1. Italian Language Lessons Grammar, spelling, and usage Italian Alphabet (l’alfabeto italiano) The Italian alphabet (l'alfabeto) contains twenty–one letters: LettersNames of the Letters (Pronounciation) aahbbeeccheeddeeeehfEh-fehggeehAh-caieelEh-lehmEh-mehnEh-nehoohppeeqcurEh-rrehsEh-ssehtteeuoovVee or VoozZeh-tah The following five letters are found in foreign words: LettersNames of the Lettersji lungokkappawdoppia vuxicsyipsilon Italian Vocabulary List Italiano Inglese ItalianoInglese ItalianoInglese onomasticoName DaynovembreNovemberRossoRedcompleannoBirthdaydicembreDecemberArancioneOrangePasquaEasterla primaveraSpringgialloYellowNataleChristmasl’estateSummerVerdeGreenlunedìMondayl’autugnoFallBluBluemartedìTuesdayl’invernoWinterAzzurroBluemercoledìWednesdayottobreOctoberViolaPurplegiovedìThursdayunoOneNeroBlackvenerdìFridaydueTwoMarroneBrownsabatoSaturdaytreThreeRosaPinkdomenicaSundayquattroFourGriggioGraygennaioJanuarycinqueFivecinqueFivefebbraioFebruaryseiSixseiSixmarzoMarchsetteSevensetteSevenaprileAprilottoEightottoEightmaggioMaynoveNinenoveNinegiugnoJunedieciTendieciTenluglioJulyundiciElevenL’UomoManagostoAugustdodiciTwelveLa DonnaWomansettembreSeptembertrediciThirteenC’èThere is/areItalianoInglese ItalianoInglese ItalianoInglese La chiesaChurchNotteNightPregoYou’re WelcomeIl ristoranteRestaurant GiornoDayItalianoItalianIl mercatoMarketSeraEveningItaliaItalyIl paeseCountryCosìSoSiciliaSicilyLa cittàCitySìYeslIngleseEnglishLa montagnaMountainSeIfGli Stati UnitiUSAMangiareTo EatDiOfSpagnoloSpanishAndareTo GoDaFromSpagnaSpainPeròButInInMessicoMexicoIl peroPear TreeSuOnFranceseFrenchPerché?Why?ConWithFranciaFrancePerchéBecauseAvereTo HaveIrlandeseIrishQuando?When?DireTo SayIrlandaIrelandChe?What?DovereTo Have ToTedescoGermanChi?Who?PotereTo Be Able ToGermaniaGermanyDove?Where?VenireTo ComeLa LinguaLanguageQuale?Which?VolereTo WantCineseChineseCome?How?VivereTo LiveCinaChinaQuanti?How many?Per FavorePleaseRussoRussianFareTo Do/MakeGrazieThank YouRussiaRussia ItalianoInglese ItalianoInglese ItalianoInglese OggiTodayStareTo beIl RinoceronteRhinoDomaniTomorrow SapereTo KnowLa GiraffaGiraffeIeriYesterdayConoscereTo KnowLa CosaThingBello/aBeautifulCercareTo Look ForIl LibroBookPiccolo/aLittlePensareTo ThinkLa ScuolaSchoolGrandeBigDormireTo SleepTagliareTo CutInteresanteInterestingParlareTo SpeakVolareTo FlyIntelligenteSmartCantareTo SingLeggereTo ReadAncheTooBallareTo DanceIl IpoppotamoHippoLo StivaleBootSentireTo FeelIl ÒspitaleHospitalLa CapitaleCapitalAscoltareTo ListenL’UniversitàUniversityLa MareSeaGiocareTo WorkLa MusicaMusicSignoreMisterImportanteImportantLa VeritàTruthSignoraMrs.StudiareTo StudyVero/aTrueSignorinaMissComprareTo BuyCertoTrueCiaoHello/Good-byeLa ScarpaShoeFalsoFalseSalveHello (Formal)La PallaBallLa FamigliaFamilyArrivederciGood-bye (Formal)La PennaPenIl PadreFatherChiamarsiTo call (be called)La CartaPaperIl MadreMotherEssereTo BeIl ElefanteElephantLa PersonaPerson ItalianoInglese ItalianoInglese ItalianoInglese Il cellulareCell phoneInviareTo SendAspettareTo WaitIl mondoWorld CorrereTo RunVendereTo SellLa tecnologiaTechnologyTocareTo TouchIl CorpoBodyL’informazioneInformationIncontrareTo Find/MeetLa SaluteHealthIl computerComputerRicercareTo SearchL’occhioEyeIl fine di setimanaWeekendImparareTo LearnL’orecchioEarLa setimanaWeekEscereTo LeaveLa FacciaFaceLa vitaLifeScrivereTo WriteIl ColloNeckNienteNothingDareTo GiveIl CuoreHeartQualcunoSomeoneGuardareTo SeeIl NassoNoseQualcosaSomethingIl viaggioTripLa BoccaMouthTuttoEverythingMontareTo RideLa LinguaTongueSempreAlwaysCredereTo BelieveLa SpallaShoulderMaiNeveroOrLa SpinaSpine/BackPiùMoreeAndLo StomacoStomachPrestoSoonLa RagazzaYoung LadyLa DitaFingerPronto/aReadyIl RagazzoYoung ManIl piedeFootNuovo/aNewÙltimo/alastLa dita di piedeToeUsareTo UseAiudareTo HelpLa FrontaForeheadDomandareTo AskCommuneCommonLa LabbraLips ItalianoInglese ItalianoInglese ItalianoInglese DolorePainIl FormaggioCheeseIl AnanasPineapleDolceSweetIl LatteMilkLa PignaPineApprireTo OpenIl SoleSunIl MeloneMelonLa ManoHandLa LunaMoonGli ImpostazioniSettingsIl PesceFishL’arboleTreeL’aranciaOrangePescareTo FishIl PolipoOctupusLa CremaCreamLa ChitarraGuitarIl CornoHornIl PartePartIl PorcoPigL’uccelloBirdLa FragolaStrawberryIl AssinoDonkeyLa StellaStarL’aeroplanoAirplaneIl BurroButterIl RatoneRat/MouseL’aeroAirplaneLa MuccaCowSaltareTo JumpL’automobileCarIl PolloChickenLa PelleSkinLa MacchinaCarIl GalloRosterDuranteDuringL’aeroportoAirport L’uovaEggIl TèTeaSinistraLeftIl BraccioArmIl CaffèCoffeDestraRightLa GambaLegL’acquaWaterLàThereIl ToroBullPagareTo PayQuaHereL’agnelloLambLa PeraPearQuiHereIl GattoCatLa MelaAppleGiùDownIl CaneDogLa BananaBananaLà GiùOver There Italian Language Lessons Grammar, spelling, and usage Italian Double Consonants In Italian, all consonants except h can be doubled. Double consonants (i consonanti doppie) are pronounced much more forcefully than single consonants. With double f, l, m, n, r, s, and v, the sound is prolonged; with double b, c, d, g, p, and t, the stop is stronger than for the single consonant. Double z is pronounced almost the same as single z. Double s is always unvoiced. Double consonant examples: ItalianEnglishbabbodadfettasliceevvivahurrahbisteccabeefsteakmammamamaalbicoccaapricotbellobeautifulfilettofiletannoyearassaia lotbassoshortragazzoboyferroironpennellopaint brushespressoespresso coffeetavolozzapalettespaghettispaghetticavallettoeasel Most Italian words end in a vowel. Diphthongs (i dittonghi) are two vowels fused to emit a single sound. A diphthong is formed when an unstressed i or u combines with another vowel (a, e, o) or when the two vowels combine with each other, in which case either the i or u may remain unstressed. In diphthongs, unstressed i and u become semivowels approximating in sound the English consonants y and w, respectively. Diphthong examples: ItalianEnglishieriyesterdaybuonogoodfioreflowerchiusoclosedinvidiaenvypiùmore Tripthongs also exist. These are sequences of three vowels with a single sound, usually a diphthong followed by an unstressed i. ItalianEnglishtuoiyoursmieiminebuoioxenpigliaiI took Italian has numerous words that contain sequences of vowels. The following words are not triphthongs (which are infrequent), but sequences of a vowel and a diphthong. ItalianEnglishnoiaboredomfebbraioFebruarybaiabayfioraioflorist Each of the words below has a sequence of two diphthongs: ItalianEnglishghiaiagravelmuoioI dieacquaiosinkgioiellojewel