MICHEL THOMAS ITALIAN (BASIC) COURSE, 8 CDs

TRANSCRIPT

This is an approximate transcript of the course, since Michel often changed his mind in the
middle of a sentence to be translated, or adapted his sentences for the students. The booklet that
accompanied Michel's courses was wholly inadequate, so I have written this transcript. I have
found it useful, so maybe other people will, too.

Naturally, it would be foolish to try to learn the language using this transcript, without buying
the recordings.

Note that English is my native language, so I don't guarantee that there are no mistakes. Tracks
and track times in the recording are shown in brackets.

Version 2, August 7th 2006

Transcribed by JK

CD 1 (69.56)
(1) 4.51
(2) 6.19
(words ending in -ible in English, like "possible", end -ibile in Italian, like possibile)
possible
it is
it is possible
it is not
it is not possible
for me
it is for me
it is not for me
it is not possible for me
for you
(per Lei also means "for her")
it is for you
it is not for me
it is possible for you
(to ask a question, use inflection)
isn't it possible for you?
why?
(perché also means "because")
why isn't it possible for you?
like that, in that way
it is like that
it is not like that
it is not possible for me that way
I am sorry
(this literally means "it displeases me")
but
I am sorry, but it is not possible for me that way
(words ending with -able end with -abile in Italian)
probable
it is not probable
probably
possibly
(3) 7.06
late
it is late
very
it is very late
more
later
I want
("I" is understood in Italian)
to know
I want to know
I don't want
I don't want to know
it is possible
where
I want to know where is
(dove è contracts to dov'è)
how much
I want to know how much it is
to buy
I want to buy
the thing
I want to buy the thing
the same thing
I want to buy the same thing
I don't want to buy the same thing
the same
I want to buy the same
but I don't want the same thing
you want
do you want the same thing?
what (thing) do you want?
what do you want to buy?
here
what do you want to buy here?
(4) 5.49
some
something
do you want to buy something here?
why don't you want to buy something here?
I want to know
it
to know it
(sappere lo contracts so that the lo is hooked on to the end of the "whole" verb. All Italian
“whole” verbs do this)
I want to know it
to buy
to buy it
I want to buy it
I want to know how much it is because I want to buy it
if
expensive
it is very expensive
it is not very expensive
I want to buy if it is not very expensive
too, too much
it is not too expensive
I want to buy if it is not too expensive
(5) 5.39
to have
I want to have it
when
how much
when do you want to have it?
you can
you can have it
if you want
if you want to have it
now
I want to have it now
if it is possible
at what time?
at what time do you want to have it?
you can have it now if you want
acceptable
it is not acceptable for me
I am sorry but it is not acceptable for me that way
good
I want to know why it is not acceptable for you that way because it is very good
(6) 7.37
according to me, in my opinion...
according to you, in your opinion...
according to me it is very good that way
I am
ready
I am ready
soon
right away
I am ready right away
(Roberto and Roberta, subito and subita)
I am ready soon (female)
it is ready
it is not ready
to stay
I stay
you stay, he says, she says, it stays
I stay here
he is staying here
how long (how much time)?
how long are you staying?
I am staying
you are staying
how long are you staying
how long are you staying here?
(definition of nouns, verbs and adjectives)
(the English infinitive verb, e.g. "to speak", is expressed in Italian with an ending such as -are)
to speak
to eat
to leave, to depart
to understand
to see
(7) 6.53
I want to see
I want to see it
you, him, her, it
I want to see you later
a little
a little later
I want to see you a little later
busy
because I am busy now
to speak
I want to speak Italian
I want to speak Italian with you
do you want to speak Italian with me?
why don't you want to speak Italian with me?
I can
you can, he can, she can, it can
I am sorry but I cannot speak with you now because I am very busy now
but I can see you a little later if you want
to eat
I want to eat now
what (thing) do you want to eat now?
do you want to eat something now?
why don't you want to eat now?
(8) 8.01
I eat
you eat
(these endings apply for all verbs ending -are. There are three types of verbs, but all verbs can
be divided into two "tracks", the -are track and a track for all the others. For the -are track, the
ending for "I" is -o and the ending for "you, he, she, it" is -a. For the other track, the ending for
"I" is still -o, but the ending for the "you, he, she, it" is -e)
to go
to come
I see
you see
to take
I take
you take
I am taking it
you are taking it
why don't you take it?
(In English, we have three ways to express the present tense: "I take it", "I do take it", "I am
taking it". In Italian, all three are translated in one way: lo prendo "I take it")
I am
I am eating
I don't speak
French
yes I speak Italian but I don't speak French
I don't eat
I am not busy
I am not eating
I don't eat
(9) 6.58
to prepare
I prepare
I prepare it
I am preparing it
I don't prepare it
I am not preparing it
to have
I have
you have
do you have something for me?
what do you have for me?
I am hungry (I have a little famine)
are you hungry?
do you want to eat something now? are you hungry?
don't you want to eat? aren't you hungry?
to drink
I drink
you drink
what are you drinking?
thirst
I am thirsty
I am thirsty and I want to drink now
is
and
do you want to speak Italian with me?
what do you eat?
what are you eating now?
to do, to make
what do you want to do now?
do you want to do it?
why don't you want to do it now?
(10) 4.00
I can
you can
I am very sorry but I cannot do it now because I am very busy
I can do it later if I have (the) time
to stay
I stay
I am busy
I am busy (female)
tired
I am very tired now
the house
the thing
something
at home
tonight
I am tired and I am staying home tonight
(11) 6.43
tomorrow
tomorrow evening
tomorrow morning
tomorrow afternoon
(in Italian the present tense is used very much. For example, it is used to express the future, for
example you can say "I see you tomorrow")
I will see you tomorrow, I see you tomorrow
(in English, we have two ways to express the future tense: "I will/shall see you" and "I am going
to see you". In Italian, you cannot use "going" to express the future)
to go
(in Italian, "go" is a combination of two Latin verbs)
I go vado
you go va
to call
I call
I call you
I will call you later
I will call you tomorrow
(after coming and going, the next verb is preceded by a)
I am going to see it, I am going (in order) to see it
I am going to buy it now (I am on my way to buy it now)
I will buy it tomorrow

(end of recording)
CD 2 (63.50)
(1) 7.06
to stay
I am staying
I am staying at home tonight
are you staying home tonight?
how long are you staying?
to leave
I am leaving tomorrow
at what time are you leaving tomorrow?
why don't you want to leave with me?
why can't you leave with me?
to come
why can't you come with me now?
I am going to...
I am going to eat
he is going to, she is going to, you are going to eat
why can't you come to see it with me this evening?
I must
to have to
you must
you must come with me
you must speak Italian with me
to wait, await
to wait for me
to understand
to understand me
can you understand me?
why can't you understand me?
(2) 9.23
to say, to tell
I cannot say it in Italian
can you tell me?
will you, will you please, do you want
will you tell me where it is
(In English, "will you..." meaning "will you please..." does not express the future)
will you tell me
can you tell me?
can you tell me where it is?
to find
will you tell me where it is because I cannot find it
I have
I have it
I don't have it
you have it
why don't you have it for me now?
I want to have it
I want
I want it
I want it now
I don't want it now
why don't you want it now?
to have
I have
you have, he has, she has
to know
I know so
I don't know
I know it
I don't know it
you know it
why don't you know it?
do you know where it is?
can you tell me where it is?
can you tell me how much it is?
because I want to buy
today
I must have it today if it is possible
(3) 5.13
I am staying home tonight because I am tired
to prepare
I am preparing it
why don't you prepare it for me?
the dinner
to dine, to have dinner
will you have dinner with me tonight
where do you want to have dinner tonight?
I cannot speak with you now because I am eating
(to say "I am in the process of eating", you say sto mangiando, or sto -endo with verbs from the
other track)
I am eating
I am in the process of eating
what are you preparing?
what are you in the process of preparing?
(you can also use sto with per followed by any full verb, meaning "I am just about to...")
I am just about to eat, I am getting ready to eat
I am just about to prepare it
(4) 5.36
(whenever "to" implies "in order to", you say in Italian "for to do it" per farlo)
I don't have the time in order to do it now
(but if you use a noun, and a noun is followed by a verb then after the noun you mostly throw in
meaning "of")
I don't have the time to do it
to leave
I will leave tomorrow
at what time do you leave?
the week
next
next week
at what time do you leave next week?
at what time are you leaving next week?
(there is, in fact, a future tense in Italian. "I will leave" became "to leave-I have", which
contracted from partire ho to partirò, with the stress on the final syllable)
I will leave
you, he, she will leave partirà
(the endings -rò and -rà are universal for all Italian verbs)
(5) 5.52
to do, to make
I will do
I will do it
I won't do it
he will do it
when will you do it?
to say, to tell
to call
I will call you
I call you tomorrow
I will call you tomorrow
I will call you
I am staying
I am staying here
I am staying home tonight
I will stay home tonight
how long you staying in Italy?
how long will you stay in Italy?
I don't know
still
yet (in a negative sense)
I don't know yet, still I don't know
I don't know yet how long I will stay in Italy
(6) 7.08
I am ready
it is ready
to be
you must be ready soon
it can be ready soon
I will be
you will be, he will be, she will be
it will be ready soon
I don't know yet at what time it will be ready but I must have it today if it is possible
to see
to see it, to see him
to see her, to see you
to see me
I am going to call you later
(for the future tense, -are verbs have the ending -erò, not -arò)
I will call you later
to speak
I will speak
to eat
I will eat
he will eat
(for "we", use the future ending -remo)
we will eat later
we will stay home tonight
we will leave tomorrow
(7) 4.36
(in the present tense, for "we" use the ending -iamo)
we speak
we are staying
we are leaving
to go
we are going
(andiamo expresses different meanings, such as "let's go!")
let's go and eat!
we are eating
let's eat!
to start
I am starting now
at what time are you starting?
at what time are you going to start tomorrow?
let's start!
I want to know
I want to know at what time it will be ready
I am going
he is going, she is going, it is going, you are going
where you going?
where you going to be tonight?
(8) 5.10
good
it is very good
quite
it is quite good
it is quite possible
(words in English ending -ant and -ent are similar in Italian)
it is very different that way
(così can also translate "so")
it is not so different
it is so good
it is not so different that way
important
it is very important that way
I have to know it because it is very important for me
I would like
I would like to know it
I would like to go with you
there
(this word is also hooked on to the end of the whole verb)
I would like to go there with you
I would like to go and see it with you tonight
(9) 6.35
(words that can be hooked on to the end of the verb, can also come way up front)
I want to do it
(either way is as good as the other)
I cannot do it now
why can't you tell me now?
it is not ready yet but it will be ready for you soon
to do, to make
I do, I make
he does, he makes
why don't you do it?
I am doing it now
I am in the process of doing it
I am just about to do it
I say, I tell
you say, you tell
what are you saying?
why don't you tell me?
(10) 7.11
to understand
I cannot understand it
can you understand it?
can you understand me?
why can't you understand me?
I understand
I understand it
I don't understand it
you understand
do you understand it?
do you understand me?
don't you understand me?
why don't you understand me?
I am sorry but I don't understand it very well
what are you saying?
(when you use "what" in the middle of a sentence, you use ciò che)
I don't know what you're saying
(you can also say qualche instead of ciò che)
I don't understand very well what you are saying
it is not what I am saying
I don't understand what you want to say
("want to say" is the Italian for "mean")
I don't understand what you mean
what do you mean?
you don't understand what I mean

(end of recording)
CD 3 (52.42)
(1) 9.16
I want
I want it
I don't want it
I want to do it
(Italian words do not end in a consonant, as a rule)
what do you want?
do you want it?
don't you want it?
why don't you want it?
I want it but not now
what are you saying?
why don't you tell me?
(for "it to me", the person comes before the thing, and mi lo becomes me lo)
why don't you tell it to me?
("to you" is Le)
I am going to tell you later
I am telling you
I am telling
you are telling
to tell
I will tell you
to understand
I will understand
to speak
to see
("I will see" is contracted a little)
I will see
he will see
we will see
I will see it
he won't see it
we will see it
I will see you later
he will not see me
(2) 6.21
to give
I give
he gives
he gives me something
the book
why don't you give me the book?
why don't you give it to me now?
to bring
I am going to see you tonight and I will bring you the book
to him
I will give him the book
I am going to tell him
I will tell him
I want to tell him
(3) 4.53
I won't tell him, I will not tell him
I don't want to tell him
I don't tell you because I don't want to tell you
will you tell me, would you tell me
can you tell me
(4) 5.03
to tell
he will tell me
he won't tell me
he doesn't want to tell me
please
will you please tell me
will you tell me
why don't you want to tell me?
he won't tell me
I won't tell you
I will tell you later
I won't tell you now
will you tell me
(5) 5.26
I am sorry but
it pleases me, I like
I like very much
I like very much to do it
but I don't like to do it now
I will do it later if I have the time
I like
I like very much to speak Italian
you like
do you like?
I don't like to stay here
I like very much to do it
I want to do it
but I won't do it
I want to do it
I don't want to do it now
I won't do it
(6) 6.49
I want to do it
I cannot do it now
I cannot tell you where it is because I don't know it
I want to tell you something
I won't tell you
I want to tell you
it pleases me
you like
does it displease you?
doesn't it displease you?
(non le dispiace can be used for "if you don't mind")
won't you mind telling me, will you tell me...
(7) 6.01
what do you want to say? what do you mean?
to explain
I will explain to you later
will you please explain to me
will you explain it to me
why don't you want to explain it to me?
(8) 3.34
I don't know what it means
to wait
will you please wait for me
to do
will you do it
can you do it for me?
will you wait for me
can you wait for me?
(9) 5.19
there is
near here
I want to know where there is a good restaurant near here
far
it is not far
to walk
you can walk
will you tell me where it is because I cannot find it
I want to see it

(end of recording)
CD 4 (60.25)
(1) 5.12
it is not possible that way
I am sorry but it is not acceptable for me that way
it is not very different that way
but it is very important for me
it is very sure
certain
certainly
I am quite sure
evident
constant
(English words ending -ary end -ario in Italian)
necessary
it is not necessary for me now
contrary
on the contrary
on the contrary I do want to buy it
vocabulary
(English words ending -ence or -ance end -enza or -anza in Italian)
difference
the difference
a difference
what difference, which difference
importance
(2) 4.37
there is a difference
(c'è is a contraction of ci è, meaning "there is")
the problem
there is a problem
system
(English words ending -tion end -zione in Italian, and they are all feminine)
condition
the condition
the position
the situation
reservation
to book
I will make a reservation for you
will you please make a reservation for me
would you please make a reservation for me
will you please make a reservation for me
(3) 6.02
confirmation
do you have the confirmation of the reservation for me tonight?
what kind of...
what kind of reservation do you have for me for tonight?
observation
invitation
the vacation
the vacations
to spend time, to pass
to spend the time
to spend the vacations
where are you going to spend the vacation?
tonight
evening
tomorrow evening
morning
tomorrow morning
afternoon
tomorrow afternoon
(4) 5.52
evening
evening (the whole evening)
I am going to spend the whole evening
I will spend a musical evening
this evening
to spend the whole evening
morning
morning (the whole morning)
to spend the whole morning
day
to spend the whole day
I like very much to spend the whole day here
(English words ending -ical end -ico in Italian)
political
economical
logical
practical
it is not logical but it is very practical that way
philosophical
astronomical
astrological
the political situation
the economical situation
what impression to have of the political and economical situation in Italy now?
I don't like the political situation
(5) 10.49
(some verbs derived from nouns are similar in both languages, usually they are -are verbs)
preparation
to prepare
I am very busy now
I am preparing it now
I am in the process of preparing it
I will prepare it
when will you prepare it for me?
I will prepare it
he will prepare it for me
when will you prepare it for me?
when do you prepare it for me?
I prepare it
you are preparing it
why don't you prepare it for me?
I will prepare it
will you please prepare it for me
will you do it for me
(6) 5.50
to do
to do it
to tell
to tell it, to say it
to tell me
to tell it
to tell me
to tell it to me
can you tell it to me?
will you tell it to me?
I will see you tonight and I will tell you
perhaps
he won't tell me, perhaps he will tell you
we will tell you
he won't tell me but he will tell you
he won't find it
(7) 5.10
to be able
(the whole verb of "can" is "to be able to", for "must" it is "to have to"
to have
to have to
I must
you have to
you have to do it
you have to tell me
I will have
he will have
we will have
to have to
I will have to
I will have to do it
he will have to wait for me
to be able
I can do it
can you do it?
(8) 5.12
we can
we cannot do it
to be able
I will be able
I will be able to do it for you
but I won't be able to do it today because I will be very busy
I will be very busy today
when will you be able to do it?
we will be able to leave with you tomorrow if you want
(9) 5.33
to arrive
to call
to telephone
at what time will you arrive tomorrow morning?
I won't do it
we won't do it
you won't do it
I won't do it because I won't be able to do it
I want to do it
I want to have it
I want (alternative)
I want to have it
what would you like? (at the restaurant)
to have
to have (food and drinks)
what would you like to have?
(10) 6.08
I want
I would like
(the -rei ending means "would" for any verb)
I will buy it
I would buy it
I will do it
I would do it
with him
I will speak with him
I will talk to him
I will speak with him
I wouldn't speak to him
I wouldn't speak with him
(end of recording)
CD 5 (61.03)
(1) 5.15
(the so-called "auxiliary verbs" in this course are called "handles" because whatever follows
them is a full verb)
I can do it
I can't do it now
to understand
I understand
you understand
I understand it
I don't understand it
I understand you
I don't understand you
I cannot understand you
to find
to look for, seek
I am looking for it but I don't find it
I am in the process of looking for it
but I don't find it
I'm looking for it but I don't find it
(2) 4.42
I must look for it
but I cannot find it
can you tell me where it is?
will you please tell me where it is
I want to see it
I would like to see it
I will see it
he will see it
we will see it
I will see it
I would see it
but I wouldn't do it
I will be here
I would be here
I would like to see it
(3) 5.22
("you would like", "he would like", "she would like", "it would like" has a -rebbe ending)
I would like
you would like, he would like, she would like
would you like to do it?
would you like to see it?
there
when would you like to go there?
he wouldn't buy it
I would speak with him
I would talk to him
I will talk to you later
I wouldn't see it
he wouldn't see it
it will be very important
it would be very important
but it wouldn't be possible that way
(4) 8.12
I will be able
I will be able to do it
I won't be able to do it that way
he won't be able to do it
we won't be able to do it
(the ending meaning "we would" is -remmo)
we would be able to do it
we wouldn't be able to do it that way
we won't be able to do it that way
I will be able to come with you
but I won't be able to come with you today because I will be very busy
I wouldn't be able to come with you
would you be able to tell me when you will be able to do it?
(in English, instead of saying "would you be able to tell me", you would say "could you tell me".
“could you tell me" implies "would you be able to tell me")
("could" in English expresses two different tenses. "he told me that he couldn't do it" means "he
wouldn't be able to do it" or "he told me he was not able to do it")
(5) 6.15
I could (would be able)
you could (you would be able)
I could (was able, past tense)
he could, he was able
(as a guideline, translate "could" with potrei etc, unless "could" clearly refers to the past)
we could (would be able)
I couldn't find it (past tense)
I couldn't tell you now
could you tell me
can you tell me
could you tell me where it is
I don't understand you
I cannot understand you
I couldn't understand you (past tense)
(6) 6.53
(you have a similar situation with "must")
I must
you must
to wait
you have to wait for me
can you wait for me?
could you wait for me?
I am sorry but I cannot wait for you now because I am going to leave soon
I have to leave soon
I will have to leave tomorrow
at what time will you have to leave?
we will have to leave
we would have to leave
I will have to leave
I would have to leave
I will be able to leave
I would be able to leave
I could leave tomorrow
I will have to leave tomorrow
I would have to leave tomorrow
he would have to leave
(7) 10.03
I would be able to do it
I could do it for you tomorrow
I couldn't do it that way
could you do it?
yesterday
I couldn't do it yesterday
I could do it now
I must
you must
(in Italian, "I must" can also mean "I am supposed to")
I have to do it
I am supposed to leave today but I cannot
(devo can also mean "I owe")
how much do I owe?
I will have to do it
at what time will you have to leave?
I would have to do it
you would have to do it
we would have to do it
we will have to do it
I would have to buy it
("would have to" is used in the sense of "should" or "ought to")
I should buy it
you should tell me
you have to tell me
can you tell me?
could you tell me?
will you tell me
would you tell me
(8) 4.14
I would like to see it
would you like to see it?
I like to see it
it would please me to see it
I am doing it
you are doing it, he is doing it
he is not doing it
he will do it
he would do it
I like to see it
it would please me to see it
I like
it would please me
I would like to see it
(9) 5.39
(English words ending -ty end -tà in Italian)
university
the university
the opportunity
the opportunity, the occasion
(English words ending -al and -el, end -ale and -ele in Italian)
normal
normally
general
generally
special
specially for you
the specialty of the house
(if a noun is followed by a verb, you throw in di. This also happens after some verbs, such as
verbs of communication)
I don't have the time to do it now
it is not possible to do it now
time (passing of time)
time (sequence of occasions)
the next time
I would like to have the opportunity to see it the next time
(10) 4.28
once
twice, two times
I can do it

I will be able to do it next time

I could do it
but I couldn't do it yesterday
I would like
you would like
I want to eat
I do want to eat
I want to see it
I do want to see it
I like to see it
I would like to see it
I would very much like to see it
I would like to see it

(end of recording)
CD 6 (55.15)
(1) 4.47
according to me, as far as I am concerned
according to you
to think
I think
I don't think
what do you think?
we don't think
(pensare is also used for thinking forward or planning)
I plan on leaving, I plan to leave
how long do you plan on staying?
to hope
I hope
(sperare also means to expect to do something)
I expect to leave soon
at what time do you expect to arrive?
I want
I want to stay here
I would like to stay here
it would please me to stay here
(2) 5.17
the desire, wish
I feel like... (lit. I have the wish)
I don't feel like staying here
the need
I need (lit. I have need)
I need to do it
you have to do it
("you don't have to do it" in English does not mean "you must not do it" but "you don't need to do
it")
you don't have to do it
you don't have to tell me now because I don't want to know it
(3) 5.19
I could (past)
I couldn't find it yesterday
I will have to
I will have to buy it
I had to
I was supposed to
I had to do it yesterday
he had to wait, he was supposed to wait
I had to do it
he had to do it
I wanted to do it
I didn't want to buy it
I didn't want to tell him
I didn't want to tell you
I had
I didn't have the time to do it
(4) 5.04
(an exception is "I was")
I was
I was here yesterday evening
but it was not ready
everything
everything was ready for you this morning
I am sorry but I couldn't do it yesterday because I was very busy all day
I wanted to go there with you yesterday but I couldn't do it because I was very busy
she was busy
(5) 5.47
(occupato actually means "occupied", so the verb is occupare)
I have occupied the house
(so there are two past tenses in both English and Italian. The -evo ending corresponds to a
straight line in the past, meaning in English "I was doing it". The other tense is a dash, meaning
in English "I did it". There is a clear difference between the two tenses in Italian, more so than
in English)
(in Italian, for "did" and "didn't", you use "have" and "haven't")
(you can "dive" into the Italian past tense, first by standing on the diving board, which is the
verb "have", and then you dive. "I ate" becomes "I have eaten", "I didn't eat" becomes "I haven't
eaten", "did you eat" becomes "have you eaten", "at what time did you call me" becomes "at
what time have you called me", "I called you this morning" becomes "I have called you this
morning", "why didn't you call me" becomes "why haven't you called me")
(to dive, change the -are verb into a word ending -ato, e.g. the verb mangiare becomes
mangiato)
I spoke with him
I bought something for you
the car
I didn't buy the car for you
(6) 6.00
(capire becomes capito)
I didn't understand
(dire becomes detto, fare becomes fatto)
I did it
I didn't do it
he told me
why didn't you tell me?
I waited for you
why didn't you wait for me?
(actually there are two diving towers, "have" and "be". After any form of those two verbs, there
is nowhere to go but to dive. After any other kind of verb, the next verb is the whole verb)
(in modern Italian, there are a few verbs that use "be" instead of "have")
I went (lit. I am gone)
I stayed (lit.I am stayed)
we are
we arrived (lit. we are arrived)
we arrived (group containing only females)
I left (lit. I am departed)
I left (female)
(after "to be", the ending will be either -o or -a)
she left
(7) 6.30
to amuse
to amuse oneself, to have fun
I am having fun, I amuse myself
to me
to amuse myself
I want to have fun
I am having fun
I will have fun
I would have fun
it would be very interesting and according to me I would have fun
yourself, himself, herself, itself
you would have fun, you would amuse yourself
us, ourselves
we would enjoy ourselves
we will have a lot of fun
according to me we would have a lot of fun
(8) 2.42
I see you
I don't see you
I cannot see you
I couldn't see you tonight
it will be
it wouldn't be
it wouldn't be possible for me tonight
(9) 3.11
we see
we see it
we don't see it
we cannot see it
we cannot see ourselves here

we see ourselves like that

we see
we see it
we see you
we see ourselves
we cannot see it
we cannot see ourselves here
(10) 10.38
(the reflexive "ourselves" also expresses the reciprocity of "each other")
we see ourselves
we see each other, we meet
at what time shall we meet tomorrow?
we will meet, we will see each other
at what time will we meet tomorrow?
at what time we meet tomorrow? (present tense verb)
(there are many ways to express even the simplest sentence, e.g. "I am going to leave tomorrow",
"I must leave", "I have to leave", "I intend to leave", "I expect to leave", "I am leaving" etc)
it is difficult to me to say it in Italian

(end of recording)
CD 7 (58.15)
(1) 6.41
I am thinking
I am busy
I am tired
I am eating
what are you eating?
why don't you want to eat?
(for the "I was eating" tense, use -avo, -ava and also -evo and -ivo etc)
I was eating
he was eating
I will eat
I wouldn't eat it
he wouldn't eat it
he wouldn't do it
he wouldn't tell me
I am waiting
I am waiting for you
why don't you wait for me?
I will wait for you here
I am waiting
I was waiting
he was waiting for me
to work
I am working
I was working
I worked, I have worked
he waited
(2) 5.53
(let's call the "was -ing", "were -ing" the "wing" tense (formally, the imperfect). It expresses
either a continuous line in the past, or a broken line in the past: there is no distinction in English
e.g. "I did it, I have done it" and "I did it, I used to do it", but there is in Italian)
(there is another -ing tense e.g. "I have been working here for two hours". "have been -ing"
means "I am still doing it", and in Italian you use the present tense)
I have been working here
I have been waiting for you
(3) 4.18
I waited
why didn't you wait?
I am going to buy it, I will buy it
I am going to buy tomorrow
I am going (in order to) buy it
I am going (in order to) see it tonight
to go
I am going
you are going, he is going, she is going
it is going well
it is going very well
(4) 5.16
it doesn't work, it doesn't function
to fix, to repair
can you fix it?
(In Italian, "to have something done" or "get something done" is "to make somebody do it",
using fare. "to have something done" is "to make it do")
I must have it repaired
to change
I have to get it changed
to wash
I am going to get it washed
now I can make myself understood in Italian
for us
he made a reservation for us
(5) 9.01
you didn't tell me
it is done
he prepared the dinner
everything is prepared for you
all, they all (plural)
I am busy
(sono means "I am", but it also means "they are". However, "I am busy" is different from "they
are busy")
I am busy
they are busy
everyone is busy, all of them are busy
I want it
I don't want it
you can have it
if you want
if you want it
why don't you want it?
will you please tell me
can you tell me?
why don't you want it?
why don't you want to buy it?
you can have it if you want it
(6) 5.12
to go out
I go out
you go out
I don't want to do it
I feel like doing it
I don't want to stay home tonight, I feel like going out
I don't want to do it now
I don't feel like doing it now
(7) 6.20
I am (right now) about to do it
I am just about to eat
I am just about to prepare it
I was about to...
I was about to do it when you called
I plan on leaving
when do you plan on leaving?
how long do you plan on staying in Italy?
I intend to do it
I intend to do it, I have the intention to do it
I don't intend to do it now
(8) 5.34
I need to do it
of it, from it, some of it, any of it
(ne has the same position as any other pronoun)
I want it
you want it
why don't you want it?
I want some of it
I want to buy some (of it)
because I want to have it
I want to have some (of it)
I am going (in order to) buy some of it now
because I must have some
I need
I need it, I have need of it
I don't need it now, you can have it
you can have some if you want
(9) 3.15
I bought some for you
I didn't buy any because I didn't find any
what do you think of it?
I spoke about it with him, I spoke of it with him
I am going (in order to) buy it
I was going in order to buy it
(10) 6.45
(with verbs of coming and going, you use "be" to dive)
I have gone
I left
he left
they left
they left (all women)
we left
we left (group of female friends)
we went to see it
we finished
we finished doing it
to study
we finished studying today
everything is finished
to learn
according to me we have learned a lot

(end of recording)
CD 8 (56.13)
(1) 7.04
I am waiting for you
I have been waiting for you
I have been doing it
I have been doing it for long time
I was doing it
I have been here for two days
to arrive
I arrived
remember
I remember
(2) 8.36
to have fun, to enjoy oneself
I am having fun, I enjoy myself
I will have fun, I will enjoy myself
he is having fun
we are having fun
(whenever you have a reflexive verb, in the past tense you always use "be")
I had a lot of fun
we had fun
we see each other, we meet
we will meet tomorrow
we would meet
at what time shall we meet tomorrow?
(3) 7.05
to meet, to encounter
we meet, we encounter each other
we will meet
I prefer
I prefer doing it that way
do you prefer doing it that way?
what do you prefer?
to know
I know
I don't know it
why don't you know it?
(there are two Italian words meaning "to know", sapere to know a fact, and conoscere to know
or to be acquainted with a person or place)
I know
I don't know her
you know
do you know her?
I know her very well
to ask
will you ask (to) him to wait for me
can you tell him to call me later?
(4) 5.20
are you having fun?, do you enjoy yourself?
(si diverta is the imperative)
have fun! enjoy yourself!
do you speak Italian?
to speak
to eat
what are you eating?
you are leaving
at what time are you leaving?
what are you eating?
do you speak Italian?
why don't you speak Italian with me?
(5) 6.13
he is telling me
what are you saying
I say, I tell
why don't you tell me?
why don't you tell it to me?
I want to know it
I have to know it
how are you?
I am fine
everything is going well
will you have it fixed
will you let me know
to show
will you show me
something
can you show me something?
can you show me something, can you let/make me see something?
(6) 6.36
other
the same thing
I want the same thing for me
the same
it is not the same
there is
there are
a message
there is a message for you
people la gente (singular)
many people
there are many people here
how do you say it in Italian (lit. how does one say it)
how does one say it (lit. it says itself)
to write
I am writing
why don't you write to me?
why don't you call me?
how does one say?
how do you spell it? how does it write itself?
(7) 3.42
I sell
you are selling
why don't you sell it?
he is selling it
he was selling it
he used to sell it
it is being sold
it takes...
it takes a lot of time
how long does it take? how much time does it take?
I am in a hurry, I have hurry
I want to know how long it takes because I am in a hurry
I am leaving, I am departing
I am leaving, I am going out
at what time are you going out?
(8) 11.37
I am leaving, I am going
I am going myself away from it
I have to go now
I have to go myself away
I am sorry but I cannot wait because it is taking too long and I am in a hurry
I have to go now, I have to go away now
to send
will you tell him to send it to me today because I need it
we have finished studying Italian today

(end of recording)