Italian IV tutorial basic phrases, vocabulary and grammar

Italian IV Tutorial: Basic Phrases, Vocabulary and Grammar
61. Object Pronouns

Subject
io
tu
lui
lei
noi
voi
loro
1.

I
you (s.i.)
he/it
she/it/you (s.p.)
we
you (p.i.)
they/you (p.p.)

Direct
mi
ti
lo
la
ci
vi
li/le

me

you
him/it
her/it/you
us
you
them/you

Indirect
mi
ti
gli
le
ci
vi
loro

to me
to you
to him/it
to her/it/you
to us
to you
to them/you

Object of Prepositions
me
me
te
you
lui

him/it
lei
her/it/you
noi
us
voi
you
loro
them/you

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?
Lo ho mangiato.
Hai mangiato la pasta?
La ho mangiata.

Did you eat the bun?
I ate it.
Did you eat the pastry?
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
arm
artery
back
beard
belly
bladder
blood
body
bone
brain

la caviglia
il braccio
l'arteria
il dorso
la barba
il ventre
la vescica
il sangue
il corpo
l'osso
il cervello

mouth

muscle
nail
neck
nerve
pain
nose
palm
pulse
rib
shin / tibia

la bocca
il muscolo
l'unghia
il collo
il nervo
il dolore
il naso
la palma
il polso
la costola
la tibia


breast
breath
calf
cheek
chest
chin

coccyx
cold
complexion
cough
disease
ear
elbow
eye
eyebrow
eyelid
face
fever
finger
fist
flesh
foot
forehead
gum
hair

il seno
l'alito
il polpaccio
la guancia
il petto
il mento
il coccige
il raffreddore
la carnagione
la tosse

la malattia
l'orecchio
il gomito
l'occhio
il sopracciglio
la palpebra
la faccia / il viso
la febbre
il dito
il pugno
la carne
il piede
la fronte
la gengiva
i capelli

shoulder
skeleton
skin
skull
sole
spine
stomach
tear
temple
thigh
throat
thumb
toe
tongue

tooth
vein
wound
waist
wrist

la spalla
lo scheletro
la pelle
il cranio
la pianta
la spina dorsale
lo stomaco
la lacrima
la tempia
la coscia
la gola
il pollice
il dito del piede
la lingua
il dente
la vena
la ferita
la vita
il polso

see
hear
smell
taste

touch

vedere
udire
annusare
assaggiare
toccare


hand
head
headache
health
heart
heel
hip
intestine
jaw
kidney
knee
leg
lip
liver
lung
moustache

la mano
la testa
il mal di testa
la salute

il cuore
il tallone
l'anca
l'intestino
la mascella
il rene
il ginocchio
la gamba
il labbro
il fegato
il polmone
i baffi

enamel
filling
crown
gum
bone
root
nerve
iris
cornea
pupil
retina
optic nerve
lens

lo smalto
l'otturazione
la corona

la gengiva
l'osso
la radice
il nervo
l'iride
la cornea
la pupilla
la retina
il nervo ottico
la lente

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.
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 che are 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
leggo
leggiamo
leggi
leggete
legge
leggono
Past participle: letto

dire - to say/tell
dico
diciamo
dici
dite
dice
dicono
Past participle: detto

uscire - to go out
esco
usciamo
esci
uscite
esce
escono
Past participle: uscito

ridere - to laugh
rido

ridiamo
ridi
ridete
ride
ridono
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.
Esco dall'università alle 5.30. I leave the university at 5:30.

66. Indefinite Adjectives & Pronouns

Adjectives

any / some

masculine singular
alcuno

feminine singular
alcuna

masculine plural
alcuni

feminine plural
alcune

as much / many
other
some
a lot of
several
few
such a / such
so much / many
too much / many
all
various / several
not one / not any

altrettanto
altro
certo
molto
parecchio
poco
tale
tanto
troppo
tutto
vario
nessuno

altrettanta
altra

certa
molta
parecchia
poca
tale
tanta
troppa
tutta
varia
nessuna

Invariable Adjectives

every
some / a few
whatever / any
whatever / any

ogni
qualche
qualsiasi
qualunque

who / whoever

chi

Pronouns

altrettanti

altri
certi
molti
parecchi
pochi
tali
tanti
troppi
tutti
vari
(no plural form)

altrettante
altre
certe
molte
parecchie
poche
tali
tante
troppe
tutte
varie


whoever / no matter who
however / no matter how
wherever / no matter where
whatever / no matter what
each

each
no one / nobody / not any
nothing
nothing
something
someone
one
the ones
the others

chiunque
comunque
dovunque
qualunque cosa
ciascuno / ciascuna
ognuno / ognuna
nessuno / nessuna
niente
nulla
qualcosa
qualcuno / qualcuna
uno / una
gli uni
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 anumber and that
indicate quantities.

Example Sentences
I live in Paris.
I live there.

Vivo a Parigi.
Ci vivo.


I have some apples.
I have some (of them).
I have five sisters.
I have five (of them).
Do you buy books often?
I buy many (of them).

Ho delle mele.
Ne ho.
Ho cinque sorelle.
Ne ho cinque.
Compri spesso libri?
Ne compro molte.

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 andar ci. I want to go there.
Ne posso spendere molti. = Posso spender ne 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 caramell e 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
ant
antelope
antenna
antler
badger
bat
beak
bear
bee

l'animale (m)
la formica
l'antilope (f)
l'antenna

le corna
il tasso
il pipistrello
il becco
l'orso
l'ape (f)

lark
lion
lizard
lobster (spiny)
louse
mackerel
mole
monkey
mosquito
moth

l'allodola
il leone
la lucertola
l'aragosta
il pidocchio
lo sgombro
la talpa
la scimmia
la zanzara
la falena

beetle
bird
blackbird
bull
butterfly
calf
carp
cat
caterpillar
cheetah
chicken
chimpanzee
claw
cockroach
cod
cocoon
cow
crab
crayfish
crocodile
crow
deer
dog
donkey
dragonfly

lo scarabeo
l'uccello
il merlo
il toro

la farfalla
il vitello
la carpa
il gatto
il bruco
il ghepardo
il pollo
lo scimpanzé
l'artiglio
lo scarafaggio
il merluzzo
il bozzolo
la vacca
il granchio
il gambero
il coccodrillo
il corvo
il cervo
il cane
l'asino
la libellula

mouse
mule
mussel
nest
nightingale
octopus
ostrich
owl

ox
oyster
parrot
partridge
paw
penguin
pig
pigeon
pike
pony
rabbit
raccoon
rat
rooster
salmon
scale
scorpion

il topo
il mulo
la cozza
il nido
l'usignolo
il polpo
lo struzzo
il gufo
il bue
l'ostrica
il pappagallo
la pernice

la zampa
il pinguino
il porco
il piccione
il luccio
il pony
il coniglio
il procione
il ratto / il sorcio
il gallo
il salmone
la squama
lo scorpione


duck
eagle
eel
egg
elephant
feather
fin
fish
flea
fly
fox
frog
fur
gill
giraffe

goat
goose
gorilla
grasshopper
hamster
hare
hedgehog
hen
heron
herring

l'anitra
l'aquila
l'anguilla
l'uovo
l'elefante (m)
la penna
la pinna
il pesce
la pulce
la mosca
la volpe
il ranocchio
la pelliccia
la branchia
la giraffa
la capra
l'oca
il gorilla
la cavalletta

il criceto
la lepre
il riccio
la gallina
l'airone (m)
l'aringa

sea gull
seahorse
seal
shark
sheep
shrimp
skin
slug
snail
snake
sole
sparrow
spider
squid
squirrel
starfish
stork
swallow
swan
tadpole
tail
tiger
toad

trout
tuna

il gabbiano
il cavalluccio marino
la foca
lo squalo
la pecora
il gamberetto / il gambero
la pelle
la lumaca
la chiocciola
il serpente / la biscia
la sogliola
il passero
il ragno
il calamaro
la scoiattolo
la stella di mare
la cicogna
la rondine
il cigno
il girino
la coda
la tigre
il rospo
la trota
il tonno

hoof
horn
horse
hummingbird
iguana
insect
jellyfish
kitten
ladybug
lamb

lo zoccolo
il corno
il cavallo
il colibrì
l'iguana
l'insetto
la medusa
il gattino
la coccinella
l'agnello

turkey
turtle
wasp
weasel
whale
wing
wolf
worm

zebra

il tacchino
la tartaruga
la vespa
la donnola
la balena
l'ala
il lupo
il verme
la zebra

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.

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

lettera

small letter

letterina

parcel

pacco

large parcel

paccone

boy

ragazzo

bad boy

ragazzaccio

Tesorino mio! My sweetheart!
Amoruccio mio! My sweet love!

71. conjunctions

and
or
otherwise, or

and yet, still
nevertheless
now
but, however
but, however

e
o
oppure
eppure
tuttavia
ora
ma
però

because
because, so that
so that, in order that
since
as soon as
given that
if
until

ché
perché
affinché
poiché
siccome
dato che

se
finché


neither… nor
therefore, then
in fact
so, therefore
what, that
when
while

né…né
dunque
infatti
quindi
che
quando
mentre

up to, until
though
although
although
although
before
as soon as

fino a
benché

sebbene
nonostante
quantunque
prima que
appena

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
Passive

I miei genitori pagano l'affitto.
L'affitto è pagato dai miei genitori.

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.

My parents pay the rent.
The rent is 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
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
mailbox
mail carrier
mailbag
price
scale
package
stamp
letter
address
postal worker
newspaper
magazine

la posta
la cassetta delle lettere
il postino
il sacco della posta
il prezzo
la bilancia
il pacchetto
il francobollo
la lettera
l'indirizzo
l'impiegata postale
il giornale
la rivista

bank
file cabinet
guard
safe
safety deposit box
checkbook
credit card
bills
coins
deposit slip
pen
check
bank teller

75. Useful Expressions

Non ne posso più!
Lasciamo perdere!
Che bello!

I can't take it anymore!
Forget about it!
How nice!

la banca
lo schedario
il custode
la cassaforte
la cassetta di sicurezza
il libretto degli assegni
la carta di credito
le banconote
le monete
la distinta di versamento
la penna
l'assegno
il cassiere


Per forza!
Non è così semplice!
Chissà?
Ti pelano!
Non vedo l'ora di...
Siamo messe male.

Che senso ha?
Magari!
Non ne voglio proprio sapere!
Fai bene!
Non ce la faccio da sola!
Meglio ancora!
Che ne dici di ... ?
Figurati!
Accidenti (a te)! / Mannaggia!
Uffa! / Che rabbia!
Che peccato!
Mi va di...
Faccia pure!
Te la cavi bene.

No wonder!
It's not that easy!
Who knows?
They make you pay too much!
I can't wait to...
We are in bad shape. (not physically)
What's the point?
I wish!
I really don't want to know about it!
Good for you!
I can't do it by myself!
Even better!
What about ... ? (when inviting someone to do something)
Don't mention it! / No problem! (informal)
Darn (you)!

What a nuisance!
What a pity!
I feel like...
Go ahead!
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
accettare di
aspettare di
avere bisogno di
avere il piacere di
avere intenzione di
avere paura di
avere voglia di
cercare di
cessare di
chiedere di
comandare di
credere di
decidere di
dimenticare di
dire di
domandare di
finire di
offrire di

pensare di
permettere di
promettere di
ricordare di
sapere di
smettere di

to accept
to wait for
to need
to have the pleasure
to intend
to be afraid
to feel like
to try
to cease
to ask
to command
to believe
to decide
to forget
to say, tell
to ask
to finish
to offer
to plan
to permit
to promise
to remember
to know

to stop, cease

verb + a + infinitive
abituarsi a
aiutare a
andare a
cominciare a
continuare a
convincere a
correre a
imparare a
insegnare a
invitare a
mandare a
passare a
pensare a
preparare a
provare a
riuscire a
servire a
stare a
stare attento a
tornare a
venire a

to get used to
to help
to be going to
to begin
to continue

to convince
to run
to learn
to teach
to invite
to send
to stop by
to think of
to prepare
to try
to succeed
to be good for
to stay, stand
to be careful
to return
to come


sognare di
sperare di
tentare di

to dream
to hope
to try, attempt

77. The Beach & Farm

beach
beach ball

beach towel
beach umbrella
clam
coconut
fins
goggles
hut
island
lifeguard
lighthouse
lounge chair
oar
ocean liner
palm tree
picnic

la spiaggia
il pallone
l'asciugamano
l'ombrellone
l'ostrica
la noce di cocco
le pinne
la maschera subacquea
la capanna
l'isola
il bagnino
il faro
la sedia a sdraio
il remo

la nave
la palma
il picnic

barn
barrel
chicken coop
corral
cottage
farm
farmhouse
hay
hoe
lasso
loft
pitchfork
rake
saddle
shovel
silo
stable

il granaio
il barile
il pollaio
il recinto
il villino
la fattoria
la cascina
il fieno

la zappa
il laccio
il fienile
il forcone
il rastrello
la sella
la pala
il silo
la stalla


pier
rowboat
sailboat
sand
sand castle
sea gull
sea lion
sea shell
seal
seashore
seaweed
suntan lotion
surfboard
waterskiing
wave

il molo
la barca a remi
la barca a vela

la sabbia
il castello di sabbia
il gabbiano
l'otaria
la conchiglia
la foca
il litorale
l'alga marina
la crema abbronzante
la tavoletta da surf
lo sci nautico
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.)

stool
tractor
windmill

lo sgabello
il trattore
il mulino a vento


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

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