1. Italian IV Tutorial: Basic Phrases, Vocabulary and Grammar
61. OBJECT PRONOUNS
Subject Direct Indirect Object of Prepositions
io I mi me mi to me me me
tu you (s.i.) ti you ti to you te you
lui he/it lo him/it gli to him/it lui him/it
lei she/it/you (s.p.) la her/it/you le to her/it/you lei her/it/you
noi we ci us ci to us noi us
voi you (p.i.) vi you vi to you voi you
loro they/you (p.p.) li/le them/you loro to them/you loro them/you
1. S.i. means singular informal, s.p. means singular polite, p.i. means plural
informal, and p.p. means plural polite. For you (s.p.) and you (p.p.) they are
capitalized to set them apart from the other meaning. (Lei instead of lei and
Loro instead of loro.)
2. Direct and indirect pronouns go directly before the conjugated verb OR they are
attached to the infinitive at the end (minus the final -e of the infinitive); except
loro, which always follows the verb: Lo voglio comprare. = Voglio
comprarlo. I want to buy it.
3. With commands, the pronoun (except loro) is attached to the end and written as
one word: Parlatemi! Talk to me!
With one syllable commands, the consonant of the pronoun is doubled before
adding it to the end of the command: di' + mi = dimmi! tell me!
However, with negative commands, the pronoun may either be placed at the
end as with positive commands, or they can be placed between non and
the verb: Non andarci! = Non ci andare! Don't go there!
4. When you have more than one pronoun, the indirect comes before the direct.
5. Mi, ti, ci, and vi change to me, te, ce, and ve before lo, la, li and le.
Also notice the insertion of ce before a pronoun + avere in constructions such
as: Ce l'ho. I have it. Non ce le ho. I don't have them.
6. Gli and le become glie before lo, la, li, and le; and are written as one word
connected with the other pronoun:glielo, gliela, glieli, gliele
If you use the direct object pronouns lo, la, li, le in the present perfect tense,
the past participle must agree with them.
Hai mangiato il panino? Did you eat the bun?
Lo ho mangiato. I ate it.
2. Hai mangiato la pasta? Did you eat the pastry?
La ho mangiata. I ate it.
In negative sentences, pronouns go before the entire verb as well, but after
the non.
I haven't eaten it. Non lo ho mangiato.
The following verbs are always used with indirect pronouns or nouns:
to give dare to bring portare
to say/tell dire to prepare preparare
to ask domandare to give (as a gift) regalare
to lend imprestare to return, give back rendere
to teach insegnare to bring back riportare
to send mandare to answer rispondere
to show mostrare to write scrivere
to offer offrire to call/telephone telefonare
62. PARTS OF THE BODY
ankle la caviglia mouth la bocca
arm il braccio muscle il muscolo
artery l'arteria nail l'unghia
back il dorso neck il collo
beard la barba nerve il nervo
belly il ventre pain il dolore
bladder la vescica nose il naso
blood il sangue palm la palma
body il corpo pulse il polso
bone l'osso rib la costola
brain il cervello shin / tibia la tibia
breast il seno shoulder la spalla
breath l'alito skeleton lo scheletro
calf il polpaccio skin la pelle
cheek la guancia skull il cranio
chest il petto sole la pianta
chin il mento spine la spina dorsale
3. coccyx il coccige stomach lo stomaco
cold il raffreddore tear la lacrima
complexion la carnagione temple la tempia
cough la tosse thigh la coscia
disease la malattia throat la gola
ear l'orecchio thumb il pollice
elbow il gomito toe il dito del piede
eye l'occhio tongue la lingua
eyebrow il sopracciglio tooth il dente
eyelid la palpebra vein la vena
face la faccia / il viso wound la ferita
fever la febbre waist la vita
finger il dito wrist il polso
fist il pugno
flesh la carne see vedere
foot il piede hear udire
forehead la fronte smell annusare
gum la gengiva taste assaggiare
hair i capelli touch toccare
hand la mano
head la testa enamel lo smalto
headache il mal di testa filling l'otturazione
health la salute crown la corona
heart il cuore gum la gengiva
heel il tallone bone l'osso
hip l'anca root la radice
intestine l'intestino nerve il nervo
jaw la mascella iris l'iride
kidney il rene cornea la cornea
knee il ginocchio pupil la pupilla
leg la gamba retina la retina
lip il labbro optic nerve il nervo ottico
liver il fegato lens la lente
lung il polmone
moustache i baffi
4. You can use the expressions Ho mal di + body part or Mi fa male + definite
article and the body part to say that something hurts. If the noun is plural,
you have to use mi fanno male instead of mi fa male.
Ho mal di testa. My head hurts. / I have a headache.
Mi fa male il dito. My finger hurts.
Mi fanno male gli occhi. My eyes hurt.
To talk about hair and eyes:
Ha i capelli corti / lunghi. S/he has short / long hair.
Ha i capelli biondi / bruni / neri / rossi. S/he has blond / brown / black /
red hair.
Ha gli occhi azzurri / marroni / grigi / verdi. S/he has blue / brown / gray /
green eyes.
63. INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS
Most of the question words are invariable (they don't have to agree with the
noun), but quale (which) and quanto (how much/many) must agree. Note
that these words do not require a noun to follow them.
Before singular nouns, quale is used, and before plural nouns, quali is
used.
Quale camicetta compri? Which blouse are you buying?
Quali maglioni compri? Which pullovers are you buying?
Quali compri? Which ones are you buying?
Quanto has four forms that follow the regular adjective pattern. Quanto is
masculine singular, quanta is feminine singular, quanti is masculine plural
and quante is feminine plural.
Quanto denaro hai? How much money do you have?
Quante camicette compri? How many blouses are you buying?
Quanto costa? How much does it cost?
64. RELATIVE PRONOUNS
Relative pronouns connect a dependent clause and a main clause together
in a sentence. An antecedent is the noun or pronoun that the relative
pronoun refers back to. The relative pronouns in English are that, what,
which, whom, and whose. The relative pronouns in Italian are che, cui, il
quale (and its forms), chi, quello che, quel che, and ciò che.
5. When the antecedent is a definite person, animal or thing, che, cui or a form
of il quale is used. Che is invariable and never used with a preposition. Cui
is also invariable, but it is always used with a preposition. Il quale and its
forms can be used with articles or articles plus prepositions. It is mainly
used in formal speech, writing and for clarity, and rarely in casual
conversation.
La ragazza che vedi è mia sorella. The girl whom you see is my sister.
Per le pillole di cui hai bisogno ci vuole la ricetta. The pills (of) which
you need require a prescription.
Lei è la sola persona nella quale (or in cui) io abbia fiducia. You are the
only person whom I trust.
È una medicina la quale (or che) non fa male allo stomaco. It's medicine
that doesn't upset your stomach.
When the antecedent is unknown or indefinite, chi is used when referring to
people. It is invariable and means "he/she who," "whoever," "the one who"
and takes a verb in the third person singular form. Quello che, quel che,
and ciò cheare all invariable and interchangeable. They refer to things only
and mean "what" or "that which."
Chi sta bene non va dal dottore. He who feels well doesn't go to the
doctor.
Chi trova un amico, trova un tesoro. One who finds a friend, finds a
treasure.
Non capisco quello che dice. I don't understand what he's saying.
Ciò che scrivi è sbagliato. What you're writing is wrong.
65. TO READ, TO SAY/TELL, TO GO OUT, TO LAUGH
leggere - to read dire - to say/tell uscire - to go out ridere - to laugh
leggo leggiamo dico diciamo esco usciamo rido ridiamo
leggi leggete dici dite esci uscite ridi ridete
legge leggono dice dicono esce escono ride ridono
Past participle: letto Past participle: detto Past participle: uscito Past participle: riso
The verb dire is also used in the expression:
Che ne dici di + infinitive? How about / Do you want to + infinitive?
When uscire is followed by a place, the preposition da plus
any contractions must be used, except in the idiom uscire di casa.
6. Esco dall'università alle 5.30. I leave the university at 5:30.
66. INDEFINITE ADJECTIVES & PRONOUNS
Adjectives
masculine
singular
feminine
singular
masculine
plural
feminine
plural
any / some alcuno alcuna alcuni alcune
as much /
many
altrettanto altrettanta altrettanti altrettante
other altro altra altri altre
some certo certa certi certe
a lot of molto molta molti molte
several parecchio parecchia parecchi parecchie
few poco poca pochi poche
such a / such tale tale tali tali
so much /
many
tanto tanta tanti tante
too much /
many
troppo troppa troppi troppe
all tutto tutta tutti tutte
various /
several
vario varia vari varie
not one / not
any
nessuno nessuna (no plural form)
Invariable Adjectives
every ogni
some / a few qualche
whatever / any qualsiasi
whatever / any qualunque
Pronouns
7. who / whoever chi
whoever / no matter who chiunque
however / no matter how comunque
wherever / no matter
where
dovunque
whatever / no matter
what
qualunque cosa
each ciascuno / ciascuna
each ognuno / ognuna
no one / nobody / not any nessuno / nessuna
nothing niente
nothing nulla
something qualcosa
someone qualcuno / qualcuna
one uno / una
the ones gli uni
the others gli altri
67. CI AND NE
Ci (there, it, about it, of it) and ne (some, of them, of it) are both pronouns
that go before the verb and they replace prepositional phrases. Ci will
replace phrases indicating locations that begin with in, on, to, at, under, etc.
and ne will replace phrases that are usually preceded by some or
a number and that indicate quantities.
Example Sentences
I live in Paris. Vivo a Parigi.
I live there. Ci vivo.
I have some apples. Ho delle mele.
I have some (of them). Ne ho.
I have five sisters. Ho cinque sorelle.
I have five (of them). Ne ho cinque.
Do you buy books often? Compri spesso libri?
I buy many (of them). Ne compro molte.
8. Similar to other pronouns, ci and ne go directly before the conjugated verb
or they are attached to the infinitive at the end (minus the final -e of the
infinitive).
Ci voglio andare. = Voglio andarci. I want to go there.
Ne posso spendere molti. = Posso spenderne molti. I can spend a lot.
In the perfect tenses, the past participle must agree with the noun
that ne refers to, the same way that it must agree with the direct object
preceding it:
Quante caramelle hai mangiato? How many candies did you eat?
Ne ho mangiate quattro. I ate four of them.
Other Uses of Ci
The particle ci is also used in the verbs volerci and metterci. Both of these
verbs translate to take when referring to how much time is needed to do
something. In addition, volerci translates to need, be required when there is
no reference to time and it is often used in the impersonal sense (general
you or we; is + past participle).
Per fare un tavolo ci vuole il legno. To make a table, you need wood /
wood is required.
Ci vogliono fatti e non teorie. We need facts and not theories.
Ci metto 30 minuti per andare al lovoro. It takes me 30 minutes to get to
work.
Non ci metti molto a finirlo. It doesn't take me a lot of time to finish it.
68. ANIMALS
animal l'animale (m) lark l'allodola
ant la formica lion il leone
antelope l'antilope (f) lizard la lucertola
antenna l'antenna lobster (spiny) l'aragosta
antler le corna louse il pidocchio
badger il tasso mackerel lo sgombro
bat il pipistrello mole la talpa
beak il becco monkey la scimmia
bear l'orso mosquito la zanzara
9. bee l'ape (f) moth la falena
beetle lo scarabeo mouse il topo
bird l'uccello mule il mulo
blackbird il merlo mussel la cozza
bull il toro nest il nido
butterfly la farfalla nightingale l'usignolo
calf il vitello octopus il polpo
carp la carpa ostrich lo struzzo
cat il gatto owl il gufo
caterpillar il bruco ox il bue
cheetah il ghepardo oyster l'ostrica
chicken il pollo parrot il pappagallo
chimpanzee lo scimpanzé partridge la pernice
claw l'artiglio paw la zampa
cockroach lo scarafaggio penguin il pinguino
cod il merluzzo pig il porco
cocoon il bozzolo pigeon il piccione
cow la vacca pike il luccio
crab il granchio pony il pony
crayfish il gambero rabbit il coniglio
crocodile il coccodrillo raccoon il procione
crow il corvo rat il ratto / il sorcio
deer il cervo rooster il gallo
dog il cane salmon il salmone
donkey l'asino scale la squama
dragonfly la libellula scorpion lo scorpione
duck l'anitra sea gull il gabbiano
eagle l'aquila seahorse il cavalluccio marino
eel l'anguilla seal la foca
egg l'uovo shark lo squalo
elephant l'elefante (m) sheep la pecora
feather la penna shrimp il gamberetto / il gambero
fin la pinna skin la pelle
fish il pesce slug la lumaca
flea la pulce snail la chiocciola
10. fly la mosca snake il serpente / la biscia
fox la volpe sole la sogliola
frog il ranocchio sparrow il passero
fur la pelliccia spider il ragno
gill la branchia squid il calamaro
giraffe la giraffa squirrel la scoiattolo
goat la capra starfish la stella di mare
goose l'oca stork la cicogna
gorilla il gorilla swallow la rondine
grasshopper la cavalletta swan il cigno
hamster il criceto tadpole il girino
hare la lepre tail la coda
hedgehog il riccio tiger la tigre
hen la gallina toad il rospo
heron l'airone (m) trout la trota
herring l'aringa tuna il tonno
hoof lo zoccolo turkey il tacchino
horn il corno turtle la tartaruga
horse il cavallo wasp la vespa
hummingbird il colibrì weasel la donnola
iguana l'iguana whale la balena
insect l'insetto wing l'ala
jellyfish la medusa wolf il lupo
kitten il gattino worm il verme
ladybug la coccinella zebra la zebra
lamb l'agnello
69. PAST PERFECT TENSE (TRAPASSATO PROSSIMO)
The pluperfect or past perfect tense corresponds to the English "had + past
participle." It indicates an event that happened prior to another event in the
past. It consists of the imperfect of avere or essere (whichever auxiliary
verb the main verb takes in the present perfect tense) and a past participle.
L'avevo già notato. I had already noticed it.
Ero andato ad un suo concerto. I had been to one of his concerts.
Non avevo avuto ancora occasione. I hadn't had the opportunity yet.
Erano già stati a San Remo. They had already been to San Remo.
11. 70. SUFFIXES
Suffixes may be attached to nouns, adjectives or adverbs. The final vowel
of the word should be dropped before adding the suffixes. The endings -ino,
-ina, -ello, -ella, -etta, -etta, -uccio, and -uccia are diminutives that express
smallness. The endings -one and -ona are augmentatives and express
largeness. The endings -ino and -uccio also express endearment. The
endings -aacio, -accia, -astro, -astra, -azzo, and -azza imply ugliness or poor
quality.
letter
parcel
boy
lettera
pacco
ragazzo
small letter
large parcel
bad boy
letterina
paccone
ragazzaccio
Tesorino mio! My sweetheart!
Amoruccio mio! My sweet love!
71. CONJUNCTIONS
and e because ché
or o because, so that perché
otherwise, or oppure so that, in order that affinché
and yet, still eppure since poiché
nevertheless tuttavia as soon as siccome
now ora given that dato che
but, however ma if se
but, however però until finché
neither… nor né…né up to, until fino a
therefore, then dunque though benché
in fact infatti although sebbene
so, therefore quindi although nonostante
what, that che although quantunque
when quando before prima que
while mentre as soon as appena
12. 72. PASSIVE VOICE
In passive sentences, the subject receives the action of the verb. In active
sentences, the subject does the action. However, the meaning of both
sentences is the same. The passive form is only possible with transitive
verbs and is much more common in English than in Italian. The passive
form consists of the verb essere plus the past participle of the main verb
followed by da (by) and its contractions. Essere should be in the same
tense as the verb in its corresponding active sentence. The past participle
agrees in gender and number with the subject.
Active I miei genitori pagano l'affitto. My parents pay the rent.
Passive
L'affitto è pagato dai miei
genitori.
The rent is paid by my
parents.
I contratti sono firmati dalle ragazze. The contracts are signed by the
girls.
La stanza è stata arredata da Carlo. The room was decorated by Carlo.
L'affitto sarà pagato dai miei genitori. The rent will be paid by my
parents.
73. IMPERSONAL EXPRESSIONS
Si can be used as a reflexive pronoun, but it can also be used as an
impersonal pronoun. It corresponds to "one, you, we, the people in general,
or they" in English and always use the third person form of the verb (either
singular or plural depending on the object).
Qui si vende carta da lettere. We sell writing paper here. / Writing paper is
sold here.
Si vendono anche matite? Do you also sell pencils?
Qui non si parla francese. We don't speak French here. / French is not
spoken here.
→ To avoid si si with reflexive verbs in an impersonal use, use ci si instead:
Ci si diverte molto. One has a lot of fun.
→ To avoid the use of si in impersonal statements, replace it with uno:
Si mangia bene qui. = Uno mangia bene qui. One eats well here.
→ Other impersonal expressions, which are followed by infinitives, include:
Bisogna - it is necessary, one must
È necessario - it is necessary
È possibile -it is possible
13. È meglio - it is better
È facile / difficile - it is easy / difficult
È utile / inutile - it is useful / useless
74. POST OFFICE AND BANK
post office la posta bank la banca
mailbox
la cassetta delle
lettere
file cabinet lo schedario
mail carrier il postino guard il custode
mailbag il sacco della posta safe la cassaforte
price il prezzo safety deposit box la cassetta di sicurezza
scale la bilancia checkbook il libretto degli assegni
package il pacchetto credit card la carta di credito
stamp il francobollo bills le banconote
letter la lettera coins le monete
address l'indirizzo deposit slip
la distinta di
versamento
postal worker l'impiegata postale pen la penna
newspaper il giornale check l'assegno
magazine la rivista bank teller il cassiere
75. USEFUL EXPRESSIONS
Non ne posso più! I can't take it anymore!
Lasciamo perdere! Forget about it!
Che bello! How nice!
Per forza! No wonder!
Non è così semplice! It's not that easy!
Chissà? Who knows?
Ti pelano! They make you pay too much!
Non vedo l'ora di... I can't wait to...
Siamo messe male. We are in bad shape. (not physically)
Che senso ha? What's the point?
Magari! I wish!
14. Non ne voglio proprio
sapere!
I really don't want to know about it!
Fai bene! Good for you!
Non ce la faccio da sola! I can't do it by myself!
Meglio ancora! Even better!
Che ne dici di ... ?
What about ... ? (when inviting someone to do
something)
Figurati! Don't mention it! / No problem! (informal)
Accidenti (a te)! /
Mannaggia!
Darn (you)!
Uffa! / Che rabbia! What a nuisance!
Che peccato! What a pity!
Mi va di... I feel like...
Faccia pure! Go ahead!
Te la cavi bene.
You manage it well. (speaking a language, for
example)
76. INFINITIVES FOLLOWED BY PREPOSITIONS
The following verbs require di or a when followed by another infinitive,
although the preposition is not always translated into English. The
preposition a can be changed to ad when the following verb begins with a
vowel.
verb + di + infinitive verb + a + infinitive
accettare di to accept abituarsi a to get used to
aspettare di to wait for aiutare a to help
avere bisogno di to need andare a to be going to
avere il piacere di
to have the
pleasure
cominciare a to begin
avere intenzione
di
to intend continuare a to continue
avere paura di to be afraid convincere a to convince
avere voglia di to feel like correre a to run
cercare di to try imparare a to learn
cessare di to cease insegnare a to teach
15. chiedere di to ask invitare a to invite
comandare di to command mandare a to send
credere di to believe passare a to stop by
decidere di to decide pensare a to think of
dimenticare di to forget preparare a to prepare
dire di to say, tell provare a to try
domandare di to ask riuscire a to succeed
finire di to finish servire a to be good for
offrire di to offer stare a to stay, stand
pensare di to plan stare attento a to be careful
permettere di to permit tornare a to return
promettere di to promise venire a to come
ricordare di to remember
sapere di to know
smettere di to stop, cease
sognare di to dream
sperare di to hope
tentare di to try, attempt
77. THE BEACH & FARM
beach la spiaggia barn il granaio
beach ball il pallone barrel il barile
beach towel l'asciugamano chicken coop il pollaio
beach umbrella l'ombrellone corral il recinto
clam l'ostrica cottage il villino
coconut la noce di cocco farm la fattoria
fins le pinne farmhouse la cascina
goggles
la maschera
subacquea
hay il fieno
hut la capanna hoe la zappa
island l'isola lasso il laccio
16. lifeguard il bagnino loft il fienile
lighthouse il faro pitchfork il forcone
lounge chair la sedia a sdraio rake il rastrello
oar il remo saddle la sella
ocean liner la nave shovel la pala
palm tree la palma silo il silo
picnic il picnic stable la stalla
pier il molo stool lo sgabello
rowboat la barca a remi tractor il trattore
sailboat la barca a vela windmill
il mulino a
vento
sand la sabbia
sand castle il castello di sabbia
sea gull il gabbiano
sea lion l'otaria
sea shell la conchiglia
seal la foca
seashore il litorale
seaweed l'alga marina
suntan lotion
la crema
abbronzante
surfboard la tavoletta da surf
waterskiing lo sci nautico
wave l'onda
78. PROBLEM VERBS
There are four verbs in Italian that correspond to the verb to leave in
English:
Lasciare means to leave a person or thing behind.
Partire means to leave, to depart, to go away on a trip.
Uscire means to go out (of a place) or to go out socially.
Andare via means to go away (opposite of to stay.)
17. There are three verbs that correspond to the verb to tell:
Dire means to tell or say.
Parlare means to speak or talk.
Raccontare means to tell, in the sense of narrating.
79. FARE CAUSATIVE
The verb fare can be followed by an infinitive to express the idea of having
someone do something or having something done. If the object is a noun, it
follows the infinitive; but if the object is a pronoun, it precedes the verb fare.
(Unless the object pronoun is loro, then it always follows the infinitive.)
Note that farsi can also be used in a causative construction when one is
having something done to oneself.
Abbiamo fatto fare quella sedia. We had that chair made.
Faccio studiare i ragazzi. I make the boys study.
Li faccio studiare. I make them study.
Mi faccio tagliare i capelli. I'm having my hair cut.
When a causative sentence has two objects, the person being made to do
something becomes the indirect object. In Italian, the indirect object is
introduced by a.
Il maestro fa leggere lo studente. The teacher makes the student read.
Il maestro fa leggere la lettura allo studente. The teacher makes the
student read the passage.
To avoid ambiguity with the indirect object, the preposition da instead
of a can be used. The sentence Abbiamo fatto mandare il pacco a
Maria can mean two things: 1) We had Mary send the package or 2) We
had the package sent to Mary. If the first meaning is intended, then da can
replace a.
80. OFFICE & SCHOOL SUPPLIES
backpack / small
backpack
lo zaino / lo
zainetto
paper clip la graffetta
binder / folder la camicia pen la penna
blackboard la lavagna pencil la matita
book il libro pencil case l'astuccio per le matite
bookcase la libreria pencil sharpener il temperamatite
briefcase la cartella periodical la rivista
cabinet l'armadietto planner l'agenda
18. calculator la calcolatrice ruler il righello
calendar il calendario scissors i forbici
chair la sedia sheet of paper il foglio di carta
chalk il gessetto staple il punto metallico
crayon il pastello stapler
la spillatrice / la
cucitrice
date la data text book il libro di testo
desk la scrivania typewriter
la macchina da
scrivere
dictionary il dizionario computer il computer
drawer il cassetto laptop il portatile / laptop
envelope la busta monitor il monitor
eraser la gomma keyboard la tastiera
exercise book il quaderno mouse il mouse
globe il mappamondo printer la stampante
glue la colla scanner lo scanner
ink l'inchiostro cable il cavo
lamp la lampada microphone il microfono
map la carta disk (floppy) il dischetto
marker il pennarello document il documento
news le notizie fax machine l'apparecchio
newspaper il giornale photocopier la fotocopiatrice
notebook il quaderno software il software
novel il romanzo file il file / il dossier
page la pagina
USB key /
flashdrive
il pendrive
paper la carta external hard drive il hard disk esterni