugation Verbs
A. Replace the subject with each subject in parentheses, and change the verb form
accordingly.
In questions beginning with an interrogative word, the subject is usually placed at the
end of the sentence.
Prepositions such as a, di, con, and per always precede the interrogative chi. In Italian,
a question never ends with a preposition.
Che and cosa are abbreviated forms of che cosa. The forms are interchangeable.
As with all adjectives, the interrogative adjectives agree in gender and number with the
nouns they modify, except for che, which is invariable.
Che cos’è...? (Che cosa è, cos’è) expresses English What is...? in a request for a
definition or an explanation.
Qual è expresses What is...? when the answer involves a choice, or when one requests
information such as a name, telephone number, or address.
Interrogative Pronouns
Interrogative Adverbs
*Come + è = Com’è
*Dove + è = Dov’è
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Interrogatives
A. Francesca has many questions about Roberto. Complete the dialogue by supplying the
correct interrogative words.
Questions
B. You are interviewing a number of prospective roommates. Prepare some standard
question to find out whether or not you would be compatible. Complete the question with
the appropriate interrogative expression.
Fare, since it is derived from facere, a Latin verb of the second conjugation, is
considered an irregular second conjugation verb. It does not follow the regular pattern of
conjugation (infinitive stem + endings).
Note!: In the preceding examples, it is an impersonal subject and is not translated into
Italian.
Idiomatic Expressions
The verb fare expresses the basic idea of doing or making, as in fare gli esercizi and
fare il letto, but is is also used in many idioms.
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Fare and Idiomatic Expressions
A. Complete the following statements with the appropriate idiomatic expression.
The imperative (l'imperativo) is used to give orders, advice, and exhortation: be good,
stay home, let's go.
The formation of the imperative in Italian follows a sort of "back-to-front" rule for the tu
and Lei forms. In other words, parlare generates (tu) parla and (Lei) parli - as if the
indicative forms had swapped places - while -ere and -ire verbs behave in exactly the
opposite way: (tu) prendi, (Lei) prenda.
• the tu and voi forms are identical to their corresponding present indicative forms,
except for the tu form of -are verbs, which add -a to the root: domandare > domanda
• the formal Lei and Loro forms (though the second is hardly every used) take the
corresponding forms of the present subjunctive (see table below)
• the noi form (translated by "let's..." in English) also mimics the present subjunctive
form - but this is identical to the common or garden-variety present indicative (andiamo,
vediamo, etc.)
Regular verbs therefore have the following imperative forms:
Irregular verbs follow the same pattern, except for essere and avere, which have rule-
bending tu and voi forms:
essere avere
(tu) sii abbi
(Lei) sia abbia
(noi) siamo abbiamo
(voi) siate abbiate
(Loro) siano abbiano
Note too that dire has an irregular, truncated tu form: di'. The same goes for andare,
dare, fare, and stare, but with these four, a regular tu form is also possible: va'/vai,
da'/dai, fa'/fai, sta'/stai.
• the negative imperative for tu in all conjugations is formed by placing non before the
infinitive. The noi and voi forms are identical to those in the affirmative.
lavorare scrivere
(tu) Non lavorare! Non scrivere!
(noi) Non lavoriamo! Non scriviamo!
(voi) Non lavorate! Non scrivete!
dormire finire
(tu) Non dormire! Non finire!
(noi) Non dormiamo! Non finiamo!
(voi) Non dormite! Non finite!
• direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns, and reflexive pronouns, when used
with the affirmative imperative, are attached to the end of the verb to form one word.
The only exception is loro, which is always separate.
• when a pronoun is attached to the tu imperative short forms of andare, dare, dire,
fare, and stare, the apostrophe disappears and the first consonant of the pronoun is
doubled, except when that pronoun is gli.
• when the verb is in the negative imperative, the pronouns may either precede or follow
the verb.
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Forming the Imperative
A. Form imperative phrases using the expressions below.
EXAMPLE: (voi) / chiedere alla cassa. — Chiedete alla cassa.
Questions
C. Command your friend Maria to do the following things. Express them as commands
addressed to her.
EXAMPLE: svegliarsi alle otto — Svegliati alle otto!
An adjective is a word that qualifies a noun; for example, a good boy. In Italian an
adjective agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. In Italian there are two
groups of adjectives: those ending in -o and those ending in -e.
Maschile Femminile
Singolare -o -a
Plurale -i -e
il libro italiano la signora italiana
i libri italiani le signore italiane
il primo giorno la mensa universitaria
i primi giorni le mense universitarie
If an adjective ends in -io, the o is dropped to form the plural.
Adjectives ending in -e are the same for the masculine and the feminine singular. In the
plural, the -e changes to -i.
Position of Adjectives
Note that adjectives of colors that derive from nouns are invariable.
Porto la giacca e i pantaloni blu in lavanderia. (I'm taking the blue coat and pants to
the laundry.)
2. Certain common adjectives, however, generally come before the noun. Here are the
most common:
bello (beautiful)
bravo (good, able)
brutto (ugly)
buono (good)
caro (dear)
cattivo (bad)
giovane (young)
grande (large; great)
lungo (long)
nuovo (new)
piccolo (small, little)
stesso (same)
vecchio (old)
vero (true)
Anna è una cara amica. (Anna is a dear friend.)
Gino è un bravo dottore. (Gino is a good doctor.)
È un brutt'affare. (It's a bad situation.)
But even these adjectives must follow the noun for emphasis or contrast, and when
modified by an adverb.
Oggi non porta l'abito vecchio, porta un abito nuovo. Today he is not wearing the old
suit, he is wearing a new suit.)
Abitano iu una casa molto piccola. (They live in a very small house.)
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Adjectives in Italian: Form and Agreement
A. Form the plural of the following nouns.
EXAMPLE: La casa grande — Le case grandi
Questions
B. Put the correct form of the adjective in the appropriate position. EXAMPLE: bravo/È un
ragazzo. — È un bravo ragazzo.
Feminine-noun ending -ea changes to -ee in the plural. For example: dea/dee
(goddess/goddesses).
Feminine-noun ending -ca changes to -che in the plural. For example:
amica/amiche (friend/friends). Remember that -che is pronounced as "keh" in
Italian.
Finally, be aware that some nouns end in -e. The plural forms of these nouns will end in -
i (regardless of whether these nouns are masculine or feminine).
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Plural Nouns
A. Change the following singular nouns to the plural.
1. aranciata ____________________
2. vitello ____________________
3. albicoca ____________________
4. torta ____________________
5. pesce ____________________
6. polpetta ____________________
7. gelato ____________________
8. bruschetta ____________________
9. risotto ____________________
10. arancino ____________________
23. Italian Adjectives
Italian and English differ in their usage of adjectives. Italian descriptive adjectives are
usually placed after the noun they modify, and with which they agree in gender and
number.
Adjectives ending in -o have four forms: masculine singular, masculine plural, feminine
singular, and feminine plural. Observe how the adjectives nero and cattivo change to
agree with nouns they modify.
ENDINGS OF -O ADJECTIVES
SINGULAR PLURAL
il gatto nero (the black cat, masculine) i gatti neri (the black cats, masculine)
la gatta nera (the black cat, feminine) le gatte nere (the black cats, feminine)
il ragazzo cattivo (the bad boy) i ragazzi cattivi (the bad boys)
la ragazza cattiva (the bad girl) le ragazze cattive (the bad girls)
Note that when an adjective modifies two nouns of different gender, it retains its
masculine ending. For example: i padri e le madre italiani (Italian fathers and mothers).
Although the majority of Italian adjectives have four forms (as in italiano, italiana,
italiani, italiane) there are exceptions. Not all Italian adjectives have a singular form
ending in -o. There are a number of adjectives that end in -e. The singular ending -e
changes to -i in the plural, whether the noun is masculine or feminine.
ENDINGS OF -E ADJECTIVES
SINGULAR PLURAL
il ragazzo triste (the sad boy) i ragazzi tristi(the sad boys)
la ragazza triste (the sad girl) le ragazze tristi (the sad girls)
There are quite a few other exceptions for forming plural adjectives. For instance,
adjectives that end in -io (with the stress falling on that i) form the plural with the ending
-ii: addio/addii; leggio/leggii; zio/zii. The table below contains a chart of other irregular
adjective endings you should know.
When forming the plural of nouns ending in a consonant, such as words of foreign origin,
only the article changes: il film/i film; la photo/le photo. Here are some exceptions to the
rule for forming feminine plurals:
Feminine-noun ending -ea changes to -ee in the plural. For example: dea/dee
(goddess/goddesses).
Feminine-noun ending -ca changes to -che in the plural. For example:
amica/amiche (friend/friends). Remember that -che is pronounced as "keh" in
Italian.
Finally, be aware that some nouns end in -e. The plural forms of these nouns will end in -
i (regardless of whether these nouns are masculine or feminine).
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Plural Nouns
A. Change the following singular nouns to the plural.
1. aranciata ____________________
2. vitello ____________________
3. albicoca ____________________
4. torta ____________________
5. pesce ____________________
6. polpetta ____________________
7. gelato ____________________
8. bruschetta ____________________
9. risotto ____________________
10. arancino ____________________
25. Italian Adjectives
Italian and English differ in their usage of adjectives. Italian descriptive adjectives are
usually placed after the noun they modify, and with which they agree in gender and
number.
Adjectives ending in -o have four forms: masculine singular, masculine plural, feminine
singular, and feminine plural. Observe how the adjectives nero and cattivo change to
agree with nouns they modify.
ENDINGS OF -O ADJECTIVES
SINGULAR PLURAL
il gatto nero (the black cat, masculine) i gatti neri (the black cats, masculine)
la gatta nera (the black cat, feminine) le gatte nere (the black cats, feminine)
il ragazzo cattivo (the bad boy) i ragazzi cattivi (the bad boys)
la ragazza cattiva (the bad girl) le ragazze cattive (the bad girls)
Note that when an adjective modifies two nouns of different gender, it retains its
masculine ending. For example: i padri e le madre italiani (Italian fathers and mothers).
Although the majority of Italian adjectives have four forms (as in italiano, italiana,
italiani, italiane) there are exceptions. Not all Italian adjectives have a singular form
ending in -o. There are a number of adjectives that end in -e. The singular ending -e
changes to -i in the plural, whether the noun is masculine or feminine.
ENDINGS OF -E ADJECTIVES
SINGULAR PLURAL
il ragazzo triste (the sad boy) i ragazzi tristi(the sad boys)
la ragazza triste (the sad girl) le ragazze tristi (the sad girls)
There are quite a few other exceptions for forming plural adjectives. For instance,
adjectives that end in -io (with the stress falling on that i) form the plural with the ending
-ii: addio/addii; leggio/leggii; zio/zii. The table below contains a chart of other irregular
adjective endings you should know.
Questions
Adjectives
A. Complete the following with the correct form of the indicated adjective.
Possessive adjectives are those that indicate possession or ownership. They correspond
to the English "my," "your," "his," "her," "its," "our," and "their." The Italian possessive
adjectives are also preceded by definite articles and agree in gender and number with
the noun possessed, not with the possessor. The table below provides a chart of
possessive adjectives (aggettivi possessivi) in Italian.
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Possessive Adjectives
A. Complete the following with the correct form of the possessive pronoun according to
the cue provided.
You might find cardinal (counting) numbers the most useful to know—you will need them
to express time, record dates, do math, interpret recipe amounts, and, of course, count.
In Italian, cardinal numbers are written as one word. Use the following table to memorize
numbers from 1 to 100.
ITALIAN CARDINAL NUMBERS: 1-100
1 uno OO-noh
2 due DOO-eh
3 tre TREH
4 quattro KWAHT-troh
5 cinque CHEEN-kweh
6 sei SEH-ee
7 sette SET-teh
8 otto OHT-toh
9 nove NOH-veh
10 dieci dee-EH-chee
11 undici OON-dee-chee
12 dodici DOH-dee-chee
13 tredici TREH-dee-chee
14 quattordici kwaht-TOR-dee-chee
15 quindici KWEEN-dee-chee
16 sedici SEH-dee-chee
17 diciassette dee-chahs-SET-teh
18 diciotto dee-CHOHT-toh
19 diciannove dee-chahn-NOH-veh
20 venti VEN-tee
21 ventuno ven-TOO-noh
22 ventidue ven-tee-DOO-eh
23 ventitré ven-tee-TREH
24 ventiquattro ven-tee-KWAHT-troh
25 venticinque ven-tee-CHEEN-kweh
26 ventisei ven-tee-SEH-ee
27 ventisette ven-tee-SET-teh
28 ventotto ven-TOHT-toh
29 ventinove ven-tee-NOH-veh
30 trenta TREN-tah
40 quaranta kwah-RAHN-tah
50 cinquanta cheen-KWAHN-tah
60 sessanta ses-SAHN-tah
70 settanta set-TAHN-ta
ITALIAN CARDINAL NUMBERS: 1-100
80 ottanta oht-TAHN-ta
90 novanta noh-VAHN-tah
100 cento CHEN-toh
The numbers venti, trenta, quaranta, cinquanta, and so on drop the final vowel when
combined with uno and otto. Tre is written without an accent, but ventitré, trentatré, and
so on are written with an accent.
Beyond 100
Do you remember those good old days before the euro's arrival in Italy when you would
pay a few thousand lire for admission to a museum or a cappuccino and biscotti? Tourists
needed more than just the numbers up to 100 to get around. Lire are history, but
learning numbers greater than 100 might still prove useful. Though they might seem
unwieldy, after a bit of practice you'll be rolling them off your tongue like a pro.
Workbook Exercises
Questions
B. Write the following numbers as digits.
EXAMPLE: trenta—30
1. cinquecentosessantotto ________________
2. trecento ________________
3. nove ________________
4. milleundici ________________
5. trentatré ________________
6. novantanove ________________
7. milleottocentododici ________________
8. un milione ________________
9. ventisette ________________
10. quattro ________________
Ordinal numbers are used to express denominations of fractions: "one third" is written
as un terzo and "five sevenths" as cinque setimi. "One half" may be translated as mezzo,
mezza, una metà, or la metà. Take a look at how mathematical operations are described
in Italian:
Questions
Math
A. Complete these math problems. Write out all numbers.
You've got to know the time if you want to see those Botticelli paintings at the Uffizi in
Florence. Luckily, there are two ways to ask "What time is it?" in Italian: Che ora è? and
Che ore sono? If the time is one o'clock, noon, or midnight, the answer is in the singular;
for all other hours, it is plural. Note that the phrase "o'clock" has no direct equivalent in
Italian.
Store hours, TV timetables, performance listings, and other time references are written
differently in Italy. When telling time, commas replace colons. For example, 2:00
becomes 2,00; 2:30 becomes 2,30; 2:50 becomes 2,50.
The following table shows how you would tell the time from 5:00 to 6:00.
As in most of Europe, Italy uses the so-called "official time" (equivalent to "military time"
in the United States) in train schedules, performances, movie timetables, radio, TV, and
office hours. Between friends and in other informal situations, Italians may use the
numbers from 1 to 12 to indicate time, and the context of the conversation will usually
be sufficient. After all, La Scala doesn't have performances at eight in the morning!
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Telling Time
A. Write out the following time phrases following the example.
EXAMPLE: 5,10 Sono le cinque e dieci.
1. 1,15 ________________
2. 20,20 ________________
3. 23,00 ________________
4. 3,30 ________________
5. 7,25 ________________
6. 16,45 ________________
7. 4,10 ________________
8. 9,00 ________________
9. 18,40 ________________
10. 19,55 ________________
30. Italian Adverbs
In Italian, many adverbs are formed by adding the ending -mente to the singular
feminine form of the adjective.
If an adjective ends in -ale, -ile, or -are, the adverb is formed with the root of the
adjective plus the ending -mente.
Not all adjectives can be formed into adverbs; for example, the words postalmente and
malatamente do not exist. On the other hand, not all Italian adverbs are formed from
adjectives. When in doubt, check the dictionary.
ADVERBS THAT DON'T DERIVE FROM ADJECTIVES
ancora still
attorno around, about
bene well
contro against
dentro in, inside
dietro behind, at the back of
dopo then, afterwards
fuori outside
già already
inoltre moreover
insieme together
male badly
(non)...mai never
(non)...più no longer, not anymore
oltre beyond
presto soon, before long
sempre always
sopra above, on top
sotto underneath, below
vicino nearby, close by
Adverbs always precede the adjective or adverb that they modify, and they generally
follow a simple verb form. For example: Beve sempre la birra. (He always drinks beer.)
In sentences with compound tenses, most adverbs are placed after the past participle.
For example: Sono arrivato tardi al museo. (I arrived late at the museum.) However,
certain common adverbs such as già, ancora, sempre, (non)...mai, and (non)...più are
inserted between the auxiliary verb and the past participle of the compound form:
1. vero ________________
2. certo ________________
3. felice ________________
4. veloce ________________
5. triste ________________
6. leggero ________________
7. speciale ________________
8. preciso ________________
9. forte ________________
10. largo ________________
Only object pronouns may be placed between non and the verb:
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Making Sentences Negative
A. Rewrite the following sentences in the negative.
The negative words neanche, nemmeno, and neppure are used to replace anche (too,
also, as well) in negative sentences. Please note that these three words can be used
interchangeably, as in the following examples:
Non ha preso neanche il dolce. (He didn't even take the dessert.)
Nemmeno io ho visto nessuno. (I didn't see anyone either.)
Non leggiamo neppure i fumetti. (We don't even read the comic strips.)
Neanche loro lo so. (They don't know it either.)
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Negative Words
A. Replace anche with neanche, nemmeno, or neppure in the following sentences and
make the necessary changes.
Compound tenses such as the passato prossimo are formed with the present indicative of
the auxiliary verb avere or essere and the past participle (participio passato). The past
participle of regular verbs is formed by dropping the infinitive ending -are, -ere, or -ire
and adding the appropriate final ending: -ato, -uto, or -ito (see tables below).
Below are examples of the passato prossimo with conjugated forms of the verb avere.
Questions
Past Participles
A. Complete the following with the appropriate passato prossimo (present perfect) forms
of the indicated verbs.
When forming the passato prossimo, which auxiliary verb should be used—avere or
essere? How do you decide? Compound tenses such as the passato prossimo are formed
with the present indicative of the auxiliary verb avere or essere and the past participle
(participio passato).
The compound tense of a transitive verb is formed with the present indicative of the
auxiliary verb avere and the past participle (participio passato). The past participle is
invariable and ends in -ato, -uto, or -ito. In phrases with a transitive verb, the direct
object of the verb may be expressed explicitly or implied. For example: Io ho mangiato
tardi. (I ate late.)
Intransitive Verbs Take Essere
Simply put, intransitive verbs are those that do not take a direct object. These verbs
usually express movement or a state of being. The auxiliary verb essere plus the past
participle is used to form the passato prossimo and other compounds of almost all
intransitive verbs (and the past participle must agree in number and gender with the
subject.) The table below contains conjugations of arrivare, crescere, and partire in the
passato prossimo.
Notice that each of the past participles conjugated with essere has four possible endings,
depending on the gender of its subject. Take a look at these examples:
When the gender of the subject consists of both males and females, or is unstated, use
the masculine form (think of it as a "generic" or "standard" form):
Lo zio e la zia sono andati a casa. (The uncle and aunt went home.)
Noi siami andati a casa. (We went home.)
The following table contains a list of other most commonly used intransitive verbs and
their past-participle forms.
Il professore ha finito la conferenza alle tre. (The professor finished the conference at
three o'clock.)
La conferenza è finita alle tre. (The conference finished at three o'clock.)
The following table lists commonly used verbs that can be both transitive and
intransitive, depending on their use.
Questions
Choosing The Auxiliary Verb
A. Complete the following with the appropriate passato prossimo (present perfect) forms
of the indicated verbs.
Interrogatives are words used to form questions. One of the easiest ways to fare una
domanda (ask a question) in Italian is to place a question mark at the end of a
statement, effectively changing it into a question. When speaking, the intonation of the
voice rises at the end of the sentence. For example:
In questions beginning with an interrogative word, the subject is usually placed at the
end of the sentence or after the verb:
Furthermore, adding the words or phrases no?, non è vero?, è vero?, or vero? to the end
of a statement will change into a question:
Arriveranno stasera alle otto, vero? (They'll arrive tonight at eight, right?)
Il tuo fratello ha avuto un incidente, non è vero? (Your brother had an accident, didn't
he?)
Sono i padroni, non è vero? (They are the owners, aren't they?)
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Asking Questions in Italian
A. Rewrite the following statements into questions, using the same words.
The following interrogative words are the most commonly used to introduce a question:
Two common contractions are com'è? (a contraction of come è? meaning "how is?") and
dov'è? (a contraction of dove è? meaning "where is?"). Again, note that in Italian the
subject and verb are inverted in interrogative sentences:
A che ora partono i tuoi amici? (At what time are your friends leaving?)
Come sta Luigi? (How is Louis?)
Dove sono i bambini? (Where are the children?)
Dov'è il bambino? (Where is the child?)
Perché fumi tanto? (Why do you smoke so much?)
Quanto fa due più tre? (How much is two plus three?)
The subject and verb are not inverted with come mai:
Come mai Umberto non è qui? (How come Umberto is not here?/Why ever isn't Umberto
here?)
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Interrogative Adverbs
A. Complete the following sentences with the correct interrogative.
Questions
B. Given the following responses, formulate an appropriate question using an
interrogative adjective, adverb, or pronoun.
The Italian preposition a can mean "to," "at," or "in," depending on how you use it in
context. You will need preposition a in the following cases:
1. To express the idea of going somewhere or staying somewhere (with names of cities):
3. The preposition a is also used with several verbs. Often those are verbs of motion, but
in other instances it's a case of usage. That means either you'll have to commit them to
memory, or, more likely, you'll grow accustomed to the usage over time as you listen
and read Italian:
Questions
Preposition A
A. Complete the following with the correct form of the preposition a.
Indirect object + verb + subject. Not your usual sentence structure, but in the case of
piacere (to please, to like) that's the way it works in Italian, and here's why: In English,
you say that A likes B. In Italian, though, the same meaning is understood in different
terms: B pleases A. Here are some examples:
Agli italiani piace il calcio. (Italians like soccer. Literally: Soccer is pleasing to Italians.)
Ai professori piace insegnare. (Professors like teaching. Literally: Teaching is pleasing to
professors.)
Mi piacciono le carote. (I like carrots. Literally: Carrots are pleasing to me.)
Note that in these examples, piacere is conjugated to match the subject of the sentence;
in the first example, agli italiani piace il calcio, piacere is conjugated in the third person
singular form, to match with calcio (soccer) and not with agli italiani (all Italians). Other
verbs that follow this construction of inversion and behave similarly to piacere are listed
below.
Questions
Adjectives
A. Complete the following with the correct form of the italicized verb.
The imperative verb forms are used to give orders or advice, to urge strongly, and to
exhort. It is a simple tense—in the sense that it isn't compound—and has only one form,
the present. Furthermore, you can address your command only to an informal form of
"you": tu or voi, depending on whether you are talking to one or more people.
When conjugating a first-conjugation Italian verb, the familiar singular (tu) command is
the same as the third-person singular (Lei) form of the present indicative, and the plural
voi command is the same as the voi form of the present indicative (see the table below).
The familiar commands for regular -ere and -ire verbs are the same as the tu and voi
forms of the present indicative (see the table below).
SECOND- AND THIRD-CONJUGATION
VERB IMPERATIVES
INFINITIVE TU VOI
dormire Dormi! Dormite!
finire Finisci! Finite!
pulire Pulisci! Pulite!
salire Sali! Salite!
scrivere Scrivi! Scrivete!
vendere Vendi! Vendete!
Although the imperative conjugation has a form you're already familiar with, there are
some Italian verbs that have irregular forms for the familiar commands in the tu and voi
forms (see the table below).
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Imperative
A. Complete the following imperative sentences using the forms as indicated.
We grow up hearing negative commands: Don't bother your brother! Don't scream! Don't
forget to do your homework! The negative tu command forms of all verbs are formed by
the infinitive of the verb preceded by non:
Non andare!
Non avere!
Non dire!
Non fare!
Non mangiare!
The negative voi command forms of all verbs are formed simply by placing non before
the affirmative voi form:
Non credete!
Non dormite!
Non fate!
Non finite!
Non parlate!
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Negative Commands
A. Complete the following sentences with a negative command.
Oftentimes, the subject pronouns are implied in Italian since the form of the verb already
indicates the number, gender, and case of the subject. The same sentences in the
previous list have the same meaning even with the subject pronouns omitted. To review
the subject pronouns, see the table below.
There are a few cases in which subject pronouns are required in Italian.
For contrast: Noi lavoriamo e tu ti diverti. (We work and you amuse yourself.)
For emphasis: Lo pago io. (I'll pay for it.)
After the words almeno, anche, magari, neanche, nemmeno, neppure: Neanche noi
andiamo al cinema. (We aren't going to the cinema either.)
When the subject pronoun stands by itself: Chi voule giocare? Io! (Who wants to play? I
do!)
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Subject Pronouns
A. Provide the correct subject pronoun for each of the following nouns or pronouns.
1. Io e tu: ___________________
2. Marco: ____________________
3. Giorgio e Maria: _____________
4. Tu e lei: ___________________
5. Gli studenti: ________________
6. Cinzia: _____________________
42. Italian Indirect Object Pronouns
Indirect object nouns and pronouns (i pronomi indiretti) answer the question to whom?
or for whom? In English, the word "to" is sometimes omitted:
Ho regalato un libro di cucina allo zio Giovanni. (I gave a cookbook to Uncle John.)
Perché non regali un profumo alla mamma? (Why don't you give Mother some perfume?)
Puoi spiegare questa ricetta a Paolo? (Can you explain this recipe to Paul?)
Indirect object pronouns replace indirect object nouns. They are identical in form to
direct object pronouns, except for the third-person forms gli, le, and loro. For all the
forms, see below.
All indirect object pronouns except loro and Loro precede a conjugated verb, just like the
direct object pronouns (loro and Loro follow the verb):
Similarly, indirect object pronouns attach to infinitives, which lose their final -e:
If the infinitive is preceded by a conjugated form of dovere, potere, or volere, the indirect
object pronoun may also precede the conjugated verb:
Also note that le and gli are never elided before a verb beginning with a vowel or an h:
The table below provides a few common Italian verbs that are often used with indirect
object nouns or pronouns.
VERBS THAT TAKE ON INDIRECT OBJECTS
dare to give
dire to say
domandare to ask
(im)prestare to lend
insegnare to teach
mandare to send
mostrare to show
offrire to offer
portare to bring
preparare to prepare
regalare to give (as a gift)
rendere to return, give back
riportare to bring back
scrivere to write
telefonare to telephone
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Indirect Object Pronouns
A. Complete each sentence with the appropriate indirect object pronoun.
Ho regalato un libro di cucina allo zio Giovanni. (I gave a cookbook to Uncle John.)
Perché non regali un profumo alla mamma? (Why don't you give Mother some perfume?)
Puoi spiegare questa ricetta a Paolo? (Can you explain this recipe to Paul?)
Indirect object pronouns replace indirect object nouns. They are identical in form to
direct object pronouns, except for the third-person forms gli, le, and loro. For all the
forms, see below.
All indirect object pronouns except loro and Loro precede a conjugated verb, just like the
direct object pronouns (loro and Loro follow the verb):
Similarly, indirect object pronouns attach to infinitives, which lose their final -e:
If the infinitive is preceded by a conjugated form of dovere, potere, or volere, the indirect
object pronoun may also precede the conjugated verb:
Also note that le and gli are never elided before a verb beginning with a vowel or an h:
The table below provides a few common Italian verbs that are often used with indirect
object nouns or pronouns.
VERBS THAT TAKE ON INDIRECT OBJECTS
dare to give
dire to say
domandare to ask
(im)prestare to lend
insegnare to teach
mandare to send
mostrare to show
offrire to offer
portare to bring
preparare to prepare
regalare to give (as a gift)
rendere to return, give back
riportare to bring back
scrivere to write
telefonare to telephone
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Indirect Object Pronouns
A. Complete each sentence with the appropriate indirect object pronoun.
For a complete chart of all the double object pronouns, see the table below.
Note the economy in words: gli, le, and Le become glie- before direct object pronouns
and before ne, and combine with them to become one word.
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Double Object Pronouns
A. Rewrite each sentence, replacing the direct and indirect object nouns with the correct
pronouns.
What is a reflexive verb (verbo riflessivo)? A verb is reflexive when the action carried out
by the subject is performed on the same subject. Not all verbs are reflexive. In order to
make a verb reflexive, drop the -e of its infinitive ending and add the pronoun si. For
example, pettinare (to comb) becomes pettinarsi (to comb oneself) in the reflexive. Si is
an additional pronoun, known as the reflexive pronoun, which is needed when
conjugating reflexive verbs.
The reflexive pronouns (i pronomi reflessivi), mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si, are identical in form to
direct object pronouns, except for the third-person form si (which is the same in the
singular and in the plural). The following table includes the reflexive pronouns in Italian.
REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
PERSON SINGULAR PLURAL
I mi (myself) ci (ourselves)
II ti (yourself) vi (yourselves)
si (himself; herself; itself; yourself, si (themselves; yourselves,
III
formal) formal)
To see how reflexive pronouns work with verbs, see a sample conjugation of lavarsi (to
wash oneself) in the table below.
Just like direct object pronouns, reflexive pronouns are placed before a conjugated verb
or attached to the infinitive. Note that the reflexive pronoun agrees with the subject even
when attached to the infinitive:
Mi, ti, si, and vi may drop the i before another vowel or an h and replace it with an
apostrophe. Ci may drop the i only before another i or an e:
For a list of common reflexive verbs in Italian, see the following table.
COMMON REFLEXIVE VERBS
accorgersi (di) to notice
addormentarsi to fall asleep
alzarsi to get up
arrabbiarsi to get angry
chiamarsi to be named
coprirsi to cover oneself
divertirsi to have fun, to enjoy oneself
farsi il bagno to bathe oneself
farsi la doccia to take a shower
farsi male to get hurt, hurt oneself
innamorarsi (di) to fall in love with
lavarsi to wash oneself
laurearsi to graduate
mettersi to put (clothing) on
pettinarsi to comb one's hair
radersi to shave
sbarbarsi to shave
sedersi to sit down
sentirsi to feel
spogliarsi to undress
sposarsi (con) to get married
svegliarsi to wake up
vestirsi to get dressed
Remember that some reflexive verbs can be used nonreflexively—without the reflexive
pronouns. In this case, their meaning changes:
Questions
Reflexive Pronouns
A. Complete the following with the appropriate present-tense forms of the indicated
reflexive verbs.
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Reciprocal Reflexive Verbs
A. Complete the following sentences with the present indicative of the indicated verbs.
The helper verbs potere (to be able to, can), volere (to want), and dovere (to have to,
must) take on different meanings in different tenses. Potere, for example, can mean "to
be able to," "can," "to succeed," "could," or "would be able to," depending on the context
and tense. Dovere can mean "to owe," "to have to," "must," or "to be supposed to,"
according to the tense.
Potere
In the present indicative tense, potere means "to be able to" or "can." For example:
In the conditional tenses (condizionale presente and condizionale passato), this verb may
be translated as "could," "would be able to," "could have," or "could have been able to":
Potrei arrivare alle tre. (I was able to arrive at three o'clock; I would be able to arrive at
three o'clock.)
Avrei potuto farlo facilmente. (I could have done it easily; I would have been able to do it
easily.)
Volere
In the present indicative, volere means "want":
In the present perfect (conversational past), volere is used in the sense of "decided,
refused to":
Dovere
The present indicative forms of dovere translate as "owe":
In the conditional tenses, however, dovere carries the meaning "should" or "ought to."
For example:
Questions
Potere, Volere, Dovere
A. Complete the following phrases, using the appropriate verb form of potere, volere, or
dovere.
Note that the infinitive fare is frequently abbreviated to far before a consonant. For
example, you may say far colazione, far male, far torto. Fare is also used in many
expressions relating to the weather (note that in the following translations, "it" is an
impersonal subject and does not have an equivalent in Italian):
Besides idiomatic expressions, and expressions relating to the weather, the verb fare is
used in a number of proverbs:
Fare e disfare è tutt'un lavorare. (It's all go, it's a hard life.)
Chi la fa l'aspetti. (You will get as good as you gave.)
Chi fa da sé fa per tre. (If you want something done, do it yourself.)
Non fare agli altri ciò che non vorresti fosse fatto a te. (Do as you would be done by.)
Tutto fa brodo. (Every little bit helps.)
Chi non sa fare, non sa comandare. (A bad worker is a bad master.)
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Fare
A. Complete the following statements with the appropriate idiomatic expressions listed
below.
Tomorrow you will prepare pasta puttanesca. Saturday you will buy that Italian leather
jacket you've been thinking about. Next year you will learn the future tense. Che sarà,
sarà—what will be, will be! The future tense in Italian expresses an action that will take
place in the future. Although in English the future is expressed with the helping verb
"will" or the phrase "to be going to," in Italian a verb ending marks it as being set in the
future tense. For example:
Alla fine di settembre partirň per Roma. (At the end of September I will leave for Rome.)
First-Conjugation Verbs
The future tense (futuro semplice) of first-conjugation regular (-are) verbs is formed first
by changing the infinitive ending -are into -er to obtain the root for the future tense. The
following future endings are then added to the root: -ò, -ai, -à, -emo, -ete, -anno. (The
following table includes a sample conjugation of the verb cantare.)
The verbs listed below also have an irregularly shortened stem in the future tense
(usually, because the vowel a or e is dropped from the infinitive).
Also be aware of the spelling of verbs with infinitives ending in -ciare and -giare. These
verbs drop the i before adding the future endings to the root: tu comincerai, noi
viaggeremo. Also, verbs with infinitives ending in -care and -gare add an h to the root for
the future to preserve the hard sound of the c or g of the infinitive: io cercherò, loro
pagheranno.
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Future Tense
A. Complete the following with the appropriate forms of the future of the indicated
regular -are verbs.
Questions
B. Complete the following with the appropriate forms of the future of the indicated
regular -ere and -ire verbs.
Language is fluid, and usage changes. A case in point is the subjunctive (il congiuntivo),
which in English is rapidly becoming extinct. Phrases like "I suggest you go home
immediately" and "Robert wishes that you open the window" are not in frequent use
anymore.
In Italian, though, the subjunctive tense is alive and flourishing, both in speaking and
writing. Rather than stating facts, it expresses doubt, possibility, uncertainty, or personal
feelings. It can also express emotion, desire, or suggestions. The table below provides
examples of three regular verbs conjugated in the present subjunctive tense.
PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE
PRONOUN -ARE VERB -ERE VERB -IRE VERBS
che io parli scriva senta capisca
che tu parli scriva senta capisca
che lui/lei/Lei parli scriva senta capisca
che noi parliamo scriviamo sentiamo capiamo
che voi parliate scriviate sentiate capiate
che loro/Loro parlino scrivano sentano capiscano
Certain verbs such as suggerire (to suggest), sperare (to hope), desiderare (to wish),
and insistere (to insist) require use of the subjunctive.
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Present Subjunctive Tense
A. Complete the following with the correct subjunctive forms of the verb in parentheses.
Questions
Imperfect Subjunctive Tense
A. Complete the following with the correct subjunctive forms of the verbs in parentheses.
Reflexive verbs follow the same scheme, with the addition of the reflexive pronouns mi,
ti, si, ci, vi, or si when conjugating them: mi laverei, ti laveresti, si laverebbe, ci
laveremmo, vi lavereste, si laverebbero. Here are some examples of conditional-tense
sentences:
Vorrei un caffè. (I would like a coffee.)
Scriverei a mia madre, ma non ho tempo. (I would write to my mother, but I don't have
time.)
Mi daresti il biglietto per la partita? (Would you give me a ticket for the game?)
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Present Conditional Tense
A. Complete the following sentences using the condizionale presente of the verbs in
parentheses.
The conditional perfect (condizionale passato), like all compound tenses in Italian, is
formed with the condizionale presente of the auxiliary verb avere or essere and the past
participle of the acting verb. Conjugated forms of avere and essere appear in the
following table.
Avremme potuto ballare tutta la notte. (I could have danced all night.)
Avreste dovuto invitarlo. (You ought to have invited him.)
Saremmo andati volentieri alla Scala, ma non abbiamo potuto. (We would gladly have
gone to La Scala, but we weren't able to.)
Mirella sarebbe andata volentieri al cinema. (Mirella would have been happy to go to the
cinema.)
Workbook Exercises
Questions
Conditional Perfect Tense
A. Complete the following sentences using the condizionale passato of the verbs in
parentheses.
1. 62 – sessantadue studenti
2. 23 – ventitrè studenti
3. 58 – cinquantotto studenti
4. 45 – quarantacinque studenti
5. 81 – ottantuno studenti
6. 19 – diciannove studenti
7. 76 – settantasei studenti
8. 100 – cento studenti
9. 57 – cinquantasette studenti
10. 94 – novantaquattro studenti
Ordinal Numbers
1. 4° – quarto
2. 6° – sesto
3. 1° – primo
4. 35° – trentacinquesimo
5. 9° – nono
6. 278° – duecentosettantottesimo
7. 43° – quarantatreesimo
8. 89° – ottantonovesimo
9. 100° – centesimo
10. 1.000° – millesimo
Answers
Ordinal Numbers
B. Complete the following sentences by filling in the blank with the appropriate ordinal
number.
Answers
B. Ask questions that start with da quanto tempo, then answer them according to the
information given.
EXAMPLE: Maria/essere in Italia/due mesi—Da quanto tempo è in Italia Maria? Da due
mesi.
Telling Time
A. Express the following times in Italian.
Answers
B. Convert the following times into numerical values.
1. 6:15 P.M.
2. 10:45 P.M.
3. 7:55 A.M.
4. 1:00 A.M.
5. 2:45 P.M.
6. 7:00 P.M.
7. 5:20 P.M.
8. 3:17 A.M.
Answers
C. Rewrite these sentences, using an alternate time expression.
EXAMPLE: Sono le quattro e cinquanta.—Sono le cinque meno dieci.
Answers
Gender
A. Indicate the gender of the following nouns with M (masculine) or F (feminine).
1. equità – F
2. lampo – M
3. cane – M
4. fragola – F
5. lunedì – M
6. correzione – F
7. sci – M
8. papà – M
9. caffelatte – M
10. fava – F
Answers Answers
Number Number
B. Make the following singular nouns C. Make the following plural nouns
plural. singular.
Answers
Direct Object Pronouns
A. You and Gabriele are totally different. Complete the following statements about you
and him with the appropriate pronomi diretti in the blanks.
Answers
B. Answer the following questions, as in the example. Substitute the appropriate
pronouns for the words in italics.
EXAMPLE: Io preferisco la cucina italiana, e Franco? — Anche lui la preferisce.
7. Bello e Quello
Answers
Bello e Quello
A. Piero is showing you around his hometown, and you are quite impressed with all you
see. Give the appropriate exclamations, using the correct form of bello.
EXAMPLE: casa — Che bella casa!
Answers
B. Add the appropriate form of bello to expand on the following exclamations.
EXAMPLE: Che macchina! — Che bella macchina!
Answers
D. Give the correct form of quello.
EXAMPLE: Quei ragazzi sono tedeschi.
Answers
C’è and Com’è
A. Correct the following statements, replying that there are two, not just one, of the
items.
EXAMPLE: C’è una stazione. — No, ci sono due stazioni!
Answers
B. Everything you're served today tastes good. Give appropriate exclamations.
EXAMPLE: questo caffè — Com’è buono questo caffè!
1. fotografie (brutto)
—Queste fotografie sono brutte.
—Sì, come sono brutte queste fotografie!
2. museo (grande)
—Questo museo è grande.
—Sì, com’è grande questo museo!
3. bicchieri (bello) —Questi bicchieri sono belli.
—Sì, come sono belli questi bicchieri!
4. caffè (buono)
—Questo caffè è buono.
—Sì, com’è buono questo caffè!
5. panini (delizioso)
—Questi panini sono deliziosi.
—Sì, come sono deliziosi questi panini!
6. gatto (grasso)
—Questo gatto è grasso.
—Sì, com’è grasso questo gatto!
7. bambina (biondo)
—Questa bambina è bionda.
—Sì, com’è bionda questa bambina!
8. ragazze (snello)
—Queste ragazze sono snelle.
—Sì, come sono snelle queste ragazze!
Answers
Definite Articles
A. Rewrite the following sentences, changing indefinite articles to definite articles.
EXAMPLE: Ecco un disco! — Ecco il disco!
1. Ecco la famiglia di Piero. Gli uomini sono tutti alti e bruni, ma le donne sono
bionde e piuttosto basse! Buffo, no? Gli zii e le zie di Piero sono molti e anche i
cugini. I bambini di Piero hanno sette e nove anni, ma la bambina è ancora molto
piccola. I parenti di Piero sono tutti simpatici. (E anche il cane Fido!)
2. L’italiano è la lingua preferita in questa classe! Ma ci sono altre belle lingue: lo
spagnolo, il francese, l’inglese, il giapponese e molte altre. Anche se la
grammatica italiana non è difficile, i nuovi studenti hanno molto da imparare: i
verbi, gli aggettivi, l’articolo determinativo. Siamo fortunati, però: gli studenti di
questa classe sono bravi e studiosi, vero?
Answers
Indefinite Articles
A. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the indefinite article.
Answers
B. Make the following phrases singular.
EXAMPLE: due stazioni — una stazione
Answers
Essere: Present Tense
A. Complete the following statements with the appropriate form of essere in the blanks.
1. Marcella è di Firenze. Io non sono di Firenze. Loro due sono di Roma. Anche noi
siamo di Roma. Paolo è di Napoli. E tu, di dove sei? Voi siete di Bologna.
2. Tu sei americana. E Paolo, anche lui è americano? Noi due siamo americani, ma
Luisa non è americana: è canadese. Anche Marianne e Philip sono canadesi.
Answers
B. Complete each sentence with the appropriate form of essere + adjective.
EXAMPLE: Tu sei piccolo; anche lei è piccola.
Answers
C. Reply to each of the following questions in the negative.
EXAMPLE: Sei biondo? — No, non sono biondo.
Answers
Avere: Present Tense
A. Complete each sentence with the correct form of the verb avere.
Answers
B. Change the verbs from the singular to the plural or from the plural to the singular.
EXAMPLE: Hai un bicchiere.—Avete un bicchiere.
1. Ho un gatto.—Abbiamo un gatto.
2. Non hanno amici in Italia.—Non ha amici in Italia.
3. Hai due panini.—Avete due panini.
4. Abbiamo un hobby.—Ho un hobby.
5. Avete un cane?—Hai un cane?
6. Non ha uno zio a Milano.—Non hanno uno zio a Milano.
7. Hanno un buono stipendio.—Ha un buono stipendio.
8. Ho due case.—Abbiamo due case.
Answers
Present Tense of –Are Verbs
A. Complete these sentences, using the correct form of the verbs in italics.
1. Luigi parla inglese. E Luisa, anche lei parla inglese? Voi due parlate italiano. Anche
loro parlano italiano. Tu non parli italiano, ma io parlo italiano e inglese.
2. Io non suono il piano. Luigino suona il piano e loro suonano la chitarra. Voi
suonate il trombone e noi suoniamo il violino.
3. Loro mangiano molta pasta? No, ma lei mangia molta pasta. Pierino mangia molta
carne e tu mangi molta verdura. Io non mangio mai carne e voi non mangiate mai
verdura.
Answers
B. Complete these sentences, using the correct form of the verbs in italics.
Answers
Present Tense of –Ere Verbs
A. Replace the subject with each subject in parentheses, and change the verb form
accordingly.
Answers
B. Make the following subjects and verbs plural.
EXAMPLE: Io bevo un caffé. — Noi beviamo un caffé.
Answers
B. Make the following subjects and verbs plural.
EXAMPLE: Quando tu parti? — Quando voi partite?
Answers
Irregular First Conjugation Verbs
A. Complete the following statements with the appropriate form of andare in the blanks.
1. Maria dà lezioni d'inglese. Anche loro danno lezioni di lingua? No, ma noi due
diamo lezioni d'italiano. Io do lezioni di musica e tu dai lezioni di ballo.
2. Tu stai sempre zitto. Lui sta sempre attento. Anche loro stanno sempre attenti,
ma noi due non stiamo mai attenti. Lei non sta mai zitta.
3. Io non vado mai in aeroplano. Pietro e Beppino vanno sempre in treno. Noi due
andiamo in automobile e Silvia va in bicicletta. Anche tu vai in bicicletta?
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Irregular Second and Third Conjugation Verbs
A. Replace the subject with each subject in parentheses, and change the verb form
accordingly.
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Interrogatives
A. Francesca has many questions about Roberto. Complete the dialogue by supplying the
correct interrogative words.
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B. You are interviewing a number of prospective roommates. Prepare some standard
question to find out whether or not you would be compatible. Complete the question with
the appropriate interrogative expression.
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Forming the Imperative
A. Form imperative phrases using the expressions below.
EXAMPLE: (voi) / chiedere alla cassa. — Chiedete alla cassa.
1. Firma qui.
2. Aspetta un attimo.
3. Compila il modulo.
4. Servi questa cliente.
5. Depositate l'assegno.
6. Procedete alla cassa.
7. Girate a sinistra.
8. Chiedete alla guardia.
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B. Encourage your friends to do the following activities with you.
EXAMPLE: Ordinare l'antipasto — Ordiniamo l'antipasto!
1. Andiamo in campagna!
2. Suoniamo la chitarra!
3. Balliamo il twist!
4. Facciamo una foto!
5. Mangiamo in un trattoria!
6. Abbiamo pazienza!
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C. Command your friend Maria to do the following things. Express them as commands
addressed to her.
EXAMPLE: svegliarsi alle otto — Svegliati alle otto!
1. Alzati subito!
2. Vestiti!
3. Fa' (Fai) colazione!
4. Non dimenticare il portafoglio a casa! Non dimenticarcelo!
5. Va' (Vai) in biblioteca!
6. Stacci almeno due ore!
21. Adjectives in Italian: Form and
Agreement
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Adjectives in Italian: Form and Agreement
A. Form the plural of the following nouns.
EXAMPLE: La casa grande — Le case grandi
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B. Put the correct form of the adjective in the appropriate position. EXAMPLE: bravo/È un
ragazzo. — È un bravo ragazzo.
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C. Complete the following passage by entering the correct endings to the incomplete
words.
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Plural Nouns
A. Change the following singular nouns to the plural.
1. aranciata—aranciate
2. vitello—vitelli
3. albicoca—albicoche
4. torta—torte
5. pesce—pesci
6. polpetta—polpette
7. gelato—gelati
8. bruschetta—bruschette
9. risotto—risotti
10. arancino—arancini
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Adjectives
A. Complete the following with the correct form of the indicated adjective.
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Plural Nouns
A. Change the following singular nouns to the plural.
1. aranciata—aranciate
2. vitello—vitelli
3. albicoca—albicoche
4. torta—torte
5. pesce—pesci
6. polpetta—polpette
7. gelato—gelati
8. bruschetta—bruschette
9. risotto—risotti
10. arancino—arancini
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Adjectives
A. Complete the following with the correct form of the indicated adjective.
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Possessive Adjectives
A. Complete the following with the correct form of the possessive pronoun according to
the cue provided.
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Numbers
A. Write the following numbers.
EXAMPLE: 21—ventuno
1. 34—trentaquattro
2. 86—ottantasei
3. 2.514—duemilacinquecentoquattordici
4. 19—diciannove
5. 3—tre
6. 108—centotto
7. 6—sei
8. 16—seidici
9. 35.015—trentacinquemilaquindici
10. 7—sette
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B. Write the following numbers as digits.
EXAMPLE: trenta—30
1. cinquecentosessantotto—568
2. trecento—300
3. nove—9
4. milleundici—1.011
5. trentatré—33
6. novantanove—99
7. milleottocentododici—1.812
8. un milione—1.000.000
9. ventisette—27
10. quattro—4
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Math
A. Complete these math problems. Write out all numbers.
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Telling Time
A. Write out the following time phrases following the example.
EXAMPLE: 5,10 Sono le cinque e dieci.
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Adverbs
A. Change the following adjectives into adverbs.
1. vero—veramente
2. certo—certamente
3. felice—felicemente
4. veloce—velocemente
5. triste—tristemente
6. leggero—leggermente
7. speciale—specialmente
8. preciso—precisamente
9. forte—fortemente
10. largo—largamente
31. Making Sentences Negative In Italian
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Making Sentences Negative
A. Rewrite the following sentences in the negative.
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Negative Words
A. Replace anche with neanche, nemmeno, or neppure in the following sentences and
make the necessary changes.
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Past Participles
A. Complete the following with the appropriate passato prossimo (present perfect) forms
of the indicated verbs.
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Choosing The Auxiliary Verb
A. Complete the following with the appropriate passato prossimo (present perfect) forms
of the indicated verbs.
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Asking Questions in Italian
A. Rewrite the following statements into questions, using the same words.
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Interrogative Adverbs
A. Complete the following sentences with the correct interrogative.
1. Che cosa preferisci: la birra o il vino? (What do you prefer: beer or wine?)
2. Quanti caffè bevi al giorno? (How much coffee do you drink a day?)
3. Come ti chiami? (What is your name?)
4. Quando è il tuo compleanno? (When is your birthday?)
5. Quanti anni hai? (How old are you?)
6. Chi è l'autore dell'Orlando Furioso? (Who is the author of Orlando Furioso?)
7. Quanti temi hai scritto quest'anno? (How many compositions did you write this
year?)
8. Quale è la capitale d'Italia? (Which is the capital of Italy?)
9. Perché non mi aiuti? (Why don't you help me?)
10. Quando è stato abbattuto il muro di Berlino? (When was the Berlin Wall knocked
down?)
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B. Given the following responses, formulate an appropriate question using an
interrogative adjective, adverb, or pronoun
1. Ho due sorelle. Quante sorelle hai? (I have two sisters. How many sisters do
you have?)
2. Perché non mi piacciono! Perché non mangi i pomodori? (Because I don't like
them. How come you aren't eating the tomatoes?)
3. Sono alle tre. Che ore sono? (It's three. What time is it?)
4. Abbiamo una Fiat. Quale tipo di macchina avete? (I have a Fiat. Which kind of
car do you have?)
5. È in Sicilia. Dov'è Palermo? (It's in Sicily. Where is Palermo?)
6. Non avete mangiato niente. Che cosa abbiamo mangiato? (You didn't eat
anything. What did we eat?)
7. Parto domani. Quando parti? (They leave tomorrow. When are you leaving?)
8. Ne avete tre. Quanti fratelli abbiamo? (You have three. How many brothers do
we have?)
9. Sono di Trieste. Di dove sei? (They are from Trieste. Where are you from?)
10. Vogliamo quelle! Quale scarpe volete
37.Italian Preposition A
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Preposition A
A. Complete the following with the correct form of the preposition a.
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Adjectives
A. Complete the following with the correct form of the italicized verb.
1. Mi servono dieci dollari. Puoi prestarmeli? (I need ten dollars. Can you lend it to
me?)
2. Ti piace quel ragazzo? (Do you like that boy?)
3. Mi occorrono le forbice. (I need scissors.)
4. Bastano dopo dieci pagine per un saggio. (Ten pages is sufficient for an essay.)
5. Quanti fogli vuoi? Me ne occorrono due. (How many sheets do you want? I need
two of them.)
6. Ci serve il tuo aiuto. (We need your help.)
7. Ci dispiace molto che tu non sia potuto venire. (We're very sorry that you cannot
come.)
8. Ai Rossi manca molto la figlia. (The Rossis miss their daughter very much.)
9. Non mi piace il pesce. (I don't like fish.)
10. Mi mancano molto i miei genitori. (I miss my parents very much.)
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Imperative
A. Complete the following imperative sentences using the forms as indicated.
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Negative Commands
A. Complete the following sentences with a negative command.
1. Fabio, non mangiare addesso; ceneremo presto! (Fabio, don't eat now, we're
going to eat soon!)
2. Pierino, non dire parolacce! (Pierino, don't say curse words!)
3. Mamma, non preparare la cena per me: sono invitata a cena fuori. (Mama, don't
prepare supper for me: I was invited to eat out.)
4. Aspettate ragazzi; non siate sempre cosě impazienti! (Wait, children; don't
always be so impatient!)
5. Bambini, non scrivete sulle pareti! (Kids, don't write on the walls!)
6. Roberta, non essere così cattiva con la sorellina! (Roberta, don't be so bad with
your little sister!)
7. Monica, non toccare la pentola; è piena di acqua calda! (Monica, don't touch the
pot, it's filled with hot water.)
8. Davide, non parlare con la bocca piena! (Davide, don't speak with a full mouth!)
9. Ragazzi, non giocate a pallone in questa strada; è pericoloso! (Children, don't
play ball in this street; it's dangerous!)
10. Gianna, non essere cosê pessimista! La vita è troppo bella! (Gianna, don't be
such a pessimist! Life is too beautiful!)
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Subject Pronouns
A. Provide the correct subject pronoun for each of the following nouns or pronouns.
1. Io e tu: noi
2. Marco: lui
3. Giorgio e Maria: loro
4. Tu e lei: voi
5. Gli studenti: loro
6. Cinzia: lei
42. Italian Indirect Object Pronouns
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Indirect Object Pronouns
A. Complete each sentence with the appropriate indirect object pronoun.
1. Professore, per favore, vorrei parlarLe. (Professor, please, I would like to speak to
you.)
2. Tuo figlio ti assomiglia molto: è il tuo ritratto. (Your son resembles you a lot: he's
a portrait of you.)
3. Io sono affezionatissima a mia nonna: le voglio molto bene. (I am very fond of
my grandmother: I love her very much.)
4. Massimo guardava la ragazza e le sorrideva. (Massimo watched the girl and
smiled at her.)
5. È maleducato: quando gli parlo, lui non mi risponde mai. (He's rude: when I
speak to him, he never answers me.)
6. Devi imparare a non toccare le cose che non ti appartengono. (You must learn not
to touch the things that don't belong to you.)
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Indirect Object Pronouns
A. Complete each sentence with the appropriate indirect object pronoun.
1. Professore, per favore, vorrei parlarLe. (Professor, please, I would like to speak to
you.)
2. Tuo figlio ti assomiglia molto: è il tuo ritratto. (Your son resembles you a lot: he's
a portrait of you.)
3. Io sono affezionatissima a mia nonna: le voglio molto bene. (I am very fond of
my grandmother: I love her very much.)
4. Massimo guardava la ragazza e le sorrideva. (Massimo watched the girl and
smiled at her.)
5. È maleducato: quando gli parlo, lui non mi risponde mai. (He's rude: when I
speak to him, he never answers me.)
6. Devi imparare a non toccare le cose che non ti appartengono. (You must learn not
to touch the things that don't belong to you.)
44. Combining Direct and Indirect Italian
Pronouns
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Double Object Pronouns
A. Rewrite each sentence, replacing the direct and indirect object nouns with the correct
pronouns.
1. Riportiamo il libro a lei. Glielo riportiamo. (We bring the books back to her. We
bring them back to her.)
2. Restituisci il quaderno a lui. Glielo restituisci. (You return the notebook to him.
You return it to him.)
3. Presto la macchina a Paolo. Gliela presto. (I lend the car to Paolo. I lend it to
him.)
4. Mandate i regali ai bambini. Li mandate loro. (You give the gifts to the children.
You give them to them.)
5. Mio zio porta i documenti ai signori. Mio zio li porta loro. (My uncle carries the
documents to the men. My uncle brings them to them.)
6. Date la palla alle ragazze. La date loro. (You give the ball to the girls. You give it
to them.)
7. Do il libro agli studenti. Lo do loro. (I give the book to the students. I give it to
them.)
8. Inviano i pacchi a lui. Glieli inviano. (They send the packages to him. They send
them to him.)
9. Prestiamo le fotografie a Luisa. Gliele prestiamo. (We lend the photos to Luisa.
We lend them to her.)
10. Do la penna a Martina. Gliela do. (I give the pen to Martina. I give it to her.)
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Reflexive Pronouns
A. Complete the following with the appropriate present-tense forms of the indicated
reflexive verbs.
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Reciprocal Reflexive Verbs
A. Complete the following sentences with the present indicative of the indicated verbs.
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Potere, Volere, Dovere
A. Complete the following phrases, using the appropriate verb form of potere, volere, or
dovere.
1. Come, tu non puoi nemmeno assaggiarlo? (Why, you don't even want to taste
it?)
2. Ragazzi, questa sera volete andare a mangiare una pizza? (Children, this evening
would you like to go eat a pizza?)
3. Tu pui accompagnarmi dal parrucchiere oggi alle due? (Can you accompany me to
the hairdressers today at two o'clock?)
4. In casa nostra, noi figli sia maschi che femmine, dobbiamo aiutare nostra madre.
(In our house, we males as well as females, we must help our mother.)
5. Hanno bisogno di una seconda macchina, ma non possono permettersela. (They
need a second car, but they cannot afford it.)
6. Vi accompagno io. A che ora dovete essere all'aereoporto? (I'll accompany you.
What time do you need to be at the airport?)
7. L'aereo parte alle sette, ma i passeggeri devono presentarsi un'ora prima. (The
plane leaves at seven o'clock, but the passengers must show up one hour before.)
8. Perché tu non vuoi venire alla festa? (How come you don't want to come to the
party?)
48. Italian Verb Fare
A. Complete the following statements with the appropriate idiomatic expressions listed
below.
1. Oggi vado a fare una gita in campagna. (Today I'm taking a trip in the
countryside.)
2. La tua casa è molto lontana, prima ho preso l'autobus e poi ho fatto un pezzo di
strada a piedi. (Your house is very far from here, first I took the bus and then I
walked.)
3. Per mantenersi in forma e in buona salute č bene fare dello sport. (To stay in
shape and in good health it's good to practice sports.)
4. C'è molta gente allo sportello dei biglietti, devi fare la coda per una mezz'oretta.
(There are many people at the ticket window; you must wait on line for a half
hour.)
5. Ogni mattina, prima di uscire, io faccio colazione con la mia famiglia. (Every
morning, before leaving, I have breakfast with my family.)
6. Prendo il treno dell 12,40 per Milano e devo ancora fare la valigia. (I am taking
the 12:40 train for Milano and I still have to pack my suitcase.)
7. Oggi vado in centro a fare le spese, devo comprare diverse cose. (Today I am
going into the center of town to go shopping, I must buy many things.)
8. Maria va al mercato ogni mattina e fa la spesa, dopo torna a casa e fa da
mangiare per tutta la famiglia. (Maria goes to the market every day and does the
food shopping, then she returns home and prepares a meal for the whole family.)
9. Il serbatoio della macchina è vuoto, se voglio partire devo fare il pieno al
distributore. (The gas tank of the car is empty, if I want to leave I must fill it up at
the service station.)
10. Ho comprato un dolce, posso fare a metŕ con te se lo vuoi. (I bought a pastry, I
can split it with you if you want it.)
11. Oggi tu fai una visita al tuo amico che è ammalato. (Today you are paying a visit
to your friend who is sick.)
1. Quanto tempo tu resterai in Italia? (How long are you going to stay in Italy?)
2. Noi parteciperemo al nuovo concorso. (We will participate in the new contest.)
3. I genitori arriveranno il mese prossimo. (The parents will arrive next month.)
4. Io mi alzerò tardi domani. (I will wake up late tomorrow.)
5. Daniele noleggerà una macchina. (Daniele will rent a car.)
6. Sabato voi arriverete. (Saturday you will arrive.)
7. Tu e Luca parlerete di calcio. (Luca and you will talk about soccer.)
8. Gli studenti impareranno la matematica. (The students will learn math.)
9. Noi prenoteremo la settimana prossima. (We will reserve next week.)
10. Loro viaggeranno in autobus. (They will travel by bus.)
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B. Complete the following with the appropriate forms of the future of the indicated
regular -ere and -ire verbs.
1. Noi partiremo per l'Italia il mese prossimo. (We will leave for Italy next month.)
2. Gli studenti leggeranno molti libri. (The students will read many books.)
3. Tu e Carlo ripeterete la lezione. (Carlo and you will repeat the lesson.)
4. Il negoziante venderà tutta la merce. (The shopkeeper will sell all the
merchandise.)
5. Noi capiremo le nuove regole. (We will understand the new regulations.)
6. Gli atleti correranno per un'ora. (The athletes will run for one hour.)
7. Il bambino sentirà la mancanza dei genitori. (The child will miss his parents.)
8. La professoressa correggerà i compiti domani. (The professor will correct the
homework tomorrow.)
9. Tu finirai i compiti domani mattina. (You will finish the homework tomorrow
morning.)
10. Questa fine settimana noi andremo in campagna. (This weekend we are going to
the country.)
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Present Subjunctive Tense
A. Complete the following with the correct subjunctive forms of the verb in parentheses.
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Imperfect Subjunctive Tense
A. Complete the following with the correct subjunctive forms of the verbs in parentheses.
1. I genitori volevano che i figli facessero i compiti. (The parents wanted their
children to do their homework.)
2. Lui ordinò che loro finissero immediatamente. (He wanted them to finish
immediately.)
3. Era necessario che Carlo lo dicesse. (It was necessary that Carlo say it.)
4. Hanno insistito che tu lo scrivessi. (They insisted that you write it.)
5. Vorrei che voi faceste i buoni. (I hope that you are good.)
6. Io preferirei che voi lo spiegaste. (I would prefer that you explain it.)
7. Desideravano che noi fossimo a casa. (They wished that we were at home.)
8. Volevo che Giancarlo dicesse la veritŕ. (I wished that Giancarlo spoke the truth.)
9. Suggerirei che tu partissi. (I suggest that you leave.)
10. Tu vorresti che io ti dessi il mio orologio. (You would like me to give you my
watch.)
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Present Conditional Tense
A. Complete the following sentences using the condizionale presente of the verbs in
parentheses.
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Conditional Perfect Tense
A. Complete the following sentences using the condizionale passato of the verbs in
parentheses.
1. Ieri sera io sarei tornato volentieri alla festa, ma ho dovuto studiare. (Yesterday
evening I would have gladly returned to the party, but I had to study.)
2. Hanno scritto che sarebbero arrivati a teatro prima delle otto. (They wrote that
they would have arrived at the theatre before eight o'clock.)
3. Io non gli sarei chiesto quelle informazioni ma mi hanno forzato. (I would not
have asked them for that information, but they forced me.)
4. Noi avremmo preferito vedere un film senza sottotitoli. (We would have
preferred to see a film without subtitles.)
5. Ha detto che avrebbe comprato i biglietti per tutti. (He said that he would have
bought tickets for everyone.)
6. Loro sarebbero usciti ma cominciň a piovere. (They would have left but it
started to rain.)
7. Io sarei venuto ma non avevo la macchina. (I would have come but I didn't have
a car.)
8. Mario sarebbe stato a casa presto, ma č partito. (Mario would have been home
soon, but he's gone.)
9. Voi avreste potuto telefonare prima di partire. (You could have telephoned
before leaving.)
10. Loro avranno cenato prima di partire. (They should have eaten first before
leaving.)